I stepped into Langford City Hall on a drizzly Tuesday evening as residents filed in, shaking raindrops from their coats. The energy was palpable – a mix of cautious optimism and the quiet determination that defines grassroots community building. This wasn’t just another municipal meeting; it marked the beginning of Langford’s ambitious journey to reimagine its arts and cultural landscape.
“We’ve always had culture here,” whispered Marie Arden, a 68-year-old retired teacher who’s lived in Langford since before its explosive growth began. “But it’s been hidden in basements and garages, in community halls and school gymnasiums. It’s time we brought it into the light.”
The City of Langford has launched a comprehensive public consultation process to develop its first formal Arts and Culture Master Plan. The initiative aims to transform how this rapidly growing community supports and showcases creative expression. After years of focusing primarily on sports infrastructure and commercial development, Langford’s pivot toward cultural planning represents a significant shift in the West Shore municipality’s approach to community building.
“Langford has changed dramatically over the past decade,” explains Councilor Kimberly Guiry, who chairs the city’s newly formed Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee. “We’ve welcomed thousands of new residents from diverse backgrounds. Our cultural infrastructure needs to catch up with our population growth.”
The stark numbers tell the story of this transformation. According to Statistics Canada, Langford’s population surged 31.8% between 2016 and 2021, making it one of British Columbia’s fastest-growing communities. This rapid expansion has created both challenges and opportunities for cultural development.
During my visits to Langford over the past year, I’ve witnessed the tension between its small-town roots and metropolitan aspirations. New high-rises now punctuate a skyline once defined by the gentle hills of the West Shore. Young families and urban professionals navigate streets alongside longtime residents who remember when Langford was considered the rural outskirts of Victoria.
The consultation process, which runs through November, includes online surveys, focus groups, and community workshops designed to gather input from across Langford’s diverse population. City officials emphasize they want to hear from everyone – established artists, cultural organizations, business owners, and residents who may not consider themselves “artistic” but value cultural experiences.
“This isn’t about imposing some prefabricated cultural plan,” says Darren Kiedyk, Langford’s Chief Administrative Officer. “It’s about discovering what arts and culture mean specifically to Langford residents and building something authentic to this community.”
The initiative comes after years of advocacy from local artists and cultural workers who have long argued that Langford’s investment in recreation and commercial infrastructure hasn’t been matched by support for arts and heritage.
Rebecca Barnard, founder of West Shore Arts Collective, showed me around her cramped studio space in a converted industrial unit near Veterans Memorial Park. “We’ve been creating here for years with minimal support,” she explains, gesturing to vibrant canvases stacked against walls in the shared workspace. “Imagine what could happen with proper facilities and programming.”
Barnard points to neighboring municipalities like Colwood and View Royal, which have developed cultural amenities despite having smaller populations and tax bases than Langford. The City of Colwood, for instance, recently completed its own Arts and Culture Strategic Plan, which has already led to new public art installations and community cultural events.
The consultation process isn’t without controversy. Some residents have expressed concerns about potential costs and whether cultural investments should take priority over other infrastructure needs. During the community meeting, I overheard heated debates about budget priorities between supporters of cultural development and those advocating for increased focus on transportation and affordable housing.
“We need to stop thinking of arts and culture as luxuries,” counters Councilor Lillian Szpak, who has supported the initiative. “They’re essential components of healthy, vibrant communities. And importantly, they can work alongside other development priorities, not against them.”
The Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Langford Heritage Branch offers a glimpse of what’s possible. Since opening in 2022, it has evolved beyond a traditional library into a cultural hub hosting art exhibitions, poetry readings, and historical displays celebrating local Indigenous and settler heritage.
“People have been hungry for these kinds of spaces and experiences,” explains branch manager Tara Robertson. “Our meeting rooms and exhibition areas are constantly booked.”
For Indigenous communities with traditional territories encompassing Langford, the consultation represents an opportunity to ensure their cultural practices and perspectives are properly respected and represented.
“Any cultural planning must acknowledge that this is Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territory first and foremost,” says Jessica Davidson, an Indigenous cultural consultant working with the city on the consultation process. “There’s a chance to create something truly inclusive that honors both Indigenous heritage and the diverse communities that now call this place home.”
As the evening’s session wound down, I watched residents cluster around maps of Langford, placing colored stickers to indicate where they’d like to see cultural spaces developed. The atmosphere had shifted from the tentative energy of the beginning to something more collaborative and hopeful.
Marie Arden, the retired teacher I’d spoken with earlier, was deep in conversation with a young couple who had recently moved to Langford from Toronto. They were comparing notes on what cultural amenities they’d experienced in other communities that might work here.
“That’s the beauty of doing this now,” Arden told me as she prepared to leave. “We’re still becoming whatever Langford will be. There’s still time to get it right.”
The Arts and Culture Master Plan is expected to be completed by spring 2023, with implementation beginning shortly afterward. City officials emphasize that the resulting document will include both short-term actions and long-term visions, with clear metrics to measure success.
As I drove away from City Hall, past construction sites where new developments are rapidly transforming the landscape, I couldn’t help but wonder what Langford might look like in five years if this cultural vision takes root. The buildings will certainly be taller, the population denser, but the true measure of this community’s evolution may well be found in its gathering spaces, public art, and cultural institutions yet to be imagined.
