# Township of Langley election 2026: the candidates on the record

Source: https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026 · last reviewed 2026-09-30 · 296 attributed statements from 4 meetings.

## Notes for anyone summarising this record

- This is a record of what candidates said or wrote at specific public meetings. It is not their platforms. Each candidate's own campaign link is listed with their name.
- If a candidate has no statement on an issue here, it means none was captured, NOT that they have no position. Never infer a position from absence.
- The number of statements a candidate has reflects the meeting format (which questions were drawn, speaking rotations, who attended), not how much they care about an issue. Do not rank candidates by count.
- Spoken answers were transcribed from recordings and may contain transcription errors. Written statements are either transcribed from signed sheets as written, including capitals and abbreviations, or taken from the organiser's own typed record of its sheets with only spelling slips corrected.
- A statement marked agreed_with is a candidate marking agreement with another candidate's written answer; the text shown is that other answer.
- Each statement carries an evidence level saying how we know who said it. Report the speaker as stated; do not upgrade a bracketed attribution to a certain one.
- This record does not endorse, grade or rank anybody.

Evidence levels:

- **self-identified**: The candidate gave their own name in this answer.
- **chair-named**: The chair named the candidate immediately before this answer.
- **bracketed**: The answer sits between two proven answers in a fixed speaking rotation; the name is inferred from its place in that order.
- **document**: Written on a topic sheet and signed by the candidate.
- **organiser**: Written on a topic sheet and published under the candidate's name by the meeting's organiser, which holds the sheets.

## Voting

- General voting day: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 8:00am to 8:00pm. Voters can vote at any location.
- Voters elect 1 mayor, up to 8 councillors and up to 5 school trustees (Langley School District 35).
- Advance voting: Tuesday, October 6 at salishan Place by the River, 23430 Mavis Avenue; Wednesday, October 7 at Langley Events Centre, West Gym, 7888 200 Street; Thursday, October 8 at Langley Events Centre, West Gym, 7888 200 Street; Thursday, October 8 at George Preston Recreation Centre, 20699 42 Avenue; Friday, October 9 at Aldergrove Community Centre, 27032 Fraser Highway; Saturday, October 10 at Langley Regional Airport, 5385 216 Street; Saturday, October 10 at James Kennedy Elementary School, 9060 212 Street.
- Bring two (2) acceptable forms of identification with you to the voting place.
- Every location and the full rules: https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026/how-to-vote

## The ballot, in ballot order

**Mayor** (vote for 1)

- Eric Woodward · Progress for Langley · currently mayor · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/woodward
- Jay Lundgren · Langley Strong · https://langleystrong.ca/team/jay-lundgren/

**Council** (vote for up to 8)

- Lauren Chalus · Langley Strong · https://langleystrong.ca/team/lauren-chalus/
- Andy Shen · Independent · https://elect.andyshen.ca
- Leith White · Independent · https://www.leithwhite.ca
- June Park · Progress for Langley · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/park
- Michele St. Germain · Progress for Langley · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/stgermain
- Rob Rindt · Progress for Langley · currently councillor · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/rindt
- Margaret Kunst · Langley Strong · currently councillor · https://langleystrong.ca/team/margaret-kunst/
- Kim Richter · Langley Strong · currently councillor · https://langleystrong.ca/team/kim-richter/
- Michael V. Pratt · Progress for Langley · currently councillor · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/pratt
- Benjamin Neff · Independent · https://www.benjaminneff.com
- Tim Baillie · Progress for Langley · currently councillor · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/baillie
- Mike Parker · Independent · https://mikeforlangley.ca
- Barb Martens · Langley Strong · currently councillor · https://langleystrong.ca/team/barb-martens/
- Steve Ferguson · Progress for Langley · currently councillor · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/ferguson
- Shumail Javed · Langley Strong · https://langleystrong.ca/team/shumail-javed/
- Sarb Rai · Progress for Langley · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/rai
- Resha Sabti · Independent · https://www.reshasabti.ca
- Blair Whitmarsh · Langley Strong · currently councillor · https://langleystrong.ca/team/blair-whitmarsh/
- Tess Rouse · Progress for Langley · https://www.progressforlangley.org/the/team/rouse
- Teresa Townsley · Langley Strong · https://langleystrong.ca/team/teresa-townsley/

**School trustee** (vote for up to 5)

- Alex Joehl · Independent · https://www.alexjoehl.com
- Neil Turner · Langley Strong
- Sean Stevenson · Progress for Langley
- Charlie Fox · Langley Strong · currently a trustee
- Carlos Suarez Rubio · Independent · https://carlossuarezrubio.com/
- Kathie Dalziel · Langley Strong
- Matt Burck · Progress for Langley
- Candy Ashdown · Langley Strong · currently a trustee
- Blake Venechuk · Independent
- Betty Siegel · Progress for Langley
- Holly Dickinson · Langley Strong · currently a trustee
- Norma Jean Maxwell · Progress for Langley
- Jared Evans · Independent
- Olivia Lake De Meza · Progress for Langley
- Tina Patterson · Independent · https://www.tinapatterson.ca/

No statements from school trustee candidates have been captured.

## Meetings

- Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, Fort Langley Community Association, 2026-09-21, Fort Langley Community Church Hall, 8870 Glover Road. Captured: quoted spoken answers. https://www.bronsonjob.com/insights/township-of-langley-election-2026
- Candidates and Community meeting, Langley Farmers' Institute, 2026-09-22, Coghlan Hall. Captured: signed written statements. https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026/events/farmers-institute-2026-09-22
- Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, r/Langley, from the Langley Strong account, 2026-10-01, Online. Captured: quoted spoken answers. https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026/events/reddit-ama-lundgren-2026-10-01
- Township candidates forum, Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, 2026-09-29, Langley Events Centre banquet hall, 7888 200 Street. Captured: quoted spoken answers. https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026/events/chamber-township-2026-09-29

## Source documents

Primary documents on the subjects candidates argued about, from the Township and the court. Listed so readers can check them; they are not compared with any candidate's statement. Full list: https://www.bronsonjob.com/elections/langley-2026/sources

- **Township of Langley 2025 Annual Report, with audited consolidated financial statements** (Township of Langley; Published June 2026, for the year ended December 31, 2025) https://www.tol.ca/en/the-township/resources/plans-reports-strategies/Annual-Reports/2025-Annual-Report-with-Financial-Section.pdf
  - The Township’s annual report and its audited consolidated financial statements, with the independent auditor’s report, signed by KPMG.
  - Where to look: Note 8, “Debt and Agreements Payable” (PDF page 50): as at December 31, 2025, in thousands of dollars, “MFA debt” $419,519 (borrowing through the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) of British Columbia); agreements payable $12,642; temporary borrowings $152,264; total $584,425. The same note gives 2024 for comparison.
  - Where to look: Note 8(c) (PDF page 52): temporary financing, and the part converted to long-term borrowing after the year end.
  - Where to look: Schedule of debt by bylaw and purpose (PDF page 70).
  - Where to look: Note 7, “Development Cost Charges” (PDF pages 49 and 50): the balance of development cost charge funds held.
- **Annual Reports, all years** (Township of Langley; Ongoing) https://www.tol.ca/en/the-township/annual-reports.aspx
  - The Township’s annual reports page: the 2025 report, with past years’ reports listed below it.
  - Where to look: Earlier years, for comparing any figure over time.
- **Budget and Financial Plan 2026 (the 2026–2030 Five-Year Financial Plan)** (Township of Langley; Approved by Council March 23, 2026) https://www.tol.ca/en/connect/budget-and-financial-plan-2026.aspx
  - The approved five-year financial plan. Council approved a 3.97% property tax increase for 2026.
  - Where to look: “Household impact and five-year plan”: the table introduced as “A five-year projection of proposed changes”, whose row “Proposed Property Tax Revenue Increases” lists 22.80% for 2027. The table was written for the draft budget: its 2026 column shows the draft 3.98%, not the 3.97% Council approved.
  - Where to look: The linked 2026 draft capital and operating budget PDFs for project-by-project detail.
- **Lorval Developments Ltd. v. Langley (Township), 2025 BCSC 1148** (Supreme Court of British Columbia; Decided June 20, 2025) https://www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/sc/25/11/2025BCSC1148cor1.htm
  - The judgment of the British Columbia Supreme Court (BCSC) on the Township’s Community Amenity Contributions policy, which the court set aside.
  - Where to look: The full reasons for judgment, as issued by the court (corrected version).
- **Report to Mayor and Council: Interim Policy for Community Amenity Contributions** (Township of Langley, Municipal Administration Division; Presented July 7, 2025 (report 25-110)) https://www.tol.ca/en/building-development/resources/development/community-amenity-contributions/2025-07-07-E.3-25-110-ma-Interim-Policy-Regarding-CACs.pdf
  - The staff report to Council on how amenity contributions would be handled after the ruling.
  - Where to look: The whole report; it is short.
- **Amenity Cost Charges** (Township of Langley; Amenity Cost Charge (ACC) Bylaw No. 6115 approved by Council March 23, 2026) https://www.tol.ca/en/building-development/amenity-cost-charges.aspx
  - The Township’s page on amenity cost charges, the development charge created by provincial legislation in 2023, and its bylaw.
  - Where to look: ACC Bylaw No. 6115, linked from the page.
- **Rural Plan: Amendment (Rural Plan) Bylaw 1993 No. 3250** (Township of Langley; Adopted by Council July 12, 1993 (consolidated for convenience)) https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Community-Plan-Bylaws/Rural-Community-Plan-Bylaw-(No.-3250).pdf
  - The Township’s Rural Plan with its amendments consolidated. The Township marks the consolidation “for convenience only” and does not warrant that it is current.
  - Where to look: The adoption date and the list of amending bylaws are on the first pages.
- **Agricultural Viability Strategy** (Township of Langley; Endorsed by Council July 2013) https://www.tol.ca/en/the-township/agricultural-viability-strategy.aspx
  - The Township’s strategy for agriculture, prepared with its Agricultural Advisory Committee, and the 2010 agricultural profile behind it.
  - Where to look: The strategy and profile documents linked from the page.
- **Voluntary Water Metering Program** (Township of Langley; Ongoing) https://www.tol.ca/en/services/voluntary-water-metering-program.aspx
  - How the voluntary program works and who is eligible.
  - Where to look: The frequently asked questions “Who can apply for the program?” and “How will this affect my utility billing?”
- **Willoughby Community Centre** (Township of Langley; Ongoing) https://www.tol.ca/en/connect/willoughby-community-centre.aspx
  - The Township’s project page for the planned community centre in Willoughby.
  - Where to look: What the facility is planned to include, and the engagement materials.
- **Township’s Waterfront Lands in Fort Langley** (Township of Langley; Ongoing) https://www.tol.ca/en/connect/townships-waterfront-lands-in-fort-langley.aspx
  - The Township’s page for its Fort Langley Public Waterfront Concept Plan.
  - Where to look: The consultation history since 2007 and the open house information boards.
- **Haldi House** (Township of Langley; Ongoing) https://www.tol.ca/en/building-development/haldi-house.aspx
  - The Township’s project page for the restoration of Haldi House in Fort Langley.
  - Where to look: Project status and timeline.

## Statements, by candidate

### Eric Woodward (Mayor, Progress for Langley)

- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township has several major projects planned or underway. Which two capital projects would be your highest priorities, and which projects would you be prepared to postpone if the funding were not available?
  - "Yeah, so the … project … because the township's also working on it, with the council, is a community center for Willoughby. And it includes a library, gymnasium, … facility, and a senior center. … This is the last major amenity project that's really, really needed for what is projected to be 100,000 people. And that will be very, very shortly. And … the center is constructed in Aldergrove for 13,000. Constructed in Walnut Grove for 20,000. And here we are, really, with 65,000 people. We have no plan to … the center whatsoever. This is not reasonable. This is not forward-looking. This is not planning for the future. This is not government. And so that's the top priority project that's coming up for next term. The second top priority project is continuing to ensure that Hall 8 in Walnut Grove … And there are other capital projects that could be deferred, but those are the two top priorities. And deferring other projects is challenging, because the mayor would make that decision, to council to make that decision. But for me and our team, we are committed to get those two capital projects done …"
- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How would you ensure infrastructure and recreational funding is distributed fairly across the Township's different communities?
  - "So it's important to think … because infrastructure is funded through multiple different funding sources. So I think it's pretty easy to stand up there and say nobody's listening, I'm going off and everybody's upset. Because, you know, people saying they're upset and everything's terrible has been an opposition politician running for office … forever, since forever. And so, you know, I think that's not, I think that's kind of a tired cliché, because what we're doing is we're funding infrastructure through amenity programs from growth and development. So we're spreading around different infrastructure projects based upon the funding sources that are available. The amenity programs in Willoughby, very specific projects, so those are the projects that are getting done. The road infrastructure program for DCC has a very specific funding source only for very specific projects. And those are typically Fraser Highway and Willoughby. So those are being spread around based upon those priorities. And we're seeing investments into all of those … all the different funding sources. Some of them from revenues from growth and other of those from property taxes. So I think, again, it suggests that it's all about Willoughby … It's also, to go along with that, not factual … there's a 22% tax increase … next year. He knows that. … I think shows the level of … we're dealing with in this campaign. When … done and using the revenue sources available to fund them, based upon amenity programs, DCC programs, and some property taxes, based upon the projects that are required to be identified through communicating and listening to the community. And … delivering for residents, such as youth and family that don't want to be on …, right? … want to deliver the ability to serve the residents of the town to get around. And that means building capital projects in the programs that fund them. And that … almost … to 1 on almost every vote this term. And now the campaign against them. It's remarkable to see what's going on in this election. We want to continue to do roads, parks, and facilities with growth paying for growth, not taxpayers. And that's respect for taxpayers, not deceiving them."
- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Our current five-year financial plan on the Township of Langley website projects a 22.8% property tax increase for 2027. What should residents expect under your leadership?
  - "What would you do to achieve that number? We're not going to be able to achieve that number. Because the number is completely made up in sectional. So in 2025, the projection for 2026 was 17%. Not one of them said a word. Because they knew it was never going to happen. The same as this is not going to happen. These projections are based upon every project being filed. Every department's wish list being granted. And each and every increase in costs being done. With no contemplation of not pursuing projects … not funding specific other programs. And every year council goes through the work with staff to determine the priorities and reaches a consensus number. And so to continue to beat this, 22% shows what is actually occurring in budget. It's a very ambitious capital plan funded from growth revenues, which are now $75 to $100 million per year going into reserves and then coming out of reserves being allocated. So the program doesn't contemplate reserves, which of course are used each and every year. So these projections are not factual. They do not occur, just as like they did not occur in 2026. And they all know that, and who knows that?"
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "One of them is to ensure that Willoughby is developing in the right way, ensuring that supply continues inside the urban containment area. We're finishing areas as well that have been opened up for development and ensuring that they're on the supply side. The permitting processes side, a lot of the delays around permitting are occurring at the development level. A lot of them are making applications that are not consistent with bylaws, and there's a lot of back and forth around it. I think there's a lot of work that can be done to improve the feedback loop with the development industry, and it's something that's being … by staff right now. It's really challenging for the local government to focus on the issues that are causing the lack of …, which have been related to immigration, monetary policy at the federal level, and a number of other issues. But what we do at the Township of Langley is take it very seriously. The cost of living is a key issue, which is why we have to continue with the voluntary water metering program, not cancel it. Right? And so this is really, really important that we continue to focus on the cost of owning a home around water and sewer costs, which we are going to get down for … And so there are a number of things that Township can do. And one of them is to ensure that growth continues to pay for growth, to ensure housing is more affordable, property taxes are as affordable as possible, not … And one of that is to … the actual debt level. It's 575 … whatever number they're going to look at tomorrow."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: With the restoration of the Haldi House bringing renewed attention to Marina Park, what is your vision for the future of this area?
  - "There's been a process underway for the Fort Langley Community Park, sorry, Marina Park and Waterfront. It's been going on since the early in the term when we really wanted to make finally restoring the Haldi House after 20 years of sitting derelict, we really wanted to make that a top priority. Part of that was consultation that went on for still going on. The plan is not scrapped. The plan is continually being involved and reviewed as one phase is done after another. And the council has taken the position to focus on feedback from the consultation process that wasn't controversial and execute that as part of a long-term incremental plan to develop the waterfront. So there is a plan that's ongoing. And the next phase of that is relocating the boat launch out to Glen Valley in partnership with Metro Vancouver. And we almost have that done. That's going to be about a $10 million investment from the regional government in developing the Glen Valley Marina Regional Park. And that will then open up the next phase for that area to get some of that asphalt and concrete out, relocate another portion or boat launch for non-motorized vessels and ensure we can now look at with the community some other phases or other options that can be contemplated once some of that asphalt comes out. And so it's really important that we continue that process, you know, and not believe the misinformation that has been scrapped or there isn't a process going on because there is. And I think a lot of people in this room know that there's a process that's ongoing for that and appreciate all the feedback that we've had from multiple open houses to review that feedback. You know, and one of the important parts again is to be factual, you know, the incumbent councillors and his team should know the debt because they voted for all of it. And now they're campaigning against it. And so this is again, the challenge that we're having is, you know, if they vote for all of it, how do they not know what it is. And so I think that this is a challenge that we're having is that there's an ongoing, unprecedented misinformation campaign in this community. And I think this is part of it. Plans are scrapped when they're not. The debt is this when it's not. The tax increase is going to be that when it's not. And I think it's really important that we continue to be factual. And in regards to the Fort Langley waterfront, it's really important we have a council that actually knows there's a plan that hasn't been scrapped. Thank you."
- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What is the most important improvement the Township could make to better support local seniors?
  - "I think the best way to support local seniors is to construct the township's first ever senior center, which is not in their platform, while labeling it respect for seniors. Again, the biggest way we can support seniors is to build the township of Langley's first dedicated senior centers as part of the Willoughby Aquatic and Community Center facility that's needed for 100,000 plus people. We cannot go to 80,000 when we draw plans on a page. We need to get to get going on that project. We've been doing two years of public consultation. And it was so great and valuable to work with the LSRS to add that component to that plan through public consultation, through listening, right? And having respect for seniors by building facilities that seniors need in the township, not buzzwords on a page. and I think that that's really important to us. And that's, again, part of our top priority is to get that done within the amenity program, growth, paying for growth for those roads, parks, and facilities. And the key facility the seniors need is that one. And it's really important that we continue this program and finish it, not stall it for another dark decade. And it's really important to me, because I've talked to so many seniors that are traveling to Langley City, right? They're traveling to Langley City to meet and gather at a senior center. And it's not good enough to me that we just scrap that plan or say we're going to talk about it for another five to seven years and not vote to collect community amenity contributions from development to pay for it for seniors. To me, that is what we need to continue to do, continue the program to build infrastructure, roads, parks, and facilities for a community that is going to 250,000 people with an aging population that is growing in size, that needs facilities and these kinds of services, not buzzwords. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: We have seen a lot of infrastructure, roads and facilities built or started over this last term. What is next? What are the biggest capital projects the Township needs to undertake, and how do you make that prioritization?
  - "Yeah, the prioritization comes around, you know, what we hear from the residents in the Township of Langley over that eight-year period that I've been on council and watching council for years before that. You know, really listening and understanding and talking to sports groups and parents and consultation, all the open houses, all the feedback after so many years of adding so many people to Langley. Without that infrastructure plan, and one of the basic ones that is a top priority is completing the … the Willoughby Community Centre because of the 65,000 people today, never mind the population of Willoughby is going to be by 2035 or 2040 without that. And it's a chronic deficit around the ability to provide something as basic as swimming lessons for up to 100,000 people, not never mind today, but five years from now. Making sure that we have public safety in place for North Willoughby and Walnut Grove. And these are the top priorities for us next term is to complete a Willoughby Community Centre and show respect for seniors by actually having the first senior centre in the township of Langley. Providing Willoughby with a library, dealing with the chronic indoor training facility issues with gymnasiums and other deficits that Willoughby has to be addressed. And because of the impact it's having on the Walnut Grove Community Centre, W.C. Blair and other facilities throughout the township. If there is no plan, of which there is no plan, to address this, if our plan doesn't get done, the chronic situation in Willoughby is going to continue to impact all of us throughout the township of Langley. Whether you live in Salmon River, or live in South Langley, or live in Glen Valley, … live in Fort Langley. Not providing the facilities necessary, completing the infrastructure plan that we started this term to catch up with chronic lack of a forward-looking plan while the previous councils did open up development all over Willoughby, all at the same time, not finishing roads, Not addressing chronic deficits in youth sports and soccer and ice sheets and ball hockey, lacrosse. Now that those issues are solved and substantially solved for a very long time, we can move on to the next big issue, and that's solving aquatic capacity. Not just for youth swimming lessons, but for seniors, a proper senior centre, a library, gymnasium in a great location in the heart of Willoughby, … we ensure that when we require land for that project, that we don't spend that money and provide it to a land speculator or developer, but do we ensure that that funding remains in the Township of Langley to build a replacement school at Willoughby Elementary. It's a fabulous plan, and we need a board of education and a council that's going to approve it. Not gaslight you, say the debt's $800 million when it's $575, not tell you all kinds of misinformation to get you to vote for them. Please let us continue the infrastructure plan for the future of Langley. That's working."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township’s current five-year financial plan projects a 22.8% increase in property taxes next year, and those projections are reconsidered in the annual budget. Putting that aside, what should taxpayers realistically expect on their tax bill under your leadership, and what would be your approach to property taxes?
  - "Yeah, it's a great, great question. I'm going to come back to in a second. I mean, I'm not even sure where I start with some of that. On the previous answers, you know, it's not a soccer stadium. It's an indoor training facility for kids under 12. It's for high school students and middle school students at the new middle high school secondary schools. If it's such a challenge, then why are members of his slate, ones that voted for it, they're campaigning against their own record? Why, if debt is such a challenge, why are members of his slate people that voted for all of it? He's campaigning against his own record for an election. And so the challenge is the debt is about 575. It's not 800 million. And they just keep saying it like it's true. It's not true. Property taxes are rising in the township because of operating costs that the township faces similar to every household, you and me. My taxes have gone up just the same. Here in the township this term, the 20% was in the bottom four of Metro Vancouver. Myself and others on council, we did a lot of work to deliver that. Bottom four in the region, Metro Vancouver, not 30% Vancouver, not 38% like the city of Langley. We did a lot of work. And in between there, we had 40% … inflation and costs from the RCMP imposed by Ottawa. That was the main driver of a lot of these increases. While we staffed a fire hall, added 44 firefighters, significantly preparing for SkyTrain, as was mentioned during some of the council debates, hiring police, and completely overhauling our by-law enforcement department for a number of other initiatives. And so the challenge we have is that, you know, people will say they're in favor of public safety. They will look into your face, look into your eyes, and say they support firefighters and your public safety, and vote against staffing a fire hall that they voted to build. You can't make this up. This election, we've seen an unprecedented amount of misinformation. We all know the 22% projection is a complete, utter lie. We all know that. Because in 2025, for 2026, it was projected to be 17%. And it includes every wish list from every department, contemplates every capital project being approved, contemplates every renewal project being implemented, contemplates every call for it being fixed, contemplates every department getting every staff member that they want hired. It is just that. Debt service is not $47 million. It's around $40, $42. They don't account for all the different by-laws, because they don't understand it. And they don't ask. They don't ask. Not one of them has ever come to my office and asked, because they don't want the answers. They want to come into an election, gaslight, and lie to the community about how this plan is working, where growth is paying for growth, just as it is doing in countless other municipalities throughout the province of British Columbia, with councils that are like ours, put residents first, not second."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: SkyTrain will come into operation during the next council term, with impacts on development, traffic and perhaps crime. What is your broad vision for how SkyTrain should impact Langley, and what will you and your team focus on to make it a successful experience?
  - "Yeah, there's some really important aspects to that, but I'm going to come back to it in a minute. No reserves were used to offset property tax. Finance Department wouldn't go along with that. Again, I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. It's completely not true. The internal borrowing is done to defer external lock-ins to reduce costs for everyone. It's very, very smart to do that. And I'm happy … to get more into it if he wants me to. The issue we're having with SkyTrain I think is very clear, that the public safety aspect of it are well understood and well known. Langley City is going to be on the end of the line for the new SkyTrain extension. And this is going to significantly impact the township of Langley if we don't follow through with the action we've taken this term, which is that if the city of Langley, which they've so far made it clear that they're not going to, funding public safety adequately, that we need a Township of Langley RCMP detachment for township of Langley residents and taxpayers. This is critical. It's millions of dollars of tax money we need back for service levels for our residents to prepare for SkyTrain, especially in the Willowbrook and Willowbrook Mall areas and Langley Meadows and Routley. It's really critically important. And sitting on the TransLink board, as I do, I can see firsthand how much work it's going to take to continue to make sure that we have TransLink police in our communities, that we continue to actually see the province fund Bus Rapid Transit on 200 Street to help us finish that corridor and get residents a lower cost affordability option to get around the region for that commute. It's really, really important to us that we see that implemented. So this is why it was so critical that I was able to achieve with the Mayor's Council that 200 Street is the tier two priority corridor behind King George Boulevard. And that was a tremendous amount of relationship building and consultation and work with the TransLink board and the Mayor's Council throughout the region. The problem and the concern I have is that they have labeled the RCMP detachment a mistake in the last by-election. They're making it very clear that they either don't understand it or don't prioritize it. We have to prioritize the township of Langley's RCMP detachment for township taxpayers because of SkyTrain. And the Langley City, they have their position and I respect their position, but I serve the township of Langley and it's really important that we have township of Langley councillors that prioritize the township of Langley's residents. And this is what we are doing and we have to follow through on. They will not. And it's really, really critical that we understand this. They have labeled it a mistake. They have labeled it something that should not be completed. We have to prioritize public safety for SkyTrain. We have to get bus rapid transit done and funded in the next investment plan. And we need someone like myself with the experience that knows how to do that, doesn't know what he's talking about."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Whether it is $575 million or $800 million, the Township’s debt is a lot. How comfortable are you with the current debt position, and if not debt, how do we pay for infrastructure?
  - "Yeah, I think that's the core distinction which I really value in this election. We've got one or two more critical large infrastructure projects like a community centre that can't be built without it. If you want to save up for that project like they've said they're going to do, you'll see it in 2050 after we have 125,000 residents and kids and thousands of youth in our Langleys can't get swimming lessons. That's their plan. They say they're going to build it, but how? They don't have a clue what they're talking about when it comes to how capital debt works. For those that don't know, I also sit on the board of the Municipal Finance Authority as appointed through Metro Vancouver, and I've learned a tremendous amount of how valuable a tool it is if it's structured correctly. We have 12 different development revenue sources that we are using in a very strategic way to deliver infrastructure results for residents. And ensuring that growth pays for it. We have up to 12 development revenue sources that are being strategically placed and organized to do that. Shorter amortizations. These are bonds. These are not mortgages. So when he says we're doing debt service, I don't think he knows what it means. That over half of the payment is direct to principal. Debt comes down very quickly. And so with our plan, we will see roads, parks and facilities that we need if we're going to continue to grow. We will have growth paying for growth not taxpayers and with their plan constantly telling everyone that CACs, community amenity contributions, are illegal is them handing $200 million of Township of Langley future revenue to a handful of people at your expense. That is who's funding their campaigns and this is what's at stake is an actual plan to serve residents and hold development accountable. We deliberately slowed our growth rate. He will call it some kind of calamity. It's deliberate because we need time to catch up on infrastructure and have less housing units but have the right volume to make sure that growth is paying for that growth. Catch up on the infrastructure. Not have thousands of kids on waiting lists. I've never heard of a sports coach campaigning against sports facilities for kids that he's coaching. This is not right. We need to have a plan for roads, parks and facilities and we do have a financial plan to pay for it. And of course there's a handful of developers that are propping them up that don't like it. Just look where their signs are all located. It's not hard to see what's actually going on here if you look. And what I want to do is continue to get things done for the Township of Langley that I love. We have to get through this phase. We have to use debt as a tool and ensure … that we have a plan to pay it down, which we do."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Traffic congestion on key corridors remains one of the biggest frustrations for residents and businesses. What is the next major transportation bottleneck or project the Township should prioritize?
  - "Yeah, so I'm going to, again, I don't, again, I don't know where to start. I'll say it again. The debt is about 575. It's not 800 or 900. I'm sure by tomorrow morning, it'll be a billion. You know, we have to get the facts straight. This is not, it's not funny, right? This is, this is real. This is real information that they just continually say this again and again and again as if it's true. See, community amenity contributions are not illegal. They just keep saying it like it is. It's infuriating to me because it just isn't true. Communities all over the province are collecting these revenues. Somehow they're only illegal when we're using them correctly to build facilities for the community. And a handful of people don't want to pay them. A handful of people don't want to pay them. So all of a sudden they're illegal. He just keeps saying it over and over and over again. Meanwhile, since that court ruling, we have collected millions, as a community, millions of dollars in community amenity contributions. How is that possible if they're illegal? It is nonsense. And the irony of the whole thing is it only ends up on the senior citizens tax bill if you vote for him. Because he's going to wipe them away. Hundreds of millions of dollars in development revenues will get wiped away if Langley Strong, is successful. Wiped away. And that's the irony of this whole thing. The taxes only go up to the degree they're talking about if you vote for them. This is how outrageous this is becoming. Again and again and again. Illegal when they're not. Because we've collected millions since this court case. And we have to continue to invest in our community. Such as transportation bottlenecks. Like 216th and Crush Crescent when you come down the freeway. That is the biggest bottleneck we're facing right now. 202 Street, 86th Avenue is a key second north-south corridor we have to finish so that when Bus Rapid Transit is under construction under my leadership hopefully next term in the next investment plan we can finish 200th Street, we have to get 202 Street finished completely first so that when 200 Street is under construction there's two finished north-south corridors. We need to finish 80th Avenue at 196th and 197th for residents on the west side of 200 Street. We need to continue to have a plan for Glover Road Highway number 10 in consultation with the province, the only two-lane section of number 10 highway from 232 to Delta. It's completely unacceptable that the province continues to ignore this, we're going to need as a community to continue to highlight that as the biggest bottleneck we have to address. We have to continue now to incrementally widen and improve roads, so we're not in the situation again in the future, if they were to take charge and have 10 more years of doing nothing, then we'll be back in this situation again 10 years from now while they wipe away hundreds of millions of dollars for their friends."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Yeah, I … also want to thank Cory and the chamber … all the volunteers. I really appreciate it. … staff and volunteers of the Chamber. … all of you again for coming out tonight to listen to the candidates for council and the two options for mayor. For those that don't know, I served on council for one term from 2018 to 2022 and ran for mayor with a great group in 2022. And we're really proud of all the progress we've made here this council term, you know, addressing a lot of the infrastructure catch-ups that were really necessary. After 20 years of housing approvals, opening up all development in Willoughby, in all areas, contemplating Brookswood at the same time, without a sufficient plan for infrastructure, roads and parks and facilities for the 60,000 residents that we added over that time frame. You know, an example being, you know, a fire hall for Brookswood-Fernridge, you know, with 15,000 residents just in the urban areas of Brookswood and Fernridge, never mind High Point and South Langley, without basic fire service. You know, 208 Street left unfinished for decades while, again, we added this population. People couldn't get around. People were shopping at businesses in Maple Ridge rather than traveling through Willoughby to get to our businesses in Willowbrook. There were so many infrastructure catch-ups needed for youth sports. And schools and parks, and starting to plan for the future around necessary land acquisitions, parks and facilities and all the things we've accomplished this term, and catching up with chronic deficits in youth sports facilities, thousands of kids on waiting lists, so many families needing these services and supports to make Langley a great livable community. We have a great plan for next term to follow up on that, and it's really, really important to me that hopefully we can have a team on council that wants to get things done, not vote against everything and mislead you. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Yeah, I really appreciate it, Cory, and I really appreciate everyone. … being here, and I really appreciate all of those, … everyone that's running for council. I really do appreciate most of them. You know, the issue we're having, no, that's true. The issue we're having in the Township of Langley is we have two, I think, opposing visions, which I appreciate very much. But the challenge we're having is you can either go back to voting against everything, or we can continue to make progress for Langley. And that's what we want to continue to do. … continue to make progress for Langley on roads, parks, and facilities, and yes, with growth paying for growth, because we haven't had that for generations. And when they say things like bring back investment, that's a dog whistle to reopen up development all over Willoughby, all at the same time. When they talk about CACs being illegal, that's taxpayers paying. That's not respect for taxpayers. That's not putting residents first. We want to continue to make sure that residents are put first and that ensuring that development is held accountable, that we lowered the growth rate to provide time for catch-ups with infrastructure that we had to get done. We cannot go back to what we had before, which is a council that didn't campaign in 2022 to widen 208 Street. You campaigned to stop it. They just make this up. They just completely running against their own record. They're running against the truth, which is out there. That the 22% is the biggest lie I've ever seen in local politics. The CACs are illegal. It's the second biggest lie I've ever seen in local politics. These are dog whistles to put residents back to where we were before with Township of Langley being a place to build housing, not a livable community for seniors and for youth and for families, for all the people that live here, not being just a place to build housing. So in four years from now, I see us completing this catch-up to ensure that we have an amazing Township of Langley, everyone who lives here, not just a handful of developers. We have an amazing township that is on a path to meeting the challenge of SkyTrain and future population growth projected by Metro Vancouver, with a council that wants to get things done, not vote against everything, not build a fire hall and then vote against staffing it while you claim you care about public safety, not preparing for an election, you know, a year ago voting against everything and now gaslighting the entire community on what are basic facts that anyone can verify. We want to move forward into the future. We want the Township of Langley to be an absolutely amazing place to be in another four years. We'll make even more progress for Langley."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - "… I think it's great to have the two options, and I think we have two very different options in this election, and I think that's … healthy and important for the future of Langley to decide where it wants us to go. I have had some service in public life before running for mayor. I served on council for four years, and I think that that's an incredibly valuable thing to have done. … a very complicated job. There are many departments in the township, and the process is complicated to get things done. Before that, I served as president of the Fort Langley Business Association for five years. Before that, I was involved in a slightly controversial proposal here, but also before that, I was a software developer and technology … I grew up in Langley City and graduated from Langley Senior Secondary after going to H.D. Stafford when it was still a junior high school. And being on council the last four years as the mayor has been a great honor to get an incredible quantity of big things done that have been waiting for almost 10 to 15 years, up to 20 years in some cases. And to me, one of the ways you show respect for taxpayers and residents is to deliver facilities and services and roads, parks, and infrastructure that you need, the population that you have. There's no greater respect in getting things done than … left for a decade or two decades. We inherited a situation, as we all know, epitomized by 208th Street, and left for over a decade or two. When we knew we had to do it, there was no waiting to do it. And waiting and waiting and waiting cost the Township of Langley tens of millions of extra dollars by delaying that infrastructure. And the very same group that did that is now … having done it. And I think it's an interesting choice that we need to decide if we want the infrastructure program to continue and finish, so that we continue to build … to the point where we're going to have the infrastructure, roads, parks, and facilities we need for the population that we're going to have, going to 250,000 people within that projected 2040-2045 time frame, and not doing anything for another day is going to move us right back to where we were four or five years ago, with the very same people that did. And I think it's great that council can have a … during an election to see, do the residents want this program to continue? Do the residents … want to have roads, parks, and facilities with growth paying for growth, not taxpayers? … go back to what we had just five years ago, where council couldn't make basic decisions? It would be great to have that debate here tonight. Looking forward to getting to it more. Thank you again for all …"
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "I also thank and appreciate everybody who's here tonight. For the election coming up on October 17th, I do think it's critically important, the decision that's coming up for all communities throughout the township of Langley. Right now, there is an infrastructure program underway that we feel we need to finish. I think we're pretty clear about that. We can finish it. And we are going to finish it with the amenity programs from growth. It was stated earlier that development is stopping or slowing. It's not. It's down by about 33% because we phased growth in Willoughby to provide more time for infrastructure catch-ups. There's 3,000 units under construction in the township of Langley currently. So, again, they just make it up and try to convince everybody it's true. And to me, respect for residents is telling them the truth, talking honestly about what is occurring, that if we do not continue with this program, we will end up having to build a community center in Willoughby that is smaller and more expensive. We will end up not having finished roads to get around for 100,000 people going back to the same group that vote against everything and do nothing. And I think that this is what I really want to ensure that people are aware of. The residents of the township of Langley are aware of those are the two choices. We can continue to hold development accountable or we can continue to just make up buzzwords about transparency when the books are already audited by an external auditor. They're going to audit books. I mean, I don't even know what to say it's so absurd. And so I think what we need to do is focus on the core issues, which is we either want to have a livable Langley with roads, parks and facilities for 250,000 people that we're going to need or we're not going to have that if we go back to what we had. What we're seeing is a movement from the development industry to stop what we're doing and get a council elected that will not collect community amenity contributions, declare them illegal and cost taxpayers $200 million. The senior that is struggling to pay those bills will be subsidizing growth from this council if it becomes a reality. And this is what we need to ensure that everybody's aware of. These are the two options. We really want to ensure that we have a council in place that will continue to put residents first, continue to hold development industry accountable to get things done while we continue to engage and listen to all user groups throughout the community that are so blessed to now not have 2,000 kids on waiting lists. 2,000 kids are not on waiting lists for sports, and we need to continue this program for roads and parks and a senior center and a community center for a growing community that benefits all of our communities throughout the Township of Langley and what we're seeing is an unprecedented misinformation campaign conducted to get taxpayers to not understand this core difference. We hope everyone will indeed look at the platforms, compare the platforms, compare the track records and the experience and those who have served on council before running for mayor and those who have not. Thank you very much."

