From housing to health care: Langley voters weigh in on the big election issues

Jon Hernandez · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

One of B.C.'s fastest increasing communities is divided into 3 abstracted ridings, and polls suggest each 3 of them could beryllium hotly contested on election day.

For the 2025 national election, Langley has been redrawn from 2 to 3 abstracted ridings: Abbotsford–South Langley and Langley Township–Fraser Heights (formerly Langley–Aldergrove), alongside the longstanding Cloverdale–Langley City, which besides had insignificant bound changes.

According to the 2024 census, the combined colonisation of some Langley Township and Langley City has reached 197,585 — up by astir 17 per cent compared to 2021.

The dependable colonisation maturation has led to a big of changes and challenges. CBC News spoke with Langley voters up of the national predetermination to find retired what matters to them.

Housing affordability and homelessness

Heather Jenkins has watched her assemblage turn close extracurricular her storefront. She's tally 1 Fish 2 Fish seafood store successful Langley City Centre for 27 years.

"There's much flat buildings opening up, much townhouses. It's going to beryllium a bursting metropolis successful nary time," she told CBC News. "Hopefully, we support up with the services that we need."

The Township of Langley projects its colonisation volition treble to astir 211,000 residents by 2041.

Langley City has acceptable an yearly lodging people of 1,844 nett caller builds each year.

During this period of growth, the community's stateless colonisation has besides grown. According to the 2023 Homeless Count successful Greater Vancouver, there were 235 stateless residents successful Langley, up 12 per cent from 2020.

"Homelessness is simply a large issue," said Corina Orobko, a health-care idiosyncratic successful Langley. "Some services for folks who are struggling with intelligence wellness and addictions issues I deliberation are a small spot connected the debased side, oregon not arsenic accessible successful Langley.

Calls for amended wellness care

Residents are besides captious of wellness attraction successful the region, which is mostly served by 1 infirmary — Langley Memorial — that is among the centres that are on the beforehand lines of exigency country overcrowding successful B.C.

Jorgina Loosley, 77, is among the residents who person had occupation accessing services implicit the years.

"When I've been ill, it was a agelong wait," said Loosluy. "Sometimes it was annoying that you had to hold for hours to get successful erstwhile you were successful pain."

Pinkan Wuwundan says she's avoided the infirmary altogether.

"I had an assignment for a mammogram, truthful I tried to publication an assignment astatine Memorial Hospital, but it was 3 months oregon more, truthful I ended up booking it successful Vancouver, and it was lone a month," said Wuwundan.

"We request much clinics here," she said.

Traffic, transit and congestion

In Langley City, the combination of thoroughfare operation and a increasing colonisation has led to accrued congestion connected immoderate streets.

"The postulation has grown exponentially," said Orboko, who commutes to Langley City 5 days a week. "Congestion connected the roads, particularly successful City Centre, and the [Willoughby] country marque it precise pugnacious to get around."

A SkyTrain hold connecting King George Station to Langley City Centre is expected to beryllium completed successful 2029.

"I deliberation it mightiness assistance with the congestion if radical instrumentality the transit and SkyTrain," said Orboko, adding that its completion is inactive a agelong mode off.

Based connected modelling and investigation from 338canada.com, each 3 Langley ridings are narrowly contested, with Langley Township–Fraser Heights and Cloverdale–Langley City leaning successful favour of the Liberals, portion Abbotsford–South Langley is considered a toss-up betwixt the Liberals and Conservatives.