Bus Delays Costs Region About $115 Million Annually

TransLink recently released its 2025 Bus Speed and Reliability Report and found that bus delays caused by congestion are a significant concern, slowing bus travel times and costing TransLink about $115 million annually to maitain service frequency. Simply, if you want a bus every 15 minutes, the slower the bus travels, the more buses you need to maintain the same level of frequency. If we were able to eliminate all delays, which of course is not possible, the region would be able to increase bus service by 13%, which is significant.

Knowing this, TransLink has been working with municipalities to speed up bus travel times. In Langley City, we have bus lanes on Fraser Highway, 203rd Street, and Logan Avenue as a result of this program.

Some of the more recent successes include the installation of bus lanes on Scott Road, which has improved bus travel times by 20% (about 10 minutes) from Scott Road SkyTrain to Newton. Another example is the ramp queue-jumper lanes on Highway 99 and 17A, which allow buses to zip past congestion, improving bus route travel times by 30%.

One of the priorities is to grow the amount of bus priority measures along the frequent transit network. Between 2018, when the program was launched, and today, the share of bus priority measures along the frequent transit network has increased from 9% to 17%, a success story.

The following map shows bus priority measures implemented since 2019.

Map of Bus Speed and Reliability Project from 2019 to 2025. Select the map to enlarge.

TransLink is continuing to work with municipalities to identify areas for bus priority measures with a new funding intake this fall. These projects pay for themselves over time as they allow TransLink to reinvest bus service hours to improve service.

I look forward to seeing the continued rollout of this program, which is essentially like finding free money. To learn more, please read the full report.

Langley City Christmas Market

During the summer, there are a ton of events and activities in our Downtown, and there is a growing number of evening events. During the winter months, the number of events and activities in our Downtown decreases.

If you watch Hallmark Christmas movies, which I do, you will have seen many Christmas Markets in our Downtown, but sadly none in real life. That is about to change. This year, there will be a real Christmas Market in Downtown Langley City running from late November until Christmas Eve.

The market will feature over 100 vendors, free entry, daily entertainment, and family-friendly programming. The same folks who put on the Shipyards Christmas Market in the City of North Vancouver are putting on this Christmas market.

While Christmas may be the furthest thing from people’s minds right now, planning work for the market is underway. If you’d like to learn more about the market, including information for vendors and entertainers, please visit the Langley Christmas Village website.

One of the long-standing things that I and others have been advocating for is more evening and winter events and activities in our Downtown to help bring our community together and create more opportunities for people to participate in positive activities, which reduces negative activities. I’m very happy that Langley City will have a full Christmas Market this year. I will certainly be there.

Reducing Property Crime, Vandalism, Disorder - New Provincial Program in Langley

When you look at most communities in BC, you will see that a small number of people are responsible for a disproportionate number of calls for service to the police, bylaws, and other public safety officials. In Langley, for example, about five people had over 500 calls for service to the police over a year.

These people find themselves in and out of the courts and jail, and many of them experience homelessness, mental health challenges, and problematic substance use. These people need help.

In 2023, the provincial government launched the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative, which is successfully addressing the small number of people who commit a disproportionately high number of violent crimes. Based on this model, the provincial government is launching the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative to similarly address the small number of people responsible for a significant share of vandalism, street disorder, and property crime.

This new program, funded by the provincial government, has 12 hubs, including one in Langley. These hubs will have a coordinated team of crown prosecutors, police, probation officers, correctional supervisors, community integration specialists, and mental health workers. The program will also include housing and substance-use supports.

In Langley City, I know some of the people who will likely be candidates for the Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative by name. I’m encouraged that this program is now in our community, as it will have a positive impact, reducing repeat property-crime-related activity.

For more information about this program, please read the provincial government's news release.

June 15 Council Notes: Committee Work Plans, Innovation District, Financial Plan Update Approved

Langley City Council has several committees that members of the community can volunteer to serve on. Annually, Council endorses each committee's work plan. Last Monday, Council approved the work plan for the Arts, Recreation, Culture & Heritage Committee, Accessibility Advisory Committee, Community Safety Awareness Committee, Environmental Sustainability Committee, and Socio-Cultural and Economic Development Advisory Committee.

For example, one of the work plan items for the Arts, Recreation, Culture & Heritage Committee is to develop a Heritage Inventory, including for older buildings. The Socio-Cultural Economic Development Advisory Committee’s work plan includes creating a food technology economic development strategy for our community.

Langley City Council also adopted the Glover Road Innovation District Plan, which I previously posted about with some minor changes. These changes included encouraging stronger connections to KPU’s programs, including a progress monitoring section to measure the outcomes of the plan, setting in stone that there will be no net loss of mixed-employment lands in the City, and exploring incentives to support the development of the hub buildings, including options for them to be delivered as a community amenity or potential City partnership. The innovation hub buildings, in my opinion, are the linchpins for the innovation district. The next steps for the plan will be to update the City’s Official Community Plan and then seek approval from the Metro Vancouver Regional District board.

Finally, Council also approved an update to our financial plan, which you can read about in a previous post. There was a public input opportunity for the financial plan update. The former mayor, a past council candidate, and several people who declared their interest in running in the upcoming local government election provide commentary. It is worth watching this section of the meeting to understand what occurred.

