Thurs. Nov 30 edition: A severe housing crisis for seniors

Good morning, Burnaby!

In this week’s edition, we’re looking at a severe housing crisis for seniors in Burnaby—a new United Way report provides some shocking stats on the current situation. In other news, Christmas is well on the way! Be sure to stay tuned on the latest Christmas events, from wreath decorating to holiday jazz concerts.

👀 In today's edition:

• A new United Way report reveals startling stats on senior communities in Burnaby

• A food bank struggling to meet rising demand

• Where to find the best Chinese cuisine in Burnaby

Consider forwarding this to a friend in Burnaby! New here? Sign up for free.

Advertise your business, event, or restaurant in front of 16,000+ engaged locals! Contact our team today.

NEWS

Burnaby seniors are experiencing a severe housing crisis, according to United Way report

United Way BC released a new report on Nov. 22 about housing precarity among seniors in BC. According to the report, loss of subsidized units, rising rents, evictions, renovictions and redevelopments are pushing more seniors to the brink of homelessness.

According to the report, 18% or 21,565 renter households led by seniors spend more than 50% of their monthly income on rent, which is considered a high risk of homelessness. Kimberly Barwich, a program director at Burnaby Neighbourhood House, says one of the reasons for the crisis is that rent has increased by an average of 64% since 2010 while government and other benefits have failed to keep pace.

Read more about Burnaby’s seniors housing crisis here.

Burnaby Bulletin

Food hub struggling to meet demand. Seeing a steady increase of people throughout the past few years, Burnaby Neighbourhood House now has an urgent need for more space.

Flooded with applications. Burnaby Rent Bank is seeing an unprecedented increase in applicants. They’re requesting $135,000 in funding from the city to cover three years of operating expenses.

Family of Burnaby grandmother looking for answers. The family of a Burnaby woman who was struck and killed by a vehicle last week is still looking for answers on how the crash occurred. [CTV News]

Burnaby Hospital gets a $4 million donation. Local philanthropists Betty and Ryan Beedie are encouraging other residents to donate in support of the hospital’s redevelopment. [Business in Vancouver]

SFU prof goes on anti-feminist, anti-trans rant. A sub was immediately called after an SFU professor sent anti-feminist and anti-trans messages on the school’s messaging platform last week. [Burnaby Now]

The call for a ceasefire. The City of Burnaby has become the first municipality in Canada to call for a ceasefire in Gaza in support of Palestine. Since then, many more municipalities in Canada have spoken out, including Saskatoon and Brampton.

More housing on the way for seniors. Seniors with low to moderate incomes in Burnaby will soon have access to 155 new rental homes as construction starts on a new project in the community.

NEWS

Burnaby pedestrian safety not improving says road safety advocates

Every day reports come in from all over the Lower Mainland of pedestrians either killed in collisions or seriously injured. While the City of Burnaby has pledged to reduce fatalities and accidents to zero by 2050, community groups say that it is not doing enough to deliver on its targets. 

Two weeks ago, Vision Zero volunteer, Michelle Scarr, walked around Burnaby pasting stickers displaying the annual number of crashes at three intersections: Hastings and Willingdon, Hastings and Rosser and Hastings and Madison, which were 41, 22, and 20 crashes respectively.

Vision Zero Burnaby is a grassroots group of volunteers attempting to hold the government accountable for its promises and to raise awareness about the importance of safer roads.

Read the full story.

BURNABY READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

The best places to get Chinese cuisine, as chosen by you

Where do Burnaby locals go for the best noodles, dumplings and hot pot? Take a look at some of the best Chinese restaurants in the city, showing you the top picks of our Readers’ Choice Awards!

Where to eat & drink

🍳 Astro’s Kitchen. A classic greasy-spoon diner serving familiar breakfast and lunch specials for a good price. Their shredded hashbrowns are a fantastic side to any breakfast, and their burgers and club sandwiches never fail to hit the spot.

🍲 Tenen Restaurant. Serving traditional Eastern-European meals from the Balkan region, you can expect filling and wholesome goodies like lamb soup, goulash and schnitzel in a cozy, intimate setting.

🍦 Soft Peaks Ice Cream. This ain’t your ordinary soft-serve from an ice cream truck. Soft Peaks offers handcrafted ice cream made with organic milk in every flavour one can imagine—their latest November features were brown sugar earl grey with tapioca pearls and blueberry lemon tart.

🤝 Now Hiring

Looking to make a move? Here are local jobs open right now:

• RMT at Panda Clinic

• Community Outreach Rep at BC Hydro

• Ski/Snowboard Sales Associate at Sporting Life

• Chef at Chuan Chu Ren Jia Restaurant

• Technical Writer at Squirrels Systems

• Store Manager at Pet Valu

Hiring and want to let people know? Reply back and let us know!

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Babytime. 11:30am. Burnaby Public Library

• Paint night. 7pm. The Peri Peri Shack

• Pint night. 7pm. Burnaby Lake Rugby Club

Friday

• Breathwork and Sound Bath. 7pm. Savasana Meditation

• Unite Fest. 1pm. St. James Community Square

• Polymer Clay Crafts. 1:30pm. Out on Campus Lounge

• John Reischman and The Jaybirds. 7:30pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

• Heritage Christmas. 1pm. Burnaby Village Museum

Saturday

• North Pole Express. 10:30am. The City of Lougheed Shopping Centre

• Heritage Christmas. 5pm. Burnaby Village Museum

• An Afternoon of Guilty Pleasure. 3pm. Admiral Pub

• Zumba Masterclass. 6:30pm. 6000 Sussex Ave.

• Cultural Night. 5pm. SFU

• Christmas Holiday Neon Paint Night. 5pm. The City of Lougheed Shopping Centre

Sunday

• Winter Birding. 11am. Burnaby Lake Park

• Christmas Jazz Concert. 7pm. Brentwood Presbyterian Church

• Christmas Wreath Workshop. 11:30am. 2826-4500 Kingsway

Monday

• Floral Arranging Workshop. 6pm. The Amazing Brentwood Shopping Centre

• Paint Night. 7pm. Wings Burnaby

Tuesday

• Art from the Heart Holiday Workshop. 6pm. The Amazing Brentwood Shopping Centre

• Public Speaking Masterclass. 12pm. Online

• Ladies Night by Socialite. 7pm. 7377 Salisbury Ave.

• Open Mic Event. 6pm. The Great Bear Pub

Wednesday

• Traditional Christmas Concert. 7:30pm. Michael J Fox Theatre

• Santaland Photos. 11am. Metropolis at Metrotown

• Family Story Time. 11:30am. Burnaby Public Library