Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023 edition: Improved pedestrian safety in Burnaby

Good morning, Burnaby!

We hope your holidays were wonderful, and with that, merry what-is-going-on-during-the-five-days-from-Christmas-to-New-Year’s! In this week’s edition, we’re looking at the latest council meeting that called for improved pedestrian safety, as well as celebrating the 15th season of a newcomer literacy program in Burnaby. Cheers, and we’ll see you next year!

👀 In today's edition:

• A potential no-right-on-red traffic rule?

• A Burnaby couple take in a senior on Christmas

• Arrival of the new Mark V SkyTrain

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NEWS

Council calls on provincial government to help improve traffic safety

The issue of pedestrian safety appeared again in council during the year’s last meeting on Dec. 11, when shortly before the end of the meeting, Coun. Maita Santiago and Coun. Alison Gu proposed a motion to request that the mayor write a letter to the provincial government requesting the installation of speed and red light cameras at intersections in Burnaby.

The motion recommended prioritizing intersections with 50 or more crashes that resulted in injuries or fatalities from 2018-2022 as well as potentially implementing pedestrian safety measures like no right-turn-on-red on all intersections with five or more casualty crashes involving pedestrians from 2018-2022.

Read more about the council meeting here.

Burnaby Bulletin

Burnaby couple take in a senior woman. A Burnaby couple were walking by a bus stop in early January when they noticed an 81-year-old woman sleeping there. They invited her to their Christmas dinner and are actively looking to find her housing. [CityNews]

A New York City taxi…in Burnaby? A New York City taxi has been spotted throughout Metro Vancouver throughout the past few months. Car enthusiast Giovanni Porta, a Burnaby resident, drove it for five days straight to bring it to the West Coast. [CBC]

A panel to solve civic project costs. Burnaby City Council has recently voted to establish an advisory panel that will review the ballooning costs of city infrastructure projects. [Global News]

A missing man in Burnaby. Burnaby RCMP are asking for the public’s help to locate 44-year-old Colin Rhodes. Rhodes was last seen in the 3800 block of Carrigan Court in Burnaby on Thursday, Dec. 23 at 7pm. [Fraser Valley Today]

Goodbye, Hudson’s Bay. The first ever mall-based Hudson’s Bay at Lougheed Mall has now closed for good. The store shaped the development of Lougheed Town Centre more than 50 years ago. [Burnaby Now]

Helping our salmon. Thanks to BCIT, Guichon Creek restoration has hit another milestone—salmon can now swim freely through a spillway, allowing them to reach upper sections of the stream south of BCIT. [Burnaby Now]

The Mark V SkyTrain has finally arrived. TransLink announced the arrival of its new, spacious and more accessible SkyTrain cars to its Burnaby facility. [CityNews]

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Newcomer literacy program celebrates the end of its 15th season

At 12:30pm on Monday, Dec. 18, educators and program facilitators were just about done arranging tables, chairs and course materials in a room at Maywood Community School where they were about to welcome 25 parents with their small children. At 12:45, the event started with the usual debriefing about the previous session, followed by the day’s learning activities and later a party with pizza and snacks to celebrate the successful completion of the Parents as Literacy Supporters in Immigrant Communities (IPALS) program for 2023. 

Organized in partnership with Decoda Literacy Solutions, the philosophy behind the IPALS program is to teach small children between the ages of three and five essential literacy skills through play. Central to the program is the importance of the child’s family as the foundation of all learning. 

Read more about the IPALS program and its impact here. 

Where to eat & drink

🌭 Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog. Squid ink cheese, sweet potato, and half-beef half-mozzarella swirled interiors…who would’ve thought hot dogs could be so innovative? If you’re not on the rice hot dog bandwagon yet, Chung Chun is the place to hop on.

🍲 Nam Vegan Express. Formerly known as Paradise Vegetarian Noodle House, Nam Vegan Express is a family-owned restaurant specializing in healthy plant-based versions of classic Vietnamese meals. Think eggplant curry claypot, spicy lemongrass tofu and vegan bun bo hue.

🧋 Slothfuls. If you find yourself in the mood for ice cream, Slothfuls is a delightful ice cream and bubble tea shop selling an exciting list of flavours like golden peach snow, frozen milk boba and omakase. Is it a drink, or is it ice cream? Whatever it is, it’s delicious.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Centre Assistant at Kumon

• Investment Advisor at RBC

• Program Manager at the BC Liquor Distribution Branch

• Employment Specialist at Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion

• Grocery Team Lead at Save-On-Foods

• Sausage Maker at Cioffi’s Group

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Board Game Club. 2pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Year-End Party. 7pm. Admiral Pub.

Friday

• Nikkei Mochitsuki. 11am. Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre.

• Decathlon Pop-Up Store. All Day. Metropolis at Metrotown.

Saturday

• Pre-New Year’s Eve. 8pm. The Admiral.

• Heritage Christmas. 1pm. Burnaby Village Museum.

• Kindred Tracings. 12pm. Burnaby Art Gallery.

Sunday

• New Year’s Eve Meditation. 5:45pm. Online via Zoom. 

• 2024 New Year Countdown. 6:30pm. Grand Villa Casino Hotel & Conference Centre.

• New Year’s Eve Bash. 5pm. The Rec Room.

• Glitz & Glamour Party. 9:30pm. Hilton Hotel Metrotown.

• Gala de Réveillon. 6pm. 5455 Imperial St.

• New Year’s Eve Party. 7pm. The Admiral.

Monday

• ICDRC Lucky 7s New Year’s Day Half Marathon. 10:30am. Patterson Station.

• Polar Bear Toonie Skate. 1pm. Bill Copeland Sports Centre.

Tuesday

• Occupational First Aid Training. 8:30am. ProSafe Training School.

Wednesday

• Burnaby Writing Group. 6pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Family Bingo. 6pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Beginner Bachata Class. 8pm. World Dance Co.