$504 million approved for historic Burnaby capital program

BURNABY, B.C.—The City of Burnaby has approved a financial plan for the most ambitious capital program in its history.

City officials announced the program will fundamentally transform the city’s recreation facilities by investing $504 million to complete five major new projects within the next five years.

“To deliver on our vision of being a world-class city we must provide world-class facilities for our residents,” said Mayor Mike Hurley in a statement. “This is a pivotal moment for Burnaby. Over the next five years, we will begin opening outstanding new facilities which serve the needs of our growing city both today and into the future.”

The financial plan was unanimously endorsed by city council this month and lays out priorities, highlights the achievements of the past year and includes an outline of the major capital projects to be built in Burnaby.
Major projects include:

• Replacing the aging CG Brown Pool and Burnaby Lake Arena with a new Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, which will include multiple pools, multipurpose rooms and an NHL-sized arena;
• building a new Cameron Recreation Centre and Library, which will feature a new leisure pool, gym and weight room, as well as an outdoor public plaza;
• redeveloping Confederation Park Community Centre to connect with the Eileen Dailly Pool and McGill Library;
• completing the Rosemary Brown Arena, which incorporates sustainable design features and water conservation strategies, in addition to twin pads and public meeting spaces; and
• designing a new community centre for the growing Brentwood Town Centre community.

The city also plans to build a new pedestrian and cycling overpass over Highway 1, which will provide a protected link between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. Funding for these projects will come through the city’s reserves without incurring any debt, say officials.

The five-year financial plan calls for a 2.95 per cent increase in property taxes for 2022, or $54 for the average residential property. Burnaby is the third-largest city in B.C. and is among the fastest-growing municipalities in the province. Statistics Canada estimates Burnaby’s 2021 population as 260,918, an increase of more than 13,000 residents since 2017.