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From sassy to serious, here's what makes Burnaby different from Vancouver

Burnaby may be going through a bit of an identity crisis, but plenty of people are jumping in with suggestions on how the city can create a better brand.

‘You're going to come through sooner or later,’ says born-and-bred city councillor

Clare Hennig · CBC News ·
What sets Burnaby apart from other cities in Metro Vancouver? Everything from the number of SkyTrain stations to its approach to sustainability, says Coun. Joe Keithley. (City of Burnaby/Facebook)

If Burnaby's going through a bit of an identity crisis right now, there are plenty of suggestions for improving its brand.

Some sincere — others cheeky — most reflect on what it's like to be overshadowed by a neighbour.

"What we say in Burnaby is: you're going to come through sooner or later," joked Coun. Joe Keithley.

B.C.'s third largest city, nestled east of East Vancouver, north of New Westminster and not quite in Coquitlam, is almost close to everything  — leading some to nickname it the "In-between City."

CBC's Stephen Quinn put out a call on Twitter, asking for a new slogan that would put the city on the map.

Some of the suggestions include:

  • Burnaby: Halfway between IKEA Richmond and IKEA Coquitlam
  • Burnaby: You'd think it'd be cheaper
  • Burnaby: Even less fun city
  • Burnaby: Home of a million crows
  • Burnaby: Close to everything else
  • Burnaby: Downtown-free since 1892
  • Burnaby: Connected Naturally
What's a better tourism slogan for Burnaby? CBC's Stephen Quinn posed the question on social media and got more than 100 suggestions back. (City of Burnaby/Facebook)

Keithley, a lifetime-time Burnaby-ite (Burnaby-er? Burnabarian? There's no clear established term yet), is a strong defender of the city.

He listed a few of the perks people might not know about Burnaby, such as:

  • More SkyTrain stops than anywhere else the the Lower Mainland.
  • Close to nature with Burnaby Mountain trails, Burnaby Lake and more green spaces than Vancouver.
  • A burgeoning tech industry.
  • Soon to have the lowest taxes in Metro Vancouver — plans are underway to make it official next month.
  • Push towards sustainability with all LED streetlights to be installed within the next few months and continued separation of wastewater and storm sewers.
  • Views of Vancouver and the North Shore.
Burnaby is full of green spaces from Burnaby Mountain to the Central Park, Keithley boasts. (Google Maps)

Burnaby does have a hard time branding itself, Keithley agreed, and the decades-old slogan "From River To Sea" doesn't really capture the city anymore.

Burnaby's branding struggles are encapsulated in the advertising surrounding a highrise condominium project in the rapidly changing area around Brentwood Mall, which is also a stop on SkyTrain's Millennium Line. The Amazing Brentwood promotes itself as more Vancouver than Burnaby — despite being being two kilometres from Vancouver.

Burnaby's Joe Keithley is a city councillor who was born and raised there. He married a fellow Burnaby resident and is raising three children in the city. (Clare Hennig/CBC)

Keithley understands the urge to identify with Burnaby's bigger, flashier neighbour.

"If I'm traveling somewhere in the world and they asked me where I'm from, I say Vancouver," he told Stephen Quinn, the host of CBC's The Early Edition.

"Nobody knows where Burnaby is when you get outside of B.C."

With files from The Early Edition

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