Langford’s mayor Stew performing arts theatre through Young loves to tell the fundraising, lease agreements, story of how his city’s developer amenity fees and commercial tax base has grown from three per cent in 1991 to more than 21 per cent today. That growth shows no signs of stopping, as B.C.’s fastest growing city announces its next big project — the Pacific Maritime Centre.
The $87 million project, to be built on McCallum Road near Costco, will include a 40,000-square-foot conference centre, an office tower, a 1,200- seat performing arts theatre and a new home for the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.
Young says Langford will provide land and services and pay for the $30-million federal infrastructure funding. The Museum will be responsible for financing the $57-million Pacific Maritime Centre.
“This project will create several new Canadian iconic attractions for the City,” says Young, “and will further enhance our commitment for providing family-based entertainment, youth training initiatives, educational programming and exciting new public events that help support our local economy.”
David Leverton, executive director of the Maritime Museum, says along with bringing events and visitors to Langford, the project means jobs, both in the building phase and the subsequent operations phase.
SPORTS CENTRAL
Langford is also expanding its ever-growing list of sports facilities. BoulderHouse
climbing gym and Boxing BC will build facilities in Langford. An oceanfront eco-outpost for Rowing BC is underway. As well, Wheelhouse Cycling Society is building the Jordie Lunn Bike Park in honour of the popular Vancouver Island mountain biker. Jon Watkin from the Wheelhouse Cycling Society says the bike park will bring significant economic benefits to the community.
“In Whistler — known as a big [biking] hot spot, they get over 533,000 rides and $46.6 million in visitor spending directly attributed to mountain biking,” Watkin says. “I don’t know if we can hit that number, but we can come pretty close.”
This article is from the April/May 2020 issue of Douglas.
