The City of Burnaby occupies 38 square miles and is located in the geographic centre of Metro Vancouver. it is a diverse and vibrant city borders the city of Vancouver to the west, Port Moody, Coquitlam and New Westminster to the east, Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River on the north and south respectively. Burnaby, Vancouver and New Westminster collectively occupy the major portion of the Burrard Peninsula. Burnaby is BC's third largest city and has grown vigorously in recent years becoming of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada. Burnaby is divided into three main areas, Burnaby East, Burnaby North and Burnaby South. Metropolis at Metrotown is BC's largest and Canada's second largest shopping centre. Most areas in Burnaby offer spectacular views of the city, the ocean and mountains or the Fraser River.

The earliest settlers arrived in Burnaby in 1850 and by 1887, the Canadian Pacific Railway was extended from Port Moody to Vancouver due to an increase in traffic from New Westminster and Vancouver. Burnaby was named after Robert Burnaby in 1892. He was a local businessman and merchant, he was a private secretary for Colonel Richard Moody and while he was under his command, he discovered what is now Burnaby Lake. He was very active in the community and helped develop much of the west coast. He gave his name to a city, a park, a lake, a hill, a Vancouver Street, a mountain range in McKenzie Sound and an island and narrows in the Queen Charlotte Islands. By 1896 Burnaby had it's first park, post office, store, a church and two schools. Burnaby celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 1992 and officially changed from Corporation of the District of Burnaby to the City of Burnaby.