Changes to Advanced Voting and Other Housekeeping Matters for Upcoming Election

October 17 is election day for all local governments in BC. As is typical, local governments review their election-related bylaws. On Monday, Council gave the first, second, and third readings to approve, in principle, several changes as outlined in this post. Adoption of these changes to bring them into force will be considered at the next Council meeting.

Most people know about advance voting, which is open to all eligible voters. Langley City also had two Special Voting Opportunities: one at the Evergreen Timbers, restricted to residents of that care home, and one at the Langley Senior Resources Centre, for its members only. On average, about 40 people took advantage of those opportunities.

In the 2022 election, the Langley Senior Resources Centre was designated as an advance voting location open to all eligible voters. Langley City staff did an evaluation and found that the Langley Senior Resources Centre location had a lower turnout than other advanced voting days at Timms Community Centre. Langley Senior Resources Centre also noted some challenges with having voting at their locations, as it disrupted their programming.

As a result, advanced voting will now take place only at Timms Community Centre, with four advanced voting days, maintaining the same number of days as in the 2022 election.

Every vote matters. In the 2022 election, one member of Langley City Council was elected by two votes. It is important that we make it easy for folks to vote, including people with limited mobility or other disabilities. In 2022, Langley City introduced mail-in ballots, which expanded voting opportunities.

8 people took advantage of the special voting at Evergreen Timbers in the 2022 election. The City will be discontinuing this special voting opportunity. The City instead will work with all long-term care providers to ensure everyone is aware of mail-in ballots and curbside voting opportunities during advance voting days and on general election day.

Most people believe that Canada is fully metric, but we actually aren’t, which means our laws and bylaws use both imperial and metric measurements. Langley City’s sign bylaw allows 4’ x 4’ or .91m x .91m as the maximum size for election signage. Now .91m is actually 3’, so there was a discrepancy. During the last election, all candidates had 4’ x 4’ signs. To make the bylaw consistent, the maximum metric size was increased to 1.2m x 1.2m.

SkyTrain Mark I as Public Art in Langley City

As you may know, TransLink is retiring the Mark I SkyTrain fleet, which entered service in the 1980s. TransLink put out a notice back in the fall of 2024 saying they have a process in place for people or organizations that would want to get one of these retiring cars for free, with the remaining going to be scrapped.

This piqued interest among some members of Langley City’s Arts, Recreation, Culture & Heritage Committee, who put together a detailed proposal to acquire one of the Mark I cars and turn it into an iconic public art installation in our Downtown.

This piece of public art would be functional and celebrate our transit heritage. Langley Prairie (the old name of Langley City) was a major stop on the Interurban transit line back in the day, and with SkyTrain coming, it makes a lot of sense to celebrate transit, which shaped and continues to shape our community.

The SkyTrain car would also become a landmark and gathering place for the community. The idea would be to convert the interior of the Mark I car into a usable space that could host a pop-up shop, art gallery, or cafe.

As for location, there are a few options, such as at Innes Corners Plaza or the Langley City Centre SkyTrain station, though nothing has been finalized. There is an active railcar restoration and handperson community here, and there are already folks who are interested in volunteering to transform one of these Mark I cars.

Langley City has a public art fund that could help cover some of the costs of this project. While there is more work to do before this project becomes a reality, Langley City Council supported this public art concept in principle on Monday night.

I really look forward to seeing how this proposal will take shape, and I am very excited about this grassroots effort to transform a Mark I SkyTrain car.

For more information, please read the full proposal.

Langley City Has a New Accessibility Plan

Last night, Langley City Council adopted a new 10-year accessibility plan for our community. This plan is required under provincial law and builds on the previous work done in the City over the last 20 years.

Langley City’s Accessible Plan outlines objectives to improve accessibility in the City’s built form, such as parks, sidewalks, and housing, service delivery, communication, and internal processes, such as hiring and procurement.

Some of the objectives include:

• Review the City’s public washrooms from an accessibility lens.
• Improve the accessibility of City parks, plazas, paths, and playgrounds.
• Strengthen the pedestrian network.
• Develop an accessible parking strategy.
• Ensure that there are recreation programs that are accessible for blind and visually impaired people.
• Ensure that there are recreation programs that are accessible for Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind people.
• Ensure that any construction detours, including the moving of bus stops is advertised on the City’s website and social media.
• Ensure local representation of people with disabilities in City communications materials.
• Improve staff competency related to accessibility and disability, including disability awareness and understanding of barriers that people face due to physical or cognitive disabilities.

There are 29 objectives in total. Learn more by reading the full report.

This new plan would not have been possible without the contributions of people with disabilities. There is a saying nothing for us, without us. The plan has short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives. Council approved this new accessible plan yesterday evening.

The next step will be for Langley City staff, with support from the Accessibility Advisory Committee, to update the City's current policies and other work plans. Some objectives will have financial implication and will be included in future budgets for Council to consider.

Langley City FIFA World Cup Public Watch Parties

Langley City is hosting four free watch parties during the World Cup. These are family-friendly, alcohol-free watch parties with a food truck, entertainment, and crafts. There will be a large screen at Civic Plaza at Timms Community Centre.

