Thurs. July 25, 2024 edition: Council approves $267M for phase two of Cameron Community Centre

Good morning, Burnaby!

A lot is in motion this week, as we’ve learned that council has recently approved $267M for phase two of the Cameron Community Centre (once finished, it’ll be four times the size of the old one!), and that the long awaited fire station 4 on Burnaby Mountain has finally opened its doors. Also this week, the Burnaby Community Assembly wraps up its work on the Burnaby 2050 official community plan, and reflects on the progress made this year.

👀 In today's edition:

• Phase two of the Cameron Community Centre

• Burnaby Community Assembly wraps up its work

• The grand opening of fire station 4

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COUNCIL

Council approves $267M for phase two of Cameron Community Centre

Council approved the second phase of the Cameron Community Centre and Library this week, which is estimated to cost $267M—a jump up from the original budget of $227M, according to a council report. 

A presentation by Charles Allen, the city’s director of civic building projects, and Jeff Mitchell, a consultant and senior associate at Diamond Schmitt Architects, shows that the new Cameron Community Centre will be four times the size of the old one and will include a library, swimming pools, and a double gym, among other features. 

Construction on the project is expected to be completed in 2027, and the facility will be operational in early 2028. 

Get more details from this week’s council meeting here.

Burnaby Bulletin

Auditing a pricy sewer plant. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, has recommended a prominent local developer be appointed to audit the shockingly over-budget North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant. Some Richmond councillors voiced transparency concerns. [Richmond News]

Black bear spotted, killed. A black bear that was caught on camera chasing geese at a busy Metro Vancouver park over the weekend was killed by conservation officers over fear of public safety. [CTV News]

Stolen bikes. The theft of more than a dozen electric motorcycles has left a Burnaby dealership, Joule Motorcycles, in shock. Burnaby RCMP claim that approximately 14 electric motorcycles, along with accessories, were taken early Monday morning. [Global News]

A series of romance scams. Mounties are warning that a string of romance scams reported in recent weeks have been especially coercive, using violent videos to intimidate victims. [CTV News]

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NEWS

Direct democracy in action: Burnaby Community Assembly wraps up its work

This year, Burnaby became one of a handful of municipalities that initiated a planning process for the city’s future that heavily involved input from the community. The Burnaby 2050 official community planning process has many moving parts, gaps, and issues. It also involves multiple layers of engagement with the community and host nations.

Within less than six months, the assembly thoroughly examined the city. Its members met with experts from multiple fields who spoke about the logistics and costs of running the city. The 40 members also went on guided tours throughout Burnaby, where they could see, in person, the connections between the city’s various parts. 

The assembly met with members of the Board of Trade, the Burnaby District Parent Advisory Council, the city’s Youth Advisory Council for the OCP, and community groups in Edmonds, among others. The meetings aimed to educate assembly members on the inner workings of the city and its different moving parts to help inform their recommendations for the future. 

The assembly of 40 people—who represent the city’s diversity—published its 24 recommendations for Burnaby’s future. The Beacon spoke with several members of the Burnaby Community Assembly, each with a unique perspective on their experience with the assembly.

Read the full story and hear from the assembly members themselves.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Fire station 4 is officially open on Burnaby Mountain

Burnaby Mountain residents who live beside the Trans Mountain tank farm may be able to rest a little easier now that the brand new Fire Station 4 is open. The city hosted a community celebration to mark the opening on Saturday, July 20, which attracted many people from all over Burnaby.

It was a family-friendly event as children could explore the fire station, climb onto fire trucks, and toot the horn. Burnaby firefighters barbecued hot dogs, and the queue was long on the hot, sunny July day. 

“Everything I’ve heard from the community is that they like the comfort of having emergency services close, especially with the growing UniverCity community there,” said James Lota, general manager of land and facilities.

Read more about the opening ceremony here.

Where to eat & drink

🍺 The Great Bear Pub. A cozy neighbourhood pub complete with a dart board, pool table, flat screen TVs and live entertainment six days a week. The food here is comforting and nostalgic—burgers, sandwiches and fried snacks galore—making this the perfect spot to catch a game or spend a fun evening with friends.

🥢 Longtail Kitchen. The menu at this bright New West venue is small but mighty, showcasing a variety of flavours inspired by Thai street food. The Chinese sausage fried rice, Singaporean noodles and roti with peanut sauce all look great, especially when washed down with a sweet Thai milk tea.

🍨 Snowy Village. We couldn’t think of anything better to have on a hot day than bingsoo, a Korean shaved ice dessert soaked in sweetened condensed milk. The flavours here are endless, featuring summer fruits like mango and strawberry as well as richer flavours like oreo and cheesecake.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Service Manager at The Rec Room

• Service Delivery Manager at PWTransit Canada

• Customer Service Supervisor at Wesco

• Wellbeing Specialist at BCIT Student Association

• Logistics Specialist at Backstretch Consulting

• Electrical Inspector at City of Burnaby

• Volume Counter, Mail Operations at Canada Post

• Shift Leader at Health Link BC

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Getting Started with Recording Audio. 2pm. Burnaby Public Library. 

• Summer Stages: The Lache Cercel Quartet. 2pm. Confederation Park.

Friday

• Board Game Club. 10:30am. Burnaby Public Library.

• Festool Friday. 12pm-4pm. Ultimate Tools.

• Free Beginner Salsa Class. 7pm. World Dance Co.

Saturday

• Summer Bash Bollywood Party. 9pm. The Rec Room.

• Connectivity: Business Networking Event. 1pm. 4388 Beresford St.

• Summer BBQ Mingler Party. 10am-3pm. Central Park Outdoor Pool.

• Terrarium Candle Workshop. 3:30pm. 3871 N Fraser Way #6.

Sunday

• Professional Dog Photoshoot. 5pm. Deer Lake Park.

• Shred Fest: Skate & Stunt Show. 10am. 1875 Boundary Rd.

• Chinese Cultural Heritage & Food Festival. 11am-5pm. Swangard Stadium.

Monday

• Occupational First Aid Level 1. 8:30am-4:30pm. ProSafe Training School.

• Duo Aerial Yoga Workshop. 1:30pm. 428 Columbia St.

Tuesday

• Creative Bliss: An Art, Tea & Sound Journey. 7pm. Location details here.

• Draw Your Own Manga. 3pm. Burnaby Public Library.

Wednesday

• Creative Protesting. 7pm. Starbucks at Lougheed Mall.

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

• Gay Pride Bachata Party. 10pm. World Dance Co.