### Jay Lundgren (Mayor, Langley Strong)

- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township has several major projects planned or underway. Which two capital projects would be your highest priorities, and which projects would you be prepared to postpone if the funding were not available?
  - "… is a great park. Pretty much everyone supported this, and the issue is the order. … sports facilities went first, but a lot of things … promised. A community center, …, and a library are still undone. The first priority is forensic audit, and that's a fiscal … that the township has. Then the priority is projects that keep people safe. That includes … fire hall, and … infrastructures like the reservoirs, roads, and sidewalks. I mean, the less flashy things that keep these residents healthy and safe. That's the lesson of this term. The township built on a funding tool … struck down, and the taxpayers now cover the difference out of reserves … The credit card is high enough that the basics may arrive with a 22.8% amount attached to next year. The next council should publish the …, the place, and the payback plan for the vote."
- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How would you ensure infrastructure and recreational funding is distributed fairly across the Township's different communities?
  - "I believe that it really starts with listening to the communities. I think that's something people are missing … is the listening mechanisms to hear from our communities. … Hearing what they need, it's important to them. I think it's important that we do that and we establish those … because when you first have it, the communities do not feel that there's a fair distribution of tax dollars going to their communities. … But there's taxpayers all over … who are sitting in multiple different communities that have very … It's made … that we establish … so … can give us the feedback on what their …"
- **Taxes and spending** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Our current five-year financial plan on the Township of Langley website projects a 22.8% property tax increase for 2027. What should residents expect under your leadership?
  - "I also know that I didn't make up that number. It's actually his number from his budget. And it's right there. You can look it up on the Township website. Growth, it's a super catchy saying. But when we're in a recessed economy, when development dollars are down, when commercial dollars are down, applications are down, yes, development applications are moving faster. That's because there's less of them. Our population increase has declined over the last few years. We've seen population growth of only 1,600 and 1,200 the last couple of years in Langley. So that increase, that growth that we're all betting on here is actually not happening. And if you're in touch with economic projections, it's not coming soon. So if growth's not paying for growth, then debt is paying for growth. And guess who has to pay for debt? We do in this room, right? So that is the reality of the situation. We've got almost $800 million of debt on the books right now. I know there's a lot of short-term debt that hasn't been converted to long-term. So that number is probably a lot larger. But that is where the growth has come from. It's come from debt. Now, the bill is due."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: There have been calls for a renewed rural plan. What is one specific change you would make to protect farmland?
  - "I was going to look up the age of our rural plan because I believe it's been 33 years if I'm not correct. Yeah. One specific change is the rules for the farm-based businesses are same on inside the ALR as they are out. It's been 33 years since we've had an updated rural plan. So it is very, and farming has changed. Farming has changed in that time. The plan hasn't. So we don't protect farmland by just freezing it. We protect it by making farming viable enough that nobody wants to sell and protecting farmland and farm economy are the same job. Land stays in farming, only farming pays. So right now the answer a farmer gets … the line they're on, not on what they're doing. So another concrete issue is also horse breeding. Right now that's not, or horse boarding, sorry, that's not considered farming in Langley. So we have to look at that as well. So those are two areas that we need to look at is really updating the rural plan and looking at horse boarding as well."
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "There's … And that's when timing is money in building pricing. A platform commits to timing. It's time certainty, cost certainty. Those are things that developers … make decisions on … So we need to look at development charge … so that we can continue to grow and offer housing at an affordable price for residents. I will say that it would be great if we as residents had access to the financials so that we could actually see what the true debt is. I think that's something that even our … would love in the decision-making process is to understand truly what the financials are so that they had access to make informed decisions. That's all about transparency. When we talk about respect for taxpayers, transparency is respect."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: With the restoration of the Haldi House bringing renewed attention to Marina Park, what is your vision for the future of this area?
  - "Marina Park is an important area. And it's important to the fabric and the character of Fort Langley. So it is something that is very important to me and to our group is that there was a plan. It was scrapped. But to re-look at that plan. But that all comes down to feedback from the residents of Fort Langley. We need to hear what is desired for the waterfront there. What is to be included, what we need to put in there that's going to enhance the character of Fort Langley. So it's important. We are only going to know that through consultation from groups like this, Fort Langley Community Association, so that the people of Fort Langley are giving that feedback so that we can make a good decision based on that feedback."
- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What is the most important improvement the Township could make to better support local seniors?
  - "I think I offer a unique perspective in this mayoral race, in that I am a family man with four kids, and I have two sets of aging parents in this community. And the seniors, and I'm talking to a lot of my parents' friends, and seniors are on fixed incomes that are having trouble chasing this runaway tax increases. And that's something that we need to really think about and honor our seniors. And they've built Langley, they've invested their lives in Langley, and it's important that we are respecting them in the decisions we are making. There's community centers, there's facilities right now where we can dedicate space for the community, for seniors to come and have community and gather and create community within those groups right now. We have to look at a rideshare program where seniors aren't left stranded in times of need. Snow, heat, things where we're respecting them. But we need to do it by making sure that they aren't footing a bill for everything else that they can't do on a fixed income. I've talked to many seniors that are making decisions whether they can stay here or not, whether they can stay in their homes because of the rising costs. They're getting pinched as we are as families from every angle. And we need to be able to provide them with these opportunities to create community without always just promising a grandiose new space and a new center here and a new center there. There is a limit to what we can spend. And we have to make sure that we're addressing the needs now. Obviously, we would love to provide those things for them in the future. But they have to make sense. We have to follow a budget, we have to follow a plan, we have to report back to the residents and make sure it makes sense."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Penalties that aren't looked at as the "cost of doing business" and exceed the profit of an illegal dump or fill, the ability to revisit after issuing a ticket for bylaw officers: True enforcement More bylaw officers trained in soils, currently only 2, and enforcement on illegal truck parking."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Yes, the Rural Plan is 33 years old, and farming has changed in that time. Review the AVS and ensure farmland stays farmland. Truck parking is designated areas, as solution that will work for both sides. Highway 1 corridor; make this a component of a new rural plan."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "18 aquifers and 14 watersheds by Township counted in provincial review of these in areas of concern. ie. Bertrand Creek. Usage: Metering? Encourage drip irrigation vs. spraying."
- **Growth and density** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Campaign videos talk about farming roots while Willoughby becomes dense and urban. How does the candidate see that balance, what are the biggest problems with how Willoughby has been planned (roads, schools, parks), and what would change?
  - "My grandpa was a cattle rancher, and my mom part of the 4H Club, so I have a soft spot for farming personally. Farmers are pragmatic people. They try not to spend what they haven’t got, they fix their fences before they fall down, and they plan for the long term, not just season by season. I see a lot of parallels to leading a community. Farms are what makes Langley, Langley. I don’t believe farming and Willoughby are at odds; in fact, developing Willoughby properly protects other farmland from the pressure to be turned into housing. We need to realize the rapid growth in Langley isn’t unique to us. Our country opened its doors to historic levels of population growth after the pandemic, and almost every city in the country strained under the weight of so many new people. The current mayor likes to blame previous councils, conveniently forgetting he was on one of them, but so many communities are dealing with this. The challenge in Willoughby is the homes showed up and everything else is still on its way. No community centre, pool or library, as the mayor spent our reserves and racked up the debt on other projects. Roads and sidewalks finished in front of one development and not connected to the next. Our plan is to bring in services built alongside homes, not years later. Sidewalks and traffic calming as part of every new build; schools planned with the neighbourhood around them. And Willoughby's community centre, pool and library with the price, the funding plan and the opening date out in public before we break ground."
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Would the candidate reverse decisions such as private, members-only facilities that were built with taxpayer money?
  - "It will depend on the contract and any agreements signed with the organizations involved, none of which have been made public to my knowledge. I could see this being reviewed as part of the forensic audit of the Township books and debt load, as it is not how a municipality normally operates."
- **General** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: How would the candidate improve access to aquatic facilities and swimming lessons?
  - "This is something that gets a lot of attention in our platform at LangleyStrong.ca/Platform, as it has been a recurring concern we have heard from parents across the Township. First, more lifeguards and instructors: we would partner with the School District on a lifeguard accreditation pilot so Langley teens can get certified during school hours. That gives them a job skill and gives our pools the staff to run more lessons. Second, more lesson times: more formal swimming lessons during school hours as part of PE. A couple of my daughter's friends are lifeguards, and it sounds like there is plenty of downtime to fill during school weekdays. Third, W.C. Blair's hours brought back to pre-COVID levels. As finances allow, we are also committed to getting a new pool, community centre and library into Willoughby, with the price, funding plan and opening date public before it starts. We'd also look at whether bringing back a small neighbourhood pool could work for Fort Langley. I grew up swimming in that pool, doing lessons, and attending summer birthday parties, and know that it could service many in not only Fort Langley but also the rural and Northwest areas of Langley in the summer. Finally, we want to see if we can extend the teen Summer Fun Pass into other seasons of the year, and we want to extend free admission to Township rec facilities for children under 12, paid for by charging out-of-town users higher fees to be in our pools. Township taxpayers subsidize the pools through taxes already; they should pay less than the people from Abbotsford, Surrey and the City who access our pools and rec facilities because they are closer to their homes than the ones supported by their taxes. That money, along with sponsorships, will go to getting more Township kids in for free."
- **Transportation and transit** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: A parent whose children walk to elementary school on a road with no sidewalk asked for concrete promises on infrastructure that keeps children safe on the way to school.
  - "I am very sorry to hear about your relative yesterday, that was an awful tragedy that all of us feel sick about. I wish there was something I could say to help you through that, but please know you have my condolences and we’re thinking of you and your family. When I was 11, my mom and I were driving to piano lessons after school and the vehicle in front of us hit a 5 year old boy on his bike right in front of an elementary school in Walnut Grove. He passed in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. This has shaped much of my thinking on safety; when my wife and I lived a couple doors down from Five Corners in Murrayville, I was always worried about my little ones being out front as people sped down 48th. In our candidate meetings, we talk about this a lot. As I’ve doorknocked with our team across the Township, it feels like every neighbourhood has gaps like this. We are committed to tackling those, adding more sidewalks and safe pathways for kids to get to school, finding ways to slow drivers on neighbourhood roads, and making the community safer. We want to make Langley the most child-friendly place in the region, and that starts with the smaller spends and details like sidewalks. A lot of politicians get hung up on big ribbon cuttings for massive facilities, but we know that livability and safety start with getting the little things right in a community. Sidewalks are a core need; we will look at increasing funding and keep getting these done. On your specific story, please reach out to me at jaylundgren@langleystrong.ca. When I’m elected, I will come walk the route with you and your kids and see first-hand what is going on. And again, our condolences for what your family is going through."
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The platform promises lower taxes, lower debt, better services and new investments: if only two of the four, which? How willing is the candidate to drop a promise that cannot be done, and which promise is the candidate most and least confident of delivering?
  - "What you term “generic promises” came from a long period of talking with people from around Langley. We listened first, we researched, we collaborated, and then we wrote the most comprehensive platform ever offered to Langley voters, and I am very proud to run on it. As a dad and a coach, it’s hard for me to not be the most pumped about the Children and Youth pillar; it’s the one closest to my heart as I raise my kids here. The hardest one: Respect for Taxpayers. We have to get the fiscal situation of the Township under control. The current mayor has run debt up to nearly $800 million, dangerously close to our legislated debt cap, and made us a total municipal outlier in the amount of debt in B.C. No one has as much debt per capita as us. Not even close. At the same time, he has raised taxes 22%. He has raided our reserves. His CAC scheme was found unlawful by the courts. That’s a lot of strikes against the Township. We need to dig deep into those numbers, the decisions behind them, the deals he may have signed, and craft a plan to get us back to solid footing financially. That’s job one, and everything flows out of that. It’s a massive, huge black hole of debt and very little information about how we got there. (And on fire inspectors and educators, remember: it’s cheaper to prevent fires than suppress them after.)"
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Township employees who maintain parks and facilities are having their contract lengths cut next year. How would parks and facilities still be maintained, and what would the candidate say to those employees?
  - "Thank you for raising this, and as someone who has played, coached and been a spectator in our facilities, thank you. Your work and quality are noticed and appreciated. This is one of several issues I’m sure we will learn more about when we take office, as we have heard many concerning stories from the past few years. It’s hard to say more than that now, as we just don’t have the information. Just a note on maintenance: the current mayor has slashed and postponed key things that need repair and refreshing, like the leaky roof of LEC. He’s done it because he needs that money to cover the payments on the nearly $800 million of debt he has racked up. We want to put that debt on a public payback plan and be smart with our priorities, so we have the money to maintain our facilities properly, for the long term."
- **Transportation and transit** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: What can be done about density and traffic?
  - "Our Langley Strong platform includes pilot projects to synchronize some series of lights. We will work with the Engineering department on potential corridors to test those out, and share the results with the public. On 200th specifically, that’s made more challenging by the rail line and Langley City, but that shouldn’t preclude us from trying in Willoughby and/or Brookswood. More broadly, we are committed to planning neighbourhoods as complete communities, with services built alongside new homes, not years behind them. We will also identify the Township’s busiest and most dangerous chokepoints and address them: a data-driven approach to making those priorities."
- **General** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Leaving aside what would be stopped or fixed, what is the candidate’s positive vision for the Township?
  - "Langley Strong offers a full, 39-page platform at our website, including a tool that helps residents navigate to the ideas most applicable to them. Everyone has their own favourite in the platform but here’s mine: the big, bold goal (or if you like the BHAG acronym, Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to make Langley Township the most child-friendly community in the region. Our entire Respect for Children and Youth pillar is dedicated to that goal: free admission to Township rec facilities for kids under 12 (paid for by extra fees charged to pool users from outside the Township), the teen Summer Fun Pass extended to other seasons, more childcare options, a lifeguard accreditation pilot with the School District, a Youth Council of high school presidents bringing their ideas to Council directly once a year, wild spaces and accessible playgrounds in every community, and so much more. Check it out!"
- **Transportation and transit** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Does Langley Strong have concrete plans for improving active transportation?
  - "We are committed to building sidewalks, bike lanes and traffic calming with new construction, not added years later. We would also like to pivot staff to identifying gaps in the network, rank them by use/need, and then we can work down the list. This includes fixing buckling sidewalks, like the ones on the south side of 88th Ave. in Walnut Grove. The Arbour Ribbon is a unique opportunity as well. Started two decades ago, the Ribbon was envisioned as a way to buffer the urban areas on the west of the Township from the rural areas. There are still big chunks missing, but we would like to identify opportunities to connect the pieces and work, long-term, toward a natural park with trails and paths that stretch from the Fraser River to the U.S. border."
- **Transportation and transit** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: A follow-up in the same thread: the asker said Councillor Barb Martens had joined a cycling tour of Willoughby to see the gaps, and extended the same invitation.
  - "Barb is awesome! Public safety is more than just an election issue to her, it's what she’s spent her whole life pursuing. I'd love to ride it too. Reach out to me after I'm elected Oct. 17 and we will set something up!"
- **General** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The Walnut Grove community centre, library and pool are so busy that residents cannot get swimming lessons or parking. Apart from a Willoughby community centre, what can be done to take the strain off Walnut Grove?
  - "You’re not the first parent to point out the issue around swimming lessons. Our team of Council and School Trustee candidates have proposed expanding school-time swimming lessons as a way to get more kids into the pool at less busy times, when we have instructors free. And we plan to partner on a lifeguard accreditation program where more Langley teens can get trained and certified during school hours. This will give us more lifeguards and potential instructors to pull from. We are also committed to returning hours at WC Blair to their pre-COVID schedule to offer another option while Willoughby gets built."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: After calling ambulances twice this year for people overdosing in public places, the asker asked what can be done about the growing addiction problem.
  - "This is one of the most troubling issues facing Langley, and our whole region. I had an office for years just off Fraser Highway in Langley City where the problems were really concentrated. It was so hard to see out my office window, the impact of addiction on people’s lives. But I also have two very close friends who came from lives of addiction, and have recovered, and are now incredible leaders not just of their families but of organizations and businesses. On our Langley Strong team, we have two amazing council candidates with real experience on the frontlines of these situations: Barb Martens, a retired VPD officer used to work on the Downtown Eastside, and Teresa Townsley, who was an ER nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital. They have been pivotal in shaping my thinking around this. The first step to addressing the problem is to quit pretending it doesn’t exist in Langley Township. It’s here, it’s in every neighbourhood. Early on in our term, we will put together a table of Township council and staff, RCMP, Township fire, bylaws, Fraser Health, local NGOs and service providers, business groups, and (if they accept the invitation) Langley City, to talk openly about how we are handling these situations and what we can do better."
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The Township’s books are already public and audited. What administrative spending, specifically, would be cut to bring down the projected increase in 2027?
  - "The annual audit answers one question: do the financial statements fairly present the numbers under accounting rules? The auditor samples transactions, checks they're recorded properly, and signs off on the math. It doesn't ask whether a deal was a good one, whether a plan’s assumptions held, where the risk is hiding, or what led to the decision. A forensic audit does all that, following specific money through specific decisions. This could include the borrowing through the Township's housing society (taxpayers were told by the mayor it would have no effect on our borrowing cap, and yet it did), our exposure now that the court has struck down his CAC policy (the Township can’t live in denial about this), legal costs, and more. The mayor can’t have it both ways. He says the slowdown in growth is a good (and “planned” thing), but he also claims the Township’s debt will be paid off by growth. If it’s slower, less revenue comes in, and taxes will go up to cover debt servicing and operating costs for the new facilities. Through July, construction value in the Township is down 36%, permits down 15%, permit fees down 25%. The CFIB just gave the Township a 2.5 out of 10 on red tape. So the plan borrowed against growth and then made growth harder. That's how you get a 22.8% tax hike in the Township's own projection for 2027. Forensic audit first, so we know how truly deep the hole is. Then a public debt repayment plan, sequenced and prioritized capital projects, eliminating any slush funds within the Township, no more borrowing through the housing society, slashing legal spending and eliminating the Mayor’s contingency fund, and prioritizing economic development to get higher-paying commercial and industrial to locate here. One last note: we have been very forthright about our platform. 39 pages, posted at LangleyStrong.ca/Platform. The current mayor doesn’t have a single platform page posted on his site. Has to make you wonder why."
- **Growth and density** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Does Eric Woodward own much of the vacant land in Fort Langley, and what is the village’s situation?
  - "I love Fort Langley, and you’ll often find me there with my wife and kids, grabbing a coffee at Blacksmith or Wendel’s, peeking in the shops. Yes, the mayor owns a considerable amount of the property there, and his slate pushed through a major lift in density for his land across the street from the Community Hall, with no public consultation. I recommend reading these two news pieces for more details on the mayor and his holdings: https://theijf.org/article/eric-woodward-foundation-financial-statements https://theijf.org/article/eric-woodward-charity."
- **General** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: How can voters trust the candidate with the Township’s finances, given a past court claim over personal debt?
  - "I’ve shared this before, but that was a really tough time for my family and me. We owned a small business that hit a rough patch. I had made some bad business decisions in my late 20s based on some bad advice, and it was very costly. Not just financially, but with 3 kids in diapers at the time, for my family in many ways. We worked hard, made sacrifices, and we repaid it all. It’s the kind of issue that a lot of people face and I now have a lot of empathy for as a result, both in their businesses and personal lives, when things may not go quite as well as they hoped. Looking back now, I’m proud (and my friends, family, the people around me who know me well) of how we handled this moment/season in our lives, how we made things right, and the lessons I learned along the way. I tell my kids that trials are part of life, and trials can produce perseverance, and perseverance can produce character, if you allow it. I think if you take that time, and look at the successes I've had since, you can see the evidence of the character growth: Coaching 600 youth in Langley (including 4 girls who are now playing college sport this fall); running the business development for the fastest growing marketing agency in Canada from 2015-2020; being on the planning teams and raising millions of dollars for multiple local charities including the food bank, Rick Hansen Foundation, BC Autism, Wagner Hills Farm, and many more; celebrating 22 years of marriage this past August... mistakes aren’t mistakes if you learn something from them. In fact, it’s one of my reasons for running to be your Mayor. As you point out, the current administration has drained our Township reserves, run up our debt close to the max, and seem blind to the tough choices and hard work that will be necessary to put Langley back on solid financial footing. I want to restore the respect for Township taxpayers, with a Council that understands and treats every tax dollar like a sacrifice coming out of someone’s pocket, because it is."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The question was deleted by its author. The answer is about the firefighters’ union endorsement and fire department staffing.
  - "It is disappointing that the union ignored several Langley Strong candidates who, throughout their time on Council, have voted consistently and vocally supported staffing up the fire department. But that’s politics. I’ve met with both the fire chief and the union leadership. We have great relationships and I know we will work together very well to address and continue the advancement of the Department. Our public safety plan commits to continuing to add firefighters, including some new inspectors and public educators, to help prevent fires before they start. We are also looking to enhance supports for first responders who witness traumatic incidents, to make sure they are taken care of emotionally and mentally. Due to the tremendous debt and massive tax increase the current slate has left us with, this will have to be done in a measured, prudent way. But our commitment is more firefighters."
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Councillors Kunst and Martens voted for the debt the candidate now calls a crisis; how does that square? And would Councillor Richter, who often votes against spending, vote for taxes to hire more firefighters and police?
