Heritage Burnaby

Native / Early Burnaby - Up to 1904

1892 pop. 300
1904 pop. 800

The earliest known human occupation of the Lower Fraser Valley dates to approximately 10,000 years ago, shortly after the retreat of the last glaciers. However, the present configuration of the Fraser River and the height of sea levels did not stabilize until at least 5000 years ago creating the unique land forms and lush native vegetation of Burnaby. A complex society of aboriginal peoples utilized many locations around Burnaby as seasonal food gathering and camp sites, leaving behind today's archaeological resources.

The year 1825 was a critical turning point as it marked the founding of Fort Langley by the Hudson's Bay Company. The establishment of the fur trade economy and the immigration of Europeans to the region would radically alter settlement patterns, health and population of First Nations. When gold was discovered on the sandbars of the Lower Fraser River, it started a human stampede to the newly incorporated Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858.

The development of Burnaby was sparked by the creation of the City of New Westminster in 1860 and the arrival of the transcontinental railway and incorporation of the City of Vancouver in 1886. The construction of an electric interurban tramline between these two cities created the impetus for local landowners and residents to incorporate the Municipality of Burnaby in 1892. Early growth, however, was hampered by the onset of an economic depression in the 1890s.

Despite this setback, the area was soon developed with small market gardens of fruits and vegetables. The construction of the Vancouver, Westminster and Yukon Railway in 1904 and the introduction of electrical power from Buntzen Lake, enabled many logging and sawmill operations to transform the primeval landscape. The early growth set the stage for a dynamic economic boom that would radically change the sleepy rural district.