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Budget Brake and Muffler Auto Centres
Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
Proud of pioneers
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Langley pioneers – senior residents who have lived here for decades – were honoured as at the annual Douglas Day festivities Nov. 19. Langley City and Township teamed up to host hundreds of seniors to a luncheon, with greetings from local civic leaders like City Mayor Ted Schaffer (above) speaking to Gloria Doubleday. A piper brought in the head table, and volunteers in period dress like Betty Bako (right) waited on the attendees.
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Langley voted
Langley
5923 200th Street
604-530-5371
THANK YOU
LANGLEY
Election a battle for local ballots Voter turnout and local issues affected how Langley Township voted in each neighbourhood. by Matthew Claxton mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
blairwhitmarsh.com
Township Councillor
604 807 8866
authorized by Blair Whitmarsh blair@blairwhitmarsh.com
Langley Township went to the polls on Nov. 15, but depending on where you cast your ballot, the political landscape was very different. Voter turnout was up by about four per cent when compared to the 2011 election, and hit almost 30 per cent, the highest turnout since 1999, when 40 per cent of voters turned up to the polls. That tracked with increased turnout in several other municipalities, noted Max Cameron, a UBC professor of political science and director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Increased turnout was common in communities grappling with
development issues, including Vancouver and Surrey. “There’s been such an expansion of the population, particularly in the suburban areas,” Cameron said. “I thought it might be up,” reelected Mayor Jack Froese said of turnout. Between the contentious issues in play and the get-out-thevote efforts of the candidates, the increase wasn’t unexpected. “I’m happy with 30 [per cent] because it’s still going in the right direction,” Froese said this week. But it still means that about 70 per cent of Township voters didn’t feel a need for a say in their community, he said. And while there was change on council, it wasn’t in the direction many had expected. Groups like Live Langley and the Unelection campaign had been trying to oust Froese, along with most of the sitting councillors. When the dust settled, Froese had won handily, and three new councillors had displaced three veterans – but only one of those
newcomers was endorsed by those seeking all-out change.
Old fashioned campaigns
The three newcomers to the Township council are Angie Quaale, Blair Whitmarsh, and Petrina Arnason. Arnason was endorsed by Unelection and has been critical of planned public land sales in Aldergrove, and was part of the campaign to stop the sale of Glen Valley lands. Asked about her election, she noted that since 2011 she has become involved in many groups, activities, and delegations to the council. She was a founding member of Watchers of Langley Forests and has been involved with the local CARP chapter. Her campaign used a combination of advertising, social media, and face-to-face meetings. Whitmarsh wasn’t as well known on the local political scene, but he has strong com-
munity connections through his post as a Trinity Western professor and his church, he said. He also mixed social media with traditional advertising and door knocking, as well as direct mail. “I really tried to be very positive,” Whitmarsh said of his campaign. Angie Quaale is a well-known local business owner and past Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce president. Like Whitmarsh, she announced her candidacy months in advance and held a number of events to meet voters in person as voting day approached. Slates have had difficulty finding traction in Langley since the late 1990s, with Live Langley the only attempt this time to create even a small one. Cameron noted that in civic contests, voters are interested in very specific issues – developments, bike lanes, roads, and other immediate practical concerns.
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