Special Features - OUR LANGLEY 2014

www.langleytimes.com The Langley Times Tuesday, October 28, 2014 B13

Some of the stories in Our Langley include:

McLellan Forest

Langley Riders

Langley Events Centre

Brookswood Playhouse

Aldor Acres

Fort Langley Canoe Club

Langley is a diversifi ed community with breathtaking landscapes, historical charm and is truly the place where country meets the big urban city. Our economy is driven by a vibrant small business network and we are nestled in an area with some of the best recreational opportunities Canada has to offer. Langley still has that small town feeling that makes our community a great place to live, work and play.

What really makes this community tick are the unique people and places. We are pleased to take you through an editorial stroll that will speak to everything from The Heritage Orchard

at Fort Langley to the famous Aldor Acres. We will take you for a ride on land and water with The Back Country Horsemen, Langley Riders and The Fort Langley Canoe Club.

We are pleased to publish this keepsake edition, dedicated to those places and people who truly make Langley the best place to live, work and play.

We trust “Our Langley” has the look and feel you are looking for, along with editorial content that will hopefully inspire all Langley-ites, even just for a day!

Dwayne Weidendorf, Publisher

B14 Tuesday, October 28, 2014 The Langley Times www.langleytimes.com

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Story by BRENDA ANDERSON ◆ Photographs by BRENDA ANDERSON

“One thing you notice right away is the silence.”In the often frenetic pace of the Lower Mainland, finding somewhere quiet to be alone with your thoughts can be a challenge.

But a little-visited piece of property in North Langley might be just the place to go when you what you seek is a bit of solitude and a chance to commune with nature.

A stroll through McLellan Forest offers an opportunity to calm the mind while escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life — though all of that remains only a short distance away.

Located in Glen Valley, a few minutes’ drive east of Fort Langley, the forest, part of which was recently preserved as a Municipal Natural Park, sits amid developed farmland and just off a well-traveled rural road.

Despite its stillness, the wood provides a feast for the senses — from the pungent

scent of evergreen boughs filling the air to the sound of birdsong and the occa-sional whine of a mosquito breaking the silence.

On the ground, velvety ferns and prickly cones lie atop a rusty carpet of fallen needles. Rough tree bark is padded with spongy cushions of velvety soft moss.

And then there’s the light.

As the preserve’s massive evergreen trees stretch skyward, sunlight spills between branches, splintering beams across the forest floor.

When Langley artist Susan Falk steps into McLellan Forest, she sees more than trees and sky, plants and ground.

“As a painter, I always compare the tran-sition of colour,” she said.

Staring into the distance, she remarks how the softness of pale blue light evolves into slightly greener hues and

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then to yellows, while a glance at the forest floor reveals shades of orange.

But the artist is also drawn by the opportunity to focus on her work, with only the occasional passerby to interrupt her solitude.

“One thing you notice right away is the silence.”

Though popular among locals for its peaceful trails, Falk first learned about McLellan forest when it was in the news in 2012. Put up for sale by the Township to fund an aquatic centre, the forest became a rallying point among residents who wanted to preserve the land for public enjoy-ment.

McLellan forest is filled with 80- to 100-year-old conifers that have stood, undisturbed, since they were tiny seedlings and should remain that way, they argued.

The cause drew support from the likes of renowned wilderness painter Robert Bateman as well as local poets, Langley Fine Arts School students and regular citizens who came together to form WOLF — Watchers of Langley For-ests.

Their collective goal was to raise $3 million to pur-chase the property from the Township.

For her part, Falk initially donated a single, small painting of the forest to be auctioned off as part of a WOLF fundraiser.

And then — with inspiration still flowing through the woods and into her fingers — she painted another dozen canvases. Twelve more depictions of the forest in Falk’s trademark vibrant colours — reds, purples,

oranges, blues and bright greens — but these were embossed in gold lettering with poetry written about McLellan forest.

Partial proceeds from the sale of the 12 paintings also went into the WOLF fund.

In the end, however, the money wasn’t needed. The Township decided to preserve the western por-tion of the forest as a park.

A separate property nearby, known as Gray Pit, had also been up for sale. It too was considered part of McLellan forest by residents. In Sep-tember, 2013, the land was sold to Trinity Western University for $2.5 million. Using money donated by the Blaauw family in memory of their late husband and father, Thomas Blaauw, TWU preserved the forest

for public use, education and research.

A large memorial stone with a plaque dedicating the forest to Blaauw’s memory marks the entrance to the trail in that portion of the forest. A granite bench with a plaque bearing his name sits beside the path a short distance into the woods.

Although the urgency to protect the forest has now passed, Falk occasionally returns to her favourite clearing, easel and palette in hand, accompanied by

her large Newfoundland dog, Scarlett.

Each time, she finds something new to inspire her.

“This is what’s so nice about having this place,” she said. “It doesn’t stay the same. It’s totally different from one season to the next.

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Story by MONIQUE TAMMINGA ◆ Photographs by MONIQUE TAMMINGA

Milk and cookies, milk moustaches, milk with cereal. It’s safe to say, milk is a staple in many households.

From Dairyland to Lucerne, our milk is bought at the grocery store, usually coming in two to four litre containers.

What makes our milk consumption more interesting is there is a chance the milk you drank at home came from a Langley dairy farm.

There are around a dozen or more dairy farms in Langley.

Erin and Brian Anderson started milking in 1999 with 11 cows in a herringbone milking parlour.

They are now milking 50 cows daily with a robotic (VMS) milking system. One cow can produce 36 litres in a day on average. They have black and white Holsteins which produce the most milk. They also have brown jerseys, which are much smaller and produce good cream. They also have a brown swiss cow named Billbo.

Milk is picked up every second day and distributed to the various local milk plants who package it and ship to the local grocers.

