BURNABY COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY
The Burnaby Community Assembly was a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of Burnaby.
Click here to read the Assembly's final recommendations.
The Burnaby Community Assembly was a broadly representative group of 40 Burnaby residents, selected through a civic lottery, who helped shape Burnaby’s Official Community Plan. Over the course of six months, the Burnaby Community Assembly met to learn, hear from experts and community voices, work through trade-offs and create recommendations for Burnaby’s new Official Community Plan.
Click here to find out more about the results from the Burnaby Community Assembly.
The SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue respectfully acknowledges that Burnaby is located on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. We are grateful for the opportunity to be on this territory.
WHY DID WE DO THIS?
To seek the perspectives of residents who broadly reflect the diversity of the Burnaby community.
To produce actionable recommendations for formal response by Burnaby City Council.
To create opportunities for in-depth learning and dialogue.
HOW IT WORKED
This engagement process was organized by the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, with arm's length contributions from the City of Burnaby. The Assembly was conducted in five phases, with participants selected via civic lottery in February 2024 and recommendations submitted to Council in July 2025.
Find out more about how the Burnaby Community Assembly worked:
1. Assembly Selection
Randomly selected households received an invitation by mail. Those who responded were then entered into a civic lottery, where final Assembly Members were selected in a manner that broadly mirrored the demographic diversity of Burnaby.
2. Learning and Visioning
Participating Assembly Members explored issues and learned from evidence-based information and diverse perspectives, including discussion materials and presentations from experts and community knowledge holders.
3. Deliberation
Assembly Members examined municipal policy options and worked through trade-offs in relation to their values. Members interacted with the wider community to generate ideas and explore solutions through dialogue.
4. Finalization
The Assembly presented its recommendations to City Council, who is responsible for the final approval of the Official Community Plan.
5. City of Burnaby Response
The City of Burnaby received and responded to the Assembly's recommendations, ensuring the process is transparent and accountable.