Looking for a fun and affordable way to enjoy Family Day?
Whether your clan likes to be at the gym or in the pool, the Township of Langley’s Recreation, Culture, and Parks Department has a variety of programs that will keep them active while spending the day together.
On Monday, Feb. 9, celebrate B.C.’s third annual Family Day for free at the Walnut Grove Community Centre (WGC), 8889 Walnut Grove Drive. A Family Open Gym for kids aged six and up will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. and a Family Swim for all ages will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Regular pool supervision rules apply.
A Family Boot Camp for children aged six and older will be held at WGC from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and little ones aged nine months to five years can have fun in the gymnasium during the Family Day Tot Romp from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
There is no charge for the Family Day activities being offered at the Walnut Grove Community Centre, but registration is required for the Boot Camp. Visit recexpress.ca or call WGC at 604-882-0408.
Elsewhere in the Township, families can get fit together at the Willoughby Community Centre (WBY), located in the Langley Events Centre at 7888 – 200 Street. Families with teens aged 13 and up can get in a free Family Workout in the gym from 4 to 6 p.m., and a Family Weight Room Orientation will be offered from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. The orientation is free with admission but registration is required. Visit recexpress.ca or call WBY at 604-455-8821.
A Family Day Tot Romp for kids aged nine months to five years will also be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at WBY. The cost is $2 per child.
Those looking to make a splash can head to the W.C. Blair Recreation Centre (WCB) at 22200 Fraser Highway for a free Family Swim for all ages, from 1 to 4 p.m. Regular pool supervision rules apply. Fun in the gymnasium will also be offered during the Family Day Tot Romp at WCB, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Cost is $2 per child and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Families interested in exploring history, making a craft, and enjoying a treat can take part in the free Family Scavenger Hunt being offer by the Langley Centennial Museum at 9135 King Street in Fort Langley. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and registration is required. Visit museum.tol.ca or recexpress.ca, or call 604-532-3536.
For a full listing of Township of Langley Family Day activities, visit tol.ca/events
Museum events celebrate family and history
It may be the shortest month of the year, but February will be jam-packed with activities offered by the Langley Centennial Museum.
The Museum, located at 9135 King Street in Fort Langley, is presenting a number of special events for all ages that will entertain and educate participants about their community’s history.
Kicking off the activities is a free Family Day Scavenger Hunt which will be held Monday, Feb. 9, from 1 – 4 p.m. Families can work together to complete the hunt by looking through the permanent History Gallery to find clues about Langley’s past, create a colourful banner, and enjoy light refreshments. Those who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered to win draw prizes.
Museum staff will be on hand to explain and help with the craft, but families are encouraged to go at their own pace and enjoy their time together uninterrupted.
“This event will likely be a lot quieter that many other Family Day events out there,” laughed Township of Langley Arts and Culture Recreation Leader Hannah Bennett. “The point of the Museum’s Family Day Scavenger Hunt is to bring family members together through a fun, creative, and enjoyable activity that also engages them with their community.”
To register, call the Museum at 604-532-3536.
Following Family Day, Langley Centennial Museum will celebrate Heritage Week with tours of two of Langley Township’s most historic communities.
An Historic Murrayville Bus Tour and Lunch will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16, and participants are invited to enjoy a full day of local history with two of the Township’s most knowledgeable historians.
The day will start at the Museum with a tour of the Collected and Curated: Artifacts from the Permanent Collection exhibition, with Curator Kobi Christian. Highlights include embroidered Chinese court jackets, First Nations woven baskets, and art works by local artists.
Guests will then board a bus with Langley Heritage Society President Fred Pepin and travel to Murrayville’s Heritage Conservation Area, where they will learn about local landmarks and have lunch at Porter’s Bistro Coffee and Tea House.
Cost for the Historic Murrayville Bus Tour and Lunch is $30.
A Stroll Through Time: A Guided Walking Tour of Fort Langley and Tea will then be presented on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Dressed in period costume, local artist and teacher Emilie Colbourne will lead participants through the village while discussing local lore and legend and offering information on the area’s historical buildings, businesses, and people.
The tour will conclude at the new Blacksmith Bakery, located on the original site of Reid’s Blacksmith Shop, circa 1910, where tea or coffee and a small sweet will be included. The cost of the event is $15 and will be held rain or shine – umbrellas will be provided, if necessary.
Registration is required for both tours. To take part, call the Museum, log on to recexpress.ca, or visit museum.tol.ca
