On Saturday October 15th Burnaby will vote for a new city council and school board. Here's our guide to the candidates.
The candidates answer UniverCity's questions
The UniverCity Community Association sent every city council candidate a list of questions of special relevance to our community. Here's how they replied:
Reah Arora (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
A BCA Council will continue to increase the number of before and after school childcare seats for Burnaby families by developing new and expanded childcare sites on SD41 sites.This means working with our Board of Education and Provincial government partners, something the BCA is well positioned to do.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
I’m excited to see new transit opportunities open up for residents, students, and workers on Burnaby Mountain. This will help to advance this community as one of the more attractive places to study, work and live in Canada.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
Trails need work to stay safe, and work is done by people. As a BCA Councillor, I commit to exploring how we can dedicate city resources (through parks funding and skilled union jobs) to partner with others to maintain the trails in our region.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
As I write this, we have experienced the warmest October on record. Our water levels in the region are dangerously low. A large fire is consuming a neighbourhing regional park. I am running for Council because taking action on climate change is key for municipal governments. We can either pay for costs associated with damage from climate change, or work urgently to reduce our GHGs (arguably we will have to do both). The BCA platform commits to urgent reduction of GHGs (burnaby2022.ca).
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
Until a permanent fire hall can be established, creating a temporary one makes a lot of sense. I support the creation of a temporary fire hall. With the sheer number of trees along the mountain, a fire is a serious concern – especially as summers get hotter and hotter.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
People with dogs need space to run their dogs around, and people who are not comfortable around dogs should enjoy a space without them. I would look into an off-leash dog park strategy as a way to help all residents enjoy the city’s green spaces.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
I would be interested in exploring the creation of a bylaw meant to limit light pollution. There are some obvious concerns with this type of bylaw, but I feel very confident that a BCA-led Burnaby City Council would address any potential safety, privacy, and environmental concerns that may be brought up over the course of its creation.
Pietro Calendino (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
I believe the best way to create childcare spaces, moving forward, is in to implement a bylaw that would require applicants of larger residential developments to include childcare as community amenity and to work with other levels of governments to accelerate the $10/day spaces.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The gondola project has been approved by Translink. I am very happy for the residents, students, and employees who will benefit from this additional transit route up the mountain. I know there are residents who have voiced that they would be negatively impacted by the construction and I think one of the Council’s priorities should be to assist them through this process and ensure that their concerns are addressed.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
It is a good thing that more and more people are taking advantage of the urban trails in our city and our region. City Council must work with our partners in Metro Vancouver, SFU, and non-profit organizations like Trans-Canada Trail to dedicate sufficient funds for trail maintenance and signage. We are fortunate to have committed volunteers in our community that are willing to pitch in to keep our trails safe and healthy. A BCA council will continue to build these partnerships to support trails.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
Prevention is key. Most fires are started by human action. We must educate about the risk posed by cigarette and joint butts tossed into dry grass and forest. We also must tackle the housing crisis by creating housing options for people currently living in our parks. This is a regional and provincial crisis and we must address it urgently.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain for this under-served community.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Pets and their owners need space in our growing city, and not everyone lives in a house with a yard. I support the idea of developing an off-leash dog park strategy in Burnaby that makes it easier for people to walk to an area where their dog can be off-leash, instead of having to drive.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
I am willing to consider work in this area but am mindful that every policy idea we undertake must be done in context with the other priorities of the city. For me, I am more committed to addressing the housing, transportation and climate change actions of the city, but perhaps there is a way to address this issue in those concerns.
Antara Deb (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
Limited space means the need to be creative with the use of space. Childcare needs to be built into where people live and work and study. We will incentivize developers to include community amenity space like childcare in their building designs.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The gondola will help move so many people through the region who work and study and live at Burnaby Mountain. This is a significant investment in transit in Burnaby, and if elected to Council, I will support working with Translink to have it completed in a manner that reflects the community, both the community at UniverCity as well as at the base.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
There are different jurisdictions responsible for the trails that exist within the city of Burnaby. But people who use the trails don’t know who is responsible. We should look at the issue wholistically across the city and determine what resources we can allocate to maintaining and improving the trail experience.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
We must educate the public about fire risk in parks. Our climate is changing and our behaviours must change too. I commit to looking at staffing and programs in our parks that enforce fire awareness amongst our park visitors.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support creating a temporary firehall. A fire isn’t going to wait for us, we need these first responder services at-the-ready. The worst time for these systems to fail is when we need them.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Yes, I would look into creating an off-leash dog park strategy, to make it clear where residents can take their dogs and to address gaps in our access to off-leash spaces throughout the city.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
As someone who has worked with women survivors of assault, as well as seniors, I hear a lot about the importance of lighting up our community so people feel safe. I would be interested in exploring a lighting by-law with the issue of intersectional safety as a lens. Also taking the needs of 24/7 shift workers into consideration, as they work and move through the city.
Sav Dhaliwal (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
The City can, in our agreements process, provide guidelines for new tower developments to provide space for important community resources. I think this is an avenue in creating space, certainly as the years go on, for services that communities rely on.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The gondola is a Translink project, and Translink has approved it. The role of City Council will be to support residents who will be impacted by construction, and to work with Translink to see this project through to completion. It will be a unique piece of our regional transit system and will enhance the experience up to Burnaby mountain for staff, students, faculty and residents.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
One way is to increase the urban green space. A BCA council will protect the current urban forest and dedicate Cariboo Hill Forest into a park, with the proper resources to maintain and enhance the park experience. We also need to work regionally to support park usage across Metro Vancouver. As Chair of Metro, I have worked hard to improve the park experience in and around Burnaby.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
First and foremost, we must recognize that climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time, and cities can play a fundamental role in tackling this crisis. Cities across Canada are finding unique ways to take action to build more resilient cities and lower their impact on the environment.
