He said the arena, which can seat up to 5,200, will be a venue for concerts, banquets and "all kinds of community events," starting with the Douglas Day celebration. "It will also be very important for our B.C. Summer Games, in 2010," he said.
With McLeod Park, the Langley Events Centre in Willoughby Community Park will be a main venue for the Summer Games.
Alberts said the Township will start gearing up in the next year to recruit the 5,000 volunteers he expects the Games to require.
Jason Winslade, the general manager of corporate administration, and Township's overseer for the events centre project, expects the new facility will "change entertainment in the valley."
"It is so unique, it is really going to put Langley on the map as far as events in the Fraser Valley."
The Langley School District, which is a partner to the tune of $3 million in the project, will use the gymnasium for R.E. Mountain gym classes, Trinity Western University has contributed $3.5 million and the centre will be a venue for major Canadian university basketball and volleyball tournaments.
High school grads, events like Douglas Day, volunteer appreciation dinners are among the uses foreseen.
Langley Gymnastics Foundation is also a partner at about $1 million, and the foundation has already booked the 2009 provincial championships, both artistic and trampoline/tumbling events, said Winslade.
TWU will host the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's national volleyball championships here, in March 2011.