Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/207624
landmarks Saved From the Axe by Kim Mah >> photograph by Barb Shelly Untouched for decades, a forest of towering old trees was once Langley, B.C.'s best-kept secret. A mix of deciduous and conifer trees (some reported to be up to 240 years old), as well as wetlands, the biologically diverse forest in Glen Valley is home to an estimated 100 species, including the endangered Oregon spotted frog and Pacific water shrew. A local secret no more, the picturesque lands made national headlines in 2012 when the Township of Langley announced plans to sell off nearly 50 acres for development. Opponents to the sale immediately launched a campaign to save the forest, naming among their supporters iconic painter Robert 42 W e s t w o r l d p42-43_Landmarks.indd 42 >> winter 2013 Bateman, who made a personal visit to the contested lands last fall. In response, the Township took the western portion of the lands off the market, but 25 acres to the east of Trinity Western University remained for sale. That is, until one local family came to the rescue. In September 2013, Langley's Blaauw family donated $2.5 million to Trinity Western so that the university could purchase the land for conservation purposes. The unspoiled forests, long known to locals as McLellan Park, will now be preserved for environmental education, research — and public enjoyment for generations to come. — (inset) Joe McDonald/Getty Images 13-10-25 11:16 AM