Community takes centre stage at SFU StreetFest!

The mouthwatering scent of fresh doughnuts, fries and tacos fill the air.

On one side of the street, a human statue stood frozen, covered in golden paint, waiting to come to life with a gift of cash or coins. The midday sun was intense, and the sky was perfectly blue and clear. Even if you were wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, it was warm enough to feel as if one was melting.

But there was another warmth in the air: a neighbourly feeling, as SFU and UniverCity Community Association kicked off the 2023-2024 school year with its fifth annual StreetFest!

Students and locals clustered around the food trucks and visited booths where they answered questions or played a game to earn freebies. The Beacon caught up with Ayumi Orgar, a member of the event’s organizing committee. She noted that the festival continues to grow. “This year it’s very big, we turned it into a two-day event, Saturday will be more family-oriented and it’s geared towards families living in UniverCity. During COVID we actually wanted to keep things going so we took it virtual and we created a 3D StreetFest for people. It was weird and neat all at the same time, students could come with their avatars and navigate through a virtual campus that was designed to be like SFU Burnaby.”

Orgar added that despite being virtual during the pandemic, she felt there was a good turnout. “We weren’t sure but it was taken up really well by Fraser International College for their orientation events because they could join in from different parts of the world. We tried a few different things so now we’re making it a two-day event and we’re hoping that it takes off.”

According to Orgar, events like this are essential for SFU: the area is growing and can sometimes feel lonely. “It’s a commuter campus, there’s no night life, no fun on campus, even my parents said it’s too quiet up here. So hopefully things like this help liven up the campus and give students and residents something to look forward to.”

At noon, a group of dignitaries gathered on the main stage and Gary George, officer for community relations at the SFU Office for Aboriginal Peoples, started with a land acknowledgement and traditional welcome ceremony and song. Students and other visitors started gathering around the main stage. The shaded spots were the first to fill up as people escaped the sun.

A number of officials climbed up onto the stage, including Burnaby City Couns. Maita Santiago and James Wang, as well as Katrina Chen, member of the Legislative Assembly for Burnaby-Lougheed. StreetFest! 2023 was funded in part by a $12,000 grant from Festivals Burnaby, a City of Burnaby grant program for local festivals. A representative of MP for Burnaby North Seymour Terry Beech was also on hand.

Coun. Maita Santiago explained that as an SFU alum, she felt the university had come a long way: recalling the first time she’d arrived at SFU as a student, she felt the campus to be quiet gray and quiet. Today, she noted, it was a lively space. “I’m so proud to say that I am a part of the SFU community because this is where it began for me, where I first learnt what a difference we can make as individuals when we’re engaged and active in our communities. Events like this really show how unique this area is, not just in Burnaby, but across BC.”

MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed Katrina Chen highlighted the community-building aspect of the event in the wake of COVID, addressing the isolation and hardship it had caused. “We all have to support each other especially after the pandemic. We’ve learned how supporting each other is critical to surviving through difficult times and to make sure our community stays strong and connected.”

After the remarks, Coun. Santiago spoke to The Beacon about the importance of unity, especially after what the world experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We saw that during the pandemic we were isolated, connecting only over Zoom or online, so being able to be with everybody in person is priceless. Even when you talk about the health outcomes for people, it’s just so critical that we’re able to come together in ways like this.” Santiago added she was happy to see how diverse the festival had become, with people from all ages and backgrounds on hand to make the UniverCity community even more vibrant.

SFU President Joy Johnson underscored the need for community. “SFU is Canada’s engaged university and we make a point of working closely with our community…I think it’s very important to bring our community together, our university community with UniverCity, and you just have a sense of a lot of excitement and the more we can do things together the better for everyone.”

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