The fire risk is real. This fall we have had fires in Minnekhada Regional Park (I am chair of Metro Vancouver) and while not in Burnaby directly, this could happen here too. We must educate park-goers about fire risk, and dedicate resources to prevention including signage and staffing.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
It has been the priority of the BCA to build dense communities. We have done so in our town centres, with access to parks and areas for all residents, including dog-owners, to enjoy greenspace. I support the idea of developing an off-leash dog park strategy for the City of Burnaby. This includes working with developers of new housing to include areas for dog owners to have space.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
This is a good idea worthy of further exploration, but it is a question of priorities on what City Council should direct our (limited) city staff to undertake. I agree we can learn from other jurisdictions about what can be done in this area, and I am committed to keeping this under consideration.
Gulam Firdos (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
The current Council did not address the space issue for childcare over the last 30 years, which is a failure for them. This has magnified the problem to its highest extent. Generally, the city council is mandated to support childcare activities. If the same Council members are again elected, then the chances of land availability for childcare will never materialise which I believe is a basic requirement for the development of a child. If I get the mandate and elected, I will do everything possible to make space available for childcare activities.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
Students should get affordable transport for travelling to the University for their studies. They face hardship because of low transport coverage and at the same time they are subject to climate resilience. Therefore, I fully support the Burnaby Mountain Gondola Project.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
The Official Community Plan of Burnaby clearly indicated that conservation area should be maintained in its entirety -no change should be allowed for parks and conservation areas because they are important for climate issues. In this respect if I am voted for councillor, I will take necessary steps to issues related to conservation areas.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
During summer months the risk of fire due to natural and man-made cause increases as greater number of trees and dead leaves are sparsely littered in the area. The City can increase vigilance and establish fire stations in vulnerable areas and take necessary steps so that fire does not cause due to man made action. The current councillors have taken no action to this effect and left nature take its own course. If I am elected, it will be an important step for me to address these issues with highest priority.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
As you may know that our liberal MP Terry Beech has already got sanctions for a fire hall in Burnaby, but it is understood a temporary fire hall will be constructed by summer next year.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Off leash park strategy is important for all citizens and these should be established within a reasonable 15-minute walking. This aspect should have already been taken up by the existing councillors as they have been enjoying their salaries from our tax money for the ast 30 years. If elected I will bring a motion to get the project approved.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
As you may know that I am against highrise densification,but support affordable ;ow rise high density housing that does not contradict with light pollution. The current cuncillors support densified high rises causing light pollution. I would fully support the Bylaw would want you to know that low rise buildings would not contribute to light pollution.
Alison Gu (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
After meeting with UniverCity Community Association Executive about the need for more childcare and the unique challenges present at UniverCity, I worked with City staff to turn a new residential development’s amenity contribution into childcare spaces for the UniverCity community. While the project is a few years away from breaking ground, the timing of my intervention was early enough to make the change to the project feasible.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
So far, I’ve had 3 meetings with Translink staff in charge of the Gondola project to ensure that all of the residents’ safety concerns are addressed. Rapid transit helps get people out of their cars because of its reliability, convenience, and speed. The UniverCity community needs better public transit access and the gondola will provide it.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
Illegal trail building and cutting through areas that are sensitive to heavy foot traffic are extremely harmful to the plant and wildlife. As a lifelong environmentalist, protecting these spaces is incredibly important to me. The City of Burnaby needs to be more proactive in building proper trails and access so people use those instead of building illegal trails or disturbing sensitive areas, and putting up educational signage.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The City of Burnaby has set up sprinkler systems in select areas of Burnaby Mountain and will be locating the specialized wildland fire equipment at the new fire hall, at the bottom of the mountain. To truly prevent the risks, we need to fight climate change, plant more fire and drought resistant species, and ensure widespread education about the risks of cigarette butts, campfires, and sparks.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support creating a temporary fire hall and it will be moving forward.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Off-leash parks are important because where there aren’t designated off-leash areas, you’ll have owners taking their dogs off-leash where they shouldn’t be. As a dog owner myself, I know that having nearby, fenced off, specific areas for off-leash dogs is incredibly important and I would support more.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
Lighting is important for safety and walkability, but too often light isn’t being shone where it would facilitate safety and active transportation. Vancouver has a light bylaw and I would absolutely be open to exploring establishing one.
