Nonprofit approaches city for help with new cultural centre

At the City of Burnaby’s first Planning and Development Committee meeting of 2025 on Jan. 15, the Filipino-Canadian nonprofit Mabuhay House Society sent a delegation to speak with committee members. The delegation included Lester de Guzman, the nonprofit’s board director, and William Canero, the vice chair of Mabuhay House Society. 

At the meeting, de Guzman and Canero presented plans for a new Filipino cultural centre in the Metro Vancouver area. Last June during the Pinoy Festival—an annual Filipino cultural event that takes place at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby—Premier David Eby promised the government would build a new Filipino cultural centre. This occurred shortly before the provincial election. 

“We think that the Filipino-Canadians who live in British Columbia deserve a cultural centre. We think you deserve a cultural home to get together and celebrate, to eat, to dance, to have fun, to play, and it’s long overdue,” Eby said at the Pinoy Festival. 

During the festival, the provincial government launched a survey to obtain feedback from members of the Filipino community in the Lower Mainland area regarding the planned cultural centre. According to de Guzman, the survey ended in December 2024, and the government is currently analyzing the results. A summary of the results will be announced in the spring of 2025.

De Guzman and other representatives from Mabuhay House Society have been visiting different cities in the Lower Mainland to start conversations about future possibilities for assistance or cooperation. Before coming to Burnaby, they went to Vancouver and Surrey. 

“The City of Vancouver has committed a $50,000 feasibility grant for Mabuhay House to have the Filipino Cultural Centre in Vancouver. From the Surrey ones, we actually met with the mayor to discuss the project and give them a little bit more awareness and also some input about what the Filipino Centre would look like.” 

At the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting, the Mabuhay House Society delegates approached the matter with the intention of beginning a conversation about how the city can help with the new cultural centre. While committee members welcomed the centre, they did not promise to help with funding or provide a location for it. 

“Just so that you know, the city doesn’t have any policy regarding giving financial or other types of support to organizations like yours to establish the community centre,” said Coun. Pietro Calendino, who chaired the meeting. “We also don’t have any policy for providing any funding or anything or lands. I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking.”

In response, Canero said, “What we’d like directly, specifically, Chair, is to work directly with the city’s planning department to identify where a piece of land might be prime for a Filipino cultural centre.” 

Coun. Sav Dhaliwal said Mabuhay House would have to be further along in the process of finding a space for the cultural centre before requesting city assistance.  

“This is normally way too early for us to get involved,” Dhaliwal said. “I can’t really say to staff, ‘Go find a place. What’s available for this group?’ That is really not up to us because we have no idea how big it is or how you want it to be.” 

Calendino ended the conversation by telling the Mabuhay House delegates to return to council once they know more about the planned cultural centre. 

“When you have more details, you have more information, and you need to come back to us, you’re welcome to do that,” Calendino said. 

However, de Guzman said he thinks the city councillors’ response was actually positive and that it was all the Mabuhay House delegates had hoped for. 

“I think it was very positive, because a lot of the councillors were willing to have a conversation,” de Guzman told the Beacon, adding that a cultural centre in the city would align with Burnaby’s diversity and goals. “I think when we had a conversation with the Burnaby Planning and Development Committee, they were very open and very welcoming to that conversation. The next step is probably having more conversations around the specific asks and also how we can work together in advocating for that project.”

A great deal will rest on the province’s public engagement efforts. Once the provincial government has analyzed the survey results, there will be another round of public engagement, possibly using interviews and focus groups. After this, there will be a clearer idea of what members of the Filipino community want for the cultural centre, where it will be located, and the types of programming and activities it will provide.

This piece was made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

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