Thurs. Nov 22 edition: A greener Burnaby

Good morning, Burnaby!

British Columbia is adored by many for its mountains, forests and overall green-leaning atmosphere, and that sentiment is just as prominent in Burnaby communities. With residents repeatedly emphasizing the importance of green spaces, this week’s council meeting focused precisely on that. In other news, the city’s best bakeries are now up on our website—as chosen by you via the Readers’ Choice Awards. Cheers!

👀 In today's edition:

• Healthcare workers are petitioning for more parking spaces

• Burnaby School District’s creative solution to ECE shortage

• The City of Burnaby’s 2024-2028 financial plan

NEWS

This week’s council meeting sets Burnaby’s green spaces as top priority

With residents repeatedly emphasizing the importance of green spaces in their communities in surveys and brainstorming sessions, this week’s council meeting was centred around the importance of park planning and maintenance in Burnaby.

Led by Andre Isakov, director of parks recreation culture planning, and Heather Edwards, manager of parks planning, design and development, council was introduced to a new framework that prioritizes park development and acquisition.

“Parks improve public health, they provide better quality of life, we know we live in a really competitive region where this is really important. Parks provide safe gathering spaces for neighbourhoods, they’re catalysts for community building and community vibrancy,” said Isakov.

Read more about this week’s council meeting here.

Burnaby Bulletin

Looking to buy a 24-storey building? A BP-ready, mixed-use high rise is on the market for sale in Burnaby’s Metrotown neighbourhood for the asking price of $19,800,000.

Board of Trade CEO retires. Paul Holden, the longstanding president of Burnaby’s Board of Trade, has announced retirement after 13 years of service in the company. [Burnaby Now]

A pre-fab housing resolution. Burnaby, along with 10 other cities, has recently signed onto a pre-fabrication housing resolution that allows rentals into the housing stock. [City News]

Burnaby’s 2024-2028 financial plan. The City of Burnaby is inviting residents to share their thoughts on the city’s financial plan for the next four years. Residents have until Dec. 8 to provide feedback.

Healthcare workers want more parking spaces. Community healthcare workers are petitioning Burnaby council for parking spaces following complaints of getting tickets during work hours. [Vancouver is Awesome]

A scammer at BCIT. Students at BCIT have made multiple incident reports recently that involve an unknown man scamming them for rent money. A warning has been sent to students on campus.

A fatal collision. A major route has been closed in Burnaby following a fatal collision. A female pedestrian was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle. [Daily Hive]

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Burnaby School District launches new program to combat early childhood educator shortage

Burnaby School District has launched a new program this year for high school students in Grade 11 and 12 to receive training, course credit and hands-on experience in a childcare setting.

Ten students are already enrolled in the program this year, receiving credit for four high school level courses upon completion. Embedded in two of those courses is the early childhood education assistant program, which culminates in a credential through the early childhood education (ECE) registry that will allow them to work in a childcare setting and apply for jobs right after graduation.

“I’ve gotten to learn a lot about children and child psychology in this program,” said Batoul Hawili, a 17-year-old student at Ecole Cariboo Hill Secondary School. “The first thing that had me doing this program was my love for children, learning more about them and interacting with them.”

Read more about the Early Childhood Education Assistant program here.

SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF BURNABY

Free Edmonds’ Festival of Lights this Saturday

On November 25 from 2:30-5:30 pm, join us at Edmonds Community Centre to kick-off the holidays. Create festive crafts and enjoy hot dogs served by Burnaby firefighters. Finish off the evening with a visit with Santa and watch one lucky child help the Mayor light up the big tree.

BURNABY READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

The best bakeries in Burnaby, as chosen by you

What’s the best place in Burnaby to get a steaming hot cup of coffee (or tea, or macchiato, whatever!) accompanied by a delicious treat? Take a look here at some of the best bakeries in the city, showing you the top picks of our Readers’ Choice Awards!

Where to eat & drink

🍣 Stem Japanese Eatery. A rustic Japanese eatery that emphasizes using hyper-seasonal ingredients, the finest dashi broth and an extensive collection of wines and sake. A Metrotown gem not to be missed.

🥪 The Gray Olive Cafeteria. An airy, spacious brunch and lunch spot on Hastings serving comfort food “with a little magic.” The crab cake benny and fried chicken sandwich look incredible.

🍳 Fraser Park Restaurant. This bustling diner is famous for its German-style breakfast and lunch dishes. Think poached ham with bratwurst, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes for lunch and a full breakfast schnitzel to start off your day. Our only advice is to come hungry.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Community Outreach Rep at BC Hydro

• Sales Associate at Rogers Communications

• Sales Assistant at RXO

• Kayak Instructor at the City of Burnaby

• Cook at Aramark

• Junior Retail Autoplan Agent at Park Insurance

• Principal Bridge Engineer at Parsons

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

🗓 Things to do

Thursday

• Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee Training. 9am. Executive Suites Hotel & Conference Centre Metro Vancouver.

• Cooking Basics on a Budget. 12pm. Brentwood Community Resource Centre. Registration here.

Friday

• Josie and Grace. 7:30pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Tickets here.

• Polymer Clay Crafts. 1:30pm. Out on Campus Lounge.

• Deer Lake Winter Festival. 11am. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

• Pizza and Politics. 3pm. SFU, details here. 

Saturday

• Josie and Grace. 7:30pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Tickets here.

• Edmonds Festival of Lights. 2:30pm. Edmonds Community Centre.

• Sweet Sounds on Sussex. 8pm. Jubilee United Church. Tickets here.

• Weedbusters. 11am. Burnaby Lake Nature House.

• Speakers Summit. 6:30pm. BCIT.

Sunday

• Winter Concert: The Long Expected Messiah. 7:30pm. Evangelical Chinese Bible Church.

• Claude Monet-inspired Colour Painting. 5pm. 4458 Beresford St.

• Winter Concert. 2pm. Michael J. Fox Theatre

Monday

• Avoca Beach Comedy Club. 7pm. Erikson Drive.

• Decathlon Pop-Up Store. 10am. Metropolis at Metrotown.

• Breathwork Healing Session. 1pm. Online via Zoom.

Tuesday

• Heritage Christmas. 1pm. Burnaby Village Museum.

• Monthly Luncheon. 11:30am. The Study, Maggie Bentson Centre.

Wednesday

• Kindred Tracings. 10am to 4:30pm. Burnaby Art Gallery.

• Tar Sands Songbook. 7pm. Cranberry Commons Cohousing.

• Self-Portrait Craft Night. 5:30pm. Student Union Building, SFU.