Langley’s biggest industries have long been agriculture, retail, and manufacturing, with the film and TV industry growing in importance.
But you can add another category to that group – sports.
We’re currently between two major sporting events here in Langley.
Two weeks ago, the Canadian Track and Field Championships were held at McLeod Athletic Park, with athletes from across the country, including past and future Olympians, contending for podium spots.
Next up on the weekend of Aug. 11 to 13, the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Championship Weekend will be held at the Langley Events Centre, where the Vancouver Bandits (who play their home games in Langley) will vie with three other top teams.
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For decades, Langley grew its sports facilities primarily to support local recreation. Soccer fields and baseball diamonds and ice rinks were for rec league play and youth teams. Good sports facilities are an important part of any community, and like many growing suburbs, Langley always needed more.
But over the past 20 years, both private and public facilities have begun to play host to elite-level competitions.
From Thunderbird Show Park and its top-tier show jumping events to the LEC’s multiple pro-level sports teams, to high-level track competitions, Langley is proving to be a sports destination.
That doesn’t just create a spectacle for sports fans. Ideally, it will generate economic spin offs, forming a major new form of tourism. If Langley can bring in people from around the Lower Mainland and B.C., across Canada, even internationally, it will fill the coffers of local merchants and generate jobs.
That we’ve done this while still being able to use these facilities for local and youth events is the key to making sports tourism work for everyone.
– M.C.