02 The story
A university on a mountain
Burnaby Mountain rises in the northeast corner of the city, and its summit is occupied by Simon Fraser University. The campus was designed by architects Arthur Erickson and Geoff Massey and opened in 1965. Its long concrete terraces, covered walkways and central academic quadrangle are well known, and have appeared in many films and TV shows.
East of the main campus is UniverCity, a residential community that began construction in 2003. It was planned as a sustainable, walkable village, and the project has received several planning and design awards. Apartments and townhomes cluster around a small high street with a grocery store, cafés and services, and there is an elementary school and childcare on the mountain.
Trails and lookouts
Much of the mountain is protected as the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, with a large network of hiking and mountain biking trails through second-growth forest. On the western side, Burnaby Mountain Park has a rose garden, open lawns and one of the best viewpoints in the region, looking over Burrard Inlet, Indian Arm and the North Shore. The park is also home to Playground of the Gods, a group of carved wooden poles by Ainu artists Nuburi and Shusei Toko, given to Burnaby by its sister city Kushiro, Japan, in 1989.
Below the north slope, Barnet Marine Park offers a beach and pier on Burrard Inlet, reached by road along the Barnet Highway.
Practical tip: the mountain has its own weather. It can be foggy, rainy or snowy at the top when the rest of Burnaby is clear, so bring a layer and check road conditions in winter.
