The future plans for Langdon are on display for all to see right now.
A few weeks ago, volunteers for the North Bow Community Facility Board, local politicians and business owners gathered to unveil the ambitious intention to turn the piece of wetland on the south end of the hamlet into what will be the future Langdon Community Campus.
Phase one of the project that will eventually include a new high school and recreation facility is slated to get underway in early 2018. Once the deep services on the wetland are done, construction on quad ball diamonds will begin, which will then be followed by the recreation centre.
The entire project is detailed on a sign facing Centre Street south of shopping area where people already gather for coffee at Tim Hortons or groceries at the Buy Low.
“This project brings together a whole bunch of different things,” said Chestermere-Rocky View MLA Leela Aheer. “You will have school and recreation. It’s going to be a focal point for the community as a whole.
“Their highest priority is finding a place for their community to gather. It’s one of the best things about Langdon. For lack of a better term, they are a gathering group. They want to make sure there are places for their families to be together.”
With Langdon being such a young community — about a third of the population is under the age of 15 — there is great need for recreation areas and a high school. The high school is not yet on the funded list by the province but it’s expected to be approved when the hamlet is ready to build.
Considering the growth rate of Langdon — about 11 percent population increase a year — expanding the facilities in the area has been made a top priority.
“This is a very forward thinking community,” Aheer said. “Having this grows Langdon in the right direction. It’s not too far from the centre but it doesn’t impede the folks who are already here and have set up shop. I know they are looking into other facilities to add onto this project too. This is just the first phase of it.”
This project has been years in the making and has taken extensive study and engagement from many parties surrounding the Langdon Community Collaborative. One of the main issues with the boomtown that is Langdon is that there aren’t enough places for kids to go, especially during the summer months when school is out.
This should eventually solve that problem.
“This will open the space for seniors too,” Aheer said. “It will bring kids and seniors together. It will bring the whole community together.
“The community has bought in. This is such a beautiful space that you have to make sure that disturbance is OKed by your community. When you go to the meetings, these folks are all there and supporting each other.”