The dates and times are as follows:

June 18: FIFA Canada vs Qatar
Pre-Game Starts: 2:15pm
Game: 3:00pm

July 2 FIFA Round of 32 Game: Round of 32 – Teams TBA
Pre-Game Starts: 7:15pm
Game: 8:00pm

July 7 FIFA Round of 16 Game: Teams TBA
Pre-Game: 12:15pm
Game : 1:00pm

July 19 FIFA Final Game: Teams TBA
Pre-Game: 11:15am
Game Starts: Noon

For more information, please visit Langley City’s website.

Langley City’s Community Day, This Saturday!

One of Langley City’s biggest events of the year, Community Day, is happening this Saturday, June 13th, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm at Douglas Park. Back by popular demand is the zipline along Douglas Crescent!

There will be live music throughout Community Day at Spirit Square, including acts such as Carmelina Cupo, Sons of Stanley, Bad Medicine, Mostly Marley, Jackson Hollow, and the party band What's Next.

There will also be all-ages, kid-friendly activities such as interactive play, mini-golf, inflatable bouncy houses, bungee, and an obstacle course. This will be a sensory-friendly zone to support people with autism.

For the foodie in you, the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival will be on-site along with a beer garden. There will also be an artisan market.

Science World on the Road will be at Community Day with different shows at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:30pm.

Community Day was started back in the day as a way for people to connect with the various community organizations that help support building a strong community. There will be over 70 community-based organizations that you can talk with and learn more about.

The best way to get to Community Day is to walk, bike, or take transit. There will be free, secure, and monitored bike parking. I look forward to seeing you this Saturday!

Langley City Received $12.6 Million in Road, Cycling, and Walking Funding From Translink Since 2017

I’ve posted about this every so often, as many people do not know that TransLink is responsible for major roads in our region and provides funding, through a cost-sharing formula, to local governments to keep these roads in good repair. In Langley City, 200th Street, Fraser Highway (Excluding Between 203rd and 208th), the non-provincial section of the Langley Bypass, and 203rd/204th Street between Fraser Highway and the Township border are part of the TransLink-funded major road network.

TransLink also provides base-allocated and competitive grants to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and safety of the major road network, with a requirement to improve walking and cycling infrastructure. TransLink also provides funding specifically for costly road structures, such as overpasses, bridges, retaining walls, and large culverts.

Outside the major road network, TransLink provides base-allocated and competitive grants for general cycling, walking, and bus-speed infrastructure (such as bus lanes).

Between 2017 and 2025, Langley City has received $4.2 million in base-allocated funding and $7.2 million in competitive grants from TransLink. In 2026, Langley City will receive $1.2 million in base-allocated funding from TransLink.

Langley City received per-km funding to keep our section of the major road network in a state of good repair. We also received funding for the following projects since 2017.

• 48 Avenue Bike Lanes
• 200 St Culverts Rehabilitation
• 208 St Bike Lanes
• Douglas Crescent and 203 St Pedestrian Safety Improvements
• Duncan Way Sidewalks
• Fraser Highway Upgrades
• Fraser Highway (East of 208 Street) Cycling and Walking Safety Improvements
• Glover Road Bike Lane
• Langley Bus Speed and Reliability Study (as Part of Master Transportation Plan)
• Langley Bypass Roadway and Cycling Improvements
• Logan Creek Culvert Replacement
• Michaud Crescent Bike Lane
• Michaud Greenway

TransLink funding is an important part of how we work together as a region to support our major roads and improve transportation options for people.

Grand Re-Opening of Douglas Recreation & Childcare Centre

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the grand re-opening of the Douglas Recreation & Childcare Centre. The renovation of the centre was made possible through $4.3 million in joint provincial and federal funding from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. Langley City contributed $600,000 toward the renovation.

Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care; Councillor Rosemary Wallace; Heidi Worthington, President and CEO, YMCA BC; Councillor Paul Albrecht; Former MLA Andrew Mercier; City Staff; and Children. Select the Image to Enlarge.

Back in the day, the top floor of Douglas Recreation Centre had a caretaker suite. This suite did not meet housing standards and was used as storage space for many years. The renovation converted the top floor into a child care space. The renovation also included expanding the existing child care space on the main floor.

Honourable Lisa Beare and I. Select the Image to Enlarge.

In total, there are 75 new child care spaces operated by the YMCA BC, including early years and before- and after-school care.

The City retained the existing multipurpose hall and created additional new community spaces for all-ages arts, camps, and active-play cultural and recreational programming as part of the renovation of the centre.

This renovation is part of the ongoing investments that Langley City Council is making in our Downtown as we prepare for the arrival of SkyTrain and ensure we have the services our growing community needs. Last fall, the Fraser Highway Oneway had a grand re-opening. This was a $19 million project that included replacing old water, sewer, and stormwater pipes (including wooden ones), undergrounding hydro, and installing new, wider sidewalks and outdoor spaces.

These two projects represent a $24 million investment in our Downtown.

Shared Bike, Scooter Growth in Metro Vancouver

Micromobility usage, including bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters, is rising in the region, bringing challenges and opportunities. Along with the growth of private ownership, the shared usage of these devices has also increased. The City of Vancouver launched its bikeshare program back in 2016. Today, about 11 jurisdictions in the Metro Vancouver region have micromobility programs. E-scooters and e-bikes are growing in popularity.

