Following is a letter to Burnaby residents from Mayor Mike Hurley
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.
This year, we proudly host a team from our sister city of Kushiro, Japan. My sons will be involved in the tournament and I’m really looking forward to welcoming our visitors.
It’s a fitting conclusion to the busy year we’ve had in Burnaby - and as we turn the page from 2025 into 2026, I wanted to share with you five areas we are focused on:
Reinvesting in our communities
This year we invested in community infrastructure that residents have waited years to see, guided by what we heard directly from them. Construction is well underway on the new Burnaby Lake Recreation Complex, replacing the former pool and arena. The Cameron Community Centre and Library replacement is also under construction in Lougheed and the new Brentwood Community Centre has been approved to serve one of the fastest-growing parts of the city.
The City has also stepped in as a partner to help deliver more childcare spaces. The opening of the Rowan Avenue Child Care Centre added 74 licensed spaces and we continue to work with school districts, non-profits and other orders of governments to expand access to safe, affordable childcare for parents.
Burnaby has stepped up, but to realistically sustain investment in the infrastructure and services our communities need, municipalities will need stronger, more reliable support.
Prioritizing community safety
Building on the completion of Firehall 8 on Burnaby Mountain and the state-of-the-art Firehall 4 on Greystone Drive, the City is supporting the construction of a new, long-overdue, modern RCMP detachment to replace a facility that no longer meets the needs of a growing community.
While policing is not directed by the City, we continue to promote community-based approaches to public safety and work closely with residents, community organizations and frontline service providers. Protecting vulnerable people is part of keeping everyone safe and the law is clear that people cannot simply be moved along without somewhere safe to go.
Helping people off the streets and into appropriate housing is safer for them and safer for the community as a whole. Burnaby is doing its part, but our land base is limited and delivering housing and shelters in suitable locations will require a significant increase in provincial support.
An active, green and fun city
This last fall, residents witnessed one of the most memorable moments of the year when a 400-tonne pedestrian and cycling overpass was lifted into place overnight across Highway 1, creating a safe new link between the trail networks at Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake and making it easier to walk and bike between two of Burnaby’s most important green spaces.
Our public spaces are also where culture and community come together to host regular outdoor events and concerts.
We are proud to be home to Rise FC, who captured the inaugural Northern Super League title, reflecting the continued growth of women’s sport in our city. Looking ahead, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to Vancouver - the biggest sporting event on earth - we are exploring the most effective ways for Burnaby to host local community viewing sites so our residents can cheer on Team Canada.
Working together to grow our Economy
These are challenging times, but Burnaby is weathering the storm by building on our central location, strong transit connections and growing technology, life sciences and health sectors. In January, we will convene our Economic Growth and Resilience Task Force.
A model which delivered Burnaby’s Housing Authority earlier this year, has strengthened tenant protections and integrated supports for vulnerable residents.
By getting the right people around the table, listening to community input and moving quickly to practical solutions.
That same spirit of working together was reflected earlier this year when Council took action in support of the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement. Burnaby already directs more than 99 per cent of its purchasing to Canadian vendors and is exploring additional ways to strengthen Canadian and local procurement and long-term economic resilience.
We should be proud of our diverse city, region and country. Supporting Canadian businesses is one way we put that pride into action, benefiting all of us.
Two-way communication
We’re connecting with residents in new ways, including through these articles and the Voices of Burnaby podcast, but good communication goes both ways. Listening to residents - and making sure your voices are heard especially on major issues like housing.
We continue to push the provincial government to reconsider their one-size-fits-all housing legislation and to sit down and find a solution which considers the views and needs of residents rather than continuing to ignore them.
READ: To the Chinese Canadian community... The City of Burnaby is deeply sorry
At the same time, it’s crucial that as we grow, we also reflect. One of the most important moments this year was the City’s formal apology to people of Chinese descent for historic discrimination - a necessary step in acknowledging past wrongdoings and allowing us to move forward together as a true city for all.
Stronger support in 2026
Municipalities are being asked to do more, absorb the rising costs and carry out decisions made elsewhere with increasingly less input to reflect the needs of our Cities. Burnaby has stepped up, but if this imbalance continues, our residents will ultimately feel the impact.
Maintaining this work, let alone expanding it, is only sustainable and realistic with increased support and collaboration with all orders of government. We will continue to push for that.
There are big things ahead for Burnaby, driven by the collective efforts and spirit of all those who live, work and contribute to our city. Thank you for helping to make Burnaby such a great place to be.