Joe Keithley (Burnaby Green Party)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
Burnaby should explore all options to help develop affordable daycare space. Including leasing existing available space at Univercity, as well the city should be lobbying the Provincial Government to invest in daycare there as well.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The Gondola is now in Translink’s hands, so they will have to come up the financing, which seems a certainty, as they have put it near the top of their priority list. As a lifelong environmentalist I support clean green transportation, so I support this. There are a few key areas that I will pursue as a city councillor as this project develops: Translink must make good on their promise to fairly compensate these in Forest Grove that affected by the Gondola and there must be great care taken when building the towers, so the Burnaby Mountain Conservancy area is disturbed as little as possible. I also believe that Translink should be using electric buses for all their routes that currently go up the mountain and the routes that will still exist after the Gondola construction.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
I have had Burnaby staff in our Parks and Recreation department looking into ways to protect the conservancy area, these efforts include an assessment of all trees in Burnaby and subsequently the rapid addition of more trees this coming spring which came from a motion that I initiated a few months ago in Council. Through my initiative Parks and Rec. is also engaged in mitigating the erosion and there will be the removal of illegal trails. Burnaby Mountain is where I grew up and I consider it to be the crown jewel of Burnaby, we must do everything possible to preserve it.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The best way to do this would be to have city staff deal with and dispose of dead plant matter. This will be a big job, but it would make sense to start working on it now. In this regard I approved funding for wild fire equipment that our Fire Department can use on the mountain.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
A few months ago I was at Univercity and toured a site that would be appropriate for a temporary firehall. I let upper management at City Hall know that I was good with this plan, so this should be in operation later this fall. This is a necessary step until Firehall # 8 is completed.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
After the election I will pursue with city staff procuring areas for off leash parks much closer to your area.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
I believe the solution to this, would be the creation of a new by-law where the city would have the power to have building owners take steps to mitigate this issue. I do believe this is a big problem, as light pollution is not good for anybody’s health, so yes this needs to be dealt with and soon.
Martin Kendell (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
New building developments around Burnaby should allocate space that can be used for child care facilities and other community services. As well, the City of Burnaby should revamp their licensing fee structure and zoning practices to ensure that licensed child care facilities that can be safely operated in neighbourhoods all around this municipality.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
I think the Burnaby Mountain gondola project will achieve its objectives and increase the amount of people travelling on this route while reducing the number of buses going up and down Burnaby Mountain. However, there are a lot of questions that remain when it comes to how the gondola will be constructed and its impact to the Forest Grove neighbourhood, and these should have been addressed by the outgoing City Council. Steps must be taken to minimize the environmental impact of the construction of the project and minimize the intrusiveness of the gondola to any people living below the route.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
The City of Burnaby needs to enter into cooperative partnerships with community groups who use the mountain responsibly for recreational endeavors. These partnerships can team up to address and fix trail erosion and champion litter clean up initiatives that will keep these conservation areas safe for all users. The City should allocate funds, labour and materials that will allow these partnerships and initiatives to prosper. There should be stricter enforcement and penalties against parties who create unauthorized trails around this municipality.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The City of Burnaby should expand upon the Clean Up Burnaby Campaign that I founded in June 2021 and extend it to include the clean up of garbage in the forested areas as well as the removal of dry and dead plant matter that contributes to an elevated fire risk. There are a considerable number of abandoned homeless encampments within the boundaries of this municipality that need to be cleaned up but need the assistance and funding of Metro Vancouver and the municipalities in which they are located.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
It’s a good thing that concrete steps have been taken by the municipal and federal governments to secure the necessary funding to build Fire Hall #8 at the top of Burnaby Mountain. The expanded development of the tank farm as well as the densification of the SFU campus made this a priority that should have been addressed by City Council five to ten years ago. I would hope that the new Fire Hall should be operational by the end of 2023 for the good of this community as long as there are no construction or supply chain issues.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
I would like to see a dog friendly area established within most Burnaby parks and/or in other suitable areas (BC Hydro right-of-way areas, etc.) for the good of people and pets in their respective neighbourhoods. We are building high rise residential towers at a steady rate and need to make sure that community amenities are provided in these areas. The lack of a dog park at the top of Burnaby Mountain is a glaring omission that should have been addressed by City Council when property developers started building in the area years ago.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
There are a lot of high rise buildings that are being built around Burnaby that have exterior light features for aesthetic reasons. While these features generally look cool and modern, they must not be obtrusive to other residents in the general area. There should be review of the Burnaby building code to make sure these external light features are considerate to all people in the general area of the building. As well, external light features should be turned off or dimmed between the hours of 12 am and 7 am to allow for energy conservation.
Richard N. Liu (One Burnaby)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
One Burnaby is committed to reforming zoning & permitting with flexible zoning across the entire city, and 3x3x3 permitting mandates that will make it easier alongside 4 Floors & Corner Stores to introduce, permit, and approve childcare spaces everywhere in the city.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
We support the Burnaby Mountain Gondola project
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
One Burnaby is committed to reviewing all city finances and policies, and use and maintenance of our public parks and amenities will be a top priority.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
One Burnaby is committed to creating a Community Investment Fund to fund improvements to public spaces & public safety initiatives.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
One Burnaby will defer to the advice of the Burnaby Fire Service on matters of deployment and necessary investments.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
One Burnaby is committed to building a 15 Minute City and will consider this in our discussions around renewal of the Official Community Plan for the City of Burnaby over the next 2 years.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
One Burnaby is committed to doubling our City Tree Planting which is one key step in addressing light pollution and tree cover in our neighbourhoods.
Carrie McLaren (Burnaby Green Party)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
We need to explore all options to help develop affordable daycare space. Example look at Any existing empty space that can be renovated or retrofitted to allow a daycare which could be leased, as well the city can lobby the Provincial & Federal Government to invest in daycare there as well.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
As a transportation option to move people up/down the mountain – it’s good on paper, but it’s in Translink’s hands. All we can do is mitigate and advocate vehemently for the least damage to the conservation area. I’m still not convinced the route they chose it the best.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
The parks staff need to assess the routes, trees to get a good view of what we have on the mountain and what we need to help the mountain to stay healthy and what can be added to the trails to keep them from damage from the increased traffic, and erosion control where needed. Asses the where and why of illegal trails – why are they being used, is there a barrier on the official trails that caused them to be illegally built. They also need to be remediated.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
It’s a big job and we need that dead plant matter removed – have staff work on this and maybe other groups can be added to help with the job -there are already volunteers who remove invasive species, helping to keep the mountain healthy maybe a good community building exercise. Other options include reviewing to see if we need to plan for future prolonged droughts and adding some other watering measures on the mountain (it’s more important than a lawn).
