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
    • Emergency Services and Safety
    • Garbage, Recycling and Green Cart
    • Online Services
    • Property Taxes
    • Report a Problem
    • Sustainability
    • Transportation and Roads
    • 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
    • Community Events
    • Grants and Incentives
    • Learning, Classes and Programs
    • Libraries
    • Museum and Heritage
    • Public Art
    • Ask a Question
    salishan Place by the River
    salishan Place by the RiverExplore Fort Langley’s new facility.
  • Building &
    Development
    View all
    • Building
    • Capital Projects
    • Development
    • Engineering Forms and Guides
    • Environment
    • Trans Mountain Expansion Project
    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
    • Accessibility
    Careers
    CareersExplore our employment opportunities.
  • The Township
    View all
    • About the Township
    • Economic Investment and Development
    • Elections
    • Grants and Incentives
    • Mayor and Council
    • Notice of Claim
    • Plans, Reports, and Strategies
    • 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

Volunteer Transcription Opportunities Bring Langley's History Alive

Back to Search

The Langley Centennial Museum is missing its volunteers, as COVID-19 and the need for social distancing has seen the Fort Langley facility temporarily closed for everyone’s safety.

While volunteers cannot report for duty as normal, they can make a difference from afar by helping to document interesting information from the community’s past. 

Earlier this summer, Cultural Services Manager John Aldag suggested finding tasks to keep volunteers active and engaged with the museum during its closure. It was decided that many documents, such as hand-written letters and other hard copies in the museum’s archival collections, would benefit from being transcribed digitally and their contents and descriptions entered into the museum’s system.

"Transcribing these documents electronically, logging key words, and tracking the information they contain will allow us to search for terms and give researchers and staff access to information more quickly and easily," said museum Curator Kobi Christian.

The project began on a smaller scale, with summer student Natalie Reddy sorting through the museum's collections, scanning documents of interest so they could be transcribed. The museum’s current volunteers started the process to work out any bumps, and the opportunity is now being opened up to new volunteers. Those interested can email Christian at curator@tol.ca. 

"It's not what they're used to doing, but that is what makes it interesting," Christian said of the museum’s existing volunteers, adding that some are finding other ways to help, such as providing proofreading services. 

Some of the documents currently being transcribed include correspondence from the Kirby family, detailing moments from their lives in south Langley in the late 19th century. Letters from Hannah Kirby to her sister Agnes illustrate how different life was back then, and in some ways, how similar.

In a letter dated July 18, 1889, Hannah notes that “the men here rarely see any ladies at all,” and laments that “the stage [coach] does not run conveniently.” She adds, “The mosquitoes are biting my feet badly.”

In February of 1892, Hannah writes about their brother Murdoch’s painstaking progress to build a fence along the boundary of his property, clearing the road and blasting and burning trees in the process.

Hannah, who also tells her sister, “I have washed and baked today and now am feeling rather lazy,” notes that “Murdoch is rather thin and hollow-cheeked looking but he seems quite well. It is a very trying winter out on this coast and there is a great deal of influenza.”

To experience virtual exhibit tours and stay connected to arts, culture, and heritage, visit Langley Centennial Museum at museum.tol.ca. 

Media Inquiries:

For media inquiries on this or other Township of Langley topics, please submit your inquiry online at: tol.ca/mediainquiries.

Subscribe

  • News
  • Services
    • Animals and Pest Control
      • Audible Bird Scare Devices
      • Dog Licences
      • Mosquito Control
      • Rodent Control
    • Business
      • Business Licences
        • Applying for a Business Licence
        • Business Licence Directory
        • Fraser Valley Inter-municipal Business Licence
        • Seasonal Food Truck Business Licence Requirements
      • Business with the Township
        • Property Disposition
        • Procurement Forms and Links
      • Economic Investment and Development
      • Film Production
    • Bylaw Services
      • Bylaws
      • Disputes and Adjudications
      • Parking Regulations
        • Automated Licence Plate Reader (ALPR)
      • Pay a Bylaw Notice
      • Property Use Regulations
      • Report a Complaint
      • Report a Fireworks Use Complaint
    • 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
        • Accreditation
        • Administration and History
        • Emergency Management
          • Keep Cool in Langley
        • Fire Halls
        • Paid-call Firefighters Opportunities
        • Public Safety and Community Risk
          • 2023 Fire Safety Initiatives
          • Business Licence Fire Inspections
          • Fire Safety Tips
          • Fireworks
          • Incidental Outdoor Burning Permits
          • Outdoor Cooking
          • Public Safety and Community Risk Programs and Events
      • 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
      • Take It Back
    • 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 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
      • 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
      • 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
      • Snow and Ice
        • Seniors' Winter Guide
      • Traffic Cameras
      • Traffic Impacts
      • Transportation
        • Cycling Routes
        • Electric Vehicles
    • 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
      • 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
    • Economic Development
    • 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 © 2023 Township of Langley

  • Accessibility
  • 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.