Surrey piloted a bike-share program in 2025.

The following chart shows the growth in usage of shared micromobility devices in the region. Ridership is still primarily concentrated in the City of Vancouver.

Thousands of Shared Micromobility Trips by Month, Metro Vancouver, Jan 2021-Dec 2025. Select the image to enlarge. Source: TransLink

Compared to other regions in Canada, per capita ridership is significantly lower in our region. Some of the barriers to use in our region include multiple uncoordinated micromobility-sharing programs from different vendors, limited device availability, piecemeal service areas, and high prices. In regions like Toronto and Montreal, these services are coordinated and receive some public funding.

A shared micromobility program, if implemented correctly, can provide a cost-effective “last-mile” solution for getting people to and from transit and for short trips. For example, imagine being able to grab an e-scooter or bike at the future Langley City Centre SkyTrain station and zip back to your home. Just last week, a Langley City resident, who is also a senior, suggested that we roll out a bike share program in Langley City for this exact purpose.

In our region, TransLink could play a larger role. For example, having a single platform for transit and bikesharing would be helpful. If there were a desire at the regional level, we could help ensure lower prices and better access to a coordinated, region-wide system.

I believe that the expansion of SkyTrain service in our region presents a good opportunity to explore providing people with more ways to access rapid transit.

Enhancements to Transit Including to Campbell Valley and Gloucester

A few weeks ago, TransLink staff attended a Langley City Council meeting to discuss improvements to transit service, with a focus on Langley and the South of Fraser. There are two big changes coming in the Langley area. The first is that this summer, you can now get to Campbell Valley Park on transit. The route goes from the Langley Centre bus exchange down 200th Street. The bus will run hourly on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

A long-awaited service is also starting in September, connecting the Langley Centre bus exchange to the Gloucester Industrial Estates in the Township.

Green routes are already in service, blue routes start this year, and red routes are planned for 2027. Select the map to enlarge.

Further year-round service is being introduced to 68th Avenue,Tilbury in Delta, and Campbell Heights next year. The following map shows new services rolled out this year and next year. Missing from the map is the R2 RapidBus extension, which I posted about yesterday.

TransLink has also improved, or will improve, service on over 100 bus routes to address overcrowding and increase service levels (frequency or extended hours).

These enhancements are funded by the Mayors’ Council’s Investment Plan, which is funded through property taxes and support from the provincial government.

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Continues. R2 RapidBus Extension Launches in Fall.

As you may know, TransLink is completing the planning work for two new bus rapid transit routes. TransLink is also launching an extension to the R2 RapidBus route this September, which will connect Metrotown via Hastings St/Burnaby Heights and Willingdon, with buses every 6 to 7 minutes during the busiest part of the day. Planning is ongoing to convert this route to bus rapid transit in the future.

Bus Rapid Transit means that buses, for the most part, operate in their own right-of-way to avoid congestion and have stations with more amenities, such as real-time information and larger shelters.

Work is also ongoing for the two bus rapid transit routes in the South of Fraser. One along King George Boulevard and the other connecting Haney in Maple Ridge to the Willowbrook Shopping Centre. These lines will have about two-thirds of their routes operating in dedicated right-of-way, resulting in travel times similar to driving and significantly faster than existing bus service.

The following is a typical cross-section for a Bus Rapid Transit system.

Typical cross-section for a Bus Rapid Transit system. Select image to enlarge.

This is the current planned alignment for the King George Boulevard line.

Current planned alignment for the King George Boulevard BRT line. Select image to enlarge.

This is the current planned alignment plan for the Langley-Haney Place line.

Current planned alignment plan for the Langley-Haney Place line. Selet image to enlarge.

Currently, funding is available to complete detailed design work, which is expected to wrap up in 2027. There is no funding to build or operate these lines at this time.

Langley City Council Awards $169,967 in Community Grants

Every year, Langley City Council allocates a portion of the casino revenue the City receives for its community grant program. Community grants support not-for-profit, community-based organizations that benefit Langley City residents and align with the City’s strategic goals. The grants can also be used by informal groups that would like to hold events such as a block party or BBQ to help bring neighbours together. You can learn more about the community grant program on Langley City’s website.

This year, Council allocated the community grants as follows.

Organization	Amount
198A Street Neighbourhood BBQ	$500
Alice Brown Parent Advisory Council	$500
Bard in the Valley Society	$8,500
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Langley	$5,000
Brookswood Dry Grad	$500
Douglas Park CharityPickleball Tournament	$7,500
Douglas Park Community School Society	$1,742
Douglas Park Community School	$500
Downtown Langley BusinessAssociation - Arts Alive Festival	$16,935
Encompass Support Services -Best Babies	$3,000
Fibromyalgia Well Spring Foundation	$640
Fraser Region Community Justice Initiatives	$1,000
Kat Moon Band	$1,150
KidSport	$2,000
Langley Animal Protection Society	$5,000
Langley Community Farmers Market	$2,600
Langley Community ServicesSociety - Best Babies and Global Fest	$8,000
Langley District 4-H SeniorCouncil	$2,650
Langley Environmental Partners Society	$3,000
Langley Fastball Association	$2,500
Langley Field Naturalists	$2,000
Langley Fine Arts School Dry Grad	$500
Langley Flippers Swim Club	$2,500
Langley Lawn Bowling Club	$3,400
Langley Literacy Association	$2,500
Langley Pride Society	$8,000
Langley Rotary Club (RibFest)	$5,000
Langley School District Foundation	$4,950
Langley Secondary School Dry Grad Committee	$1,000
Langley Seniors Resources Society	$20,000
Latincouver Cultural & Business Society	$5,000
Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society	$2,500
Men's Shed Langley Society	$5,000
Nicholas Park Neighbourhood BBQ	$500
PLEA Community Services Society	$1,000
Ron Cares Society	$2,500
Scouts Canada - Camp McLean	$1,500
Seamus Gee Legacy Project Foundation	$1,000
stɑl̓əw Arts and Cultural Society	$5,000
Terry Fox Run - Langley City	$1,700
VAYA Youth Arts Society	$6,000
VISAFF South Asian Film Festival Society	$2,200
Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society	$2,000
Waceya Metis Society	$10,000
Youth Parliment	$1,000