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
As I understand it there is a possible temporary site that could be used – we need to check with the Firefighters to make sure that it will fit their needs – then make sure the city puts it into use! The Mountain needs the protection asap – there are too many dangers not just from possible structural fires, but also forest fires from the droughts.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Great idea and as someone who lives near unofficial dog parks – we need more off leash areas for them. Lets find some spots and work with the community and parks to put them in place.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
Pursue through by-laws and other incentives to have more appropriate lighting that would reduce the light pollution. There are better lights and methods to safety light the city without disturbing wildlife and people.
Jasmine Nicholsfigueiredo (Burnaby Green Party)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
The city needs to lease any existing available space at the UniverCity for childcare and lobby the government for more funding. The current Childcare BC new spaces fund, which provides funding to expand inclusive community-based childcare in areas with the greatest need, must be applied for specifically for the UniverCity area. Additionally, the city needs to tie the building permits for all new buildings to childcare spaces. To be clear—the new low rises, multi-family, or towers, must have designated space with the zooming approved before the permit is given out to the developer. Thus, the childcare spaces are guaranteed as the community grows.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The gondola project has been added to TransLink’s approved projects list along with the UBC line and the Burnaby Rapid Transit initiative - all three projects are projected to be completed over the next five to seven years. The focus now needs to be on ensuring that the Burnaby Conservation area continues to be protected. It is a good time to do an official environmental assessment of the area because there has not been one done in the last 20 years. As well, it is important for Translink to begin using electric buses on the routes going up the mountain as there are many routes that will remain after the gondola is complete.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
The city needs to do an official environmental assessment of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area as there has not been one done in the last 20 years. The primary purpose of conservation lands is to protect the important habitat of fish, wildlife, and plants. To do this the city, in consultation with the Indigenous Nations, and other stakeholders, needs to set up a comprehensive strategy and a group to manage the conservation area more rigorously. This group will manage trail systems, work to plant indigenous species along the embankment of creeks and trails to prevent soil erosion, and mitigate the effects of the heavy usage.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
Most of Burnaby’s parks and conservation areas are second and third growth forests which are more prone to fires thus this is a real concern. The removal of the dry plant matter should be handled by city staff. Planting of native indigenous plants that retain moisture is a small step that can be taken (along with the removal of invasive species like English Ivy and Himalayan Black Berry as they destroy the natural ecosystem and biodiversity of the native indigenous plants). On a larger scale ensuring that our local fire stations have the appropriate equipment to deal with wildfires. The city, in an effort to prevent fires, recently put in place a bylaw that restricts cigarettes, tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes and vape products from being use in all public parks and city owned/controlled outdoors public spaces. This bylaw can help prevent fires if rigorously enforced.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
We support the creation of a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain and know that there is a possible site available. The UniverCity population has grown exponentially in the last number of years so a fire would have devastating impacts. In the event of a wildfire, or a minor tank farm fire, we know that the fire will not only burn faster uphill but as it comes in to contact with vegetation the fire will be further fueled. Not only would it be important to have a temporary fire hall, but we need to ensure that our firefighters have the funding to purchase the appropriate equipment to deal with these types of fires.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
The Burnaby Green Party supports the 15-minute city and within that framework the provision for off-leash dog parks is an important component. The city needs to tie in off-leash dog parks to the new urban villages, high-rises area, and multifamily areas, as part of the plan before any permits are issued. City staff need to work to secure areas for off-leash parks on UniverCity lands.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
The city of Burnaby, and the local community, need to come together to develop a bylaw, or policy, that would mitigate some of these effects. Such a policy might include some of the suggestions below:
- Lighting used throughout the community needs to be LED and Compact Fluorescents (with warm coloured bulbs). These lights reduce energy use, protect the environment, and, as these lights are directional, can be focused to only illuminate the ground. Other lighting must be phased out as they shine up in the air and create light pollution disturbing both wildlife and human life.
- Dimmers, motions sensors, and timers, need to be required in parking garages, stairwells etc. A good policy would ensure these are two-staged controlled lights on sensors.
- Commercial buildings that have lights on all night should be required to have blackout blinds drawn at night.
- Vegetation needs to be used to mitigate the lights from motor vehicles shining into residences. There are many landscaping options that can be used to block headlights, and lights in general from residential buildings.
These are just a few of many possible things that can be done to mitigate light pollution.
MichaelAngelo Robinhood (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
As an independent candidate i m sporting in all Burnaby for more Childcare, daycare and seniors care spaces and people to sport them so that the young families. Can go work to earn their livings.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
Should be a sky train to the university and students and seniors should not be paying anything.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
Fire temperory fire hall is an urgent need as well the first responders
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Dogs are the humans best friends, companions and protectors, since they are unable to tell us what they want, we the humens should give more spaces for the dogs run around just like us humens. Instead of having all parks for us humans, we should give some space from every park to our little companions .