Standards for milk in Canada are very high, and local farms are therefore producing high quality products, said Brian.

But the Andersons have taken their dairy farm in a different direction over the years, with a focus on educating the public, especially young ones, about a working dairy farm, teaching them that milk does not come from a grocery store refrigerator shelf.

They have 6,000 visitors a year come through their education centre. They mainly offer preschool and school tours, but seniors and families also come too.

“Our tours have become as much a staple as our milk production,” said Brian.

This year, 182 tours will take place.

The Andersons’ four children help with the daily chores and are often ‘auxiliary’ tour guides with the afternoon family tours.

“We have kids show up here who have never seen a cow before,” said Brian.

Everyone on a tour gets a chance to milk a cow by hand.

Their day starts at 6 a.m. It’s hard work, with much time spent cleaning up all the manure produced by the cows.

There is a working dog named Cheeky that keeps the cows in line and cats to keep the mice away.

Like any other kind of farming, the dairy industry is subject to crisis, whether it be the time when mad cow disease was a concern. Then there is the con-stant battle of losing consumers who go across the border.

The Andersons are hoping the educational tours they offer will make more people have a better under-standing and appreciation for local farms and what they bring to the household table.

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Andersons Dairy Centre

Erin Anderson shows a kindergarten student how to milk a cow


◆ Story by MONIQUE TAMMINGA ◆ Photos by DAN FERGUSON

Take a bite out of Derby

Reach Park history

Cuttings taken from historic trees in Derby Reach are now fruiting their own apples and pears in the heritage orchard on Allard Crescent

Not only is Derby Reach Regional Park a popular spot for walkers, joggers, geo-cachers, dog lovers, fishing enthusiasts and campers, it is also a place steeped in tasty local history.

A walk along the Houston and Fort-To-Fort trails, which meander beside the mighty Fraser River, through forests and by historic cairns and heritage barns, also involves passing by apple and pear trees dating back 150 years or more.

Step back in time to around 1880, and the popular apples of those days, like the Baldwin and the North-ern Spy, were being planted by the European set-tlers along the Fraser River in what was then called Derby Reach townsite.

Fort Langley pioneer Alf Trattle, who passed away in 2003, said he remembered going down to Derby with his mom when he was just a boy, some 90 years ago. They would pick apples from the old Wolf River tree -- some for eating but others, the size of soft-balls, would come home for making pies.

Only three apples that size were needed to make one pie, he remarked.

But time, weather and invasive weeds, like black-berry vines, took over these fruitful trees, threaten-ing their very existence. If these moss covered trees fell, so would their fruitful history.

That’s where the Derby Reach/Brae Island Parks Partnership Association came in. The group’s man-date is to preserve the historic park. And it was in around 2002 when they decided to make sure Lang-ley’s apple tree history will stay alive.

It helped that one of the volunteers, Bill Wilde, is a professional arbourist.

First, volunteers started doing weed pulling, clean-ing up the trees so they would increase their lon-gevity, under the supervision of Wilde and fellow volunteer arbourists.

In 2008, Wilde took cuttings from the century-old trees with the idea they would plant those cuttings and create a new heritage apple orchard within Derby Reach Park — rescuing history in a fruitful way.

The idea has taken root and now the “floating” heri-tage apple orchard is growing beautifully beside the Houston House and barn on Allard Crescent.

Growing at the heritage orchard is the Northern Spy, Baldwin, Winter Banana and an unknown variety of apple now named the Trattle - after pioneer family the Trattles. Those apple trees are joined by a pear tree - its variety also unidentifiable because of its age.

It is at this heritage orchard, the association along with Metro Parks, hosts the annual Heritage Apple Day that took place this year on Saturday, Oct. 4.

On that day, visitors get to taste some of the heri-tage varieties, stepping back in time with every bite. Royal Engineer re-enactors are at the event, bringing Derby Reach history to life. There are also walking tours of the heritage apple tree living along the Fort-to-Fort trail, as well as demonstrations.

“We tried to find out the variety of apple Alf Trattle picked with his mom but couldn’t,” said Wilde. The apple likely came from the Wolfe River, the oldest of the heritage trees in Derby.

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The pear tree growing on the edge of the Fraser, along the Derby trail, is getting a second chance at life at the heritage orchard too.

“No one can ID the heritage pear. It looks like an Asian pear but it isn’t,” said Wilde.

“In 2006, we had three heritage pear trees. Now we only have one in Derby. The ones on the river side are hollow.”

The trunks of the remaining pear and several of the older apple trees are quite hollow and so volunteers have been pruning the tops to keep them from toppling over in wind storms, said Wilde.

The heritage apple trees still produce fruit, and some are very productive. Langley Environmental Partners Society has collected some 30 lbs. of apples and pears.

The Baldwin apple is a good example of a variety not found in a grocery store, same as the Winter Banana.

They are good eating apples, and were popular for making apple cider back in the day.

The ‘floating’ orchard refers to how they planted the fruit trees above ground in makeshift false pots.

“This area could be culturally sig-nificant to the Kwantlen First Nation

Photos: Woman walking with rake is DRBIPA volunteer Joan Martin, Woman crouching is volunteer Rose Ottesen, Father and son are Paul and Vlad (boy) Kuchard. Paul sits on board and Vlad is future board member

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE �

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so we knew that digging would be problematic,” he said. “This was the best way to not disturb any ground.”

Volunteers spent a day in September, pruning, weeding and tending to the growing trees.

The local bears may think so too, as they’ve been known to enjoy a bite or two in Derby Reach.

Beside the heritage orchard is a picnic area. The goal is to one day merge the two sites so people can come and enjoy both locations. Another long term goal is to have markers at each tree, explaining their history and signifi-cance.

To learn more about what the association does, go to drbipa.org.

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Pear Tree

Northern Spy Apple Tree

Baldwin Apple Tree

Winter Banana Apple Tree

HBC Cairn

Houston House

Wolf River Apple Tree

Edge Farm Apple Tree

Crab Apple Tree

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Apple Tree Tour

Facts about Derby Reach Regional Park

Features within this 320 ha waterfront park include a popular dog off-leash spot, camp-ing/RV site and picnic and fishing destina-tions. It is also the location of the Hudson Bay Company’s first ‘Fort Langley’, the Houston House and Houston barn (circa 1909).

There is the Edge Farm trail, Houston Trail and Fort-To-Fort.

The area where the original Fort was built, more than 150 years ago, saw too much flooding so the fur trading post was moved to its current location further east. But a cairn remains along the Fort-to-Fort trail reminding those who walk by that Fort Langley’s European settlement history started here. In fact, the area was once called Derby Townsite.

The fruit trees found along the trails are Northern Spy, Baldwin, Winter Banana, Wolf River, Crab and Edge Farm apple.

Inside the park are giant black cottonwoods dating back more than 200 years.

Arborist and DRBIPA Volunteer Bill Wilde


The Back Country Horsemen of B.C. started out 25 years ago as a kitchen table discussion at the Aldergrove home of Jim and Mar-ilyn McRae, with the first chapter of the club in this province based in Aldergrove.

It has since grown to a prov-ince-wide movement of over 800 active volunteer members in 17 regional chapters.

Jim McRae had been inspired by the Back Country Horsemen of America, who were always will-ing and able to help him during his daunting 1988 solo ride of the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to B.C. In the following year Jim McRae participated in Washing-ton State’s Wagon Train Centen-nial Celebration, and once again he observed the helping hands of the Back Country Horsemen of America.

McRae rallied the support of like-minded horse-people in B.C. and on June 11, 1991, the Back Country Horsemen of B.C. received its official non-profit society status.

Since that time McRae has been the driving force behind the club, and its core mandate remains protecting the right to ride the trails in the province. To this end the club members provide funds and countless volunteer hours to upgrade and maintain shared-use

trails and campsites, in concert with B.C. Parks and Forests ministries and other government agencies.

“If you want something done you’ve got to help,” observes the current chairman of BCHBC’s Aldergrove chapter, Brian Harder. “There never is,

nor ever will be, enough money if you’re counting on the govern-ment to do everything.”

Brian and his wife Vivian have been members of the Aldergrove chapter for about 10 years and have participated in many of the work bees across B.C., including the ongoing South Langley Trail project.

That latter project, which will connect Campbell Valley and Aldergrove Regional Parks with a safe riding trail along 8 Ave-nue, is nearing completion of its most difficult leg, thanks to the BCHBC Aldergrove volunteers.

This section of the trail, between 256 and 264 Streets, follows a municipal road allowance but the road has never been built because of the topography, with a steep hill and swamp that has

made a road for vehicles cost-prohib-itive to build. However, the Township of Langley has been supportive of the trail plan for that route and has provided funding for the engineering as well as construction of boardwalks

Back Country Horsemen of B.C.Working for shared-use trails at home and in the wilderness

Story by KURT LANGMANN ◆ Photographs credited individually

VIVIAN HARDER PHOTO: Back Country Horsemen of B.C. Aldergrove chapter members on a ride at Skimikin Lake in the Shuswap, near Salmon Arm.

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Inspiring the Learning Community of LangleyRecently the Langley School District went through a process of re-visioning with administration, staff and partner groups as well as members of our school community. As a result of this process, a new mission statement has been realized, a vision for the future has been articulated and four core values have emerged to guide us in our journey. The fall marks the start of the school year and the start of our journey toward becoming an innovative, inspiring and unifi ed learning community. If our vision is a goal, then our purpose and mission is the means by which we will arrive there. The new shared mission of the District is to inspire all learners to reach their full potential and create a positive legacy for the future. To guide us along the way, we will keep in mind our core values: integrity, excellence, courage and community.

The Langley School District would like to congratulate all the people of the Langley community recognized in this special Our Langley. Our People. edition. The District would also like to encourage all our students to become the “movers and shakers” or “unsung heroes” of tomorrow, whether their goals are academic, artistic, athletic or humanitarian. It is our hope to help our students build on their very best of today for them to be their very best in the future. A blog is beginning to take shape showcasing our successes and highlighting inspirational moments in our District and we invite you to take part - either in reading and enjoying the moments shared or by sharing your story for others to enjoy. Visit the blog, read the entries, then share your story at www.LearningInLangley.ca!

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across the swamp.

For its part, BCHBC Aldergrove members have raised money for gravel for the trail, as well as provided heavy equipment and volunteer labour for the project, which exceeds $60,000 in value.

Another BCHBC Aldergrove member, Jack Breaks, has provided his heavy equipment business and expertise at no charge to this trail — and many other similar projects in B.C. – over the years.

“Jack has put in immense hours to helping make it complete,” says Harder. “He’s our lead guy, he’s got the equipment and know-how.”

Township contractors have completed the two 150-metre long boardwalks and concrete footings and await BCHBC volunteer workbees to complete the top coat and the ramps leading to the boardwalks. This workbee was to be done in October, however, the BCHBC volunteers are so heavily booked up with similar trail projects in the Skagit Valley, Golden Ears and Merritt that the South Langley Trail work will have to wait until November.

“We have a lot of joint projects with the Yarrow chapter of BCHBC in the Chilliwack Valley, Ved-der Mountain and Cascades areas, and Jack Breaks has been working full-time on the Golden Ears contract, but the South Langley Trail will be our next priority,” says Harder. “That will leave only the section of trail between 264 and 272 Streets to be completed. I’m not sure what the Town-ship plans are but probably it will be alongside 8 Avenue on the road allowance, with some sort of buffer between the trail and road.”

