One name, two councils

Tell someone you live in Langley and you've only told them half the story. There's the City of Langley and there's the Township of Langley. Each has its own mayor and council.

The Township came first. BC's geographical names office says it was incorporated as a district municipality on April 26, 1873. The City is the newcomer.

The 1955 breakup

In the early 1950s, the busy commercial area around the Fraser Highway was called Langley Prairie. Its residents voted to leave the Township, and the City of Langley was incorporated on March 15, 1955, according to provincial records. The Township's boundaries were redrawn to leave the new city out.

So the City is the compact bit in the middle, around Douglas Crescent and downtown. The Township wraps around it on every side.

Why it matters on a Saturday

Remembrance Day is a good example. The City runs its own ceremony at Douglas Park, and in the Township, local groups organize services in Fort Langley, Murrayville and Aldergrove. Our Remembrance Day guide lists all four.

Christmas splits the same way. The new Langley Christmas Village is a City event downtown. The Williams Park drive-through lights belong to the Township.

And Fort Langley?

Fort Langley is a village inside the Township, and it's where the whole story starts. The Hudson's Bay Company built its fort on the Fraser in 1827, and in 1858 the Colony of British Columbia was proclaimed there. Our Fort Langley Village Farmers' Market piece is a good excuse to go and look around.

Here's the easy test. If your property tax bill comes from 20399 Douglas Crescent, you're in the City. If it comes from 65 Avenue, you're in the Township.

Sources: BC Geographical Names, BC Orders in Council 612/1955, City of Langley, Township of Langley, Parks Canada.