Pietro Calendino, BCA Burnaby City Councillor

Calendinowebphoto Pietro Calendino’s family came to Canada from Italy in 1959. He graduated from Britannia High School in Vancouver and went on to achieve two degrees from UBC – Honours Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in Languages – and a teaching certificate from SFU. He worked for 30 years as a teacher.

Along with his wife, Cedna – and their daughter, Victoria Milena, who is an early childhood educator and currently works training teachers in Abu Dhabi, UAE – the Calendinos have called Burnaby home for 36 years. For most of those years, Pietro has been active in Burnaby politics, always believing in the value of community involvement.

Pietro was first elected to the Burnaby School Board in 1987 and served for 11 years, including two years as Chair. In 1996, he was elected as the MLA for Burnaby North and during that term, served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture. In 2002, he was elected to Burnaby City Council and has been re-elected in 2005, 2008 and 2011.

Pietro recognizes municipal government as the closest level of government to the people and takes great care in helping citizens access services. He has been very successful in working together with citizen-led initiatives to facilitate progressive changes that benefit the community.

With Burnaby being recognized as a leader in providing great services and low taxes, Pietro’s goals include ensuring that Burnaby remains a fiscal, social and environmental leader. He prides the City’s accomplishments under a BCA majority Council with its abundant green space and fabulous community centres. He admires the efforts of the hundreds of people who are so willing to volunteer their time to make Burnaby a great place to live and welcomes every opportunity to play a role in keeping Burnaby an inclusive, welcoming, safe community in which individuals, families and businesses can thrive.

Working together with Council, City staff and the community, Pietro was instrumental in launching the “Giro di Burnaby” – Burnaby’s largest single sporting event – that brings value to Burnaby citizens and awareness to local businesses.

He has also been instrumental in moving forward the new jogging track for Confederation Park that recently opened in September. The new track is illuminated, modernized to reduce maintenance and, most importantly, provides a great new venue for year-round activity in Burnaby.

As Chair of Burnaby’s Community Policing Committee, Pietro has worked closely with Burnaby Council and staff, citizens, business representatives and the RCMP in launching Burnaby’s Crime Reduction Strategy that has resulted in a significant decrease in all monitored crime types. He has also been instrumental in moving forward the successful Business Watch program launched in Northwest Burnaby.

Pietro has a special affinity for Burnaby’s seniors citizens that is reflected in his work on Council, his volunteer efforts and with community groups, including Voices of Burnaby Seniors.

Community Accomplishments:

Director of Public Relations, Rotary Club of Burnaby Deer Lake
Volunteer Driver, Citizens Support Services
Member, Voices of Burnaby Seniors
Past-Director, Simon Fraser Health Region
Past-Vice President, National Congress of Italian Canadians
Past-Director, Burnaby Multicultural Society
Past-President and Honorary Life Member, British Columbia Heritage Language Association
Past-President, British Columbia Association of Teachers of Modern Languages

In January 2012, Councillor Calendino was appointed to the following:

Regional Organizations:

Representative - District Community School Advisory & Coordinating Committee
Director - Greater Vancouver Regional District Parks Committee

Burnaby Organizations:

Alternate - New Vista Society
Representative - Local Court of Revision

Council Committees:

Liaison - RCMP
Liaison - School Board
Liaison - Corporate Labour Relations
Chair - Executive Committee of Council
Member - Community Development Committee
Chair - Community Policing Committee
Member - International Relations & Friendship Cities Committee
Council Representative - Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission
Vice Chair - Social Issues Committee
Member - Traffic Safety Committee