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
The lighting might need to have a certain levels of shine from bright to dark to different levels of lighting according to the early night to late night to sleeping time and all could put in sleep in a manner that doesn't effect wils life nor the residents of the comunity.
Konstantine Roccas (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
Childcare is a tough one up here. Especially as new families are choosing to start a family in our community. It's going to be a problem we need to address before it's too late. Space-wise, I would like to consult with SFU and figure out if they can set aside a space in one of the many buildings up on campus as a dedicated daycare. The city could partner with the institution in working out the details and it should be subsidized for UniverCity residents. In other neighbourhoods unused spaces should be repurposed for childcare as well. Rec centers etc.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The Gondola has been an issue since I was slumming it up on residence as a plucky undergrad. It's egregious that this is taking this long and we're meeting opposition to get the ball rolling. It's good for our community, good for the city and good for the businesses and students up here. It's a no-brainer and I will do everything in my power to expedite this.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
With the continued growth in this City and the Lower Mainland, we need to recognize that trying to keep things as is is a recipe for disaster, especially with regards to our trails and parks. The City needs to hire workers who specialize in parks and conservation and take their advice to improve and maintain their condition. We need to ensure they remain beautiful for future generations. We need to live in harmony with our surroundings and not destroy it.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
More workers frequenting these parks and trails would help as well as educational programs to stop people from partaking in activities that could cause fire in parks and conservation areas. We also need to ensure that dry brush is cleared out and everything maintained. The City also needs to ensure that adequate fire prevention facilities are available and staffed to deal with this issue. Living on the mountain I'm very worried about the day we get hit with a large fire during a dry spell. We need to be ready.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
We badly need this. If elected this will be one of my first priorities. We need a temporary firehall until the main one is ready. This community is a model for Burnaby but the slow response time by fire and emergency services is deeply concerning up here. With the return of the university and new buildings going up constantly we need to get this done.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
For dogs, the city needs to continue to improve its walkability to ensure that people have safe places to take their dogs for walks. I would also support an off-leash strategy that would aim to create dog friendly spaces within our communities including up here at UniverCity. There are many residents with cute dogs up here who have no place to run. I would also push to open up some space somewhere in the vicinity for our residents.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
Light pollution is very disappointing and takes away from the natural beauty of our world. We need a bylaw to address this issue. I am open to suggestions here from the community because this is a problem that needs to be dealt with. I would argue that rooftop lights, and glass stairwells shouldn't default to on. There should be switches and signs at each entrance/exit with a reminder to turn them off after leaving. I do think modern architectural techniques are horrendous and don't prioritize beauty or the environment and I will seek to address this.
Brea Huang Sami (One Burnaby)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
One Burnaby is committed to reforming zoning & permitting with flexible zoning across the entire city, and 3x3x3 permitting mandates that will make it easier alongside 4 Floors & Corner Stores to introduce, permit, and approve childcare spaces everywhere in the city.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
We support the Burnaby Mountain Gondola project
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
One Burnaby is committed to reviewing all city finances and policies, and use and maintenance of our public parks and amenities will be a top priority.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
One Burnaby is committed to creating a Community Investment Fund to fund improvements to public spaces & public safety initiatives.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
One Burnaby will defer to the advice of the Burnaby Fire Service on matters of deployment and necessary investments.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
One Burnaby is committed to building a 15 Minute City and will consider this in our discussions around renewal of the Official Community Plan for the City of Burnaby over the next 2 years.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
One Burnaby is committed to doubling our City Tree Planting which is one key step in addressing light pollution and tree cover in our neighbourhoods.
Maita Santiago (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
I used to run a family daycare. City Council can work with provincial partners and the health authority to support streamlining of health and safety requirements for in-home childcare.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
Public transit for workers, students and residents is important to get people out of cars and into more climate-friendly modes of transportation. I hope the gondola achieves the goal of increasing transit use and reducing car use. I will continue to push for expanded public transit in Burnaby.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
I would commit to looking at what we can do to train people (either through public schools and colleges, or as volunteers) to maintaining our trails. These are climate-friendly jobs and we need to support more of them.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
I will continue the BCA-led initiatives to reduce water consumption throughout the city, to ensure there are water resources for the areas that need them.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
One reason people drive is to take their dogs out to a park where they can be off-leash. If we want people to get out of their cars more, we should look at where there are deficits in access to off-leash dog parks.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
All our city policies and by-laws must be balanced to make sure they address our goals, and don’t have unintended consequences. I am interested in looking into this issue and understanding more about the beneficial and harmful elements of lighting, and what a by-law could address to keep our city healthier and safer.
