A sign of community: Burnaby BIA requests Burquitlam street name change to ‘Korea Town Way’

A local business improvement association is calling on the city to rename part of a Burquitlam-area street to Korea Town Way, in recognition of the culture and Korean community in that area.

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Ian Barraclough, executive director of the North Road BIA, recently submitted a city request on behalf of the BIA to rename a section of Rochester Street, where it intersects with North Road, and to install a sign with a custom design reflecting the Koreatown area.

In his request to council, Barraclough noted the “proliferation of thriving Korean shops, restaurants and business” in the area and how the community serves as a symbol for the city’s relationship with Hwaseong, Burnaby’s Korean sister city, which donated 200,000 masks to Burnaby near the beginning of the pandemic.

Barraclough also noted the importance the sign could carry in reaffirming the character of an area that has seen gentrification.

“The local Korean business owners have expressed legitimate concerns with developments and gentrification progressing all around the K-Town Area,” said Barraclough in the BIA’s request to council.

“Although not standing against the area’s improvements, they feel that preserving the unique cultural history and attraction that K-town offers should be prioritized.”

In the BIA’s request, Barraclough points to other cities throughout BC and Canada that have recognized historic cultural neighbourhoods by installing custom road signs reflecting the community in question, such as Vancouver’s Chinatown and Toronto’s Koreatown.

While this request has yet to be discussed with city staff, the BIA has proposed a proclamation date of Sept. 12 if all goes to plan, a date that would align with this year’s Chuseok weekend, or Korean Thanksgiving.

Barraclough said the BIA would be willing to share the costs of the proposal and that the change in name and signage wouldn’t affect any mailing addresses in the limited area, since they’re attached to North Road rather than Rochester Street.

A correspondence notice from city staff says they will reach out to the North Road BIA to discuss the proposal and the city’s road naming process.