Burnaby began as a rural agricultural area which supplied nearby markets. In the latter years, it became an essential transportation corridor between Fraser Valley and Vancouver, the Interior. Its name was derived from Robert Burnaby, who was a private secretary of Richard Moody, the first land commissioner in the Colony of British Columbia.
Culture, Heritage and Arts are essential to Burnaby. Amongst the most popular locations to visit are the Burnaby Art Gallery (it offers educational programs for seniors, children and adults, exhibition and community projects in recreation facilities, community centres and schools), Burnaby Eco-Sculptures (eco-sculptors make art from nature), Burnaby Symphony Orchestra (now in its sixth year of performing successful concerts), Burnaby Village Museum and Carousel (large corporate gathering or small meeting), Century Gardens,Centennial Rose Garden at Burnaby Mountain Park , Deer Lake Park (opportunities for launching a canoe, sailboating, boating, sunbathing, bird watching, hiking, wild-life viewing, or simply relaxing), Michael J. Fox Theatre (professional, community-oriented theatre which offers an affordable, beautiful and practical place for professional and amateur artists), National Nikkei Heritage Centre, Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, SFU Walking Tour and Art Gallery (it hosts six or seven exhibitions a year, both contemporary and historical, covering the full range of media), and Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (ideal place for small gatherings to big corporate and entertainment events - including award ceremonies, conferences, meetings, gala dinners, weddings, press conferences, festivals, recitals, concerts and craft fairs).
Metro Vancouver and Burnaby offers various non-traditional and traditional attractions all year-round. They comprise: The Burnaby Village Museum (self-guided tours that letsallows individuals discover the farmhouse and village at their own pace), Capilano Suspension Bridge (suspended 230 feet above and 450 feet across Capilano River), Gateway Casinos, Greater Vancouver Zoo (over 600 different animals inside one hundred twenty acres of wide open spaces in the Fraser Valley), Grouse Mountain (panoramic views of the city, oceans and mountains unfold as the Skyride, North America's largest aerial tram system, whisks people to the mountaintop, 3,700' above the city), Harbour Cruises, Hell's Gate Air Tram (located within British Columbia's supernatural interior, with peak spring levels, more than two hundred million gallons of water surge through its thirty five metre (one hundred ten ft) wide gorge. That is twice the volume of Niagara Falls), IMAX Theatre (provides people of all backgrounds and ages with larger-than-life-experiences which entertain, educate and inspire), Pacific National Exhibition, Science World, Minter Gardens Vancouver Aquarium within Stanley Park (provides spectacular creatures, like sea otters, beluga whales and dolphins, as well as many other fascinating creatures, from the Arctic to the Amazon).
The major technological companies in the Burnaby area are: Chevron Corporation, Petro-Canada petroleum refineries, Ballard Power Systems, Telus, Creo (currently part of Eastman Kodak) and Electronic Arts. Some important businesses consist of: eBay, Nokia and Future Shop.