Burnaby’s longest-serving councillor won’t run in this fall’s election

Burnaby’s longest-serving city councillor has announced that he will not be running in the city’s municipal election this fall.

“Its [sic] been an honour serving our community but now it’s time for change. New people, new ideas, yield new opportunities. Please vote for a great future,” Dan Johnston wrote in a tweet posted Sunday evening.

Johnston has served on Burnaby council for 29 years, having been first elected in 1993.

He was a long-standing member of the Burnaby Citizens’ Association (BCA), but left the party in 2020 along with co-councillors Colleen Jordan and Paul McDonell after a rift over several motions on housing put forward by Jordan.

He has sat as an independent councillor since then.

Johnston has lived in Burnaby since 1961 and has also worked as a chartered professional accountant.

Prior to his council election, Johnston served as the parks commission chair.

“As a parks commissioner, I further developed my longstanding passion for environmental initiatives. I think it’s important that Burnaby remain the green heart of the Lower Mainland,” Johnston wrote on the city council website.

“Though we’re always financially prudent, we get things done—introducing innovative environmental initiatives that serve as models for cities and regions in the Lower Mainland and beyond.”

As parks commissioner, Johnston wrote that he was particularly proud of his work overseeing the planning and construction of major facilities like the Eileen Dailly Pool, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, and Riverway Golf Course.

He also noted his work in introducing Burnaby’s first non-smoking bylaw, and in planning the dredging of Burnaby Lake.

In the months since his departure from the BCA, Johnston—along with fellow independent councillor Jordan—was often a voice of opposition in council chambers, particularly on the issues of housing and development.

Jordan has not given any indication yet of her plans for the upcoming election on Oct. 15, but told the Beacon an announcement would be forthcoming.