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Burnaby, BC
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Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, is the city immediately east of Vancouver. It is the third-largest city in British Columbia by population, surpassed only by Surrey and Vancouver itself.
It was incorporated in 1892 and achieved City status in 1992, one hundred years after incorporation. It is the current seat of the Metro Vancouver government.
HistoryIn the first 30 to 40 years after its incorporation, the growth of Burnaby was influenced by its location between expanding urban centres of Vancouver and New Westminster. It first served as a rural agricultural area supplying nearby markets. Later, it served as an important transportation corridor between Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the interior of the Province, as well as one of the first-tier bedroom community suburbs of Vancouver itself, along with North Vancouver and Richmond.
At incorporation, the municipality's citizens unanimously chose to name it after legislator, speaker, Freemason and explorer, Robert Burnaby, who had been private secretary to Colonel Richard Moody, British Columbia's land commissioner in the mid-1800s. In 1859, Mr. Burnaby had surveyed the freshwater lake near what is now the city's geographical centre; Moody chose to name it Burnaby Lake.
It was incorporated in 1892 and achieved City status in 1992, one hundred years after incorporation. It is the current seat of the Metro Vancouver government.
HistoryIn the first 30 to 40 years after its incorporation, the growth of Burnaby was influenced by its location between expanding urban centres of Vancouver and New Westminster. It first served as a rural agricultural area supplying nearby markets. Later, it served as an important transportation corridor between Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the interior of the Province, as well as one of the first-tier bedroom community suburbs of Vancouver itself, along with North Vancouver and Richmond.
At incorporation, the municipality's citizens unanimously chose to name it after legislator, speaker, Freemason and explorer, Robert Burnaby, who had been private secretary to Colonel Richard Moody, British Columbia's land commissioner in the mid-1800s. In 1859, Mr. Burnaby had surveyed the freshwater lake near what is now the city's geographical centre; Moody chose to name it Burnaby Lake.
Geography and land useBurnaby occupies 89.12 square kilometers (38.07 sq mi) and is located at the geographical centre of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Situated between the City of Vancouver on the west and Port Moody, Coquitlam, and New Westminster on the east, the City is further bounded by Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River on the North and South respectively. Burnaby, Vancouver and New Westminster collectively occupy the major portion of the Burrard Peninsula. The elevation of Burnaby ranges from sea level to a maximum of 370 metres (1,200 ft) atop Burnaby Mountain. Overall, the physical landscape of Burnaby is one of hills, ridges, valleys and an alluvial plain. The land features and their relative locations have had an influence on the location, type and form of development in the City.
Burnaby is a maturing, increasingly integrated community, which is centrally located within a rapidly growing metropolitan area. Burnaby's characteristic has shifted from rural to suburban to largely urban. Still, Burnaby's ratio of park land to residents is one of the highest in North America, and it maintains some agricultural land, particularly along the Fraser foreshore flats in the Big Bend neighbourhood along its southern perimeter.
Burnaby parks and lakesMajor parklands and waterways in Burnaby include Burnaby Lake, Still Creek, the Brunette River, Central Park, Deer Lake, Squint Lake, Robert Burnaby Park, Kensington Park, and Burnaby Mountain Park.
People and politicsWhile Burnaby occupies about 4% of the land area of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, it accounted for about 10% of the Region's population in 2001. It is the third most populated urban centre in British Columbia (after Vancouver and Surrey) with an estimated population of 205,261. Like much of Greater Vancouver, Burnaby has always had large ethnic and immigrant communities: to cite two examples, North Burnaby near Hastings Street has long been home to many Italian restaurants and recreational bocce games, while Metrotown's ever-sprouting condominium towers in the south have been fueled in part by more recent arrivals from Greater China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong & Macau), South Korea, and the former Yugoslavia. According to the 2006 Census, 54% of Burnaby residents have a mother tongue that is neither English nor French.
Politically, Burnaby has maintained a centre-left city council (which recently completely eliminated the city's debt) and school board for many years, while sometimes electing more conservative legislators provincially (for the Social Credit and BC Liberal parties) and federally (for the Reform, Alliance, and Conservative parties). Its longest-serving politician had been Svend Robinson of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Canada's first openly homosexual member of Parliament, but after 25 years and seven elections he resigned his post in early 2004 after stealing and then returning an expensive ring. Burnaby voters endorsed his assistant, Bill Siksay, as his replacement in the spring 2004 Canadian federal election. In the May 2005 provincial election, residents of the city sent a mix of BC Liberal and NDP representatives to the British Columbia legislature.
