Burnaby

General Description

Burnaby is a densely populated city of 261,000 (2007 census), extending from the Burrard Inlet and Burnaby Mountains (Simon Fraser University) in the north to the Fraser River in the South. It adjoins Vancouver at Boundary Road on the west to Coquitlam and New Westminster at North Road on the east. It has several shopping centres; Brentwood Centre being the oldest, Lougheed Mall at the junction of Lougheed Hwy and North Road, Metrotown, being the newest and highly visible, is served by 3 sky train stations.

Economy

Burnaby has a large, varied concentration of commercial, office, high technology and industrial activity, with 390 hectares still available for development. The second largest retail complex in western Canada is located in Metrotown which includes Station Square, Eaton & Metrotown Centre offering major department stores, two giant food retailers, hotels, 24 cinemas, and more than 400 smaller retailers. It also includes several hi-rises for residential and office use. Despite its urban appearance, the city contains an 80-hectare agricultural land reserve near the Fraser River which includes a thriving floriculture industry and local vegetable growing capability.

Housing & Real Estate

Burnaby is such a large, diverse area that it’s hard to generalize about housing prices. Burnaby has experienced higher than average increases, reflecting its desirable proximity to downtown Vancouver. Average price for a detached home in Central Burnaby is $860,000. A resale townhouse in a Lougheed neighbourhood might sell in the $350 – 450K, while newer townhouses would be in $500 – 680K range. Older condo apartments are available for a $250 – $350K; newer condos range from $450 – 600K depending on size and location, up to $900K for a penthouse.  In the tony neighbourhood of Buckingham Heights and Deer Lake, residences will command from $2 million to over $12 million for an estate size property.

Education

Good standards comprising of 45 elementary, six secondary and several independent schools. Simon Fraser University (SFU), on Burnaby Mountain, offers a well recognized and a wide range of business and arts degree programs. It is consistently rated near the top in the MacLeans magazine. SFU also operates a downtown campus. The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) on Willingdon Ave offers a broad spectrum of technical programs.

Recreation

At least 20% of Burnaby’s land space is devoted to leisure activities. More than 100 parks (Barnet Marine Park, Burnaby Lake Regional Nature Park, Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, Deer Lake Park, Central Park etc.) offer recreational facilities and programs. The area contains two fresh water lakes, mountain parkland, an ocean beach, fish-bearing rivers and streams, 55 tennis courts, and four golf courses. It is certainly reflective of the West Coast quality of lifestyle.

Community Information

Web-Site links

www.burnaby.ca/Home.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnaby