Following is a letter to Burnaby residents from Mayor Mike Hurley
In the coming days, many residents across Burnaby will gather to celebrate Vaisakhi—one of the most important days of the year for our Sikh community.
This week, Jewish families are marking Passover, while Christians recently came together for Easter. In the weeks leading up, our city was alive with the colours of Holi and the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr.
In Burnaby we are so fortunate to live alongside so many cultures, traditions, and faiths—not only for these wonderful celebrations and gatherings, but to be able to learn from one another.
As a municipality, the values and traditions of our many communities inspire the work we do:
Diversity is our greatest strength
During the Holi celebrations last month at the Hindu Temple in Burnaby, a childhood story about Krishna stuck with me. Teased about his darker skin, Krishna’s mother encouraged him to play a joke and smear colour on Radha’s face. That became the basis for a celebration rooted in setting differences aside and celebrating all colours.
In March we also marked Black History Month. It was a pleasure to attend many of the excellent events across the city that provided real opportunities for learning and understanding. Last month was also Irish Heritage Month—which was especially meaningful to me as many years ago, I immigrated from Ireland to Canada. And this month is Sikh Heritage Month.
Over half of our residents were born outside Canada, giving Burnaby one of the highest proportions of immigrants of any city in the country. Nearly 60% of our population has direct immigrant roots, bringing a wide mix of cultures, faiths, traditions, and customs to our city.
That diversity is our greatest strength and everything we do as a municipality must reflect that reality—ensuring our services, public spaces, and decisions support and respect every person who calls Burnaby home.
Resilience and togetherness in challenging times
These are challenging times for many people around the world, and that’s no different here in Burnaby. The cost of living continues to put pressure on households, and businesses are navigating uncertainty in a changing economy. That’s why resilience—and working together—is so important.
During Ramadan, this was on display every day—in the discipline of fasting, and in the way people came together to support one another. Every year this is so inspiring to see.
We see similar values during Lent, where Christian families and children take part, learning lessons about patience and sharing.
This same spirit of resilience and togetherness is what we are working to reflect through our Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Growth and Resilience.
This year in Burnaby we have brought together local business and community leaders through this task force to exchange knowledge, understand pressures on the ground, and develop practical, Burnaby-specific recommendations to help support economic stability.
Standing up for what is right
Vaisakhi is one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar, marking the formation of the Khalsa at a time when Sikhs and other communities faced persecution. The Khalsa was created to stand up for what they believed was right, support one another, and live with courage and equality. Over the next week, the Vaisakhi celebrations will bring those values to life. People gather at gurdwaras and in public events, take part in processions, and serve or share food through langar, the community meal open to everyone.
At City Hall, we are also standing up for what we believe is right.
In response to tariffs and growing economic uncertainty, Burnaby has taken clear action to support the Buy Canadian movement. With more than 99.6% of City spending already going to Canadian vendors, we are building on that by prioritizing local suppliers where permitted under trade legislation, improving procurement transparency, and reducing reliance on U.S. products wherever possible.
My three asks for Burnaby Hospital - 'The priority healthcare project in the province'
The same principle guides our advocacy for Burnaby Hospital. The second phase of the hospital redevelopment—including expanded acute care and critical cancer services—has been “re-paced” by the BC budget despite being previously approved and identified as a provincial priority. Burnaby Hospital was built for a city of 58,000 people and now serves more than 500,000 residents, a figure expected to rise significantly in the years ahead. It is essential that we continue to come together to call for this vital project to be completed as originally promised.
Building for the future
In February, Burnaby came together to celebrate Lunar New Year—the Year of the Horse, a symbol of growth, energy, strength, and resilience. Last month, Nowruz, the Persian New Year, marked renewal and new beginnings.
True to that spirit, Burnaby has already been getting to work this year—building for the future.
Our city continues to grow alongside Simon Fraser University and BCIT, both of which are expanding their campuses in Burnaby and strengthening our role as a centre for learning, research, and opportunity. We are also continuing to attract investment, with companies like STEMCELL Technologies—the largest biotechnology company in Canada—thriving and expanding here, creating high-quality jobs and driving innovation in key sectors such as the life sciences.
At the same time, we are delivering record community infrastructure. Four major civic construction projects across the city have now passed the 50 per cent completion mark, representing one of the largest municipal investments in community facilities anywhere in Canada. We are also completing major engineering projects, including the Burnaby Lake Overpass, which is improving the lives of our residents but also creating a lot of excitement across the city.
While each of these celebrations is deeply important to the communities who observe them, together—alongside the many other traditions celebrated across our city—they help make Burnaby such a special place to be and continue to guide the work we do.
The future of Burnaby Hospital–with John McCarthy and Dr. Alex Butskiy