With 139 members the Aldergrove chapter is the largest of the 17, soon-to-be 19, BCHBC chapters in the province. McRae has moved to a ranch in Tulameen but remains active in the organization and is working on establishing a new chapter in Tulameen.

“We do a lot of education too,” says Harder. “We have speakers at our meetings from Search and Rescue, the SPCA, and veterinarians, as well as demonstrations on packing horses, trailer safety,

chainsaw training and wilderness First Aid.

“Our members come from all backgrounds, work-ing people, retirees, professionals. A couple don’t even have horses, they’re just interested. Our big thing is shared-use trails — a lot of mountain bik-ers use the facilities and trails, and we all work together to get along and not cause conflicts.”

Then there is the fun aspect, when the members get to enjoy the fruits of their labours. The Alder-grove chapter organizes and participates in a vari-ety of seasonal rides, from day rides to extended “rig rides” with campers and trailers, here in the Fraser Valley and in the upcountry wilderness. There is also their annual “Rendezvous,” where the BCHBC get together for three days of fun.

BCHBC Aldergrove welcomes guests to their monthly meetings, and membership dues, if you decide to join are $45 a year (BCHBC members must also join Horse Council of B.C. for insurance purposes). For more information and contacts see their website at http://www.bchorsemen.org/.

VIVIAN HARDER PHOTO: Back Country Horsemen of B.C. Aldergrove chapter members on a day ride near Deroche. Dogs are not usually permitted on rides for safety reasons, but occasionally exceptions are made. BRIAN HARDER PHOTO (below): Back Country Horsemen of B.C. Aldergrove chapter members on an extended ride in Tetsa River Park, just off the Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS: Work on the trails and facilities at Lundbom Lake, near Merritt, has been a provincial initiative of the Back Country Horsemen of B.C.


Story by BRENDA ANDERSON ◆ Photographs by DAN FERGUSON

It all began with a production of Godsend in April, 1969.

The Langley Players’ next offering didn’t hit the stage until nearly a year later when they presented Pic-nic in March, 1970.

Now, four and a half decades later, the non-profit community theatre club has mounted nearly 140 produc-tions. They’ve served up thousands of laughs and offered audiences plenty food for thought, producing everything from such famous works as Twelve Angry Men and Lost in Yonkers to countless comedies by perennial community theatre favou-rite, Norm Foster.

The Players came to be in a public library, when a small group of local teachers — who were also theatre buffs — met to plan the formation of an amateur drama club.

For the first two years, the fledgling company set up temporary venues in local schools, hauling gear and sets to and fro, before settling in the Brookswood Hall in 1972.

Admission prices were set at $1 for adults and 50 cents for students.

Today, tickets to a Langley Players production cost $15 each. At slightly more than the price of a movie

it’s still an economical night out for people who a p p r e c i a t e live enter-tainment.

It’s particu-larly reason-able when you consider the amount of time and energy that goes into each show.

It takes about 30 people to mount a single play, said Mary Renvall a 21-year member of the club, who has sat on the board of directors for 16 years — 10 of those as president.

When Renvall joined Langley Play-ers in 1993, she wanted to be on stage. And though she’s had plenty of opportunity to perform over the years, Renvall quickly discovered that when it comes to community theatre, there are dozens of roles that need to be filled — and not all of them involve pancake makeup.

“At first you think ‘I’m going to act.’ But then there’s no role so what will I do? I can paint.

“One job leads to another.”

Renvall has acted, directed and produced, helped build sets and pro-moted shows.

She has also been there to help fashion a tiny commu-nity hall, built on a dirt foun-

dation, into the charming playhouse that theatre goers appreciate today.

Through money raised by ticket sales as well as grants and in-kind donations of labour and materials, the club was able to do a major overhaul at the turn of the millen-nium, installing new seats and car-pets, resurfacing the stage, adding extra washrooms and making major improvements to the lobby, back-stage area and parking lot.

The building is constantly improv-ing, said Renvall. “It’s like making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”

Over the decades, the hall has been transformed into a charm-ing 80-seat playhouse that draws sell-out crowds to its three yearly productions.

“We pride ourselves on (mounting)

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good productions — it’s a fun, afford-able night out for people,” Renvall said.

“We often get new people, (who say) ‘I’ve been driving by and I always wanted to come in.’

This month, audiences will get a chance to see a comedy by Canadian Play-wright, Stewart Lemoine. Cocktails at Pam’s opened on Oct. 16 and continues until at least Nov. 15.

“We run our shows longer than any-one...They’re always held over,” said Renvall. “It’s a long run for the actors.”

So much so, she said, that the theatre becomes a bit of a home away from home, both for the performers and for people working behind the scenes.

Though they’re not paid, Langley Play-house volunteers’ efforts and the hours they commit are acknowledged, said Renvall.

Member appreciation nights, Christmas events and the like server to recognize the fact that they’re often taking vol-unteers’ time away from spouses and children.

“We always really roll out the red carpet for our members and their families.”

RIGHT: Rehearsal. FAR LEFT: A performer takes the stage. LEFT: A performer applies stage make-up.

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Eight years ago it was a blueprint and six years ago it was a hole in the ground.

Today, it is a sprawling multipurpose facility which has a dozen sports teams calling it home and approximately 400 game nights per year.

The Langley Events Centre, which took nearly two years to build, is located at the corner of 200 Street and 80 Avenue. It opened its doors five years ago, in April 2009, with the B.C. provincial gymnastics championships as its first athletic event. (Its first official event was the annual Douglas Day celebrations held the previous November).

Since then, countless provincial, as well as national and international events have determined their champions within the confines of the LEC.

