Saturday October 4, 2024 | LANGFORD, BC [Published at 7:21 am]
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Nearly 200 people gathered in a small local park in Langford on Friday afternoon to be part of the official renaming of Ernhill Park as Winnie Siefert Park.
The assembly of folks was a mosaic of Langford old and new, together with elected leaders, leaders in business and community, and members of the public. City staff attended. Media was there.
Signifying a recognition of long-term leadership that shapes a community, Winnie Sifert was recognized at the event on October 3, 2025 for being a sort of spice and glue for the community for over 40 years.
While she was a constant who held things together before and all through the years of Stew Young’s mayoral leadership of Langford, she was the spice — and the friendly sugar — that brought an insightful eye but also a special sense of calm to many a venture that the City got itself into over the years.
For about two hours the program was formal and informal. Emceed by Fire Chief Chris Aubrey, speeches at the podium were delivered by Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson, former Mayor Stew Young, long-time business leader Mike Wignall, former SD62 school trustee Wendy Hobbs, and Winnie’s daughter Sandy Siefert.
It was Sandy Sifert who had spearheaded the park renaming through the City over the past few years. She waved to her mother on a Facebook livestream as part of delivering her remarks to the crowd that sat under a tent but overflowed across much of the park.
Rain held off, the sun came out. Weather-wise, it was a comfortable day for what could have been politically uncomfortable for the community. But it was likely the good thoughts of Winnie that flavoured the moment and there was camaraderie across the spectrum of those who attended from 2 to 4 pm at the park.
A plaque was unveiled which features a large well-lit photo of Winnie Siefert and some notes about her contributions to what Langford became and offered to residents and businesses over the years.
The park is located close to Winnie Sifert’s home on nearby Walfred Road in the Happy Valley area of Langford.
Remarks:
An attentive and supportive crowd heard remarks from community leaders.
Mayor Goodmanson spoke of how Winnie Sifert’s passion for community helped to shape the City of Langford. “Your presence today speaks volumes about the legacy Winnie has built — not just through policy or planning but through compassion, dedication and service,” said Goodmanson with a highlight on Siefert’s work on affordable housing and legalization of secondary suites.
“Her work wasn’t just about building a City it was about uplifting and supporting the people within it,” said Goodmanson.
The park renaming is “a tribute to life spent in service”, the mayor said. “It’s a way for us to say thank you for the countless hours, the thoughtful decisions and the quiet strength that helped shape the City where families thrive and neighbours feel connected.”
“Let this park be a living tribute to you where children laugh, families gather, and the values you stand for continue to blossom,” said Goodmanson.
Former Mayor Stew Young said at the podium that Sifert worked tirelessly for the community, painting her as part of the foundation of the city. She was part of keeping taxes low in Langford and supporting the development of recreation facilities, said Young.
“She helped shape the city that we are all so proud to call home,” said Young. “She was never one to miss an event or an opening in Langford,” he pointed out, which drew a ripple of agreement through the crowd.
Young hopes that people who visit the park will remember “the kindness, warmth and dedication and vision that Winnie brought to Langford”.
With a dash of humour and political history-telling, former long-time Langford Councillor Lanny Seaton at the podium recalled how Langford emerged as a municipality in the west shore. He recalled memories of Station Road, Jacklin Road and Goldstream Avenue as they used to be as well as the former Langford Elementary which is now Ruth King Elementary.
Long-time resident and business owner Mike Wignall noted that Winnie always advocated for Langford and volunteered her time and that she served on Council for 25 years with Stew Young and also Councillor Denise Blackwell. Wignall made it stick that Winnie Sifert wanted to be known as “Winnie the Pooh” (per the well-known fictional bear character) which was of course a way that Winnie used to soften the introduction of a politician within the community. She was the soft touch to balance off the sometimes harder edges of new initiatives that the City might be introducing.
