Platform

Strengthening Public Safety 

Burnaby residents deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhoods — and that starts with having enough police officers to respond when they are needed. Burnaby’s population has grown significantly, yet our police staffing has not kept pace. With roughly 997 residents for every police officer, Burnaby’s ratio is well above the national benchmark of approximately 545 residents per officer.

Burnaby First will work to close that gap by hiring more police officers and putting more resources on the front lines. More officers means greater visibility in our communities, stronger response capacity, and a police force better equipped to keep pace with Burnaby’s growing population. 

But public safety encompasses much more than simply having enough police officers. It means addressing the issues that affect the safety and well-being of our entire community.

Our Plan

• Create a holistic approach to address homelessness — including people experiencing homelessness, residents, business owners, BC Housing, Fraser Health, the RCMP and senior City staff — to develop practical, long-term solutions to homelessness and unsheltered living;
• Demand transparency on Burnaby Mountain emergency planning — keeping residents informed about the City’s progress on evacuation plans in the event of a tank farm fire, pipeline explosion or other major emergency;
• Work with the Province to address mental health and addiction — advocating for the treatment, services and supports needed to help people struggling with mental illness and substance use.
• Upgrade bus stops with enclosed shelters — protecting transit users from the weather while improving visibility and reducing potential threats from behind, particularly at stops backing onto parks or other green spaces.

Supportive Housing Should Support Recovery

Burnaby First supports supportive housing for people struggling with addiction, mental health challenges and homelessness. But supportive housing should provide a pathway toward stability and recovery — not become a place where ongoing drug use and unsafe behaviour are simply accepted with no end goal.

Residents, staff, neighbouring families and businesses all deserve to feel safe. We believe government has a responsibility to provide housing with appropriate supports, clear rules and accountability.

Our Plan

• Establish clear no-(illicit)drugs and no-weapons rules in seasonal, transitional and low-barrier supportive housing, with appropriate enforcement to protect residents, staff and the surrounding community;
• Reconsider the low-barrier shelter at 3020 Gilmore Diversion and work with BC Housing to address the concerns of surrounding residents and businesses;
• Pause the approval of new low-barrier supportive housing projects until BC Housing has conducted meaningful engagement and feasibility studies with residents, businesses, schools, daycare centres and other affected stakeholders;
• Expand access to treatment and recovery services within the supportive housing network, so people struggling with addiction have a genuine pathway toward treatment, recovery and greater independence;
• Protect the safety and stability of surrounding communities by ensuring supportive housing developments have appropriate staffing, security, operating standards and accountability.

Protecting and Maintaining our Parks and Green Spaces

Burnaby’s parks, forests, trails and conservation areas are among the things that make our city special. They belong to all of us, and they need to be protected, properly maintained and accessible for generations to come. The uncertainty surrounding the future of the Velodrome Trail is a reminder that preserving our green spaces means more than simply drawing a boundary around them; it requires ongoing investment and responsible stewardship.

Our Plan

• Protect and properly maintain our parks and trails — investing in the upkeep of existing parks, trails and conservation areas, removing garbage from abandoned encampments, and ensuring important community assets like the Velodrome Trail receive the attention and maintenance they deserve.
• Protect Burnaby’s natural environment — opposing development that negatively impacts parks, conservation areas and sensitive ecosystems, including Fraser Foreshore Park, Deer Lake and the Burnaby Mountain conservation area.
• Restore and expand our urban forest — planting more native trees and species, replacing trees removed for new development, creating pocket parks where appropriate, and actively removing invasive species such as English holly, English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, Japanese knotweed and spurge laurel.
• Support the people who protect our waterways and natural spaces — providing greater support to Burnaby’s volunteer Streamkeepers and other community groups working to preserve biodiversity, maintain healthy ecosystems, and keep our parks clean.

TRANSPARENCY & ENGAGEMENT

With 8 of 9 seats on Council held by the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA) and the current mayor, meaningful debate and independent scrutiny become more important than ever. Residents should not have to wait for an election to have their voices heard.

Burnaby First believes City Hall should be accountable to the people of Burnaby — not simply inform residents after decisions have already been made. We will make public engagement a regular part of how the City operates, giving residents more opportunities to ask questions, challenge decisions and see where their tax dollars are going.

Our Plan

• Hold regular public town halls - throughout Burnaby, giving residents direct access to their Mayor and Council and a meaningful opportunity to raise concerns and propose solutions.
• Create a public question period at Council meetings - giving residents the opportunity to ask questions directly and receive answers on issues affecting their communities.
• Strengthen public consultation on major decisions - engaging residents, businesses and community stakeholders before major projects, developments and policy changes are finalized, not after the decisions have effectively been made.
• Provide semi-annual financial reports to residents - clearly showing where City revenues are being spent, how major projects are tracking and where significant cost overruns have occurred.
• Make Council more transparent and accountable - by publishing clear explanations of major decisions, the reasoning behind them and the public feedback received.

STOP MONSTER HOMES*

Burnaby residents should have a say in how their neighbourhoods change. While the Province has taken significant control over local zoning through legislation such as Bill 44, City Hall still has tools available to shape how new housing fits into Burnaby’s existing communities.

