Thursday, March 13 edition: Phase one of redeveloped Burnaby Hospital set to open

Good morning, Burnaby!

It’s been a busy week this week, with talks of phase one of the redeveloped Burnaby Hospital set to open this year. The hospital’s brand new pavilion will include an extra 83 beds as well as a new mental health and substance use unit, maternity unit, neonatal intensive care, and a medical unit with negative pressure rooms and outbreak zones for infection control. Also this week, Burnaby is actively taking steps to support Canada amid threats from the Trump administration, and a new $5 hot meal program is rolled out for Burnaby seniors.

👀 In today's edition:

• Phase one of redeveloped Burnaby Hospital set to open this year

• Burnaby takes steps to “Buy Canadian”

• $5 meals for seniors at Burnaby Hospital

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NEWS

Phase one of redeveloped Burnaby Hospital set to open this year

Burnaby Hospital’s brand new pavilion will open this year, according to a Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project delegation at Burnaby City Council’s Mar. 11 meeting. The new pavilion will include an extra 83 beds as well as a new mental health and substance use unit, maternity unit, neonatal intensive care, and a medical unit with negative pressure rooms and outbreak zones for infection control. 

Also during the meeting this week, council members discussed a proposal to remove the 20% increase on the sewage bills for 2025 for households that have not paid their utility bills yet. Council had approved the increase during its Nov. 4, 2024 meeting. The sewage bill was increased because Metro Vancouver had raised its rates by 49.84% for 2025. The city was to absorb the difference in the increase using its reserves. 

Towards the end of the meeting, Coun. Daniel Tetrault proposed a motion for staff to work with BC Housing to obtain funding for supportive housing in Burnaby, identify a potential site, and coordinate with stakeholders on the type of services to be provided. The proposal was met with mixed reactions from council members, most of them expressing support for the idea behind it. 

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

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Burnaby Bulletin

New non-market units. Burnaby residents have started to move into 134 units of non-market housing, created through a partnership between the City of Burnaby, Catalyst Community Developments Society and the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC). The 134 units in the 6-storey mixed-use building at 6889 Royal Oak Ave. will be rented at rates affordable to households with low and moderate incomes.

Hells Angel gambling charges. Charges have been laid against a longtime Hells Angel and an associate after slot machines and other gambling supplies were found inside a Burnaby café. Francisco Batista Pires, a 62-year-old member of the bikers’ Nomads chapter, and Angelo Giuseppe Freda, 60, each face one count of keeping an illegal gaming house. [Vancouver Sun]

A vandal-proof washroom. A Burnaby park washroom destroyed by fire in October is one step closer to being replaced by a more accessible, universal and vandal-proof facility. The new facility will be built within the same footprint and "designed to ensure accessibility, safety and inclusivity through universal design principles," according to bid documents posted online this week. [Burnaby Now]

Multi-car collision. No serious injuries have been reported in a collision that occurred Tuesday evening in Burnaby, despite four vehicles being involved, say police. Police arrived to find four cars involved in the crash, three of which were towed from the scene, a statement said. [CTV News]

100-pound cougar. A cougar living on Bowen Island is making its presence known and one recent encounter has conservation officers concerned. In just 28 hours, two people had close encounters with the cougar in the Cowan Point area. [Burnaby Now]

🚲 Over twenty cycling leaders were celebrated at HUB Cycling’s 12th Annual Bike Awards on March 8 - including three winners from Burnaby! Read on for some of the evening’s top award winners.*

🎤 Come hear one of folk and popular music’s finest singers and interpreters! The legendary JUDY COLLINS performs at the Massey Theatre, March 30.*

*Sponsored Listing

NEWS

Burnaby takes steps to “Buy Canadian”

Canadian provinces and cities have started implementing measures to protect local economies. The City of Burnaby is no exception. The Beacon spoke with Mayor Mike Hurley about the city’s plans with the looming US-Canada trade war. Last month, the city council held a special council meeting to discuss ways to mitigate the negative effects of Trump’s tariffs and encourage Burnaby residents to buy Canadian and boycott US products and services. 

