North Road group wants new street numbering

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 3, 2006


A coalition of North Road businesses has once again asked Burnaby city council to consider renumbering the addresses on the west side of the busy street in an effort to help their customers find where they are going.

And while council agreed to send the request to its community development committee for future discussion, Mayor Derek Corrigan bristled when he was told that the different numbering systems on the Burnaby and Coquitlam sides of the road was the "number 1 concern" of the area's business people.

"Honestly, I'm a little taken aback. I wish we'd known that this was the number 1 concern, especially after we did the banners and the other projects there," said the mayor.

The request for the uniform numbering system was made by Michael Hwang and Ron Little, directors of the proposed North Road business improvement area, which has been working to improve the economic climate of the North Road business district since 2003.

The oldest road in the district, North Road is the dividing line between Burnaby and Coquitlam, and the addresses on the west side are about 3000 digits higher than on the east.

Hwang said it would be easier to change the numbers on the Burnaby side of the street because he believes there are only eight addresses that would need to be changed.

He also said the number 1 complaint from customers who are looking for a business in the neighbourhood is the fact that the numbering system makes no sense.

Little asked for the change to be implemented within six months and said his group has found a local notary who would be willing to provide free legal services to help affected businesses make the change.

While council agreed to review the request, Corrigan advised the pair not to get their hopes up too high.

"I can't make any promises to you except that we will look at it," the mayor said. "But it's a bigger problem than what it may seem on the surface."