Economic Forum

The Economic Forum on March 24 will provide a great way to highlight the key elements of Langford’s Five-Year Economic Plan, which focusses on incentives for job creation and growth. Langford Council has been successful in creating first-class recreational facilities that benefit people of all ages. Other improvements like the beautification of our downtown core, the addition of more bike lanes connecting our neighbourhoods with our attractions, shopping areas, and the planning of more family-oriented neighbourhoods makes Langford an appealing option for families and new businesses. The emphasis in the years ahead needs to be on attracting more businesses that create more jobs for our residents, and allows us to continue with improvements that enhance Langford’s long-term liveability and sustainability
Dr. Avi Friedman, a keynote speaker at the Seminar, is a highly respected, internationally renowned Professor of Architecture at McGill University. I think those in attendance will find what Dr. Friedman has to say about the progress Langford has made, and how we can move forward through innovative economic development, informative and fascinating.

New Recreation Draws Thousands

It was great to see thousands of our residents and people from all across the region come out to City Centre Park on October 22 for the official opening of Langford Lanes, Westhills Arena and Goudy Field. The support and funding of the Federal and Provincial governments were key elements in getting these state of the art facilities built, and underline what can be achieved when levels of government work together to create employment and add recreation that improves the quality of life for people of all ages. Westhills Arena, Langford Lanes and Goudy Field are great examples of Langford council’s commitment to build recreation for everyone, and we can all take pride in what we have accomplished at City Centre Park.

Welcome to Langford, Rugby Canada!

The recent announcement that Rugby Canada will be making Langford their home base and training facility speaks to the calibre of the facilities and fields we’ve put in at City Centre Park. Having the best young male and female players and coaches here will be inspiring for our young athletes, and will increase the popularity of the sport. That’s great news for athletes, sports fans, and the community. The move means more high-calibre games coming to Langford, and that's good for local businesses. Rugby Canada’s presence here in Langford also underlines Langford Council’s commitment to providing the best in recreational facilities, options and entertainment for our residents.

Golfing for the Community

What started out as a way to show appreciation for the businesses and developers that make a positive difference in the community has turned into something else, in typical Langford fashion. The annual Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament has raised more than $360,000 over the past 15 years to assist and support groups and organizations like the Langford Legion, SportAssist, school crossing guards, Belmont athletic programs and more. It’s great to see how so many of the same people step up with donations, and how many volunteers have been with the tournament since the beginning. It says a lot about community pride, and the efforts to help out organizations dedicated to helping others.

Green Pedestrian Highway on the Right Track

A new green pedestrian highway that will link Langford’s neighbourhoods with cycle and pedestrian routes is a great idea on a number of levels. Providing safe, convenient access to Langford’s neighbourhoods, parks, lakes and attractions promotes a healthy lifestyle by encouraging more people to walk or cycle within Langford. It will also reduce the number of vehicles on the road, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and that’s good for the environment. It’s an ambitious plan that will take some time to complete, but I believe the benefits for the entire community in terms of getting around Langford, health, the environment and sustainability will be well worth the effort.

Getting A Handle On The Weather

Gathering more up to the minute data on local weather patterns puts Langford in a better position to deal with issues arising from unpredictable weather, and will help City staff be better prepared to deal with storms. The weather monitoring stations are located on the roof of City Hall and at a high point on Bear Mountain. There are also stream flow and lake level monitoring stations, and another weather station is planned for South Langford.
These stations not only track temperature, wind speed and precipitation, but also enable staff to be more cost-effective in managing tasks such as snow removal. Gathering data over extended periods of time will also be helpful in designing infrastructure to accommodate climate change in our community.

Where Commerce meets Culture

The BC Spirit Festival and Trade Show at City Centre Park February 11 to 13 is another great opportunity to showcase the exciting new things going on in our community to the rest of the region and beyond. Combining a business trade show with a strong focus on B.C. musicians and artists is a unique way to bring people together, and I think John Selkirk deserves a lot of credit for his efforts and vision in putting this event together. I know the BC Day Festival in August at City Centre Park made a strong impression on John, and had a lot to do with his decision in selecting Langford as the host community for this event.