Langley City’s Glover Road Innovation District Plan

Glover Road Innovation District Plan Visualization: Plaza Along Logan Avenue & 203A Street. Select the image to enlarge.

Last Monday, Langley City Council received a presentation and report on Langley City’s “Glover Road Innovation District Plan.” This land-use plan covers the area shown in the map below and ties into the City’s FoodTech and entrepreneur-focused economic development plan.

Glover Road Innovation District Plan Planning Area. Select the map to enlarge.

This plan was co-developed with Kwantlen Polytechnic University and KPU Communities Trust and is aligned with the university's long-term vision for its Langley City campus.

As a land-use plan, it focused on several main concepts:

• Establish two gateway plazas/parks that draw people from the Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station and the KPU Campus
• Establish two hub buildings at the gateways to support entrepreneurs with coworking, shared learning, research, and social congregation areas (beyond typical office space such as labs, kitchens, and workshops).
• Create green streets/boulevards that connect KPU and SkyTrain with wide sidewalks and multimodal paths.
• Add new internal streets to support redevelopment and traffic flow, and service lanes to support loading and industrial traffic
• Create a network of open spaces with plazas, parks, and greenways
• Ensure property size supports industrial and other commercial uses as well as housing
• Ensure that Glover Road and Logan Avenue have ground-level retail storefronts

The Innovation District Plan changes several properties from the regional land-use designation of mixed employment to general urban. This will require the approval of the Metro Vancouver Regional District board. Because mixed-employment land is in short supply, the City would swap general urban land to mixed-employment land in another part of the city to ensure no net loss.

Another key part of the Innovation District Plan is to ensure flexible commercial land uses to support employment, such as:

• Agri-tech/food tech industries
• Food & beverage manufacturing
• Large business and commerce consultancies
• Film post-production
• Entrepreneurial and start-up companies
• Laboratory and research-based uses
• Creative arts
• Advanced technology such as robotics
• Companies with a focus on sustainability or green energy technology

The Innovation District is divided into four precincts or planning areas. For more information, you can read the full Glover Road Innovation District Plan.

The next steps will be for Council to endorse this plan at a future Council meeting, then work to update the Official Community Plan and get Metro Vancouver Regional District approval.

Doggie Poo Bin Pilot Permanent; New Street Garbage Cans

Around this time last year, Langley City launched a dog poo bin pilot program to help reduce the amount of dog waste that ends up in our natural areas, where it pollutes our waterways and kills salmon and other animals. Dog waste also ends up in the garbage, which is not the best practice, as dog waste should be disposed of via the sewage system.

Over the last year, red-lidded dog poo bins have been placed throughout the City. These bins have resulted in a 31% reduction in dog poo ending up in the street garbage bins, which is a success. This program had been made permanent. You will start to see new bins being rolled out throughout the City in the coming months.

The City had contracted out street garbage bins throughout our community, with ads on them. These were installed for free back in the day in exchange for the contractor being allowed to place ads on the bins. There were a few problems with these bins. First, they were placed more for advertising than for where the demand for street garbage cans was the highest. Second, they looked like they had recycling, but it was all just going into the garbage. Third, they were bulky and unslightly. These bins are now end-of-life, and their contract has expired. The City will be rolling out its own bins over the coming year, with a focus on downtown and higher-density areas, to be more useful to more people in our community.

The following map shows the locations of the current bus stop bins (which are being retained), new dog poo bins, and new street garbage cans in the northern part of our community.

Locations of current bus stop bins, new dog poo bins, and new street garbage cans in the northern part of the community. Select the map to enlarge.

These bins will comply with our downtown streetscape standard and have an exterior basket for beverage containers.

Funding is already in place for this renewal program.

The City isn’t installing public street recycling and organics bins because people currently have a hard time sorting where things go, so they end up going into the garbage anyway due to contamination. The City is still committed to finding ways to enable recycling and organics collection in street bins.

May 25 Council Notes: The Place to Bee, Bat Homes, No Changes To On-Street Parking

Today, I wanted to cover some of the non-financial matters that Langley City Council addressed at its Monday meeting.

