Barb Martens: Township of Langley councillor

Barb Martens was elected to Township of Langley council on October 17, 2026, with 16,641 votes, as part of the Langley Strong slate. She is an incumbent. Here is a plain summary of what the Township and her slate profile say about her.

Background

The Township’s page describes 29 years in public service: nine years with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and 20 years as a sworn Vancouver Police Department officer. It lists patrol, neighbourhood policing, crime analysis, work as a field trainer, and liaison work with housing operators and neighbourhoods. It also lists two Vancouver Police Chief commendations and awards from the BC Borstal Association.

On education, the Township lists a BA in psychology and education from Trinity Western University, Justice Institute of BC police studies certificates, and a Royal Roads University leadership certificate.

Her Langley Strong profile describes her as a retired VPD officer and Rotarian. It lists priorities including public safety, responsible spending, infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, and support for vulnerable residents.

Business and community affiliations

As listed on her Township page and Langley Strong profile:

• Work: retired Vancouver Police Department officer; former Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction employee. No current employer or business is listed.
• Boards and committees: co-chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee; founding member and trustee of BC Women in Law Enforcement (Township page).
• Community roles: secretary on the executive of the Langley Sunrise Rotary Club, chair of the SASSY Awards committee for youth bursaries, and a volunteer delivering Starfish Backpack food packs to North Langley schools (slate page).

The Township’s past-roles list includes the E-Comm board, the Fraser Valley Regional Library board, the Tourism Langley board, Metro Vancouver committees and chairing the Township’s Standing Committee on Police Priorities and Initiatives.

Official disclosures: Elections BC publishes candidates’ campaign financing disclosure statements for local elections, due 90 days after the election, so the Township 2026 statements should appear there in early 2027. Councillors also file a statement of financial interest with the Township; ask the Township’s corporate office via the Mayor and Council page how to view it.

Previous council service

Her Langley Strong profile calls her a first-term councillor who was elected in 2022 as the Township’s top-polling councillor; the Township’s page does not give an election year. The Advance Times lists her among the Langley Strong councillors elected in 2026.

On the record

Campaign commitments (2026)

• “I’ll keep asking the plain questions about debt and spending” — Langley Strong: Barb Martens, page updated Sept 12, 2026
• Safe streets and neighbourhoods: police presence, crime prevention, and support for police and firefighters as the Township grows (summary) — Langley Strong: Barb Martens, page updated Sept 12, 2026
• “A Langley Strong council will work with the Langley RCMP and the Township Fire Department to create a Peer Support Unit.” (slate platform) — Langley Strong: mental health support for frontline responders, Aug 25, 2026
• Introduce a dedicated Operational Stress Intervention Dog for first responders, funded with a local foundation or charity (summary) (slate platform) — Langley Strong: mental health support for frontline responders, Aug 25, 2026
• Move toward community police offices and expanded foot and bike patrols; require traffic calming, sidewalks and lighting with new construction (summary) (slate platform) — Langley Strong: safety plan release, Sept 28, 2026
• Make Township recreation facilities free for children under 12 (summary) (slate platform) — Langley Strong: free rec for kids under 12 and one voice for new schools, Sept 16, 2026

Quoted

• “Growth without staffing is a dangerous thing for a community” — Langley Strong: safety plan release, Sept 28, 2026
• “Our police and firefighters need a council that has a strong fiscal plan and clear safety vision.” — Langley Strong: safety plan release, Sept 28, 2026
• “A Peer Support Unit means nobody in the Langley RCMP or Township Fire carries it alone.” — Langley Strong: mental health support for frontline responders, Aug 25, 2026
• “Checking on them after the hard calls isn’t a luxury. It’s the least a respectful employer owes.” — Langley Strong: mental health support for frontline responders, Aug 25, 2026
• “It’s the cheapest investment in healthy kids a community can make.” — Langley Strong: free rec for kids under 12 and one voice for new schools, Sept 16, 2026

This section exists so readers can check later whether commitments were kept. Know of something on the record we’ve missed? Send us the source.

Related pages

• 2026 Township of Langley election results
• Township of Langley council: who they are and how to reach them

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