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Coquitlam Express

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The Coquitlam Express are a Junior ice hockey team based in Coquitlam , British Columbia , Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) . They play their home games at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex .

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60-512: Although the team had played in the neighbouring city of Burnaby for the previous five years, on 14 January 2010 it was announced that the BCHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the relocation of the franchise back to Coquitlam for the 2010–11 season . The Coquitlam Express began play as a new franchise in the BCHL for the 2001–02 hockey season, and played in the city for four seasons at

120-601: A 22-26-6 record to bring the team back up to 7th in the Coastal Conference. The Express would be eliminated by the Chiefs in the first round but not without taking the series to a full seven games. Shaw would move up to become an assistant coach with the OHL's Niagara Icedogs , leaving the team to find their fourth head coach in three seasons. Not only was it announced that Vees assistant coach Patrick Sexton would become

180-577: A city. Since the 1970s, Burnaby has seen a decline in resource sectors and a subsequent rise of high value-added services and technology sectors. The presence of BCIT and SFU promoted research & development in the area. For example, manufacturing plants near Still Creek closed in the late 1970s, only to reopen few years later as film production studios. The continued expansion of media production in Burnaby contributed to Hollywood North . Burnaby occupies 96.6 square kilometres (37.3 sq mi) and

240-456: A franchise worst 11–44–2–1 (25 points) record and finishing last in nearly every statistic. The following season continued the trend and after recording only three wins and eight points in the first half of the season, Wolff was fired and replaced with former OJHL's Toronto Patriots head coach Jason Fortier. The team turned around under Fortier until the 2019–20 season where the Express posted

300-659: A franchise-best 47–9–1–1 (96 points) and won the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy for the first time as regular season champions. Their performance over the regular season was enough to earn Fortier Coach of the Year honors for the 2019–20 season. Unfortunately, after winning their first round matchup with the Langley Rivermen , Hockey Canada cancelled the remainder of the Junior A season nationally due to

360-541: A land area of 90.57 km (34.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 2,750.6/km (7,124.1/sq mi) in 2021. In 2016, the median age is 40.3 years old, slightly younger than the British Columbia median of 43.0 years old. Burnaby has diverse ethnic and immigrant communities. For example, North Burnaby near Hastings Street has long been home to many Italian restaurants and recreational bocce games. Metrotown 's high-rise condominium towers in

420-441: A level of population density supported by agriculture in other geographies. Techniques to preserve and store surplus food sustained a hierarchical society. Burnaby's marshlands along its rivers and lakes were cranberry harvesting areas for numerous villages, some numbering over 1,000 residents. Indigenous people travelled through Burnaby to reach the mouth of Brunette and Fraser River for the bountiful fishing seasons, eulachon in

480-446: A piece of land by clearing forests and building houses. Indigenous people were excluded from pre-emption. Royal Engineers dispossessed land from Indigenous people with the assistance of military force including the original routes of North Road, Kingsway, Canada Way, and Marine Drive. Logging permits given to settlers destroyed the forests of southern Burnaby which had provided vital sustenance for Indigenous people. The City of Burnaby

540-551: A year later in 1892. In the same year, the interurban tram connecting Vancouver , Burnaby, and New Westminster began construction. The expanding urban centres of Vancouver and New Westminster influenced the growth of Burnaby. It developed as an agricultural area supplying nearby markets. Later, it evolved into an important transportation corridor between Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Interior . The introduction of

600-576: Is bounded by Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River on the north and south, respectively. Burnaby, Vancouver and New Westminster collectively occupy the major portion of the Burrard Peninsula . The elevation of Burnaby ranges from sea level to a maximum of 370 metres (1,214 ft) atop Burnaby Mountain . Due to its elevation, the city of Burnaby typically has more snowfall during the winter months than nearby Vancouver or Richmond. Overall,

