Arts and culture

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.

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.

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.

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.