Tara Shushtarian (Burnaby Green Party)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund provides funding to create new licensed child care, helping families access affordable, quality, and inclusive child care as a core service they can depend on. After acquiring funding we still need the space for a childcare facility to be built. The City needs to commit to tying the approval of building permits for new buildings to childcare spaces. The next low rises, multi-family units or towers must have designated childcare space with the zoning approved before the permit is given. Thus childcare space is automatically made available.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
The gondola project has been added to TransLink’s approved list of priority projects along with the UBC line and the Burnaby Rapid Transit initiative. Our concerns lie with the impact on the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area . We know that Burnaby Mountain, one of the lungs of the city, has already been greatly impacted by the Trans Mountain expansion project. There has not been any official environmental assessment of the conservation area in the last 20 years. Our goal is to ensure protection of the conservation area, its unique ecosystem and to avoid further human wildlife interface.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area is designated to conserve and protect important forests and wildlife . The City should rigorously enforce its Burnaby Parks and Regulation Bylaw No7331, which prohibits environmental degradation and harmful impacts to surrounding wildlife. The City, in consultation with First Nations (Kwikitlem, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam), the SFU community, Univercity, and other stakeholders, needs to set up a comprehensive strategy for careful stewardship of the conservation area. Allow only designated bike trails and walking pathways to mitigate soil erosion. Do an official environmental assessment of the conservation area and incorporate its recommendations into the Official Community Plan.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
Most of Burnaby’s parks and conservations areas are 2nd and 3rd growth forests; this coupled with drought-like conditions makes these areas prone to fires. The removal of dry, dead plant matter can be a City responsibility. Replacing invasive species like the English Ivy and Himalayan Black Berry and restoring native species preserves the natural ecosystem, biodiversity and moisture. To prevent fires, the city as of January 2022 put in place a bylaw that restricts cigarettes, tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes and vape products from being used in all public parks and city owned or controlled public spaces and should be rigorously enforced.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
We support the creation of a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 at the latest and a permanent one at the earliest. The UniverCity population has grown exponentially in the last number of years with densification and land realm use. Any small fire due to human error could have a devastating impact if not controlled speedily or effectively. In the event of even a minor tank farm fire we know that the fire will not only burn faster uphill but as it comes into contact with vegetation, it will be further fueled.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Having walked around the neighborhood and after speaking to many residents, conversations on dog parks have come up many times. I realize the residents want to be responsible pet owners and avoid wildlife interface walking their dogs on forest trails. The Burnaby Green Party supports the 15 minutes city and within that framework the provision for off-leash dog parks is an important component. The city needs to tie in off leash dog parks to the new urban villages, multi-family areas, and high rises as part of the land use realm plan before any permits are issued for developments.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
Bright lights disorient the circadian rhythm of nocturnal animals such as racoons, bats, owls, and rodents. We also know that bright lights suppress melatonin production in humans which adversely affects our health. We would support a bylaw to mitigate these effects and ensure the safety of residents. LED and Compact Fluorescents (CFLs) with warm coloured bulbs can help reduce energy use. Dimmers, motion sensors and timers in parking garages and stairwells can also mitigate light pollution. We must ensure that commercial lit buildings have blinds, and that bends in roads have hedges that block the headlights from washing across buildings.
Deborah Skerry (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
Since, the UniverCity neighbourhood has limited land available for new development, and the existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed childcare, the UniverCity parents could resource some of the surplus, from Burnaby’s last year’s revenues, which includes over five million dollars in grants for childcare administered through the schools. Could this help? Second, creating new spaces in the neighbourhood may create a conundrum, if, it requires annexing parkland. Third, retrofitting existing spaces for childcare facilities may work now, for the short term, with the planning of new facilities planned for the long term.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
My position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project is total support for the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way Skytrain station. I would, also, like to see one up “Old” Hastings Street, on the west side of the campus. I am a parent of a graduate of SFU, I am a graduate of SFU; and therefore, I have spent years commuting, back and forth, up the “hill.” I know anyone can get stuck when it snows. Snowy conditions are a danger to transit operator and students alike. Congratulations on the approval!
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
University residents should lead the way in the preservation, and the retention, of Burnaby Mountain Conservation for all of the current, and future, users of its trails. Understandably, increased population will result in heavier usage. This can be regulated. I am not sure how the City can prevent natural erosion, but I certainly hope illegal trail-building can be prevented and stopped. This issue of overcrowding seems to be the same as increased population.I would advocate for education, and taking a stance with: education, activism, and awareness; great tools for slowing down deterioration caused by humans in a UniverCity setting.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
City Councilors should absolutely be concerned about droughts, and heat, that have resulted in Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, and other forested areas, accumulating dry, dead plant matter, which is easily ignited increasing the risk of fire in our parks. The parks and conservation areas should have adequate fire resources to serve their needs. Once again, the existing budget is allotting funds for new fire stations in the Burnaby area. Staff shortages are also of concern. We need to training for more firefighters, here in Burnaby, and Burnaby needs to fulfil its proposal to include ambulance services with fire stations.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
The fire station that is scheduled to begin constructed in 2023 will take time to complete. The building trades will experience unexpected delays, and supply chain shortages; therefore, creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain, as soon as possible, to protect this area, until the permanent fire hall is operational, is a great solution. Currently, the city is training and hiring staff in the effort to prepare for UniverCity’s future fire safety needs. I will advocate to promote public safety, any way I can, so that first responders can reduce their response times to acceptable levels for UniverCity residents.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
If residents of UniverCity must walk for 75-minute for the nearest off-leash dog-park, Vancouver's recommended strategy to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within approximately a 15-minute walk of one’s residence fails. To accommodate dogs, as the city becomes denser, waste disposal, and water access are important issues to consider in the planning of off-leash parks within 15 minutes walking distance. I would support an off-leash park strategy that considers the public safety of everyone, and their pets. I would advocate forPetCarea subsidy for the provision of laboratories, x-rays, veterinary health to those in need.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
If I was a Burnaby City Councilor, I would be very interested in learning more about the “issue of light pollution.” I cannot support a bylaw I have not seen, or read, but I will work to protect the environment and health of the community members in Burnaby. Learning, how bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/high-rise buildings, roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, lighting design features, roadways and walkways may help with climate change solutions (heating). No one likes light shining directly into their homes, or the disturbance of wildlife habitat so, let’s protect it, however possible!
