Langford wasn’t always as pretty as it is now, but rather, it used to be quite a mess. Picture this: a community with a 25% unemployment rate. Rusted cars and old refrigerators on lawns. Potholes on the main street, no maintenance, streetlights, sidewalks or greenery. Sound terrible? I’m not done. The children in the community had nothing to do in their spare time. They hung around the 7-eleven, vandalism was huge, and to make things worse, taxes were increasing six to seven percent a year. Windows were rampant with "For Lease" signs as no one wanted to pay such high taxes to run a business in a community that seemed to be going no where. Langford seemed like a disgraceful hole in the wall, and an unsustainable community turning into a ghost town. Those living in Victoria scoffed at those in Langford.
However, one man saw it differently. One man saw Langford as a diamond in the rough.
This man is Stewart Young, an incredibly busy businessman who decided to completely devote himself to his community, Langford. Alas – a hero was born! Stewart Young became the mayor of Langford, and that’s the same time the area started to pull up their socks. The first year Stewart Young was mayor, he cut taxes by 10% to encourage businesses to relocate to Langford. This in turn would create jobs, and lowers the unemployment rate. As an attribute to Mr. Young, taxes have not even been increased to 1% over the last fifteen years!
He started to develop the Langford area by first introducing Big Box stores such as Superstore, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Costco, etc to the area. He thought this would be a vital part of having a successful community, as people generally are willing to commute a long way to visit a Big Box retailer. After the introduction of Big Box stores, Langford slowly started to pick up. The Big Box retail stores provide the City of Langford with approximately $2 million annually.
Housing and work was created in the same area, with residential towers being located
above a retail village, such as is seen in downtown Langford. This increases community involvement as now people are living directly in the heart of the city, rather than just having corporate venues in the downtown core that dies when everyone goes home from work. By having housing and retail in the same location, people are encouraged to leave their home and walk around the community.
So while Mayor Young was the catalyst for much of the redesign of Langford to occur, he is only one man, and still needs help to ensure the livelihood of Langford is not just a short burst of energy. Mayor Stewart Young developed working relationships with residents, volunteers, and the development industry. Langford has over 100 local volunteers sitting on committees, and assisting to make the community a desirable place to work, live, and shop. Young is adamant that decisions are made with the input of community, and can be quoted saying "Politicians aren’t the smartest people in the world" and that "It’s a team effort".
Now, driven by the help and desires of community volunteers, Langford residents can boast about their great community living in Victoria. Young’s vision for Goldstream Avenue in Langford will have an atmosphere to rival already long-standing phenomenal communities such as Victoria’s Cook Street Village or Sidney’s Beach Avenue. Goldstream Avenue already has a variety of locally owned shops and restaurants, as well as affordable housing, but h
as plans for a "pedestrian-friendly place, with lots of people living right in [the] downtown core keeping it safe and friendly". As well as "funky streetscapes with coffee shops, a rail station where people can catch trains to downtown Victoria, and more importantly Victorians can come to Langford and experience a great village atmosphere, and then stroll, or catch the trolley to WestShore Town Centre mall". Oh – did I mention that in all this Langford greatness, the trolley is free to ride, and runs in a one-hour circuit around the Langford area? The free trolley system has been such a success that the town of Ladysmith has plans to implement a system very much like Langfords by the spring of 2009.
Langford will have a "can-do council, financial stability and state of the art recreational facilities", as well as "a well maintained place to live".
So, wow, this is all great! There is no way Langford can offer more, is there? Yes, there is!
Langford offers two developments that emphasize sustainability and environmental responsibility: Westhills and Bear Mountain. These properties are likely to be snatched up by higher-income families, creating financial diversity in the community. This is important to insure there isn’t a financial monoculture in the community. Mix these developments with some smaller condominums/apartments built above retailers, and you have a range of housing prices, ensuring no one is excluded from living in Langford.
Another plus to living in Langford: free parking! This makes it much easier for people to travel by vehicle to Langford, as they don’t have to bear the cost of parking their car somewhere. Having to pay for parking can discourage people from commuting to that area, and in turn, discourages community participation. By having parking available and free, people can come and go as they please without worrying about plugging a meter every 60 minutes.
It is obvious that the City o
f Langford has become a desirable community to live, work, and play in, and is all a result of the community engagement that mayor Stewart Young initiated. All the fixings of a well kept community are visible – no graffiti, banners announcing the latest community initiative, a free trolley system, flowers, tree-lined medians, hanging baskets, decorative lamps, redbrick sidewalks, people looking happy as they stroll through the town, and a myriad of community awards. The residents of Langford have a lot to be proud about – and pride in the community is a great indicator that something good is happening in the community.
The awards the City of Langford has received are:
A national Communities in Bloom Sustainable Development Award, as well as 5 out of 5 blooms in the national competition.
Leadership and Innovation award for their Official Community Plan (OCP).
International design award from the International Northwest Parks and Recreation Association.
Honourable mention for the Canadian Institute of Planners 2008 Award for Planning Excellence in the housing category.
