The addition of 20 picnic tables, 10 planters, and an active clean team are all aimed at making downtown Langley City more welcoming to pedestrians.

And it should all come into place within the next month, said Teri James, executive director of the Downtown Langley Business Association (DLBA).

To assist with making the City core more inviting, the DLBA has purchased heavy-duty recycled plastic picnic tables that will be installed in the downtown in August, James explained.

They were originally slated for late June delivery, but COVID has delayed all orders from back east.

In addition, the DLBA has bought what James calls “stunning planters” that will be placed around the tables to add to beautification of the area.

“It was our intention in early March, when the tables were ordered, to add more outdoor seating so people could enjoy their take-out meals along the one-way section of Fraser Highway and McBurney Plaza throughout the summer month,” she said.

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“We knew we were going to have to keep the areas in and around the tables clean, and that’s where Inclusion Langley Society came in,” James added.

Partners with Inclusion Langley, they’ve develop the “DLBA Clean Team.”

Since the tables don’t arrive until next month, DLBA board chair Carole Ward said the new team will spend the next few weeks tidying up the downtown.

“Beginning July 12, you will see Inclusion Langley Society job seekers with their supply cart and colourful DLBA Clean Team shirts throughout the downtown making sure it is tidy and litter free for our visitors,” Ward said.

And then, once the tables arrive, they will shift their responsibilities to monitoring and cleaning the 20 tables three times a day, seven days a week for the months of August and September.

“We are very excited about this expanded partnership, and Inclusion Langley Society was instantly on board. They tailor made it so that their job seekers were available to meet our needs and for that we are very appreciative,” Ward added.

There’s mutual admiration between the groups, said Tami Logan, Inclusion’s supervisor of employment services.

“We are truly appreciative of the partnership we have with the DLBA. For more than 15 years the DLBA has reached out to Inclusion Langley Society for dedicated and committed job seekers to ensure the downtown Langley area is clean and welcoming to all Langley citizens and visitors,” Logan said.

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The plan for the foreseeable future is that the picnic tables will be anchored down and be permanent fixtures in the downtown core.

“We also want to thank the Langley City parks staff for working so closely with us on this project. This is another example of a great partnership,” Ward concluded, noting that the “sturdy” tables are made from recycled materials and will be cleaned with environmentally friendly products.

Langley Advance Times