Thursday, May 8 edition: Goodbye to Brentwood Town Centre

Good morning, Burnaby!

Earlier this week, Burnaby residents said goodbye to an old icon, Brentwood Town Centre. The mall, which first opened in 1961, was once one of the most vibrant places in town. In recent years, it had become a shadow of its former self, with stores shutting down and declining visitor numbers. A new development had overshadowed the old mall, The Amazing Brentwood, with its outdoor plaza and shiny new food court driving the last nails into the old mall’s coffin. Many Burnaby residents took to Reddit to share their fond childhood memories of Brentwood Town Centre on Monday, May 5.

Also on Monday, Burnaby RCMP officers received a call about a disturbance near Woodbrook Place, which turned out to be a stabbing that left a 42-year-old man injured.

On a more positive note, Burnaby deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students won eight titles at DHHproud Showcase, an annual event where students from all over BC compete in art and poetry. Burnaby School District hosted the two-day event, which saw record-breaking numbers of student participants.

👀 In today's edition:

• Farewell to Brentwood Town Centre 😢

• Burnaby RCMP investigates stabbing

• School district hosts event for deaf and hard of hearing students

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NEWS

Old Brentwood mall closed for good

Residents who grew up frequenting the old Brentwood Town Centre shared their memories online the day the old mall closed for good. The mall, which had been mostly empty for a while now, officially closed on Monday, May 5. The last store to close was London Drugs, which was relocated to the outdoor plaza of The Amazing Brentwood next to the LL Bean outdoor clothing store.

Shape Properties, the developer of The Amazing Brentwood is planning to convert the old mall into two residential towers, pending council approval for an amendment to the Brentwood Master Plan. “The Brentwood site will accommodate just over 8.4 million square feet of residential area, including strata residential, market residential rental, and nonmarket residential rental,” the City of Burnaby said in a report about the amendment, “The amendment proposes improved amenities like larger open green spaces, improved bike and pedestrian network and a child care facility for the residents.”

Read the full story here.

Burnaby Bulletin

🙋 City of Burnaby celebrates volunteer week: The city celebrated National Volunteer Week from April 28-May 3 by thanking the over 1,000 volunteers in Burnaby.

🏆 City and council award Kushiro cup to two outstanding citizens: Henry Wakabayashi and Ken Shinozaki received 2024's Outstanding Citizens of the Year award.

🎨 Burnaby Arts Council (BAC) revives Deer Lake Gallery: While the gallery remains officially closed, BAC is hosting a “Live at the Gallery” open mic and a pop-up exhibition by Burnaby Artists Guild.

🏆 50 Burnaby students recognized by the city: As part of Youth Week, city council presented awards to students for their outstanding community contributions.

🌍 Burnaby students mark Earth Day: From community plant sales to upcycling old fabrics, Burnaby students spent the past month focusing on environmental issues.

🚒 Burnaby firefighters put out Buller Avenue warehouse fire: 28 crew members helped extinguish the fire on Tuesday, May 6.

⚽️ Upgraded Jack Crosby Sports Box now open: The city celebrated the grand reopening at Riverway on May 3 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

🏢 NDP appoints Don Davies new interim leader: Davies will replace former Burnaby MP Jagmeet Singh.

🏬 New London Drugs store opens in The Amazing Brentwood: The official ribbon-cutting is scheduled to take place Friday, May 9.

🕌 Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table hosts community interfaith event: The event will take place on Wednesday, May 28 from 9am to 2pm at the Ismaili Centre on 4010 Canada Way.

NEWS

RCMP investigates stabbing in North Burnaby

Burnaby RCMP is investigating a stabbing that occurred on Woodbrook Place in North Burnaby on Monday, May 5 at around 10pm. A 42-year-old man was taken to hospital with stab wounds and remains there in stable condition. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and police have not confirmed whether any suspects were arrested.

Read the full story here.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Burnaby students win 8 out of 21 DHHproud Showcase titles

Burnaby School District hosted one of the largest events in BC for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students, DHHproud Showcase on April 7, 2025. This year, 111 students from 17 school districts participated in the competition’s DHH Art, ASL Poetry, and Spotlight categories. The theme of this year’s event was “My dream for a DHH friendly world.” Burnaby students won eight out of 21 titles.

On the second day of the DHHproud event, 310 DHH students from 23 school districts, independent schools and the BC Provincial School for the Deaf (BCSD), came together for Friendship Day, an event aimed at building friendships among DHH students from all over BC through excursions and other activities.

Read the full story here.

Where to eat & drink

🍦🧋 Slothfuls ice cream and bubble tea: Ice cream and bubble tea season has arrived!

🍱 Porker Face Korean restaurant: Craving some savings? Check out their all-you-can-eat menu, for under $40. Weekdays are cheaper!

🍗 Uncle Willy’s Buffet: Burnaby’s iconic ‘90s-style all-you-can-eat buffet offers hearty fare and great value at under $30 per person, and it’s a family-friendly place.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Part-time customer service and pet specialist, Global Pet Foods

• Library assistant, SFU, Burnaby

• Clerk/Unit Aide - Home Health, Burnaby, Fraser Health

• Full or part-time physiotherapist, Absolute PhysioCare and Sports Rehab

• Security guard at Burnaby Hospital redevelopment, Paladin Security

• Nursing Unit Clerk, Burnaby Hospital, Fraser Health

• Museum Interpreter (Indigenous), City of Burnaby

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Information Session, SFU. Learn about the Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility and application process, online via Zoom, 12-1pm.

Friday

• Motherhood in Art History. SFU, online via Zoom, 11am-12:30pm

• Here and Now Dance Performance, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Ave., 8-9pm.

Saturday

• Farmers’ Market. Burnaby City Hall parking lot. 9am-2pm.

• Country Night at Bonsor Hall, Bonsor Banquet Hall, 6-11pm.

• Mothers’ Day Glampsite Party, Metropolis at Metrotown, 12-2pm.

Sunday

• Mother’s Day Drag Brunch, The Rec Room Brentwood, 11am-2pm.

Monday

• Soup Lunch, $2, Burnaby Neighbourhood House, 4908 Hastings St. 11am-1pm.

• Community Mahjong Club, Burnaby Neighbourhood Brentwood House, 2055 Rosser Ave., 11am-1:30pm.

Tuesday

• EAL with Fatemah, Burnaby Neighbourhood House North, 4908 Hastings St., 11am-12pm.

• Adult Yoga, Burnaby Neighbourhood House South, 4460 Beresford St., 3-4pm.

Wednesday

• Toastmasters. Burnaby City Hall, 4949 Canada Way, 12-1pm.