660-435: Is home to multiple museums highlighting the diverse history and culture of the city. Burnaby Village Museum is a 4.0-hectare (10-acre) open-air museum preserving a 1920s Canadian village. The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, which includes a Japanese garden, opened in 2000 to promote awareness and understanding of Japanese Canadian culture. The Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and SFU Galleries are located within

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720-493: Is located 365 metres (1,198 ft) above sea level on Burnaby Mountain. Therefore, climate records are cooler and wetter, with more snowfall, as compared to the rest of the city. Burnaby has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) with mild, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Burnaby had a population of 249,125 living in 101,136 of its 107,046 total private dwellings, an increase of 7% from its 2016 population of 232,755. With

780-493: Is located at the geographic centre of the Metro Vancouver Regional District . The city has four areas of urban density known as "town centres": Lougheed, Edmonds, Metrotown , and Brentwood. The city's governmental and cultural precincts are located in Burnaby's Deer Lake area. Situated between the city of Vancouver on the west and Port Moody , Coquitlam , and New Westminster on the east, Burnaby

840-500: Is located atop Burnaby Mountain . In Maclean's 2020 rankings, the university placed first in their comprehensive university category, and ninth in their reputation ranking for Canadian universities. British Columbia Institute of Technology 's main campus in Burnaby, home to more than 49,000 full-time and part-time students, was established in 1964. A new $ 78 million, net-zero emission Health Science Centre, expected to open in late 2021, will accommodate 7,000 students. Burnaby

900-458: Is named after Burnaby Lake, in turn named after Robert Burnaby , who was a Freemason , explorer, and legislator. He was previously private secretary to Colonel Richard Moody , the first land commissioner for the Colony of British of Columbia. In 1859, Burnaby surveyed a freshwater lake in the city's geographic centre. Moody named it Burnaby Lake. Burnaby was established in 1891 and incorporated

960-1031: Is served by Metro Vancouver's bus system , run by the Coast Mountain Bus Company , a division of TransLink , the region's transportation authority. The 49 bus route, connecting Metrotown and the University of British Columbia , is the second most boarded bus route after route 99 , which is the busiest bus route in North America. Burnaby is also served by the R5 Hastings St RapidBus . The 2050 Burnaby Transportation Plan, adopted in December 2021, outlines three targets: to reduce traffic fatalities to zero, to increase public transit and active transportation to 75 percent of all trips, and to reduce vehicle emissions by 100 percent. While Burnaby occupies about 4 percent of

1020-648: The hən̓q̓əmín̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking Coast Salish Nations. Local landmarks such as Burnaby Mountain, Deer Lake, and Brunette River feature prominently in Indigenous history passed down through oral traditions. The northern shorelines of Burnaby, along the second narrows of Burrard Inlet was the site of an ancient battle between the attacking Lekwiltok and the defending Musqueam according to Chief Charlie Qiyəplenəxw. The Coast Salish people living in BC and Washington state numbered more than 100,000 people,

1080-504: The 2004 Canadian federal election . In the May 2013 provincial election , residents of the city sent 3 NDP MLAs and one Liberal MLA to the British Columbia legislature. The NDP MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed , Jane Shin , faced controversy after the election for misrepresenting herself as a physician despite not having completed a medical residency nor holding a licence to practice medicine. Western Canada Cup The Western Canada Cup (WCC);

1140-899: The Burnaby Art Gallery , Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, and the Burnaby Village Museum. Michael J. Fox Theatre , a community theatre that seats 613, with 11 wheelchair spaces, is situated within Burnaby South Secondary School . The city's main stadium, Swangard Stadium , is located in Central Park (Burnaby) . It was completed in 1969. The stadium was home to the Vancouver 86ers (now the Vancouver Whitecaps FC ) in

