The halls were alive with the sounds of children when 1,800 enthusiastic students, teachers, and parents from dozens of local schools paid a visit to the Township’s Civic Facility.
April 28 was Municipal Awareness Day, and the Township celebrated the annual event — and its 138th birthday — by inviting the young visitors to see what staff do on a day-to-day basis to keep the municipality functioning.
Stations were set up throughout the facility and in parking lots to teach students about everything from road maintenance, sign making, recycling, policing, and tree planting to graphic design, recreation, the environment, and safety.
Employees from all areas of the Township, Langley Centennial Museum, Langley Animal Protection Society, emergency services, and the Fort Langley National Historic Site took part to give the children a hands-on look at the work they do.
Children climbed aboard municipal works vehicles and fire trucks, took part in a mock Township council meeting, voted in an election that saw ‘Taylor Swift’ take on ‘Justin Bieber’ and enjoyed food and drinks that were donated by local businesses and prepared by fire department and bylaw enforcement staff.
MAD coincided with the Day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace, and crowds of respectful students observed a ceremony and moment of silence that was held by Township staff.
Municipal Awareness Day got its start in 2003 when 400 students from nearby schools visited the old Township Hall to learn all about what municipal government does. It has grown to an event that is greatly anticipated by Langley’s elementary schools, and the Township is pleased to teach the children, who may one day be taxpayers, employees, or even elected officials, about the services, programs, and products that keep the community safe, clean, and healthy.
