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Casa Loma was opened in 1930 by Alice Charter (nee Warman) in the Calow (Timms) Block. Alice's father ran the Langley Electric Bakery, and her husband, at one point a driver for the bakery where they met, later ran Charter Electric. Casa Loma was located just east of the Langley Theatre on the north side of Fraser Highway. The Charters sold the business to Fred Parkinson in 1935/36. Later owners included G. Trevor Turley, Harold Martindale, Robert Johnson and Hugh Logan.
Term Source: warren Sommer's "From Prairie to City: A History of the City of Langley"

See Also: streets and roads

Joe Gibson started his business ventures in the 1920s. His first was an electrical supply shop that he opened in the Theatre Block in 1922. By 1925 Joe was involved in real estate, and in 1926 he expanded the electrical shop to include hardware. In 1931 he sold the store, but built a new building supply store in 1932 that was run by his son Colin until his death in 1933, when the store was closed. In 1937 Gibson added insurance to the services he offered at his location on the corner of Glover Road and Fraser Highway (then Yale Road). At this point, Gibson reopened the Langley Theatre and his wife Olive ran it until 1944. In 1938 the Gibsons entered the auction business, running the weekly Thursday auctions that became an important part of Langley's routine. It turned out to be the most successful of all of his enterprises. Gibson sold the real estate business to Len Goble in 1945. Gibsons son Mickey Bladen Gibson ran and owned the Gibson's Auctions after his father retired in 1958. The site was rebuilt as The Auction Centre in the 1970s and later the building housed Fraser Valley Auctions.

The Langley Theatre was built by Arthur Timms between 1915 and 1917. It was built in what was known as the "Theatre Block," the first major commercial building in the area. There was also a general store in the building and a "refreshment room." E. J. Timms ran the Theatre, and during silent movies one of the Timms women would play the piano. In 1924 the piano was replaced by a proper theatre organ. Occasionally the bench seating was moved to the side and dances were held. After Timms left Langley in 1930, the Theatre was used as a hardware store for many years. The Theatre was reopened in 1937 by Joe Gibson, and was run by his wife, Olive, until 1945. At this time Peter Barnes and his sister Myrtle bought it, and four years later they had plans to tear down the Calow Block to the east to extend the Theatre. This never happened, and the Barnes left the commuity in the mid-1950s. The next manager was Mrs. R. Bates. The Theatre was used until it was demolished in 1958.
See Also: theatres
Term Source: Warren Sommer's "From Prairie to City: The History of the City of Langley"