Daniel Tetrault (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
I want to see City Council direct staff to work with all parties her, to incentivize developers of larger towers to include this space in their designs, work with the community to determine what that space should be used, and then work with (for example) the child care operators to ensure they receive affordable rent for their use of that space and become a stable, staple of the community.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
I believe that the City of Burnaby should be working closely with Translink staff throughout this project. I know that this development will impact many, predominantly in a positive way. Supporting everyone in this process, and ensure that the safety and environmental concerns of residents are given appropriate attention. A better connected UniverCity makes one of our world class schools that much more accessible.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
It’s important that residents understand that, in creating these trails, we are able to enjoy what would otherwise be wholly inaccessible for most Burnaby families. We need to do our part not to disrupt the fragile ecosystem that provides a food source and shelter for wildlife.
A few ways that I want to see happen, that I believe will make a lot of the congestion problems less severe. For starters, I think creating a city-wide cycling network that connects with parks and other amenities will open up the city for a lot of would-be hikers.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The City of Burnaby needs to be working with local Indigenous Peoples to plant more drought and fire resistant species and utilize effective practices for maintaining the land we share.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
Investing in climate resilience means supporting programs and positions that will help residents remain protected as we see the worsening effects from our continued GHG emissions. A firehall on Burnaby Mountain is something that we need, especially looking to what we can expect in the years ahead. I’m totally in favour of a temporary firehall until the permanent one is completed.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
Dogs are an important part of many families and do need outdoor space to play. We know thatoff-leash area serve to deter off-leash activities in on-leash areas. As long as these parks are available, dog owners will use them, which means happier and healthier pups and families.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
I would want to know more about how a light bylaw might affect our daily lives, everything from economic activity to transportation to recreation. I hear the concerns you have expressed and am committed to looking into this further.
Scott van Denham (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
I’d first want to meet with the School Board with an eye to including childcare in any unused space within the elementary school. Failing that, I’d look to the University for any under-utilized spaces that can be easily renovated for childcare. Another opportunity we missed would’ve been to include childcare within the new fire hall. (This is not as unusual as it sounds; see this link: ) Over the long term, I’d want any new residential development to include at least one childcare space per unit of housing. This should help to take pressure off any pre-existing childcare spaces.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
When I first learned of the proposed SFU gondola service, I immediately remembered once watching an articulated bus nearly jackknife on an icy Gaglardi Way. I have, therefore, always supported the project in principle. What I have been anticipating is a business case from Translink to prove a gondola is more cost-effective than the current frequent bus service (#145); they stated at a webinar Thursday that one was forthcoming. I also want to know how Translink plans to work with Forest Grove residents to minimize impacts on their community. We do not need to be pitching communities against one another.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
I don’t know if a trails condition reporting line currently exists, but it should. The idea is that trail users could use the line to report a problem (i.e. illegal trail-building) to the Parks Dept., who could then check on the situation and propose a remedy. New trail identification signage could be installed that would also promote responsible trail etiquette, warning of fines for identified cases of misuse. But all this comes down to individual and collective responsibility in using park spaces with more respect. Learning that begins in Kindergarten.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The most effective wildfire mitigation method that I know of is prescribed burning outside of summer, but there are problems with that. UniverCity and Forest Grove residents would obviously be nervous of prescribed burns close to their homes. Suncor and Trans Mountain may also object, citing proximity to their petrochemical facilities. Steep terrain is also an issue. Not being rhetorical, but perhaps SFU’s Faculty of Environment could be employed to develop a better wildfire management solution. In the meantime, the new fire hall will likely have a wildfire-fighting vehicle and/or ATV assigned to respond to wildfire incidents on the mountain.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
A permanent fire hall should’ve been part of the 1996 UniverCity agreement. I’m also not a fan of the proposed permanent fire hall location. That said, I think a temporary fire hall by next summer is certainly possible. I believe the Burnaby Fire Department plans to have additional firefighters ready by next summer, and one of two new engines currently on order (spring/summer 2023 delivery) is intended for Fire Hall #8. But whether a temporary fire hall happens depends on you. The UniverCity community needs to get loud over any objections SFU administration may have or it won’t happen.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
I agree that there should be off-leash areas in large City parks within a 15-minute walk from most people’s homes. I have a concern, however, which especially pertains to Burnaby Mountain. The Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area is home to a great deal of wildlife, including deer and coyotes, and any off-leash area needs to be located away from the edges of the forest, for the protection of both dogs and the wildlife that call the mountain home.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
Light pollution doesn’t just affect health and wildlife habitat, but also our ability to observe the night sky. (I’m a former member of SFU’s Astronomy Club.) Building design, including lighting, tends to cater to human aesthetics rather than providing safety. Even security lighting is too often wasted, shining in the wrong direction to be effective. If elected, I would like to put forward a lighting bylaw that emphasizes safety consistent with the need to use light wisely, for the betterment of light-sensitive ecosystems, human health and restoring our sense of wonder as we gaze into the night sky.
James Wang (Burnaby Citizens Association)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
A BCA Council will exclude childcare from Floor Area Ratio (FAR) calculations for non-profit or government-run childcare, to make it more affordable.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
Having a new way to get up the mountain will make amenities that already exist way more accessible for transit users. It also reduces car dependency among those who live on the mountain.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
We have an opportunity to work in partnership with community organizations to keep our trails safe for all to enjoy. Many people enjoy walking and cycling and that is good for our community health. City Council must work with regional, provincial and non-profit partners to address the issue of safe trails in our community, including Burnaby Mountain.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
Educating parks users is important to reduce fire risk. Have education materials in different languages and also have parks staff that reflect Burnaby’s different communities. A fire in a park is a real risk, and not only does it affect the park, but the whole community and even residential areas.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
I support a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
I would look at an off-leash dog strategy for the City of Burnaby.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
We need lighting to keep people safe, especially during the dark and raining months. However we need to keep in mind that light can be an irritant to humans and other life. I am interested in looking at this issue some more.
