Thursday, Dec. 5 edition: Burnaby school kids at risk from reckless drivers

Good morning, Burnaby!

Our top story today focuses on the safety of school children in Burnaby. According to members of the Parents’ Advisory Council (PAC) of Twelfth Avenue Elementary, drivers routinely disregard stop signs at the 12th Avenue and Canada Way intersection, leading to an increase in accidents in the area involving school children. Also this week, the proposal to install water meters sparks a long debate between council members, and a Burnaby skating champion will be starring in the PNE Winter Fair this year.

👀 In today's edition:

• Burnaby school kids at risk from reckless drivers

• Water metering causes controversy in council

• Burnaby skating champion to star in PNE Winter Fair

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NEWS

Burnaby school kids at risk from reckless drivers

Members of the Parents’ Advisory Council (PAC) of Twelfth Avenue Elementary formed a delegation to the city’s Public Safety Committee on Nov. 27. The reason for their delegation was to request the city intervene in a situation that they said has been endangering their children’s lives on their way to and from school every day. 

According to the Twelfth Avenue Elementary PAC’s presentation, drivers routinely disregard stop signs at the 12th Avenue and Canada Way intersection. This has led to an increase in accidents, especially involving children.  

“Just yesterday, we had a child partially hit in the area. We have told them to report it to the RCMP,” said resident and chair of the PAC, Andrea Louie. “He is fine, but these children only want to go to school, and we need to make it safer for them.”

Get the full story here.

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Burnaby Bulletin

Tougher bear spray regulations. Following multiple attacks in the city this year, Burnaby city council is looking to strengthen regulations around bear spray, making it harder for residents to purchase it in their city. [CityNews]

More housing, fast. The City of Burnaby is using innovative technology to get more housing built faster, by automating the review processes for residential building permits. The new software will allow customers to conduct pre-application compliance checks against the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw any time of day, providing city staff with more time to focus on more complex aspects of permit reviews.

A local thief. Burnaby RCMP are investigating a suspect who is stealing packages from homes, who is apparently using religious pamphlets as a cover for their approach. Video footage from one resident’s porch camera shows a man crouching down for an extended period of time, sifting through their belongings. [CBC]

A dazzling new aquatic centre. The City of New Westminster has announced that its newest facility, the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, has been awarded a Prix Versailles 2024 World Title Special Prize for an Interior in the Sports category. [New West Record]

Transit-oriented. The City of Burnaby, already home to some of Metro Vancouver’s largest transit-oriented developments, has finally moved to comply with the Government of British Columbia’s transit-oriented development legislation which would allow for increased building heights and density around key transit hubs. [Daily Hive]

NEWS

Water metering causes controversy in council

On Monday, Dec. 2, Burnaby City Council held a long discussion about installing water meters in the city. The discussion encompassed issues such as environmental preservation, water resources, climate change, and income inequality. A council report accompanying the presentation does not mention a total cost for all meters in the city; however, several council members mentioned totals ranging from $70 million to $250 million for installation. 

The report sparked a heated debate between council members—Coun. Calendino was particularly vocal in his opposition, stating that he does not think that Burnaby or Metro Vancouver are in a state of water crisis. Several others, including Mayor Mike Hurley, spoke in favour of metering, urging for the need to plan for the future in face of climate change and with it, a potential water crisis hitting Burnaby in the future.

Also discussed in this week’s meeting was a new book, Naturally Burnaby, that will soon be launched in time for the holidays, as well as newly signed contracts for street light and road maintenance.

Get all the details on this week’s council meeting here.

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Burnaby skating champion to star in PNE Winter Fair

Burnaby figure skater Jeremy Ten will perform in the Nutcracker on Ice at the PNE Winter Fair from Dec. 6-23. The performance is a shortened version of the Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky reimagined on ice. The cast includes skaters from many different backgrounds. 

“There’s a cast of nine of us, and we’re playing all the characters. There’s Rat King, there’s the Nutcracker, there’s Clara, there’s a little rat army,” Ten said. “I think there’s four of us from here in BC, and then we have three skaters from the US, one skater from France. So it’s going to be a great show. Two of the skaters are actually from the Cirque du Soleil Crystal tour. They’re deciding to spend their time with this on their tour break.” 

Ten’s performance at the PNE Winter Fair will start on Friday, and the cast only started training and rehearsing on Nov. 29. Most of the cast members have already performed the same piece before and are all experienced professional skaters.

Read more about what to expect at the PNE Winter Fair here.

Where to eat & drink

Cafe 106. This snug cafe near Metropolis is a gem for a post-shopping pick-me-up, serving treats like croffles (croissant waffles, in case you were wondering), paninis, smoothies and a variety of hot and and iced drinks perfect for any palette. Their coffee is especially good, the quality of their beans coming through in every shot of espresso.

Obanhmi. A no-frills Vietnamese eatery specializing in one thing, and one thing only: bahnmi. This classic half-French, half-Vietnamese sandwich comes in all sorts of flavours such as minced garlic pork and satay beef, though if you’re not sure what to order, you can’t go wrong with their classic (pate, mayo, jambon and Vietnamese ham on a fresh white baguette)

Bella Pizza. This award-winning pizza takeout holds strongly to their motto, which is creating “the finest pizza in town.” All made with fresh and authentic ingredients which get sizzled to perfection in a stone oven, we can’t possibly argue with that statement—our favourites are the humble margherita and “hot stuff” topped with spicy dry peppers.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Academic Program Coordinator at SFU

• Youth and Family Counsellor at City of Burnaby

• Health and Wellness Manager at BCIT

• Sign Language Interpreter at Burnaby School District

• Contaminated Sites Specialist at Keystone Environmental

• Retail and Operations Coordinator at SHAPE

• Policy Analyst at Engineers & Geoscientists BC

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Babytime. 11:30am. Burnaby Public Library.

• Karaoke Night. 8pm. The Admiral Pub & Grill.

Friday

• Winter Wonderland Salsa Party. 9pm. World Dance Co.

• Montecito Elementary Craft Fair. 5:30pm. 2176 Duthie Ave.

• Dance Into Christmas. 7:30pm. Massey Theatre.

Saturday

• Saltwater Hank Trio. 7:30pm Anvil Theatre.

• Buddy’s Holly Jolly Christmas. 7:30pm. Massey Theatre.

• English Conversation Circle. 2pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• New West Craft Holiday Night Market. 3pm-9pm. River Market.

Sunday

• Write for Rights. 10:30am. New Westminster Public Library.

• Sundays are for Art. 2pm. Community Art Gallery at the Anvil Centre.

• Afro-Cuban Dance Workshop. 1pm. Damsha Creative Studios.

Monday

• Improv Karaoke. 6pm. Brentwood Presbyterian Church.

Tuesday

• Veterans Virtual Job Fair. 11am. Online via Zoom.

• Paint Nite. 7pm. The Match at Starlight Casino.

• Meet with a Peer Navigator. 1:30pm. Burnaby Public Library.

Wednesday

• Social, Friends & Public Speaking. 6:30pm. Office Galleria Community Room at Metropolis.

• Cord Cutting Sound Bath Meditation. 7pm. The Mindful Lab - Meditation & Creative Studio.

• Clean Energy Battery Workshop. 9am-4pm. Bridge Studios.