Burnaby Mountain, elev. 370 m (1,214 ft), is a low, forested mountain in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, overlooking the upper arms of Burrard Inlet

Burrard Inlet

Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...

. It is the location of Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...

, the Discovery Park research community, and the System Control Tower of BC Hydro

BC Hydro

The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...

 and a new complex of residential and commercial development called UniverCity

UniverCity

UniverCity is an award-winninghttp://www.burnabynow.com/UniverCity+shares+award+with+City+Burnaby/5161485/story.html sustainable community located on top of Burnaby Mountain, adjacent to Simon Fraser University. It is modeled as a sustainable community. UniverCity has won several awards for...

. In November 1995, the Province of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University reached an agreement to transfer 820 acres (3.3 km²) of university land to the City of Burnaby for inclusion into Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area.

Wildlife

In spite of residential development on its western slope and continuing deforestation due to condominium construction around SFU, the mountain still has some wildlife remaining such as deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

, coyote

Coyote

The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

s customarily roaming local streets, and even a few black bears

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, sometimes mothers with cubs, who pay occasional visits to the backyards of Westridge residents. Common wild birds include several types of woodpeckers, northern flickers

Northern Flicker

The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker...

, Steller's jays

Steller's Jay

The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...

, and Great Blue Herons

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...

.

Attractions

Burnaby Mountain has a spectacular viewpoint facing west at Centennial Park. The yearly Celebration of Light

Celebration of Light

The Celebration of Light is an annual musical fireworks competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The first "Symphony of Fire" was held from July 25 to August 5 of 1990. The celebration is one of Vancouver's largest and most well known festivals...

 fireworks festival on English Bay west of downtown Vancouver can be seen from the park and attracts a large audience on the parks' westward-facing lawns. Along with the outdoor view, Horizons Restaurant lets customers dine while watching the view of Vancouver to the west, or up mountainous Indian Arm

Indian Arm

Indian Arm is a steep-sided glacial fjord adjacent to the city of Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. Formed during the last Ice Age, it extends due north from Burrard Inlet, between the communities of Belcarra and the District of North Vancouver , then on into mountainous wilderness...

 to the north.

Burnaby Mountain is known for its mountain biking

Mountain biking

Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

 trails and obstacles. Due to its relatively high elevation, snow will often fall on the higher aspects of Burnaby mountain while rain falls in the surrounding cities. Tobogganing is a popular pastime at Centennial Park on winter days with snow.

The park is also home to a collection of Ainu

Ainu people

The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...

 totem pole

Totem pole

Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...

-like carvings which commemorate the goodwill between Burnaby and its sister city, Kushiro, Japan

Kushiro, Hokkaido

is a city located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaidō....

, as well as a fairly large formal rose garden