salishan Place by the River is the Township of Langley’s new arts, culture and heritage facility being developed in Fort Langley in partnership with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), Máthxwi (Matsqui) and Se’mya’me’ (Semiahmoo) First Nations, and other community organizations. salishan Place by the River will be the new home of the museum and Fort Langley Community Library, and will be managed by the Recreation, Arts and Culture Division.
The name, salishan, reflects the facility's physical location within the collective territories of the mainland Coast Salish peoples and its proximity to the Salish Sea. The name acknowledges hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and halq'eméylem, two Coast Salish language dialects spoken in the area.
This unique three-storey building will share and celebrate the voices and stories of community members, encouraging interactive and inclusive experiences for visitors of all ages. It will also provide indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces, including a reception hall and 177-seat presentation theatre, and will feature galleries, program spaces, and community archives.
The construction of this new facility is supported by the Government of Canada, the Province of BC, Stronger BC, and the BC Arts Council.
Frequently asked questions
salishan Place by the River is a 40,000 square foot arts, culture and heritage centre featuring a museum with collection storage, four multi-purpose rooms, a printmaking studio, a research room, coffee shop, gift shop, an Indigenous Garden, and outdoor amphitheatre.
Additionally, there are conference and special event amenities including a reception hall, presentation theatre, a rooftop patio, and kitchen.
salishan Place by the River is also the home of the new Fort Langley Library.
The Fort Langley Library in salishan opens on Saturday, February 8, 2025. For library hours visit fvrl.bc.ca.
The rest of the facility will open in phases over the coming months. The museum’s collection, which includes over 23,000 objects, will be moved into the building as part of this process. Exhibit planning, development, fabrication, and installation are underway and will take some time to complete.
Programming and bookable spaces will soon be ready for use. We will provide updates on opening timelines for each area of the facility as they become available. To stay connected with salishan, check our website regularly or follow @salishanplace on Facebook and Instagram for news and updates.
Arts, culture and community programs will be offered at salishan and will be available as the rest of the facility becomes operational. A program plan has been designed and specific programs are currently being developed for all ages, interests, skills and abilities. Programs will be delivered by Cultural Instructors, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Museum Docents, and Township staff.
We will update our website at tol.ca/salishan with program information as details become available, so please check our website regularly.
Fraser Valley Regional Library will also offer programs, both in the library space and other spaces in salishan, beginning soon. You can find information about programs at the Fort Langley Library on their website at fvrl.bc.ca, under Events.
The next steps in exhibit development is the creation of a content matrix followed by a detailed schematic exhibit design, and then finally, fabrication and installation.
Our main gallery will feature exhibits highlighting stories from our shared history. The feature gallery will host shorter duration rotating exhibits on arts, culture and heritage.
Once open, the museum will feature certain objects from its collection on display in the main gallery. Guests that would like a closer look at one of our objects not on display, can visit our research room where museum staff can assist. The museum’s collection is accessible through our online database.
Explore our collections.
Once the interior spaces are complete and museum exhibits are installed, the single, drop-in admission cost to visit salishan Place by the River will be equivalent to other Township of Langley community centres. The cost of individual program registrations and special events will vary. The Fort Langley Library, Indigenous Garden, and Research Room are free to visit.
salishan will open in phases, with each area having its own schedule. During the initial opening phase, the hours for the rest of the facility will be 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday with access only to the lobby for the public. As other areas of the building open, information and hours of operation will be posted to our website at tol.ca/salishan.
Once fully operational, outside of regular hours, salishan Place by the River will be open for special / ticketed events and private bookings.
The Fort Langley Library is the first amenity to open on Saturday, February 8, 2025. For library hours visit fvrl.bc.ca.
The various spaces in salishan Place by the River were designed with flexibility and usability in mind. Here are some of the primary uses that were envisioned:
- Main Gallery (1st floor) – main museum exhibits
- Feature Gallery (2nd floor) – rotating arts, cultural and heritage exhibits
- Multi-purpose Rooms – arts and culture programs, classes, birthday parties and private bookings
- Printmaking Studio – arts workshops, programs, and classes
- Research Room – publicly accessible research space for exploring the museum collection
- Reception Hall and Rooftop Venue – conferences, weddings and other private booking
- Presentation Theatre – speakers, film screenings, and performing arts
- Indigenous Garden – interpretive walk through culturally significant / medicinal plants
- Outdoor Amphitheatre – Live music, “street” festivals, markets and food trucks
Currently there is street parking in the area surrounding salishan. The underground parkade is not available for public parking at this time. The parkade will be available as other areas inside salishan open. Please check back for updates.
Many spaces throughout salishan will be available to rent, including, the theatre, reception hall and green room, the rooftop events space, four multi-purpose rooms, the galleries, the outdoor amphitheatre and the lobby.
Rental rates are currently being finalized. As spaces become available for booking, we will update our website at tol.ca/salishan with detailed information, including pricing and booking procedures. Please check our website regularly for the latest updates.
We will update our website at tol.ca/salishan with detailed information, including pricing and booking procedures. Please check our website regularly for the latest updates. Additionally you can subscribe to the Arts and Culture eNews at tol.ca/eNews and follow @salishanplace on Facebook and Instagram.
In the meantime, you are welcome to send an inquiry to salishanbookings@tol.ca.