Heymann Yip (Independent)
1. UniverCity parents struggle to find childcare. In our neighbourhood there is very limited land available for new development, and existing buildings do not contain spaces that can meet the physical requirements for licensed child care. What should the city do to increase access to affordable childcare in neighbourhoods with limited space?
The city should work collaboratively with the provincial government to ensure there are adequate child care facilities available and enough trained professionals to provide child care. I would ask city staff to assess SFU campus for unused rooms that can be used as childcare space. In addition, the city should work with Fraser Health and city staff to develop licensure processes and standards that allow a wider range of facilities to be used for licensed child care.
2. A large majority of those who live in UniverCity support the immediate construction of a gondola linking Burnaby Mountain to Production Way skytrain station. What is your position on the Burnaby Mountain gondola project?
I do not support the construction of the Burnaby Mountain gondola project due to its extreme cost of $210 million. This figure does not include the possible expropriation of houses that may pose a risk to the gondola’s operation, which could add millions of dollars to this project. Translink has not fully disclosed the extent of destruction to the forest/green space in protected conservation areas, only providing an estimate of 220-1333 trees being cut down, depending on which gondola route is selected. Lastly, with supply chain issues and labour shortages, this project may be delayed by several years.
3. UniverCity is adjacent to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and many of our residents are frequent users of its trails. As Burnaby's population grows, trails are facing heavier usage, more erosion, more illegal trail-building and overcrowding. How should the city address these issues in our parks and conservation areas?
The city should address these issues by hiring additional park rangers and bylaw enforcement officers. Additional signage should also be put in place to educate trail users not to alter/damage the ecosystem/conservation area.
4. The increasing droughts and heat caused by climate change have led to Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and other forested areas of the city accumulating dry, dead plant matter that can easily ignite. More trail use as the population increases raises the risk of human-caused ignition sources. How should the city address increasing fire risk in Burnaby's largest parks and conservation areas.
The city should address increased fire risk by creating a no-smoking bylaw that is in place during dry months (such as May-October), and invest in a forester under the city’s parks and recreation department.
5. Burnaby Mountain has been in need of a fire hall for many years and also has unacceptably slow response times for first responders. Climate change has brought yearly droughts to our area that have led to a number of grass fires. The fire station that is being constructed will take time to complete and many building trades are currently experiencing unexpected supply chain delays. What is your position on creating a temporary firehall on Burnaby Mountain by the summer of 2023 to protect this area until the permanent fire hall is operational?
As a member of the Public Safety Committee, I am in favour of creating a temporary firehall until Fire Station #8 is completed.
6. In recent years, cities including Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster have developed off-leash dog park strategies to help them plan for dog ownership in densifying cities with fewer car owners. One of the recommendations in Vancouver's strategy is to provide access to neighbourhood dog off-leash areas within an approximately 15 minute walk of most residents. In UniverCity the nearest off-leash dog-park is a 75-minute walk away. What approaches should Burnaby consider to accomodate dogs as the city becomes more dense, and would you support an off-leash park strategy that aims for off-leash parks within walking distance of most residents?
As a dog owner, I support the strategy of having off-leash areas within walking distance. Burnaby’s parks and recreation department should work collaboratively with citizens to audit current off-leash areas and brainstorm where new off-leash areas should be built.
7. The issue of light pollution has been brought up by our community on several occasions, including during a presentation to the mayor and council at the December 2018 council meeting, asking if a lighting bylaw would be possible. With new developments on Burnaby Mountain, bright lights are emitted from common areas of strata/highrise buildings, such as from roof top lights, transparent glass stairwells, and lighting design features, as well as roadways and walkways. Light pollution not only disturbs the environment and habitat of wildlife on Burnaby Mountain, but is also shining directly into the homes and bedrooms of residents, including young children. How should the city address the issue of light pollution, and would you be willing to support a bylaw in order to protect the environment and health of our community?
I would be willing to support such a bylaw against light pollution, given how disruptive it is to both residents of UniverCity and the surrounding areas. I am open to discussing possible solutions and if elected, I would encourage affected citizens to contact me with specific details about the light pollution in order to create a motion to put forward to Council.
We didn’t receive a response from Ken Arnold (Independent), Mona Grewal (One Burnaby), Mike Hillman (One Burnaby), Richard T. Lee (One Burnaby), or Mario Micelle (One Burnaby). We were unable to contact Tom Tau (Independent).
Hear from the candidates in person
Two candidate forums are taking place this week. You can hear from the candidates in pesron and ask them your questions.
Tues Oct 11, 7 - 9pm. All candidates forum (city council & school board). Gilmonre school, 50 Gilmore Ave.
Thurs Oct 13, 3:30 - 6:30pm. All candidates forum (city council). SFU Student Union Building (SUB) Ballroom.
Learn more about the candidates and their platforms
Party Platforms: Burnaby Citizens Association | Burnaby Green Party | One Burnaby
Climate report card from by local environmental groups: Summary | Full candidate responses