Thursday, Jan. 30 edition: Burnaby cancels plans for new community centre

Good morning, Burnaby!

After city staff came to council with the recommendation that the city defer the Confederation Park Community Centre project due to a lack of funding last August, a decision to cancel it was officially made during council’s meeting this week. Read more about that decision in today’s newsletter, as well as other important items discussed during Tuesday’s meeting. Also this week, the city is planning to change non-market rental requirements and a new urban forest strategy draft has been published and is awaiting public feedback.

👀 In today's edition:

• Burnaby cancels Confederation Park Community Centre

• City plans to change non-market rental requirements

• Public engagement for urban forest strategy underway

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NEWS

Burnaby cancels Confederation Park Community Centre

Last August, city staff came to council with the recommendation that the city defer the Confederation Park Community Centre project due to a lack of funding. The original proposal was to delay the project until funds became available. Council approved a new staff recommendation to cancel the project during their Jan. 28 meeting, a staff report outlined several different options for council to consider, the first being to abandon the project entirely. 

“This option proposes deferring the project until there is increased demand to enhance recreation service provision in the Northwest Quadrant, adequate funding is secured, and the project aligns with the City-wide facility needs and implementation strategy specified in the forthcoming Parks, Recreation, and Culture Master Plan,” the staff report said. “Implementing this option would require terminating existing contracts, incurring associated fees, and initiating a new procurement process in the future when needed, with construction costs expected to rise by 4-7% annually.” Abandoning the project would cost the city approximately $15.8 million. 

Other items discussed during this week’s council meeting include the planned patio for Mintara Atop Burnaby Mountain restaurant with a new recommendation to cancel it, as well as the possibility of a new bike playground in Burnaby. 

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

SPONSORED BY CITY OF BURNABY

Share your voice

The City of Burnaby is seeking public feedback on the draft Urban Forest Strategy. The Strategy will guide us in creating a vibrant, resilient and healthy urban forest. Take the survey by February 10 or join in for an open house. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of Burnaby’s urban forest.

Burnaby Bulletin

Hit and run suspect arrested. Burnaby RCMP claim they have arrested a suspect in a hit-and-run collision that left a 64-year-old woman seriously injured last December. The 45-year-old man has not been identified, as charges have yet to be approved in the case. [Global News]

A new exhibition. The Burnaby Art Gallery has announced a new solo exhibition by Kim Kennedy Austin, titled Booster Club, running from February 7 to April 20, 2025. Booster Club centres upon Austin's interests in 20th-century advertising, media and popular culture in myth and meaning-making.

Punk rock bakery closes. Punk Rock Pastries, an iconic dessert shop in Burnaby known for their erotic and sometimes creepy treats, has announced they will be shutting their doors in 2025. Though an exact date has not yet been determined, owner and founder Hollie Fraser suggested it might be during the summer. [North Shore News]

A big chunk of federal funding. Several elected officials gathered with TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn at the SeaBus Terminal in North Vancouver on Monday to announce new funding of $633 million to be delivered over the next decade. The funding will help TransLink deliver on long-term projects that are vital to the North Shore and Metro Vancouver areas. [New West Record]

The aftermath of a fire. Tenants displaced by a massive Burnaby apartment fire in November are concerned looters are targeting their property in the burned-out building. Tenants haven't been allowed access to that part of the building to retrieve their belongings yet, and one has noticed through a window that her suitcase has been opened since evacuating. Investigations from Burnaby RCMP are currently underway. [Burnaby Now]

NEWS

City plans to change non-market rental requirements

During Burnaby’s Planning and Development Committee meeting on Jan. 20, delegations from two real estate developers spoke about the city’s current inclusionary zoning and rental replacement requirements. 

The first delegation was from Greenbrier Holdings, a developer that owns the building at 6355 Kingsway. The first presenter was Ted Zacks, the owner of the development, who spoke about the 60-unit building. Zacks said his father purchased the building in 1969. Most of the apartments in the building are one- and two-bedroom units. “Our building is nearing the end of its expected useful life,” said Zacks. “We’ve invested to maintain the building and the surrounding property over the years, but significant investments are less and less economically justifiable.”

