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Opinion: Burnaby should keep its decorative lights on all year

I was walking down Hastings Street on Friday night visiting some of my favourite Heights spots. I got pastries from the Valley Bakery, chow mein at the Double One and nearly bought a serving platter at the thrift store.
burnaby christmas lights
Burnaby City Hall all lit up, City of Burnaby photo

I was walking down Hastings Street on Friday night visiting some of my favourite Heights spots.

I got pastries from the Valley Bakery, chow mein at the Double One and nearly bought a serving platter at the thrift store.

As I was walking back to my vehicle, I took a long look down Hastings and felt filled up with joy.

And it was mostly about all the decorative lights lining Hastings, from Boundary Road all the way to Gamma Avenue. The lights just can’t help but lift your spirits.

And that’s why I don’t want them to be turned off. Ever.

Burnaby really stepped up its lighting game this year and it’s been wonderful.

In total, 26 parks and public spaces have been illuminated with decorative displays. Highlights include Hastings Street, which has been transformed into a 2.3-kilometre holiday promenade of lights, and the Edmonds neighbourhood, which features several displays within walking distance of one another.

Four new locations have been adorned with lights for the first time in 2019:

  • West Building at City Hall complex is adorned with 350 shimmering lights, adding to an impressive display of lights at Deer Lake Park.
  • Kingsway and Edmondsfeatures a large decorative tree at one Burnaby’s busiest intersections.
  • One of Burnaby’s most scenic locations, Burnaby Mountain Park, comes to life with a display featuring floodlights and 14 illuminated trees.
  • Already one of the top spots in the city for families over the holidays, Tram Plaza at Burnaby Village Museum now features decorative lanterns.

My point is that why should we only enjoy these lights at Christmas? Yeah, I get that some of them look more like Christmas than some of the other ones, especially at City Hall.

But so what? It’s just so awesome to drive or walk by and see everything all lit up. Maybe we can swap out some of the more obvious Christmas lights with other lights.

I guess it’s not the most “power smart” way to go, but I don’t really see that it would make a big difference to a city as big as Burnaby.

We could become known as the city of lights.

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.