Burnaby is many things: energetic, fun, romantic, delicious, diverse, historic, accessible and welcoming. Just twenty minutes from downtown Vancouver, Burnaby’s address is its fi rst selling point. In the late 1800’s, a dramatic increase in travel between the old colonial capital of New Westminster and the new port city of Vancouver led to the country’s fi rst interurban electric tram line (today’s Skytrain Expo Line route). The innovative tram line connected the two centres through the area now known as Burnaby, an undeveloped area of tall trees and wilderness at that time. The newly founded municipality quickly attracted a culturally eclectic population who enjoyed Burnaby’s perfect mix of urban amenities and the natural outdoors.

 

This cosmopolitan centre may have started out as a placein-between but today it is a city bursting with its own life and colour. Burnaby is the third largest city in BC with over 205,000 residents. The city has grown substantially over the last century, but present-day residents still cite the same reasons for calling Burnaby home: its proximity to Vancouver, affordability, cultural diversity, recreational opportunities and modern and accessible public transport system. Visitors to Burnaby enjoy the same activities as the locals, including shopping at Metropolis at Metrotown (the largest shopping and entertainment complex in BC), exploring a fresh fusion of fl avours at Burnaby’s many international restaurants and strolling through beautiful Burnaby Lake Regional Park.

 

Fringed with water to the north and south and crowned with mountains at its centre, Burnaby provides lots of opportunities for outdoor pursuits. During the summer, take in an outdoor concert at Deer Lake Park, home to one of Burnaby’s two large freshwater lakes. The naturally forested parklands surrounding Deer Lake provide the perfect setting to site back and enjoy the sounds of everything from the Vancouver Symphony orchestra to the Blues & Roots Festival. Families will enjoy fl ying a kite atop Burnaby Mountain surrounded by unobstructed views of Burnaby, Vancouver and beyond.