Burnaby Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burnaby Mountain |
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A view from Burnaby Mountain's Centennial Park
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 370 m (1,210 ft) |
| Prominence | 354 m (1,161 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Topo map | NTS 92.G/07 |
Burnaby Mountain is a beautiful, tree-covered mountain in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It stands about 370 m (1,214 ft) tall. The mountain looks over the top parts of Burrard Inlet. It is home to the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Burnaby Campus. You can also find the Discovery Park research area there. The System Control Tower for BC Hydro is on the mountain too. There's even a neighborhood with shops called UniverCity. In 1995, the government of British Columbia and SFU agreed to turn a large part of the university's land (330 hectares) into the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. This helps protect the natural environment.
Wildlife on the Mountain
Even though homes are being built on one side of the mountain, and some trees are being cut down near SFU, lots of wildlife still lives here. You might see animals like deer, raccoons, and coyotes walking around. Sometimes, black bears visit the forest trails. You might even spot a mother bear with her cubs!
Many kinds of wild birds live here too. These include different types of woodpeckers, northern flickers, Steller's jays, and great blue herons. It's also common to see bald eagles flying over the eastern forests of the mountain.
Mountain Climate
The climate on Burnaby Mountain is shown in the table below. It gives you an idea of the temperatures and how much rain or snow the mountain gets throughout the year.
| Climate data for Burnaby Mountain (Simon Fraser University) (Elevation: 365.8m) 1981−2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.4 (66.9) |
23.7 (74.7) |
28.9 (84.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
34.0 (93.2) |
33.9 (93.0) |
31.6 (88.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
12.1 (53.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
15.6 (60.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
7.5 (45.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.8 (53.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
9.5 (49.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
2.9 (37.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.1 (37.6) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.7 (54.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.0 (44.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
0.8 (33.4) |
6.5 (43.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.9 (7.0) |
−14.0 (6.8) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−14.0 (6.8) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 280.9 (11.06) |
178.4 (7.02) |
182.1 (7.17) |
154.4 (6.08) |
120.0 (4.72) |
101.4 (3.99) |
64.7 (2.55) |
64.5 (2.54) |
92.2 (3.63) |
210.1 (8.27) |
311.6 (12.27) |
249.8 (9.83) |
2,009.9 (79.13) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 256.5 (10.10) |
163.2 (6.43) |
171.2 (6.74) |
152.7 (6.01) |
119.9 (4.72) |
101.4 (3.99) |
64.7 (2.55) |
64.5 (2.54) |
92.2 (3.63) |
209.8 (8.26) |
303.6 (11.95) |
220.8 (8.69) |
1,920.7 (75.62) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 24.3 (9.6) |
15.1 (5.9) |
10.9 (4.3) |
1.7 (0.7) |
0.1 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.1) |
8.0 (3.1) |
29.0 (11.4) |
89.3 (35.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 20.5 | 16.2 | 18.9 | 16.1 | 14.9 | 13.5 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 10.3 | 17.1 | 21.6 | 19.8 | 183.1 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.1 | 14.7 | 18.3 | 16 | 14.9 | 13.5 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 10.3 | 17 | 21 | 17.3 | 175.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 4 | 2.5 | 2 | 0.54 | 0.04 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.09 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 15.47 |
| Source: Environment Canada (normals, 1981−2010) | |||||||||||||
Fun Things to Do
Burnaby Mountain has a great spot called Centennial Park. From here, you can see amazing views looking west. If you visit in the summer, you can watch the yearly Celebration of Light fireworks festival. This happens over English Bay in Vancouver, and many people gather on the park's grassy areas to watch.
The mountain is also famous for its mountain biking trails. There are easy trails for beginners, like Sidebandit. For those who like a challenge, there are harder rides such as Mel's. If you're really daring, you can try the very steep runs called Nicoles and Gearjammer.
Because Burnaby Mountain is quite high up, it often gets snow when the cities around it only get rain. When it snows, Centennial Park becomes a popular place for tobogganing. It's a fun way to enjoy the winter weather!
The park also has a special collection of carvings that look like Ainu totem poles. These were put there to celebrate the friendship between Burnaby and its sister city, Kushiro, Japan. You can also find a beautiful and large rose garden in the park.
