Visitors \ Sports & Recreation \ Sightseeing

Sightsee in style. Hop on board a classic model steam train and take a tour of one of the biggest and best parks in Burnaby. Regardless of whether you’re eight or 80, everyone enjoys a whistling ride on a classis model train, right? (The train operates on weekends during the summer months.)

During the summer, the Nature House provides interpretive displays that allow visitors an opportunity to see and learn about the park at their own pace. Visitors to the Nature House also have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss natural history with interpreters and volunteers.

Stroll among the Playground of the Gods in Burnaby. Towering over the distant city are the tall Kamui Mintara (Playground of the Gods) sculptures at Burnaby Mountain Park. The Kamui Mintara comprise more than a dozen carved poles created by Japanese sculptors Nuburi Toko and his son, Shusei. The Tokos are members of the Ainu culture, Japan's first inhabitants.

Installed on the top of an open slope looking west over Coal Harbour, the poles honour the ties between Burnaby and its Japanese sister city, Kushiro. The spectacular setting inspired Toko to imagine it as Kamui Mintara, or Playground of the Gods. The poles represent the story of the gods who descended to earth to give birth to the Ainu. Animal spirits such as whale, bear, and owl adorn the tops of the slender poles that are clustered together in groups of twos and threes. A killer whale and a brooding raven stand apart from the rest, looking west across the Strait of Georgia towards Vancouver Island (and Japan). A stunningly beautiful setting, this is one of the best examples of art in a public place in the Lower Mainland.

This picturesque riverside park provides a wonderful opportunity to experience and explore the mighty Fraser River. Sit back, relax and enjoy the view of tugboats, rowboats and various other marine traffic on this busy and bustling waterway.