Once I reached adulthood and started participating in typical adulthood social activities, I noticed how few pubs there are in Burnaby. As a Burnabarian who now lives in London, that gap is even clearer.
Those who partake understand that pubs are the most accessible, affordable, and casual places to eat and drink. It is arguably the cornerstone of British social life.
As Burnaby grows and develops, I believe we can enrich the social establishment market with pubs.
When I moved to London and started working in its bustling city centre, I was astonished by something: as long as it’s not pouring rain, people dont just go to the pub after work, they spill outside to the curb.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that being able to take your pint outside is a key aspect of the pub. It allows flexibility for patrons, and more capacity for sales. It is also refreshing to stand outside after a long day at the office.
If we had pub culture in Burnaby, bylaws would need to change. Burnaby currently doesn’t allow public drinking, unless strictly permitted. Think of the the Central Park Beer Garden on Canada Day 2022.
Luckily, a big shift is coming soon. Burnaby just passed a motion to create a drinking in parks program, and it could be piloted as early as this summer.
I won’t delve into the broad topic of public drinking. In the UK, you can drink on the riverside, walking down the street, in parks, and although illegal, it’s highly practiced on the tube. I am specifically concerned with long-term permits for drinking right outside pubs, and only drinking their product.
Seeing the attitude towards public drinking change means we could see curbside drinking follow. Unlike drinking in parks, having room to socialize on busy streets like Silver Drive would mean more people in a commercial area, i.e. more money for businesses and the city.
Culture fit
Unlike London, Burnaby does not have two thousand years of public drinking under its belt. Even in the UK, some may wish drinking was less prevalent, or at least less visible in the public sphere.
Speaking as a young Burnabarian, I can see pubs pairing nicely with our late-night Bubble Tea culture. Sometimes a cold G&T is more appealing than a milk tea.
There’s a reason Cactus Club is a petri dish for Gen Z – it is the easiest way to get a good cocktail, even if they’re overpriced.
Right now, Burnaby has almost no pubs. And no, Cactus, Earls, and Browns don’t count. Pubs should have no assigned seating unless booked – transient by nature. The middle-fancy restaurants have their purpose for a more elevated experience. When the girlies and I get over-dressed for a Frosé on the patio, life is good.
Pubs were born out of the need for travellers to take a break on their journey. This started in Roman times, and over the centuries were often paired with hotels.
In Metro Vancouver, pub history is sparse. The first post-prohibition beer license granted in BC was to the Lamplighter in 1925. In the West End, The Dover Arms was the first pub to open once laws in 1972 ended the hotel industry monopoly over the sale of draught beer. There were some pre-prohibition pubs, but most of lived in the capital cities of New Westminster and Victoria. The latter houses BC’s oldest pub.
Many of Burnaby’s longtime pubs have closed in recent decades. The pandemic didn’t help either… a quick moment of silence for SFU’s short-lived pub The Study.
You may be yelling at your screen “but we have breweries!”. Places like Dageraad and Studio Brewing are in industrial areas, and even if they’re transit accessible, there isn’t much else to do around there. While they contribute to Burnaby’s character, they lack space, in-house meals, and surrounding amenities. Pubs could support local breweries by providing more places to sell their product.
How I imagine pubs in Burnaby
Burnaby seems like the perfect place for non-traditional pub food. Imagine being able to choose between a Sunday roast and Bánh mì. I am also down for some traditional British pubs for the novelty, atmosphere, and appeal to all ages. They should allow dogs, too.
They would be close to transit, have accessible washrooms, and signage defining the permitted drinking areas. This is what Burnaby will consider when they launch the park program, says the Daily Hive.
They would close at the same time as restaurants, to prevent residential noise. This is another key characteristic of neighbourhood pubs.
There would be safe drinking education provided by the city in partnership with the establishments, and resources for when someone feels unsafe. See London’s “Ask for Angela” program for an example of this.
They’d be perfect places for quiz nights, karaoke, drag, and live music, supporting local artists. When I visited Scotland recently, we found friends and laughs at the hostel pub’s quiz night.
Pubs are oases of memories and culture, from the Highlands of Scotland, to the busiest corners of London.
The time has come
All of the development happening in Burnaby feels like the perfect opportunity to include alternative social spots. Whether it be board game cafés, escape rooms, or my beloved pubs, we could benefit from some diversification. The introduction of more lenient public drinking bylaws could facilitate this new era of business.
I believe pubs could have a net-positive effect on the community and the economy. Consumers coming to areas like Metrotown, Lougheed, Gilmore, Brentwood would bring attractive money in, and a lively social culture would encourage more young people to live and work in Burnaby, helping secure its future as a thriving community.
Can you tell I am missing home? I wish I could bring the pub in my checked luggage next time I visit.
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marina miller 
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