Why Fort Langley Is Ground Zero for BC's Housing Future

Fort Langley is a village of 3,400 people on the south bank of the Fraser River, 45 minutes east of Vancouver. It has a 200-year-old Hudson's Bay Company fort, a main street with independent shops and restaurants, and a community that takes heritage seriously. It is also the birthplace of Fort Property Developments — and the reason we build the way we do.

The Fort Langley Model

Fort Langley proves that density and character are not mutually exclusive. The village has evolved over decades by adding gentle density — laneway houses, duplexes, small apartment buildings — without losing its identity. The streets are walkable. The buildings are human-scaled. The community is tight-knit. This is what good infill development looks like when it is done with respect for the existing neighbourhood.

That principle — adding density while preserving character — is the foundation of everything Fort Property Developments builds. We are not trying to turn single-family neighbourhoods into Metrotown. We are building 4–6 unit multiplexes that look like they belong on the street, that add housing where it is needed, and that create value for the neighbourhood rather than extracting it.

The Market Opportunity

The Township of Langley — which includes Fort Langley — is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Metro Vancouver. Population growth is driven by families priced out of Vancouver and Burnaby who are willing to trade commute time for space and community. New construction in Langley sells at $700–$850/sq ft, and land prices remain 20–30% below comparable Burnaby lots. That spread creates some of the strongest margins in the region for multiplex developers.

Fort Langley itself has limited development land due to ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) boundaries and heritage protections. But the surrounding areas — Walnut Grove, Murrayville, and Willoughby — offer significant multiplex potential under Bill 44 zoning. Several SkyTrain extension studies have also identified Langley as a future rapid transit terminus, which would unlock 6-unit density along key corridors.

Why We Started Here

Dennis Donovan, Fort's founder, grew up in Fort Langley. The company name is not a coincidence — it is a statement of values. Fort Langley taught us that the best development enhances a community rather than overwhelming it. A well-designed fourplex on a residential street should feel like a natural evolution of the neighbourhood, not a disruption.

That philosophy extends to every project Fort takes on across Metro Vancouver. Whether we are building in Burnaby, Surrey, or Coquitlam, we design for the neighbourhood, not against it. Character-compatible massing, quality materials, and thoughtful landscaping are not extras — they are requirements on every Fort project.

The Bigger Picture

BC needs 600,000+ new homes over the next decade to address the housing shortage. Most of those homes will not come from high-rise towers or suburban sprawl — they will come from gentle density in existing neighbourhoods. Multiplexes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings built on single-family lots are the fastest, most cost-effective way to add housing supply where infrastructure already exists.

Fort Langley showed us what that future looks like when it is done well. Our job is to bring that model to every neighbourhood in Metro Vancouver that is ready for it. If you own a lot, represent a buyer, or want to invest in the missing middle — Fort Property Developments is where to start.