Langley Centennial Museum Archives - Langley Heritage Society

Giant Puzzle

The first floor walls are now being added atop the underground parking. Salishan Place construction is picking up speed -- and giant slabs of concrete. The walls of the new museum and cultural facility in Fort Langley are prefabricated off site and later fit into place. This will become the new home of the Langley Centennial Museum in the summer of 2023. A worker attaches cables to the prefabricated concrete slabs. Up, up and away. The concrete slab is hoisted into place. Watch for an Open House to unveil interior design concepts and exhibits coming up in early June. The Langley Heritage Society will continue to fund student visits to the museum, and sponsor study spaces. Salishan Place, will feature Indigenous and community galleries, program spaces, community archives, a reception hall, a 167-seat theatre, and the Fort Langley Community Library. The new complex [...]

Mark Forsythe2022-04-20T20:53:09+00:00April 20th, 2022|

Roaring: Langley in the 1920s

During these times of covid, the Langley Centennial Museum has launched a timely exhibit that explores the Roaring 1920s. The Spanish Flu had abated, the Great War was over and prohibition was gone in 1921 -- people were ready to party. Bring on consumerism, advances in medicine and whiskey runners. The British Columbia Electric Railway had also arrived and spawned new growth, the area's primitive road networks expanded, and communities in the Fraser Valley flourished. Book a personal tour of Roaring: Langley in the 1920s at the museum, or take a guided virtual tour hosted by Langley Arts & Heritage curator Kobi Christian HERE. The exhibit highlights life in Langley through archival images, stories and artifacts from the Museum's rich collection. See some panels from the exhibit via the links below. Remembrance: War & Sacrifice HERE Recreation: Community Halls to picnics HERE Fashion and the Flapper HERE Was It Really Roaring? Visible minorities [...]

Mark Forsythe2021-02-22T21:39:05+00:00February 21st, 2021|

Roaring! Langley in the 1920s

Take a virtual tour of this new exhibit at the Langley Centennial Museum. "While the exhibit shines a light on the rise of convenience items, buying on credit, flappers, and the beginning of Hollywood’s influence, it also shows the importance of our local community halls and schools, our early midwives, nurses, and doctors, and spotlights the Langley Prairie fire of 1928. The exhibit also highlights the ways in which the decade did not “roar” for everyone: residential school attendance became compulsory for Indigenous children, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, the Ku Klux Klan set up in Vancouver, and the local White Canada Association and farmers’ institutes, like others around the Fraser Valley, pushed for the exclusion of Asian people from land ownership." Take the virtual tour HERE. You can also book an onsite tour HERE

Mark Forsythe2021-01-11T18:11:17+00:00January 11th, 2021|

Support Your Local Museum!

Searching for unique gift ideas? Support Langley Centennial Museum through its online gift shop featuring books, ornaments, plates, bowls, crafts, baskets, colouring books, local art-- even face masks. Check out the impressive selection and order online HERE. The British Columbia Historical Federation is also promoting a province-wide Buy Local, Give Local campaign. Make a donation, buy a membership, give a B.C. book, purchase gifts or tour its members' sites (Langley Heritage Society is a member of the BCHF). For more information on the campaign, visit HERE.

Mark Forsythe2020-11-26T00:58:24+00:00November 26th, 2020|

February Valley Voices

Métis artist and carver Patrick Calihou is building a York Boat at the National Historic Site similar to the ones his ancestors built and worked aboard. Valley Voices meets a man building a York Boat or bateaux at the Fort Langley National Historic Site, and we get a sneak preview of an historic sports fashion exhibit at Langley Centennial Museum. Go to this link then right click on the February 5th broadcast. Download and listen. Valley Voices is heard Wednesdays at 11 am on CIVL Radio 101.7 FM at the University of the Fraser Valley and is a production of the Langley Heritage Society. Fashion historian Ivan Sayers is the man behind a new exhibit at the Langley Centennial Museum, The Sporting Life: A History of Athletic Fashions. More info about the exhibit HERE.

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:36+00:00February 5th, 2020|

Join us for the Heritage Week Tea!

