The Wright Memorial Maple Tree was planted as a memorial to a soldier, Jesse Wright, at the intersection of 96th Avenue and Wright Street in Fort Langley. In front of the matured Broad Leaf Maple tree is a bronze memorial marker that lists the name of a soldier being commemorated and a small tribute. Broad-leaf maple is the largest growing maple species native to British Columbia (reaching up to 36 meters), but they are the symbol of Canada and an early expression of Canada’s nationhood – the maple leaf was the first military insignia for Canada, and is appropriate to memorialize fallen Canadian soldiers with maple trees. Jesse Wright had only been in Canada since 1911 when he joined the 360 men from Langley who went overseas to fight in the First World War. He died at Vimy Ridge in 1917 – one of about 36 who died in the line of duty.
Dr. Benjamin Marr and Archie Payne, Langley residents who were members of the Langley Volunteers division, wanted to honour their fallen comrades by having broad-leaf maple trees planted and named after the soldiers. They also arranged for the street names on which each Maple stood to be changed to the last name of the soldier being memorialized at that particular site. This tree is one of four First World War memorial maple trees that have survived in the Township and represented the residents’ pride in their community and their civic-mindedness in honouring those who fought and died in the First World War. The trees were planted in 1923.
