Burkeville: A Wartime Housing Project

The 328 houses in this neighbourhood were built to address a World War II housing shortage. Gasoline and rubber were in short supply during the war, so it was important to house aviation workers and their families close to the airport, rather than have them waste valuable resources on long commutes. From Burkeville, workers could walk to the Boeing Aircraft Plant, located

at 5400 Airport Road South, in half an hour. This was especially helpful for those working long or late shifts.

The creation of this new community was controversial. Many Sea Island residents and farmers were forced to relocate because the federal government took over their land to build housing for the workers.

When it was completed in 1944, the community was named Burkeville, after Stanley Burke, the president of Boeing Aircraft. Continuing the theme, the streets were named after planes manufactured by the community’s workforce in the Boeing plant.

Photo Credit:Royal Canadian Air Force reserve squadron members at work, circa 1951. Vancouver Sun, April 7, 1951, City of Richmond Archives 2001 5 2