Member Alert: AGM on Friday April 12th

  Attention members! Join us for the Annual General Meeting of the Langley Heritage Society, Friday April 12th at Fort Langley Community Hall. Our special guest speaker will be award-winning author Ralph Drew, whose most recent book, "Coquitlam Chronicles" explores indigenous and settler history at this historical crossroad on the Fraser River. Update your LHS membership, enjoy a wonderful meal with friends, learn about our society's exciting plans for the coming year, and find out how you can volunteer with the organization. We'll also have a book draw, and Ralph's book will be available for sale. Tickets at 604-888-7596 or email: dalwyneb@telus.net. Meet & Greet at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6:00 pm.

2020-05-27T05:59:46+00:00March 27th, 2019|

An Artist’s View of Langley Heritage

Lyle Longstaff is almost 80 years old, and still loves to paint heritage buildings. Born in New Westminster, he was a home builder for many years, and appreciates the rich character of heritage structures.  "I hate to see the old architecture destroyed. I once lived in a house that was over 100 years old...the wood in it was close-grained fir that you can not get today. Beautiful!!" As you can see in the painting of  Dixon House (restored by the Langley Heritage Society, video HERE), he has a warm and engaging style. Lyle is also drawn to trains, "I grew up in the era of steam trains, and that is my real love. I paint the new locomotives because that is what people want."  He painted the scene below at Fort Langley's Heritage CN Station, operated by the Langley Heritage Society. Remarkably, Lyle only started painting about 14 years ago. We [...]

2020-05-27T05:59:49+00:00March 22nd, 2019|

History on the beach

I recently stumbled across some B.C. history on the beach at Matsqui. Red bricks like these are found in some of B.C.'s most famous landmarks: the Sun Tower, St Paul's Hospital, the Marine Building and Empress Hotel. These Clayburn Brick fragments were clustered on the shore where we pulled our kayaks out of the water, likely eroded from the nearby dike where they were once used as fill. They're also found in local driveways, walls and gardens. Drive east through tiny Clayburn village to see homes, a church & school, built 100 years ago from Clayburn Bricks, fashioned from Sumas Mountain clay. (There's also a fine British sweets & tea shop that's worth a detour.) Charles Maclure built the company, his brother Sam became a famous BC architect (Hatley Castle/Royal Roads) and their older sister Sara was B.C.'s first female newspaper publisher at Vancouver's Daily World. - Mark Forsythe 

2020-05-27T05:59:49+00:00March 21st, 2019|

Sing Your Song Down at the Station!

  Would you like to join our roster of buskers at the Fort Langley CN Station this coming season? To apply, please contact manager Helen Williams via email volunteer@langleyheritage.ca (Performances will be on Sundays.)  Pictured above: Arianna Lagoudakis.

2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00March 15th, 2019|

New Video: Life at CN Station

      Fort Langley's Diane Simpson grew up at CNR stations in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Her parents were employed as station agents, and the last live-in agents at Fort Langley's CN Station. In this short video, Diane describes what life was like growing up beside the tracks. Thanks to students at Langley's Brookswood Secondary School for producing this latest video with the Langley Heritage Society. Watch HERE:                  

2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00March 15th, 2019|

Next Speaker Night: March 26th

Our March Speaker is Rosslyn Shipp, Director of the Vancouver Police Museum. Her theme: "From Wild West to Cutting Edge: The Early Decades of Policing in Vancouver".  For more details, visit the speakers page HERE.

2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00March 12th, 2019|

March Valley Voices

On March's Valley Voices: uncovering family and community history with genealogist Brenda Smith, and historian Chad Reimer discusses his new book, “Before We Lost The Lake” — a compelling profile of what was once Sumas Lake.  Valley Voices explores Fraser Valley people, places and stories and is a production of the Langley Heritage Society, hosted by former CBC Radio broadcaster Mark Forsythe. The program airs Wednesdays at 11 am on CIVL 101.7 FM (University of the Fraser Valley) or listen HERE:

2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00March 6th, 2019|

Langley band creates tribute to Halifax Explosion

Music is a powerful and personal way to convey our country's stories. Langley Heritage Society member Tom Hammel and his band Derby Town have crafted a new song about the tragic Halifax Explosion of 1917 when two thousand people were killed, and much of the city was flattened. Their song, Halifax Explosion tells the story of a train dispatcher who saved many lives, but lost his own. Listen HERE

2020-05-27T05:59:50+00:00March 5th, 2019|

Valley Voices: People, Places and Stories of the Fraser Valley

Valley Voices is a production of the Langley Heritage Society on CIVL 101.7 FM (based at the University of the Fraser Valley). Former CBC Radio broadcaster Mark Forsythe interviews people connected with Fraser Valley history and heritage, and draws on the Oral Histories collection at the Langley Centennial Museum.  (If you have difficulty playing a sound file, try opening with Google Music Player. CIVL Radio sound files of the show are HERE.) The show has been on hiatus during the pandemic, but links to broadcasts from 2018 - 2020 are below. The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) awarded Langley Heritage Society’s Mark Forsythe the 2019 Best News and Media Award. March 2020: Meet Chief Dan George's great-grandson, Sam George, an Aboriginal Support Worker in the Langley School District who connect youth with their heritage. And Robert Reyerse gives us a tour of the Harrison Sasquatch Museum. Listen HERE. February 2020: Valley [...]

2021-11-15T23:07:28+00:00March 4th, 2019|

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