Council gave final reading to allow a rezoning and issued a development permit for a 27-unit, three-bedroom townhouse project at 4505-4535 200A Street, which is just north of Alice Brown Elementary School. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

Council also received, but did not adopt, the Public Parking Strategy that I posted about previously. Further work is needed to engage the Downtown Langley Business Association, so it will be up to a future Council to decide whether to adopt the strategy after that engagement. In the meantime, there will be no change to on-street parking management, including time limits in the City.

Langley City is a certified bat-friendly community. Bats are important because they help manage pests, pollinate plants, and spread seeds. The City owns the historic Michaud House near Portage Park, and Council approved installing a bat house on the property as recommended by Council’s Arts, Recreation, Culture and Heritage Committee.

Council received a presentation from the Langley Bee Club on becoming a certified bee-friendly community. This is something that Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee is currently working on, so the Club was invited to present to it. We all know how important bees are to our ecosystem.

Council received a presentation from TransLink about the Bus Rapid Transit project that will connect Willowbrook to Haney in Maple Ridge. TransLink staff noted strong support for Bus Rapid Transit in Langley City and that travel times along the route would be comparable to driving. You can learn more about Bus Rapid Transit on TransLink’s website.

May 25 Council Notes: Financial Plan Updates

Langley City Council addressed two financial plan items at its meeting last night. As I posted last week, the City must align last year’s financial plan with the actual funds received and expended to prepare the 2025 year-end financial results. Members of the public had the opportunity to provide feedback on the reconciled 2025 financial results last night. No one provided feedback. Council approved the year-end financial plan for 2025-2029.

Throughout the year, the City may also update the current financial plan. Council gave first, second, and third reading to update the 2026-2030 financial plan to provide one-time funding through the City’s savings accounts and reductions in spending in other areas as follows:

• Computer Workstation Upgrades - $57,000
• Portage Park Picnic Shelter - Additional $70,000 to fund the replacement of the shelter that was burned down
• Firefighter Turnout Gear (PSAF-Free Protective Clothing) - $180,000
• Fire Engine Repair - $82,288
• Efficiency and Effectiveness Review - $125,000 to undertake an independent review of the City’s operations to identify opportunities to improve service delivery and optimize processes
• Social, Cultural, and Economic Development Catalyst Fund - $20,000 as seed funding to help support the City’s social, cultural, and economic development priorities
• Workforce Succession, Strategic Capacity and Temporary Coverage - $600,000 to support workforce succession planning in advance of anticipated retirements and to provide temporary staffing capacity to cover long-term leaves and unplanned absences
• Legal Fees – Labour Matters - $500,000 to cover the cost due to unanticipated legal matters
• Policing Arbitration and Mediation - $900,000 to support the negotiation, arbitration and mediation of policing partnership agreements with the Township of Langley

These one-time items do not impact property taxes. At an upcoming meeting, members of the public will have an opportunity to provide feedback before Council considers the final reading and adoption of the update.

Train Whistling at Crossing in Langley City

Every so often, I see a request asking the City to do something to stop train whistling in our community. I understand this request as one of the busiest rail corridors in the country goes through Langley City. I also hear training whistling from time to time.

Back in 2004, Langley City and Canadian Pacific Railway (which operates the tracks through the City) signed a whistle cessation agreement. This agreement requires that, normally, when a train goes through the City, it should not sound its whistle at crossings. This process is regulated by Transport Canada. Even with a whistle cessation agreement in place, you will still hear train whistles in our community, as a railway crew will sound a whistle if they feel there is a safety concern.

Because of how sound travels due to certain times of the day and cloud cover, you might hear the train whistle from crossings that are outside of Langley City as well.

Safety is always a priority, so while the City has an official whistle cessation program, there will be occasions when train whistles sound in our community.

Have Your Say on the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Structure

I’ve been posting about proposed changes to governance at the Metro Vancouver Regional District. About a year ago, Deloitte Canada made 47 recommendations to improve governance at the Regional District, which provides services to over half of BC's population. The Regional District has a Board Governance Review Tracker where you can learn more about the implementation of these recommendations.

One of the larger recommendations is to review the size and structure of the Regional District Board to improve decision-making. The Regional District is actually four separate legal entities: the Metro Vancouver Regional District, the Greater Vancouver Water District, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District, and the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation. Today, these entities operate effectively under a single board.

Today, there are 41 directors appointed by their respective municipalities, treaty First Nation, or directly elected in the case of Electoral Area A. There is a formula that determines how many directors each member jurisdiction has and how much weight each director carries based on population. This system is meant to balance having a voice at the table for each jurisdiction, no matter the population, while also ensuring population-based representation.

The Regional District is reviewing potential changes through the lens of governance effectiveness, size/scalability, member jurisdiction representation, public accountability, and ease of implementation.

Proposals include keeping the status quo, reducing the size, or including appointed non-political members on one or more of the four legal entities' boards.

One of the more interesting proposals for me is the inclusion of a smaller Major Projects Committee, which could have delegated authority on the most complex projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, and could comprise a blend of elected and externally appointed directors with technical expertise. The main board would still have ultimate control over the budget, but a committee such as this would be best practice.

Over the next month, the Regional District is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the governance structure. You can learn more, including how you can participate, by visiting the Metro Vancouver Regional District's Governance Review webpage.

Langley City Council received a presentation by Heather McNell, the Deputy CAO of the Regional District, on Monday about these proposed changes.