Amateur, junior, university and profes-sional teams all call the LEC home.

The facility is a 322,212 square-foot facility, which includes an arena bowl, triple gymnasium, double gymnasium, fieldhouse, banquet hall, a gymnastics training facility, a fitness and commu-nity centre, meeting spaces, offices and leased spaces.

Roughly 250 people, in full and part-time capacities, are employed at the LEC.

The original project — with an initial

cost of $45 million — saw the Township of Langley, the provincial government and the Langley Development Group chip in $15 million apiece.

The project was enhanced and the final price tag was $57.4 million.

Several new partners — including Trin-ity Western University ($3.5), Langley School District ($3 million) and the Langley Gymnastics Foundation ($1 million) — contributed the remaining amount. The Township of Langley also increased its contribution,

And it has proven so successful in its first few years, that the facility has already expanded, adding a new double gymnasium and fieldhouse in 2012. The project cost $7.725 million.

“The expansion was just really a mat-ter of demand,” said Jared Harman, the LEC’s director of business development, a title he has held since 2010.

“The new facility in the back was cre-ated out of the need for more gymna-sium time.”

Harman has been at the LEC since it opened, arriving with the Langley Chiefs junior A hockey club — who were connected to the Langley Develop-ment Group — as one of the original ten-ants of the facility, serving as the team’s

play-by-play announcer and marketing manager.

He would add the title of the LEC’s marketing manager before taking his current role.

“What really impressed me was the foresight the Township really put into it,” Harman said.

“It wasn’t just about what do we need now, it was about what are we going to need 10 years from now.

“The easy thing to do would have been to build two ice sheets and replicate what was done in Chilliwack — which is a great facility as well — but I think incorporating partners like Trinity West-ern, the Langley School District, Langley Gymnastics Foundation, really makes the venue stand on its own and very unique.

“And by having those people involved, it has really allowed us to expand on what our possibilities are, because we have so many people who have a vested interest in the building built in, who have their own networks which goes a long way when you are trying to attract events.”

The success and appeal of the LEC helped it lure the National Lacrosse League to Langley as the Washington Stealth relocated from Everett, Wash. to

Langley.

The Vancouver Stealth play nine home games between January and May. The Stealth are one of nine teams in the NLL.

While the LEC may have been the aggressor in targeting events it wanted to bring to town initially, it is now about 50/50, with the facility being approached to host events.

And with their success, they have been able to build on what they offer.

“One year has never been the same next year,” he said.

For instance, 2012 saw the B.C. high school Triple-A senior boys basketball championships come to the facility. Last year, eight separate high school boys and girls provincial championship tourna-ments were held at the LEC.

Three B.C. high school senior boys vol-leyball will also be played at the LEC this November.

“Without that (new) facility, we probably can’t host volleyball provincials because we probably don’t have the space to facilitate it,” Harman said.

The Langley Events Centre

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Next June, when a young rider guides a horse out of the gate into the Langley rodeo arena at 4303 208 Street, it will mark the 50th anniversary of the Langley Riders Society (LRS) Little Britches Rodeo, believed to be the longest-running rodeo competition in B.C. for young competitors.

“We provide an opportunity for all people of all ages from lead line to seasoned riders interested in horses, to get together and par-ticipate in several multidisciplinary riding events and shows,” the LRS website (http://www.langleyriders.com) notes.

The Langley rodeo was originally held on a field near land that would eventually become the site of Lang-ley Secondary School.

The all-volunteer Langley Riders Society formally incorporated as a non-profit society in 1966 and a few years later, purchased their cur-rent home.It is a former gravel pit that, with a few modifications, made a near-perfect arena with plenty of space to park horse trailers and a good view of the action.

“It’s a nice little amphitheatre,” said John Scotton, LRS treasurer and live-in caretaker at the grounds.

Scotton and his wife, now grandpar-ents, raised their two sons in a house that overlooks the amphitheatre.

He said planning is underway to mark the 50th anniversary with a number of special events, including a homecom-ing for past members.

There are currently 140 members in the society.

The membership is expected to help out at various Langley Riders events by devoting a minimum number of hours to activities like ground keeping and repairs.

The Little Britches rodeo, which has categories for under-18, under-13 and under-9 competitors, also features the often-photographed sheep riding or “Mutton Busting” event with com-petitors as young as two attempting to hang on to the the wooly back of their reluctant rides.

The LRS grounds are also home to the Langley Riders Drill Team, a crowd favourite which has been a part of the Langley Riders Society since 1966.

The drill team web site (http://langley-riders.wix.com/langleyridersdrillteam) describes the precision riders as “a group of enthusiastic ladies from 16 and up, [who] put fun, unity, team-work, and dedication forward as the motto to bring a thrill to spectators.”

The LRS grounds are used by other Western and English style riding orga-nizations and events who rent the facility.

It has also been used for filmed drama, most recently, by the “Cedar Cove” television series.

The 50th edition of the Little Britches event is scheduled for June 20 and 21, 2015.

Fifty years of rodeo funLangley Riders Society prepares to celebrate anniversary

◆ Story & Photographs by DAN FERGUSON ◆

A competitor enters the Langley Riders Arena.

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Visitors to St. George’s Anglican Church in Fort Langley step into history when they walk through the entrance to the 113-year-old structure at 9160 Church Street.

Built in a style called Carpenter Gothic, St. George’s is one of many North American churches that adapted the traditional European Gothic cathedral architectural style of carved stone into timber.

Inside, light filters through stained glass windows,

illuminating the wooden beams and panelling.

The large Good Shepherd stained glass window behind the altar was installed in 1912, donated by the Hope family in memory of Mary Fiddler-Horn Mavis.

Other windows have been installed over the years, one of the most recent added in 2003 during renova-tions that added the parish hall and church exten-sion.