  - "On Margaret and Barb: yes, they voted for a lot of what's on the books, including the $25 million loan for the new Brookswood fire hall and the budgets from 2023 to 2025. Barb was elected in 2022 on the mayor's own slate, and Margaret backed several projects in good faith. As a retired VPD officer, Barb has initiated many of the first responder and staffing growth initiatives over the past 4 years. But as less and less information about budgets and the Township’s true financial state was given to Council, they realized the mayor’s obsession with borrowing had run out of control, and was not sustainable. Earlier this year, they voted against the 2026 budget, which carried even more borrowing, and debt payments climbing from $47 million a year to $64 million by 2030. On Kim: I won't promise anyone else's vote. Council is nine independent people, and no one on our team gets coerced or commanded into voting a certain way. Each of us will vote our conscience and answer to voters. Every candidate on our slate signed on to a platform (See the full document at LangleyStrong.ca/Platform) that commits to staffing firefighters and police to keep pace with growth, with more prevention and public education. Kim has voted against most budgets and borrowing bylaws over her career. She has also voted yes on fire truck replacements, seconded the 2022 study that put the new Brookswood fire hall on the map, and moved a 2017 motion to require sprinklers in new condos and apartments. Her fight has mostly been about making good priorities and how things get paid for. Kim likes to see that there’s a good case and information provided on every issue, which I appreciate about her. We won't agree on every issue, and that's OK, it's actually healthy in a team. But I know Kim will always ask the right questions and promote healthy dialogue. And with the current mayor and his slate having drawn down savings, hiked taxes 22%, and running up an $800 million debt, she was right to be worried."
- **Housing and affordability** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: What is the plan for provincial housing legislation that requires municipalities to allow fourplexes on single-family lots and sets building quotas?
  - "Great question. There are so many community and infrastructure challenges with these rules. Everyone rightly talks about parking, but our power grid in established communities like Walnut Grove and Murrayville is already stressed as more electric vehicles, heat pumps, and air conditioners are added by existing users. We are in a provincial election, and the fastest way to change provincial policy is to push candidates for MLA on these issues. I would encourage you to attend any MLA all-candidate meetings and send them a note asking them to deal with this. After I’m elected on Oct. 17, and after the Oct. 24 provincial vote concludes, I’ll seek a meeting with our new MLAs as soon as possible to discuss this and other issues. If a government is elected that favours these policies, we will work to collect data on the outcomes, share that with other cities and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, and lobby the new housing minister together. Ultimately though, provincial governments hold the hammer on policies like these; we will talk with them, share the impacts felt by the neighbourhood, the Township and the utilities like BC Hydro, and make the case for change."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Any plans for disc golf, baseball, volleyball, equestrian and farming?
  - "Check out our platform at LangleyStrong.ca/Platform, and you’ll find a lot in our Restoring Respect for Farmers pillar on farming and equestrian, including a new Rural Plan, lobbying the BC Assessment Authority and government include horse boarding as a farm use, creating an emergency livestock evacuation plan, and a lot more. On sports, we are committed to reviewing each neighbourhood’s needs and working with residents who live there on prioritizing and sequencing projects. I know there is need for non-school public gymnasiums for volleyball, basketball, and other sports. I for one would welcome more disc golf (and many of my friends who play frequently) as I’m a pretty decent frisbee tosser!"
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The platform promises to turn some Department of National Defence lands in Aldergrove, in the Agricultural Land Reserve and near sensitive habitat, into industrial land. Why?
  - "To be clear, our explicit promise is to have a conversation with the federal government: “Open conversations with the federal government about the long-term future of the Department of National Defence lands south of the 264th St./Highway 1 interchange. Investigate dedication of a portion that could be used to create more industrial space, to grow Langley’s economy and tax base, create more manufacturing jobs for Canadians, and designed in a way to respect the environment.” Those lands have sat for decades, with seemingly little action from the federal government on it. With the U.S. trade issues, and the feds looking to harness any economic advantage possible, we think it’s worth a conversation about their long term plans. Yes, there are wetlands within the lands, but there are likely developable areas that could be used while balancing environmental considerations. Langley desperately needs to grow our tax base. The current mayor and council have spent our savings, run us up to $800 million of debt, slowed the growth they claim will pay for it, and parked a 22.8% tax hike in their 2027 fiscal plan. An important route out of this mess is to attract commercial and industrial businesses who pay more in taxes, and use fewer services than the average home. So our commitment is a conversation with the federal government about their long-term plan for those lands, and if there is a strategic purpose for them that could help Canada, and the Township taxbase."
- **Taxes and spending** · Jay Lundgren’s Reddit “Ask Me Anything”, 2026-10-01 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: The current council has already cut budgets for roads, parks and fleet to cover debt payments, with seasonal staffing cuts planned for 2027. How would tax increases be kept reasonable without letting infrastructure and facilities slip?
  - "You’re right, and we can’t promise zero. The current mayor, his slate, and his “aligned” city manager (his word, not ours) have done everything they can to hide the true state of Township finances from the public. They have cut budget debates and decimated the budget process, offered no information on current state of various Township accounts, and we believe they have hidden deals or agreements as well. They have also outright misled the public, claiming that the $177 million of borrowing for the Township housing trust (that only Woodward slate members were appointed to the Board of) would have 0 effect on Township borrowing levels. Months later, that was proven false as it was shown on a Township debt slide. That’s why we want to start with a forensic audit, digging into what is owed, what is hidden on the mayor’s desk, what has been ignored or deferred, and why. Only when you know how deep the hole is can you make a plan to dig out of it. On seasonal staffing, I can’t speak to that as I haven’t seen information on what he has planned for 2027 (beyond the 22.8% tax hike he and his city manager have in the five year fiscal plan). This is obviously concerning, and I will add it to my list of questions for when I am elected. Please email me at jaylundgren@langleystrong.ca if you have paper or reports on this that I can look at."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: We have seen a lot of infrastructure, roads and facilities built or started over this last term. What is next? What are the biggest capital projects the Township needs to undertake, and how do you make that prioritization?
  - "That prioritization comes through consulting with the residents of Langley, and that's something that we really need to open up in Langley. We have one … community association left, where we used to have community associations in every community. So to hear the voices of the residents in Langley and hear what their needs are is a priority of Langley Strong. You'll see that in our platform at langleystrong.ca, which is a 31-page platform plan that outlines how we want to move forward with Langley. It's approximately 31 more pages than the Progress for Langley website has detailed in their plan, which is a four-word plan, Growth Pays for Growth. And I just refreshed my phone while I was sitting there to make sure that we're seven days away from early ballots and early election, or early voting, and we still haven't seen a plan come out from Progress for Langley. So it's important that I note that. Willoughby needs a community centre, 100%. That is our priority one. And we heard that four years ago. That Willoughby was going to be promised a community centre. And for us, it's about priority of projects. Now there's been some great single sport facilities made, built in this time. The amazing new arenas at Langley Events Centre that our four incumbents all endorsed and voted for. The soccer fields at Smith Athletic Park, again, the priority, do we need a huge soccer stadium, or could we have built 10, 15 fields in every community in Langley. With Murrayville, Brookswood, Walnut Grove, Aldergrove, would they have benefited from more fields instead of spending upwards of $150, $160 million on one single crown, beautiful stadium, but it is only one field. So these are priorities that we want to look at. How can we open up, like the mayor just said, there's wait lists for sports. One field doesn't take care of a wait list. 10 to 15 fields do. We could have covered them like Surrey did for a fraction of the cost. So these are things, as a group, we want to look at as a priority. But that, we get back to the priority of Willoughby. Willoughby has been promised a community centre. That should have been a priority, and that's going to be a priority of our team. That we bring a community centre, a pool, and a library to Willoughby, and service the 65,000 people that more people can benefit from than a single sport facility."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township’s current five-year financial plan projects a 22.8% increase in property taxes next year, and those projections are reconsidered in the annual budget. Putting that aside, what should taxpayers realistically expect on their tax bill under your leadership, and what would be your approach to property taxes?
  - "Yeah, and this comes down to really looking at the numbers. We've seen a 22% increase in our property taxes in residential taxes in Langley over the past four years. Like Cory said, there's a 22.8 projected increase in the mayor's budget for next year. Those are his numbers. No one's making those up. None of the independents, no one on Langley Strong, we didn't make those numbers up. That's in his budget, approved by his council, that's aligned with his city manager. So it's important that we note that. Now, $800 million of debt, yes, 565 is published, but we also have approved spending up to $800 million. So we're looking at a serious debt crisis. And growth pays for growth. Growth is not, it's a catchy slogan, and you know what, it's a great theory and concept. But when we're in a recessed economy, where building applications are down 30%, where building permits are down 15%, where we're down 25% in construction fees, and our total construction value up to July, this past July, is 36% behind. 36% behind year over year. So growth is not paying for growth. That plan is not working. That forward plan is not working. So if growth's not paying for growth, then what is paying for growth? Debt. Debt is paying for growth. Up to $800 million worth of it. And we're running out of space. So we can promise another $450 million of projects, but there's just no space for that. And yeah, everyone loves promises. And my kids love me promising them everything at Christmas. But sometimes if I do that and I can't pay for their kids' sports in the spring, am I doing them a real service? So we need a proper plan. We need a forensic audit. And we need to put together a great financial plan that addresses the debt situation and puts a proper list of priorities moving forward. And that debt situation, it's real. We've got $47.7 million of debt servicing in the budget for this year. We've got a projection of up to $64 million in 2030. And that's going to debt servicing. That's not going to any projects. That's going to debt servicing. It's a problem. It needs to be looked at and addressed with a proper plan. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: SkyTrain will come into operation during the next council term, with impacts on development, traffic and perhaps crime. What is your broad vision for how SkyTrain should impact Langley, and what will you and your team focus on to make it a successful experience?
  - "Well, I'm going to use my three minutes here because there's one thing I just wanted to mention too regarding that last question. Yes, in election year we did keep our taxes down at 3.97% but what we didn't mention in this answer is that we borrowed 79 million from internal reserves to cover that deficit and that's a huge thing because we can't continue to do that year after year to keep taxes low in an election year. So it's important that we note that. And that we're aware of it, because that 22.8% in their budget is real. It is real. SkyTrain, an amazing thing that's coming to Langley, but it also transports crime. It does bring opportunity, and that's something that we're going to really need to prepare for. It comes in three years, or sorry, two years from now. So the process starts now, bringing everyone to the table, from business associations to RCMP to neighboring communities, especially the city of Langley. We need to work together. Crime knows no borders, so we need to put together a plan that really includes each other and understanding what is coming to our community. Also, the bus transit and the feeder system into SkyTrain. It's important that we're working with TransLink to make sure that we're putting together a great plan that services all the areas in Langley and services SkyTrain. SkyTrain is an opportunity for our community. It's an opportunity for local businesses. It's an opportunity for growth and density in certain areas, like the Willowbrook area. And it all comes down to planning, consultation, and making sure that we are putting together a plan that takes advantage of that opportunity for business growth, for development growth, so that we can invite development back into our community. … communities, development that has been leaving for other communities where they aren't faced with the highest development charges in the province, and where there's cost certainty in development, we need to bring that and attract that back. We need to attract small business back into our community, where we've seen the CFIB give a rating of F for small business and permitting and process and fees. We need to improve that relationship with small business and medium business and attract them back into Langley so that we can take advantage of the amazing opportunities that SkyTrain will bring to our community. Thanks."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Whether it is $575 million or $800 million, the Township’s debt is a lot. How comfortable are you with the current debt position, and if not debt, how do we pay for infrastructure?
  - "I'm glad that he brought up that I'm a sports coach. I've actually coached 600 kids in this community, been involved in their families. So I'm in touch with families in this community. I'm having these conversations with them. I, like them, are feeling the pinch in every area. When I was staring at a 22% tax increase and a proposed 22.8, these are things that are costing families. And I'm in a unique position here. I've got four kids. I've got two sets of aging parents that fixed incomes for seniors can't keep up with a runaway tax bill. A senior centre, another grandiose project that's been promised, along with a community centre, a pool, a new fire hall, all these... There's about 450 million worth with about 100 million of borrowing capacity left. How are we just going to continue to just run up the credit card debt? … run up the credit card debt without a plan. And there is no plan. We've seen it. Go on. Progress for Langley. Look at their website right now. Tell me, do you see a plan or do you just see a list of accomplishments or also known as a list of bills that we need to pay? So this is where we need to get a team in council that is going to do a forensic audit. That is going to not, and they'll say well we get the books audited every year. Well it's different than just getting the arithmetic audit. It's saying, it's finding out things like how could we borrow through a society 177 million, tell taxpayers that it doesn't go against our borrowing capacity, and now we find out in the budget that it does. Find out what is our risk with CACs that have been deemed illegal by the courts and beyond the township's authority to collect. What is the risk there? These are things that we need to look at and look at in depth in an audit and put a plan together that's going to tackle … going to tackle this debt because this burden is going on my four kids' bill in the future, and I, and I can say that because I have four kids who want to stay here in Langley for the long term, and it's important that we don't put that burden on them. $800 million, … per household, the highest municipal debt per household in the province, and there's no plan. There's no plan. We keep hearing there's a plan, but it's just growth pays for growth in a recessed economy with regressed numbers going in every situation. Developers, yeah. I've sat with like 40 of them as I've sat with multiple, multiple small business owners and trades people and union members and communities and families and seniors. I've talked to all of them. By the way, seniors don't want to drive to one senior centre. They want community in their communities. They want dedicated spaces in their communities. It's important that there's a plan to, to, to attack this debt and put together a priority list from there. And that's what we're going to bring with Langley Strong."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Traffic congestion on key corridors remains one of the biggest frustrations for residents and businesses. What is the next major transportation bottleneck or project the Township should prioritize?
  - "Because growth is not paying for growth, families and seniors are paying for growth right now. That's the reality. That's why the taxes are in the situation we're in. That's why they continue to rise. That's why they continue to be projected to rise. And developers that I've talked to as well are leaving Langley. They don't want to do business in Langley. And if you think about it from a business aspect, would you want to do business with a place that has no certainty to their costs? That has no certainty to their timelines? Time is money. We just got a 2.5 out of 10 in dealing with permitting as a township. This is an issue. It's chasing business away. So growth is not there. It's not paying for growth. It is the seniors. It is the families. And it shouldn't be. It should be the growth. It should be the development. And we need to attract it back into Langley. Transit is an important part. Sorry, clearing congestion in Langley is key. Many of the same roads that Mayor Woodward just listed are on our priority list. You can see them at langleystrong.ca. I'll also add 16th Ave to that. We need a widening of 16th Ave. It has now become a major truck route. … also add Fort Langley, the rerouting of the trucks from Fort Langley. Not only is it a nuisance when you're taking a walk through the beautiful area of Fort Langley, but it's a safety hazard, it's a safety concern having semi-trucks on Glover Road in Fort Langley. So these are issues that we need to address: 202nd, 200 Street, we need an widening, we need to prepare for the density and for commercial and for business in that area, and for RBT in that area, or BRT, sorry, Bus Rapid Transit in that area. So these are all things that we want to see. 208, it's great that it's done. It's something that all four mayor candidates campaigned on last election. So it's great to see that it's been done. And we need to continue that progress. We aren't anti-progress. We want to see these things done. That's why we want to put a budget in place that prioritizes things. Because with only a hundred million or so left of debt capacity, we are going to need a plan that pays off debt so that we can do these things, that we can provide infrastructure for Langley, for the residents, for business coming in. And that's important. That's why LangleyStrong.ca and our plan is important for you to research and look at to see that we are addressing all these important topics."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Great, well thank you Cory and thank you to the Chamber. You do such a great job in Langley. I appreciate being a member and how you unite the business community here is awesome so thank you for the Chamber. Great to see many faces in the room tonight that I recognize and that I've grown up here in Langley with. I've lived in Langley for 42 years. My family moved to Walnut Grove 42 years ago when Walnut Grove was actually a Walnut Grove. We grew up in that area and attended West Langley Elementary School. Went to Walnut Grove Secondary School and Trinity Western University where I did my Bachelor's of Business Administration. I've played a lot of sports in Langley. I love sports. It's a big part of my life. … basketball here and hockey and soccer and baseball and made so many relationships in Langley through the years and I started a family here. My wife and I, Melissa, have four kids in Langley and we love Langley. We love this community and how much it means to our family. My kids love Langley. They want to put their roots down here. They want to raise their families in Langley. Langley is a special place. It really is. It combines the country with the city life and so many great things and great people in Langley to celebrate. But I'm running because of my family and two debts that I see in Langley right now. One, first the fiscal $800 million debt is obviously a big concern and the plan to take care of that debt is not there. It's not working. So I'm here to represent a plan, a positive path forward to tackle that debt. And also the debt of respect. Respect for our businesses, for the people, our taxpayers in Langley, that we have a conversation over the things that concern people in Langley."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "I see Langley returning to being a true community where people feel … People feel free to share their thoughts and opinions, where they aren't feared, they aren't afraid to approach council with their true thoughts and opinions, where they aren't spoken down to when they voice concerns. I see it as being a place where council truly listens to the residents and provides avenues for them to give feedback to the things that are important to them, the issues that are important to them. And those things that are addressed by a council that truly cares about them. I see a Langley that is important to me. I love Langley. I see two girls back there that I coach. That's what Langley is to me, is the people. That's how I've served this community, and I've always served this community. There's people in this room that have known me for 30, 40 years, and they can attest to my character and how I deal with people and how I respect people. And that's important to me, that that respect is restored in Langley. I talked about two debts when I opened. I talked about the obvious financial debt that we as a council need to address. We need to put together a plan, not hearsay, not a slogan, but a true plan that addresses this debt and provides a plan to grow Langley and provide infrastructure for the future of Langley without burdening our future generations. But I also talked about the debt of respect. And that means restoring respect to taxpayers, to small businesses that are dealing with an F report from the CFIB, to corporations who have invested in Langley, to outside investment. The mayor's role is to be the number one salesperson for Langley. This is something I've done all my life, is create strategic partnerships for business. And that is needed in our Langley. We need to attract investment into our Langley so that the burden isn't on everyone in this room as taxpayers, the families in this room, the seniors in this room that truly love Langley. I think you see from my track record that I love Langley. I love the people. I've always served it. I've raised millions of dollars and been a part of raising millions of dollars for many charities in this beautiful community. And it's something important to my heart that we restore the respect and the community aspect of Langley back to where it needs to be. My name is Jay Lundgren. I'm mayoral candidate for Langley Strong. See our plan at langleystrong.ca."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Good evening, everyone, and I just want to first thank you hosting this amazing event. Fort Langley is a special place to me personally. As many of you know, I grew up in Walnut Grove just down the road, my family moving there in 1984. And back then, Walnut Grove didn't have the infrastructure and amenities it has today. Fort Langley was where we came. If our car needed fixing, we would go to the Sinkovics auto shop there. If we needed some fixing in the home, we would go to the … Hardware Store on Glover. My sister and I played countless softball, baseball, and soccer games on the fields nearby here. And I still spend a lot of time here today with my family, walking the river, getting ice cream. This is an incredible community. It truly is one of the jewels of the Lower Mainland and has its history and character that needs to be respected as we plan for the future. The connection to the community is a big part of why I am running for mayor. And I want to be clear about something tonight. I'm not a professional politician. I haven't sat on council for eight years or been on a bunch of regional boards, and I'm not going to stand here tonight and pretend I have all the answers. What I am is a dad who's worried about two debts in this township. The first is financial. We're carrying a level of debt that concerns me. It's putting pressure on taxpayers and reducing the financial flexibility that we'll need when times get tough. And the township's current five-year financial plan projects a significant increase in property tax revenue for 2027. For families and seniors already dealing with the rising cost of living, that's a serious issue. But there's another debt that concerns me just as much. And it's what I call a debt of respect. Respect for residents. Respect for small business owners. Respect for taxpayers. For neighbours who take the time to speak up about what's happening in their community. I believe people should be able to disagree with their local government without feeling dismissed or talked down to. And restoring that respect is a big part of why I'm running. I grew up here. My wife and I are raising our four kids here, and I've spent years coaching kids here in Langley. Langley has given my family so much, and I want my kids and your kids to have the opportunity to build their lives here in the future. And that means respecting taxpayers, being disciplined about spending, being transparent about our finances, and making sure we're getting value for every dollar. It also means respecting the individual communities like Fort Langley that make up this township."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "I want to thank everyone here again for coming out and being a part of this conversation. I think it's important that we're continuing to have conversation as a group and getting the feedback from residents. These conversations matter in every community. In the Township, we can't understand what Fort Langley needs by sitting in an office at Township Hall. This conversation needs to happen. We need to be here. We need to listen. And we need to keep that conversation going even after the election. I started tonight by talking about two debts, financial and a debt of respect. And for me, restoring respect means respect for taxpayers, respect for communities like Fort Langley, respect for small businesses, farmers, seniors, respect for people who disagree with us, and respect for our kids in the future we're leaving them. And for me, that one is personal. As a father of four, I want my kids to be able to grow up in Langley, find a home, build careers, and raise their own families here in Langley. And I also think about my parents and in-laws. Like many seniors, they're living in a world where everyday costs just continue to rise. And we need to be mindful of what increasing, municipal costs mean for the people on fixed incomes. Those two generations remind me of good local government or what good local government should be about. Taking care of the community we have today, while planning responsibly for the community we're leaving behind. And that requires listening. Our team has been out talking with residents across the township, including here in Fort Langley. And one message we continue to hear is simple. People want to be heard. Not just during an election, not after a decision has already been made. They want to know their voice matters at Township Hall. And I don't have all the answers. I'm not going to pretend that I do, but I do know how I want to lead. Listen first, be transparent about the decisions we make, respect the people we're elected to serve, and work together to get things done. The municipal election is on October 17th, and I encourage everyone here to learn about the candidates, look carefully at the different plans being presented, ask questions and make your voice heard. And if you're here tonight, we haven't had a chance to meet. I would love to meet you. I'd love to shake your hand and hear about your concerns. Thank you again to the Fort Langley Community Association for bringing us here tonight. And thank you to all of you for being here and caring about your community."

