Planning Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription102
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 71000 10 (add. 2020)
- 71000 20 (add. 2020)
- 71000 30 (add. 2020)
- 71000 40 (add. 2020)
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Planning Department was established on October 9, 1956, when the City Council unanimously carried the motion to create a distinct department to deal with planning issues within the City and appointed Mr. William John Blakely as its head. This decision followed a report and recommendation made by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer which indicated that the role of the Planning Engineer and his staff had quickly expanded to become a separate division within the Engineering Department and that they were functioning as an independent unit in all but name. The proposed separation of the Engineering and Planning departments had been in the works since the early part of 1956 when staff changes and restructuring within the Engineering Department’s Planning Division illustrated the undermanned condition of the Planning Engineer’s office. As a result, Council asked the Chief Administrative Officer to undertake a study examining the feasibility of creating a distinct Planning Department. This report was delivered to Council on July 3, 1956, but was laid over until a Committee of the Council had the opportunity to study the functions of the Planning department to determine the necessity of the proposal. The Committee’s findings were in line with the initial report and the Planning Department was established with a staff of nine (the head Planning Engineer, an Administrative Planner, three Research Planning Assistants, a Draughtsman, a Subdivision Control Clerk, a department Clerk and a Clerk Stenographer). This new department was to offer advice and carry out the work intensive in matters such as zoning and rezoning applications, subdivision control, traffic and transportation planning, and general City planning schemes. Prior to the creation of the Planning Department, a number of bodies within the City had been responsible for fulfilling the functions carried out by this new unit. In the earliest years of the City, the members of Council were responsible for matters of planning and were assisted in their job by the City’s Engineer or any number of hired consultants (e.g. surveyors, cartographers). By 1906, however, the provincial laws surrounding the subdivision process had changed, and local governments were charged with the task of approving all private subdivision plans in their respective Municipalities. In Burnaby, the City Council passed a bylaw decreeing that all subdivision plans were to be submitted to Council for review and the City Engineer was responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. After the first Town Planning Bylaw in 1924 which restricted the type and size of construction that could occur in certain City areas, the Engineering and Building departments were to work together to oversee the enforcement of the Bylaw and the development of City plans. The scope and competence required to carry out this work grew as Burnaby’s population expanded, and in 1930 Council passed the Town Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 1028) that saw the creation of a permanent body – the Town Planning Commission – which was to serve as an advisory body to help direct the planning activities in the City while the actual work continued to be carried out by the Engineering Department. This body was comprised of the Reeve, the Chairman of the School Board, the Chairman of the Park Committee (later, the Board of Parks Commissioners), and six appointed citizens who served three-year terms. Council referred all matters of subdivisions, transportation planning, and rezoning to this Commission, which was later supported in its work by several other special or standing committees such as the Subdivision Committee, the Apartment Committee, the Transportation Committee or the Town Planning Board of Appeal. By 1953, it had become apparent that the advisory committees that were dedicated to these planning issues needed a permanent staff to carry out the work intensive, so a restructuring of the Engineering department resulted in a permanent Planning Engineer’s office being created. The Town Planning Commission continued in its advisory capacity even after the determination came in 1956 to create a separate Planning Department. When Bylaw No. 4473 was passed in 1963, the Town Planning Commission was disbanded in favour of a new Advisory Planning Commission that would turn over all routine matters such as subdivision and rezoning applications to the Planning Department but would offer advice and community input into the more complex planning schemes within the City and act as an intermediary in cases where Council and Planning staff were in disagreement. A new Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 7600) was adopted in 1980 which allowed for even greater community participation in the planning process. The Planning Department was initially responsible to report directly to Council, but in 1957, the administrative structure of Municipal staff changed with the introduction of the Burnaby Municipal Manager Bylaw (No. 3859) and from that point on, the head of the Planning Department held a direct reporting relationship to the Municipal Manager, who in turn was responsible for reporting the activities of the Department to the City Council. Over the years, the internal structure and the scope of responsibilities of the Department have changed during periods of staff reorganizations. Under the larger umbrella of the Planning and Building Department, Planning