Thurs. Oct. 24, 2024 edition: Swangard Stadium may become home of Vancouver Rise FC

Good morning, Burnaby!

This week, council discussed the prospect of Swangard Stadium becoming the home of Vancouver Rise FC, a new soccer club owned by well-known Burnaby soccer player Christine Sinclair. The stadium will require significant upgrades in order for this to happen. In other news, several schools in Burnaby might undergo scheduling changes next year, increasing scheduling blocks to accommodate increased enrollment and limited capacity.

And a big thank you to all the readers who participated in our Burnaby Beacon reader survey last month. Your feedback is so valuable to our team, and participating in our survey entered you into a draw for a prize. Congratulations to John M. who will be receiving a $50 gift card to Bar Susu!

👀 In today's edition:

• Swangard Stadium might become home of Vancouver Rise FC

• Burnaby School District considers high-school schedule changes

• Election results hub

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NEWS

Swangard Stadium may become home of Vancouver Rise FC

Vancouver Rise FC, a new soccer club partially owned by well-known Burnaby soccer player Christine Sinclair, is currently in talks with the City of Burnaby to decide whether the club’s new home will be located in Swangard Stadium. The club’s chief business officer, Sinead King, presented the proposal to council on Monday, Oct. 21.

According to the proposal, the stadium will require significant upgrades such as grass pitch maintenance, seating capacity, locker rooms and many more.

Also in this week’s council meeting, council members voted on a proposal to expand the Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licences (IMBL) to include mobile healthcare providers and to adjust the IMBL fees. 

Get the full roundup of this week’s meeting here.

SPONSORED BY BC CANCER FOUNDATION

Life beyond cancer is within reach

Marita Luk’s eyes fill with tears as she reflects on what the new BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre will mean for local patients. Diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 40s, Marita was treated at BC Cancer – Vancouver. She recalls that even during the most challenging time of her life, she remained conscious of not wanting to inconvenience others with the commute to Vancouver.

Recognizing the impact BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre will have, Marita shares, "This is our home, and you don’t want to leave home during such a difficult time. To have treatment and support in Burnaby will make a huge difference in our lives."

The BC Cancer Foundation is fundraising $10 million to support bringing the Centre to life.

Donate today.

Burnaby Bulletin

$56K worth of thefts. A 41-year-old man has been charged in relation to a series of thefts at the Sunglass Hut at Metrotown mall, totalling more than $56,000. The six thefts were captured on surveillance video between Sept. 8 and 17, according to the Burnaby RCMP. [Burnaby Now]

Heavy rain causes flooding. An atmospheric river that has brought heavy rains to the entire Metro Vancouver region this weekend (on October 19 and 20) has also caused significant flooding in many low-lying areas of Burnaby.

Harmony For All. The City of Burnaby has been awarded the Creative City Network of Canada’s I.D.E.A. Award, recognizing the outstanding impact of the Harmony for All program. The program supports Burnaby residents with free instrument lending, no-cost music outreach programs for community groups and scholarships to participate in music lessons.

Complying with housing legislation. Burnaby council is refusing to comply with provincial housing legislation that require cities to allow taller apartment buildings near SkyTrain stations, waiting until the provincial election results are in before confirming any changes to the city's zoning bylaw. [Business in Vancouver]

🤞🏽 Support the development of the new BC Cancer – Burnaby McCarthy Centre, with thanks to the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society. Until October 31, donations will be doubled.*

*Sponsored Listing

NEWS

Burnaby School District considers high-school schedule changes

Last Friday, the Burnaby School District released a statement about possible scheduling changes for the next school year that involve increasing scheduling blocks to accommodate increased enrollment.

According to Karim Hachlaf, superintendent of the Burnaby School District, the changes are due to increased enrollment and insufficient capacity. 

“The pace of growth at many of our high schools is such that we can’t wait to build ourselves out of the capacity issues we are immediately facing,” Hachlaf said in the statement. “That’s why we’re looking at the possibility of changing the format of the school day for next fall by adding an additional block for classes that would increase capacity by allowing students’ schedules to be staggered.” 

Get the full story here. 

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Election results hub

While election day has come and gone, we still don’t know who our premier is going to be. Nonetheless, we rounded up all the winners for Burnaby's five local ridings to give you the full picture of how the different parties fared this year.

The Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby also sent a questionnaire to all of the candidates running in Burnaby to see just how much they knew about homelessness, as well as their plans to address homelessness in the city. You can see how your newly elected MLAs scored in the questionnaire by clicking here. 

Where to eat & drink

Viva Sue Pizza. A longstanding mom ‘n’ pop pizzeria serving fluffy, American-style pies, pastas and salads. Classics like Hawaiian, pepperoni and double cheese can all be found here, plus a variety of special flavours and party packs to try them all. Perfect for a mid-week dinner or catering event!

Saint Germain Bakery. Open since 1984, Saint Germain is a highly acclaimed Burnaby bakery specializing in cakes, pastries and Chinese cookies and buns. Commissioning top pastry chefs from around the world to teach their baking techniques to the staff in the Canadian flagship store, all kinds of wonderful flavours and textures are represented on their menu.

Saray Turkish Cuisine. Passionate about sharing the rich flavours and vibrant culture of Turkey, Saray Turkish Cuisine is a mainstay for Middle Eastern food in Burnaby. Their kebabs are to die for, as well as all of the various dips they offer—eggplant salad, hummus, cacik and acili ezme are all great choices for starters.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Off Campus Living Advisor at SFU

• Account Executive at TD

• Licensing Coordinator at BC Housing

• Assistant Instructor, Medical Laboratory Science at BCIT

• Corporate Purpose Manager at BCAA

• Clerk Typist at City of Burnaby

• Insurance Advisor at BCAA

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• The Dagerpaatch. 12pm-7pm. The Dageraad.

• Karaoke. 8pm. The Admiral Bar & Grill.

• The Laugh Draft. 8:30pm. Lougheed Village Bar & Grill.

Friday

• Central Spark. 6pm. Patterson Ave & Central Park.

• Fall Colour Me Calm. 12:30pm. Simon Fraser University.

• Sip ‘N Strum. 7pm. Mechanics of Music.

Saturday

• Pop-Up Food Pantry & Social. 12pm. Global Students Centre.

• Romantic Sax. 7pm. Burnaby Hall.

• Free Beginner Bachata. 6pm. World Dance Co.

• Overcoming Bullying & Limiting Beliefs. 2:25pm. Burnaby Public Library.

Sunday

• Tea Whisking Workshop. 1:30pm. Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.

• Paint Nite. 6pm. The Rec Room.

• Diwali Celebrations. 10am. Hindu Temple Burnaby.

Monday

• Citrouille et Cinema. 11am. 8960 University High St.

• All About Garlic. 1pm. Gardenworks at Mandeville.

Tuesday

• Veterans Virtual Job Fair. 11am-3pm. Online via Zoom.

• 2024 Provincial Restorative Justice Symposium. 8am-5pm. Hilton Vancouver Metrotown.

Wednesday

• Dinner & Speed Networking. 6pm. Tap & Barrel.

• Live Comedy. 8pm. The Rec Room.

• Sing and Strum Ukulele Choir. 5:30pm. St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.