1200-744: The Canadian Soccer League from 1986 to 2010, when the team relocated to BC Place to play in the Major League Soccer . Burnaby co-hosted the 1973 Canada Games with New Westminster . Burnaby Velodrome hosted the National Junior and U17 Track Championship in 2014. Burnaby was the host for the 2014 IQA Global Games , the second edition of the international quidditch championship. The SkyTrain Operations Controls Centre 1, built in

1260-604: The Coquitlam Sports Centre . Due to unsatisfactory conditions at the Sports Centre, specifically a reduction of parking due to the construction of a new aquatic complex next door, the team relocated to Burnaby for the 2005–06 season. Burnaby originally had a junior "A" team by the name of the Burnaby Bulldogs , which played in that city for four seasons (1998–2001). That team relocated to

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1320-883: The Fort McMurray Oil Barons in six games for the Doyle Cup and entered the National Championship as Pacific Region winners. The Express won the Royal Bank Cup 2006 (National Championship) by defeating the Yorkton Terries by a score of 8–2. In the Semi-Final against the Fort William Northstars, they scored the tying goal with 12 seconds left in the third period then went on to win 3–2 in overtime. During

1380-498: The Fraser River to the southeast, and Richmond on the Lulu Island to the southwest. Burnaby was incorporated in 1892 and achieved its city status in 1992. A member municipality of Metro Vancouver , it is British Columbia's third-largest city by population (after Vancouver and Surrey), and is the seat of Metro Vancouver's regional district government. 25% of Burnaby's land is designated as parks and open spaces, one of

1440-557: The Lougheed Highway , Kingsway (which follows the old horse trail between Vancouver and New Westminster), Canada Way and Marine Drive/Marine Way. Douglas Road, which used to cross the city from northwest to southeast, has largely been absorbed by the Trans-Canada Highway and Canada Way. Since the 1990s, more than 70 kilometres (43 mi) of bike routes and urban trails have been laid in Burnaby. The city

1500-615: The Metrotown neighbourhood, the downtown area of Burnaby, is the largest mall in British Columbia with West Vancouver 's Park Royal in second place. It is the second largest in Canada behind the first-place West Edmonton Mall in Alberta . Metropolis was the second most visited mall in Canada in 2017 and third most visited in 2018. Heavy industry companies including Chevron Corporation and Petro-Canada petroleum refines oil on

1560-652: The Social Credit and BC Liberal parties) and federally (from the Reform , Alliance , and Conservative parties). Its longest-serving politician had been Svend Robinson of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Canada's first openly gay member of Parliament, but after 25 years and seven elections he resigned his post in early 2004 after stealing and then returning an expensive ring. Burnaby voters endorsed his assistant, Bill Siksay , as his replacement in

1620-532: The 1980s, is responsible for the maintenance and operations of both the region's Expo Line and Millennium Line . In 2021, construction began on a $ 110 million Operations Controls Centre 2 to accommodate growing transit ridership. The Expo Line, completed in 1986, crosses the south along Kingsway. The Millennium Line, completed in 2002, follows Lougheed Highway . The SkyTrain has encouraged closer connections to New Westminster , Vancouver , and Surrey , as well as dense urban development at Lougheed Town Centre on

1680-503: The 41 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools  – are managed by School District 41 in Burnaby. It operates a community and adult education department, an international students program, and a French immersion program. The British Columbia School for the Deaf is located on the same grounds of the Burnaby South Secondary School . Simon Fraser University 's main campus, with more than 30,000 students and 950 staff,

1740-721: The Eastern Canada Champion, the winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup . From 1979 until 1989, the Abbott Cup winner played a round robin against the winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup (Central Canada) and the J. Pius Callaghan Cup (Atlantic Canada). In 1989, the Abbott Cup was divided up and both the Doyle Cup and ANAVET Cup winner were allowed into the Nationals. From 1995 until 2012, the format included

1800-580: The Express named Jon Calvano as their next head coach. The 2010–11 season marked the Express' return to Coquitlam. They played their first game back at the newly renovated and renamed Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex on 24 September 2010, where they defeated the Surrey Eagles 4–2. Coquitlam made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, losing in the first round to the Eagles in four games. The following year, they would again be eliminated in