According to Mayor Hurley, the city is currently examining its procurement processes to ensure most of what it procures is from Canadian vendors, but the situation is slightly more complex than just buying from Canadian businesses. Hurley said that the city’s analysis shows that around 95% of the municipality’s vendors are Canadian, and 99% of its spending has been with Canadian vendors. 

“That’s almost $3.8 billion spent on Canadian vendors over the last five years. But because our economy is so integrated with the US, we want to push our vendors a little more to see what we can do even better. Although we’re buying from Canadian vendors, we’re not too sure where they’re procuring from,” Hurley told the Beacon.

Get the full story here.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

$5 meals for seniors at Burnaby Hospital

Fraser Health launched a new program to provide affordable hot meals for seniors. The new seniors’ meals are served Monday to Friday from 4-6pm at the Burnaby Hospital cafeteria and cost $4.99 each.

Seniors can request the meal from cafeteria staff and do not need to present any ID or book in advance. The program aims to provide a nutritious, hot meal made with fresh ingredients for seniors on a fixed income to address high inflation and food insecurity. 

According to Kevin Poland, director for retail food operations at Fraser Health, the idea behind the meals program began when Poland’s boss, Tina Hartnell, the Fraser Health executive director for food, visited New York hospitals a year and a half ago. During her visit, Hartwell saw a busy hospital cafeteria at a time when it would have normally been quiet. 

Read more about the hot meal program here.

Where to eat & drink

🍣 Sushi Modo. A small, casual eatery serving anything but casual Japanese food—their black cod sake-miso yaki, takoyaki and wasabi mayo prawns are all flavour bombs—with a variety of noodle dishes, rice and sushi dishes to choose from. It’s highly recommended to come as a group, allowing you to try a bit of everything.

🍰 WeBake Dessert Cafe. Home of some of Burnaby’s best high-stacked sandwiches, this cute cafe in Lougheed Mall is a great spot for a mid-day pick-me-up. Cranberry chicken, beef and salmon avocado are all great sando options, as well as their desserts—everything from banana bread, carrot cake and fresh croissants can be found here (and absolutely delicious).

🍻 The River’s Reach Pub. A local watering hole in New West that serves a variety of local beers and wines as well as an irresistible food menu. Especially after a few drinks, their burgers, short rib mac ‘n’ cheese and peri peri fries are sure to hit the spot, making for a great night out with friends.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Beauty Advisor at Sephora

• Privacy Analyst at Pacific Blue Cross

• Field Sales Representative at Arrow Electronics

• Research Development & Innovation, Co-Op Position at Evonik

• Correspondence Specialist at SFU

• Client Advisor at Acera Insurance

• Server at BCIT Student Association

• Member Service Representative at Fitness World

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• English conversation circle. 3:30pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Using the Internet. 3pm. Burnaby Public Library.

• Holi Dahan. 7pm. Hindu Temple Burnaby.

Friday

• St. Patrick's Day Salsa Party. 9pm. World Dance Co.

• Secret Balboa Social. 8pm. 65 E 6th Ave.

Saturday

• BC Swing Dance Club’s March 15th Dance. 6:30pm. Bonsor Recreation Complex.

• Shamrock the Weekend. 10pm. The Rec Room.

• Volunteer Day at Stream of Dreams. 10am. 6825 Cariboo Road.

• Show & Tell Sessions. 11am. Beta Collective Burnaby.

Sunday

• Holi Mela. 11am. Hindu Temple Burnaby.

• Burnaby Foraging Workshop. 2pm. Deer Lake Park.

Monday

• Spring Break. All Day. Burnaby Village Museum.

Tuesday

• Paint Nite. 7pm. Oliver Twist Pub & Grill.

• In-Person Seminar: Transform Your Leadership in Chronic Pain Management. 1pm. Work Wellness Institute.

Wednesday

• Tax Clinic Volunteer Tax Preparer. 3pm. BCIT.

• Career Series. 3:30pm. SFU.

• Law Enforcement Volunteer Fair. 11am. Justice Institute of British Columbia.