Skip to Content
  • News
  • Events
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
MyTownship

Township of Langley Logo Township of Langley Logo

Contact Us
  • Services
    View all
    • Animals and Pest Control
    • Business
    • Bylaw Services
    • Community Support Services
    • Emergency Services and Safety
    • Garbage, Recycling and Green Cart
    • Online Services
    • Property Taxes
    • Report a Problem
    • Sustainability
    • Transportation and Roads
    • Utility Fees
    • Water
    Report a Problem
    Report a ProblemHow can we help?
  • Parks &
    Recreation
    View all
    • Activities and Programs
    • Facilities and Arenas
    • Get Involved
    • Parks, Trails and Amenities
    • Recreation Registration
    Recreation Registration
    Recreation RegistrationDiscover our programs and activities for all ages.
  • Arts &
    Culture
    View all
    • Events
    • Grants and Incentives
    • Learning, Classes and Programs
    • Libraries
    • Museum and Heritage
    • Public Art
    • salishan Place by the River
    • Ask a Question
    Events
    EventsExplore events in the Township.
  • Building &
    Development
    View all
    • Building
    • Capital Projects
    • Development
    • Engineering Forms and Guides
    • Environment
    Development information
    Development informationAccess guides, policies, bylaws, forms, and other information.
  • Connect
    View all
    • Ask a Question
    • Contact Us
    • Freedom of Information and Data Use
    • Get Involved
    • Locations, Maps and Data
    • News, Events and Media
    • Report a Problem
    • Stay Connected
    Careers
    CareersExplore our employment opportunities.
  • The Township
    View all
    • About the Township
    • Elections
    • Grants and Incentives
    • Mayor and Council
    • Notice of Claim
    • Plans, Reports, and Strategies
    • Public Notices
    • Social Sustainability
    • Township Divisions
    • YNJ Langley Airport
    Public Engagement
    Public EngagementLearn about and engage with us on a variety of topics.

HomeServices
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

New Bylaw Protects Valuable Heritage Sites

Back to Search

From its First Nations origins through European settlement and the Hudson’s Bay era, the Township of Langley is home to the earliest known settlement in the Fraser Valley. It is vital that its heritage resources be preserved and maintained, because once they are gone, the stories they tell are lost forever.

On Monday, June 11, Township of Langley Council gave three readings to a Heritage Property Maintenance Standards Bylaw that establishes minimum requirements for the care and maintenance of designated heritage properties.

There are currently 27 significant public and private properties in Langley Township, and two areas – Fort Langley and Murrayville – that have heritage designation, which provides for their long-term legal protection. However, up to now there has been no tangible way of ensuring that they are cared for and not simply left to deteriorate.

Proper maintenance is the best and most cost effective way to extend the life of a building, and the proposed bylaw provides the authority to ensure designated heritage properties are maintained to minimum standards. The bylaw is not meant to be onerous to the owners of heritage properties, but requires that the buildings be weatherproofed and kept free from infestation and vegetation overgrowth.

Owners can apply for financial support to assist with the costs of maintaining heritage buildings through a Township grant, which is offered three times a year. The next call for applications to the Heritage Building Incentive Program is August 24. Visit tol.ca/hbip.

“People are exceptional when it comes to caring for heritage properties and take great pride in maintaining and restoring them,” said Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese. “But sometimes, these incredibly valuable and increasingly rare gems slip through the cracks.”

Earlier this year, a residence constructed in Milner in 1885 – among one of the oldest remaining buildings in the Township – was found to have deteriorated into an unsalvageable heap. It had been left unattended for 40 years and finally collapsed into total ruin.

“It is one thing to leave a heritage building standing, to keep it intact, but we can’t say it is being protected just because it hasn’t been torn down,” Froese said. “Age, the elements, and nature will eventually take their toll. Basic maintenance will ensure these valuable links to our past do not deteriorate through neglect and can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.”

The Heritage Property Maintenance Standards Bylaw was put forward to Council by the Township’s Heritage Advisory Committee, as part of its 2018 work plan.

For several years, the volunteer-run Committee had been discussing how to better protect heritage properties, following the loss of the historic Noel Booth Store and Gas Station in Fernridge, through misuse and lack of maintenance.

Minimum maintenance requirements for properties that are designated or located within a heritage conservation area can be established under the Local Government Act, and many other municipalities and cities throughout BC already have such bylaws in place.

The Township’s new bylaw will also prevent people from getting hurt and addresses safety issues by ensuring that the structural integrity of heritage buildings is maintained.

The bylaw will be brought forward for adoption at a future Council meeting.

For more information, visit tol.ca/hmsbylaw.