1860-635: The RBC Cup. Much like the Abbott Cup , the WCC was the championship for all of Western Canada . The Abbott Cup was a playdown championship consisting of a best-of-7 series played between the winners of the Doyle Cup (AJHL and BCHL) and ANAVET Cup (MJHL and SJHL) to determine a single seed into the old national championship, the Centennial Cup. The Abbott Cup winner from 1971 until 1979 played

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1920-632: The Simon Fraser University campus at the top of Burnaby Mountain. Burnaby Public Library was first established in 1954. It currently has four locations throughout the city, including the Bobbie Prittie Metrotown, McGill, Tommy Douglas and Cameron branches in each of the four town centres. The library system holds over three million items in circulation, with more than 5,000 visitors per day. Many cultural facilities are located in or around Deer Lake Park , including

1980-662: The Skytrain's Expo Line cemented this trend into the 21st century. As Vancouver expanded and became a metropolis, Burnaby was one of the first-tier suburbs of Vancouver, along with North Vancouver and Richmond . During the suburbanization of Burnaby, "Mid-Century Vernacular" homes were built by the hundreds to satisfy demand by new residents. The establishment of British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in 1960 and Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1965 helped Burnaby gradually become more urban in character. In 1992, one hundred years after its incorporation, Burnaby officially became

2040-714: The Year Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia , Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula , it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard Inlet with its Indian Arm to the north, Port Moody and Coquitlam to the east, New Westminster and Surrey across

2100-800: The city of Port Alberni , on Vancouver Island for the start of the 2002–03 season and was renamed the Alberni Valley Bulldogs . The 2005–06 season saw the Express win the league championship (Fred Page Cup) and the Mowat Cup by defeating the Langley Hornets in four games, the Chilliwack Chiefs in 5 games, the Victoria Salsa in 5 games, and the Penticton Vees in six games. The team then defeated

2160-457: The city's eastern border, at Brentwood Town Centre in the centre-west, Edmonds –Highgate in the southeast and, most notably, at Metrotown in the south. Major north–south streets crossing the city include Boundary Road, Willingdon Avenue, Royal Oak Avenue, Kensington Avenue, Sperling Avenue, Gaglardi Way, Cariboo Road, and North Road. East–west routes linking Burnaby's neighbouring cities to each other include Hastings Street , Barnet Highway ,

2220-477: The event, expressed concern that the tournament format might be preventing the best teams from advancing to the RBC Cup, and that the WCC detracted from longstanding territorial rivalries. Sun Life Financial replaced Crescent Point Energy as the title sponsor for 2017. Hockey Canada, together with the four leagues, scrapped the WCC format following the 2017 tournament and re-instated the ANAVET and Doyle Cups for

2280-518: The first of many gold rushes in British Columbia, brought over 30,000 fortune seekers, including many American miners. The fear of an impending annexation by the United States led to the creation of the Colony of British Columbia in 1858 and the establishment of New Westminster as its capital. Settlers in Burnaby acquired land through a process called pre-emption which allowed people to claim

2340-474: The first round, this time to the Powell River Kings in six games. Following the 2011–12 season, the Express named Jon Calvano as general manager on top of his existing coaching duties. The 2012–13 season saw a great start for the Express until the team lost players to multiple injuries within a short period, including New Jersey Devils draftee Alexander Kerfoot . The team struggled for most of

2400-551: The global COVID-19 pandemic , ending their run for a third league title. Fortier would leave the team in the off-season, with Dan Cioffi, coach of the BCMML's Valley West Giants , named as his replacement. He, however, would resign after the league's extended pre-season was paused by the Provincial Health Officer. Adam Nugent-Hopkins, older brother of Edmonton Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , took his place for