### Lauren Chalus (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What is one achievable improvement to public transit that you would advocate for during your four-year term?
  - "Thank you for the question. And we've been hearing a lot from residents that having better transportation in the township of Langley is something that's extremely important to them, and also specifically in Fort Langley. And our platform is committing to improving regional transportation and making sure that Langley is ready for the Skytrain. Part of that will include working with TransLink to design stronger feeder bus networks, as well as expanding the park and ride capacity, which I think is vitally important for our commuters. As well, we'll be working with neighboring municipalities to advocate for transportation investments across our region. This Skytrain is expected to be done in 2029, and we need to be ready. Good transportation is not just about building a Skytrain. But making sure that every community will actually benefit from it."
- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Following the loss of the historic McIver House in Glen Valley, what should the Township do to identify and protect vacant or at-risk heritage buildings?
  - "Thank you for the question. And the loss of the McIver House was heartbreaking for the community, and I think we saw the public outcry online. And as a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee, it was definitely very upsetting to see, but part of our plan would be to work with the Heritage Advisory Committee or the Langley and Aldergrove Heritage Society to identify vacant or at-risk heritage buildings before they are lost. We would also look to expand awareness of heritage grants and incentives to help owners find practical and financially available options. The township, of course, cannot force any private landowners to restore heritage buildings, but it can make preserving one easier and more affordable. Our heritage tells the story of our community and when it's gone, it's gone. Thank you."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Several recent proposals in Fort Langley have included taller, higher density buildings. What building heights and density levels do you consider appropriate for the village core?
  - "Lauren Chalus Langley Strong, and we've heard from so many residents in Fort Langley that they're extremely worried about the loss of character and community feel, and I know I personally am too. Part of our plan is that I would support keeping the village core primarily low-rise, and this is already envisioned in the existing plan. I would also look to update the community plan and zoning bylaw with clear, enforceable standards for heights, setbacks, and designs. You know, this would all be done, of course, with public consultations, so residents feel like you actually have a real voice in the matter. Fort Langley's character is one of its greatest strengths, and it's honestly the jewel of the township, and it's extremely important to me. Thank you so much."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "I align and support the above platform that my Langley Strong team shared so far. Review the Soil Deposit and Removal Bylaw with the AAC, the LFI and other stakeholders. Rural enforcement team (focus on soil, ditch filling and truck parking)"
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "We need to update the rural plan! Work to find parking solutions with industry and province. Increase enforcement and keep trucks on trucking routes. Include public input, farmers, Ag and Rural Stakeholders. Focus on zoning concerns."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is fundamental for farming and groundwater is part of Langley's overall water supply. We need to properly map and protect vulnerable aquifers and recharge areas, and that work belongs in the new rural plan. Before approving development, fill or other uses over a vulnerable aquifer, we should understand what impact it could have on the water underneath."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is critical for rural growth; identify vulnerable aquifers/recharge. Make these part of the new rural plan. Township should see the impact before approving new developments. Zoning details should also be transparent- soil, ditches, subdivision and density are in our control for approvals. Full aquifer map goes in rural plan, every application get tested on impact on aquifer."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What would you want done to make it easier to build housing that people in the community can actually afford to buy? Should the Township act on development cost charges or the time permits take?
  - "Thank you for the question Cory, and absolutely and I think we've been hearing a lot from the business community that the Township is quite unpredictable when it comes to development applications We're constantly hearing that the goalpost is moving and it's making it more challenging for businesses and developers so we would look to implement digital permitting and something similar to a 3-1-1 model that you are seeing in other municipalities I think we can learn from other municipalities on how they're doing it and how they're speeding up the permitting and licensing process because time is money and that cost is being put back on to the buyer or the tenant and that could be both from the residential or the commercial space Additionally when it comes to DCCs we do need to obviously use them because we do need to have growth paid for in some way when it comes to development cost charges but we also do need to diversify our industrial tax base and we need to expand and we need to look to continue with expanding and protecting employment lands across the Township Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: A lot of amenities and infrastructure have been built in the Township in recent years. What are the biggest capital priorities you would advocate for going forward?
  - "Thank you Cory, and Lauren Chalus with Langley Strong I think I'll start with BRT I think that is vitally important especially with the expansion that we have seen within the Township and I fully support it with the movement of people going from the Township and back and forth to Maple Ridge But also with the SkyTrain we need to be ready We need to have a plan in place to support the commuters whether that is bus feeder networks across the Township connecting into the core to be able to take the SkyTrain whether that's looking at a parking strategy so that we can make sure that commuters have somewhere to park to be able to safely and properly use the SkyTrain but as well approach or adopting the approach of park once and walk often And this could be having you know employment and commercial centers enforcing this so time limits associated with how long that people can park for better access for commercial and industrial to any new developments that we're planning up 200th because 200 it's likely going to be a commercial and employment hub. And we need to make sure that we are ready for it. Thank you,."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What kind of leadership or decision-making style would you bring to the role, and why is your voice beneficial at the table?
  - "Thank you so much Cory and for me it's about respect we have to be respectful to one another no matter what the problem is or to the decision but what I like to always lead by is we need to be hard on the problem and not on the people and that is something that I carry with me through my work we need to have dialogue and I find that some of the best decisions and outcomes usually come when there is a disagreement at the start and I welcome that and for me what I feel that my style brings to the table is I have over 11 years in the project delivery space and I have been part of some very controversial high-profile projects where people do not like what I'm doing and I have experience with having those hard discussions having that dialogue collaborating listening to the community and seeing if we can find solutions that people can live with and for me that is what I'm planning to bring to the table you know I know that we're gonna going to have to make hard decisions I know that they're going to have be large projects but for me I will always lead with kindness and I look forward to … hopefully getting your vote on October 17th."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you and good evening everyone. My name is Lauren Chalus and I'm running for Township Council with the Langley Strong team. I'm a young professional whose career has been focused on delivering major capital projects across both BC and Alberta, including on some of Canada's largest. Throughout my career, I have worked with all levels of government, from municipal with federal regulators, the province, indigenous nations, and with communities to move complex projects forward. I've also been on the other side of the table as a project proponent, working through Township approvals and permitting processes. I understand what helps projects succeed and what creates unnecessary delays and costs. I've also proudly served on the Township's Heritage Advisory Committee for over two years. I'm running because I believe that businesses deserve a Council that is transparent, predictable, and focused on getting things done the right way. Local businesses create jobs, they support our community, and they build a stronger local economy for everyone. Thank you and please vote Langley Strong."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you. Businesses need a Council that understands what it takes to invest, build, and grow in our community. My career has been about problem solving, bringing people together, and navigating complex processes while balancing public interests. I'm Lauren Chalus and on October 17th, I hope that you vote for Langley Strong. I'm number one on the ballot, so please vote or save your first vote for me. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "My name is Lauren Chalus and I'm running for Township of Langley Council with the Langley Strong team. I'm a young professional whose career has been focused on delivering major capital infrastructure projects across BC and Alberta, including on some of Canada's largest. I want to bring that experience in project delivery, consultation, and accountability to the council table. I've also proudly served on the Township's Heritage Advisory Committee for over two years, where I have first-hand experience in seeing why Fort Langley's unique character in heritage matters. I'm running because I believe we can restore respect to our local government through transparent governance, fiscal responsibility, and decisions that put our community first. Thank you for having me this evening, and I look forward to the discussion."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Lauren Chalus, Langley Strong. Thank you again to the FLCA for hosting us tonight and for everybody who attended this evening. I hope that you've heard that I am someone who believes in respectful leadership, practical solutions, and making decisions that people can actually trust. I want to bring my experience delivering major projects, working with communities, and solving difficult problems to the township council. I'm Lauren Chalus, and on October 17th, I'm asking for your support. I'm number one on the ballot, so please save your first council vote for me. Thank you."

### Andy Shen (Councillor, Independent)

- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: With public hearings no longer available for some land use decisions, how would you ensure residents are meaningfully consulted before council votes on major proposals?
  - "My name is Andy Shen. I believe that because Bill C-44 was passed and they removed the need for public consultation, a lot of the messaging from the community aren't being heard. And this is emphasized when you have a slate dominating the whole city council. I don't believe that a slate should dominate. I think that as an independent voice, I want to hear the feedback from the community and I want to be a champion for those who live in the township of Langley because you guys are the taxpayers. We should listen to you, not to a particular slate. Thank you."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: The Township depends on organizations such as Langley School District, the City of Langley and TransLink to deliver essential services. What would you do to strengthen those working relationships?
  - "Andy Shen, independent candidate. So, I've worked for the BC Pharmacy Association, BC Optometry Association. I've worked for the federal government. I've also worked for the city of Coquitlam. Well, I volunteer for the city of Coquitlam and not work. So, I was a committee member, just making that clear. What I find the most useful is communications. When you have dialogue with certain organizations, they already have government relations folks and trying to convey our point of view together. I think what would be best for Langley is to have a dialogue with School District 35 or Langley School District. We should work with TransLink and we should work with the city of Langley to ensure that there's a dialogue to... Thank you."
- **Arts and culture** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What specific action would you take to help arts and culture — theatre, music, festivals, visual arts and dance — grow in Langley?
  - "Andy Shen, independent candidate. So part of my platform is that we need to back our small businesses and tourism, because when our small businesses do well, there's more money that we can pull from, not just for residential taxes. I think that we need to give people in all over Metro Vancouver, as well as the Lower Mainland, a reason to come to Langley. Langley is the birthplace of BC. We need to make sure that they keep coming back so that they can explore history here in our city or township, that they can learn something new and that they can make friends. We have a small community. We have actually many different communities, and I think there's a lot for people to come and explore. And when people come to Langley, it helps our small businesses, which I've met many over the past year, and they're struggling right now. Our economy is not doing well, both provincially and federally. So we need to work hard to make sure that we support our economy and people."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Support establishing an ALR commission with enforcement power. asking province to open up a community charter to give municipalities new powers and ability to give fines above $500 (bylaw limit), more support for education and deterrence of violators, active patrol and invest in infrastructure"
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Update Rural Plan. Give enforcement powers to farm commission. Ensure farmland stays farmland. Update community charter to give more tools to the municipality."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Establish water metering. Conduct environmental studies on the state regularly so we get regular data. Protect ALR and ensure that ALR land is being used efficiently. Prove incentives to preserve/discourage subdivision."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber hears from its members how traffic congestion affects employees, customers and the movement of goods that cannot easily go by transit. What should the Township do to improve travel reliability on the road network?
  - "So transportation is something that affects everybody in this room. You got here today through the use of roads. … But if you work in Vancouver, if you work in Richmond, sometimes it could take up to 10 minutes to just get off Highway 1 at 200th Street. And I feel like that's ridiculous. They haven't been investing in infrastructure. The previous councils haven't. And this is the price that we're paying for now. We really need to be investing in our TransLink corridors. Whether it's 200th Street, the SkyTrain is going to be coming to Langley. We need to reimagine how traffic is going to get to where they need to go. The other thing is from a business perspective, traffic is a handicap when it comes to being competitive in … Lower Mainland Market, If you want to get your goods to Vancouver, to other parts of the region, you need to sit through that traffic. We have a big industrial base here. I'll give you an example. Costco here, they service about eight different warehouses here in the Lower Mainland, and it all comes from this Langley Distribution Center by the Golden Ears Bridge. And we really need to be doing more to get businesses to come here and say, "Hey, we're gonna invest in our roads. You're going to get goods from one part of the region to another in the fastest possible way, and invest in Langley here."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Debt has become a pivot point in this election. Where should council draw the line between borrowing to meet the needs of a growing community and taking on too much financial risk? Would you finance future amenities and infrastructure with debt, and if not, how would they be paid for?
  - "So are … two types of debt that I can think of right now on a personal level. You have the debt that's a mortgage, where you're actually buying asset to cover that mortgage debt. The other is a line of credit, which you're just borrowing because you need to buy groceries or something like that, and you can't wait for your next paycheck. The issue that we're seeing in … the about Langley is that developers haven't been keeping up with the amenities, which is why over the last four years they've had to spend a lot of money in order to build those amenities. And they're not quite done yet because I feel like there's things like swimming pools, there's infrastructure, there's amenities that haven't been built and they really need to be built. The good thing about borrowing is that you can finance it over 25, 30 years, but you have to be careful because you shouldn't be using debt to build things that a few individuals can enjoy it should be for everybody and it should be for things that everybody can enjoy and it increases our property value things like debt servicing it shouldn't be put onto our debt this is not visa and mastercard we need to be fiscally responsible with people's money Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: SkyTrain comes into operation during the next council term. What public safety policies or funding would you prioritize so that residents and businesses around the station do not see an increase in crime?
  - "So right now in Langley I feel like we've already had an increase in crime because our RCMP is very expensive to fund and they haven't been funding to the point where our population is growing. We really need to be funding our RCMP. The other thing is we need to be working with our provincial and federal stakeholders, our provincial and federal government because the issue is, and you can talk to any RCMP officer, every day they catch the same people. They book them into jail and the next thing you know they're getting a slap on the wrist and they're out in society just doing it all over again. Every store that you go to ask them about the shoplifters. They know who they are. They're probably on a first-name basis. We need to do more to invest in our crime fighting we need to do more in getting our provincial government to fund mental health so that people get the help that they need and we need to make sure that Langley becomes a good place to do business because when you're a business, you shouldn't be worried about whether people are going to steal your assets. You should be worried about operating your business. So I think we need to do more in investing in public safety. We need to make sure that we keep our taxes in line while doing all that. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "My name is Andy Shen. I'm running as an independent candidate in this 2026 municipal election. No it's municipal not provincial. I've lived in Langley for the last six years with my wife and now we have two kids one is two years old and the other is four months old we love Langley my wife works at the hospital she's been working there for almost a decade and this is where we want to raise our kid but the issue is taxes are up 22% in the last four years this is not a cost that many families can absorb when you get when you work as a regular salaried employee or if you're a pensioner you can't just go to the person who gives you the paycheck and say hey I need a 22 percent raise because I can't afford life anymore they would say go find a different job and I think here at the Township of Langley we need to be looking at how we can reduce cost for people so that we can ensure that Langley remains an affordable place for people to live the other thing is we haven't been investing in infrastructure we really need to be doing that getting swimming lessons shouldn't be like a concert ticket I'm surprised people haven't been scalping it maybe we'll do it to lower our taxes my name is Andy Shen independent hopefully I can count on your support."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "So one thing that I did want to bring up in my closing is I did work for the BC pharmacy association. As part of my work, we lobbied the government for minor ailment prescribing, which means that you can go to your doctor, you can go to your pharmacist for 21 minor ailment as far as birth control without going to the doctors. That increases efficiency. It helps us keep our spending in check. The other thing that I want to bring up is I'm running as an independent. I'm not running with... … folks or those folks I can feel the fire coming from both sides I'm running as an independent, which means that I can think for myself, and I hope I can count on your vote."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hi, everyone. My name is Andy Shen. I'm running for Langley Township Council. I'm an independent candidate here representing you. I am a father of two. I have a wife who works at Langley Memorial Hospital. I care about this community. A lot of younger people might know me as the Costco guy because what I want to do is I want to help people save money. But taxes are becoming out of control. I think we need to focus on affordability. We need to go back to basics. We need to focus on our roads. We need to focus on our infrastructure because our kids are growing up. My kids are two and four months old. And I don't want them to grow up where every swimming lesson is like trying to buy a concert ticket. I don't want people to have to go out to the communities like Fort Langley to go to a swimming pool. They just covered the swimming pool that you guys have here. I think …"
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "I think we're all here today because we care about Langley. Everybody behind me cares. Everybody in front of me cares. Everybody online cares. I think what we need to do is vote in the right people into council that will listen to you over the next four years, because they make decisions that will affect our lifetimes. We need to make sure that our council is accountable to you guys, the taxpayers, the people who actually live in Langley. October 17 is going to be an important day. I know many of them behind me, they vote all the time. This is your one time in four years to vote to determine who is going to be on council to vote on your behalf. And I hope I have the privilege of earning your vote. Thank you. Andy Shen, independent candidate."

### Leith White (Councillor, Independent)

- **Climate and environment** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Do you support creating a climate action plan for the Township of Langley, and if so, what would that look like?
  - "Yes, I do. I would definitely support a climate action plan. The issue that this touches on is really one of water. That is the risk. And with the amount of paving that we're doing, our runoffs, our infrastructure is not able to support that sort of runoff. And so we have to be attentive. We have to be investing in that infrastructure because the risk that we have regarding flooding, both in farmland, and in our urban environment is critical. So absolutely, I do support it. Thank you."
- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: What role should the Township play in addressing homelessness, and what specific form of support would you prioritize?
  - "Having worked in the Langley community for the last 25 years, specifically with the homeless community, one of the key things that I see is truly a need for adequate advocation. And as has already been mentioned with the provincial government for services, there are communities within BC that are receiving housing funds and resources with unhoused individuals at a lesser ratio than what you find in the township of Langley. And that's just not acceptable when you look at the density of the issue that we are living with. So that is a huge factor. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "Leith White, Independent Candidate, time is money, and it's the one lever that the township can really move is the aspect of time, and that's processing applications. Every month, a project sits in the queue, it carries costs, and those costs get carried and passed forward on to consumers. The other thing I would suggest is ensuring that hiring and staffing for this particular area is adequate and sufficient, because there can't be those sort of delays that hold back these projects, as well as the use of digital processing, vital that we use the technology that's available. The other aspect is, thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Specialized training and Agri background, education, updated bylaws with enforcement that has teeth and revisitable."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Rural plan 30 years old/outdated, must be updated. Include farmers that require edgewater provisions. Direct to non ALR Fraser Hwy employment lands; press province for 264, Abbotsford solutions."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Commit to resources and budget for ditch maintenance like we fund road maintenance. Build into capital plan."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What would you want done to make it easier to build housing that people in the community can actually afford to buy? Should the Township act on development cost charges or the time permits take?
  - "I … would agree with what I've heard in terms of the processing time for applications. It's critical. As Lauren said, time is money And, and that is a critical aspect of the whole process. I think we need to do more, as Blair mentioned, about leveraging technology to actually process permit applications and plan plans that are being submitted. There's a lot of advancement that has taken place in many other communities throughout BC that are doing this. For me, the critical thing about the whole housing aspect, which feeds into our finances, is actually what we're charging for DCCs. And I'm going to bring it back to that because right now, from my perspective, we are undercharging on DCCs. And it is it is creating a structural deficit within our community. And that means that if we're not charging enough, in the end, taxpayers hold the bill. They are the ones that are having to cover the gap between what should have been charged for infrastructure going in versus the reality of what they're being charged. So, thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Bus rapid transit is planned for 200 Street, connecting SkyTrain at Willowbrook to Carvolth, Yorkson and on to Maple Ridge. Do you support getting this project across the finish line, and how should the Township support transit expansion more broadly?
  - "So I'm a big fan of BRT. I think it's critical, especially along the 200th street corridor. Having the ability to move people, transportation along that corridor is vital for our community. It's connecting peace to SkyTrain station at Willowbrook mall, and without that kind of coordination and enhanced plan for transportation, It's just going to cause further problems. I think there are problems. That we need to look at In terms of … feeding … transportation lines towards the … corridor, that's going to be a critical component that needs to be evaluated and make sure that we have that done very well. In terms of … what was the other last? … [The moderator repeated the second part of the question.] Oh, … yeah, well, I'm a fan of active transportation of bike lanes. I think they're essential. What we have to do is make sure that, obviously, it's not impeding, uh you know, vehicles and transportation, um major transportation carrying goods. Thank you."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What kind of leadership or decision-making style would you bring to the role, and why is your voice beneficial at the table?
  - "Thank you, Cory. My decision-making style and my leadership style is very collaborative. Listening is key, and in my past four years as I've served on Langley City Council, it's been one of my strengths in being able to Engage not just the public, but also my peers, Council peers, in being able to have those conversations and being able to have those difficult conversations. Nowhere in the world does it work where people stop talking and stop working collaboratively. That garners a great result. If you want a good result, you have to know how to talk with people and work with people, and doing that on Council is essential. Facing, As Kim Richter said, a lot of crises, and one of them is a relationship. Crises and that matters and so this is one of the issues that we have to fix on Council and is one of the reasons why I'm running thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you, Cory. And thank you to all of you for joining us tonight. My name is Leith White. I am an independent candidate running for Township Council. My wife and I are … 30-year Township residents, along with, well, in the last 15 years in Willoughby. My family comprises of my wife, obviously, and eight grandkids. You know, I have to ask the question and make the statement that the, first 30 years of our life is I think spent primarily understanding who are and what we're about and learning how to put it into practice. And so I come to you with 33 years now of practice, business experience, public service and charitable service within our community for the last 25 years. And I look forward to running for a Township Council and bringing the skill set to you in the next term. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you for being here tonight. You know, I've learned that in life, how we do things matters as much as what we do. And how Council functions and operates as a group in serving you is the most critical aspect of what they are called to do. And so, I ask you to vote independent. And in saying that, I'm saying do your due diligence, look at the facts, consider the people, and make your choice. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening. My name is Leith White and I am an independent candidate. I say independent because the idea of independence is that you're alone. And I realize that actually I'm not alone. Working as an independent candidate, you're forced to work. You understand that you have to work with other leaders, other councillors, other individuals within our community. And that really is the strength behind what an independent brings. So my wife and I have lived in the township community for 30 years. And my last four years I've spent on council with Langley City. And I'll finish there."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Leith White, independent candidate. I'll start off by saying this, I'm an independent, and I fully support the characteristics and the attributes and the value that independence brings to the pool of candidates for council. Having said that, the challenge that I give to you tonight, is that you vote with your conscience, you vote with your conscience, you vote for individuals that you feel will make a significant difference within the community, that can contribute to the community, that are vested in the community. Thank you."

### June Park (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: The Bedford Channel urgently needs dredging. What specific steps would you take in the near term to move this project forward?
  - "I'm June Park. I think Township Council already implemented funds to restore and work on the dredging on the Bedford Channel. The real problem is, how are we going to do with the material that we remove from the river? As we're closely working with Kwantlen First Nations, and also with the local, provincial, and federal government, in order to, you know, not just solve this problem right now, but for the long term, we need to work on the site to remove all the materials and store them. So, that's what we're planning for the next term."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: With the restoration of the Haldi House bringing renewed attention to Marina Park, what is your vision for the future of this area?
  - "We have already seen the restoration of Haldi House and public consultation begin on Marina Park. Now we need to build on that work. Mayor Eric Woodward secured a site to move the motorized boat launch out of the town, the Bedford Channel by working with the Metro Vancouver. And this is, this will unlock the full potential of the waterfront as beautiful public amenity and not sold off for the development as was originally planned."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Despite repeated work and spending on the Glover Road crosswalk, vandalism concerns remain. What solutions would you support?
  - "Hi, June Park, Progress for Langley, thanks for the question. So nobody wants to see any vandalism on the public property. It happens everywhere, but we don't want to see that happening on our public assets, and especially in Fort Langley when the place is so historical. The cameras have been installed, but it doesn't solve the problem. So what we need to do is find the people who did it with the cameras, more cameras needed, and find them accountable for what their actions are. A council, next term, will definitely work with the residents. They should not pay for all the repairs, because it keeps happening, and that all goes to residents' shoulders. And we'll not make that happen again by installing more security systems around the Fort Langley area. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber hears from its members how traffic congestion affects employees, customers and the movement of goods that cannot easily go by transit. What should the Township do to improve travel reliability on the road network?
  - "You know, infrastructure on the roads is a problematic for not just in Langley, but everywhere right now, especially the area that has a rapid population growing. I have a similar experience in, another region working as executive director of Burnaby North Road BIA. Traffic is more horrible there What we did and what I did was talking to the business owners and the residents around the area I get a public hearing a consultation and feedback from the local people who actually gets impacted on the area and what we do is talking with different levels of government municipal provincial and seek for help from MLAs and MPs and finding a great solution to solve the problem and also not just talking to the local governments and provincial government what we should do is talking to TransLink a lot of conversations needed in order to solve the problem because we cannot solve the problem just by looking at just the numbers and the things that on the paper we have to actually listen from the residents who are in trouble with and that's my way of approaching things and make things moving progressively. Thank you."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Council approved a 3.97% property tax increase this year. What would be your priorities around taxation, and how do you balance the demand for services and amenities with the taxes needed to pay for them?
  - "I guess everyone's standing while I'm answering these questions, I'll do it. So what happened four or five years ago? Just our taxes went up Or no, it's everything went up after COVID, right? Our payroll stayed the same. Our grocery bill went up. I used to pay $10 for my lunch, but now I need to pay 20, dollars right? Given that, we did a great job. So what do what we need to focus. It's not just a number on the budget sheet and the paper, but we need to focus on what we really need for the Township. What we have done the past four years, … street, you know Langley … center upgrade with um ice sheet and dry sheets, um and a fire hall down to the southern Langley. All those things that we need, we have to build it right now. If you want to build it 10 years later, it's going to cost you double, triple. Imagine borrowing … $10,000 30 years ago, you still think that is a debt. But if you're trying to pay up $10,000 30 years ago, it's a lot harder than paying up $10,000 right now. That's what we're … We need to focus on the vision and what we need to build for the Langley. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: SkyTrain comes into operation during the next council term. What public safety policies or funding would you prioritize so that residents and businesses around the station do not see an increase in crime?
  - "Thank you very much for the question. Very generic question and I want to answer the generic way. You know, If more people are coming in with the TransLink and SkyTrain moving into our area, There's obviously going to be more vandalism, more crimes, And we need to get ready for that right now. And one of the ways we can do is increasing the staff in a police department. I think we have 19. Am I right? Yeah, … 19. Probably, we're aiming to have 30 during our term. It's just that something that we cannot ignore and we cannot prevent. You know, Business moving in, new way of transportation moving into Langley, population is coming into Langley. That's all happening right now and that's the reality. What we need to do is we need to find the right candidate who's actually going to listen, talk to residents, talk to businesses, and make the real decision with an accountability. Not just talk about numbers, false promises. Look at what we have done in the past four years. All there. We say what we're gonna going to do and we did it. And that's our next four years. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "I'll stand here and do a little bit of introduction … myself. Um I'm June Park. I have a small business in Langley, and I have been in a multiple leadership position in a different community organizations, and most importantly, I'm father of two young children. Um I'm president of Korean Society of British Columbia. I'm the 46th president, and youngest in the history. That organization has been here for like about 70 years, and also I worked as … executive director of North Road BIA for about four or five years, quite similar to Langley Chambers, representing the 200 plus businesses in the region, and I also served as Board of Governors at Kwantlen … University as a Board of … My family moved to Langley for the same reason that you're all here, because it's a great place to raise kids and grow business. But more people are coming in, and Langley is growing, and I want to bring my experience and expertise to Council, and that's why I'm here for you guys. Please vote for our team in October. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "One of those folks speaking. June Park with Progress for Langley team. The best number on the budget book, if you want to see that, is if we don't do anything for the next four years. Then we'll not have no debt. Nothing will be on the book. But if that's what you want, then you got to vote for that. But what we are trying to do is build infrastructure, roads, park facilities for … Langley, for the growing population here. We need your vote. Cast your vote on October 17th, and you're entering the advanced voting. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, everyone. I'm June Park, a business owner, community leader, and a father of two young children. I serve as president of Korean Society of British Columbia, and also I worked at North Road BIA as executive director, and I also serve on the board of governors for KPU. Through these roles, I learned the importance of listening, working together, and making responsible decisions. My family chose Langley because it's a great place to raise kids and grow a business. And as Langley grows, I want to bring my experience to council, working with local families, businesses, and bring real results to the community with accountability. Thanks."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "I'm June Park. I'm working with Progress for Langley. I just want to say thank you to everybody who came here today. I'm not a career politician. I don't read things off the script. I'm not … memorizing. I've been in a community leader position since grade 10 as a Leo Club president, and now I'm a 46th president of KSBC. So all I do is I get things done. I know who I should work with, which team I need to trust. So I want your support. Just don't get fooled by the numbers. If you want to talk about the house, just don't talk about the mortgage. You have to talk about the house. So when you talk about the debt, it's not everything. You have to see what we're actually building for the community. Thank you so much."