has come to be comprised of two divisions: the Current Planning Division and the Long Range Planning Division. The functions of the Current Planning Division include rezoning, subdivision, development plan areas, preliminary plan approvals, urban design, heritage planning, and urban trails and bicycle routes. The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for environmental planning concerns, transportation planning, housing, neighbourhood area planning, social planning and planning information services. In 2022, the Planning and Building Department was reorganized to better align functions with delivery of services. The Climate Action and Engery Division moved from Corporate Services to the Planning and Building Department, while Indigenous Relations and Facilities Management moved to Corporate Services and Lands and Facilities, respectively. The position of Director of Planning and Building was changed to General Manager, Planning and Development. The following individuals have served as Planning Engineer and/or Director of the Planning Department and/or General Manager, Planning and Development for the City of Burnaby: William John Blakely 1954-1956 (as Planning Engineer) 1956-1963 (as Head of the Department) Anthony P. Parr 1964-1993 Don G. Stenson 1993-2001 Jack S. Belhouse 2001-2006 Basil Luksun 2006-2012 Lou Pelletier 2012-2019 Edward Kozak 2019-present
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Building Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription13
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 48100 05 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 10 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 11 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 12 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 14 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 18 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- History
- In 2022, responsibility for Major Civic Projects was moved from the Planning and Building Department to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Engineering Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription43
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- History
- In 2020, responsibility for environmental management transferred to Climate Action and Energy, with Engineering retaining responsibility for geotechnical investigations and graffiti management. In 2022, Engineering became responsible for a consolidated Transportation group that aligns transportation planning and implementation functions. Green Fleet and Equipment also moved from Climate Action and Energy to the Public Works division of the Engineering Department. In 2022, Facilities Management was transferred from Engineering to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department. James Lota served as General Manager, Engineering from 2021-2022. Jozsef Dioszeghy has served in the role since April 2022.
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Fire Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription47
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direct…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direction, coordination, training services, and planning, including daily record books, emergency preparedness pamphlets, a departmental practice manual, procedural directives, scrapbooks, and an orthophoto map (in 63 pieces) of the City of Burnaby.
- History
- Serving the City since 1911, the Burnaby Fire Department is committed to providing timely, professional, and effective fire-related emergency services to save lives, property and the environment. Their dedicated staff serves the City via seven fire stations located strategically across Burnaby. Each of our stations is equipped with up-to-date vehicles and equipment. Their highly skilled and trained team of men and women provide many services, including fire suppression and prevention, investigation, inspection, training, medical, vehicle extrication, technical and other speciality rescues, hazardous materials response and public education services. The following information pertains to the publication "Follow That Fire": Communities have always lived with the threat of fire. Early Burnaby residents banded together to extinguish out-of-control brush fires. In the 1920s, the Municipal Police were responsible for fire-related matters, earning three dollars for attending a fire. Donations to the Vancouver and New Westminster Fire Departments' Benevolent Funds brought the first fire engines to Burnaby's rescue. As the population increased, by-laws were enacted to develop a full-time fire service. Several members saw the value in jotting down recollections of their experiences as Burnaby firemen, which sparked an interest in completing the History of the Burnaby Fire Department. While researching this project, the author was fortunate in being able to draw from the resources of retired chiefs Fred Blake and Lewis Auvache, who were original members of the Department. The Department's progression includes heated and sometimes humorous debates regarding who should be responsible for fire protection, deciding if there was a need for a fire services, and how taxes would be levied to support the service. Photographs throughout the text represent stages of development which include a pictorial record of Burnaby fire trucks from 1923 to the present platform ladder trucks. From its humble beginning as two separate fire departments operating from a converted police horse stable and a water pumping station, the Burnaby Fire Department has developed into a professional organization serving its citizens from six fire stations.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.