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Mostly cloudy skies and a high near 29°C have settled over Langley today, and the warm stretch is a fitting backdrop for the news that Stage 3 water restrictions are now in force across both the City and the Township. Lawn watering is banned, though herb and vegetable gardens are still safe to water.
Tonight, Langley City Council has a long evening ahead. A 5:45 p.m. session covers the Accessibility Plan, and at 7 p.m. residents can speak to a $2.5 million budget amendment. Roughly $500,000 of that figure covers legal fees, much of it tied to defending against Councillor Delaney Mack's BC Supreme Court petition.
In the Township, a draft 2025 annual report shows total debt grew by $267 million last year, climbing to $584 million. Building permit values hit a record $1.022 billion under Mayor Eric Woodward's capital-heavy agenda.
There is lighter news, too. A new exhibit at salishan Place by the River opens June 27 with free weekend admission, a traditional Ukrainian wedding concert comes to Fort Langley on July 4, and the Vancouver Bandits bounced back with a win over Ottawa.
Langley City Council holds public input on $2.5M budget amendment tonight
Langley City Council holds a public input session tonight at 7 p.m. on Bylaw 3340, a proposed amendment to its 2026-2030 Financial Plan.
The amendment adds about $2.5 million in new and expanded spending to this year's budget. Major items include:
- $900,000 for policing arbitration and mediation
- $600,000 for workforce succession and temporary staffing
- $500,000 in unanticipated legal fees
- $180,000 for new fire department turnout gear
The legal line raises the City's external legal budget from $90,000 to $500,000. Staff have attributed the rise largely to defending against Councillor Delaney Mack's BC Supreme Court petition, filed May 6, which asks a judge to set aside multiple Council and mayoral decisions in the code of conduct process against her and to strike down the bylaw section that was used in the complaint against her.
The City has now spent about $328,000 on legal and investigative costs tied to code of conduct complaints over the past two years.
A separate amendment, Bylaw 3339, closes the books on the 2025-2029 plan and recognizes roughly $147,000 in new grant funding for road, transit, cycling, emergency preparedness, and street tree projects.
Residents can attend Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, or email written feedback to councilmeetings@langleycity.ca before noon today. The meeting will be live-streamed and posted on the City's website.
Draft Township annual report shows debt grew $267 million in 2025
The Township of Langley has released its draft 2025 annual report.
Total debt and agreements payable rose by $267 million last year, climbing to $584 million.
Mayor Eric Woodward's message focuses on capital delivery, including 208 Street widening, the Smith Athletic Park opening, the salishan Place arts centre, and new active transportation routes along 80 Avenue.
The Township also secured up to $42.5 million in BC Builds grants for about 250 rental units in Willoughby and Aldergrove, with 30 per cent of units priced below market.
Council's message highlights a 0.4 per cent cut to core municipal services costs. That figure leaves out water, sewer, garbage, and recycling, which Council unanimously voted in June 2024 to separate from property taxes starting in 2025.
Building permit construction values hit a record $1.022 billion, and the population reached 154,122.
The document is still marked DRAFT and has not yet received final Council approval.
Stage 3 water restrictions now in effect in Langley City and Township
Stage 3 water restrictions came into effect across Metro Vancouver on Monday, June 8.
The restrictions apply to both Langley City and the Township of Langley as members of the regional water system.
Lawn watering is banned. Trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds can only be watered by hand or drip irrigation, while herb and vegetable gardens are exempt.
Residents are also barred from washing driveways, sidewalks, decks, and most parts of vehicles and boats. Pools, hot tubs, fountains, and decorative water features cannot be topped up or filled.
Metro Vancouver moved to Stage 3 to protect the water supply during construction of the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel, along with low snowpack and expected drought conditions.
The restrictions are set to remain in place until October 15.
New salishan exhibit opens June 27 with free weekend admission
A new exhibit at salishan Place by the River opens to the public on Saturday, June 27.
Langley: Many Voices, Shared Place draws from the museum collection to share stories of belonging and community through objects, photographs, and personal accounts.
Admission will be free on Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with regular fees starting Monday, June 29.
"The exhibit really speaks to how people connect to a place, to how they find community," said Arts and Heritage Curator Kobi Christian.
salishan Place by the River sits at 23430 Mavis Avenue in Fort Langley and houses a museum, the Fort Langley Library, a printmaking studio, a presentation theatre, and event spaces.
Langley City Council to discuss Accessibility Plan tonight
Langley City Council holds a Special Council Meeting tonight at 5:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
The single agenda item is a 30-minute Committee of the Whole discussion on the Langley City Accessibility Plan.
Kim Hilton, the City's Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services, will introduce the item.
Members of the public can attend in person to observe the proceedings.
The agenda package is posted on the City's website.
Ukrainian wedding concert comes to Fort Langley on July 4
The Mriya Ukrainian Dance and Culture Education Society will stage A Traditional Ukrainian Wedding Concert in Fort Langley on Saturday, July 4.
The show recreates a traditional Ukrainian wedding through music, dance, costumes, and bilingual narration in English and Ukrainian.
About 86 performers will take the stage, drawn from the society's groups in Langley, New Westminster, and Burnaby.
Artistic director Marta Kasha said roughly 80 per cent of Mriya's dancers are newcomers who arrived in Canada after the war in Ukraine began. The group has grown from 15 children in 2022 to around 80 dancers aged five to 55 and older.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. at Chief Sepass Theatre, 9096 Trattle Street, with showtime at 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 plus fees for adults and $15 for children aged seven to 13, with kids under seven admitted free.
Columbia River dredging harms Indigenous communities and salmon habitat
A new feature from High Country News documents how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reshaped the Columbia River, which originates in southeastern B.C. before crossing into the United States near Trail.
For more than 160 years, the agency has dredged and narrowed the river to make way for cargo ships, removing four to seven million cubic metres of sediment each year.
The work has eliminated 70 per cent of the estuary's marshes and pushed more than a third of its salmon and steelhead populations to extinction, while also harming lamprey and sturgeon.
Chinookan tribal leaders say they were never properly consulted on the Corps' new 20-year, $807-million sand-disposal plan, and warn that climate change is making the river hotter and shallower.
The Corps maintains it can rebuild wetlands using the dredged sand, but tribal members and federal scientists say there is no real restoration plan and few studies showing the approach works.
Vancouver Bandits Bounce Back With Win Over Ottawa
The Vancouver Bandits got their revenge on Ottawa with a gritty win despite a shorthanded offence, giving Langley Bandits fans something to cheer about heading into the week.
Fan favourite Mitch Creek is also set to return to the squad on Monday, adding another boost to the team's roster.
The Bandits, who play their home games at the Langley Events Centre, will look to build on the momentum as the CEBL season heats up.
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