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REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE Teacher out to make a change in booming Burnaby
by Carlito Pablo
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Depending on the area, a typical detached home in Burnaby cost between about $1.6 million to $2 million in January 2022. is marks an increase of more than 31 percent in prices since the last municipal election in 2018.
As well, the benchmark prices of townhouses and condos in the city have increased by about 20 percent.
It demonstrates that—like other municipalities in the Lower Mainland—Burnaby is seeing homes becoming more una ordable.
Meanwhile, the city is one of the top 10 fastest growing municipalities in the region. Based on the results of the 2021 census, Burnaby’s population grew seven percent during the past six years. e city now has 249,125 people, representing an increase of 16,370 from 2016.
It is against this backdrop that Daniel Tetrault will be seeking a seat on city council.
Tetrault is a high school teacher and president of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association. He was a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Housing that engaged residents of the city around the issue of housing in 2019. e task force came up with recommendations that were later endorsed by city council. ose proposals formed a foundation for the city’s 10-year HOME: Burnaby’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy, which council approved on December 6, 2021.
In an interview, Tetrault said that
Daniel Tetrault is running for Burnaby city council to deliver a diversity of housing for all. the housing plan is “headed in the right direction”.
“It’s responding to the need for more housing,” Tetrault told the Straight by phone. He noted that the plan serves renters as well as prospective homeowners.
“Burnaby had a reputation of demovictions and not looking a er renters, and this plan provides support and policies for tenants who are facing displacement and other challenges,” Tetrault said. e strategy also lays out directions for the creation of more rental units, particularly nonmarket rentals and supportive housing.
As for a ordable homeownership, Tetrault said that a “lot of it comes down
– Daniel Tetrault
to creating a diversity of housing options across di erent neighbourhoods”.
Burnaby’s HOME strategy document notes that 73 percent of the city’s land area is devoted to single-family homes and duplexes. “ e value of these properties has skyrocketed in recent years, making them unattainable for many households,” the paper states.
Tetrault explained that creating a diversity of housing options means that new developments need to happen in places not just near SkyTrain stations. ese include transit corridors and other neighbourhoods along major roads.
“ rough the housing task force, we saw there was openness to these changes,” Tetrault said.
He pointed out that many residents in Burnaby want to continue living in the city and see their kids and grandchildren able to stay as well.
Tetrault grew up in East Vancouver, where his family continues to live. He moved to Burnaby in 2009 and met his future wife there in 2016. In December 2021, Tetrault and his wife welcomed their rst child, a boy. (Tetrault is the son-in-law of former B.C. NDP premier Glen Clark.)
In the interview, Tetrault—who is seeking a nomination with the Burnaby Citizens Association for the October 2022 municipal election—noted that the city has done its consultation with residents about housing through the task force created by Mayor Mike Hurley. He stressed that now the need is to actually get the plan done. e rst phase of the HOME strategy runs up to 2023. It includes a plan to facilitate the introduction of laneway homes and secondary suites in areas zoned for duplexes.
Tetrault described this move regarding in ll housing as a “necessary step” in creating more housing choices.
“I am running to not only see these policies implemented but also to go further and support innovative ways to provide housing for all,” Tetrault said. g
N
ovella’s BACKYARD OASIS
d A LONGSTANDING FRIENDSHIP started between two Vancouver families because of a shared affection for the outdoors.
Along the way, David Maranda and his wife, Colleen, would talk with Angelito Camaclang and Laurel James about starting a company together.
Camaclang and James founded Novell Design Build in 2005, delivering custom-built homes, laneway houses, and residential renovations. The Marandas have extensive experience in hospitality, business, and marketing. When COVID-19 struck, the idea for a business crystallized.
“Together, we are uniquely qualified to craft outdoor environments that work for people,” David Maranda told the Straight by phone.
In the summer of 2020, Novella Outdoors was born, with its core product being its “signature sheds”. Available in various sizes, the huts can be used for practically any purpose.
The first Novella Outdoors shed was installed for recreational purposes at a North Vancouver home. The client pays his guitar in the shed, and the family had video-gaming equipment installed. Novella Outdoors’s signature sheds are “plug and play” installations, powered by an electrical extension cord from the main house.
Made of western red cedar, they come with a metal roof, two casement windows, skylight, designer lights and dimmer switches, and USB ports.
“It gives you a tranquil place where you can live, work, and play outdoors without the distractions of the home,” David Maranda said.