Zacks went on to suggest that the city make an exception for buildings with existing rental housing regarding the number of non-market rental replacement units and height.   

Get the full story here.

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Public engagement for urban forest strategy underway

Last month, the City of Burnaby published a draft of its urban forest strategy, which was also discussed during council’s last meeting of 2024 on Dec. 16. Now the city has launched an online survey for Burnaby residents to read the strategy and provide their feedback. 

The urban forest strategy is a 109-page document detailing what Burnaby intends to do with its trees and how it will maintain existing trees and plant more trees in the city. On the sixth page, there is a pyramid diagram illustrating the overall strategy. At the top of the pyramid is the overall vision for the strategy, which is 40% canopy cover by 2075. At the bottom of the pyramid are the 68 actions the city needs to take to achieve this vision, divided into “quick starts” and “big moves” or, to put it plainly, short-term and long-term actions.

In order to provide feedback on the urban forest strategy, residents can find the full text of the strategy document on the city’s Your Voice public engagement platform. They can also take the survey, which will be open until Feb. 10.

Read more about it here.

Where to eat & drink

Meetrice Noodles. A ramen enthusiast’s paradise, Meetrice Noodles is a quiet Metrotown eatery busting out loud flavours. The combination of sauces, vegetables and proteins are endless, allowing you to construct your ideal bowl of noodles. If you’re not sure where to begin (their menu can be dizzying), their beef rib soup with rice noodles is a trusted crowd favourite.

Mon Paris Patisserie. If you’ve got a craving for buttery, laminated pastry dough—whether that’s in the form of a classic butter croissant or an astoundingly rich slice of kouign-amann—look no further than this artisanal French pastry shop located right by Metrotown station. Along with pastry items, they also do macarons, cakes (both for a crowd and for a little individual treat, if you’re in the mood) and chocolates.

Don Chendo Mexican Products. Interested in cooking a delicious and authentic Mexican meal at home? The ingredients you use are paramount to your success. Luckily, Don Chendo has you covered—from a variety of dried chili peppers and hot sauces to an equally plentiful selection of corn and wheat tortillas, you’ll find everything you need here to make the perfect meal.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Insurance Advisor at HUB International

• Damage Prevention, Summer Student at Trans Mountain

• Organizational Health Specialist at SFU

• Service Desk, Part Time at Home Depot

• Account Manager at Telus

• Human Resources Specialist at Securitas Canada

• Sales Intern at Ritchie Bros.

• Career Services Coordinator at Vancouver Career College

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Family Storytime. 11:30am. Burnaby Public Library.

• Vision Board Creation. 12:30pm. Global Student Centre.

• Yoga and Entrepreneurship. 5pm. Yoga at the Quay.

Friday

• Study Down Under Fair. 11am-3pm. Academic Quadrangle North at SFU.

• Board Game Club. 3:30pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Advance Theatre: The Consent Club. 7:30pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

Saturday

• International Guitar Night. 7:30pm. 735 Eighth Ave.

• Tiny Treasures: Lunar New Year Storytime & Crafts. 10:30am. Lougheed Shopping Centre.

• Moonlight Sonata Event: Welcoming Lunar New Year. 1pm. 5648 Imperial St.

Sunday

• Paint Nite. 6pm. The Rec Room.

• Gabriel Mark Hasselbach Sunday Jazz Show. 5pm-9pm. The Admiral Pub & Grill.

Monday

• Fine Art Buying Event. 10am-5pm. Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre. 

• SFU Criminology Student Association Game Night. 5pm. Student Union Building.

• Women 55+ Coffee Meetup. 10:30am. Location details here.

Tuesday

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

• Caroline Armington: Notre Dame Emerging. 10am-8pm. McGill Library.

Wednesday

• English Conversation Circles. 12:30pm. Global Student Centre.

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