Langley City 2025 Year-End Financial Housekeeping

As part of the year-end financial reporting process, some of which I posted about yesterday, Langley City must update the 2025-29 Financial Plan to reflect the actual revenue and expenditures for the year.

The following table shows the differences between the Council-approved 2025 budget and the final results at year-end.

Table from Financial Plan 2025 – 2029 Amendment Number 2. Select the table to enable.

Council also had to update the capital budget to reflect additional grants the City received to offset the cost of some projects, as shown:

56 Ave (200 St to 203 St) Repaving - $48,362.89 TransLink Grant
Emergency Operations Centres Equipment and Training - $39,870.25 Union of BC Municipalities Grant
Bicycle Infrastrucutre - $16,258.00 TransLink Grant
Community Emergency Preparedness - $13,565.30 Union of BC Municipalities Grant
Emergency Management: Indigenous Engagement - $2,000 Union of BC Municipalities Grant
Fraser Highway Oneway Tree Replacement - $27,000 Grant from Langley Foundation

2025 Audit: Langley City Financially Healthy

Every year, local governments must have their financial statements independently audited. Langley City engaged Kristine Simpson from BDO Canada as our auditor. As is normal, the auditor found that our financial statements were accurate.

Early this year, I posted about net financial assets (or debt). This is a key metric that shows a local government has the finances to continue delivering services and investing in infrastructure. In 2025, Langley City had $51.3 million in net financial assets, a slight decrease of $0.3 million from 2024. This is still a positive indicator.

Another key metric is accumulated surplus. This metric shows how much money the City has in its savings accounts to fund infrastructure projects, and how much in tangible assets, such as roads, land, and buildings, the City has on the books. The City increased its accumulated surplus by $27.4 million to $405.9 million in 2025. About $5.1 million was transferred to reserve savings accounts. The remainder was the “on the books” value of new or renewed infrastructure. Generally, if the “on the books” value is increasing, it means a local government is maintaining or expanding infrastructure such as roads, pipes, parks, and facilities. If the number is going down, it means that a local government is not keeping up.

Every year, the operating budget will have a variance between what is budgeted and what is actually spent. Local governments in BC have to budget conservatively because they cannot run a deficit. One of the primary drivers for Langley City’s $5.1 million surplus was labour costs. When new positions are added that take time to hire, such as additional firefighters, or people leave their jobs, it temporarily reduces labour costs.

Some of the areas where the City exceeded budgeted cost were on recreation programs due to increased demand, snow removal, streetlight and signal repair, park maintenance, garbage removal, vandalism repair, homeless camp cleanup, and legal fees. Again, there was an overall surplus in 2025.

Downtown Langley Business Owner, Young Entrepreneur, Lifelong Citizen Join Langley City First Team

Langley City First is proud to announce three new endorsed candidates joining Mayor Nathan Pachal, Councillors Paul Albrecht, Mike Solyom, and Rosemary Wallace on the team.

From Left to Right: Mike Solyom, Rosemary Wallace, Shawn Caldera, Nathan Pachal, Jeff Jacobs, Heather Jenkins, Paul Albrecht

“I’m extremely excited that Heather Jenkins has agreed to be part of the team,” said Rhianna Reddekopp, who founded Langley City First. “She is the amazing business owner of 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market, a Downtown Langley institution.”

“I’ve served with her on the Downtown Langley Business Association Board and know that Heather has a solid understanding of business, governance, and working as a team player in making our city a better place.”

Over the last 28 years, she has won many awards, including Business of the Year, Environmental Hero, and 25 years of Langley Readers’ Choice.

Langley City First is also proud to have Shawn Caldera join the team. After building his successful business, Shawn started helping others create economic development strategies for the digital economy. He currently works for a large digital content creation firm.

“Shawn puts people first and is about building community. I see him regularly out and about in Langley City as he leads local residents in recreational events,” said Reddekopp.

Jeff Jacobs has agreed to be part of the Langley City First Team. Jeff is a lifelong resident of Langley City. He is a long-time municipal worker and labour movement leader, has volunteered on Langley City’s Crime Prevention Committee for many years, and has run for a council seat in the 2022 civic election, narrowly missing out.

“We are proud to have Jeff on the Langley City First Team to bring his experience and expertise to Langley City Council in this upcoming election,” said Reddekopp.

“I’ve watched our city grow into a thriving community over the years,” said Jacobs, “I want to ensure that Langley City becomes a hub for interactive, innovative, and sustainable activities for everyone who lives and visits.”

As a registered Elector Organization, Langley City First has a united team in this fall's civic elections that is committed to defending and advancing the following values:

• Building A City for the Future
• Enhancing Green Space
• Investing in Safety and Livability
• Fostering Community Connection
• Creating a Resilient Community with Appropriate Infrastructure and Responsible Fiscal Stewardship
• Supporting a Team Where Independent Voices Work as a Cohesive Team

Langley City First believes in our community, its people, its businesses, and its potential, and we are committed to moving the city forward through collaborative leadership, safe communities, and responsible growth for today and future generations.

I wanted to reshare this post from Langley City First. To learn more about the team and its values, please check out the Langley City First website.

