Four shovels were symbolically hoisted in Fort Langley on Friday to symbolize the return of the community's grocery store.

A crowd of several dozen people gathered to watch members of the Lee family and builder Marco Paolella break ground for the new IGA to rise at the corner of Glover Road and Mavis Avenue.

"What a great day," said Peter Lee, the owner of the Fort IGA.

The community grocery store, which has existed in one form or another in the Fort for decades, burned to the ground in early January.

Someone had apparently tried to break in by cutting through bars on one store window. Sparks from the cutting seemed to have set the store on fire.

The community was outspoken in its desire to see the IGA return as soon as possible.

After several months of community consultation and planning, Lee is now hoping to see construction start as soon as Monday.

Builder Marco Paolella said the new buildings will be complete in the late summer or early fall of 2012.

The new IGA will be a 10,300 square foot main floor with a 1,150 square foot office mezzanine on the second floor.

The IGA will be backed away from Glover Road, and a two-storey retail and office building will be closer to the main road. A small open plaza will be created at ground level.

Lee said he was surprised to see the crowd, which included mayoral candidates Jack Froese and Mel Kositsky, along with a number of independent and Vote Langley Now council candidates, were joined by Fort residents and business owners.

Lee thanked Kurt Alberts, the Fort resident who helped usher the project through to completion.

"It's completely selfish," Alberts said. "We're getting so tired of driving out of town for shopping."

Lee said it seemed like a long 10 months since the fire, but a lot was going on behind the scenes.