Fort Langley and the mighty Fraser River
Date: Dec 13, 2009
Entry: Fort Langley has been an important crossroads for 100's of years. The river highway brought the First Nations in their canoes, living from the magnificent bounty of salmon, sturgeon and oolichans that filled the water. Behind the banks the prairie stretched, rich in food plants. When Europeans arrived it was recognized almost immediately for it's strategic value and the rich farmland rolling out to the south. For a while the Fort was the political centre of the new colony, and the salmon, cranberries and grains fed the far flung outposts of England's Pacific empire. Today it is a jewel-like village of 4000, with a fierce and protective love of it's proud heritage. MacMillan and Brae Islands stand between the Fort and the main river, with the Bedford Channel serving as the village waterfront. There on the channel one can stand and see the Golden Ears mountain in the north, across the river. The eye is drawn to the beautiful old white church on the First Nation lands. On almost any day a colorful parade of small boats, kayaks, canoes, rowing shells, outrigger canoes and dragon boats share the water with commercial and sports fisherman and recreational boaters. Eagles soar overhead, herons watch the shallows. The Fort to Fort trail is alive all day with walkers,runners and cyclists. The town is alive with little coffee and tea shops where a hungry person can get an excellent breakfast or lunch and cheery service. There are arcane bookstores, a wonderful hardware store, a beautifully maintained cemetery that goes back 150 years. For the architecture lover there are lovely old restored buildings. One gets a sense that Fort Langley has always been very eco conscious, the sort of place where the people are very self reliant, not in a hurry to throw things out.
Fort Langley and the mighty Fraser River
Date: Dec 13, 2009
Entry: Fort Langley has been an important crossroads for 100's of years. The river highway brought the First Nations in their canoes, living from the magnificent bounty of salmon, sturgeon and oolichans that...
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Live to Paddle
Date: Oct 30, 2009
Entry: The Sprint Racing team at the Fort Langley Canoe Club is a high-performance group of 11 paddlers ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old. Our group trains year-round in the Bedford Channel, attending ten practices per week in the summer months and six practices per week over the winter. We compete from April to October throughout the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Kamloops, Seattle, Calgary, Regina and Eastern Canada. The boats we compete in are very fast, tipsy kayaks and canoes. There are 1, 2 and 4 person boats. It is great for athletes who want to be in an individual sport to challenge themselves but also like team competition in the 2 and 4 person boats. This Olympic sport is challenging and lots of fun.
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