Author: Isabelle Tran

On September 9, a group of Burnaby residents gathered at City Hall to voice their concerns about the city’s new height-based zoning policy. The meeting was part of the city’s planning and development committee, where residents asked leaders to halt the policy. Speaking on behalf of the group was former provincial MLA Kathy Corrigan, who has lived in Burnaby with her husband for over 50 years. Corrigan told officials that the new zoning rules had gone too far, creating a negative impact on local communities while shutting out public voices. She argued that the city had approved a bylaw that…

Burnaby RCMP officers were very busy on Saturday evening. They had to deal with two different incidents on Highway 1. The first one was a car crash. The second was an arrest for drunk driving Burnaby. The first call came in just before 5:30 p.m. It was about a three-car crash. The crash happened just before the Willingdon Avenue offramp. One of the drivers had some injuries. The injuries were not life-threatening. The driver was taken to the hospital. One car was so damaged it had to be towed away. The other two drivers were fine. They were not hurt.…

The future of a key sports facility in Burnaby is unclear after city council voted to open a competitive bidding process for its lease. The Harry Jerome Sports Centre, home to Volleyball B.C. since 1997, could see a change in tenants. The 53,000-square-foot air-sprung building sits just off the Barnet Highway, about six kilometres from Vancouver. Volleyball B.C. has leased the facility from the city for more than two decades. Volleyball B.C. president Jake Cabott expressed disappointment over the decision to open the lease to other applicants. “The facility is lined with our blood, sweat and tears,” Cabott said. “Almost…

Construction is underway on new K-12 classrooms in Burnaby, adding over 1,000 student spaces to meet the needs of the growing community. These projects aim to improve learning environments while providing families with modern, safe schools. The new projects, starting in summer 2025, include a Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) elementary school in north Burnaby with 360 seats and 15 classrooms, an expansion at Kitchener Elementary in Burnaby Heights adding 500 seats and 20 classrooms, and an addition with seismic upgrades at Brentwood Park Elementary adding 165 seats and seven classrooms. Janet Routledge, MLA for Burnaby North, said supporting schools is…

A new dining destination is drawing long lines at Burnaby’s Crystal Mall. The recently opened Kalguksu Noodle Restaurant by well-known Korean chef Wonil Lee has quickly become a sensation in the local community. The soft opening on August 7 marked his first noodle restaurant in North America. Chef Lee, a popular TV personality in Korea with a large following on YouTube, teamed up with his brother Johann to bring a special taste of home to Canada. The brothers took over the location that was once home to S.W. Pepper House, a restaurant that served the area for 20 years before…

Burnaby police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that left two elderly women seriously injured on Thursday night. The incident occurred just before 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Union Street. Officers arrived at the scene after receiving reports of a vehicle collision. The victims are two women, aged 73 and 85, who sustained serious injuries. Paramedics quickly provided emergency medical care before transporting them to the hospital. Both women remain in serious but stable condition. Authorities confirmed that the driver responsible for the crash fled the scene and did not stop to help. Police have interviewed witnesses…

Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus faced an unexpected shutdown on Thursday after a bomb threat was reported, prompting a swift response from police. The campus was closed for nearly two hours before authorities confirmed the threat was a hoax. The university issued an alert just before 1 p.m., warning that road access to the campus on Burnaby Mountain was blocked. A security message followed, informing students and staff that the school had received a bomb threat. Local police were immediately called to respond. Burnaby RCMP said several officers arrived at the scene and closed all roads leading to the campus.…

Burnaby, a city often seen as just part of Metro Vancouver’s suburbs, has surprised many with its strong rise in tourism. In 2023, the city welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors and saw record-breaking spending that reached $990 million. This major boost in tourism supported over 7,200 jobs and gave a large push to British Columbia’s economy. Of the total amount spent by visitors, about $250 million went to wages for workers in Burnaby. Governments at the federal, provincial, and local levels collected $208 million in taxes. These numbers come from a new report released by Tourism Burnaby, highlighting the…

Millennium Line SkyTrain service in Burnaby was paused for about three hours on Tuesday afternoon due to a gas leak. The disruption affected travel between Sperling and Production Way stations. TransLink announced shortly after 1 p.m. that trains were not running between these two stations. Instead, trains operated only from VCC to Sperling and from Lafarge Lake to Production Way. The gas leak did not impact the Canada Line or Expo Line, which continued running as usual. To help passengers, a replacement bus service was set up between Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station and Production Way-University Station. Travelers were directed to board…

A man near Smithers, British Columbia, escaped a cougar attack on Saturday after defending himself in a surprising way — by punching the animal in the face. The incident happened around 11 a.m. near Lake Kathlyn, located in the province’s northern Interior. The man was working alone outdoors when he suddenly saw a cougar approach him. Without warning, the wild animal lunged and swiped at the upper part of his body. According to conservation officers, the man reacted quickly. He struck the cougar in the face, which caused it to stop the attack and run away. After the encounter, the…