Subscribe

  • News
  • Services
    • Animals and Pest Control
      • Audible Bird Scare Devices
      • Be Bear Aware
      • Dog Licences
      • European Chafer Beetle – An Invasive Species
      • Mosquito Control
      • Rodent Control
    • Business
      • Business Licences
        • Business Licence Directory
        • Fraser Valley Inter-municipal Business Licence
        • Home-based Business
        • Non-Resident Business Licence
        • Retail, Commercial, Industrial or Other Business Licences
        • Seasonal Food Truck Business Licence Requirements
      • Business with the Township
        • Property Disposition
        • Procurement Forms and Links
      • Film Production
        • Neighbourhood Filming Online Polling Initiative
    • Bylaw Services
      • Bylaws
      • Disputes and Adjudications
      • Parking Regulations
        • Automated Licence Plate Reader (ALPR)
        • Commercial Truck Parking
      • Pay a Bylaw Notice
      • Property Use Regulations
      • Report a Complaint
      • Report an Election Sign Use Complaint
      • Report a Fireworks Use Complaint
    • Community Support Services
    • Emergency Services and Safety
      • COVID-19
        • Business Info and Links
        • Community Info and Links
        • Facility Status
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Health Info and Links
        • Mayor's Messages
        • Media Releases
        • Protecting Yourself
        • Recreation Facilities Status
      • Fire
      • RCMP
        • Police Offices
    • Garbage, Recycling and Green Cart
      • Cart Collection Program
        • Apartment
        • Garbage Cart
        • Green Cart
        • Single Family Home
          • Cart Sizes and Rates - Single Family Home
        • Submit a Cart Request
        • Townhome
          • Cart Sizes and Rates - Townhome
      • Collection Calendars
      • Garbage
        • Extra Garbage Stickers
        • Illegal Dumping
        • Private Collection Services
        • Waste Services for Rural Properties
      • Green Cart and Compost
        • Backyard Composting
        • From Curb to Compost
        • Multi-Family Composting Programs
      • Household Hazardous Waste
      • Large Item Pick Up
      • Recycling
        • Centralized Collection
        • Curbside Collection
        • Recycling Ambassador Program
        • Recycling Container
        • Recycling Program Frequently Asked Questions
        • Recycling Resources
        • Recycling Stations Rental
      • Take It Back
      • Winter Impacts on Curbside Collection
    • Online Services
      • MyTownship
    • Property Taxes
      • Changing Your Address Information
      • Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
      • Home Owner Grant
      • How to Pay
      • Permissive Tax Exemption
      • Property Assessment
      • Property Inquiry System
      • Property Tax Deferment Program
      • Property Tax Rates
      • Tax Information Certificates
      • Tax Sale
    • Report a Problem
      • Ask Us a Question
      • Community Cleanliness
        • Garbage, Recycling, Green Cart Request
        • Graffiti or Vandalism on Public Property Request
        • Illegal Garbage Dumped Request
        • Illegal Soil Dumping or Soil Removal Request
        • Street Sweeping Request
        • Weeds and Over-Grown Vegetation Request
      • General Bylaw Inquiry
      • MyTownship and Online Services
      • Parking Issue Request
      • Parks, Trails, and Trees
        • Parks Request
        • Trails Request
        • Trees Request
      • Roads and Transportation
        • Pothole Issue Request
        • Road Safety Request
        • Snow and Ice Control Request
        • Street Lights Request
        • Street Sweeping Request
        • Weeds and Over-Grown Vegetation Request
      • Sanitary Sewer Request
      • Unauthorized Secondary Suite
      • Water and Drainage Systems
        • Drainage Request
        • Water Exemption Permit Application
        • Water Quality Request
    • Sustainability
      • Agriculture
      • Business Sustainability
      • Climate Action
        • Climate Action Projects
          • Builder Forum Series
          • Community Forest Management Strategy
          • EV Charger Expansion
          • EV Outreach Videos
          • LED Streetlights
          • Portable water station and misting tent
          • Sustainability Grant Pilot Program
        • Climate Change 101
        • Investing in Climate Action
      • Corporate Sustainability
        • Responsible Program
      • Education and Outreach
        • Neighbourhood Nature
      • Gardens
        • Garden Smart
        • Langley Demonstration Garden
        • Rain Gardens
      • Green Buildings and Step Code
      • Natural Areas
        • Invasive Species
          • European Chafer Beetle – An Invasive Species
      • Recycling in the Community
        • Public Spaces Waste Management Program
        • Red Dot Campaign
        • Township-wide Garage Sale
      • Transportation: Electric Vehicles
      • Water Wise
    • Transportation and Roads
      • Parking Regulations
        • Commercial Truck Parking
      • Snow and Ice
        • Snowfall Updates and Impacts
      • Traffic Cameras
      • Traffic Impacts
      • Transportation
        • Cycling and Trails
        • Electric Kick Scooters
        • Electric Vehicles
    • Utility Fees
      • Utility Rates
    • Water
      • Connecting to the Municipal Water Supply
        • Integrated Stormwater Management Plans
      • Creeks and Streams
      • Flooding
      • Private Well Network
      • Provincial Advisory for Control of Flowing Wells in the Township
      • Provincial Licencing Requirements for Groundwater Users
      • Voluntary Water Metering Program
        • Utility Rates
      • Water Emergency Plan
      • Water Quality
      • Water Restrictions
        • Can I Water Today?
      • Water Wise
Subscribe to page updates

Township of Langley footer logo

Civic Facility
20338 – 65 Avenue
Langley, BC V2Y 3J1

Phone: 604-534-3211

Contact Us

  • Resources

    • Careers
    • Maps & GeoSource
    • Media Inquiries
    • MyTownship Account
    • Online Services
    • Open Data Portal
    • Traffic Impacts
  • Our Websites

    • Township of Langley
    • salishan Place - Arts, Culture & Heritage Ctr
    • Fire Department
    • Langley Airport (YNJ)
    • Tourism Langley

Connect with us

  • View our Facebook Page
  • View our Instagram Page
  • View our Twitter Page
  • View our YouTube Page
  • View our LinkedIn Page

Subscribe to Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 Township of Langley

  • Privacy & Freedom of Information
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Website Feedback

Browser Compatibility Notification

It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.