A finalist in the BC wide Green City Award competition.
Recognition across the world for its efforts in developing a sustainable community.
All in all, all of these efforts have been a success in restoring a once logging and mining town to a beautiful, boastful, and functional community. I am proud to be a resident of Langford!
To go to the hub of information, please visit http://www.cityoflangford.ca/
However, one man saw it differently. One man saw Langford as a diamond in the rough.
This man is Stewart Young, an incredibly busy businessman who decided to completely devote himself to his community, Langford. Alas – a hero was born! Stewart Young became the mayor of Langford, and that’s the same time the area started to pull up their socks. The first year Stewart Young was mayor, he cut taxes by 10% to encourage businesses to relocate to Langford. This in turn would create jobs, and lowers the unemployment rate. As an attribute to Mr. Young, taxes have not even been increased to 1% over the last fifteen years!
He started to develop the Langford area by first introducing Big Box stores such as Superstore, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Costco, etc to the area. He thought this would be a vital part of having a successful community, as people generally are willing to commute a long way to visit a Big Box retailer. After the introduction of Big Box stores, Langford slowly started to pick up. The Big Box retail stores provide the City of Langford with approximately $2 million annually.
Housing and work was created in the same area, with residential towers being located
above a retail village, such as is seen in downtown Langford. This increases community involvement as now people are living directly in the heart of the city, rather than just having corporate venues in the downtown core that dies when everyone goes home from work. By having housing and retail in the same location, people are encouraged to leave their home and walk around the community.So while Mayor Young was the catalyst for much of the redesign of Langford to occur, he is only one man, and still needs help to ensure the livelihood of Langford is not just a short burst of energy. Mayor Stewart Young developed working relationships with residents, volunteers, and the development industry. Langford has over 100 local volunteers sitting on committees, and assisting to make the community a desirable place to work, live, and shop. Young is adamant that decisions are made with the input of community, and can be quoted saying "Politicians aren’t the smartest people in the world" and that "It’s a team effort".
Now, driven by the help and desires of community volunteers, Langford residents can boast about their great community living in Victoria. Young’s vision for Goldstream Avenue in Langford will have an atmosphere to rival already long-standing phenomenal communities such as Victoria’s Cook Street Village or Sidney’s Beach Avenue. Goldstream Avenue already has a variety of locally owned shops and restaurants, as well as affordable housing, but h
as plans for a "pedestrian-friendly place, with lots of people living right in [the] downtown core keeping it safe and friendly". As well as "funky streetscapes with coffee shops, a rail station where people can catch trains to downtown Victoria, and more importantly Victorians can come to Langford and experience a great village atmosphere, and then stroll, or catch the trolley to WestShore Town Centre mall". Oh – did I mention that in all this Langford greatness, the trolley is free to ride, and runs in a one-hour circuit around the Langford area? The free trolley system has been such a success that the town of Ladysmith has plans to implement a system very much like Langfords by the spring of 2009.Langford will have a "can-do council, financial stability and state of the art recreational facilities", as well as "a well maintained place to live".
So, wow, this is all great! There is no way Langford can offer more, is there? Yes, there is!
Langford offers two developments that emphasize sustainability and environmental responsibility: Westhills and Bear Mountain. These properties are likely to be snatched up by higher-income families, creating financial diversity in the community. This is important to insure there isn’t a financial monoculture in the community. Mix these developments with some smaller condominums/apartments built above retailers, and you have a range of housing prices, ensuring no one is excluded from living in Langford.
Another plus to living in Langford: free parking! This makes it much easier for people to travel by vehicle to Langford, as they don’t have to bear the cost of parking their car somewhere. Having to pay for parking can discourage people from commuting to that area, and in turn, discourages community participation. By having parking available and free, people can come and go as they please without worrying about plugging a meter every 60 minutes.
It is obvious that the City o
f Langford has become a desirable community to live, work, and play in, and is all a result of the community engagement that mayor Stewart Young initiated. All the fixings of a well kept community are visible – no graffiti, banners announcing the latest community initiative, a free trolley system, flowers, tree-lined medians, hanging baskets, decorative lamps, redbrick sidewalks, people looking happy as they stroll through the town, and a myriad of community awards. The residents of Langford have a lot to be proud about – and pride in the community is a great indicator that something good is happening in the community.The awards the City of Langford has received are:
A national Communities in Bloom Sustainable Development Award, as well as 5 out of 5 blooms in the national competition.
Leadership and Innovation award for their Official Community Plan (OCP).
International design award from the International Northwest Parks and Recreation Association.
Honourable mention for the Canadian Institute of Planners 2008 Award for Planning Excellence in the housing category.
A finalist in the BC wide Green City Award competition.
Recognition across the world for its efforts in developing a sustainable community.
All in all, all of these efforts have been a success in restoring a once logging and mining town to a beautiful, boastful, and functional community. I am proud to be a resident of Langford!
To go to the hub of information, please visit http://www.cityoflangford.ca/
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