02 The story
Burnaby’s original main street
The Heights stretches along Hastings Street from Boundary Road eastward, with residential blocks climbing north toward the edge of Burrard Inlet. Locals simply call it the Heights. It feels like a continuation of East Vancouver’s Hastings-Sunrise, but with a slightly slower pace and a strong sense of neighbourhood identity.
Many streets here are lined with older homes, including a good number of heritage houses on blocks such as Cambridge, Trinity and Triumph Streets. From the northern edge of the neighbourhood the land drops steeply to the water, so many streets end in views of the North Shore mountains.
Shopping, events and parks
Hastings Street is the heart of the Heights. The strip is mostly small, independent businesses: cafés, bakeries, family restaurants, delis and service shops, many of them long-established. A local merchants association runs community events through the year. The biggest is Hats Off Day each June, when Hastings closes to traffic for a street festival. Halloween on the Heights and seasonal lighting along the street round out the calendar.
At the east end of the Heights, Confederation Park is a local favourite, with sports fields, the Eileen Dailly leisure pool, the McGill branch of the Burnaby Public Library and a volunteer-run miniature railway that offers rides on select days in the warmer months. Trails along the north slope connect toward Burrard Inlet.
The Heights suits families, couples and anyone who prefers a walkable main street to a mall. Street parking can be tight around lunch and on weekends, so the R5 is often the easier option.