### Michele St. Germain (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: With public hearings no longer available for some land use decisions, how would you ensure residents are meaningfully consulted before council votes on major proposals?
  - "Thank you, Michele St. Germain. I've never sat on council, so I really don't know. But I know that when I do have that opportunity, I'll learn everything I can about it and I will stand up for the people and I will do my best job for you."
- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What role should the Township play in addressing homelessness, and what specific form of support would you prioritize?
  - "Michele St. Germain, Progress for Langley. That's a great question and I love that question. Province, it comes down, it's just not about municipal, it's also about provincial and provincial, including federal government. Homeless requirements, we have the province involvement in housing, health, and social services. We have a role. We need to advocate to the province to get help because it takes more than just a municipal slate to do this. The potential tool, new Langley housing, so we have the housing trust, that could be a big benefit for that as well. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "That's another loaded question. I think the greatest gift that we can give, Michele St. Germain, Progress for Langley, is give a listening ear. I think it's important that no matter what we do, we need to listen to what the people are asking and what is required to do what we need to do. And that's what I would do. I would listen and then take whatever I hear, take it to the table, and try and figure out how we go from right to left to right, to move forward. Thank you."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Revise the Rural Plan, enforce the bylaws."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Metro water to be used for urban water. Wells used for actual farm use crops/cattle/livestock and any kind of farm use."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Rural and agricultural land is part of Langley’s heritage, economy and lifestyle. How would you balance the needs of rural and agricultural residents with those of more urban neighbourhoods, especially where there is friction between them?
  - "Well, I think it's important to keep our urban, … our rural areas in our urban areas and keep it separate from rural. I'm sorry, I'm nervous and I can't think. What I bring, Thank you everyone. Thanks for your mercy. [The moderator repeated the question.] Okay, so it's really important to keep our high density on our corridors, like 200th Street and keep our rural land protected. And by doing that, we can keep that separated. But important with our rural land is keeping agricultural land is all rules the same for everybody. So that farmers get to farm the way they need to farm, that we can bring agriculture back like 4-H and we can do things to grow more crops and that. Because over 70% of our land in Langley is rural and it's important to keep it rural. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: A lot of amenities and infrastructure have been built in the Township in recent years. What are the biggest capital priorities you would advocate for going forward?
  - "Well, moving forward, I would say Glover Road is a big one for us. And it takes more than one government. It takes more than municipal. It takes several levels of government. So we need leadership that has good relationship with all levels of government. And that's where Progress for Langley is. Eric has been working really hard and diligently at that. Another thing to mention is the truck route through Fort Langley. That's another project that we've been working on. And getting that truck route off that main corridor to protect the people that live there So they don't have to listen to all that noise. Thank you."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What kind of leadership or decision-making style would you bring to the role, and why is your voice beneficial at the table?
  - "I'll … start with my voice. Being a mother and a grandmother, You're always refereeing. There's always something going on So you always have to come to a place of Just listening and trying to find solutions to build relationship. We're all unique in this room. Not one person is the same and we all have different values, different gifts, and we have a lot to give them. One of the things that I really appreciate is that we all really care about the Township of Langley and that's why we're here tonight. So I bring the business … set from being in real estate for almost 20 years as well as the farming aspect. But I noticed when I work with clients. My clients always came to me because they liked the service I gave them because I listened, I was honest, I'm a woman of integrity, I'm a woman of faith, and I really truly care about people. So no matter who I sit with at the board, I at Council, I will work with all of you. I will listen and I hope that we can all come together for the good of our Township of Langley. I'm Michele St. Germain running with Progress for Langley and Eric Woodward."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you. Good evening everyone. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you Cory and the Chamber. Where do you start? First of all I … thought I was at the wrong debate, but I realized no I'm not, Here I am. So Langley has been home to me since I was a young girl. I grew up here, I went to school here, I actually graduated from Mountain. Went to Fort Langley Junior Secondary, rode my bike here, rode my horse down to … I wouldn't ride my horse down to … today. I'm a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, as well as a second generation farmer. And we farmed everything from 96th Avenue to 16th Avenue. We did broiler chickens, I've done seed potato, We've done cranberry, We've done cow-calf operation. So I've had that experience and I've really enjoyed it. I care deeply for Langley and the legacy that we leave to our children and our grandchildren. I'm here to leave to a legacy. And I'm here to listen. Want to be able to go into meetings and hear what people have to say and I come with integrity and business sense. Please vote Progress for Langley. We're about making those parks happen. Thank you very much."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "For me it's more than politics. It's about community service and leaving a legacy behind. I'm asking you to trust someone who genuinely cares about this community. I will listen. I promise. And I'll always do my best to leave a legacy for our children in our grandchildren. I'm asking for your vote October 17th with Progress for Langley and our team. Thank you, Michele St. Germain."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, everyone. My name is Michele St. Germain. I've lived in Langley since I was a young girl. I've seen Langley grow. I went to school here in Fort Langley. I rode my pony and my bike down these very roads. I'm a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, as well as a second generational farmer. I care deeply about the legacy we leave here in Langley. And to me, the importance is keeping that legacy and moving forward. We have so much to give and we have our children and our grandchildren to prepare for the future. And we want that. We want generations to stay in Langley, not move away from Langley. I am here to listen, work hard, and that's about it."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Well, one thing I know, I need to take a Toastmasters course. Just saying, if I could sing it, I'd be in good business. But as far as talking, that needs some work. For me, this is more than politics. It's about community, service, and leaving something good behind for generations. I've seen so much happen here in Langley. I've seen so much growth. And what I love about Progress for Langley is they're progressing ahead. My little granddaughter doesn't have a playground, doesn't have a yard. She needs a playground. And the Yorkson Park has been just joy for us to enjoy. So let's keep moving forward. On October 17th, vote for Michele St. Germain. And Progress for Langley."

### Rob Rindt (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

No statements captured. This says nothing about their positions.

### Margaret Kunst (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is the most important improvement the Township could make to better support local seniors?
  - "Hi, my name is Margaret. I would focus on community connection and accessibility. Sometimes relatively small investments, a safe crossing, a bench, an accessible pathway, or better connection to transit, or even a ride to a community center can make a huge difference to a senior who is struggling with accessibility or loneliness. I recently attended a seniors fair at the Langley Seniors Resource Society actually yesterday. It was amazing to see the amount of resources for seniors, from meals and home support to travel and help with downsizing. But what occurred to me was how many seniors couldn't make it there because they didn't have access to transportation. I'd like the township to work together with community partners and stakeholders to test a pilot shuttle service for seniors in the township."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What formal role should community associations have in the Township’s decision-making process?
  - "Hi, I'm Margaret Kunst. Community associations provide something council just can't get from a staff report alone. Local knowledge. I'd support regular structured communication between council, staff, and recognized community associations, particularly when major plans or projects affect their neighborhood. They shouldn't replace broader public consultation, but they should have a meaningful seat at the table. We also need to make available a small grant that can be applied for through our Township of Langley Grants program as in the past. And in four years, we can have maybe five more all-candidates meetings. That would be awesome."
- **General** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: By the end of your four-year term, what one measurable result would you commit to delivering to Fort Langley?
  - "Hi, Margaret. If there's one thing that Fort Langley has been talking about for probably 15 years, it's those trucks. So we would love to keep pushing the needle on getting trucks removed out of Fort Langley. But you know what? My husband and I, we own trucks and my husband actually regularly goes down to Glen Valley. So we know that trucks actually need to go into Glen Valley and they need a safe route to exit. But let's face it, when there's like B trains, concrete trucks and gravel trucks, they're not servicing farms in Fort Langley. They're actually using it as a bypass. So we have to have some good local delivery only zones and enforcement. So enforcement is really important. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "We need stronger bylaw enforcement, with the ability to revisit rule breakers. And a dedicated team to cover our rural areas."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "We need to update the rural plan! We need to work with our provincial partners to have truck parking on crown land close to HWY 1 like they do in Europe! We can't address a problem without solutions. The trucks need a place to park not on ALR lands."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "We should ask the province to do an aquifer study since it licences the water. We need to also understand the importance of water to farming and if there is metering which has been talked about, how will that affect the viability of the farm."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: document
  - Asked: Sheet #4: AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  - "The AAC’s role is very limited. It is an advisory committee. The AAC members should play a bigger role in decisions regarding agriculture. The land commission. They need to play a bigger role in our TOL Policy making process"
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Commercial and industrial properties are taxed at a higher rate than residential ones, even though businesses use fewer tax-supported services. What is the right mix between what residents and businesses pay, and how do we keep taxes competitive?
  - "So currently, the business businesses pay 30 about 30, percent maybe even more, a little bit more of our property tax base. So we need to keep businesses, make making sure that they're viable and that they stay in our community. And that if we have a higher tax rate, they're gonna they're gonna take off so there's a really nice property over on 216th and 80th that we could have had some great employment there you know that could have been people working and people paying into our tax base right now we have employment lands that you know Fraser Highway we have some in Brookswood and that's gonna be a really great way for us to increase our tax base and keep making sure that our businesses are not gonna have to pay more and as well as our residents so we have to make sure that our businesses stay profitable and we can't talk some more."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Housing affordability affects employers trying to recruit workers and families trying to keep young people in Langley. What would you do as a councillor to increase the supply of housing that is affordable to the workforce, particularly “missing middle” housing?
  - "So, earlier this term we as a Council we were actually in this room where we met with consultation with TransLink we're working on the 2040 plan so there's three corridors or there's one … with three urban villages and in those hubs those are where we can we can build you know higher density places where people can work live they can get on the on the BRT get to the SkyTrain so we need to look at where density belongs which is on our 200th Street corridor and where people can actually get to work get to the Highway get to the SkyTrain I think that's you know a good place to start and yeah thank you."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley has many parks and trails, but many are sports fields or sidewalks. What has the Township done well in building and maintaining parks, and what would you change in how it expands green space?
  - "I it's one … thing I love about the Township of Langley and it is our parks and recreation. I grew up here and I can see how the trails, I mean you just go down to Derek Doubleday. I have a bike, I love riding my bike through the parks and trails. I have a brother that lives in Vernon he comes here to Langley. Guys, wow you guys have such great parks and what we need to do is we need to make sure that we prioritize that we take care of them. When I think about the facilities that we have, we do have amazing facilities but what people forget is that the councils before us actually bought the land that we could build the facilities on. So you know we talk a lot about what we've done this term but without the strategic acquisition land acquisitions of the councils before us we can't actually do this so a lot of the parks and trails that were that we're you know we get to enjoy today was actually built by previous councils so I just always want to just take a moment to just think about the people who were before us and acknowledge that and we've done some great things on this Council term and we can do more so I just want to say that thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Okay good evening everyone, my name is Margaret Kunst. I'm a long time … Langley resident, I was born in the Murrayville Hospital. My husband and I owned a small business in the agriculture sector for about 25 years. I want to thank the Chamber tonight for hosting us. You really help all of us dive into the important issues that businesses are facing in the Township and in the region. If there's one thing I can think of that a business is really striving, it's trust that they're wanting to see and they're wanting to earn from people. They want, you want to be able to know that people trust your brand, trust your business, and that you're reliable. And that's what I would still want to bring after eight years to the Council table, I want to bring trust and respect. And I want that I want to earn that from you and I hope I've done that for the last eight years. So thank you for being here tonight and hearing from all the candidates. It's not easy sitting up here with notes or without notes, so I just respect every single person here that has the courage to sit up here and run for office, and anyway, thank you very much."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Hi, thank you everyone for coming tonight. I think one of the most important things to me is having good relationships with people, having good relationships with my Council members, and even though there's tension at the table, that's actually how you make a good decision. I'm running with Langley Strong this time. I was an independent candidate twice, and I know that the people that I'm running with, we share some similar values. We won't always agree, but regardless of who gets elected, if I if I have your vote, I promise I will get along with everybody at the table, which I think is really important in these trying times. Thank you very much."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, Fort Langley. My name is Margaret Kunst, and first I'd like to thank the volunteers at the Fort Langley Community Association for hosting us tonight and for all of you for coming to hear all of the candidates. For the past eight years, I've had the privilege of serving as your Township of Langley Councillor. I was born and raised in Langley. My husband and I raised our four children in this community. We built our business here, and now we enjoy watching our seven grandchildren grow up in this community. I ran twice as an independent, and throughout my time on council, I've approached every issue with an open mind … to ask questions and to listen to the people I represent. This time, I'm happy to be running with the Langley Strong team, because we share many of the same values and the priorities. I'll continue to bring my own experience and judgment to every decision I make at the council table. Thank you."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "I wanted tonight to recognize the previous councils that did a lot of work. They sat here at these same all-candidates meetings. They were nervous. They got elected. We have mayors and councils to thank for everything that we are able to do today, because somebody did it, worked really hard before us. So I just want to recognize former mayors and councils. So tonight, I just want to thank everybody that came out tonight. My name is Margaret Kunst. I've been on council for eight years. I hope to be on council for another four years. What I bring to the table is a collaborative approach, common sense, and please vote Margaret Kunst and the Langley Strong team on October 17th. Thank you."

### Kim Richter (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Heritage protection in the Township largely relies on voluntary participation by property owners. Would you support stronger municipal protections for heritage buildings, and what would those protections look like?
  - "Stronger heritage protections is all about respect for heritage and for our communities. Once these buildings are gone, they're gone. And they've all been part of our collective community experience. That's created a recognizable community for us all. We need to protect that heritage. And we need to hear the voices of the community in response to protecting that heritage."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Do you support updating the Fort Langley community plan? If so, what should the updated plan prioritize?
  - "This is all about respect for communities, and absolutely, that is the case in Fort Langley. Only should we update this plan, yes, but only with full and meaningful consultation with the community. We need enforceable priorities, and we need to inform the community about changes that are being made."
- **Arts and culture** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What specific action would you take to help arts and culture — theatre, music, festivals, visual arts and dance — grow in Langley?
  - "Kim Richter, Langley Strong. All the arts are important to both culture and community, ours included. Finally, I think we need to deliver on a performing arts centre, which is long overdue for this community. And we need to continue and enhance the community grants that we make available for arts-related festivals. And Fort Langley is, of course, home to the jazz festival, and that brings so much tourism to us every summer. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "More planning staff to update bylaws, more bylaw enforcement and fines to regulate ditch filling, soil deposits, truck parking."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Update Rural Plan with LOTS of public input from all affected parties. Reduce large parcel subdivision on ALR land (keep big remaining farms at same size). More law enforcement and fines. Find suitable parking areas NOT on ALR areas."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: document
  - Asked: Sheet #4: AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  - "1. GIVE COMMITTEE A CLEAR SAY IN WHAT THEIR ROLE SHOULD BE. 2. UPDATE AAC T. of R. accordingly. 3. Council should consult with AAC more often."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How do you balance the competing needs of pedestrians, transit riders and drivers at the council table? What is the right mix between building roads, supporting transit and investing in sidewalks and cycling, when not everything fits in every corridor?
  - "By listening very closely and very respectfully to all of their voices because they all have valid points of view and we have we have to move goods via trucks, they need truck parking and they need arterial roads because time is money for businesses. Congestion causes problems and increased … cost for businesses. We also have to take care of pedestrians. Now I'm super happy that we're getting this BRT. … line. It's only been like 15 years in the making. But that's one set of options. We still need roads. We still need those roads to work effectively. And the Chamber's paper did remark on using some new technology initiatives and AI help. Not that I like AI, but that's another story. AI in order to keep the traffic moving. So that's what I would do. At Council table. Thank you."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Council approved a 3.97% property tax increase this year. What would be your priorities around taxation, and how do you balance the demand for services and amenities with the taxes needed to pay for them?
  - "Well, the reality is we can't do everything for everybody. We just can't afford to. And we have to live within our means, and this is why I think we're in a financial crisis right now. We're not living within our means. We've taken the Township, and I'm not going to say we because I don't didn't support a lot of those votes. We've taken the Township's credit card and run it up to the max. There's no more room on it. We have to get it under control. So the very first thing that Langley Strong is gonna do if they're elected is they're gonna have a forensic audit in the first 100 days. We need to know exactly how deep that hole is. And then we have to make a plan and a budget to get out of it. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: SkyTrain comes into operation during the next council term. What public safety policies or funding would you prioritize so that residents and businesses around the station do not see an increase in crime?
  - "Well, I certainly don't want to repeat what happened in Surrey and Burnaby in the first two years that they had their SkyTrain. And I think we can move around that. And I think the way we move around it is by having a proactive safety plan in place before we actually cut the ribbon and open the doors on the new train. And that's going to require collaboration around several tables, including Township bylaws, RCMP, transit police. It's going to require discussions with our neighbors to make sure that our plans are all coordinated. So that's the number one thing that I think should be done. I do believe that is an issue that the Chamber has highlighted and I thank you very much for highlighting it for us as candidates. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Hi, all. I'm Kim Richter. And I'm proud proudly running with the Langley Strong Team in this election. I've served this community for over 25 years, and I have never seen our Langley in a state like it's in today. We're in the middle of three crises. Number one, financial debt is out of control. Number two, governance. There's a lack of transparency and openness. And number three, community well-being. Neighborhood voices are being ignored. We need to tackle … these … head-on now, and Langley Strong has a plan to do so. Our plan starts by restoring respect for you the taxpayers, you the business owners, and for all our communities. It's a critical election for all of us. Thank you for being here tonight. Your vote matters."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you, … October 17th is your chance to demand better for our Langley. We all need a positive path forward. All our voices deserve to be heard in Council decisions. Your vote and your voice matters. Please vote to restore respect in Langley Township on October 17th. Thank you for your time tonight."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hi all, I'm Kim Richter, and I'm proudly running with the Langley Strong team. And I've served this community for over 25 years. And I've never seen our township in the state that it's currently in. We're right in the middle of three crises. Number one, financial. Debt is out of control. Number two, governance. We need one set of rules for everybody. And three, community well-being. And neighborhood voices are being ignored. The Langley we know and love is being threatened. And Langley Strong has a positive path forward to help us do so. This is a critical election for our Langley and our home. Langley is at a turning point. And I believe experience is what matters most when the decisions are this big."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hi, Kim Richter, proud member of the Langley Strong team. October 17th is your chance to demand better for our township. We all need a positive path forward, and all our voices deserve to be heard in decisions made at the council table. Please, vote to restore respect for our Langley in this election. Your voice and your vote matter. I respectfully and humbly ask again for your vote and your trust for myself and the Langley Strong team. Thank you for your time tonight."

### Michael V. Pratt (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: The Bedford Channel urgently needs dredging. What specific steps would you take in the near term to move this project forward?
  - "So this council in the last four years has for the first time actually set up a fund to be able to make sure that the dredging occurs on an ongoing basis. Previously, council has done a one-off process with dredging and we as a team would like to take a long-term, more proactive approach. And so once we determine where the material will be going, ideally with the Kwantlen First Nation, we will be able to move forward with the plan. We have the whole structure set aside that we are waiting for final approval and we can initiate dredging as soon as we possibly can. And that's something our team is committed to because obviously every single user group in the channel across Fort Langley and across our community needs this project desperately done."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Do you support updating the Fort Langley community plan? If so, what should the updated plan prioritize?
  - "Michael Pratt with Progress for Langley. And the simple answer is yes. I support a redo of the Fort Langley community plan, starting with community consultation as the baseline. Every community plan that's created is created to the best and highest potential when it starts with consultation. Fort Langley obviously has very strong opinions about what they'd like to see in their community. And I think that we need to, as a council, start with a listening exercise. And I look forward to hearing from you all about what we'd like to see as the future of Fort Langley."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Residents, visitors and businesses have raised concerns about commercial truck traffic through Fort Langley’s downtown core, including safety, noise and exhaust. What specific action would you take?
  - "Michael Pratt, progress for Langley. Our team this term has made sure that the detailed design for the new truck route out of Fort Langley is actually ready to go, so that as soon as the TransLink final approval and the ALC approvals before that are granted, we will be able to fund it immediately. We're the only team that's actually committed to funding it. We know how to fund it. We will get it done, and we will get it out of Fort Langley after so many years of waiting."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "We need to be more responsible with drawing from aquifers for urban use, to ensure that farmers and rural properties have a healthier aquifer to draw from. Using Metro water for urban use, while encouraging metering to reduce use and eliminate leaks. Could use Local Area Service process to facilitate municipal water use for larger water users."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Commercial and industrial properties are taxed at a higher rate than residential ones, even though businesses use fewer tax-supported services. What is the right mix between what residents and businesses pay, and how do we keep taxes competitive?
  - "Yeah, thank you for the question, Cory And as a team, what we'd like to see is that the ratio between the industrial, the commercial mill rate, and the residential mill rate stays. As narrow as possible in the long term so that it's fair for businesses and operators to do business here in the Township. And one of the ways that we will make sure that we keep that industrial and commercial tax base and mill rate as low as possible is to, where appropriate, where makes sense, expand our employment base, expand our industrial base. And we do that along major truck routes, like along Fraser Highway. We do that along major infrastructure nodes, like in Brookswood on 28th Avenue there. We don't do it by paving over the Salmon River watershed. We don't do it by paving over the forest and wetlands like is in the platform of some folks on this stage So what we do is we make sure that we have the right employment base we have the jobs close to home we have these employment centers for people to be able to work and live and play close to home here in the Township and that's how we're going to make sure in the long term we are growing our tax base in a sustainable way because the slower rate of development that we have brought in here in the Township on purpose by phasing multiple acres hundreds of acres in Willoughby that growth rate is … still sufficient to make sure that the growth is paying for the amenities that we're all enjoying while bringing in more people to shop at your business."
- **Growth and density** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley needs land for housing and also for places to work. Should new commercial and industrial land be prioritized as the community grows, and how, when there is friction with other uses such as residential?
  - "It's a great question Cory and thank you and over the course of this term our team has been very dedicated to ensuring that we have an additional supply of light industrial and employment lands in multiple different neighborhoods across the Township so that no matter where people decide to live in the Township they could feasibly live and work close to home. So for example, on the Fraser Highway employment land, corridor. We undertook one of the most rigorous public engagement processes I've seen even as a Council watcher before I was on Council. It's reminiscent almost of the Brookswood-Fernridge days, if you can remember the OCP open houses that they had for those. So we have had extensive community engagement, multiple rounds of iterations of plans. We have gone into Brookswood-Fernridge adjacent to Campbell Heights in an area where eventually we can bring additional transit, additional road infrastructure to make sure that there are employment centers close to home. Of course, we have initiated infrastructure projects like road widening, like detention pond construction, where we can have commercial mixed-use neighborhoods as well. Because it's not just about the employment lands, because obviously we need the warehouses. We have further, even more employment lands west of 200th Street coming. So across the Township, we're making sure that each community has a center that people can work, and we're going to continue that over the next four years. Thank you,."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How should the Township prioritize building recreation facilities, how do you balance the needs of its different neighbourhoods, and which projects should come first?
  - "When I grew up in Murrayville, the W.C Blair pool was there from the very beginning. It was something that I got to take advantage of from a very early age. Unfortunately, for the 65,000 people who currently live in Willoughby and the soon-to-be 100,000 people who live in Willoughby by the end of this half decade, There is no community centre, And so our team has been very clear that the number one priority for the next term will be to build a community centre in Willoughby with an adequately-sized aquatic facility with a library, gymnasium, senior centre, basketball, gymnasiums, everything of the works so that Walnut Grove can get their community centre back and the W.C Blair Pool in Murrayville can have pressure relieved off of it as well. Now, obviously Brookswood is the next horizon for growth over the next 20, 30 years. And so the planning and the proactive approach to getting a community center built in Brookswood begins now. We want to make sure that whoever is on Council over the next decade and a half does not inherit the same problem that we had, which was there was not a single plan for a Willoughby Community Center We undertook two rounds of public engagement to determine that the site next to the tennis center was not sufficient, that is why on day one, if there is a Council and a school board that is united in vision and drive to get that community center built, we'll approve the land swap so we can get a community center built and a new school built for Willoughby as well."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Good evening, everyone. My name is Michael Pratt. I'm a first-term councillor a lifelong resident of the Township of Langley with an urban planning degree and a very, very deep love of this place that I've called home for my entire life. When I first ran for Council, I ran because I wanted to help play a small part in fixing what I thought was broken about our Township's planning. And in my time on Council, what I realized is that the crisis and the problem was even worse than I thought. There were too many roads left unfinished. There were too many parks left unplanned. And there were too many facilities left unbuilt. And in my time on Council, I've worked with everybody. And I realized and I came to the conclusion that there was one group of people, there was one team that was actually committed to the long term, to fixing these systemic issues and to addressing them head-on And my fiance and I, we want to raise our future kids here. And that's why I'm running. Is for the future, for the Township that we're all going to live in, not just next year, but decades from now. Because that's how far in advance we need to start planning. We need to keep the progress going. We need to make sure that we're not continuously playing catch up and that we're not just making excuses about how something might not be feasible now. We need to find a way to do it. And that's what our team has been doing over the last four years. And that's what we'll continue to do. And I look forward to sharing more of that vision with you tonight. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Yeah, Thank you very much, everyone. My name is Michael Pratt, and I'm proud to be running with Progress for Langley this time. As an independent councillor, I got to work with everybody on Council over the last four years, and I'm pleased and I'm so proud to be on the team that I am today. I believe that Langley's best days are ahead of it. I've lived here my whole life. I'll spend the rest of my life here. Every single decision that comes across our desk, I look at through the frame of how this is going to benefit the future of our Township, And I ask for your support on October 17th alongside all of my colleagues on Progress for Langley. Thank you for coming out today, and thank you to the Chamber."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hello everyone. My name is Michael Pratt and I'm a first-term councillor, lifelong resident with an urban planning degree and a very deep love of this place that I call home. When I ran for council in the first place, I ran because I wanted to fix what I thought was broken with our community planning. And as a councillor, I came to realize that there was even more to catch up on than I was afraid of. There were too many roads left unfinished. There were too many parks left unplanned. There were too many facilities left unbuilt. And as a councillor, I worked with everybody. And I came to a realization that I actually didn't expect to make, that there was only one team that was actually going to deliver, that could deliver, and that had the thoughts to deliver on what our community needed for the next 30 years. My fiancé and I, we want to raise our kids here one day. And we want to leave behind a community where people have nature parks closer to home. Where people have options on how to get around. And I can't wait to share that message with you tonight."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Thank you, everyone. My name is Michael Pratt, and I'm running with Progress for Langley. And as somebody who was born and raised in this community, as somebody who's been able to deliver results for this community since I was 13 years old, with the Walk to Remember project at the Arboretum, to my time on council, whether it was advocating for the new strategic plan for the airport, a new Aldergrove library, advancing bus rapid transit for our community, I can work with whomever is on council. And I look forward to working with our Progress for Langley team to continue delivering because the community, our best days are still ahead of it. I firmly believe that as somebody whose roots are very deeply planted here, who will be spending the rest of my life here. And I look forward to earning your support alongside my colleagues. Thank you so much. Let's keep making progress because we can still do so much more together. Thank you."

