Articles: Letter from the Mayor

Childcare is one of the biggest affordability challenges facing families and single parents in Burnaby and across BC. High fees and long waitlists make it harder for parents to work, go to school, or fully participate in community life.

This month, Burnaby marks a major milestone in the most significant period of civic investment in our city’s history. Four cornerstone projects in our capital construction program have now surpassed 50% completion—part of what is not only the largest capital construction program Burnaby has ever undertaken, but one of the largest municipal investments in community facilities anywhere in Canada.

Municipalities like Burnaby receive roughly nine per cent of the total taxes collected in our city–yet we are being asked to do more and more, with less and less support from other orders of government. Amid global economic uncertainty, slowing provincial growth, and high costs putting pressure on public finances, the provincial government’s Budget 2026 outlines a $13.3 billion deficit–one of the largest deficits British Columbians have faced–with significant impacts on Burnaby.

From everyone at City Hall, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous Lunar New Year. This celebration is shared across Burnaby by a broad Asian diaspora–from thousands of residents with roots in Hong Kong and Taiwan to our sizeable Korean and Vietnamese communities, and the more than one third of residents who identify as Chinese.

As a Burnaby resident, about two per cent of your property tax goes to Metro Vancouver’s regional district services, as well as roughly $65 a month for water, sewer and solid waste which are collected through utility charges.

Local news has long been how residents understand what’s happening in Burnaby. That is from decisions at City Hall, to what’s going on in local schools, upcoming community events, the local sports and arts scene, and how public policy affects daily life in our city.

It’s important to us in the City of Burnaby that we buy Canadian, but just as important that we support our residents and local businesses to do the same. Right now, cities across Canada are facing real economic uncertainty.

The target response time for firefighters to arrive on the scene of an emergency is just over six minutes. Everything we can do to support our firefighters meeting that standard in Burnaby is crucial.

At this time of year, many families across the City are thinking about their personal finances - catching up after the holidays, reviewing household budgets, and planning for the year ahead. It’s usually a moment to pause, and think carefully about both stability but also the future.

By signing off 2025 with the 10th anniversary of the Pat Quinn Classic, we’re ending the year in Burnaby as we approached it throughout - working collaboratively, celebrating community, and being the welcoming, active, fun city we are. A late-December minor hockey tournament has been part of Burnaby’s sports calendar since 1962, making this one of the longest-running events of its kind anywhere.

Within three months of becoming Mayor, we formed our first Task Force on housing, and in January, we’ll convene our third. This time to tackle another one of Burnaby’s most critical priorities: ensuring our City’s economic growth and resilience.

Public hearings are one of the most fundamental parts of our local democracy. As Mayor, I have sat through hearings that run more than seven hours, and last Monday, over five hours were dedicated to hearing from residents on the updated R1 zoning bylaws in response to new provincial housing legislation.

B.C. Premier David Eby was recently left frustrated on the sidelines as discussions about a major Alberta-to-coast pipeline moved forward without B.C. at the table. It’s not a good feeling - and I can tell you, municipalities feel the same way when decisions about our communities are made without our input.

From the very first day I arrived in Canada, I felt welcomed and accepted. When immigrating to a new country you have to roll up your sleeves and work…

A Burnaby resident whose family has lived here for three generations shared with me recently that all of her children had to move to Mission to find homes that met their needs.

After more than 30 years in the Fire Department, I've learned that communication is the single most important tool for getting the job done. In high-pressure, life-or-death situations, we had to communicate clearly and effectively to help people in their greatest moments of need.