The Langham

The Langham Hotel was built in 1896 during the heyday of mining. It was so busy during this economic high time that beds were rented in three shifts a day. The bar ran from the front of the building right to the back and never stopped serving up drinks. As years passed, the hotel saw many other incarnations, a bottling plant, a wooden boat factory and a bank. During the Second World War the Langham was used as an internment centre for approximately 80 Canadians of Japanese descent. As time went on, it fell into disrepair, and there was a movement to tear down the building. In the 1970s a group of energetic young people believed it could be restored and become the local cultural centre. After much hard work and fundraising, they succeeded, and a new era began for the Langham.

Today, the Langham houses galleries, studios and offices, an intimate theatre space, and the Japanese Canadian Museum. During the year the public can view a variety of art shows in the galleries, listen to guest artists performing in the theatre or participate in workshops covering a wide spectrum of disciplines. The summer Artists In Action series offers artists the opportunity to work on their own projects under the mentorship of professional visual and literary artists.

The self guided tour of the Japanese Canadian Museum boasts a series of photographs and writings hung on the walls of the stairwell and the second and third floor hallways. There are some newly installed sound stations where you can hear the voices of some internees who were housed there during World War ll. On the third floor there is also a re-creation of the living quarters of a family of Nisei (Canadian citizens of Japanese descent);  a snap shot of what it must have been like to live in internal exile in one’s own country. The Japanese Canadian Museum was opened on May 23, 1993 and dedicated to the Japanese Canadians, their courage under adversity and their ability to overcome injustice.

Langham Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1 – 4 pm. The Japanese Canadian museum is open daily during gallery hours and whenever the door is open. For more information call 250-353-2661, or email langham@netidea.com, or you can go to their website www.thelangham.ca