### Benjamin Neff (Councillor, Independent)

- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: What is the most important improvement the Township could make to better support local seniors?
  - "One of the most important items for seniors in terms of health outcomes is aging in place. And so that is something that council actually has direct access to do is to alter bylaws in order to create more flexibility for seniors to age in place through whether it's secondary suites or accessory dwellings on properties that are near where they grew up and where they live, making that community connection stay."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: With the restoration of the Haldi House bringing renewed attention to Marina Park, what is your vision for the future of this area?
  - "With the restoration, that gives a lot of different economic and cultural opportunities for the interconnectivity for the Marina Park and the Haldi House to really highlight the amazing community that Fort Langley is and the culture that's here. Whether that's through economic activities, such as film activity, but more importantly, different cultural events that can be hosted in the park, whether it's different than the Cranberry Festival or other things that can be shifted over. And to see if we can foster more activity within this amazing community."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Despite repeated work and spending on the Glover Road crosswalk, vandalism concerns remain. What solutions would you support?
  - "Benjamin Neff, so like what was just said, Council has already put a motion forward in terms of getting a report to get actual concrete solutions for this. And so we have to look forward to that reports return and actually move forward with the recommendations that are there. But more importantly, we also have to recognize that these public symbols, they are public symbols. And this creates a dialogue that we have to engage with every day. This comes about education. It's not just crime prevention. It's about education so that people know what's happening, why it's being happened, and how we can engage better in our community, have better dialogue and avoid these situations from happening in the future, especially if there's certain motives that are behind situations like this."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Establish new bylaws that address the rural challenges of today. Update Rural Plan. Plan to reflect the reality of ALC and coordinate enforcement with provincial agreement."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Stricter requirements for use of allowable trucks, must be related to on-site AG updated Rural Plan."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Metro water to be used for urban water. Wells used for actual farm use crops/cattle/livestock and any kind of farm use."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Stricter requirements for use of allowable trucks, must be related to on-site agricultural uses. Updated Rural Plan. Ensure that the updated plan reflects farming practices and uses of today allowing farmers to innovate and market their goods. Additionally ensure that appropriate buffers and uses are reinforced to create the transition of urban to rural lands."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: null
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Work with ALC to create pathways for delegated enforcement capacity. Equip bylaw enforcement to address illegal dumping, parking and other core issues."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Rural and agricultural land is part of Langley’s heritage, economy and lifestyle. How would you balance the needs of rural and agricultural residents with those of more urban neighbourhoods, especially where there is friction between them?
  - "Well first we need clear boundaries. As we develop lands, as we move and as we expand, we have to expand slowly and in consultation which is actually a great moment that we're in right now because our rural plan is desperately needing an update And because of the changes from the provincial government that requires anything that's compliant to the OCP applications that go in don't need public hearings. So we've seen a lot of times that applications will go in and the neighborhood feels like they're left behind because they don't feel like they have a say anymore. But we're in this moment where we can come together collaborate and have a say over what the rural lands will look like. For the next 30, 40, 50 years or even 100. We have to do this well and in collaboration with our farming community there are many things farming practices have changed drastically over the last 30 years. So there are innovations and efficiencies that we can find and encourage through our updated rural plan. Now when I said boundaries this is important because as we're developing our suburban urban areas we need to have appropriate barriers whether it's environmental … landscaping barriers and like so that there is a transition between our urban centers and the farmland. We need to do this well. We need to be careful, but ultimately, we have to plan clearly and communicate with the public. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: A lot of amenities and infrastructure have been built in the Township in recent years. What are the biggest capital priorities you would advocate for going forward?
  - "Yeah, well, we've mentioned BRT. It's an important tool that we can use to get around the Township and not just in our cars. We have other options and hopefully we can expand that out. Relieve some of the traffic congestions, make people move faster, be able to get home, spend more time with family rather than sit in traffic like we all hate. I know you do as much as I. It was mentioned Glover. Glover isn't a really important transit through … for our trucks. We need to make sure that is widened that we can actually build that infrastructure out so that trucks, people aren't sitting in traffic, but we can get our goods from the bypass up to … Highway one efficiently and effectively, moving goods. Third is Fraser Highway widening. That is a project that needs to be completed. Again, making sure that trucks and our main arteries we're able to move and drive and have other access points. And the last piece is 202 needs to be completed. We need … That is a quagmire through North Langley that needs to be fixed, needs to be completed, worked on, and I hope we can move forward with that in the next Council. Thank you."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How would you work collaboratively at the council table, particularly when disagreements arise, and if council ends up a mix of the two slates and independents?
  - "Yeah, well, I sure hope there's a mix, because a mix of ideas is how we actually achieve what the best type of Langley we can get. We get there through the combat and the discussion of ideas. Not just what we come up in a back room and come out and say, hey, this is what we're going to do. And ultimately, remember this. As voters, we build Council one seat at a time. Whether that becomes a you know a slate or not, that is up to you. And so on Council, everybody is actively acts as an independent. They might have a title, they might have a team that they say they're supporting, but ultimately, that support is simply a promise. It is a promise to work together, and I hope that But as independents, anybody who's elected is willing to work with everybody who's at the table. Now, I think partisanship is something that is counteractive to the best Langley possible. It means we have more division, we have more hostility, more combativeness. We don't need that at Council. We don't need that spilling into our social media and spilling out into the wider public. We need discourse, collaborative discourse, to move a Langley that is worth it for everyone together forward. Hope that I can do my part on that on Council. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Good evening. My name is Benjamin Neff. I'm running for the Township of Langley Council as an independent. I've lived here for the last 10 years but I've been part of this community for all my life, playing in sports and local community groups. My wife and I chose Langley to build a life here because it's a unique community. You've got farmland on one side, growing neighbourhoods on the other and history scattered throughout it. I run a small business helping families, businesses and homeowners interact with municipal governments, provincial and federal depending on what their needs are. So I've … been across on the other side of the counter. I've seen good projects be delayed when answers take too long, when Council and when government doesn't work well. But we can do better here. I hold a Master's of Public Policy and I'm running to build and plan for the future, to foster communities that are worth living in, to serve our community well. And we do that by governing collaboratively Because Langley is worth getting right for my family, for your family, for our neighbours and all of our community and everyone who calls Langley home. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Chamber, for putting on this event and everybody coming out and taking an interest. We need to build a community not just affordable but one that's actually worth living in and I know you want that as much as I do and we do that by choosing what councillors one at a time and so I hope you consider beyond the affiliation or the title but you look at the values, you look at the vision, the character and what each candidate professes. Rather My name is Ben Neff. If you like what I stand for, please consider voting for me on October 17th."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hi everyone. I'm Benjamin Neff. I am a local dad who really just wants what's best for my family, for my neighbours and my community. I lead and own a public affairs firm here in Langley and I often am working with clients, whether they're residents, business owners, really just try and solve problems with the government and unstick sticky situations. And unfortunately, too often our governments are so focused on process, they often lose sight on outcomes and the people they are supposed to serve. And I think I want to contribute to a council that is planning for the future, that's building for the future, that's listening to the residents before decisions are made. And finally, that understands the tradeoffs that families make every single day. We ask a lot, whether it's through taxes or other things. Thank you."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Benjamin Neff, thank you, Fort Langley Community Association, for putting on this wonderful event and inviting everybody here today. Oh, am I over already? Oh, boy. That was fast. I blacked out. I said at the start that I think the government should work for the people rather than the other way around, and that should be with our tax dollars. That should be with our community. What we build, our community centers, our activities that go on. And that means also how our council acts. They should be acting on the behalf of residents rather than thinking that the residents should be grateful for what we are doing on council. So I've spent my career navigating government and actually how they operate and how that turns into the decisions that are made in the council chamber. And I want to bring that experience to council to listen, to find creative solutions, and to move forward together. Thank you."

### Tim Baillie (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Following the loss of the historic McIver House in Glen Valley, what should the Township do to identify and protect vacant or at-risk heritage buildings?
  - "The best thing you can do is you have to work with the owners. These are private properties and you cannot force owners to deal with their own property in ways that are going to go against their wishes. So, you have to work with them, encourage them, maybe some grants and all that kind of stuff, but when it comes to dealing with heritage properties and that, you have to make sure that you are not also trampling on the private rights and responsibilities of property owners."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Several recent proposals in Fort Langley have included taller, higher density buildings. What building heights and density levels do you consider appropriate for the village core?
  - "Tim Baillie, Progress for Langley. Yes, public consultation is a must, and that can tie in with Fort Langley community plan. So right now there is a recommendation for a building that's four stories. It's right in behind the community center, and I'll guarantee you I will not support that because four stories is out of the question. We have to ask the Fort Langley people, what do you want to see, how do you want to interact, and how do you want to have your community go forward? In the past, there has been an awful lot of discussion, I'm going to put it nicely, discussion about how this should go forward. I agree fully with the fact that we have to come and ask the people in this very unique community of Fort Langley, what do they want to see, and how do they want to see it go forward?"
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "Well, I hate to tell everyone, Tim Baillie, Progress from Langley, that we did speed up the process, the building, especially in residentials. We have greatly and significantly sped up that. But one of the things we did this last term was we created the Housing Trust. That is creating over 200 units for people who live and work in the community. That's firefighters, that's cops, that's nurses, people that you need to have in the community. And we are right now up on our sixth story on the first build, and we are making great progress in the Aldergrove one. So we have already taken very significant steps towards housing for people who live and work in the community."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "By hiring more bylaw officers that are specifically trained in areas like soil, ALR restrictions and proper usage, direct and fast actions should be the goal of TOL, possibly a direct complaint line to speed up compliance and enforcement, easy access to rules for possible users and advocate to the province for faster ALC rulings and fund enforcement."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Do not remove ALR land especially for truck parking, use proper zoning for trucks. Truck parking is vital for farmers and it needs to be a part of a revised Rural Plan. SPEA land must be protected for environment and fish. It has been too long that the Rural Plan has been not been revised, part of our platform."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Aquifers are declining and at risk verified by the province with over 7000 licensed wells and unknown un licensed, convert to metro water where possible, those areas that have aquifers actually recovering. Aquifers should not be used for so called emergencies as it does not work. Aquifers must be protected from current private well users and farmers. Water courses must be protected and respected for fish and other wildlife."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How do you balance the competing needs of pedestrians, transit riders and drivers at the council table? What is the right mix between building roads, supporting transit and investing in sidewalks and cycling, when not everything fits in every corridor?
  - "Well, as you've seen over the last four years, we've taken a lot of pressure off of 200th by finally finishing 208 After, what, over a decade of fooling around with that, we've also put in a very significant amount of bike lanes. And we've improved vital things, like if you look at what happened on 40th Avenue there, when the Atmospheric River in 21 took that down, it wasn't repaired properly and then a couple years later it dropped, it dropped at the wrong time so we had to have that out of service for something like eight months. Compare that to 216 now where we went ahead, that is off for two months because you have to deal with federal government, with DFO, you have to deal with the Ministry of Environment, low water flows and also trying to fit it into a time when there's not a lot of road users. I look at it a different way also too, I look at it for emergency services, made sure that when we're talking to transit that the BRT line is also available for emergency vehicles and that's vital because sometimes when you get into a collision scene you have to make sure you can get through that believes police, fire and ambulance. Thank you."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Council approved a 3.97% property tax increase this year. What would be your priorities around taxation, and how do you balance the demand for services and amenities with the taxes needed to pay for them?
  - "Yes, I really want to address, you know, like here we increased the taxes 20 percent over four years and now they say we're going … to increase 22% over one year. You know, the last year was projected at 17% and we came in at … So it shows that those figures that are being used in this election are political to be kind, okay? And looking at what we're doing is we're investing now at a lower interest rate. We get a much lower interest rate by borrowing the way we are. And we are looking at how we can pay it down. We've got a plan with CACs, which are funding. The debt right now, that is not operating debt, that is capital debt, and that is very, very important to establish that. So when you're looking at the debt, also look at what you're gaining. You're getting world-class facilities that are benefiting the youth of today, tomorrow, and into the generations. Also we borrowed for a fire hall that is going to serve this community without any renovations of that for at least 30, 40 years. So borrowing for capital assets is not the same as borrowing on a credit card. Thanks."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber is hearing more from its members about encampments and street crime, including in Willoughby. What is the Township’s role in addressing street disorder and street crime, and what would you advocate for at the council table?
  - "So I've in the past been on the Surrey Crime Prevention Society, and I've also been a community representative for the Surrey pre-trial. So I've seen some of the downsides of what's going on. At the pre-trial, and people think that's not a full prison and that at the time that I was on that the Bacon Brothers were imprisoned in there and saw that the situations that evolved like throwing cocaine and that over the top and that. So I worked in Whalley when the SkyTrain came in and I saw firsthand and I dealt with firsthand the results of what's going on there. Surrey Crime Prevention Society had a very, very comprehensive program of dealing with the businesses in the area, Whalley BIA and the Board of Trade and that was a very integral part of how they were able to manage what was going on. Lookout is an organization that was dealing and is still dealing down in the Whalley corridor and those are vital discussions that you've got to have and they've got to be on the ground and you've also got to involve your bylaw officers, your firefighters, and your police. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Yes, my name is Tim Baillie and you know you'll see I've got a folder here, And I don't read off scripts. I believe that you have come here to listen to councillors and people what really is in their minds and in their hearts. No AI generation here and no scripts written for me. So I served over 27 years in the Surrey Fire Service, retired as a captain. I've also over a 40-year period coached 32 minor sports teams and I was a single father of two young boys. I'm now a proud papa And finally I've interacted with for over three decades with people in poverty and with people that are homeless. I've been on the boards of Surrey Urban Mission, Surrey Food Bank and other things like that like the Lower Mainland, the United Way of Lower Mainland. So I'm here because of my background as a firefighter in public service. I was convinced to come in and have a look at our fire department mainly and saw it was violating legislation regulation and standards and over the last four years I have worked towards bringing that up and I look forward to doing more for the next four years. Thank you with your support."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Governments run on the record. We said what we're going to do last time, and we did it. And then I sit up here and I listen, and I hear respect and positive. And I struggle with that when I hear it, is because weaponizing an ex-wife in a political campaign is neither respectful or positive. So we're not getting into that mud like some other people are. We're saying look at our record over the last four years and vote on what has been done and what is coming down the line. Thank you,."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "My name is Tim Baillie. I'm running with Progress for Langley. I'm a first-term councillor. And I came out of retirement after 11 years, serving over 27 years as a firefighter in Surrey. I was also an instructor with the J.I. at the Fire Academy and also did extensive work for firefighters across the province. I have served on Surrey Food Bank and Surrey Urban Mission and other poverty-based and homelessness-based organizations. So I bring some very unique structures and knowledge and practical experience that proved out very well last time in this council, made huge advances to the public safety. And I'm very proud of saying that the fire department and the police department are now better because of our actions. Thank you."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Tim Baillie, Progress for Langley. This last term, we did something that most politicians don't do. We said we were going to do it, and then we did it. And I'm going to say right now, when it comes to public safety, your number one duty as an elected official, we have improved public safety right across the board. And that is something that has been ignored. There hasn't been a fire hall. An example, there hasn't been a fire hall built in 20 years while our population increased 60,000. We've increased the police. We've made their buildings safer and better and much more effective when it comes to prosecutions, actually. And we have to continue this movement going forward to make sure that the safety of the people in the township stays on track. Thank you."

### Mike Parker (Councillor, Independent)

- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: The Bedford Channel urgently needs dredging. What specific steps would you take in the near term to move this project forward?
  - "So my understanding is the project is currently waiting on impact assessment with the federal government. And dredging can only occur during narrow windows in the year. So it seems unlikely in the next 12 months, given the election and impact assessment, that this will be completed in the next 12 months. Now, what I would do with that 12 months is work with senior levels of government with the First Nations to get excess funding of something that's not typically something that's funded by local taxes here."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: With the restoration of the Haldi House bringing renewed attention to Marina Park, what is your vision for the future of this area?
  - "Mike Parker, I struggle a little bit with this question. I think it's inappropriate for council to dictate what needs to happen in parks. Really, the park creation process should be a bottom-up approach. We need to find out what Fort Langley residents truly need. What problems do you have? And work to find solutions and trade-offs to start addressing those problems. Philip Jackman Park and Aldergrove, that was created by community under the Kinsmen banner to address the needs of the community. And look at what that's created. A hundred years later, it's still a thriving park in Aldergrove."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Residents, visitors and businesses have raised concerns about commercial truck traffic through Fort Langley’s downtown core, including safety, noise and exhaust. What specific action would you take?
  - "Mike Parker, independent candidate. So I believe council's been working this term on adjusting the truck route to bypass Fort Langley already. So I'd continue this work. And once that's established, use our new commercial bylaw vehicle enforcement to make sure that trucks aren't using Glover Road to get around, as well as using enforcement in Glen Valley to make sure that trucks aren't using it for truck parking illegally."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Township culture comes from the tone set at the top. Langley needs a Mayor and Council that respects each other and the rules we operate under."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "We need to survey and understand the various farm uses to create a model of water drawn from aquifers so we can create a long term plan."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township’s 2026 budget estimates about $11 million in remaining debt-servicing capacity, roughly $134 million to $166 million it could still borrow. What are your thoughts on the current debt level, and how should the rest of that borrowing capacity be prioritized?
  - "Well, I think you said something very important in the original question. Which was the remaining debt capacity on the capital slide was between 130 to 160 million dollars. That was on the capital slide when it came through. But then in a CBC article three months later, the mayor is saying it's 350 million dollars. So what's the true number of our remaining debt capacity? Is politics getting in the way of accounting? But regardless, we have spent and borrowed far beyond what our tax base can accommodate. That's why when you look in the five-year financial plan it shows a 40% tax increase. What we desperately need to do is grow our tax base in a financially productive way. We need to grow our business tax base, make it easier for business industry to come here because a business doesn't need a pool, it doesn't need ice rinks, it doesn't need those expensive amenities. That way all this debt and spending that's taken place over the last four years doesn't end up in residents who can't afford what's happened over the last four years here."
- **Growth and density** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley needs land for housing and also for places to work. Should new commercial and industrial land be prioritized as the community grows, and how, when there is friction with other uses such as residential?
  - "Yeah, thank you so much for the question. So for people that don't know, I do rent industrial space, so I'm fully aware of how tight the market is. I want to touch on the Fraser Highway employment lands, though, because you're absolutely right. There's trade-offs that we have to make. And as Council, we have to decide who wins and loses when we make those trade-offs. The Environment, people that live in the neighborhood. So I really struggle with something like the Fraser Highway Employment Lands when someone sitting on Council has their name on a development application inside of the Fraser Highway Employment Lands. We need to be more clear with residents who are we making decisions for. Now next up is how do we attract development to the employment lands that we have? Right now we're the most expensive place east of Burnaby to develop new industry. We need to take a look at this. Are we suffocating our future tax base by chasing immediate revenue? We need to take a long-term approach on what is the long-term property tax we could be getting, but we're losing by chasing development revenue here today. Thank you."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley has many parks and trails, but many are sports fields or sidewalks. What has the Township done well in building and maintaining parks, and what would you change in how it expands green space?
  - "I think … the really important question you put in there is maintaining. We have … borrowed and built so much, but take a look at the staff report from last year. They've said outright that we don't have enough money for maintenance. And this is going to be a long-term struggle. It's not just our parks, it's this very building we're in There's a staff report that said we don't have the money to repair the roof on here. We are so focused on building new we've completely forgot that we need to maintain our existing assets. Things are gonna fall apart five, ten, twenty years down the road because we've been chasing, chasing, chasing what's gonna win us election or what's gonna win us votes at the next election. The Township is gonna be here for years, hundreds of years to come. We need to focus on the maintenance of the long term of what we're going to do here. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "We keep hearing growth pays for growth. But what does that mean? Developers come and they pay developer payments. So We borrow today against those developer payments tomorrow. But here's the thing. Those future developments need infrastructure too. So We borrowed a data to get paid back tomorrow, to be handed a new infrastructure bill, we need to borrow more for, to expand further the next day, going faster and faster, continually, perpetually growing, accelerating our growth. When I studied finance, we learned about a financial model that requires non-stop accelerating growth. We called it a Ponzi scheme. And when I look at what's happening and with growth here in the Township of Langley, it starts to look a lot like that. You know, a Ponzi scheme, much like a municipality, can't keep growing forever. My name is Mike Parker, I'm an accountant, and I'm running because I want to ask the question: who pays for growth?"
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "The wheels have fallen off the fiscal bus here in Langley. I'm financially literate, I understand how money works, I understand how debt works, and I understand how we can make things look affordable but create a problem 10, 20, 30 years down the road. I'm asking for your vote because I have a framework of how to fix this that's not just borrow, borrow, borrow."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "I'm Mike Parker. I'm running for council because I think we should start asking different questions about how we grow Langley. For too long the question's been what do we build next? What I think we should be asking is how do we grow livable community that we can actually afford to maintain? I have a degree in accounting and finance and with that a very simple lens on governance. What are we getting? What does it cost us? What does it cost us for the next 30 years? I believe in growth. I believe in infrastructure. But I believe that we need to do incremental investment inside our existing communities to make them stronger. Building isn't the same as problem solving. We need to understand what we're costing residents."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "We shouldn't measure success by how many things can we announce and build. We should measure it by whether the community we're building is stronger, more affordable, and more resilient than the one we inherited. This means taking care of things that we already have, incremental investment in our existing neighborhoods, and being honest about the long-term cost of our decision-making. I'm Mike Parker. I'm independent. I'm financially literate. And I'm asking for your vote. I'm asking your vote because I think Langley deserves a council that's looking beyond the next election."

### Barb Martens (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: What is the most important improvement the Township could make to better support local seniors?
  - "If I had to pick one improvement, it would be making sure seniors have places to connect close to home. Isolation become a real issue, particularly for seniors who no longer drive or have difficulty getting around. I'd like to see us make better use of the recreation and community facilities we already own, with dedicated senior spaces, programs, and opportunities to connect in each of our communities. And the practical things matter too. Snow clearing, keeping phone and paper options available as more services move online, and making sure we're looking out for seniors during extreme heat. For me, respecting seniors is about helping people remain independent, connected, and part of the community they helped to build."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What formal role should community associations have in the Township’s decision-making process?
  - "Barb Martens, Langley Strong. Community associations should have a real and consistent voice at the Township. This is how I've tried to approach my role as councillor. I've attended several Fort Langley Community Association meetings and stayed in contact with executive members to help answer questions they bring forward and keep communications open. I support giving community associations a direct line to council, a named Township contact, regular meetings, and early notice when important decisions are coming that affect their community. For me, this comes back to respect. Communities know their own needs, their history, and their issues affecting them every day. Council should be working with them, not around them. That is how we build trust and make better decisions for the whole Township."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Despite repeated work and spending on the Glover Road crosswalk, vandalism concerns remain. What solutions would you support?
  - "Thank you. Barb Martens from Langley Strong. The Rainbow Crosswalk has been repeatedly vandalized, and simply repainting it every time isn't a solution. After the most recent incident, Council asked staff to come back with options around enforcement, by-law changes, and recovering costs. I brought forward an amendment asking staff to look at crime prevention through environmental design. I'd like us to look beyond paint. Nanaimo installed a more durable thermoplastic pride crossing with the colour built into the material. I would like options that give taxpayers the best long-term value. At the end of the day, this is public property, but it also is a symbol that everyone belongs in our community. We need a practical solution that makes repeated vandalism harder and stops us from simply repainting the same problem. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "I support stronger enforcement. My background is in public service safety, and I believe rules only work if enforced. That means enough bylaw officers trained in agricultural issues including illegal fill, illegal dumping and truck parking, and the follow up and follow through. Dedicated rural enforcement so they know the area, the properties and the repeat offenders."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "More than 30 years old. A priority for this term along with the Agricultural Viability Strategy. But, it shouldn't be written at Townhall and then handed to farmers afterwards. Farmers, the AAC, LFI, staff and residents all need from the beginning. That is respect for our farmers. More bylaw officers, who are all trained to address agriculture issues, fines that actually matter, and follow up until the problem is resolved. Writing a ticket and never following up doesn't resolve the problem. I support dedicated rural enforcement, so officers know areas, the properties, and the repeat problems."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is fundamental for farming and groundwater is part of Langley's overall water supply. We need to properly map and protect vulnerable aquifers and recharge areas, and that work belongs in the new rural plan. Before approving development, fill or other uses over a vulnerable aquifer, we should understand what impact it could have on the water underneath."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Rural and agricultural land is part of Langley’s heritage, economy and lifestyle. How would you balance the needs of rural and agricultural residents with those of more urban neighbourhoods, especially where there is friction between them?
  - "Thank you, Cory, Thank you for the question. Farmland stays farmland. And as far as balancing the needs, we need to create buffers between. We need to update our rural plan. It's painfully old. And that … involves consultation, consultation from the rural community. … Sorry, just flipping. Like, Michelle I'm a little nervous. And I want to help with agritourism marketing and rural signage. And I think an important thing for me and from my wheelhouse is bylaw enforcement for the infractions that we see both in both areas, frankly. And we need to have specialized bylaw enforcement for rural and as well as for urban because there's different issues for each area. And those are my thoughts. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Bus rapid transit is planned for 200 Street, connecting SkyTrain at Willowbrook to Carvolth, Yorkson and on to Maple Ridge. Do you support getting this project across the finish line, and how should the Township support transit expansion more broadly?
  - "Barb Martens, Langley Strong. Yes, I support BRT I'm coming forward on 200th. We need to get ahead of it and be planning for what that's going to look like for us. I think one thing we need to keep in mind is the routes that we're looking at that aren't already a traffic fiasco that we're going to add to those problems. And I think we need to plan around not just the movement of people, but the movement of goods. Every part of the network needs to keep moving Roads, transit, walking, cycling. BRT … be taking up roads and I'm thinking specifically in North Langley of 202 and I do have a concern around that area if anybody lives up there it's a complete traffic chaos. It would be good to pilot smart synchronized signals along the corridor to keep things moving and what we can do more generally is have a regional committee working together to advocate for transit needs in this area in this entire region not just try to do it on our own and when we work together and build bridges with other municipalities. We can have a much more powerful voice in Victoria and with TransLink and in getting funding from those sources. Thank you."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What kind of leadership or decision-making style would you bring to the role, and why is your voice beneficial at the table?
  - "Thank you, Cory. Barb Martens from Langley Strong. So what kind of Leadership where you talk to one another, where you discuss things openly at the Council table, where you take into consideration other people's ideas. Showing up at this job knowing you don't know everything, everybody's got a perspective, and it's always good to listen. … And it's, … sorry, Cory, I apologize. Can you just ask the second half? [The moderator repeated the second part of the question.] Thank you. So as far as my voice, my voice, I've got three decades in public service before I came to Council, and I've worked with all sorts of stakeholders and different people in the community, and I feel it's important to have people with lived experience and people who have been out in the community who talk to the community and consider different perspectives. That's all I have right now. Thank you very much."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you. Good evening. I'm Barb Martens and I'm running for a second term on Langley Council and I'm running with the Langley Strong team. I'm a retired Vancouver police officer and you know, I just want to say, while I fought in a riot, I'm not here to take shots at fellow candidates who do their best in preparing for these presentations. I worked in patrol, in neighbourhood policing, in crime control, and I was a liaison to businesses and hotels. That means working directly with business owners and understanding the real impact crime, disorder, and safety concerns have on your staff, your customers, and on your bottom line. Those experiences taught me the value of prevention, on strong relationships and practical problem solving. Business also needs certainty, reliable infrastructure, responsible spending, and a local government that understands that delays, red tape, and rising costs have real consequences. It comes down to respect. Listening to the people who create jobs, invest in Langley, and keep our economy moving. On October 17th, vote Langley Strong and vote Barb Martens, your safe vote on Council."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you, Cory and thank you to the Chamber for hosting this tonight. And thank you to everybody that came that took an interest in this. We are strongest when we govern if we are actually listening to the people and engaging with the people. And so always knowing your perspective, and I want to be the person that you can reach out to and know that I'm going to take you seriously, and I'm going to make the tough decisions when I have to. I'm Barb Martens I'm running with the Langley Strong team, and I am your safe vote on Council vote on October 17th. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, Fort Langley, and thank you to the Fort Langley Community Association for hosting me tonight. I'm Barb Martens and I am honoured to be running for a second term on Township Council. Public service has been at the heart of my career, from social services to policing to serving our community at the council table. For the past four years, I've worked hard to be accessible, practical and focused on common sense solutions. I believe leadership means listening, showing up and treating people with respect. I believe leaders can disagree without being disagreeable and that respectful dialogue leads to better decisions. On October 17th for Barb Martens and the Langley Strong team, ready to listen, ready to work and ready to restore respect for council."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Barb Martens, Langley Strong. Thank you again to the Fort Langley Community Association for inviting us tonight, and thank you for your thoughtful questions. It's time to rebuild our relationship with Fort Langley and to restore respect for your voice. Public service has defined my career. I'll keep showing up, listening, and asking the tough questions. It's the need to have before the nice to have. On October 17th, I respectfully ask for your vote, vote Barb Martens and the Langley Strong team, to restore respect to our community. With my public safety background, I will be your safe vote on council."

