Up until the 1970s, this neighbourhood was known as Vancouver Heights. When a new park was created during that decade and named "Burnaby Heights Park," the name was gradually adopted by newcomers to the area. Today, you will hear residents refer to their neighbourhood as Burnaby Heights, Vancouver Heights, or just "The Heights." Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the commercial district in this neighbourhood continued to grow and a Retail Merchants Association was formed which later became known as the Heights Merchants Association. The neighbourhood still retains a residential neighbourhood characteristic with an increasing number of apartment buildings and multi-family units being built over the past 20 years.
In 1966 Burnaby Lake was identified as a key potential regional park in the GVRD ’s Regional Park Plan for the Lower Mainland. The lake was to be developed for nature study, strolling, trail riding, canoeing, sightseeing and picnicking. It was formally recognized as a regional nature park in 1979, at which time the GVRD assumed management of the park through a lease agreement with the City of Burnaby. In 1993 Burnaby Lake was selected by the City of Burnaby to be included in Greater Vancouver ’s Green Zone, and was identified as a key component of the GVRD ’s Park and Outdoor Recreation System (PORS) for the Burrard/Peninsula/Richmond sector, which includes Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond.
Burnaby Mountain Secondary School is one of the more recent schools in Burnaby, having opened in 2000 and it serves neighbourhoods in northeast Burnaby and northwest Coquitlam.
The interurban link between New Westminster and Vancouver stimulated the early settlement of Stride Avenue. Infilling of the area took place in the early 1950s and the pace of development had slowed considerably by 1970. Duplexes became a popular feature in the decade between 1970 and 1980 and in the late 1980s, the neighbourhood was incorporated into the Edmonds Town Centre South plan.
Taylor Park Elementary School was opened in 2004 with 240 students from kindergarten to grade three (with older students attending Stride Avenue Community School). By 2006, Taylor Park had been designated as its own school and extended its classes from kindergarten through grade six.
Photograph of two unidentified players in action during a Vancouver Women's Field Hockey Association premier division game between the Burnaby Lakers and the Vancouver Red Hawks at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
Photograph of two unidentified players in action during a Vancouver Women's Field Hockey Association premier division game between the Burnaby Lakers and the Vancouver Red Hawks at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2003 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "A Burnaby Lakers' defender (left) tangles with a Vancouver Red Hawks forward, in Vancouver Women's Field Hockey Association premier division play, Saturday at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex. Burnaby lost the game, 2-0."
Photograph of Christine Sinclair, playing for the Vancouver Breakers, and Seattle Sounders player Christina Harsaghy in action during a game at Swangard Stadium.
Photograph of Christine Sinclair, playing for the Vancouver Breakers, and Seattle Sounders player Christina Harsaghy in action during a game at Swangard Stadium.
Collected by editorial for use in a December 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Burnaby's Christine Sinclair, making her debut with the Vancouver Breakers, battles with Seattle Sounders' midfielder Christina Harsaghy, at Swangard Stadium."