BCER 1223 — Burnaby, BC
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Dunbar Loop
N 49° 14.414 W 122° 58.035
10U E 502384 N 5454161
From 1890 until 1958, the British Columbia Electric Railway operated a vast network of city streetcars and interurbans running from Vancouver to Chilliwack and Steveston. There were also operations in North Vancouver and Victoria.
Waymark Code: WM10786
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 03/12/2019
Views: 4
Vancouver and Victoria were quick to adopt the recent invention of electric streetcars in 1890. By 1890 an interurban line was completed connecting New Westminster to Vancouver.
Eventually, the network would connect Victoria to North Saanich, Vancouver to Steveston, Marpole to New Westminster, and New Westminster to Chilliwack.
The Burnaby Lake Line - District #4 opened on June 11th, 1911 and was the third interurban route to cross Burnaby. The route began at the BCER Electric depot at Hastings and Carrall. The route was then street running along Hastings, Commercial to about 6th Avenue. Here is headed northeast on private right of way to Nanaimo and 1st Avenue. The ROW is now long gone. Then along 1st to Boundary where it began its private ROW again along the south shore of Burnaby Lake to Sapperton. Finally, it was street running along Columbia in New Westminster to the BCER depot there.
While the aim was to offer freight and passenger service while opening up central Burnaby to real estate development, it was was the weakest of all BCER routes for revenue. It did spur a brief development of large estates around Deer Lake, but otherwise, the development was significantly slower than the Central Park line between Vancouver and New Westminster and the highly industrial freight line from Marple to New Westminster. This was mostly due to the boggy soil conditions that line ran through in Still Creek-Burnaby Lake valley of central Burnaby.
The Burnaby Lake line ceased operation on October 23rd, 1953.
To experience the route in action there is this great video taken along the route.