Burnaby, BC – The City of Burnaby has officially opened a new, temporary Fire Station 8 in the heart of the UniverCity community, significantly enhancing emergency response capacity on Burnaby Mountain.
The temporary fire station is located in office space at 9055 University High Street, just steps away from Simon Fraser University. The facility is fully staffed and equipped to operate 24/7, serving Burnaby Mountain, SFU and the surrounding community.
“This is an important step in our work to greatly enhance our response capability in the event of an emergency in the Burnaby Mountain area,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “Residents have been asking for this and we’re thrilled to be making this happen.”
“We’re proud to be part of this neighbourhood and look forward to meeting residents, local businesses and the SFU community in the coming days,” said Fire Chief Chris Bowcock. “Our crews are excited about getting connected and helping to keep people safe.”
Burnaby Mountain is one of the fastest-developing communities in the city. More than 6,000 Burnaby residents live in UniverCity and approximately 2,000 students live in residence and housing at SFU in this rapidly growing area. In the coming years, SFU plans to continue expanding its campus with major new facilities including a First Peoples’ Gathering House, more student residences, the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum, and a future Burnaby Mountain gondola to support the transportation needs of this community.
The temporary fire station will be in service until a new, permanent Fire Station 8 is built nearby on University Drive. The new facility, which begins construction early this year, is a joint project of the City and SFU, and is supported by a $30 million commitment from the federal government.
"Today's event comes after years of hard work and collaboration with the City of Burnaby, our Burnaby fire department and many dedicated stakeholders,” said Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North-Seymour. “This project is possible because our neighbours and community members took the time to share their concerns about safety and responsibility. The federal government is proud to support Fire Station 8 and we will continue investing in the security of Canadians. This is one of the most critical local projects I have worked on since being elected as your MP in 2015. Fire Station 8 has been a tremendous success thanks to Mayor Hurley, Simon Fraser University and the Burnaby fire fighters. We cannot thank you enough for championing this project. After speaking with hundreds of families in the region, I know how valuable this project is to residents."
“We care deeply about the well-being of the Burnaby Mountain community, and an important part of that is making sure that university and community members can quickly access emergency services,” said SFU President Joy Johnson. “While Fire Station 8 is under construction, I’m thrilled that the City of Burnaby has established a temporary fire hall that will support these critical safety needs.”
“As a community we are delighted that this much-needed fire station is becoming a reality,” said Mario Guisado, president of the UniverCity Community Association. “We’re thankful to SFU, City of Burnaby and Burnaby Fire for partnering with the community association to build Fire Station 8 on Burnaby Mountain. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the firefighters of station 8 to the UniverCity community.”
Fire Station 8 is one of two new fire stations the City is adding to the Burnaby Mountain area over the next year, with Fire Station 4 on Greystone Drive expected to open by the end of 2023 and Fire Station 8 in early 2024.
Learn more: Fire Station 8
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Chris Bryan
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