SFU campus atop Burnaby Mountain finally protected by a new permanent fire hall

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“The opening of Fire Station 8 is a proud moment for our city, showcasing our ongoing dedication to safety, sustainability and community care,” said Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley in a statement.

“This facility strengthens our ability to respond to emergencies and reflects our vision for a thriving, forward-thinking Burnaby. We are excited to share this milestone with our residents and honour the firefighters who serve our community.”

Fire Station 8 is within a brand new purpose-built, state-of-the-art building with a total floor area of 15,000 sq. ft. It replaces the nearby on-campus temporary fire hall that has been in place since early 2023.

The new permanent facility carried a cost $30 million, which was funded by the federal government. SFU provided the land, while the City covered design and planning costs.

This facility — seismically built to meet post-disaster standards — features three drive-through bays for vehicles and separated decontamination space for crews.

Designed by Johnston Davidson Architecture and Planning — an architectural firm with over 50 fire halls completed across British Columbia and Alberta — the facility incorporates a range of green building features. These include a low-carbon energy system with no reliance on natural gas, an energy-efficient building envelope, a stormwater management system that reduces the impact of runoff on local streams, and reflective roofing to minimize solar heat gain. The rooftop is also designed to easily acc

Given its unique location in a forest setting, this fire station has special firefighting equipment to combat wildfires. Moreover, it will significantly reduce emergency response times to better ensure timely assistance for SFU, UniverCity, and other nearby areas. This fire hall will be manned by about 20 firefighters.

Previously, the mountaintop areas were entirely reliant on crews from off-mountain fire halls, with fire engines having to navigate the steep, winding roads up the mountain. During harsh winter conditions, these roads can become completely impassable.

A fire hall atop Burnaby Mountain is necessary to serve SFU Burnaby’s growth, which is expected to reach 19,400 students and 9,300 employees by 2035. As well, the UniverCity residential population is slated to increase from 6,000 to 9,500 upon the full buildout of the neighbourhood — and this does not include SFU’s plans to build more on-campus student housing.

A community event is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025 to celebrate the fire hall’s opening.

“SFU is grateful for the City of Burnaby’s ongoing collaboration and commitment to the safety of students, faculty, staff and UniverCity residents. Fire Station 8 is an exciting addition to the emergency response support on Burnaby Mountain, and we look forward to celebrating the opening with the community,” said SFU president Joy Johnson.

This follows the July 2024 opening of the new Fire Hall 4 at 1600 Greystone Dr. — situated at the southwest base of Burnaby Mountain. It is north of Burnaby Mountain Golf Course, and strategically immediately west of the Trans Mountain pipeline’s oil tank farm, which is expected to see its major expansion reach completion later in 2025.

The new Fire Hall 4 replaced an aging facility nearby.

Both Fire Hall 8 and Fire Hall 4 also enhance emergency response capabilities for the nearby oil tank farm.

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