There will be a Canada d’Eh car show at the former Langley Speedway after all.
Less than two weeks after announcing the annual car show would have to be called off, organizer Ewald Penner reported that there would be a show on July 1.
On Thursday, April 25, Penner said news of the cancellation “stirred up a major outcry from the car community, prompting many calls to the parks staff.”
“All this led to an on-site meeting at the track with two [Metro] staff members,” Penner reported.
“It was a great meeting, so we are very pleased to announce [we will] move forward with our 19th annual Canada d’Eh Celebration and Car Show at Langley Speedway this year.”
Penner told the Langley Advance Times one of the managers told him the car show “brings more people and awareness to Campbell Valley Park than any other event all year, so he will make sure our event runs smoothly from their end.”
Penner thanked the car community for making “enough noise in a respectful way.”
READ ALSO: No Canada D’eh car show this year in Langley
A statement from Doug Petersen, division manager, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks said the show organizers cancelled the event after Metro Vancouver Regional Parks staff let them know about planned work to improve trail access to the Little River Bowl Activity Area, where the former speedway is located, and enhancements to support day use, special events, and group activities, such as parking, pit toilets, and family picnicking and event space.
“Staff outlined the effect that construction work would have on the event and suggested other locations,” Petersen said.
“After learning of the event cancellation, staff met with the organizers to review the challenges that would come with holding the event at the speedway, including significantly reduced parking space. The organizers said they understood those challenges and have committed to managing them. As a result, the event will go ahead as planned. The public will be notified of further event details, including parking opportunities, by the event organizers closer to the date.’
“Metro Vancouver looks forward to hosting this event, which attracts car enthusiasts from across the region, at Campbell Valley Regional Park on Canada Day,” Petersen said.
The annual Canada Day event started as a show-and-shine at Jellybean AutoCrafters, the custom car building business Ewald and his brother Kurt operate near the Surrey-Langley border.
This year also marks Jellybean’s 20th anniversary, Ewald noted.
The first year of the show, 55 vehicles turned out but the event grew quickly and relocated to the old Langley Speedway where it averages 1,100 vehicles and about 1,400 people a year.
Located at the south end of 208th Street off 16th Ave., Langley Speedway is a quarter-mile paved oval track for stock car racing that operated between 1965 and 1984.
In 2006, the Township of Langley voted to include the Speedway on its official list of Heritage Resources, effectively declaring it a heritage site according to the www.langleyspeedway.ca site.