The Langleys
The Langleys have been occupied by the Sto:lo First Nations People since the retreat of the glaciers around 10,000 years ago, but Europeans only arrived here around the 1820s. Fort Langley, built in 1827 is considered the Birthplace of British Columbia. When the fort was first built by the Hudson's Bay Company its goal was to establish a fur trading post and develop some agriculture in order to provide food for other trading posts west of the Rockies. It later became a major supply centre after the discovery of gold along the Thompson and Fraser rivers and outfitting prospectors became a major activity.
The Langleys are bordered on the east by Abbotsford, the west by Surrey, to the north by the Fraser River and to the south by the Canada-U.S. border. It is easily accessible from all parts of the lower mainland and is less than an hour away from both downtown Vancouver and the Vancouver International Airport. Seattle is a mere two hour drive away and Southern California is only a two hour flight away.
The Township of Langley is known as the horse capital of Canada and the area has the most horse farms in British Columbia. It also has the most rabbit farms and the most sheep farms in British Columbia, and has fully one-half of the province's mushrooms farms. There is also more greenhouse footage here than anywhere else in BC. There are farms for almost everything, many of which can be visited. There are dairy, poultry, beef and pig farms and the only artificial breeding facility in the province is found here. You'll even find turkey, llama, alpaca and ostrich farms here. There are farms for flowers, for vegetables, for berries where, depending on the month, you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red currants or black currants. Grapes are a new crop in the area and The Langleys are now home to several wineries.
Apart from visiting the many varieties of farms, there are dozens of other activities for all ages and interests. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, waterskiing, swimming, winery tours, shopping in both major malls as well as unique boutiques and antiques stores. There's plenty of golf, museums, jet boat tours as well as airplane charters and hot air ballooning. The Greater Vancouver Zoological Centre is located here as well as Canada's largest car show.
Getting to the Langleys:
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Region of British Columbia
places to eat things to do and see
The name The Langleys is given to two areas that are inextricably linked. One is the City of Langley, a beautiful rural setting known as the place “Where City and Country Meet”. It has a population of over 24,000 people in a 10 square kilometre (4 square mile) area. The other is the Township of Langley which is a vast area covering 303 square kilometres (122 square miles) and is home to over 88,000 people living in both rural areas and several small communities, of which the main ones are Aldergrove and Fort Langley.
The Langleys are easy to reach from any direction. Fraser Highway (Highway 1A) traverses The Langleys from east to west. Highway 1 is a major access route from both the east and the west. Traveling from the United States you can choose from three border crossings to get you to Langley. The Peace Arch crossing, the Douglas crossing, also called the “truck crossing” and the Aldergrove/Lyndon crossing. Langley can also be reached by bus and by plane.
Approximate distances
to Langley
44 km (27 miles) from Vancouver
201 km (125 miles from Seattle, WA
655 km (407 miles) from Spokane, WA
478 km (297 miles) from Portland, OR
1030 km (640 miles) from Boise, ID
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