2460-559: The highest in North America . The main campuses of Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology are located in Burnaby. It is home to high-tech companies such as Ballard Power ( fuel cell ), Clio (legal software), D-Wave ( quantum computing ), General Fusion ( fusion power ), and EA Vancouver . Burnaby's Metropolis at Metrotown is the largest mall in British Columbia,

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2520-635: The highest in North America. It also maintains some agricultural land, particularly along the Fraser foreshore flats in the Big Bend neighbourhood along its southern perimeter. Major parklands and waterways in Burnaby include Central Park , Robert Burnaby Park , Kensington Park , Burnaby Mountain , Still Creek , the Brunette River , Burnaby Lake , Deer Lake , Squint Lake , and Barnet Marine Park. Burnaby's Simon Fraser University weather station

2580-560: The land area of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, it accounted for about 10 percent of the region's population in 2016. It is the third most populated urban centre in British Columbia (after Vancouver and Surrey), with a population of 249,125 (2021). Politically, Burnaby has maintained a left-wing city council closely affiliated with the provincial NDP and school board for many years, while sometimes electing more conservative legislators provincially (from

2640-479: The latter half of the season and failed to reach the postseason for the third time in five years. Calvano was fired at the end of the season. Barry Wolff became the team's next head coach on 22 April 2013 and in the following season led the Express to their second Fred Page Cup championship, and their first and only appearance in the Western Canada Cup , where they finished fourth following a 5–3 loss in

2700-412: The new bench boss for the 2022-23 season, but on 17 August 2022 it was announced that a newly-retired Kyle Turris would be returning to the Express as a special advisor to GM Campbell and as a player development coach. Sexton would remain as head coach through to the end of the 2023-24 regular season, where he was replaced with Jeff Wagner for the duration of the team's playoff run following a poor record in

2760-674: The new tournament were first reported by the Estevan Mercury in October 2011. The trophy presented to the WCC Champion was unveiled in March 2013 and was named in honour of Crescent Point Energy, the title sponsor. Crescent Point Energy pulled its support of the 2017 WCC despite at least two of the four previous tournaments had turned a profit. In addition, the four participating leagues reported challenges in finding hosts for

2820-457: The physical landscape of Burnaby is one of hills, ridges, valleys and an alluvial plain. Burnaby is home to many industrial and commercial firms. British Columbia's largest (and Canada's second largest) commercial shopping mall, Metropolis at Metrotown , is located in Burnaby, as well as malls in Brentwood and Lougheed town centres. Still, Burnaby's ratio of park land to residents is one of

2880-404: The rest of the season alongside new GM Tali Campbell. He would coach the team to a 6-11-3 record in a 20 game pod season played against the Surrey Eagles and Powell River Kings. Brandon Shaw, previously assistant coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs , would be named head coach for the team's first full season since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a rough start, he would rally the team to

2940-460: The round-robin they had a record of 3–1, which seeded them 2nd in the Tournament, behind the hometown hosts Streetsville Derbys. In 2006–07 the Express were highly touted as a top team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League , with players like Kyle Turris and Tyler McNeely. In the first round of the BCHL playoffs, the team beat the Langley Chiefs in seven games before losing to the eventual BCHL league champions Nanaimo Clippers in seven games during

3000-1334: The second half of the season. The team would bounce back but would lose in the first round to Alberni Valley in a closely fought seven-game series. During a game against the Langley Rivermen on 2 November 2022, the Express set a new all-time attendance record of 2209 fans at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Royal Bank Cup Doyle Cup Mowat Cup Fred Page Cup Cliff McNabb Memorial Trophy Coastal Conference Champions Mainland Division Champions Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy Regular Season Champions Bob Fenton Trophy Most Sportsmanlike (Coastal) Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy Rookie Of The Year (Coastal) Brett Hull Trophy Top Scorer Vern Dye Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player (Coastal) Michael Garteig Trophy Top Goaltender Wally Forslund Trophy Top Goaltending Duo Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy Coach of

