New middle school in Langley. (Image Credit: SD35.)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

New middle school

New middle school in Langley will have an Indigenous name

Feb 25, 2026 | 11:40 AM

LANGLEY – The Langley Board of Education announced this week that a new middle school in the Willoughby Slope area of Langley will be an Indigenous one.

According to a statement from SD35, the new school in the Smith neighbourhood will be named stɑtl̓əw̓ Middle School.

The district says stɑtl̓əw̓ is a word that means ‘little river’ or ‘little creek’ in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, which is a dialect unique to the geographic area on which the Langley School District resides and is the traditional language spoken by the people from sxwqwanAan7a+ (current Fort Langley) to sxwxwmaekweyam7a+ (mouth of the Fraser River).

As conveyed in local Indigenous stories of creation, stɑtl̓əw̓ is a waterway that is essential to bringing salmon people home. The name stɑtl̓əw̓ signifies an acknowledgment of the land, the preservation of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, and a renewed commitment to truth and reconciliation.

“We want to recognize and build on relationships with the original stewards of the land, help promote the language and history of local First Nations, as well as take a meaningful step forward in our collective journey of truth and reconciliation,” said Langley Board of Education chair Candy Ashdown. “The name stɑtl̓əw̓ for the new middle school reflects this.”

New middle school

New middle school in Langley will have an Indigenous name

2h ago

Opinion

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Saving people time at ICBC

3h ago

Theft

Chilliwack RCMP appeal for help locating a suspect in break and enter, theft

4h ago

Langley Board of Education chair Candy Ashdown. (Image Credit: SD35.)

The district pointed out that residential schools contributed to the loss of Indigenous languages and culture. Naming the school in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ supports the language and culture portion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, which states “Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued element of Canadian culture and society and there is an urgency to preserve them.”

SD35 says students across the district have been learning hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ thanks to the teachings of staff from the district’s Aboriginal Education department. This name serves to revitalize the language, nurture cultural representation, and create a safe space for students.