What Langley is known for

Ask ten people what Langley is known for and you will get ten answers, usually starting with where they live. This list sticks to the things the official sources actually say.

The Birthplace of BC

The Township of Langley calls itself the “Birthplace of BC,” and says it was incorporated in Fort Langley in 1873. Parks Canada’s federal heritage listing says the act creating the colony of British Columbia was proclaimed at Langley in 1858. The Hudson’s Bay Company founded the fort in 1827, and the site was designated a national historic site in 1923. Today Fort Langley National Historic Site is a recreated fur trade post on the Fraser River, open seven days a week with costumed interpreters. Read more in A short history of Langley.

Cranberries

Parks Canada’s Cranberry Festival at the Fort, a harvest festival with cranberry stomping, blacksmith demonstrations and a scarecrow hunt, presents the cranberry as a berry that mattered in 19th-century trade. Wikipedia’s Fort Langley article says the village’s festival began in 1995 and is held each October. The Township’s agriculture page also reports that cranberry production grew by 83 hectares (205 acres) between 2006 and 2016.

Farmland

About 75% of the Township, roughly 235 square kilometres, is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, according to the Township. It says Langley has about half of Metro Vancouver’s farms. Its agriculture page reports farm-gate receipts of $340 million in 2016, third in BC, and lists crops such as blueberries, grapes, mushrooms and greenhouse produce. See also our rural Langley guide and the BC Farm Museum.

Horse country

The Township’s agriculture page counted about 298 farms with 2,553 horses and ponies in 2016, roughly 7% of the provincial total. Wikipedia notes the Township has been called the “Horse Capital of BC.” The best-known venue is Thunderbird Show Park, where hunter and jumper tournaments and FEI Grand Prix events are held.

Hollywood North

The Township describes itself as “Hollywood North,” saying film and TV productions bring in over $40 million a year. Wikipedia’s Fort Langley article lists productions shot in the village, including Air Bud, Once Upon a Time, Twilight, Bates Motel, Supernatural and an episode of The X-Files. Spotting a familiar corner on screen is a local pastime.

Sport and spectacle

The Langley Events Centre opened in April 2009 and, per its own site, includes an arena bowl with more than 5,200 seats, an outdoor stadium of more than 6,500 and a fieldhouse. Teams listed by Wikipedia include the Vancouver Giants and Langley Thunder; see our teams page.

Aviation

The Canadian Museum of Flight is in Hangar 3 at Langley Regional Airport, 5333 216 Street, and its site names aircraft such as a Waco AQC-6, a North American Harvard Mk IIB and an Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck. See the museum and the airport.

A fast-growing place

Wikipedia’s 2021 census figure for the Township is 132,603 residents, up 13.1% from 2016, and the Township’s own page puts the population at more than 150,000 in 2025. Six urban centres each have their own character, including Aldergrove, Fort Langley, Murrayville, Walnut Grove and Willoughby. See our guides to Aldergrove, Fort Langley and Willoughby.

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