Following is a letter to Burnaby residents from Mayor Mike Hurley
In Burnaby, the Ismaili community has long demonstrated what true partnership looks like.
We see it every day in our city and across the region — in their support for local food banks, their fundraising efforts through the Ismaili Walk for health care, social services and community organizations, or in the volunteers who help with clean-ups, sustainability projects and caring for shared public spaces.
What makes this a true partnership is the Ismaili community’s commitment not only to building for itself, but to giving back to the wider community. That spirit was reflected last week during the visit of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. His connection to Burnaby is especially meaningful. The beautiful Ismaili Centre in Burnaby was opened in 1985 by his father, Aga Khan IV, as the first purpose-built Ismaili Centre in North America.
Since then, it has become an important and truly welcoming location — not only for Ismailis, but for the wider Burnaby community. It is a place of worship, cultural gathering, education, interfaith dialogue and community connection.
It was a privilege to be part of the Building Together event and to meet the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community — a leader who provides guidance to a global community of approximately 20 million people. With federal, provincial and municipal representatives in attendance, including Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Premier David Eby, the event focused on practical partnerships in housing, healthy aging, community infrastructure, sport and cultural space.
The event included the signing of national memoranda of understanding focused on affordable multi-generational housing, community infrastructure and sustainable investment, including an agreement between Build Canada Homes and the Ismaili Council for Canada to help advance housing through the Generations model.
Attending with colleagues from the Ismaili community, it was clear how much the moment meant — with people gathered in the hotel lobby at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and others by livestream from across Canada. The following day, approximately 17,000 members of the Ismaili community gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre for a Didar, a private spiritual gathering with their Imam.
From a Burnaby perspective, the focus was on two major projects announced during the visit that show this partnership approach in practice.
1 Generations Burnaby seniors centre
The visit marked the announcement of two major projects being planned by the Ismaili community in Burnaby: Generations Burnaby, a mixed-use seniors and community care campus, and the Burnaby Lake multipurpose centre (Pavilion).
Crucially, the Ismaili community is providing land and have been fundraising to support these projects, reflecting partnership in its truest sense.
Generations is the Ismaili community's national not-for-profit initiative to build a best-in-class model of community-supported aging within an intergenerational framework. Grounded in the Islamic values of human dignity and compassion, they are aiming to address the health consequences of social isolation among seniors and the rising cost of delivering care, alongside the lack of affordable housing.
Located immediately west of and directly behind the Ismaili Centre Vancouver, Generations Burnaby is proposed to include long-term care beds and senior’s housing units. The campus will also include a child care facility with an outdoor play area, a medical clinic and multipurpose social space.
This development is intended to serve the wider community, reflecting the Generations model’s commitment to inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds.
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Designed as an integrated community care model, the development will bring together seniors housing, long-term care, primary health services and early childhood programming in one location, supporting healthy aging, social connection and community wellbeing.
Generations projects in British Columbia, specifically in Burnaby, Vancouver and Tri-Cities are part of a planned national network spanning seven cities across four provinces.
These are essential priorities for our aging population, and we are deeply grateful for this initiative and the leadership shown by the Ismaili community.
2 Burnaby Lake multipurpose centre (Pavilion)
Burnaby Lake multipurpose centre (Pavilion) is planned for the site of the Burnaby Lake Jamatkhana, one of the primary places of worship and gathering for the Ismaili community in Burnaby. The project is envisioned as a shared community facility, with a multipurpose hall to support sports, performances, weddings and community events for more than 500 people.
It will create new opportunities for people of all ages to gather, connect, learn and celebrate together. These types of facilities are becoming more and more important as our city — and our need for recreational spaces outside the home — continues to grow.
Many Ismaili families who settled in Burnaby arrived in Canada during the 1970s after being forced to leave their countries, often with little more than suitcases. They worked so hard to rebuild their lives, establish businesses, pursue education, raise families and contribute to the communities that welcomed them.
Their journey reflects what Canada — and Burnaby as one of the country’s most diverse cities — can represent: a place where people arriving from different parts of the world are given opportunity, support and the chance to build a future while giving back to their community.
For many members of Burnaby’s Ismaili community, this visit connected that history with the present. This new facility will also reflect that journey, and the community’s enduring emphasis on connection, service and giving back.
Collaboration will be key in the months ahead and we look forward to continuing to work with all project partners and community stakeholders as planning for both of these important projects moves forward.
The Neighbourhood Church, TeamUp and the spirit of Edmonds—with Cameron & Graham Roxburgh
