02 The story
Where two SkyTrain lines meet
Lougheed grew up around Lougheed Mall, which opened in 1969 at Austin Avenue and North Road. For decades it was a classic suburban shopping centre surrounded by parking lots and low-rise apartments. The arrival of SkyTrain in 2002 put the area on the map as a transit hub, and today Lougheed Town Centre station is where the Expo and Millennium Lines meet.
The mall site is now being transformed into a large mixed-use community known as The City of Lougheed. Burnaby adopted the master plan in 2016, which calls for many residential towers, new shops and restaurants, and parks and plazas on the former parking lots. The first towers are complete and more are under way, so the area is changing quickly.
North Road and nearby
North Road forms the boundary between Burnaby and Coquitlam, and the stretch near Lougheed is known across Metro Vancouver for its Korean grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants. It is one of the best places in the region for Korean food, from casual lunch spots to barbecue.
Away from the mall, Lougheed is a mix of older apartment blocks, townhouses and single-family streets, with schools and parks tucked in between. Burnaby Lake Regional Park is a short drive west, and Burnaby Mountain and SFU are just north.
Lougheed suits commuters who want a one-seat ride downtown, families looking for more space for their money than in Metrotown, and food lovers. Expect construction around the station and mall for several years as the redevelopment continues.
