Welcome to TransLink Staff Picks! Here on The Buzzer we’re always trying to give our readers ideas for destinations and daytrips to take while using the Metro Vancouver transit system. We figured the best people to give recommendations for our readers would be employees from across the TransLink enterprise! In this series you can expect recommendations from bus operators, SkyTrain attendants, corporate employees and everyone else involved in keeping you moving.

Zach

Where do you work?

I work for TransLink on the Social Media Team

What’s your favourite mode of transit?

My earliest memory using transit was a trip to Science World while visiting family in Surrey during my early childhood, having never even been on a train before it was quite the experience. So, I’m partial to SkyTrain and riding over the SkyBridge in particular.

How long have you been using transit?

Coming from a small town on Vancouver Island I was never exposed to transit growing up. I got my first dose of public transit after moving to Victoria about five years ago and I haven’t looked back since

What transit routes do you like to take?

Route 133 has become my go to for getting onto the Millennium Line which I often take Downtown to visit friends or to watch my beloved Whitecaps FC.

What’s your recommendation for where to go on transit for fun?

Barnet Marine Park

One of my favourite places to visit on a nice day is Barnet Marine Park, just North of Burnaby Mountain. Located off Barnet Highway this beach park is never to busy but has refreshing water, lots of green space and stunning views. The park is a short trip from Burnaby on the 160 (Port Coquitlam Station/Kootenay Loop) meaning I often head to the beach after work or school.  The West Coast Express passes underneath the pedestrian bridge in the afternoon, catching it is always a treat.

Barnet is perfect for a relaxing day, although there is plenty to do. For instance, the park is home to a café on weekends, it serves standard concession fare like hotdogs and hamburgers. But, if you’d rather bring your own food that’s okay too, there’s an abundance of picnic areas in the shade or sun. While the promenade walk is a little short of a kilometre long, it provides great views of the Burrard Inlet. The walk is highlighted by a pier and ruins of an old lumber mill which you can explore. I recommend reading the plaques on the structures to learn interesting tidbits of local history!