Burnaby South

Burnaby South covers the southwestern and south-central portions of the City of Burnaby, one of Metro Vancouver's most densely developed municipalities. The riding takes in the Metrotown district—a cluster of high-rise residential towers and commercial buildings anchored by Metropolis at Metrotown, British Columbia's largest shopping mall and the second-largest in Canada. Other neighbourhoods within the riding include Edmonds, South Slope, Royal Oak, and portions of the Big Bend industrial area along the Fraser River. With a population of approximately 115,000, the riding is overwhelmingly urban, served by the Expo Line SkyTrain, and characterized by some of the highest residential densities outside downtown Vancouver.

Burnaby South is among the most ethnically diverse ridings in the country. The City of Burnaby's 2021 census profile shows that ethnic Chinese residents form the largest group at 33.3% of the municipal population, followed by European-origin residents at 30.5%, South Asian at 9.4%, and Southeast Asian at 8.4%. Over 54% of Burnaby residents speak a mother tongue other than English or French, with Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Korean, and Vietnamese among the most common. Metrotown station is the busiest SkyTrain station on weekends and the second-busiest on weekdays, reflecting the district's role as a regional commercial and transit hub.

Candidates

Jagmeet Singh (NDP) Born in Scarborough, Ontario, in 1979 to Punjabi-immigrant parents, Singh grew up in South Windsor and attended the Detroit Country Day School before graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School. He practised criminal defence law, founding a firm with his brother Gurratan. In 2011, he was elected to the Ontario legislature as MPP for Bramalea–Gore–Malton, becoming the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit in the provincial legislature. Elected NDP leader in 2017—the first person of colour to lead a major federal party in Canada—he won the Burnaby South seat in a February 2019 by-election and was re-elected in October 2019 and again in 2021.

Brea Huang Sami (Liberal) An immigrant to Canada who holds a Master's degree in comparative literature from Beijing Normal University, Huang Sami is a designated CPA and CA with over a decade of experience in financial auditing at firms including KPMG and DMCL. A working mother of three and community business leader in Burnaby, she later ran for Burnaby city council as part of the One Burnaby civic slate.

Likky Lavji (Conservative) Lavji came to Canada as a refugee from Uganda at the age of 10 and grew up in the Burnaby area. He is the founder and president of the Dante Group, a Vancouver-based business he has operated for more than 30 years. His family, clients, and place of worship are rooted in Burnaby South, and his campaign emphasized his entrepreneurial background and community ties.

Maureen Curran (Green Party) Curran represented the Green Party in the riding, bringing environmental policy and sustainability issues into the local race.

About the Riding

Metrotown is the economic and physical centre of gravity for Burnaby South. The area has undergone a dramatic transformation from a suburban shopping district into one of Metro Vancouver's most prominent urban centres, with dozens of residential high-rises constructed since the early 2000s. The City of Burnaby has designated Metrotown as a town centre under its Official Community Plan, directing growth and density around the SkyTrain station. The result is a neighbourhood where new glass towers abut older low-rise apartment buildings and single-family homes, creating ongoing tensions over redevelopment, renovictions, and displacement of long-term renters.

Burnaby's film and television production industry is a significant employer in the broader area. Canada's largest film and television production studio complex is located in the city, and more than 60% of British Columbia's sound stages are found within Burnaby's borders. The industry contributes to the "Hollywood North" reputation of Metro Vancouver and supports thousands of technical, creative, and support jobs.

Housing affordability was the dominant campaign issue in 2021. Burnaby South's proximity to downtown Vancouver, its SkyTrain access, and its concentration of commercial services have made it one of the most sought-after areas for new development, pushing real estate prices and rents well beyond the reach of many residents. The riding's large immigrant population—many of whom work in service-sector and retail jobs—faces particular pressure from rising housing costs. Transit-oriented development, rental protection policies, and the pace of high-rise construction were recurring topics in all-candidates forums.