The Mayor’s Task Force on Burnaby Economic Growth and Resilience released its final report, outlining a total of 17 recommendations to help accelerate economic growth, strengthen competitiveness and enhance resilience across the city. The report provides a framework for advancing Burnaby’s role as a regional economic leader while supporting local businesses, innovation investment and job creation.
The City is acting and will advance one of the recommendations to explore the creation of an innovation district, designed to accelerate Burnaby's growth into a world-leading hub for innovative, high-tech businesses.
“Burnaby is a leader in high tech industry and health sciences, and bringing these sectors together as part of an innovation hub is key to ensuring these businesses continue to thrive and succeed in Burnaby,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with City Council to continue to build on the robust recommendations provided by the Task Force, and I’m grateful to all the members for their deep commitment to the long-term economic health of our community.”
The recommendations include five quick-start actions designed to strengthen the city’s economic resilience and growth in the short term, including the creation of a permitting “priority path” to accelerate investment in key technology and innovation sectors. Other quick start recommendations include:
- Simplifying requirements, publishing clear service standards and redesigning approvals so businesses can plan, invest and operate with greater confidence; and
- Expanding business continuity and emergency preparedness training for residents and businesses.
The full report is available online.
Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Growth and Resilience
In fall 2025, Burnaby launched a new Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Growth and Resilience to ensure Burnaby’s business community is equipped with tools, strategies and solutions to succeed in a rapidly shifting global economy.
The Task Force brought together leaders from Burnaby’s business, institutional and civic communities, drawing on practical experience from across the local economy. Workshops were held from January to June 2026, with the goal of strengthening Burnaby’s position as a leading hub for business and innovation.
The recommendations provided by the Task Force will help guide the City through a pivotal period of economic planning, aligning with the updated Official Community Plan (Burnaby 2050) and informing the upcoming Economic Development Strategy.
Learn More: Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Growth and Resilience