It’s party time again down on Collection Drive in Langley this weekend, this time the public is invited down to the country’s first-ever luxury auto mall to welcome Jaguar Land Rover Langley to the block.
Jaguar opens its doors for business in a brand new 33,271-square-foot facility that boasts some state-of-the-art features and amenities, said Christian Chia, president and CEO of OpenRoad Auto Group.
“We’ve been fortunate to have great success in Langley, so far, with all of our dealerships in the Langley Auto Collection at the corner of Glover Road and the Langley Bypass,” Chia said, explaining that this newest dealership will be offering both new and pre-owned vehicles.
“We believe that Jaguar Land Rover Langley will be the perfect compliment to our dealership family and an ideal brand for the Fraser Valley’s urban suburban lifestyle, so we’re really excited to open our doors and share our passion for these incredible cars and SUVs with locals,” Chia said.
The party happens on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 2 to 5 p.m., just off Glover Road and the Langley Bypass.
PHOTO: PHOTO: General manager Daniel Russman, with a new Range Rover on display inside Langley’s new Jaguar Land Rover dealership at 5978 Collection Drive. (Troy Landreville/Langley Advance) – More pictures below…
Give a bear to someone in need
Many of you will be hitting the local liquor store to stock up on supplies for the holidays. Well, the folks at the BC Liquor Stores once again brought back their twin teddy bear program.
The Share-a-Bear campaign continues through until Christmas. It allows customers to buy a pair of pandas for $12.50. One of the stuffed bears goes home with the customers, while the other goes to a local community charity.
In the case of Langley, we’re talking the BC Liquor Store at 6435 201st Street, and the bears they collect this year will be donated to the Langley Lions Club, Langley Community Services, Magnolia Gardens, Langley Hospice, the Langley Arthritis Society, and Langley Child Development Services.
Last year, there more than 23,000 bears were donated to charities throughout the province, bringing the tally to more than 600,000 since the program’s inception in 1989. Last year in Langley, the store was able to donate 514 bears locally.
Hey, if you’re there already, and can afford a few extra bucks, consider giving a bear to a someone in need in our community.
Kwantlen people expand Fort presence
Some cool news out of the Fort this month, too.
The Kwantlen First Nations group, Seyem Qwantlen Business Group, has more business within the walls of the Fort Langley National Historical Site.
This organization has been operating the lelam’ arts and cultural cafe in the heart of the the Fort Langley village, along the banks of the Bedford Channel, as well as the Sxwimele Boutique and gift shop at the Fort.
Now, it appears they’ve expanded further to offer food within the walls of the Fort, offering coffee and baked goods previously only available at their waterfront cafe.
Winery open house benefits Ronald McDonald House
A Langley winery is serving up Christmas goodies, mulled wine, and live holiday tunes to help raise money for Ronald McDonald House of BC and to share some festive cheer with its patrons this weekend.
Township 7 Vineyard & Winery is hosting its holiday open house on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12 and 13, with festivities running 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
The South Langley winery is celebrating 15 years in business, said spokesperson Lori Pike-Raffan.
“Join us at our annual holiday celebration for a fun afternoon of wine tasting in our cozy barrel cellar tasting room, handcrafted treats by White Rock Chocolates, artisan coffee by Bean There Coffee, Township 7 wine jelly by Feste Lente, special holiday gift packages, and live Christmas music by Exit 58,” she said.
Naturally, they’re also hoping people will indulge in their new winter release, pick up the “perfect presents” for their wine-loving friends and family, and stock up for their own holiday table.
Partial proceeds from the two-day event will go to help sick children and their families through the Ronald McDonald House charity.
Besse keeps climbing
Having worked in almost ever area of the First West Credit Union through the years, the financial institution recently announced that Shelley Besse will take over the job as chief operating officer (a new position), effective Jan. 1.
She will be responsible for overseeing regional operations across all of First West’s regional brands, including Envision Financial, Valley First, Enderby & District Financial, and Island Savings.
Since joining the company as a service representative in 1984, Besse excelled, holding a number of increasingly senior positions within the organization that culminated with her appointment as president of Envision Financial in 2012.
Succeeding Besse as regional president will be David Lanphear, currently, vice-president of banking and insurance services for Envision Financial.
“Not only does Shelley bring a dynamic voice to the leadership team, she is committed to bringing a fresh approach to how we serve our valued members,” said CEO of First West Launi Skinner.
“For example, we launched new ‘boutique-style’ branches at Garrison Village in Chilliwack and more recently, at Brickyard Station in Cloverdale that provide added convenience and flexibility over traditional branches. Our staff at those branches are equipped to serve all of their members’ banking needs. They’re also fully mobile with the ability to conduct business where it is most convenient for our members. Notably, since Garrison Village opened in 2014, we’ve acquired more than 1,240 net new members at that particular location in just over one year.”
Meeting new accounting standards
There are a few more local bean counters who have been added to the local mix of late.
After completing a multi-day exam, Aldergrove’s James Alexander and Jenna Halldorson are officially chartered professional accountants.
“On behalf of the CPABC Board of Directors and CPABC, I congratulate these students for successfully passing the CFE,” said Olin Anton, FCPA, FCA, chair of CPABC. “This cohort represents the first graduating class from the CPA Professional Education Program (PEP). We welcome them to the ranks of B.C.’s chartered professional accountants.”
Anton called it an exciting time in the accounting world, noting that September saw the inaugural offering of the Common Final Exam, and these two were among the first 716 to succeed in western Canada.
PHOTO: Daniel Russman is the general manager of the new Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Langley.
PHOTO: The newest addition to Canada’s first luxury only auto mall – the Langley Auto Collection – is Jaguar Land Rover Langley.