May 11 Council Notes: FIFA Viewing Parties, Zero Waste, Community Safety Awareness Committee

The BC government is providing grants to local governments throughout the province to host FIFA World Cup viewing parties. Langley City received a $40,000 grant from the province, and the City must provide $10,000 as a condition of the grant. Council approved holding 4 viewing parties outside Timms Community Centre. These will be family-friendly parties with food, music, hands-on activities, and community partners that celebrate and showcase the diversity of our community. A Team Canada game and the final game will be two of the dates.

It is event season in Langley City, and one of the action items is to improve how we handle waste at these events. If you've been to previous Community Day events, you might have seen some waste-sorting stations as demonstrations, run by volunteers.

Council adopted a new Zero Waste strategy, which could see this waste-sorting approach rolled out to all community events over time. This year will focus on Community Day and three outdoor movie night events. Based on the learning from these events, the next phase will apply to large events on City land, such as the Arts Alive Festival or Bard in the Valley, potentially in 2027. Future phases could see this rolled out to all outdoor community events based on what we learn in earlier phases.

Me with Volunteers at a Waste Sorting Station at Community Day.

Council also approved an update to the terms of reference for the Crime Prevention Committee, which includes renaming it the Community Safety Awareness Committee to align with the recommendation from the Citizens’ Assembly on Community Safety. The Committee's new mandate includes:

• Advancing knowledge sharing around community safety initiatives and resident engagement
• Participating in the Resilient Neighbourhood Networks program
• Contributing to the Social Streets Program and Village Cafés Series to learn and share information with community members
• Continuing to partner with the RCMP, business community, and residents to promote safety programs such as Block Watch and Business Walks

The committee has also been given a $2,500 annual budget to support their work; any further funding would require council approval.

Council also adopted the 2026 Tax Rate Bylaw. You can learn more about this in a previous post.

Pleasantdale Creek Salmon Sign

I grew up in the Okanagan, and I remember one of the things I learned at an early age was about the salmon lifecycle. I remember going on field trips to see salmon spawning on the Adams River salmon run and to see some of the work being done back in the day to restore creeks for salmon in and around Vernon. Salmon are a keystone species for our ecosystem. Happy Salmon means a healthy environment.

Many people know that the Nicomekl River and its tributaries are salmon-bearing. I’ve seen salmon making their way up creeks and through culverts, including near the 196th Street overpass.

I also remember, as a kid, painting salmon logos on storm drains because whatever drains from a road or driveway ends up in a creek and eventually into the Nicomekl River.

Sign that will be installed along Pleasantdale Creek. Select the image to enlarge.

About a year ago, Council received a request from the Nicomekl Enhancement Society to install signage indicating where they release salmon. Council referred this work to its Environmental Sustainability Committee. Last night, Council approved getting a sign installed at Pleasantdale Creek.

The sign will be located just south of the 49A Avenue trailhead.

Metro Vancouver’s Water Supply for This Summer

As you know, Metro Vancouver is in stage 2 water restrictions, which means you cannot water lawns, top up or fill decorative water features (such as a fountain), or use your personal pressure washer or garden hose to wash impermeable surfaces, such as a concrete patio. The current lawn water restriction does not apply to municipal public spaces, such as sports fields. This is to ensure the water supply lasts throughout this summer.

According to the Regional District, there are a few reasons for these year's restrictions. One is that snowpack is at 44% of its historic average as of the beginning of this month. The second is that the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel project means one of the main water supply connections will be out of service this summer. The third is that Environment Canada is predicting a hot, dry summer.

Graph of Capilano Watershed, Average Snow Water Equivalent. Select to enlarge.

The good news is that water reservoirs and the alpine lakes, Palisade, Burwell, and Loch Lomond, will be full by the end of spring.

With a hot summer predicted, the region will likely enter stage 3 restriction sometime in early June.

For more information on water restriction stages and impacts, please visit Metro Vancouver’s website.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Memorial and March

Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people are at a significantly higher risk of becoming a victim of violent crime than other people in Canada. In Canada, thousands of Indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing over the years. In BC, this violence includes the horrific Pickton farm murders and Highway of Tears, which is the Highway 16 corridor between Prince George and Prince Rupert, where a disproportionately high number of Indigenous women have gone missing or were murdered.

People marching down the Fraser Highway One Way. Select the image to enlarge.

A lack of action by governments and the justice system has led to increasingly urgent calls for change. Jaime Black, who is a Métis artist, started the REDress Project in 2010 as a response to this crisis and to raise visibility. According to Black, the colour red is the only colour that spirits see. “So (red) is really a calling back of the spirits of these women and allowing them a chance to be among us and have their voices heard through their family members and community.”

Red dresses hanging in various locations are a symbol of the movement. You may have seen these red dresses throughout Downtown Langley City over the last week.

I, among other people, was called to be a witness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Memorial and March, which took place in Downtown Langley City on Tuesday this week. A witness’s role is to hold onto knowledge of significance, carry the burden of that knowledge, and pass on the knowledge.

The memorial started with drumming, song, and ceremony. We heard from survivors of violence and family members who have lost sisters, aunts, and nieces. We then march along Douglas Crescent and Fraser Highway. We finally heard teaching from Elders of Kwantlen First Nation.

For those of us in government, we were challenged to take action as this violence still continues to this day, and to continue to bring visibility to this crisis.