When my husband Leon and I got married, he lived in Langley and I lived in Ottawa.  Within a few months, I convinced him to move to Australia with me so I could pursue a teaching exchange. We always knew we wanted to move back to BC afterwards, but it didn’t make sense to relocate in my last years of teaching. We spent the next 3 yrs in Ottawa, dreaming of when we could make our escape. One summer was spent “interviewing” places we would relocate to once we could finally make our plan a reality.  

After an extensive summer vacation through the Gulf Islands, touring from Victoria up to Haida Gwaii and down from Prince George to Kelowna, we decided Langley was the best place to live.

Here’s why we chose to live in Langley:

1.   Coastal Living:

It costs money to live near the ocean. Sure you can move to a smaller community on the island, but that involves ferry rides and schedules. Leon couldn’t deal with either of those. Langley is only 20 minutes from the nearest beach in White Rock. Our personal favourite is Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen (part of Boundary Bay Regional Park) because of the large tidal pools at low tide which make it a perfect family picnic spot! Plus Centennial Beach has free parking. Free beach!  All free!!

2. I can walk anywhere:

It’s important to me to be able to walk to my doctor, dentist, the grocery store, the library, the pedicurist… well, you get the idea.  If I can walk, I get my exercise and don’t have to wait for the car to be available or worse, own a second car.  For variety, we have walking trails all over the Township such as Derby Reach Regional Park on the waterfront or a nice wooded area right behind Walnut Grove Secondary School which is part of the Walnut Grove Community Park.

3. Recreation and Heritage are both nearby:

The Walnut Grove Community Centre has an amazing pool where I can drop in for aquafitness and waterplay. For a bit of culture and heritage, Fort Langley National Historic site and the quaint village of Fort Langley offer cultural and historic exhibits, great shopping and a large number of restaurants, pubs and cafés. We never miss taking our guests for a walk through the village.

4. Vineyards and Orchards:

It’s not to say that we love our wine, but hey, we lived in Australia, in Shiraz country, so come on! Langley is graced with no less than 7 wineries. Some of the wines are fruit-based (yeah orchards!) while others are suitable for the most sophisticated meal. But beyond the wine purchase is the whole wine tasting experience. I can’t think of anything more relaxing than visiting a winery and doing a tasting on a Sunday afternoon, anytime of year really.  If wine isn’t your thing, there are 2 breweries and at least one ciderie to be found.

*For a family-friendly outing, consider a U-pick location for berries. Krause Berry Farms offers seasonal fruit picking, wine tasting and even has a fun family play area for the kidlets to enjoy!

5. The proximity to Vancouver:

Let’s face it, we all gotta work. Well, truthfully, I am retired, but still, Leon has all kinds of commitments in the city and the reasonable commute makes it bearable. My 25 yr old son is loving all the job opportunities he found here. And of course, we are never far from a ferry, a border crossing or an escape to the mountains.

When we relocated to Langley 2 yrs ago, we knew we had found a thriving and welcoming community. It just meets all our needs and adapts to our lifestyle as it changes.

The beautiful images of Langley you see in this post were taken by the wonderful Jillian of  Lens and Focus Photography. Follow her on Facebook here and Instagram here.

Why do you love to live in this beautiful corner of the Fraser Valley? We’d love to hear from you!