Langford's Parks and Recreation Committee has been given marching orders by Mayor Stew Young to turn a $15-million recreation initiative into reality by 2010.

"It's important to do it while the money is coming through the door for development," Young said.

Young told the committee that staff will be coming forward over the next three or four months with more concrete location and design proposals for various projects.

 The initiative called Langford 2010 - Recreation for family, fitness and fun identifies $15 million in improvements that Young says can be financed and built by 2010.

 The bulk of the money will come from the development community through land for parks or donations of cash. Developers are generally required to provide land for park preserve or cash in lieu. Young is also well-versed in raising money from the development community.

"We have all these people moving out here. We've got great development happening out here and we have some revenue from that development," Young said.

 He said it's important that projects get underway now while the development iron is hot.

"It's the parks and rec job now and the council's job to find a way to implement this over the next 2 1/2 years while we have the economic impact of development helping to pay for this. It will be the committee's job to move them forward, keeping in mind the input that has been received from residents through surveys," he said.

About 500 residents responded to a survey sent out with tax notices asking for their recreation and fitness priorities.

Swimming (at lakes and pools) came in as the top priority (37 per cent), followed by cycling (43 per cent) and then arena activities like hockey or lacrosse (28 per cent). In all, residents ranked more than 20 different activities.

Young said it's important Langford invest in recreation and it be known as an area where there is an opportunity to pursue a number of activities.

The mayor said he expects most if not all of the projects to be completed within the next 2 1/2 years. "It's real and we're going to do it. There's no question."

Coun. Denise Blackwell, Langford's parks and recreation chairwoman, expects the bulk of the vision will become a reality, although she noted that the time lines probably will be fairly flexible.