Table of Contents
The best way to help The Langley Union grow is simple: share this newsletter. Forward it to a friend, mention it to your family, or post it on social media and encourage others to subscribe.
Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward promised in 2018 to transfer $55 million worth of his real estate holdings to a new charity foundation.
Staff reports
The pledge came as he prepared to run for council and was framed as a way to avoid conflict of interest issues while giving back to the community.
Seven years later, financial statements obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation reveal his foundation donated just $8,117 over its first five years.
The findings raise serious questions about transparency and accountability at the highest levels of Township government.
According to the IJF's investigation, Woodward never actually transferred any of his real estate holdings to the Eric Woodward Foundation.
The foundation was never registered as a charity.
Instead, Woodward's for-profit development company, Fort Langley Properties, continues to hold all of his real estate assets.
The financial statements show the foundation spent most of its money on events like the Fort Langley Night Market, with nearly $325,000 in event expenses accounting for 69 percent of total expenditures. The foundation also listed tens of thousands of dollars in liabilities "due to director" without proper explanation of what services were provided in exchange.
Former Township councillor Angie Quaale reviewed the statements and called them puzzling. She questioned where all the money from Woodward's ongoing development projects has gone.
Woodward is still filing for development permits and making money from properties he promised would fund local charities.
The IJF spent more than a year trying to obtain the foundation's financial statements.
The B.C. Registrar of Companies had to issue an order for the foundation to produce the documents. Even after that order, it took months for the statements to be released.
Non-profits in B.C. are legally required to complete financial statements every year, but the foundation only prepared them after the registrar's intervention.
The full investigation contains much more detail about the foundation's operations, Woodward's responses, and the implications for local governance.
We strongly encourage readers to read the complete report at the IJF website and to support their work through subscriptions or donations. Independent investigative journalism like this is essential for holding the powerful accountable.
Langley residents deserve to know whether their elected officials are keeping their commitments to the community.
This story matters because it's about more than one foundation or one politician.
It's about whether wealthy developers who become mayors can be trusted to put community interests ahead of their own financial holdings.
Please support the folks who did all of the legwork on this research and subscribe to the Investigative Journalism Foundation!
What did you think of this story?
Take our quick 2-minute survey to let us know how we're doing and what topics you'd like to see The Langley Union cover next.