During that renovation, two of the cedar beams installed over a century ago to support the church were removed.

One was given to the Kwantlen First Nation to be carved into the “welcome Poles” mounted on the south wall of the Parish Hall, as an acknowledge-ment that the church stands on traditional Kwantlen territory.

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A small jewel of a church in Fort Langley

◆ Story & Photographs by DAN FERGUSON ◆

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St. George’s Anglican Church built more than a century agoin the downstairs lounge and the coffee table that faces the fireplace.

St. George’s is the sec-ond Anglican church built in the area.

The first, St. John the Divine, was built in 1859 at the colony of Derby, located three miles west of Fort Langley at the original site of the Hud-son Bay Company’s fort.

When the population at Derby declined, that church was physically moved across the river to Maple Ridge in 1879.

It would be 21 years before another church was built in the area.

During some of that period, parishioners were able to attend services at St. Albans Church, which was built in Milner in 1889 to serve Langley, Milner, Fort Langley and Glen Valley.

Finally, in 1900, a com-mittee built St. George’s.

The first official service at the new Fort Langley church was held in 1901.

The church was conse-crated in 1908.

More than 100 years later, St. George’s remains an active Angli-can parish serving about 140 households, host-ing the biweekly “Food and Friends” community seniors’ meal, a support for young mothers and many other programs.

Every Sunday morning, the Service of the Holy Eucharist is held at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. with a children’s program.

There is also a Tuesday service at 10 a.m.

More information about the history of the church can be be viewed online at www.stgeorgeangli-can.ca. or by visiting the church, which offers information pamphlets for a self-guided walking tour of the church and church grounds.

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When the Trinity Western Spartans women’s soccer team captured the national championship in 2004, it was a welcome surprise.

“They just didn’t read the script,” joked TWU athletic director Murray Hall.

“We thought we might win a Canada West champion-ship in five years and a national championship in nine years. They did it in their third year.”

The Spartans women’s soccer team has since gone on to win four other Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships and with five national titles, is tied all-time with the UBC Thunderbirds.

UBC has won five titles since 1987 while Trinity West-ern has wracked up that many championships in just nine years.

Prior to making the move to the CIS level and joining the Canada West conference, Trinity Western Univer-sity had competed against colleges, in what is now the PacWest Conference.

There was confusion as to why Trinity Western University — a four-year degree granting institution — was competing against two-year colleges.

The decision to make the jump was to distinguish themselves, Hall explained.

“We had nothing against that group (of colleges); it was a move to separate ourselves,” he said.

“It was just a positioning move, that was the key thing.”

Hall has been at the Langley university since 1984 and has served as athletic director since 1988.

The move to Canada West was made in consultation with other prominent members of the university administration, including Dr. Neil Snider, the univer-sity president, Dr. Don Page, the academic vice-presi-dent and Ron Kuehl, the advancement vice-president.

It was a hard decision to make because of the increased costs associated with the move up.

The Spartan athletic teams were accustomed to driving in vans to their games, but would instead be budgeting

for plane rides as far east as Manitoba as part of the Canada West conference.

Attracting new students was one of the keys to gener-ate more cash flow at the school.

“We had capacity — the classrooms weren’t full, the residences weren’t full — so it was a business deal as well as positioning,” Hall said. “Because we are a tuition-driven university, we aimed for 80 new people over a few years who normally wouldn’t come to the school.”

“For a tuition-driven university with capacity, it was a perfect business plan and positioning for the univer-sity to brand us more nationally, and certainly in the Canada West.”

Fifteen years ago, in the fall of 1999, the Spartan bas-ketball and volleyball teams, as well as cross-country and middle distance, began competing in the CIS. Soccer followed in 2001, and track and field and swim-ming joined in 2010, as did the cross-country program, which had folded in 2003.

“We have always wanted to be top three,” Hall said. “If we are top three in Canada West — because that conference is so strong — we are probably top three, four or five in Canada.”

Since moving to the CIS level, Spartan athletes have won 20 CIS team medals, 34 Canada West team med-als, 15 CIS individual medals and 47 Canada West individual medals.

This includes the five CIS gold for women’s soccer, three CIS gold for the men’s volleyball program and six individual CIS gold medals in track and field.

All of this is being done despite the fact the Spartan athletic teams are drawing from a student body popu-lation of close to 4,000 undergraduate students.

By comparison, the University of Toronto has Cana-da’s largest full-time student body population at more than 67,000 students.

The University of Montreal, who lost twice to the Spartans women’s team in the soccer finals in both

2009 and 2013, has nearly 43,000 students, while McGill University, the team’s opponent in the 2004 championship game, has enrolment close to 27,000.

UBC, one of Trinity Western’s chief rivals in Canada West, is the biggest school in the conference with almost 40,000 students.

“When you are smaller, maybe you try harder, you are the kid brother and want to show you belong,” Hall said.

“I don’t think we have a chip on our shoulder. Maybe we do, but that isn’t always bad.”

As for the future of TWU athletics, Hall said they would love to add rowing — “we have great facili-ties just down the road,” — and possibly baseball or wrestling.

The university has tried swimming but that will not work without a dedicated pool they could use, Hall said.

The Spartans do ice a hockey team, which plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. Moving up to CIS would cost at least another $1 million more than they pay now because of scholarships and travel costs to field the team.

Another major factor in the success of Spartan athletics is corporate sponsorship and the Spartan Foundation.

The foundation is a non-profit organization which formed six years ago to raise funds for the athletic department.

For instance, they hold a Complete Champions lunch every November and a golf tournament every summer.

The money raised is also used to fund some of the humanitarian trips the Spartan athletic teams also do overseas.

“We want them to be complete champions in all areas,” Hall said.

“Of course we want to win national championships, but not at all costs. We also want them to be become servants and givers.”

