Friday October 17, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 10:50 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The City of Langford is creating a new Arts and Culture Strategy.
As one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, the Langford municipality says they are in a unique position to celebrate creativity and diversity.
The strategy will help the city grow a strong, vibrant arts and culture scene, reflecting “who we are and welcomes everyone”, as stated in the introduction to an online survey.
The Arts Strategy Survey is open through Sunday November 9 to end of day (11:59 pm). Previously the closing date was September 21.
- Opening questions include “What do you currently enjoy about arts and culture in Langford?” and “When you think about arts and culture in Langford, what is missing for you?”
- More detailed questions include “As a consumer of cultural products or experiences, how would you rate the quality of arts and culture in the City of Langford?” and “As a consumer of cultural products or experiences, how would you rate the availability of and access to arts and culture in Langford?”
- As with all Langford questionnaires, there are demographic questions like age, household type, and neighbourhood location.
- All questions are optional.
The survey comes on the heels of an earlier online ideas board in August.
In-person engagement:
There will be in-person engagement at the Food Truck & Music Festival at Langford Station (on Friday September 19 & Saturday September 20), as well as an Ideas Fair on Saturday October 18 (at the Royal Roads University Langford Campus, 798 Goldstream Ave).
Supporting the economy:
The new strategy will be part of supporting Langford’s economy as in guiding how the city supports artists, hosts events, and creates spaces that bring people together through creativity.
Placemaking strategy:
At the same time, the City of Langford is developing a Placemaking Strategy to create public spaces that are more inviting and inspiring. Both strategies will work together to shape the future of cultural development in Langford.
In the west shore:
As a growing municipality in the west shore area of Greater Victoria, Langford has been steadily growing over the past 15 years with commercial expansion and housing, a lot of it multi-family and high density.
Consultant:
The City has partnered with Patricia Huntsman Culture + Communication, a leading arts and culture consulting firm, to help shape the new Arts plan in being guided by the community.
As cities grow and develop urban spaces, the human instinct for natural and artistic experience just naturally emerges.
A growing city in phases:
It might be said that Langford is late to paying attention to this aspect of urban planning and development (after a long push on housing, infrastructure, sports tourism and recreation), but now there is now a growing focus on the arts.
Urban forest and overall livability (parks, gardens, etc) have also been moved forward in recent years.
The arts, big and small:
Some big dramatic arts projects have been lobbied for in recent years, such as a performing arts theatre and a labyrinth.
Now there is an online Arts & Culture bulletin board (Kudobard) that is open to receive ideas that people have seen or liked in other communities and would like to see those done in Langford too.
Local vs tourism:
There is a danger of Arts & Culture falling into a tourism-driven pathway. However, an experience of living in a city is largely for the benefit of residents — a feeling of livability and belonging.
Hopefully the City of Langford strikes a healthy balance between arts and culture features that will be enjoyed and be beneficial to residents as well as drawing tourist traffic.
Unique city:
Langford is unique – a mix of old and new, fresh and established, natural and urban-built.
The City has a robust economic development momentum and will likely produce a first-time Arts & Culture framework for Langford to shine is very own way.
===== RELATED:
City of Langford master plans & strategic development public input at Ideas Fair Oct 18 (October 15, 2025)
NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT