NEWS
A PLACE ON THE MAP: TWU’S NEW ADDRESS AND THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT GRACE GIESBRECHT To “put something on the map” is to give that something notoriety, fame, or recognition. But what about simply changing the name on that map? On September 11, 2020, Trinity Western University (TWU) announced its new address at 22500 University Drive. University Drive, and by extension the University District in the Township of Langley (TOL), are the first outward signs of TWU’s expansion past its original campus in Langley. The steps taken to create this district, however, were not without controversy. Though TWU runs other campuses in other cities (including Richmond, Bellingham, and Ottawa), the University District is the first physical expansion of the Langley campus since its creation in 1962. A vision for the district has been in place since 1997. According to former TWU President Bob Kuhn—who commented on the district in 2014 — the vision for a worldclass University District that would be comparable to those at UBC or SFU requires more space: “We don’t want to change the community by going up, instead of broadening.” The University District was approved by the TOL in 2013. It includes 375.6 acres of land, stretching from Fort Langley to the Langley Events Centre. Though beneficial for the growth of
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both communities involved, 70 percent of the land in this district is part of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
for a high-quality education, bolster employment, and strengthen our economy,” said Froese.
The ALR is “a provincial zone in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are restricted,” according to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC). These reserves are found throughout B.C., as far north as Fort St. John and throughout the lower mainland. Without the protection of the ALR, farmland is lost to urban development and production of local produce declines.
TWU and the TOL benefit mutually through their partnership. The Langley Events Centre was built through it, and TWU is the TOL’s third-largest employer.
Environmental groups voiced concern over this intrusion into the ALR, warning of more such developments to follow in its wake. “It would be a negative precedent to start having these kinds of small zonings allowed throughout the ALR,” said Doug Mcfee of the Salmon River Enhancement Society. “The University District will allow for the expansion of TWU and create a hub of higher learning that will solidify the Township’s reputation as a centre for education and training,” said TOL Mayor Jack Froese. “Allowing Trinity Western to develop to its full potential and creating an integrated university community in the surrounding area will help Langley students receive an excellent foundation close to home, attract international students looking
Despite public concern over land in the ALR in the proposal, the project was approved by the TOL. It then caught the attention of the regional district of Metro Vancouver, which argued that such “dense, residential development” was not suitable for the site. Metro Vancouver sued the TOL, and the matter was taken up before the supreme court of B.C. under a question of jurisdiction. The TOL won the right to make such a decision within their borders, and proceeded with the University District. TWU’s new address is not solely a new name for the university’s place on the map. It is the first tangible step in a years-long process to create a University District in protected agricultural land. Ironically, the land required to preserve the rural feel of the campus and avoid building upwards must use actual rural land. Though a positive move for the growth and development of TWU and the TOL, it sets an unusual precedent for land use in the ALR.
