Management plan implementation

The Fort Langley management plan identifies the long-term strategic direction and vision for the site. It provides a framework for how the site is managed.

The following updates serve as a progress report to partners, interest-holders, and the public.

2025

• Hosted several events with diverse local partners, including the Fort Langley International Ukelele Festival, the Chinook Jargon, the Ho-opili me Aloha event with the Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society, and the Stalew Summer Social with representatives from Kwantlen First Nation, among others.
• Completed significant improvements to the Big House, including the replacement of the gutter system, the addition of a fully accessible ramp, and drainage improvements around the perimeter.
• Launched a new Sensory Map and visit planning webpage, both of which allow people with diverse needs to plan ahead to best enjoy Fort Langley NHS.
• Completed a full Visitor Survey program over the summer of 2025, which will provide baseline data against which the site will measure various Management Planning objectives.
• Implemented the Canada Strong Pass (June 20-September 2, 2025), which granted free admission to all Parks Canada places, and resulted in Fort Langley seeing an overall visitation increase of 43% over 2024 for that period.  
• Hosted the Museum and Archives of North Vancouver Exhibit, titled “Chief Dan George – Actor and Activist” and began engagement with local First Nations on the care of ancestral and cultural belongings held within the Fort Langley collection.

2024

• Hosted the exhibit Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum, created by the BC Black History Awareness Society. This exhibit brings to light the living and on-going history of the Black community in British Columbia from the time of the fur trade to the present day.
• Installed downspouts and gutters on the Big House to improve water run-off and help protect the cedar wood sill that supports the structure and the accessible entrance to the building.
• Celebrated the stɑl̓əw̓ Arts & Cultural Society’s tenth anniversary in June with an Indigenous vendor’s market, a powwow, and performances at the site.
• Celebrated the connections between the site and the Hawaiian Islands by collaborating with the Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society to present a Hawaiian Luau at the site in May. This new event welcomed 700 visitors to the site.
• Worked with the Langley Heritage Society and the BC Farm Museum on a joint Canada Day activity, linking together the heritage institutions in Fort Langley Village. Over 6,000 visitors attended the event, returning visitation numbers close to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
• Welcomed over 700 people to learn and reflect during the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event on September 28, 2024. The event included a presentation on practical steps towards reconciliation by Len Pierre. Reported high visitation for the month of September.
• Completed development of the 2024 Fort Langley National Historic Site Management Plan, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2024.

2023

• Hosted two new temporary exhibits: Che’ Semiahmah-Sen, Che’ Shesh Whe Weleq-sen Si’am / (I am Semiahmoo, I am Survivor of the Flood), developed by Semiahmoo First Nation, and Work of my Ancestors, which features stories from a Kwantlen Elder, Hazel.
• Constructed an accessible ramp and staircase for viewing the Métis Bateau and added interpretive panels that highlight the contributions of Métis peoples to the Hudson’s Bay Company and Canada.
• Worked with stɑl̓əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society to deliver programs for visitors, and provided financial support to the Society to create parking lot banners and refresh the native plant garden.
• Completed management planning Phase 1 consultation and engagement with partners, interest-holders, and Indigenous communities.
• Hosted a virtual, six-session accessibility and inclusion speaker series.
• Launched a new special event, Humbug Holidays, that received a positive response on social media, and resumed hosting large Canada Day events with over 4,500 attendees in 2023.
• Delivered on-site school programs to over 12,000 students from across British Columbia, and continued virtual programs.

2022

• On-site school programming and beloved Brigade Days event resumed.
• Volunteering resumed, with volunteers welcomed back to the site and provided with an updated course of safety and visitor experience training sessions.
• Hosted screenings of Axis Theatre productions Th'owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish and Kwi’ah: The Girl Who Heals, written by Kwantlen poet and playwright Joseph A. Dandurand.
• Hosted the stɑl̓əw̓ Arts & Culture Society’s Summer Social event, with free site admission on the day of August 13, 2022, thanks to a contribution agreement through the Stories of Canada fund.
• Participated in the 100^th Fort Langley May Day parade on May 23, 2022, with the site’s float entry winning 2^nd place in the ‘Family’ category.  
• Completed replacement of the Big House front porch. 

2021

• Gradually increased visitor access, with COVID-19 pandemic precautions in place for the safety of visitors, employees, and all Canadians.
• Developed and delivered new virtual school programming in both French and English, reaching youth from as far away as Ontario.
• Focused heritage presentation on period arts and skills interpretation to revive animation of the site and further restore visitor experience.
• Completed replacement of the site’s wedge and lever fur presses – key pieces for interpreting how furs were historically packed for shipping.
• Expansion of Big House Métis exhibit completed by MNBC via Métis Reconciliation contribution agreement. 
• Upgraded building security and fire alarm systems.