Burnaby First will use every authority available to the City to encourage responsible development, protect neighbourhood character and ensure growth comes with appropriate infrastructure and amenities.

Our Plan

• Rezone to reflect neighbourhood character — using the City's available zoning authority to ensure new development is better suited to the scale and characteristics of surrounding homes and streets.
• Require more on-site parking where permitted — reducing the pressure on already crowded residential streets and ensuring new development provides adequate parking on the property.
• Require tree replacement — when trees are removed for new residential construction, require appropriate replacement planting on the property wherever possible.

^{*Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing}

Supporting Local Businesses

Local businesses are the backbone of our neighbourhoods. When you buy from your neighbour, and your neighbour buys from you, more money stays in our community — supporting local jobs, families and other businesses.

Burnaby’s own Economic Growth and Resilience Task Force found that businesses are facing significant pressure from property taxes, operating costs, permitting delays and administrative complexity. More than 80% of businesses surveyed were small or mid-sized firms.

Burnaby First will make it easier to start, operate and grow a local business.

Our Plan

• Reduce the burden on local businesses - review commercial property taxes, fees and other municipal costs that make it harder for small businesses to stay competitive.
• Cut red tape and permitting delays - simplify licensing and permitting, establish clear timelines and hold the City accountable for unnecessary delays.
• Create a one-stop business support system — give entrepreneurs and business owners a clear place to go for permits, licensing, City services and connections to available programs and resources.
• Strengthen local business districts -support Business Improvement Areas and local merchant organizations that help keep neighbourhood commercial areas vibrant.
• Help local businesses stay and grow, establish a formal business retention and expansion program so the City regularly hears directly from businesses about the barriers they face and works to address them.

Urban Planning: Building Complete Neighbourhoods

Burnaby is growing; but growth should mean more than simply adding buildings. We need neighbourhoods where people can find a home they can afford, access parks and green space, walk and cycle safely, and have schools, services and community amenities close to where they live.

Burnaby First believes good urban planning means planning the whole neighbourhood, not just approving individual developments.

Our Plan

• Expand housing choices — encourage a broader mix of market and non-market housing, including townhomes, rowhomes, purpose-built rentals and co-operative housing — not just high-rise condos and large single-family developments.
• Ensure access to green space — protect and expand parks, greenways and neighbourhood green space so that residents across Burnaby have access to nature close to home, including communities in South Burnaby that have fewer nearby green spaces.
• Build safer active transportation networks — expand connected and safe routes for walking, cycling and other forms of active transportation throughout Burnaby, making it easier for residents to get around without a car.
• Plan schools and amenities alongside growth — work with the Provincial Government and school authorities to ensure schools, childcare, recreation facilities, parks and other community amenities keep pace with new development and population growth.
• Make safety part of neighbourhood design — apply Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to new neighbourhoods and public spaces, using lighting, visibility, access and thoughtful design to create safer communities.

Arts, Culture & recreation

A great city is about more than where you live -  it’s about how you live. Burnaby’s children and families deserve places to play, compete and gather, while residents of all ages should have more opportunities to enjoy live sports, music, theatre, art and culture without leaving the city. 

Burnaby First will invest in the places and events that bring people together and give our city a stronger sense of community.

Our Plan

• Build more soccer fields and recreation facilities- plan for additional fields as Burnaby grows, giving children and youth more opportunities to play, compete and stay active.
  
• Make Swangard Stadium a hub for live events - build on its role as a sports venue and make it a destination for major sporting events, concerts, festivals and other live entertainment.
  
• Protect and revitalize the Michael J. Fox Theatre - work with the School District and community partners to secure a sustainable future for this important local performing arts venue.
  
• Bring more festivals and events to Burnaby - We will create new events such as a Burnaby Film Festival and Jazz Festival, giving local artists and performers more opportunities while bringing the community together.
  
• Invest in Burnaby’s arts and culture - expand support for local artists, explore a new or expanded Burnaby Art Gallery, and work with Indigenous communities to create a dedicated museum or cultural space celebrating Indigenous history and culture.

Affordable Housing: More Of What People Can Afford

Burnaby needs more housing, but building more expensive condos isn't the same thing as making housing more affordable. We need more options for families, seniors, renters and working people who want to stay in Burnaby.

That means making it easier to build rental housing, townhomes, rowhomes, co-ops and other forms of housing that people can actually afford.

Our Plan

• Make room for more affordable housing — review the OCP and zoning to create more opportunities for low-rise purpose-built rentals, rowhomes and townhomes.
• Work with senior governments — pursue Provincial and Federal funding to bring more affordable and non-market housing to Burnaby.
• Work with local non-profits — partner with organizations such as MOSAIC, New Vista Society and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. to build more co-op and non-market housing.
• Cut unnecessary red tape — simplify the approval process and reduce delays that drive up the cost of building housing.
• Make it easier to add a suite or laneway home — reduce permit fees and unnecessary barriers for homeowners who want to create additional living space and provide more rental housing.