Voices of Burnaby, with Mayor Mike Hurley

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Mayor Brad West of Port Coquitlam and Mayor Nicole MacDonald of Pitt Meadows. They discuss the shared challenges and opportunities facing our communities across the Lower Mainland, and how local governments are being asked to do more than ever before while too often being sidelined from decisions that directly impact the people we serve. This episode will also cover pr...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Chris Peters, CEO of Tourism Burnaby, the organization working to promote Burnaby as a leading destination and to support the growth of the city’s visitor economy. He explains how #TourismBurnaby's is positioning the city for FIFA #WorldCup — the largest sporting event in the world — coming to our region this month. The discussion also explores how through continue...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s regional transportation authority.  He explains #TransLink’s governance structure, financial model and responsibilities, as well as its future plans in #Burnaby. The discussion also explores the balance between financial sustainability, accessibility and affordability, the role of transit in enabling economic growth and...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Dr. Jeff Zabudsky, president of BCIT – BC’s leading polytechnic institution. He explains what it means to be a polytechnic institution, shares future plans for BCIT’s main campus in Burnaby, and highlights why delivering Phase 2 of #BurnabyHospital is critical for the broader education and health sectors. The discussion also explores challenges and opportunities in jou...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with John Brendan McEown, the first-ever CEO of the Burnaby Housing Authority. Their discussion covers the Burnaby Housing Authority's mission to create affordable, non‑market housing and market rental housing in #Burnaby, explains how as a municipal corporation they act like a developer for public benefit, using innovative approaches to deliver housing faster and to he...

Mike Hurley talks with Monika Verma, executive director of Dixon Transition Society. Their discussion covers the essential work Dixon Transition Society does in #Burnaby through emergency, transitional, and second-stage housing, along with counselling and outreach services; the importance of education and community collaboration in both prevention and response; the number of women being turned awa...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with John McCarthy, vice president of McCarthy Properties, and Dr. Alex Butskiy, a physician at Burnaby Hospital. This is a special episode on the #BurnabyHospital redevelopment - and the deeply disappointing decision in the #BCBudget to “re-pace” this urgent and essential project. Their discussion covers the importance of Phase 2 and what it will deliver, the impact of del...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Dr. Joy Johnson, president and vice‑chancellor of Simon Fraser University. Their discussion covers how universities, cities, and industry can collaborate to drive economic growth and #innovation, the importance of #diversity and creating opportunities for #students from all backgrounds, and how university and student safety priorities have evolved as SFU has grown into...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with executive director of the Beedie Foundation, Cindy Beedie. Their discussion covers the vision behind YWCA Cindy Beedie Place and the seven-year journey to bring it to life in #Burnaby, the inspiration behind her three decades of philanthropy, and the family’s support for Simon Fraser University and British Columbia Institute of Technology. The episode also explores the...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with STEMCELL Technologies president and CEO Dr. Allen Eaves, an Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia recipient and R.M. Taylor Medal honouree. Their discussion covers how he and his wife built STEMCELL into Canada’s largest biotechnology company, his deep passion for advancing #cancerresearch, the potential for the #lifesciences sector in #Burnaby, and why our cit...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with local hero Joanne Morgan, a longstanding volunteer with Burnaby's Citizen Support Services and Confederation Seniors Centre, where she also serves on the Board. Their discussion covers how we can best support our #seniors in #Burnaby, across public safety, accessibility, affordable housing and tackling issues such as isolation and cybercrime.  If you find this conv...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with Chief Superintendent Bill Parmar, the new Officer in Charge of the Burnaby RCMP Detachment. Their discussion covers how policing is structured in #Burnaby and why that matters, what modern #CommunityPolicing looks like under Bill’s vision, the limits of #police authority regarding people who are unhoused, and just how safe is the City of Burnaby? If you find this conve...

Mayor Mike Hurley talks with the current Kushiro Cup winners - the award for Burnaby’s Outstanding Citizens - Henry Wakabayashi and Ken Shinozaki. This discussion will cover everything from growing up in internment camps, to their incredibly successful careers in business, philanthropy, collaboration, community leadership, how we support our seniors, and celebrating the broader #JapaneseCanadian h...

Mayor Mike Hurley  talks homelessness and community safety with Carol-Ann Flanagan, the Programme Co-Ordinator of the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby (the Burnaby Board of Trade's 2025 Not-For-Profit Organization of the Year). Carol-Ann is someone who has spent years on the front lines working with vulnerable residents and helping coordinate essential services across the City. Earlier this...

In this first episode of Voices of Burnaby, Mayor Mike Hurley sits down with Andy Yan, Director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University and one of Canada’s leading voices on housing and urban planning. They discuss the impact of recent provincial zoning legislation, what thoughtful city planning should look like, the responsibilities of each level of government, how infrastructure keeps pac...