Established over 70 years ago, Brentwood Park is an idyllic residential enclave consisting predominantly of post-war bungalows with cherry-tree lined streets. It is a neighbourhood anchored by a well-loved park, an elementary school, a pre-school and four places of worship.

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Brentwood Park residents buy into their neighbourhood, not only into their homes. This passionate attachment to home, has spawned to several initiatives over the decades, from a call in the late 1970's for green space at Delta and Halifax, and traffic calming between Delta and Springer, to input in the FortisBC replacement pipeline in the early 2010's.. But the shiniest example of citizens engaging with their local municipal government was the collaboration that resulted in the R-10 zoning in 1990-91, perpetuated the original character of the neighbourhood, preserving modest and relatively affordable homes, and green environs from the curbside, for decades. R-10 has now been replaced by the provincial-government mandated R-1 zone), The intent of these measures was to prevent the construction of oversized homes, and preserving a community where residents look to set down roots. Current characteristics of the neighbourhood include front yards with at least 25 feet in depth, and uninterruptible by front and side fences, which encourages neighbourliness.  

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Brentwood Park is a community of hard-working, middle-class families: dedicated teachers, nurses, first responders, daycare providers, health care workers, tradespeople, accountants, engineers, IT professionals and many more contributing members from various walks of life have settled into the community.  In some homes, multiple generations of families live together; elderly parents or grandparents are cared for in the comforts of their homes surrounded by family. Residents have strong pan-generational bonds to this community, and some original owners still reside in their homes from the 1950’s and continue to walk the tranquil streets of Brentwood Park.

 

The suffix “lawns” at the end of street names has created a strong identity for our community. The uniting nomenclature reflects the open greenspace that also provides a respite for residents of the nearby towers, and acts as an urban oasis amidst the tangle of adjacent concrete and glass towers where greenspace is lacking. 

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Folks from neighbouring communities are often found strolling through Brentwood Park - bird watching, admiring the cherry blossoms, jogging around our concentric streets, trick-or-treating, picnicking, and arranging playdates for children or dogs at the park.  Our quaint neighbourhood serves as an important greenspace for the greater community.

 

Renters are an important part of our community.  Many homeowners rent out secondary suites to singles and couples (including BCIT and SFU students) to assist with mortgage payments. Several  houses in their entirety on every street are rented to families who rely on this form of accommodation that is more suitable for raising a family and cannot be replicated in an apartment unit.  On a per square foot basis, rents for homes in Brentwood Park are more affordable than rents in new apartment buildings.  Brentwood Park is quietly but meaningfully contributing to a significantly precious type of rental stock.  

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Recent changes in tenancy laws have added further protections for tenants against re-development of older apartment buildings and unscrupulous landlords.  The City of Burnaby's Tenant Assistance Policy stipulates that tenants who are displaced to make way for new development are offered a unit in the new project, with the same number of bedrooms as the previous unit, and at the same rent that was paid prior to re-development.   Unfortunately, this protection only applies to tenants displaced from apartment buildings that are being re-developed.   Tenants displaced from single family homes or suites in homes that are being re-developed for higher density are not offered the same protection. 

 

Whether you own your home or are renting a home, families in Brentwood Park have set down deep roots and have established a thriving community. We have had decades of low crime, a high degree of community engagement and integration, and good relationships with neighbours. We look out for each other, our children go to school together – it’s truly a remarkable place that is worth fighting for.