Burnaby Lake Regional Park
| Burnaby Lake | |
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The eastern half of the lake on a cloudy day with the Lougheed Town Centre in the distance
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| Location | Burnaby, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°14′33″N 122°56′46″W / 49.242427°N 122.946067°WCoordinates: 49°14′33″N 122°56′46″W / 49.242427°N 122.946067°W |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 3.11 km2 (770 acres) |
Burnaby Lake is a lake located in Burnaby, British Columbia and is the focal geographic feature and namesake of Burnaby Lake Regional Park. Occupying 3.11 square kilometres (770 acres) of land, and is home to a large variety of wildlife. At least 70 species of birds make the lake and surrounding areas their home, and about 214 species of birds visit the lake throughout the year. The park has been managed by the Metro Vancouver Parks Department since 1977.
Burnaby Lake is a glacial lake that formed about 12,000 years ago, at the end of the ice age.
The lake was named by Colonel Richard Moody after his private secretary, Robert Burnaby. According to a map and materials by Heritage Advisory Committee and Environment and Waste Management Committee of the City of Burnaby (1993), in March 1859 Colonel Moody began to survey the site of New Westminster as the capital city for the new Colony of British Columbia. He was particularly intrigued with the possibility that a fresh water lake existed north of the town. In a letter to Governor James Douglas Moody wrote: "I now learn from the Indians that a lake does exist... Burnaby and Blake immediately volunteered their services to explore and also to trace the mouth to Burrard's Inlet and to report generally on the countryside north of the town. After a considerable reluctance on account of the weather I have let them go with four days' provisions in light marching order, not even tents, two Indians, a Canadian Voyageur attached to Parson's survey party and my own trusty Corporal Brown R.E. They have been away now three days in the most deplorable weather. The rain was in torrents all last night and it is streaming down still in tropical torrents - nothing would gladden my eyes more than to see them back." Robert Burnaby and the rest of the party did return safely and the official hydrographic chart produced in 1860 featured two discoveries: Burnaby Lake and the Brunette River.
A number of sawmills were situated here in the late 19th century.
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