salishan Place by the River

Yes, the lowercase s is on purpose. The Township writes it that way everywhere. Here are five things to know about the big timber-fronted building on Mavis Avenue before you go in.

1. It is several places in one

The Township describes salishan Place as a three-storey arts, culture and heritage centre. On its centre information page it lists a reception hall, a 167-seat presentation theatre, galleries, program spaces and community archives, along with indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. The FAQ fills in the rest: four multi-purpose rooms, a printmaking studio, a research room, a rooftop patio, a coffee shop, a gift shop, an outdoor amphitheatre and an Indigenous Garden planted with culturally significant and medicinal species.

The two anchor tenants are the Langley Centennial Museum, which moved across the street after 64 years on King Street, and the Fort Langley Library, run by Fraser Valley Regional Library.

2. The name

The Township says the name salishan reflects the building’s location within the collective territories of the Coast Salish peoples and acknowledges hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and halq’eméylem, two Coast Salish language dialects spoken here. The facility was developed in dialogue with four First Nations: q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), Máthxwi (Matsqui) and Se’mya’me’ (Semiahmoo). Our Kwantlen First Nation page has more on the nation whose territory Fort Langley sits in.

3. It opened in stages

The library went first. The Township’s news release of February 8, 2025 marks that day’s open house and the opening of the Fort Langley Library on the ground floor, with the rest of the building to follow in phases. The museum’s first feature exhibit, Langley: Many Voices, Shared Place, opened on June 27, 2026, and Saturday and Sunday hours started the same weekend. The research room is still closed while the collection, which the FAQ puts at more than 23,000 objects, is moved in; the Township says it will be free to use once it opens, and the collection can be searched online in the meantime.

4. What it costs

Walking into the building, using the library and wandering the garden cost nothing. The museum galleries have an admission charge (see the facts box), and the Township sells annual passes that pay for themselves on the third visit. Programs, camps and workshops are priced individually and booked through the Township’s recreation registration.

5. Parking and the gate

There is street parking around the building and an underground parkade. The Township warns that the parkade gate locks when building hours end, so if you are staying late for an evening event, park on the street.

Who paid for it

The Township’s centre information page credits construction support from the Government of Canada, the Province of BC, Stronger BC and the BC Arts Council. A sponsors and funders page on the Township site lists the community donors.

Nearby

The building is in the middle of the village, so start with our Fort Langley village guide. The Fort Langley National Historic Site is a short walk along Mavis Avenue, and the restored 1915 CN Station run by the Langley Heritage Society is at the Glover Road end of the same street. For the museum’s exhibits and programs in detail, see the Langley Centennial Museum page.

Something out of date? Tell us.