From sassy to serious, here's what makes Burnaby different from Vancouver
Clare Hennig | CBC News | Posted: February 8, 2019 1:14 AM | Last Updated: February 8, 2019
‘You're going to come through sooner or later,’ says born-and-bred city councillor
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
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 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.
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."