Thursday, Nov. 21 edition: Burnaby discusses ways to preserve Walker Ave. church in Edmonds

Good morning, Burnaby!

A major topic of discussion this week is the historic Edmonds Baptist Church (also known as the Walker Avenue Church). A rezoning application is underway to redevelop the site into a residential tower, but locals are petitioning the city to find ways to keep the much-loved historic church and community centre alive. In other news, nearly $155K is needed for more staff at Cameron Library and the Deer Lake Winter Craft Festival is returning to Burnaby this weekend.

👀 In today's edition:

• Burnaby discusses ways to preserve Walker Ave. church in Edmonds

• Nearly $155K needed for more staff at Cameron Library and Rec Centre

• Deer Lake Winter Craft Festival returns this weekend

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NEWS

Burnaby discusses ways to preserve Walker Ave. church in Edmonds

The City of Burnaby’s Community Heritage Commission discussed the proposal to rezone the historic Edmonds Baptist Church site, also known as the Walker Avenue Church, during its meeting on Nov. 14. 

The church’s site was mentioned in a press release from the BC government on Sept. 12 as part of a project to build 1,200 new rental homes in Burnaby and Langley. However, the announcement met with backlash from the community, and several residents launched a petition to save the church—the online petition on Change.org currently has 82 signatures and aims to reach 100 signatures. 

“I humbly request that all avenues of preservation be carefully considered. As much as I agree on the importance of building more affordable housing, it need not come at the expense of our built heritage,” said Burnaby resident Jonathan Reay, who launched the petition.

Get the full story here.

Burnaby Bulletin

An intense fire. An intense fire broke out at a Burnaby condo building last night, displacing around 100 residents. Burnaby RCMP is currently investigating the cause of the fire which, according to video footage, is suspected to be arson. [CTV News]

A $3.7M investment. The federal government is backing three Burnaby-based startups to help them scale and compete globally and boost B.C.’s reputation as an innovation powerhouse. The companies receiving funding are pH7 Technologies, a critical metals processing company; PosiTrace, a provider of fleet management and GPS tracking solutions; and Rigid Robotics, a precision mining tech startup. [Vancouver Tech Journal]

A new bus lane. Burnaby council has approved a motion to install a dedicated bus lane on a three-kilometre stretch of Hastings Street between Delta Avenue and Duthie Avenue that would operate for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. [CBC]

Another pepper-spraying incident. Two people were reportedly pepper sprayed by four teenage boys in a Burnaby mall last weekend, according to Burnaby RCMP, marking yet another event in a string of pepper spay-related incidents this year. Police say they are working with mall security to identify the suspects of the attack. [CityNews]

An iconic holiday caravan. Coca-Cola's 2024 Holiday Caravan is making stops in Burnaby and Coquitlam as part of its trip around the Lower Mainland starting this month—residents will soon bear witness to a giant red semi-truck covered in twinkling lights roaming through the region that's as iconic as the figure sipping a soda on the side. [New West Record]

Canada Post strike. The City of Burnaby is advising residents and businesses of anticipated disruptions to city communications due to Canada Post’s strike action. Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, resulting in the delay in the delivery of important documents, notices, and other correspondence sent by mail.

An unexpected snowfall. Parts of Burnaby were treated to a dusting of snow last night as temperatures dropped ahead of an incoming windstorm, marking the first official snowfall of the season. [Daily Hive]

NEWS

Nearly $155K needed for more staff at Cameron Library and Rec Centre

The temporary Cameron Public Library and Recreation Centre has been very successful with record numbers of patrons and new library users—to the point where staff struggle to keep up. 

On Monday, Nov. 18, a delegation from the temporary centre appeared at city council’s meeting requesting $154,900 to hire three new staff members to keep up with increased demand at the library, currently located inside Lougheed Mall. According to a council report, temporary Cameron is seeing unprecedented numbers of patrons in its current location, some of whom are coming through the recreation centre and have been steadily increasing in recent months, especially after the closure of the old Cameron Community Centre and Library. 

Also discussed in council’s meeting this week is a change of schedule for next year—starting in 2025, Burnaby City Council will meet on Tuesdays instead of Mondays. The proposed changes came to council on Nov. 18, and the motion passed without any public consultation.

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

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Deer Lake Winter Craft Festival returns this weekend

The 54th Deer Lake Winter Craft Festival will take place this weekend from Nov. 22-24 at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Festival hours will be from 11am to 7pm on Friday and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Entry will be free. 

“Visitors can shop from sixty local artisans offering unique handcrafted gifts, including jewelry, pottery, textiles, and holiday decor. The festival also features live musical performances, a balloon artist, delicious food and drinks, a children’s craft table, and a chance to support the BAC through a raffle with prizes valued at over $2000. All proceeds support the Burnaby Arts Council’s year-round programs,” the Burnaby Arts Council said in a statement. 

Get more information on the festival here.

Where to eat & drink

🍲 Tenen Restaurant. Start yourself off with a hot bowl of Škembici (beef tripe soup) before diving into this Burnaby gem’s host of Balkan specialty dishes like Njegushi Steak or Karadjordjeva Schnitzel. One of the local favourites is to go for the Balkan BBQ section, where you can get anything from smoked pork neck to Leskovachi Ushtipci, a Serbian specialty.

🍝 Artusi. There’s no such thing as a bad day that ends with a well-made pasta—traditional Italian dishes meet contemporary style at this classy Italian restaurant in Burnaby, with pastas like pomodoro, gnocchi with guanciale and tagliatelle all bursting with authentic, unforgettable flavours.

🥪 Big Star Sandwich Co. It’s no exaggeration that Big Star Sandwich Co. makes “the best damn sandwich you’ve ever had,” with every single kind of topping available to make your bite perfect. From the classic roast beef and cold cut combo to melty breakfast handhelds with egg and cheese, you’ll find everything you’re looking for and more.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Finance Assistance at SFU

• Recreation Leader - Weight Room at City of Burnaby

• Personal Insurance Administrator at HUB International

• Clubs Program Coordinator at BCIT Student Association

• Head of Partner Development at Specsavers

• Manager, Corporate Purpose at BCAA

• Respectful Workplace Consultant at Telus

• Distribution Design Assistant at BC Hydro

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.

• Holiday Open House. 9am. Gardenworks at Mandeville.

• Awakening Self Love: Breathwork Masterclass. 1pm. Online via Zoom.

Friday

• Duelling DJ Salsa Party. 9pm. World Dance Co.

• Holiday Light Displays. 24/7 until Jan 3. Click here for locations.

• Casey Rocket. 9:45pm. Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy.

Saturday

• Plunging into the Unknown: A Conversation with Keiko Honda. 1:30pm. Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.

• Pierogy Making Bee. 10am. Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral.

• Queensborough Winter Market. 11am-3pm. 920 Ewen Ave.

• Christmas Jazz Concert. 3:30pm. Brentwood Presbyterian Church.

Sunday

• Peat Wreath Workshop. 1pm. Gardenworks at Lougheed Hwy.

• Kintsugi: Jewelry Workshop. 1pm. Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.

Monday

• Coffee, Art, Sketching. 11am. Waves Coffee at 4250 Kingsway.

Tuesday

• Holiday Festival. 3pm. Student Union Building at SFU.

• Career Night. 4:30-8pm. SFU Ballroom.

• Games for English Learners. 6pm. Burnaby Public Library.

Wednesday

• RCLAS Workshop: An Invitation to Soften Your Gaze and Invite Grace. 6:30pm. Centennial Lodge.

• Family Storytime. 10:30am. Burnaby Public Library.