South Burnaby: A Guide to Metrotown, Edmonds and the Neighbourhoods Between

This guide is for buyers looking at the south side of Burnaby, from Metrotown, the City's downtown, east along Kingsway to the Edmonds town centre. It goes through the areas around and between them, including Maywood, Royal Oak, Suncrest, Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake, then covers the housing mix, SkyTrain, schools, parks and what to check near the stations and on low-lying land. For the city as a whole, start with my guide to moving to Burnaby.

The short version

Metrotown: Burnaby's downtown

Burnaby 2050, the City's Official Community Plan (OCP), calls Metrotown Burnaby's downtown, with the highest-density development in the city. It is served by two SkyTrain stations, Metrotown and Patterson, and by frequent buses, and a large shopping centre sits across Central Boulevard from Metrotown station. The City's heritage records describe the Maywood neighbourhood as the Metrotown town centre, with housing that runs from three-storey walk-up apartments to modern towers.

• Central Park. An 86-hectare urban forest just off Boundary Road and Kingsway, next to Patterson station, with Swangard Stadium in its northwest corner, a 50-metre outdoor pool, a pitch and putt, 12 tennis courts and the 2.5 km Trail of Hope.
• Bonsor Recreation Complex. On Bonsor Avenue, with a 25-metre lap pool, a gym, weight and cardio rooms and a 55+ centre.
• Library and trail. The Bob Prittie Library, and the BC Parkway, a 26 km walking and cycling path that follows the Expo Line from Vancouver to Surrey.

Edmonds: the southeast town centre

Edmonds grew up on the early interurban line between Vancouver and New Westminster, and Burnaby's City Hall stood at Kingsway and Edmonds Street until the early 1950s. The City added Edmonds to its town centres in 1987, and in the OCP, Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds are the three town centres, each with high- to medium-density development. Kingsway runs through the area, and many listing sites call part of it Highgate.

Edmonds station sits south of Kingsway, near Griffiths Drive and 18th Avenue, with a bus loop serving Burnaby and New Westminster. The Edmonds Community Centre, at 7433 Edmonds Street, has a six-lane pool, two gyms, a youth lounge and 55+ programs, and the OCP also lists the Tommy Douglas Library and Byrne Creek Ravine Park among the area's key features. New Westminster is next door; see my New Westminster guide if you are comparing both sides of the city line.

The neighbourhoods between

• Royal Oak. Royal Oak station is at Beresford Street and Royal Oak Avenue, a short walk south of Kingsway. The OCP makes the area a rapid transit urban village, with mid- and high-rise buildings near the station and low- and mid-rise ones along frequent transit corridors, and lists Lewarne Park, the BC Parkway and a potential brewery row on Beresford Street among its features.
• Suncrest. The City's heritage records describe a small residential area south of Central Park, with most homes built between 1930 and 1960 and a large cemetery in its northeast corner. The OCP places Suncrest School Park and the cemetery in its South Slope plan area, planned for small-scale homes such as houses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, rowhomes and townhomes.
• Deer Lake. The Deer Lake plan area takes in Deer Lake Park and the municipal complex with City Hall and the RCMP. The OCP plans mainly low- and mid-rise buildings there, alongside large natural areas.
• Burnaby Lake. The City's heritage records describe the historic Burnaby Lake neighbourhood as an area of vegetable and fruit farms in the early 1900s. Today the lake and its valley hold a regional park, a sports complex and the Still Creek industrial area, low land the OCP keeps for employment and recreation.

Towers, older houses and station areas

Older homes are part of the mix well beyond Suncrest. The City's heritage records note that when Edmonds was surveyed in 1980, a quarter of its homes predated 1930, and that the 1950s brought strong building of both houses and apartments there. On most house lots, Burnaby's R1 zone allows three or four homes, depending on lot size, or six within 400 metres of frequent bus service, in buildings of up to three storeys. I explain the rules in more homes per lot.

Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds all have provincial Transit-Oriented Areas, and Burnaby's bylaw also covers the parts of the city within 800 metres of Joyce-Collingwood station in Vancouver and 22nd Street station in New Westminster. In these areas, Burnaby must allow buildings of up to 20 storeys within 200 metres of a station, 12 storeys from 200 to 400 metres and 8 storeys from 400 to 800 metres. The rules don't rezone land, and the City can't require off-street residential parking there, so confirm what a unit includes. The same rules apply around Brentwood, which I cover in my North Burnaby guide. For a condo, read the strata documents first, and my guide to presale condos if the building isn't finished.

Getting around

• SkyTrain. From west to east, the Expo Line stops at Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds, with Joyce-Collingwood one stop west in Vancouver and 22nd Street one stop east in New Westminster. Trains run to Waterfront in downtown Vancouver one way and through New Westminster the other.
• Buses. Metrotown station has a bus exchange on Beresford Street, and the 49 runs from there along 49th Avenue to UBC.
• Roads. Kingsway, Canada Way and Marine Drive follow the routes of earlier First Nations trails, the OCP notes, and the Big Bend connects to New Westminster and Vancouver by Marine Way.

Schools and parks

South Burnaby is in the Burnaby School District (SD41). In its 2023 facilities planning, the district grouped Burnaby South and Byrne Creek secondary schools with 10 elementary schools, including Maywood, Suncrest and Edmonds, in a Kingsway South zone, and Burnaby Central and Moscrop in a Central West zone. Zones aren't catchments, so enter the exact address in the district's School Locator. You can register online or in person at the catchment school once you live in Burnaby.

• Deer Lake Park. Trails around the lake, a sandy beach at the east end, and canoes, kayaks and paddleboards on the water. The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Art Gallery and the Burnaby Village Museum, an open-air re-creation of a 1920s tram-stop community with a carousel, are in the park.
• Burnaby Lake Regional Park. Run by Metro Vancouver, with an 11 km trail around the lake.
• Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park. A 4 km path along the north arm of the Fraser, at the foot of Byrne Road.

What to check before you buy

• What could be built next door. Look up the lot and the blocks around it on BurnabyMap, which shows zoning and future land use, and on the land use map in Burnaby 2050.
• Noise. Homes on Kingsway or beside the SkyTrain guideway hear traffic and trains. Visit at rush hour and in the evening, and note which side of the building a unit faces.
• Low-lying land. The OCP describes the Big Bend and the Central Valley around Burnaby Lake as low-lying and subject to floods, and the City protects the lowlands by the Fraser with dikes, pump stations and flood boxes. Ask about past water in the basement, have your inspector check the perimeter drains, and read my guide to floodplains and flood insurance before you talk to your insurer.

Questions buyers often ask me

Why is Metrotown called Burnaby's downtown?

Burnaby 2050, the Official Community Plan adopted in December 2025, gives it that role, with the city's highest-density development. The idea is older: the City identified Metrotown as a town centre, along with Brentwood and Lougheed, by 1966.

Can a tower go up next to a house near a SkyTrain station?

It can be proposed. Provincial rules require Burnaby to allow 8 to 20 storeys within 800 metres of a station, depending on distance, but a developer still applies through the City's rezoning process. Check the land use map for the surrounding blocks before you buy.

Is 22nd Street station in Burnaby?

No. It is in the Connaught Heights neighbourhood of New Westminster, one stop east of Edmonds. Burnaby's Transit-Oriented Area bylaw still covers the parts of Burnaby within 800 metres of it, so check both cities' plans near the border.

Can you swim in Deer Lake?

The City doesn't recommend it. Water quality limits swimming, though the lake is fine for canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, and there are rentals at the dock. Dogs must be leashed in the park and aren't allowed on the beach or in the picnic area.

Is Highgate the same as Edmonds?

Highgate is a name many listing sites use for part of the Edmonds area along Kingsway. The City's plans use Edmonds for the town centre, so search both names when you set up listing alerts, and check the exact address against the City's maps.

Comparing areas? See my Burnaby area page and current Burnaby listings, or check prices on my market trends page.

This article is general information, not professional advice. The details come from the City of Burnaby, the Province of BC, TransLink, Metro Vancouver and the Burnaby School District, and were current at the time of writing; zoning, catchments and transit service change. For the City's summary of the provincial housing rules, including Transit-Oriented Areas, see Burnaby's provincial housing legislation changes.