Long-time resident and SD62 school trustee Wendy Hobbs noted that Sifert had a long-time career with the Sooke School District. As children have fun at the renamed park it will reverberate the love of family — including the extended family of Langford — that Winnie nurtured. Hobbs aid that Winnie worked to make Langford stronger, kinder and more united.
Sandy Sifert honoured her mother at the podium. She thanked the community “for supporting Mom through this journey in getting this part renamed”.
The Sifert family had moved to Langford in 1978. In the early days, Winnie was on the board of directors of the Goldstream Museum and then the CRD advisory planning commission. She was part of events and fundraisers. “And now she will forever be remembered and celebrated,” her daughter Sandy said about her mother.
Who was there:
Attending from Langford Council were Mayor Scott Goodmanson along with Councillors Kimberley Guiry, Colby Harder, Lillian Szpak, Keith Yacucha and Mary Wagner.
Attending from the previous long years of Langford Council were former Mayor Stew Young together with Matt Sahlstrom, Norma Stewart, and Lanny Seaton.
Several firefighters were on hand and a fire truck sat roadside near the park.
City staff came out in full force including CAO Darren Kiedyk, Deputy CAO Braden Hutchins, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Yari Nielsen and members of the Parks staff, Senior Manager of Communications and Economic Development Donna Petrie and more members of the communications team, long-time mayoral executive assistant Julie Coneybeer, and others.
Media was there from Black Press and Island Social Trends.
Local MLA Ravi Parmar (Langford-Highlands) who serves as BC Forests Minister attended with some of his staff.
Conservative MP Jeff Kibble (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) was there with his wife Angel.
Sooke School District 62 was represented by Deputy Superintendent Monica Braniff and Associate Superintendent D’Arcy Deacon.
Former SD62 trustees Diana Seaton and Bob Beckett attended, as did long-time Langford community leaders Jim Hartshorne and Shannon Russell.
The West Shore Chamber of Commerce was represented by Julie Lawlor. Also there was Rotary Club of West Shore past-president Mike Reilly.
A Coast Salish song was presented by Ren Louie of Ahousaht First Nation.
Winnie was diagnosed with dementia in 2018 which has been progressive; she was unable to attend in person for the unveiling.
Refreshments included sandwiches, cake and coffee.
Policy significance:
What the park renaming highlights is that the City is a continuum, even as a new council might superceed the previous ones.
The push for the park renaming started with the City’s Parks Committee under the 2018-2022 council.
While not all previous committee or council decisions are necessarily required to be maintained as the City moves forward, this is a good example of where political sensibilities and human impact on the sacrifice of families of public-serving persons is recognized.
There was debate by council over the past year or so about park-naming policy. One point of debate was around whether a public space named after any particular person should be in that person’s lifetime or posthumously — not to state the obvious that people nowadays live long into their 90’s even past the age 100.
Park and playground:
At the physical centre of it all was the children’s playground structure of the park, surrounded by inlay-brick walkways and well-trimmed grass.
Winnie Sifert Park at 2649 Ernhill Drive in the Happy Valley area of Langford (formerly Ernhill Park) was rejuvenated in 2022 after flooding damage on Ernhill Drive during the atmospheric river weather event in November 2021. Updates included new playground equipment, benches, a walking path, a basketball court, and a sport court.
The park’s centre now includes a plaza area with built-in seating. The park revitalization project was funded by development cost charges (DCCs) received by the City from developers.
The land was dedicated to the Capital Regional District (CRD) as a community park in 1984 and later donated to the City of Langford at incorporation in 1992.
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has been covering news of the west shore and Langford since 2014. Her publishing business Brookeline Publishing House Inc has been located in Langford since 2017. In 2025 Ms Brooke received a King Charles III Coronation Medal for her commitment to community through journalism and more recently her work in urban food resilience.
===== RELATED:
- Previous Langford city councillor Winnie Sifert to be recognized with park renaming (September 4, 2025)
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