Our Heritage Week Tea is where heritage partners describe their special events and projects. When: Saturday, February 22nd from 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Where: Milner Chapel RSVP: Call 604-888-7596 or email dalwyneb@telus.net We'll hear from: Syd Pickerell, BC Farm Museum; John Aldag, Langley Centennial Museum; Tami Quiring, Alder Grove Heritage Society; John Sprung, Fraser Valley Heritage Rail Society; Brigitte Wieronski, Parks Canada - Fort Langley National Historic Site; Michael Gibbs, BC Historical Federation; Helen Williams, Langley Heritage Society CNR Station; Jeff Rotin, Community Development Coordinator, Regional Parks, East Area (Metro Vancouver Parks and Environment ) The Township of Langley also has many events planned during Heritage Week. Visit their website HERE for more info. Poster with details HERE.

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:36+00:00February 5th, 2020|

Sport Fashion at Langley Centennial Museum

THE SPORTING LIFE: A HISTORY OF ATHLETIC FASHIONS WITH IVAN SAYERS February 1 - May 18, 2020 After six years, the museum is once again privileged to work with Ivan Sayers to present a new exhibition, The Sporting Life: A History of Athletic Fashions. Over 30 mannequins will be outfitted with clothing that speaks to over 100 years of activity, from a riding habit from the 1870s, turn of the last century clothing made suitable for cycling, car racing outfits from the 1930s, skiing, fencing, swimming, and even Olympic attire. All are invited to the opening reception of the exhibition on Saturday, February 1 from 2:00 - 4:00pm. For more details, contact museum@tol.ca or 604.532.3536. The museum will be holding two fashion shows with Mr. Sayers at the Fort Langley Community Hall on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. While fashions of the past are modelled, Mr. Sayers will explain the garmenIvan t and [...]

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:37+00:00January 16th, 2020|

December Valley Voices

Valley Voices speaks with historian Jean Barman about her new book, Invisible Generations. To be of mixed race -- Indigenous and white -- was to live between cultures, and to not be fully accepted by either. Irene Kelleher's parents were of mixed heritage, with roots stretching back to the gold rush. She was the first woman of Indigenous heritage to become a school teacher in B.C. Also: curator Kobi Christian takes us inside the Langley Centennial Museum exhibit Langley Collects -- needlepoint to carnival paraphernalia. LISTEN HERE. Or listen live each Wednesday at 11 am on CIVL Radio, 101.7 FM at the University of the Fraser Valley. Kobi Christian curated the Langley Collects exhibit at the Langley Centennial Museum. It continues until January 16th.

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:40+00:00December 3rd, 2019|

LHS Endorses Proposed Museum

Langley Heritage Society recently added its support to a new museum and cultural centre for Langley in collaboration with the Kwantlen First Nation: Honourable Lisa Beare Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Victoria, B.C. The Langley Heritage Society fully endorses efforts by the Township of Langley and Kwantlen First Nation to build a 36,000 square foot museum and cultural centre in Fort Langley. Replacement of the existing 60 year old facility is long overdue. The federal government recently committed $3 million toward this project through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, but it cannot proceed without provincial government support. The Township of Langley has submitted a request to the province for $10 million; it is currently under review. Langley Heritage Society urges you to support this exciting project, and the timing couldn’t be better. The 150th anniversary of British Columbia joining Confederation is less than two years away (2021). British Columbia [...]

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:41+00:00October 20th, 2019|

Langley’s Partners in Heritage

Langley Heritage Society hosted its annual Heritage Week Tea at the Milner Chapel to highlight heritage partners in the Langley region. LHS President Fred Pepin launched the event and encouraged all to share highlights of their work, and to collaborate even more in the days ahead. Please send your events for our quarterly newsletter to: info@langleyheritage.ca Brigette Wieronski, manager at the Fort Langley National Historic Site. Many exciting things are happening at the fort, including a project to craft a new bateau by a Metis staff member. Matt Offer from the Canadian Museum of Flight. The recent Family Day events drew more than 1,300 people to this unique museum at the Langley Airport. The museum's collection even includes a window from an original Avro Arrow -- along with many vintage aircraft that still fly. CN Station manager Helen Williams thanked all the volunteers who keep our 1915 heritage site humming. [...]

Mark Forsythe2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00February 23rd, 2019|