For fans of soccer, hockey, and other spectator sports, there are plenty of venues in Burnaby to watch outstanding athletes in action.
Soccer
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional soccer team that currently plays in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1), and their home stadium is Burnaby's Swangard Stadium. It's located at the corner of Kingsway and Boundary Road in Central Park.
From April to September, the 6,868-capacity venue hosts 15 regular season games and single match tickets are available from a number of sources including the Vancouver Whitecaps website and Ticketmaster and the stadium box office. (Swangard is also the venue for the annual Harry Jerome International Track Classic, featuring Olympic-class track and field athletes.) Soccer playoffs extend into October, and in 2008, the Whitecaps won the title. Basketball superstar Steve Nash is part of the Whitecaps ownership group.
In a previous incarnation, the Whitecaps competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and won the 1979 championship by beating the Tampa Bay Rowdies in New York. It was one of the biggest events in Vancouver sports history.
Ice Hockey
Visitors seeking a more affordable and family-friendly ice-hockey experience can find lots to enjoy in Burnaby. The Burnaby Express competes in "Junior A" hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Its home arena is the Bill Copeland Sports Centre (3676 Kensington Ave.), which has a capacity of 2,000. The Express captured its first league championship in 2006. Kyle Turris, a budding star for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, played for the Express that year.
The Bill Copeland Sports Centre is also the home of the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame. A wall of photographs and memorabilia inside the arena celebrates such inductees as NHL legends Joe Sakic, Cliff Ronning, and Glenn Anderson, as well as the likes of Olympic gold medal wrestler Daniel Igali and women's soccer star Christine Sinclair. Visitors seeking a more affordable and family-friendly ice hockey experience can check out the Burnaby Express games.
World Police & Fire Games
Burnaby was chosen to host a variety of events during the 2009 World Police & Fire Games (July 31-August 9, 2009). Firefighters, police, customs and correction officers battled it out for coveted titles in this biannual tournament.
Or check out competitive volleyball at the 4,920sqm/53,000sqft Harry Jerome Sports Centre (7564 Barnet Hwy.). The centre also contains the Burnaby Velodrome, which is the only indoor cycling track (200m/656ft) in North America.
At Simon Fraser University (SFU), watch members of the Clan teams battle in basketball, soccer, wrestling, and other sports at the extensive gym facilities atop Burnaby Mountain.