Extended Pool Season at Al Anderson!

It’s Labour Day this long weekend, which is always a bit bittersweet. Of course, it is the day to celebrate the recognition of unions in Canada and their fight for workers’ rights, such as the eight-hour workday. It is also the last long weekend for many people before returning to school for themselves or their children. In Langley City, it was also the last weekend that the Al Anderson Memorial Pool was open for the season, but this has now changed!

This year (and going forward), Langley City Council approved extending the pool season until the end of September. This means more swimming lessons, more public swims, and more lane swims, which means we can keep the summer vibes going a bit longer! You can also take advantage of the loonie/toonie swim on Sunday evenings.

The new fall pool schedule is available on Langley City’s website.

On the topic of learning how to swim, the City always has and continues to encourage the use of public swim times to build that skill. More specifically, parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to work with their children on their swimming development during public swim times.

Of course, during formal swimming lesson times, paid, structured instruction by outside instructors isn’t permitted due to safety, liability, and facility policies. These lessons must be delivered by the City.

Fundraiser for Ron Care Society

A few weeks ago, before I went on holiday, I ran into Ron Bergen in Downtown Langley. He is an advocate for people with disablity, HandyDART, and transit. He is also one of the few people who regularly attends Langley City Council meetings. Ron is also the founder and president of the Ron Care Society, which provides care kits that include personal hygiene products for seniors, newcomers, low-income families, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

The Ron Cares Society is hosting its first fundraising event, “Harvest Time Gathering Fundraiser,” on September 18th at Backyard Vineyards. Tickets are $100 each. You can learn more about this event on the Ron Cares website.

As part of the event, they will also be hosting a silent auction and a live auction, and are looking for people who might be able to donate items for the auctions. If you are able to donate items, you can email info@roncares.ca.

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Overdose Awareness Day in Douglas Park on Sunday

If you walk through Douglas Park, you’ll notice little purple flags. These flags denote the lives lost due to overdoses in Langley. Overdoses and overdose-related deaths are unfortunately widespread. If you haven’t been impacted, you likely know someone who has been. While many people link overdoses and people who are experiencing homelessness, overdoses primarily impact young men who have a job and housing. Many people don’t talk about their struggles with problematic substance use because they feel judged.

My dad, who has since passed (not due to overdosing), injured himself and started a long and problematic relationship with opioids, including overdosing. It impacted our family. He was eventually able to get help and put on a methadone maintenance treatment program.

Sadly, there are still significant gaps when it comes to preventing overdoses in this province.

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. It is an opportunity to remember all those impacted by overdoses, come together to support each other, and also acts as a call to action to reduce overdoses.

An Overdose Awareness Day event will take place in Douglas Park on Sunday, August 31, 2025, starting at 6:30 pm. A candlelight vigil will take place at 8:30 pm.

There will be resource tents, performers, and speeches. The Lions Club will also host a BBQ that begins at 6:00 pm.

2025 Data Shows Langley City has the Third Lowest Property Taxes & Utility Fees for Detached Homes in Metro Vancouver

When people look at their property tax bill, it contains charges from the province, School Board, TransLink, Metro Vancouver Regional District, and their municipality.

In some municipalities, you get a combined property tax and utility bill (water, sewer, garbage), such as in Langley City. In other municipalities, you get separate property tax and utility bills.

When you see reports about municipal taxation, you’ll hear a lot about property tax increases as a percentage. This isn’t very useful as it doesn’t actually capture what the bottom line is that people pay.

Every municipality has different needs based on the desires of local residents, which means they will have different levels of taxation. Because it can be useful to compare municipal tax rates, the provincial government releases an annual “Taxes & Charges on a Representative House” report which compares the “all in” taxes and fees for an average-priced detached home in each municipality. Langley City is a bit of an exception, as we have close to 80% of households living in attached homes (apartments and townhouses). However, in most parts of BC, the detached home is the most common form of housing.

The province recently released its 2025 data. You can download the full dataset from the provincial government's website, but I thought it would be interesting to show the “all in” value for all municipalities in Metro Vancouver.

Municipalities	Typical Detached House Value	Total Residential Property Taxes and Charges
Port Coquitlam	$1,455,127	$6,457
Pitt Meadows	$1,184,823	$6,721
Langley City	$1,369,186	$6,977
Langley Township	$1,511,423	$7,021
Delta	$1,491,495	$7,176
Surrey	$1,709,547	$7,510
Coquitlam	$1,789,496	$8,000
Burnaby	$2,157,640	$8,051
Maple Ridge	$1,282,828	$8,380
North Vancouver City	$2,110,967	$8,547
Richmond	$2,050,462	$8,624
North Vancouver District	$2,277,299	$9,300
Port Moody	$1,912,333	$9,315
White Rock	$2,032,064	$9,687
Belcarra	$2,001,564	$10,547
Vancouver	$2,678,306	$10,811
Bowen Island	$1,633,484	$11,055
New Westminster	$1,639,283	$11,548
Lions Bay	$2,253,369	$11,610
Anmore	$2,533,798	$12,028
West Vancouver	$3,676,139	$13,721

I wanted to call out that New Westminster is higher in part because they also have their own electrical utility, while the rest of us are on BC Hydro. I also wanted to call out that while the province doesn’t provide the typical “all-in” value for attached housing, Langley City normally does. We don’t have 2025 data yet, but we typically have the lowest or second-lowest in the region. I expect this to be maintained in 2025.