Create Urban Development is celebrating Canada Day in style with the announcement that the real estate development company is committing a whopping $500,000 toward Burnaby Hospital Foundation’s Proud History, Bright Future Campaign in support of the hospital’s redevelopment.
Create Urban Development, born local and grown local right here in the Lower Mainland, is a family-run business, which prides itself on creating affordable and meaningful living and gathering spaces for family and friends. It is the brainchild of Create founder and president, Lin Li.
“When I first arrived in Canada as a new immigrant, Burnaby was my first home,” says Li. “I stayed at a friend’s home near Deer Lake, and I was struck by its beauty. The city, with its beautiful mix of natural and urban landscapes has inspired so much of what we have done as a company.”
But for all the magnificence Burnaby offers, Li said he sees one critical area of the city’s key infrastructure being left behind – its community hospital.
The aging facility was built in 1952, and has not had a major upgrade in over four decades. Now, Burnaby Hospital is set for a major redevelopment that will convert the building into a modern, state-of-the-art health care campus, better equipped to serve its growing community.
In celebration of Canada Day, Li and the Create team decided the redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital was the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community they love. The $500,000 gift will be dedicated in support of the redevelopment’s plans for a new maternity clinic.
“I feel proud and fulfilled to be able to contribute,” said Li, who also encourages others to unite in supporting the hospital. “Through your action you will gain not only happiness, but also a sense of accomplishment beyond your personal success,” he says.
As to why Create has directed their contribution specifically toward the maternity clinic, Li sees parallels between new life born and the new life Create aspires to breathe into the communities where they work. After all, ‘Create’ is in their name.
“The maternity facilities at Burnaby Hospital are where new life arrives, bringing with it hope, optimism, and excitement. It is a gathering place for families and loved ones, who will shortly embark on a new journey together, one that will be filled with joy, tears, laughter, and a sense of undeniable connection,’ says Li.
“We see Create as a development company that reinvigorates communities, and gives them a sense of rebirth – it’s about more than just building homes; it’s about creating spaces for families to grow together and create memories. We believe that in a very small way, we are helping to create a little bit of that sense of optimism and excitement that new parents feel.”
Kristy James, CEO of Burnaby Hospital Foundation, recounts meeting with Li and the Create team for the first time. After hearing about their personal and corporate philosophy, and their motivation for giving back, she knew immediately that maternity would be the ideal area of the redevelopment to allocate the contribution.
“Mr. Li expressed to me how every day they are inspired by the authentic connections made by nurses, doctors, midwives and staff – the atmosphere of comfort and trust those professionals work so hard to create for expecting mothers,” said James. “This extremely generous contribution from Create is a wonderful tribute to those individuals, as well as new families, and we feel very fortunate to have them be involved in this project in such a meaningful way.”