Industry and economyMajor technology firms such as Electronic Arts, Creo (now part of Eastman Kodak), Ballard Power Systems, and TELUS base their operations in Burnaby; heavy industry includes Chevron Corporation and Petro-Canada petroleum refineries on the shores of Burrard Inlet. Other companies such as eBay have significant facilities in Burnaby as well. The City features high density residential areas, major commercial town centres, rapid transit, high technology research and business parks, movie and TV studio facilities, comprehensive industrial estates, and major post-secondary institutions, including Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
EducationSchool District 41 is responsible for the public schools in Burnaby. It also has a Community and Adult Education Department, and also an International Students' Programme.
SymbolsBurnaby's official flower is the rhododendron.
Sister citiesBurnaby has three sister cities (or "twin towns"):
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Kushiro, Japan Mesa, Arizona, United States.
A housing estate in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland is also called 'The Burnaby'External linksCity of BurnabyTourism BurnabyBurnaby Public Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For bus tours, there are several companies in the city, including Gray Lines and Pacific Coach Lines. If you're looking for a smaller mini-van tour, then try Cityscape or Blue Mountain Tours. Many offer multilingual, narrated tours that can be customized.
With the fresh air and views, it's easy to get caught up in the city's healthy vibe. Velo-city Cycle Tours takes you on guided cycle tours of the city and surrounding area. You'll spend time in and around Granville Island, Vanier Park and Grouse Mountain.
There are also several options for those looking for unusual excursions. At Stanley Park, Horse Drawn Tours take passengers on an old-world wagon ride through the 1000-acre park. For something less equestrian, the Vancouver Trolley Company takes passengers on a turn-of-the-century trolley ride to view the city's sites along various avenues and thoroughfares. You can see the city at your own pace, getting on or off at any of the 16 stops to visit attractions.
For a minivan customized tour, try Captain Billy's Magical Tours. Or see the city in style with Fridge's Early Motion Tours, who not only personalize their excursions, but do it all in a 1930s Ford Model A. To learn more about West Coast First Nations, several tour companies, including West Coast City and Nature Sightseeing and Detours Excursions B.C. have special day trips that highlight the heritage, history, art, and importance of B.C.'s native cultures.
For an extravagant and romantic tour, B.C. Rail's Pacific Starlight Dinner Train runs from spring to autumn. A restored dining car provides gourmet cuisine and views as it glides through North Vancouver, Howe Sound, and Porteau Cove. Another opulent B.C. Rail excursion offers a combination voyage. Take the luxury steam locomotive Royal Hudson Steam Train to Squamish, passing along the coastline past West Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay. Once at Squamish, cruise home to Vancouver on the Harbour Cruises' "Britannia."
Often referred to as the "Hollywood of the North," Vancouver is the third largest film and TV shooting centre in North America, after L.A. and New York. The popular "X-Files" was shot here for years. Hence the idolatrous X-Tours, which, among other special experiences, offers limousine tours of spots where X-scenes and memorable film moments took place.
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For a glance into the city's past, try the free Historic Walking Tours of Gastown. Set in the city's birthplace, the daily tour highlights the area's many attractions and shopping, restaurants and bars. Visit the Steam Clock, shop at The Landing, and get a picture taken with the statue of the area's founder, Gassy Jack. You'll stroll through streets named Blood Alley and Gaoler's Mews, the city's first jail cell.
There is much to discover by walking through the streets of Vancouver. The Architectural Institute of B.C. (AIBC) provides a variety of tours in the summer months. The free tours show Vancouver's history through the city's architecture. Visit highlights like Canada Place, Robson Square, Cathedral Place, and Strathcona.
You can stroll through Burnaby Village Museum, saunter through the exhibits in the Canadian Craft Museum, enjoy a sample of micro-brewed beer in the Granville Island Brewery, and learn about West Coast First Nations culture at the Museum of Anthropology.
Another guided walking tour follows the history of the Chinese-Canadian community in Chinatown. Many tour companies offer tours that take you through one of North America's largest Chinatowns. You'll see Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens, the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and the bustling street markets.
If you would rather explore Vancouver at your own pace, then pay a visit to the Vancouver Tourist Information Centres. One of the city's best features is its close proximity to natural wonders. For guided hikes through some of its closest attractions, such as Lighthouse Park, Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island, check out Rockwood Adventures. They have an extensive selection of walking tours.
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