Rise of the Spartans

Story by GARY AHUJA ◆ Photographs by SCOTT STEWART


It’s become a family tradition for so many, almost a rite of passage for Lang-leyites - to pick up a Halloween pump-kin from the Aldor Acres Family Farm pumpkin patch every October.

In fact, thousands visit the pumpkin patch each October, take in a hay ride, visit the petting zoo or even watch pigs being born at the Glen Valley working farm.

It isn’t just Langleyites who come to this bucolic acreage, but people from all over Metro Vancouver and beyond who make it a tradition to get their pumpkin here and experience country living for the day.

And to think, it all started with veteri-narian Dr. Albert and his wife Dorothy putting up a small sign and a jar at the end of the road back in 1988 - selling pumpkins on the honour system.

Now the main crop on the farm is pump-kins. The name of the farm is a com-bination of the Andersons’ first names (Al-Dor).

They even grow gigantic Atlantic pump-kins that can grow to more than 800 lbs. They host an annual Giant Pump-kin Weigh-off where growers from all around bring in their gigantic gourds for prizes and bragging rights. This year, one

pumpkin weighed in more than 1,000 pounds.

It’s been a great season for pumpkins, said the Andersons. The right combina-tion of sun and little rain, but just at the right time, made for perfect growing conditions for both their pumpkins and the corn.

Aldor Acres is open year round for dif-ferent events. Spring and summer offer farm tours, baby animals at Easter, and Farm Kid Camps. October brings 20 acres of pumpkin patches and five acres of petting zoos and animal displays. December welcomes Christmas trees and roasting marshmallows around the campfire. There are birthday parties too.

“It’s really about giving people of all ages a hands-on experience of life on the farm,” said Melissa Anderson, grand-daughter of Albert and Dorothy, who is working full-time on the farm with her grandparents.

The Andersons are in their 26th year of operation and third generation of Ander-son farmers. Albert and Dorothy’s son, Mark, and his wife, Leanna, and family run Aldor Acres Christmas Trees.

Wearing her signature braids and Aldor Acres hat, Melissa can be found around the farm daily, tending to the animals,

chatting with guests or selling the farm’s preserves and vegetables.

“The kids just love coming into to hold a baby bunny, the chickens are really friendly too. We really promote a hands-on experience,” said Anderson. The kids also love climbing all over the hay piles.

May, their pet donkey, can be seen clamouring for Melissa’s attention with her her vocal hee-haws.

An animal lover, Melissa also takes the farm’s petting zoo to seniors homes in Langley, letting elderly residents pet baby sheep, hold bunnies and piglets.

This year, the Andersons’ added pig races which have been a huge hit.

The track is set up just beside the animal

barns and the racing pigs were bought from the PNE.

“It only took one day to train them to race. They get a treat (corn) at the end so it was pretty easy but pigs are a lot like dogs. They are very friendly,” she said.

On a recent Saturday in October, with around 1,000 visitors to the farm, a pig gave birth to 15 piglets in front of the masses.

“That’s the neat thing about life on a farm. You never know what can hap-pen when you are working with living creatures,” she said.

The pumpkin patch is open until Oct. 31, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aldor Acres family farm is at 24990 84 Ave., www.aldoracresfamilyfarm.ca.

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◆ Story & Photographs by MONIQUE TAMMINGA ◆

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“Paddles up!” the steersman orders as we push off from the Paddlesport Dock at Fort Langley Marina.

Under a brilliant August Tuesday late afternoon sun, the eight of us on a voyageur canoe “take it away” on our little trip around McMillan Island, paddling on the Bedford Channel and Fraser River.

I’m a novice paddler who has come along on a Fort Langley Canoe Club (FLCC) “drop-in” session and I’m seated mid-canoe alongside Susan Murray, a com-modore with the club who patiently explains what I should do as well as points out landmarks and the

sights along our little voyage.

It’s not that complicated but the other seven pad-dlers, all women, are regulars who work together in unison, like a well-oiled machine. I do my best to fit in and by the end of our hour-long trip I finally get the rhythm right and stop hitting the paddle of the paddler in front of me.

Along the way we see a pair of bald eagles sitting in a fir tree, stop to pick up refuse floating in the water and observe the fellow FLCC dragon boaters and out-rigger canoeists practicing in the channel.

Murray is typical of many of the FLCC’s 550 mem-bers, in that she started out with the club four years ago as an older person who was simply looking for some recreational exercise and camaraderie. She found it by joining with like-minded souls in weekly paddles on the Fraser River in an eight-person voya-geur canoe.

“I started out coming once a week for the voyageur paddles and enjoyed the friendships and teamwork, so I tried some of the other things like dragon boats and I really liked it,” said Murray.


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Recreational exercise, camaraderie, and adventures await“I’m now competitive, a member of the 50-plus Fast and Furious dragon boat team. But I still like to come out for the voyageur paddles.”

From its humble beginnings 20 years ago, the FLCC has grown into an important part of the community, providing over 550 members with recreational and competitive water sports.

Started by Colin Chappell, whose children competed in high level kayak racing, the FLCC became a registered non-profit society in 1994, with summer programs offered in Bedford Channel, coached by university students.

Their ever-growing flotilla of canoes, kayaks, outriggers and dragon boats were initially housed in a ramshackle old garage in Fort Langley, which was memorable for its creaky old bay door that threatened to fall off every time it was opened or closed.

FLCC members had to carry their boats down the street and across the rail tracks to the Bedford Channel and back again. Thankfully, that is now ancient history, as in 2008 the club moved into a modern boat house on the new marina, built by the Township of Langley and operated by the Bedford Channel Society. The FLCC and three other boating organizations lease storage space from the Bedford Channel Society for their boats and equipment at the attractive new marina.