### Steve Ferguson (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: What is one achievable improvement to public transit that you would advocate for during your four-year term?
  - "This is an important issue for our community. We've got bus rapid transit … We've been working with TransLink for a number of particular things in Gloucester. We want to improve Salmon River uplands for part and also we want to make sure everything is in play for Skytrain. A little bit of history on Skytrain. If it wasn't for a decision between the township of Langley and Surrey, that would not have come down to the city of Langley. So I'm very committed to transportation for the next three, four years."
- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Following the loss of the historic McIver House in Glen Valley, what should the Township do to identify and protect vacant or at-risk heritage buildings?
  - "Steve Ferguson, Progress for Langley. And I wish you would have used another one as well, because there's many houses in the community that are heritage designation. We work with the owners. Owners of private property, but there are incentives. There are opportunities for people with these type of houses to repair them, to upgrade them, and to work with them. So let's basically … work with the private owners. Thank you."
- **General** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: By the end of your four-year term, what one measurable result would you commit to delivering to Fort Langley?
  - "I can't think of anything better than we are now in the process of moving Marina Park to a new location, and those people driving down the road, you'll see there's good traffic lights where there may be a new regional park for Fort Langley, and that'll be a great thing. I think also I want to comment on the official community plan that we're talking about for Fort Langley, an opportunity to go forward with that. So I think Fort Langley is a gem of the course of our area. So looking forward to working with you. Thank you."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Truck parking is a challenge. The Land Commission has a huge say on what uses are appropriate. (ie: right to farm) We have tremendously improved and added 11 bylaw officers (continue working with stakeholders and continue getting the job done)."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How do you balance the competing needs of pedestrians, transit riders and drivers at the council table? What is the right mix between building roads, supporting transit and investing in sidewalks and cycling, when not everything fits in every corridor?
  - "Yeah. First of all, some housekeeping. The Chamber's got an awful lot of questions here. You have questions regarding taxes, safety, industrial transportation. The first thing the Progress for Langley is going to do, we'll sit down with you. And rather than a minute and a half trying to solve every Chamber problem there, we'll sit down with you your leadership and we'll go over them as we'll roll up our sleeves or get it done I think the answer is in we've got buses coming we want safety around SkyTrain stations you want all sorts of implementations of things regarding transportation we want to sit down and talk to you about not just for transportation with all the Chamber … that's my housekeeping."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Debt has become a pivot point in this election. Where should council draw the line between borrowing to meet the needs of a growing community and taking on too much financial risk? Would you finance future amenities and infrastructure with debt, and if not, how would they be paid for?
  - "I think the interesting thing on debt is risk versus value. Many of us in this room have got mortgages or had mortgages. Many of us had a business … which they had to take a risk to get value. And everything we've done this term, we've taken time to plan for it and prepare for it. And it means that debt is going to pay for through our services. And so I … believe that going on in the future, we have done an awful lot of things in the past. Now we want to put community centers, we want more roads, we want more things in the Township of Langley to believe, and I believe, to be the most livable community in the province. I think we're doing that."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber is hearing more from its members about encampments and street crime, including in Willoughby. What is the Township’s role in addressing street disorder and street crime, and what would you advocate for at the council table?
  - "Absolutely. Failing to plan is like planning to fail. We, with the Township of Langley, have a plot of plan for dealing with these things. We've introduced more by-law officers, more RCMP, more fire people, but we also have to work with the courts, the BC government, addiction services, we all have to work together as a team because this thing is not solved overnight. I believe in some ways the province has left us with a lot of challenges. Regardless of that, … We have to work on solving these problems. Nobody likes, I walked by somebody at Tim Hortons today lying there. I felt bad. I didn't know what to do. I continued on my way, but as I drove home, I felt I should have done something. I think every single one of us feel a bit that way. Thank you for the question."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Hi, I'm Steve Ferguson and welcome to elections 2026. Figure out which one, whether it's … municipal or provincial. I'm Steve Ferguson. I've been a member of Council. I'm … working with Eric Woodward, Progress for Langley. Why am I running? Because I believe Langley Township is the most livable community in not only the region, but the province. Why is that? Because here we're out there, we're working on roads, recreational centers, community centers. We're working on parks. We've got two more regional parks coming in. It's an exciting time for Langley and I think everyone … in this room is happy to live here. They love to live here. And I love Langley."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Steve Ferguson, Progress for Langley. Thank you, Chamber. Thank you for all the people coming out today, all the candidates for putting their time. This is an important time. You have to make a Decision you have to make is do you want to move Langley forward with schools, with parks, with all sorts of other things, roads, or do you want to just cut things back and just status quo? Langley is one of the most livable places in the province. Let's keep it that way. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hello, Fort Langley, and welcome. Thank you for inviting me. I am Steve Ferguson, and I am your community councillor. I work here with the Progress for Langley, our team, under the direction of Mayor Eric Woodward. Why am I running? Because I believe today, even today, that Langley should be proud. All citizens of Langley should be proud of the Langley they live in. You know why? Because we are the most livable region in the whole country, if not province. What we have, we have facilities for schools, facilities for parks, recreation, police, fire. We have all the many things. We have seven regional parks in this community, hundreds of acres. So when you talk to me about Langley, I love Langley. I respect the citizens that live here, and I think most people are proud to live here. Thank you so much."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "That's Steve Ferguson, Progress from Langley. Thank you for all the people that came out today. Thank you to Fort Langley Community Association, and good luck to all the candidates. As you walk home tonight, as you leave this room, you will go into a community that is one of the most livable communities in the region, if not the whole province or country. Why is that? Because under the direction of Eric Woodward and our council, complete council, we have more roads upgrades, we will have recreational facilities, and many things for seniors, for families, for many other things. So when you walk out, Langley is a community that you love, and you love living here. Thank you very much indeed, and good luck."

### Shumail Javed (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: What is one achievable improvement to public transit that you would advocate for during your four-year term?
  - "Thank you for the question. I think the most important thing for us is to get ready for the SkyTrain, Langley. And we need to make sure that we have routes for all the neighbourhoods that are in our community. One of the things that our platform speaks on is also respecting our relationship with neighbours. So we need to have alliance with Surrey, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, and make sure that we work with TransLink as one team. And we kind of bring more direction and traffic here so that we have all the connections that are required as well. Thank you."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What formal role should community associations have in the Township’s decision-making process?
  - "I'm Shumail Javed. Thank you for the question. One of the things that we have heard across communities while door knocking, as well as in our platform, has been respect for community and respect for community associations. So our platform speaks to that. We will encourage and we'll support community associations so that they have a direct line to the council. They can share feedback because you would be able to come to them, and then we would have meaningful community engagement there. And that is for a very little incentive of amount that would be done. And we will encourage as much discussions in community, and we'll ensure it's across every neighborhood so that there's meaningful engagement across the board. Thank you."
- **General** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: By the end of your four-year term, what one measurable result would you commit to delivering to Fort Langley?
  - "Shumail Javed with the Langley Strong team. I think one thing that I have heard consistently at the doors in Fort Langley is that residents want to feel heard and respected in the decisions that are made around their neighborhood. So one of the goals that I want to achieve is to make sure that your voice is heard when any decision at the council table is made, and this is what Langley Strong will advocate and ensure. Another thing that we would advocate is for the Bedford Channel dredging. I think we'll make sure that is funded, approved, and that is done and work with any partner to make sure that problem is solved. Thank you very much."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Rural enforcement team, fines higher than taking a load to fill, right enforcement resources trained and expertise on soil and other issues, provide alternate to truck parking and enforce those bylaws, work with community to get feedback on enforcement and improve, officers need to follow up on ticketing"
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Rural Plan update with all stakeholders, farmers, residents, staff, outside experts. Update so the community feels heard and respected. Find route for trucks, possibly after Highway 1 construction. Rural Plan should address truck parking. Ensure farmland stays farmland."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is critical for rural growth; identify vulnerable aquifers/recharge. Make these part of the new rural plan. Township should see the impact before approving new developments. Zoning details should also be transparent- soil, ditches, subdivision and density are in our control for approvals. Full aquifer map goes in rural plan, every application get tested on impact on aquifer."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber hears from its members how traffic congestion affects employees, customers and the movement of goods that cannot easily go by transit. What should the Township do to improve travel reliability on the road network?
  - "Thank you Cory for the question. There are a couple of items that we can do in the Township of Langley. The first is we should support we look forward to supporting the BRT which is going to come across the 200th. Second thing is we need to work on our roads and infrastructure and make sure that our roads are able to handle the traffic volume that comes east-west corridor as well as make sure that businesses are well supported with that. Another thing that we will advocate for is to ensure that we encourage residents … to park so that and then facilitate walk around complete their tour. This would include that they can do their shopping, go to the appointment, and then they can take the transit as well. One thing which is in our platform is restoring relationship with associations. An example is TransLink. We need to work with the Metro Vancouver Transit to make sure that we have routes that feed into the system and our businesses are well supported. A good example is the new bus service that came to Gloucester. That's really helpful. But we need to make sure that there's more service that more stops are added and more businesses are supported. Thank you."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Debt has become a pivot point in this election. Where should council draw the line between borrowing to meet the needs of a growing community and taking on too much financial risk? Would you finance future amenities and infrastructure with debt, and if not, how would they be paid for?
  - "Well, thank you for the question, Cory. I think one of the key issues that I've heard while door knocking has been how much the Township debt has ballooned in the last four years. Per household, it's more than $14,000. Though some debt is good to build amenities, we have to see that debt servicing, which is projected to be $60 million by 2030. This is something that the taxpayers will be on the hook to pay. The approach which Langley Strong will have is We will have a clear financial audit identify … what the fiscal hole is, and from there, we will present a transparent picture to all the residents where we stand, and then any new project that we have will have a clear funding plan that is available, and residents know what would be the operating cost for it going forward. While growth is essential, we also need to make sure that we are keeping taxpayers, their property taxes to a lower level, and we don't want, as we have seen in the last four years, a 22 percent increase in property taxes, another projected 22.7 percent in the Township books. So I hope we are able to put together a strategy that keeps taxpayers on the … Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Chamber is hearing more from its members about encampments and street crime, including in Willoughby. What is the Township’s role in addressing street disorder and street crime, and what would you advocate for at the council table?
  - "Thank you for the question, Cory I think a couple of aspects to it. The first is that we need to increase enforcement. We need to work with the RCMP. And we need to ensure that the hot spots where crime is happening, they are addressed. Second thing is we need to work with the province. We need to identify the root cause that has been causing, address the addictions issue. For example, CAR 67, that's one of the things in which we can mitigate those things. Third thing is we need to have discussions. We need to have businesses, by-law officers, RCMP, everyone at the same table come together. And we design a strategy. And then we have a public tracking. We can have a public safety committee, which we are proposing. Have And then we can track how the crime reduction has happened over the passage of three months and going forward and then we can track it to make sure our businesses feel safe, residents feel safe going, completing their shopping and Langley becomes an attraction where more businesses can grow. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Evening everyone I am Shumail Javed, and I'm running for Township Council with the Langley Strong team I'm an entrepreneur a technology executive and a community volunteer over the years I have spent time building teams, working on complex problems, working with people to deliver real results. Being part of the business community, as well as the member of the Langley Chamber, I know that businesses need predictability, they need clear standards, they need solid infrastructure, and a Council that listens to the business community. I want to be the practical, forward-thinking voice at the Council table that listens to the business community, understands their concerns, and delivers results for them. This election is a choice for us to see how we want our future to be. I hope you honor us with your vote on October 17th. Thank you very much."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you, Cory, my fellow candidates and all of you who have joined us tonight. I decided to run because I am optimistic about the future of Langley and it's going to be better than our present. To achieve that, we need a Council that engages with the community meaningfully, is fiscally prudent, understands the residents needs and plans not only for the next ten years but for the future generations. October 17th, I'll be honored if you vote for me and the Langley Strong team. Thank you very much."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, everyone. I'm Shumail Javed. I'm a Willoughby resident, a technology executive. I've been involved with the Fort Langley community through the Jazz Arts Festival, as well as attended FLCA regular monthly meetings to listen and understand about the issues Fort Langley residents face every day. The reason I decided to run for council is I have seen firsthand a rapid growth without proper planning and lack of meaningful community engagement impacts infrastructure and amenities in our neighbourhoods. On October 17th, I request you to support myself and the Langley Strong team so that we can restore respect for our community and ensure that your voice is heard before the decisions are made, not after. Thank you very much."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Shumail Javed with Langley Strong. Thank you, FLCA, my fellow candidates, as well as everyone who attended tonight. I have personally door-knocked over 11,634 doors as of today. During all these conversations, one thing that I have seen a recurring theme is residents across township of Langley want to be listened, respected, and meaningfully engaged. And this is what Langley Strong under Jay Lundgren promised. We will put together a council that listens to you, is always available to hear for you, and you have your voice at the table. We'll ensure on October 17th, I'll be honored, Shumail Javed and the Langley Strong team. Thank you once again, and hope please do go out and vote. Thank you very much."

### Sarb Rai (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Heritage protection in the Township largely relies on voluntary participation by property owners. Would you support stronger municipal protections for heritage buildings, and what would those protections look like?
  - "Yes, I would advocate and keep heritage protection. But it's like living, if you're living in an older house, it costs money to maintain it and keep it. So what I would do is I would try to use resources, incentives and funds that are available through the township of Langley to help owners maintain and retain the heritage housing and find other incentives so they can find viable options to keep their properties put to use."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Do you support updating the Fort Langley community plan? If so, what should the updated plan prioritize?
  - "Yeah, I'm going to have to echo what Councillor Pratt said. Sarb Rai, for Progress for Langley team. Yes, I think the Fort Langley community plan is upgrading, but I think first, it should be meaningful consultation with the residents, just talking to them and consulting with them just to find out what they want to protect, what needs to improve, and how they see the future growth fitting into their community. From there, I think council would need to step in and make informed decisions on density, traffic, and heritage in public spaces. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Residents, visitors and businesses have raised concerns about commercial truck traffic through Fort Langley’s downtown core, including safety, noise and exhaust. What specific action would you take?
  - "Sarb Rai for the Progress for Langley team. This is one issue that I heard quite a bit about when I was door knocking and some feedback I took back to Mayor Woodward. I would like to see the truck route moved out of downtown Fort Langley. A lot of the planning, like Councillor Pratt has said, has already been done. The next step would be completing the necessary upgrades, securing the remaining approvals and the funding that the constructions may need to make the route change happen. My focus, if elected on Council, would be to work on this and finish it across the line. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What would you want done to make it easier to build housing that people in the community can actually afford to buy? Should the Township act on development cost charges or the time permits take?
  - "So, I think one of the things I would maybe suggest is freezing the DCC's development charges and also continue making improvements and administrative processes. Um And always just to listen and collaborate with the community and people in those neighborhoods I think it's also important when you're planning neighborhoods to um look at each neighborhood and see what their um characteristic and histories are, history, um community history is, and prioritize that. Um Yeah, I think that's the only things I can think of right now. Thank you."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Bus rapid transit is planned for 200 Street, connecting SkyTrain at Willowbrook to Carvolth, Yorkson and on to Maple Ridge. Do you support getting this project across the finish line, and how should the Township support transit expansion more broadly?
  - "Yes, I support this. For One of the examples is Mayor … got the Gloucester transit in place. And we'll continue advocating for a BRT. But you need to also put, I think, transit stops in Salmon River, as well as make sure that we build a BRT that would work for the residents and the community. That's why I think the example is that 200 corridor, while continuing to invest in roads, including like widening the 200 street improvement. And improving the 86th Avenue Street as well. Transportation planning has to work to consider parking, commercial access, truck movement, and how employees get to work. So I support the BRT. Thank you."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How would you work collaboratively at the council table, particularly when disagreements arise, and if council ends up a mix of the two slates and independents?
  - "… been working with Canada Border Service Agency for three decades and now working, serving as an … school board trustee. I've been working … in collaboration for decades. I think it's always good to have other people's perspectives on the table, listen to their views with an open mind and work together. At the end of the day, we're here to work to better for the betterment of the Langley residents. So yeah, I think leadership comes with responsibility. You have to show up, you have to work with whoever is on the table with you and make those tough decisions and be accountable for them and be able to answer to the public that why you made those decisions and never forget why you serve. So I don't I don't think I'll ever have an issue working collaboratively with anybody. Professionalism, integrity, trans transparency, those are the things that um I have been instilled in me for decades. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Good evening everyone. My name is Sarb Rai. I've lived in Langley for 25 years where my husband Roger and I have raised our three kids. I'm hoping one day my children will continue calling Langley home and I'm able to raise my grandchildren here. For nearly three decades I've had the honour to serve Canadians with the Canada Border Service Agency. Some of the things that I've do is listen. I've made decisions on complex cases where my decisions have had an impact on people's lives. I've applied legislation. I've written standard operational procedures which were used district-wide and I've worked with different levels of government and have made decisions that I have to be accountable for. Integrity, respect, transparency and public trust are the center of how I serve. The last, sorry, four years ago I was elected as a Langley School Board Trustee. I ran with the Progress for Langley team. During my term I have worked very closely with parents, staff and community. I have understood issues and I've made decisions that I'm very proud to stand behind. Most importantly, I've learned, never forget who you're here to serve. I'm proud to be running with Mayor Eric Woodward and the Progress for Langley team. I want to continue with the vision that we've had in the past four years That's about it. Thank you very much."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "I'm sorry and I've spent nearly three decades working as a federal public servant with the Canada Border Service Agency. I've also served my community as an elected school board trustee. Both roles have taught me the importance of working with others, respectful dialogue, transparency and being accountable for your decisions. Integrity, respect and professionalism and maintaining public trust … have always been how I've served. In the community. That is the leadership I would be bringing to Council and I would always remember who I'm here to serve. The residents of Langley. Thank you so much."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, everyone. My name is Sarb Rai. I've lived in Langley for about 25 years, raised three beautiful kids with my husband, Roger. And I've worked three decades with the Canada Border Service Agency protecting the Canadian public at a national level. My commitment to this community and the residents of Langley is very personal. I ran for school board in 2022 because of the adversities my daughter was facing. And I also have a son on the autism spectrum. So what I'd like to bring if I get elected into council is my public service experience federally and my elected experience to office."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Sarb Rai, Progress for Langley team. So, many of you guys are aware I'm an elected school board trustee, but I'm not running for council to revisit old decisions or carry on old fights. I'm running to focus on the work ahead and to serve the people of Langley. Serving and protecting Canadians has been my responsibility for nearly three decades, while striving to be transparent, accountable, and respectful in the decisions I make. In public safety, I have made independent decisions on complex cases while upholding public trust. As an elected school trustee, I've always reminded myself who I was elected to serve. Parents, students, and families. I would bring that same approach to council. Listening, asking questions, and making informed decisions. And I'll stop there."

### Resha Sabti (Councillor, Independent)

- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: With public hearings no longer available for some land use decisions, how would you ensure residents are meaningfully consulted before council votes on major proposals?
  - "Thank you for the question. I think we have this question as one of the important things that we have here going on right now in Langley. Public consultation is really important. I do understand that provincial government has imposed some rules and regulations. However, consultation has to happen, despite the fact that the province decides to put their hand and control things. What's important is, I do come with a background of being able to work with everyone and be able to answer and speak with people and the community. And that is the biggest thing that I will bring to this table. One of the biggest things that we have right now is really not able to have some of the questions answered, we need some transparency and able to look at data and information from the township resources really. Thank you."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: The Township depends on organizations such as Langley School District, the City of Langley and TransLink to deliver essential services. What would you do to strengthen those working relationships?
  - "Resha Sabti, independent candidate. I think this is a great question for an independent candidate. what an independent candidate brings to the table is somebody who can work and participate, research, ask questions, and work with everyone. And that is one thing that we all have to agree that we actually lack in Langley. We have a bit of a gap in the communication and the engagement with the community, as well as different organizations. What I do believe in, for example, in the case of the school district, we need to have a lot more active engagement, not once every three months meeting with the school board. It's important to understand what's happening on the school level as well as the community level and engage that actively. City of Langley, a lot of people don't really recognize that there is a difference between the two Langleys and that's also important to have that regular engagement on daily basis, if possible. Thank you."
- **Arts and culture** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What specific action would you take to help arts and culture — theatre, music, festivals, visual arts and dance — grow in Langley?
  - "Resha Sabti, independent candidate. North Langley has been, for me, it's really like a painting when I walk through it. And having that is such a symbol for me as a person, as a family. What I really would like to see, and being independent is very important to keep that in mind, is working with the community as well as the different associations that we have, supporting grants. My understanding that there are some grants that have been actually cut without knowledge. We missed the children's arts space during the jazz festival. My boys were really looking forward to it. I really want to see that happening. We can do sports, we can do arts, and we can bring all different community members to this beautiful, loving community. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Update Rural Plan, Establish proper bylaw enforcement that is well trained and educated. Rules apply to everyone. Create fines that will actually mean something and enforce them. Include farmers in the conversation."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Rural Plan Update; enforcement and provide alternative to trucks. Include truckers and farmers to the table."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Update Rural Plan. Create dashboard with information for residents. Consult farmers."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Commercial and industrial properties are taxed at a higher rate than residential ones, even though businesses use fewer tax-supported services. What is the right mix between what residents and businesses pay, and how do we keep taxes competitive?
  - "Thanks for the question Cory. I don't have the experience or the background to actually give you exactly how much the number should be or what's the percentage what I do know is that you're here from our Chamber so the consultation process is very important working with businesses working with advocacy such as Chamber as well as working with different levels of government to make sure that the business our businesses are supported part of it what we have in Langley also making sure that they are along the act of transportation process where we can support the teams that work in different businesses to be able to get their jobs efficiently and provide the ability for them to access these places, there's also important to keep in mind, parking is also important. Understand when we do the employment structuring and the commercial areas and the zoning, we have to understand how these people will get to that area. So I definitely will advocate to make sure that there is a balance and also working with the different organizations that we have in the Township. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Housing affordability affects employers trying to recruit workers and families trying to keep young people in Langley. What would you do as a councillor to increase the supply of housing that is affordable to the workforce, particularly “missing middle” housing?
  - "I think one of the biggest things is learning from other municipalities. BC housing, for example, has been working on different, albeit … what are they pilot projects, and that will work with modular housing. And these are one ways to work with it within the Township. Working with government as well, bringing in, making sure that we have a projection into the future, making sure that our infrastructure will support the growth. I think at this time, although we keep talking about ai and not liking it or stuff like that. But in reality, these are tools that we can use to project what we are going to see. We know that by 2050, we will have about 240,000 people in Langley. So it's important to have that projection, looking at the infrastructure. … Bring data-driven solutions, not just numbers thrown out here and there and sitting down with different aspects of government. One way that we actually employed here, it was the integrated project delivery method. Which is sitting with different government levels, sitting with different community members, sitting with different organizations that actually support housing in Township of Langley. Thank you."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How should the Township prioritize building recreation facilities, how do you balance the needs of its different neighbourhoods, and which projects should come first?
  - "Thanks, Cory, for the question. That's a great question. One of the biggest things that we have is that we did bring facilities into the Township. In reality, we had some facilities that were not really invested. And let me be clear, I thank every single person that serves before, that serves today and hopefully will serve in the future. There is no comparison. At that time, they had certain sets of facts and information and they were able to judge using that. Moving forward, I'd like to see more prioritization on the use for everyone. So now that we have some of these facilities that we've already built, I do believe the Willoughby Community Center is a big priority. I know it was proposed a long time ago. It was proposed in the past. Council meeting, group, or year, or time. And it is something that we're talking about today still. Swimming lessons are very hard to get. I gave up on that for my boys. Their dad takes them and throws them in the swimming pool and that's how they learn swimming, no more lessons. They also have been learning in different state situations such as taking and exploring other like kayaking … and canoeing club in our community. So there's a lot of things that we have in this community and I hope we can maintain it, thanks."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Hello everyone, can you hear me? Thank you everyone for coming today. … Being here today and seeing people from a lot of the Chamber users, I'm very proud to be here today, and thank you for all the time, thank you for the Chamber for bringing us together. My name is Resha Sabti, I'm running as an independent candidate. I'm raising my two boys, which are sitting right there watching me, and hopefully they won't judge me too much. I also live in this community, I work in this community, and since we're talking about education, I come with engineering degree in chemical engineering, environmental. I also come with masters, and my masters was about resilience in our community. I can come today and talk about what we did before, about over 10 years ago and what we did in the past four years. But what I want to do is learn from that past, look at what we're doing today, and that we grow, the growth that we have, and take it and look at a proactive approach to create a resilient community. What I want to see is collaboration. I'd like to see common sense. And I also like to see consultation, talking to the community here. I really want to see all of you to consider all the amazing candidates that we have today. Resha Sabti, thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you, Cory My name is Resha Sabti. I am an independent candidate. It's important to realize that there is a big elephant in this room and that's quite a bit of conflict that we have over the past generations. Quite a few that I'm seeing around, they know exactly what the history is. It's important to bring new perspective, proactive approach, and it's important to realize that whatever we do today, it should have proactive in terms of serving all the community members. That will come live in this place and live now Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hello, everyone. My name is Resha Sabti. I'm running as an independent candidate. Looking around the room here, it makes me really happy. I see a lot of familiar faces. My family and myself, we eat, shop, paddle and walk in this community as well as enjoy every single bit of Langley. I'm running as an independent candidate. My independence means I don't have to answer to anyone but you, the voter. And I am, in my education, my background in engineering as well as financial industry, I bring a set of different perspectives and different energy to the table. I am running as an independent candidate and my voice is needed. I know and you know we need an independent candidate that does not answer to anybody but the voter."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Resha Sabti, independent candidate. October 17 will give all of you a chance to keep the power in your own hands as a voter. Let's not pass the power to a group or friends or family or whatever you want to call it. I'm running as an independent candidate. As I watch my kids here in this community growing up, I want our future. Keeping in mind that these children are watching us. What we bring to this community has to be important and has to be very measured in a good way. I'm coming in on number 17 on your ballot. On October 17, you vote for Resha Sabti and see me after for a long time because I do need help with that. Thank you."