3060-408: The second round. The 2007 off-season saw a coaching change from Rick Lanz, a scout for the Colorado Avalanche , to Dave McLellan. The team was not very well-supported since the move from Coquitlam and struggled in attendance for the third straight year. By 17 October 2009, the Burnaby Express were averaging just 548 fans per game, which was the second lowest attendance of the 17 teams in the BCHL at

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3120-450: The semifinal to the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints . Wolff was named the 2014 coach of the year by the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame and the team earned team of the year honours. The team achieved mixed success for the next couple of seasons, finishing fourth in the mainland division and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. The 2016–17 season again had the Express sustain many player injuries, resulting in

3180-413: The shores of Burrard Inlet . Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers , Pacific Blue Cross and Nokia have significant facilities in Burnaby. Other firms with operations based in Burnaby include Canada Wide Media , Doteasy, Telus , Teradici , Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell, HSBC Group Systems Development Centre, and TransLink . eBay ceased local operations in 2009. Over 24,000 students – across

3240-432: The south have been fuelled in part by arrivals from China ( Hong Kong and Macau ) during the 1990s, Taiwan, and South Korea . According to the 2021 census, ethnic Chinese make up the largest ethnic group of Burnaby with 33.3% while Europeans make up a close 2nd with 30.5%. According to the 2006 census, 54% of Burnaby residents have a mother tongue that is neither English nor French. The 2016 census found that English

3300-422: The spring and sockeye salmon in the late summer. Early European explorers and fur traders introduced diseases that decimated the Indigenous population. This false appearance of Burnaby as a vast open space, along with traditional Indigenous farming techniques which did not permanently alter the landscape, meant Indigenous land in Burnaby was mislabelled as terra nullius . The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858,

3360-495: The third most visited in Canada and the fifth largest in the nation. Canada's largest film and television production studio and more than 60% of BC's sound stages are in Burnaby, contributing to the growth of Hollywood North . The city is served by SkyTrain 's Expo Line and Millennium Line . Metrotown station in Metrotown is the busiest station on weekends and the second-busiest on weekdays in regional Vancouver's urban transit system as of 2021. Early inhabitants were

3420-417: The time. This was half the attendance the team averaged in their final season in Coquitlam (1,091 fans per game). With the team in last place in the Coastal Conference, on 16 January 2010 the Express announced the firing of coach Dave McLellan. General manager Darcy Rota took over during the interim, with Bill Zaharia and Tyler Kuntz named as assistants for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. On 13 April 2010,

3480-416: The winners of the Doyle Cup, Anavet Cup, Dudley Hewitt Cup, and an Eastern Canada Championship called the Fred Page Cup . In 2011, the four western leagues proposed to Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League that the Doyle Cup and ANAVET Cup be discontinued in favour of a new tournament named the Western Canada Cup. Hockey Canada announced the tournament's creation in January 2012. Plans for

3540-752: Was spoken as the mother tongue of 41.33 percent of the population. The next three most common languages were Mandarin (14.53 percent), Cantonese (12.32 percent) and Tagalog (3.35 percent). According to the 2021 census , religious groups in Burnaby included: The city features major commercial town centres, high-density residential areas, two rapid transit lines, technology research, business parks, film studios such as The Bridge Studios , and TV stations such as Global TV . Major technology firms such as Ballard Power Systems ( fuel cell ), D-Wave Systems ( quantum computing ), Clio (legal tech), Creo (imaging), and Electronic Arts Canada (studio) have their headquarters in Burnaby. Metropolis mall located in

3600-430: Was the Junior 'A' ice hockey championship for western Canada from 2013 to 2017. The annual five-team event consisted of the host team and the champions from the four western leagues ( Alberta Junior Hockey League , British Columbia Hockey League , Manitoba Junior Hockey League , and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League ), and was used to determine the two Western seeds for the national championship , known at that time as

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