In addition to this, the FLCC is currently building a new dock for its nine dragon boats just east of the

marina, near the bridge, at a cost of $200,000.

“We’ve been saving up for this for quite some time,” said Murray.

Paddlers come from far and wide to participate in the regular season voyageur paddles. There is no

additional cost for FLCC mem-bers, other than the annual $80 membership fee. Non-members are also welcome to sign up, at a drop-in cost of $10 per paddle session. Each session runs about 60 to 90 minutes.

In addition to regular paddles around the Bedford Channel and McMillan/Brae Island, the club organizes “moonlight” paddles on the Fraser River, hosts regattas, helps re-create the arrival of the fur brigade voyageurs every BC Day weekend for Fort Langley’s

Brigade Days, hosts the annual Cranberry Race, as well as organizes or joins other canoe clubs in out-ings and expeditions.

In recent years these expeditions have included pad-dles around the Gulf Islands and Okanagan lakes, as well as paddling the lengths of the Rideau Canal, the Fraser River and the Columbia River. The expe-ditions down the Fraser and Columbia were done alongside other canoe clubs to mark the centenaries of Simon Fraser and David Thompson, who were the first European explorers to travel and chart the entire lengths of the two mightiest west coast rivers.

For some FLCC members the voyageur expeditions have led to participating in even more gruelling

adventures, such as the Yukon Quest Marathon (see sidebar story by Sylvia Langmann).

Some of the FLCC’s longtime guiding lights like Dr. Grant Rawstron, and the couple, Cheryl MacIntosh and Glenn Howes, remain very active in the voya-geur canoes aspect. Over the past 20 years, members have competed in the BC Summer Games, National Canoe Championships, Western Canada Games, BC Bantam Championships Pan Am Canoe Champion-ships, Western Canada Summer Games and the BC Senior Games, among other events and regattas.

For many others it has led to participating in the highly competitive dragon boat races. Of the FLCC’s 550 members, a full 250 are dragon boaters.

MacIntosh and Howes of Glen Valley were this past year’s recipients of the Langley Township “John and Muriel Arnason Award.” For 12 years, the couple has been dedicated to the Fort Langley Canoe Club.

MacIntosh began as a voyageur paddler, then became

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a leader and coach, encouraging the group to try dragon boat paddling. Interest grew and with macin-tosh chairing the FLCC board since 2009, the club grew to more than 500 members. That meant more boats, docks, and storage spaces were needed, and Howes became the key person for getting the docks upgraded, leading working groups through planning and design processes, and the actual physical labour.

The couple also lends their expertise to local envi-ronmental groups, such as the Glen Valley Water-shed Society, Derby Reach/Brae Island Parks Asso-ciation and have opened up their home for work parties and lunches for events such as the annual Bird Count.

In 2001, FLCC’s senior athletes joined team rowing with the official opening of Fort Langley Rowing Club. The rowing and canoe clubs remain separate entities but they share resources such as the coach boat, as well as some memberships.

The first dragon boat team was formed in 2004, with the club hiring a coach and renting a dragon boat weekly from False Creek. A year later, thanks to substantial fundraising efforts by members, the club bought its first dragon boat and they grew to four dragon boat teams.

In the following year, 2006, the club acquired its first six-person outrigger canoe (OC6), used mainly by dragon boaters for cross training, and the FLCC also became involved with Township of Langley waterfront development in the Bedford Channel.

The year 2008 was a real watershed for the club as they saw the opening of their new floating boat-house and Township of Langley docks, the club grew to nine dragon boat teams and acquired a sec-ond OC6 outrigger canoe. It participated in the bi-

centennial re-enactment of Simon Fraser’s voyage from Fort St James to Vancouver.

In 2009, the FLCC grew to 11 dragon boat teams and purchased their third dragon boat. In addition, the “Power For All” program was launched for paddlers with disabilities, which provides watersports for these persons in a safe atmosphere, with expert leaders and specialized equipment.

In the next year, 2010, there were 12 dragon boat teams and the club purchased its fifth dragon boat (three 6/16s and two BUK’s), and its third OC6 outrigger. Dragon boat youth after-school programs began that year.

In 2011, the club purchased the Millennium dragon boat, its sixth, and there were two youth dragon boat teams and a total of 14 teams.

In 2012, there were 15 dragon boat teams and the FLCC purchased its first of three one-person OC1 outriggers, as well as two new voyageur canoes for a total of eight, and a new three-boat trailer to haul them with.

By 2013 there were 17 dragon boat teams. Titanium, the women’s 59-plus dragonboat team, won bronze at Canadian Club Crew Nationals, and Fast and Furi-ous, Titanium and Abreast with FORTitude quali-fied for the Club Crew World Championships in

Ravenna, Italy, in Sep-tember 2014. Abreast with FORTitude, fly-ing the dual flags of Abreast in a Boat and FLCC, went on to take bronze in the 2000m and 500m sprints at the Worlds in Ravenna, Italy.

There are also many youth members of the FLCC among the 140 who paddle the outrig-ger canoes as well as the dragon boats and

many are also competitive. Their youth group, ages 14-17 years, recently won the bronze at the Rio Tinto Regatta.

The FLCC also offers a wide range of classes and camps for kayakers, aged nine and up.

Additional boat usage fees required for participat-ing in the dragon boats and outriggers to help pay for coaching. There are costs to enter any regattas, special events or expeditions. The FLCC does its best to keep costs affordable for all, but $10 drop-in ses-sions in all of the boat categories allow individuals to try out a sport before making a commitment to join.

As Murray observes, “When you start out with the club you tend to make friends and this leads to trying other aspects of canoeing and finding new adventures.”

Details on the different programs and registration information is available at the FLCC’s website: http://www.fortlangleycanoeclub.ca/


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