The Langham Cultural Centre

The Langham Cultural Society - 'The Langham' is a multi-award winning centre which regularly houses theatre, visual arts, music, and a Japanese-Canadian museum. There are also regular events such as “Cafe Langham” which invite intellectual discussion on a variety of topics. 

The Langham has housed a bottling plant, a bank and boat builders over its 120 year old history.

During World War II, 80 Canadians of Japanese descent were interned here. Finally, since 1974, in its latest incarnation, the Langham is a cultural centre and home to a Japanese Canadian Museum, two galleries, a small rural 80-seat theatre, fourteen artist studios, and a multi-purpose room for classes and workshops.

Japanese Canadian Museum

Kaslo, in 1988, became the first municipality in Canada to formally apologize to the Japanese Canadians who were interned in their community during World War II. The Japanese Canadian Museum is the result of community engagement and dialogue that happened when the original Langham restoration group found out about the dark history of the Japanese Canadians housed in Kaslo during World War II. The 1100 Japanese Canadians, 2/3 of the population at the time who called Kaslo “home” during their internment are now remembered in a museum that does an excellent job of bringing that time period in our history alive. Visiting the Japanese Canadian Museum, along with a trip to the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver, are excellent choices for visitors interested in this aspect of our heritage.

Visit the Current Exhibitions at the Galleries

The Langham has two galleries: The Langham Main Gallery and the Community Gallery. The galleries and the Japanese Canadian Museum are open year round, Thursdays to Sundays 1 - 4 pm.  The best way to keep up with all that is going on at the Langham Cultural Centre is to follow them on Facebook or visit our calendar.

Heritage Tour Info

The Langham was built in 1896 by Charles Kapps at the beginning of the second mining boom of 1897-8. The top two floors were used as a rooming house, the lower floor for offices and a bar. During WW II, it housed Japanese Canadian families who had been removed from the coast to interior communities. In the 1970's the building was completely derelict but was rescued from destruction and renovated to become The Langham Cultural Center. Its two art galleries and the Japanese Canadian Museum upstairs are open to the public.