Eighty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 6, 1936
Newly elected Reeve Alex C. Hope was sworn in by municipal clerk R.A. Payne. The reeve’s first suggestion to council was the appointment of an administrator to handle the large amounts of relief money that was passing across the council table.
Former Langley reeve J. Wark died at his home in Burnaby, while the portrait of Langley’s second reeve, Adam Innes, was to be hung in the municipal hall. Innes served as reeve in 1874-75 and again in 1880-81. Wark held the office in 1914-18.
Council discussed plans for a landing field east of Langley Prairie, between Roberts Rd. (56th Ave.) and Fraser Highway, to accommodate air mail service.
Seventy Years Ago
FEBRUARY 7, 1946
MP Tom Reid was to be guest speaker at the Langley Board of Trade supper meeting at Murrayville Hall. Topics of discussion were to include a new post office, dredging of Bedford Channel, and paving of Jackman Road (272nd St.) to the naval station.
Pacific Stage Lines announced plans for an hourly bus service from Langley Prairie to Vancouver between 8:10 and 10:10 a.m., two-hourly service until 8:10 p.m., and a late trip at 11:45 p.m.
Sixty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 9, 1956
Gordon Greenwood, in retiring as president of the Fort Langley Board of Trade, said he expected to receive definite word soon about whether or not a ferry service between Fort Langley and Albion would be established in the coming year.
Langley School District’s financial statements, published in the Langley Advance, included total 1955 expenditures of $721,747.41.
Township council turned down a proposal for reciprocal trade licences with Langley City.
Fifty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 10, 1966
The Salvation Army purchased the West Highland Dairy Farm, one of Langley’s show farms and one of Canada’s premier Jersey-breeding establishments.
The Fort Langley Board of Trade asked the municipal council for a one-mill tax rate increase to enhance street-lighting in Fort Langley.
Forty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 5, 1976
Expansion of the “fundamental” or “value” school program at Langley Central Elementary School was announced, to include students from kindergarten to high school. The school board was also petitioned to help in transporting students from other parts of the district.
J. Michael Baker, a former Langley Secondary School student, was named principal of the new school [R.E. Mountain Secondary] being built in Willoughby.
Langley Memorial Hospital was declared a smoke-free zone, with cigarettes prohibited in any “patient care” area anywhere on the premises.
Langley’s five school trustees voted to increase the school board to seven members. Superintendent Gerald Cuthbert predicted that the increase would not decrease trustees’ individual workloads, but instead would increase the amount of work required, as well as lengthening meetings.
Thirty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 5, 1986
A smoke detector woke the sleeping Earhart family and allowed them to escape their burning Glover Road home without injury.
Twenty Years Ago
FEBRUARY 7, 1996
An unsuccessful attempt by three Langley boys to save an elderly woman from drowning nevertheless earned honour and applause from Langley City council and the local RCMP. Adam Katagiri and Ewan Bentley-Williams, both 18, and 10-year-old Kevin Erfle had gone above and beyond in their efforts to pull the woman from the swollen waters of the Nicomekl River.
Brae Island was to be purchased by the provincial government as part of its Lower Mainland Nature Legacy Program.
Township Councillor Mel Kositsky pulled out of the race for the Fort Langley-Aldergrove provincial Liberal nomination, which became available when MLA Gary Farrell-Collins moved closer to Vancouver. Still in the running were long-time Liberal Township Councillor Steve Ferguson and former Social Credit stalwart Rich Coleman.
