Monday April 27, 2026 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
About 209 acres of land within Langford are now officially designed as Park.
At their April 20, 2026 Council Meeting, The City of Langford took action to safeguard the city’s natural spaces by adopting the Park Dedication Bylaw.
The bylaw formally dedicates 90 parcels (totalling approximately 209 acres) of parkland as Park.
From amenity to dedicated Park:
The adoption moves the lands from amenity lands to dedicated parks.
The goal is to protect those lands in perpetuity as a way to ensure that future generations have access to green space.
This moves Langford one step closer to every resident being just a short walk away from a park, said the City of Langford in a news release last week.
Function and characteristics:
The parcels were selected based on their function and characteristics, including those with existing amenities such as playgrounds or playing fields, and largely forested parcels.
Some of the beloved popular Langford parks and playgrounds in this package include Centennial Park, Glen Lake Beach Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park additions, Westhills Park and Willing Park.
The list of parcels also includes two Bear Mountain Parkway greenspaces, Blue Grouse Plateau Pond, Brittany Drive greenspace, Ed Nixon Park and Trail, Florence Lake greenspace, Jordie Lunn Bike Park, Katie’s Pond, Kettle Creek Crescent Park and playground, Langford Lake beach park and parking lot, Massie Drive greenspace, McCallum Road greenspace, Millstream Creek north park, four Savory Road greenspaces, South Point park (three spaces), Turnstone Park and Wild Ridge greenspace.
Population growth:
Langford has experienced rapid population growth over the past 10 years.
Changing demographics and community needs are highlighting the importance of protecting access to parks and trails, the City says.
Solidifying access to these green spaces supports physical and mental well-being for residents, enhances neighbourhood livability, and strengthens community connection. This aligns with new strategic plans that the City has developed under the new council that was elected in 2022.
“Land is one of the most valuable resources a growing city has,” says Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson. “This bylaw ensures that future councils cannot dispose of or sell these lands without broad public consent,” he says.
Long-term approach:
A broader, long-term approach to city-building is reflected in the land that now has Park designation.
The Park Dedication Bylaw directly implements priorities identified in Langford’s recently adopted Parks and Trails Master Plan, which recognizes the critical need to secure and protect land now as the city continues to grow.
It also includes strategic parcels near Danbrook Park in the heart of downtown, helping ensure space is available for future neighbourhood parks, urban plazas, and gathering places as the city evolves.
The Park Dedication Bylaw supports the City’s Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) by preserving mature tree canopy on City-owned lands and protecting forested areas from future development pressures. The UFMP, adopted in 2024, recognizes Langford’s urban forest as critical green infrastructure, providing benefits such as neighbourhood cooling and stormwater management.
Quality of life:
Together, these plans reflect Council’s commitment to thoughtful master planning, environmental stewardship and quality of life, ensuring that access to nature, recreation and open space remains a defining feature of Langford into the future.
For more information, the City of Langford provides these links: Langford.ca/Meetings | Parks and Trails Master Plan | Urban Forest Management Plan.
Election year:
This Park dedication work comes just months ahead of municipalities wrapping up the active work of the current four-year 2022-2026 term.
The municipal election official campaign starts in September. The election for all municipalities across BC is on October 17, 2026.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY | PARKS & TRAILS | URBAN PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT | MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026