While several municipalities in the Lower Mainland hold annual Pride celebrations and have installed rainbow crosswalks, Burnaby is one of the remaining cities in Metro Vancouver that has had neither yet.

However, South Burnaby Neighbourhood House hopes to change that by planning to hold its first Burnaby Pride from noon to 4 p.m. on August 11 and an estimated 700 people are expected to attend.

According to a city report, the event, to be held in partnership with Burnaby city services, the Purpose Society, Transcare BC, and more, will include interactive and display booths, resource material, music, family activities, and a barbecue by the Burnaby Firefighters.

Antonia Beck, the executive director of the non-profit neighbourhood house, located at 4460 Beresford Street, has submitted a request to the City of Burnaby to close Jubilee Avenue from Nelson Avenue to Imperial Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the festival (including preparations and cleanup).

Burnaby city council will vote on the proposed closure tonight (June 25).

In the past, Burnaby has been the site of heated debates over LGBT issues.

An ad-hoc political group called Burnaby Parents' Voice arose in 2011 when the Burnaby school board planned to implement anti-homophobia policies in schools. Despite opposition, the school board passed the policy. Then in 2014, Chinese-language flyers were allegedly distributed in the city spreading irrational rumours that a serum would be injected into students to turn them gay.