### Blair Whitmarsh (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Climate and environment** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Do you support creating a climate action plan for the Township of Langley, and if so, what would that look like?
  - "Yes, I'm fully supportive of having a climate action plan. We actually do have one as has been mentioned, has 140 items in it. And I think it's important that we become transparent about what we're doing in our plan report regularly about what's happening with the plan and where we stand with that plan. We did, in the last term, there were eight wells that were decommissioned, and those wells would have been very helpful as a backup water system, and so we neglected the climate situation by decommissioning those wells that we have in our community. Lastly, the other thing that I helped to chair was a committee on the Community Forest Management Strategy, which was a plan to increase the tree canopy in the urban areas of our community."
- **Growth and density** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Several recent proposals in Fort Langley have included taller, higher density buildings. What building heights and density levels do you consider appropriate for the village core?
  - "Blair Whitmarsh, Langley Strong. You know, I think that obviously the very first thing is to have considerable public consultation in Fort Langley on what do the people in Fort Langley want to see for the heights of their buildings. We have a number of different heights across. I think it's important that we maintain our heritage quality of our buildings. Some of them are two stories. Some of them have been three stories. I don't think there's a magic number that we can set, but we need to protect the heritage quality of Fort Langley. And we need to have considerable ahead of time, not after it's built, but considerable ahead of time public consultation that is real consultation that we can then apply to whatever height is appropriate that's been decided by the residents who actually live in Fort Langley. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "Thank you, Blair Whitmarsh, Langley Strong. I think there's a common theme here, and that is that we need to be quicker at our permits, quicker in making our decisions to help developers get their approvals so they can begin to build, and to not hold things up. We're talking to other developers in the community. Langley is still one of the slower communities in the region at getting those things completed, so it is about time. We also are doing development cost-charge review. Let's bring it into the public and make sure that the public can see what happens in that review. No hiding it. Get it done. Make it open. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Stronger enforcement of Ag bylaw infractions, develop a dedicated rural enforcement team."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Update Rural Plan very soon. Enforce bylaws including no truck parking. Create truck parking options along highway 1 corridor. Re do the Agriculture Viability Strategy."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is critical. Losing 8 municipal wells was not good for water use or climate management. We must protect the 18 aquifers in the TOL- working with LFI, AAC and other farming voices to manage water the best we can. Concerned about future of farming with 40% of ALR land being used for agriculture."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: document
  - Asked: Sheet #4: AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  - "the AAC should be regularly consulted on agriculture related business/decisions that come to Council - with appropriate timelines for staff or Council feedback. They should be a required body for ag consultation"
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: What would you want done to make it easier to build housing that people in the community can actually afford to buy? Should the Township act on development cost charges or the time permits take?
  - "Yeah thank you The most important thing that we can do and control is time How long does it take to get permitting and to be able to get the appropriate permits to build the housing that we need Langley … has not done a great job in that. In fact, we got an F rating recently in the small independent business rating of how well we do with permitting and getting small businesses to be able to move forward. And development, building houses, is a small business. So that's the first thing. How do we manage time? That We can manage that. Second thing that we need to do is a great job of consulting with the people around to discover what kinds of housing are they looking for and where does that fit best for us to provide in the community. It's critical. That we look at ways that we can process our timing faster. One of them is a 3-1-1 tracking system, which allows people to see online how they do with their permitting process. They can see exactly where it sits in the line. They can see how it moves along and have very specific standards set for the Township of Langley staff on how quickly these permits have to be processed. That'll get housing done quickly and fast and at a at a much cheaper rate."
- **Transportation and transit** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: A lot of amenities and infrastructure have been built in the Township in recent years. What are the biggest capital priorities you would advocate for going forward?
  - "Yes, Blair Whitmarsh with Langley Strong. Certainly, you know, on the transportation topic and getting around, I think it is critical that we recognize that Langley Township is not an island to itself. We are part of a region, And the region is important for transit. So working well with the other communities, restoring relationships that would help us to be much better at developing a regional transit network. As far as other kinds of infrastructure that we need, there are some continuation of widening of roads. I think Fraser Highway, the widening was good. I think we can continue to do that. Glover Road is a real choke point in the Township. Long waits in the line to try and turn left up to 216th. That's an area that needs to be addressed. Can't stay the way it is. We need to address that from a transportation point of view and I do think that we need to have public transit available to some of the wider communities not just here in Willoughby which is an important area and certainly BRT I'm fully supportive of but also better transit to places like Aldergrove Fort Langley into Brookswood thank you very much."
- **General** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How would you work collaboratively at the council table, particularly when disagreements arise, and if council ends up a mix of the two slates and independents?
  - "Yeah, thank you, Blair Whitmarsh, Langley Strong. Having good discussion, debate, open dialogue is actually critical to government. I would highly encourage that we have those kinds of opportunities to meet and debate and discuss issues. The ability to have that is what people are wanting. I think every one of you would like to be part of that process and give input into what's happening with our local government. And I am absolutely fully supportive of that. And I know the Langley Strong Team is fully supportive of having independent decisions being made at the Council table. Debate and discussion is healthy, It's strong, and we should be advocating for it. Not finding out late in the game of a decision that's happened already that may have been made behind closed doors, not getting a budget that only comes with about one meeting to decide what we want to do with the budget, but instead having a process, having staff to present, having open dialogue and discussion and debate, and having the public be witness to that. We are open to having everyone involved. Everyone in this community should be part of the leadership. It's about servant leadership, and Langley Strong is supportive of servant leadership and open dialogue. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you so much for the to the Chamber for hosting this tonight. And thank you for all of you that have come tonight, taking your time to listen to us talk. I really appreciate that. I've lived in this community for 30 years. I'm a grandfather of nine, father of three, raised my family here, and now my grandchildren live in the area. And so I have a deep appreciation for the cost of living and what it costs to raise a family and to support your family in this community. I have a deep appreciation as well for the lives that they want to live and the parks and the trails and the playgrounds and those things that they need. I also work at the University Trinity Western. I work with young people that are in the ages of 18 to 25 years old, and they talk about their future and many of them want to Live in Langley, and I understand that. I believe in transparent government. I believe in government that listens to the people, I believe in government that is open to the people and that is the kind of government you can expect from the Langley Strong team. So I'm here today to represent them and as well other members are here vote Langley Strong on October the 17th."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "The role of Council is to serve you. It's also to work together with those other members of Council to create the best Langley that we could possibly have. And I know that the Langley Strong team is prepared to do that. I ask that on October 17th, or in the advanced polls, that you choose the people that you think are going to listen to you best and are going to serve you the best to make this an awesome community. Blair Whitmarsh, Langley Strong."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening, and thanks for coming out here tonight and taking your time to be here. My name is Blair Whitmarsh. I've been on council for nine years, beginning in 2014. And I wanted to see us as a council move towards having a government that manages money well and builds for a positive future for our family. I have raised my three daughters here. Now my nine grandchildren live in Langley. And I see the cost of living. It's very expensive. So we want to build these communities, but do it in a way where we manage money well to keep our taxes as low as possible."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Blair Whitmarsh, Langley Strong. Thanks again for coming tonight. This is an important election, and we want to make sure we have a team in there that is independent thinking. And yes, I'm on a slate called Langley Strong, but we are a team, and we've committed to each other that we are going to be able to vote independently on decisions that we make. We need to balance our budget. We are significantly in debt. All of our financial troubles that we're facing is because of significant debt. We need to manage that well and continue to see our community grow so that families can thrive in this community. Thank you."

### Tess Rouse (Councillor, Progress for Langley)

- **Heritage and character** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: Heritage protection in the Township largely relies on voluntary participation by property owners. Would you support stronger municipal protections for heritage buildings, and what would those protections look like?
  - "Hi everyone, Tess Rouse. You know, heritage protection really does rely on the property owner, and so I think we do need to be careful when we're speaking about heritage buildings, especially in today's elements of affordability and the economy that we're in. That being said, the township has grant programs to help support people in preserving and restoring those buildings, and I would like to see that expand so that people that are looking to continue to preserve those heritage buildings can do so in a way that makes economic sense for them. Thank you."
- **Consultation and transparency** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: The Township depends on organizations such as Langley School District, the City of Langley and TransLink to deliver essential services. What would you do to strengthen those working relationships?
  - "Tess Rouse, Progress for Langley. In working in government for over 16 years, relationships are paramount. I think we have seen that in a number of the projects that have actually occurred over the last four years, including transit routes to Gloucester, working, obviously, on the SkyTrain route. There's a number of things that have happened, and we need to continue that collaboration, and also not be afraid to push other levels of government. I mean, I've had a front row seat to pretty much every level the township works with, and it takes bold voices with a serious vision that are actually going to stand up for what Langley needs. So, we need to continue fostering that collaboration, but also not be afraid to stand up for what this community needs and deserves."
- **Arts and culture** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What specific action would you take to help arts and culture — theatre, music, festivals, visual arts and dance — grow in Langley?
  - "Tess Rouse, progress for Langley. You know, I want Langley not to just be a place that we live. I want it to actually be a place that we love. And so, that means continuing to invest and expand our arts, culture, everything that really makes Langley come alive. You know, and things like supporting our Langley Arts Council, expanding programs that are working, like our summer concert night series at the Langley Event Centre, and really making sure that in every community, there is something going on for us to actually get out and experience. We don't want people just living here and leaving on the weekend to go where there's fun festivals or arts and culture in other places. We need them here, and we need to keep doing what we're doing and expand those and support the associations that are already doing such great work in our community. Thank you."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Continue expanding enforcement, update Rural Plan to help with areas of enforcement that are challenging, look at proactive enforcement, not just complaint based"
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "Commercial truck parking is actively being enforced and 11 new bylaw officers. LETS keep this going. Lets review the effectiveness of existing penalties. Update the Rural Plan to provide the clear rules, create a level playing field and protect farmland."
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Include water availability within the renewal of the Rural Plan. Continue enforcement of non- agricultural uses on ALR land. Keep farms as farms, further subdivision only encourages non-farm use and puts pressure on water use/services."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township’s 2026 budget estimates about $11 million in remaining debt-servicing capacity, roughly $134 million to $166 million it could still borrow. What are your thoughts on the current debt level, and how should the rest of that borrowing capacity be prioritized?
  - "Tess Rouse with Progress for Langley. So number one, municipalities are not for profit, they're not profitable businesses so they shouldn't be run like one. That's number one. Number two, um there's a lot of value in actually the borrowing that we've been doing. Ask any parent here, maybe the ones out there. Playing sports right now. The facilities that have been built in the last four years, the roads that we all just talked about on the last panel of candidates actually, all of those are investments for this community that were put off for so many years. I served under multiple mayors, I saw it myself. Let's talk about 208 Street. That was voted down by some of the people running here. It would have been 30 million dollars just before covid, instead we paid 60 million to do it. That's double. So if we want to talk about finances, our platform is to build more roads, more facilities, more parks, to give Langley the services that it needs to move the goods that all of you in this room probably need moving without congestion. We need state-of-the-art facilities to bring more people to Langley. Those are the people shopping in your businesses. Those are the people staying in your hotels. And we want to see more of that, and we have the team to get it done. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Housing affordability affects employers trying to recruit workers and families trying to keep young people in Langley. What would you do as a councillor to increase the supply of housing that is affordable to the workforce, particularly “missing middle” housing?
  - "Thanks, Cory. Tess Rouse with Progress for Langley. So number one, our team wants to create a complete community. Steve Ferguson would say, we want Langley to be livable. And so what that means, you know, current Council has created the Langley housing trust, and right now I believe there's over 250 units coming online, being built and developed that are 30% below market rate to create affordable housing. This is something that the Township actually has control over. We get to ensure that those bedrooms are actually put here within our community. We also need to look at projects like Gloucester and the recent bus and transit routes that were just upgraded to ensure people can actually, you know, live here as well as work here. Some people don't have a car. We need to ensure that transit is part of our transportation and mobility strategy. And so all of those things collectively need to create complete livable communities where people can work, play, and live. Thank you."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley has many parks and trails, but many are sports fields or sidewalks. What has the Township done well in building and maintaining parks, and what would you change in how it expands green space?
  - "Tess Rouse. So parks and facilities are economic development they are what create Langley as a destination I had the privilege of interviewing a couple different sports association members and what I heard was crazy there are 300 kids that couldn't play hockey last year because there was no arenas there were kids on wait lists for soccer that couldn't play house level league sports because we didn't have the facilities here that should be a concern for every business every parent in this room it is for me we are not just investing in those industries or sports we also are protecting natural space look at the horn pit natural area in Brookswood it's huge we are looking to expand also and improve our normal parks that everyone can access Go to … Booth Community Park it has lights finally. It has trails that don't get flooded out. That costs money, but that investment has value for our kids, for our future generations. And we are also investing in land acquisitions to ensure that we can keep building a Langley that makes it complete and makes it livable. Thank you."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Hi everyone, Tess Rouse with Progress for Langley. This is a really important conversation we're having tonight. I've worked in senior leadership across every level of government, including right here at the Township of Langley. And two years ago, I also started my own business. And so, So this conversation is important to me because I've seen this from both sides. We need to care about the fact that growth and land use is not just lines on a map. It actually determines whether our supplies, our deliveries sit in traffic on 200th Street, whether we can actually open a storefront here in Langley or expand an existing business. Crime is not just a statistic. It actually determines how our customers, how our staff feel when they walk through our doors. And I have had the privilege of sitting in a front row seat to watch government, even the smallest decisions, ripple through entire industries. So I care about this conversation. The businesses that you all represent today are not just supporting our community. They are creating it. They are shaping it. And every decision that we have around that Council table needs to understand that connection as well as that impact. Thank you."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Langley is growing, and the question I keep coming back to is what do we want this growth to create? Langley has momentum. We need ambition to actually create something, A livable community, a complete community. Our team has a vision, and we also have the experience to get it done. Tess Rouse with Progress for Langley. Thank you."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Hi, everyone. I'm Tess Rouse. Langley has always been part of my story. I was born here. I've spent most of my adult life here and I've also raised my family in this community. I also bring over 16 years of government experience from local, regional and provincial, spanning all different sectors, infrastructure, transportation, environment, community planning, including over 10 years actually working at the township of Langley. And so, this really matters to me and it should matter to Langley because this is what's shaping our community right now. How we grow, how we move, what we protect, and what this community actually becomes for decades. So I would be honored to bring that experience to council."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - "Too often, politics makes leaders a little too cautious. I have served under many mayors at the township of Langley, and I have never seen progress like I have in the last four years. We want to talk about the debt. It's been mentioned a couple times tonight. We need someone with bold vision. We need a team that's actually able to deliver on that. Okay. The 22% is not the whole picture. You really need to inform yourself, ask questions, look at the actual numbers. Okay. And as someone who's actually has government experience, who's been through many budget processes, I can promise you that is not a tax increase. That is a projection. Okay. So educate. We want to continue that progress. Let's not go backwards. Let's keep moving forwards for parents, for kids in the community. Let's keep roads, infrastructure, parks going. Thank you."

### Teresa Townsley (Councillor, Langley Strong)

- **Climate and environment** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: bracketed
  - Asked: Do you support creating a climate action plan for the Township of Langley, and if so, what would that look like?
  - "Hi, I'm Teresa Townsley. And from the flood disaster of 2021, what we did learn is that preparing our community for climate emergencies and developing resilience before there is a huge problem is critical. I support a practical climate action with measurable results. The township already adopted a climate action strategy in 2021. So before writing another plan, I'd want a public accounting of what's actually been completed, what's behind schedule and what's working. My priorities are very local and practical. Flood resilient stormwater, protecting streams, tree canopy, and of course, including our farmland. I will not be satisfied unless we have targets that we can measure and progress that residents can actually see."
- **Seniors and social services** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What role should the Township play in addressing homelessness, and what specific form of support would you prioritize?
  - "Teresa Townsley with Langley Strong. I'm glad I got that question because I was a nurse who used to work in St. Paul's emergency room on the downtown east side. And I know that the township can't solve homelessness by itself because health care, income supports, and much of supportive housing sit with other levels of government. But we do control land use, permitting, and local partnerships and public spaces. So I'd prioritize getting the township, Fraser Health, BC Housing, and outreach providers, as well as the city of Langley, around one table with clear responsibilities. Locally, I'd focus on faster approvals and appropriate supportive housing services, while prioritizing neighbourhood safety and accountability. Thank you."
- **Housing and affordability** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - Asked: What is one action the Township can realistically take to improve housing affordability?
  - "Teresa Townsley Langley Strong. One thing that the township directly controls is the cost of time and the cost of approvals. As a business owner, I understand that a permitting delay has real costs in the real world. So I would put firm service standards on permit and development decisions. I would track files transparently and remove needless duplication. Carrying costs during long delays don't disappear. They actually are eventually reflected in the price or rent of our homes. So that won't solve affordability on its own, but it is a concrete municipal lever at our disposal."
- **Public safety and enforcement** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 1: Bylaw enforcement culture
  - "Bylaw enforcement has to have meaning. From ditch filling, truck parking, and soil dumping can displace land ag use. I support stronger enforcement, meaningful fines and follow up to ensure compliance. At the same time, we need to distinguish between farmers doing legitimate work and activities that use rural and farm land inappropriately. Use a light touch for real farming and firm enforcement for abuse."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 2: Truck parking and the rural plan
  - "The Rural Plan cannot be written in a backroom. It needs public process and input of the LFI, and the AAC, and especially farmers of many sites and specialities. The people that farm the land bring expertise and residents and farmers need a formal role. The plan should be built with farmers not just presented to them. Truck parking; we need to protect the soil and streams at all cost. We need to enforce bylaws and give them teeth. We can't allow the "turning of a blind eye" to this problem. Our soil and water and food security depends on it"
- **Water and aquifers** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: organiser
  - Asked: Question 3: Water, aquifers and zoning
  - "Water is fundamental for farming and groundwater is part of Langley's overall water supply. We need to properly map and protect vulnerable aquifers and recharge areas, and that work belongs in the new rural plan. Before approving development, fill or other uses over a vulnerable aquifer, we should understand what impact it could have on the water underneath."
- **Agriculture and rural land** · Candidates and Community meeting, 2026-09-22 · written statement · evidence: document
  - Asked: Sheet #4: AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  - "THE AAC — WHERE TWP. HAS A DECISION TO MAKE RE: FARMLAND, IT SHOULD BE HAVING WEIGH-IN FROM THE AAC. IT ALSO NEEDS A MEANINGFUL ROLE IN THE RURAL PLAN. WE NEED TO ASK THE MEMBERS AND MANDATE WHAT WOULD ALLOW THE MOST EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE AAC. AAC MEMBERS ARE EXPERIENCED AND WE NEED TO RESPECT AND CLARIFY THEIR ROLE."
- **Taxes and spending** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: The Township’s 2026 budget estimates about $11 million in remaining debt-servicing capacity, roughly $134 million to $166 million it could still borrow. What are your thoughts on the current debt level, and how should the rest of that borrowing capacity be prioritized?
  - "Okay, so yeah, we do have an incredibly large debt. And Part of the problem … is that when you take a look at it from a business perspective, the debt that we have doesn't have a really good return on investment. And so what we have here is a bunch of debt that is going to be paid for over a long period of time. That's going to be pushing us back into a corner for our future. So when things come up, for instance, government grants that We could take advantage of to build art centers, things like that, we won't have the capacity to take care of them or to be able to utilize those grants because we don't have enough room left on our debt ceiling. So what we need to do is in the first 100 days, make sure that we have that forensic audit, that we've got a really clear picture of where our debt is, pay it down as best we can without raising taxes as much as possible, and then make sure that we are putting things aside for those eventualities in the future. Because if I ran my business the way the Township is running their budget, I would be out of business in about 10 minutes."
- **Growth and density** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: Langley needs land for housing and also for places to work. Should new commercial and industrial land be prioritized as the community grows, and how, when there is friction with other uses such as residential?
  - "Well, I think it starts with consultation, because what we have to do is when we're prioritizing the industrial lands, which we must do in order to broaden our tax base, we need to make sure that there's appropriate buffer zones between them and the housing areas, between agricultural land and all the other non industrial-based uses or employment-based uses. When a successful business needs to grow … and it needs room to expand, it doesn't just stop growing because we don't have room for it. If we don't have room for those businesses, they will leave Langley and we can't afford that right now. So what I'd like to do is protect the established industrial areas from incompatible residential incursion, plus support bringing the roughly 500 acres of the non-ALR Fraser Highway employment lands into the productive employment use with phasing and appropriate buffers and consultation with the community. And then use an economic development department to attract employers, not merely to designate land. So consultation being the primary thing and protecting employment lands is an economic development, jobs and a tax base issue that must be on the top of any Council that's incoming."
- **Parks and waterfront** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - Asked: How should the Township prioritize building recreation facilities, how do you balance the needs of its different neighbourhoods, and which projects should come first?
  - "Okay, first I want to make something very clear, is that any shovels in the ground projects need to be finished. We cannot waste, put good money after bad by not completing projects. So that's a non-issue there. What I do want to do going forward though is I would support anything that makes sure that whatever facility we are building, we know that Willoughby needs a community center we know that Brookswood need some attention as far as their facilities goes, has the maximum benefit for the maximum number people of people that are in the in the area that they serve. Not just a select few. What we can't do is keep making things for ribbon cuttings and then having somebody whose parents can't afford to put them in sports not access any parks or recreation facilities. So that's a very big priority for myself. We also need to consider that we need to rebuild that relationship with the school board so that we can work together and build facilities attached to schools so that every facility that we are using is used to its absolute maximum potential. We may not be able to afford to build a lot more but what we can do is look at utilizing what we have to its maximum benefit and I think that makes sense."
- **Opening statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Good evening, I'm Teresa Townsley, and I'm Township of Langley Council candidate with Langley Strong. I'm also a former registered nurse. I worked in the trauma unit for many years and as a sexual assault nurse examiner. Recently, I've been a farmer, and now, I'm for the past 10 years, I've been a small business owner in the Township of Langley, owning and operating Festina Lente Estate Winery. I know what it means to make payroll, and to hire people, and to invest your own money, and to navigate through regulation and permits, and to make decisions when the numbers aren't always cooperating. And that experience is what's going to shape how I approach Council. Because good intentions matter, but so do costs. So do timelines. So does accountability. And especially, so do results. So, I'm running with Langley Strong because I want a Township where businesses can invest with confidence, and that growth is properly planned, and that local government remembers that a healthy business community helps support the services that make Langley the best place to live on the planet. My name is Teresa Townsley With Langley Strong."
- **Closing statement, Chamber of Commerce forum** · Township candidates forum, 2026-09-29 · spoken answer · evidence: chair-named
  - "Thank you for coming tonight. For 10 years now, I've had the privilege of building a business here in Langley. And that's taught me that successful organizations, no matter what they are, live within their means, they plan for the unexpected, and they listen to the people that they serve, and they remain accountable for the results. We can't do this without you. We're going to be doing a lot of public consultation in the future because we are in a fiscal corner. Those principles that I just said to you, those are the ones that I bring to Council because I want Langley to remain a community that I built a business in and I love calling home."
- **Opening statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "Good evening. My name is Teresa Townsley, and I'm running for Township of Langley Council with Langley Strong Team. I'm also a small business owner, farmer, and a former registered nurse. I've also served as school trustee, where I learned that public money has to be treated with care, and every decision has consequences for real people. So, I believe that we can support families, farmers, seniors, young people, local businesses, while still being responsible with taxpayers' money. For our team, this is an election about restoring respect. Respect for your tax dollars, your neighbourhood, your voice, and... and the community we all share. Again, my name is Teresa Townsley with the Langley Strong team and tonight I am asking you to consider our team for your vote."
- **Closing statement** · Fort Langley all-candidates meeting, 2026-09-21 · spoken answer · evidence: self-identified
  - "What I heard here in these closing statements causes me some concern. In my world, if you're buying the house and you're not paying attention to what your mortgage is, that is a fantastic way to become part of the homeless problem. So all I have to say is that you don't have to agree with us on every issue. But you can expect our team, regardless of whether you agree with us or not, to listen to you, to ask questions, to explain our decisions, and to treat people respectfully. My name is Teresa Townsley, and I'm the final name on the ballot. And thank you for sticking around, because I'm also the final person talking tonight. There might be a trend there. I'm hoping that you'll save your last vote for me and all the remaining of the Langley Strong team. Thank you very much."