Where it is
Capitol Hill is in North Burnaby, on the north side of Hastings Street between Willingdon Avenue and Fell Avenue, rising to about 203 metres above Burrard Inlet. On this page Capitol Hill means those streets, and the figures and homes above are drawn from listings inside them that name the neighbourhood. Downtown Vancouver is about twenty minutes west along Hastings.
A little history
Capitol Hill was one of Burnaby’s first suburbs. Real estate companies were subdividing the hill by 1908, and by 1909 they were selling it as “Burnaby’s newest neighbourhood”: one 1909 advertisement called it “one of Vancouver’s swellest suburbs.” The name comes from Rome’s Capitoline Hill. Residents formed the Capitol Hill community association in 1912, and its hall on Hastings Street is now a heritage site.
The views
This is the reason most people come. From the small park near the north end of Hythe Avenue you look west over Burrard Inlet to downtown Vancouver, the Lions Gate and Second Narrows bridges and the North Shore mountains, out as far as Bowen Island and Vancouver Island on a clear day. Neighbours gather there for sunsets and for the summer fireworks over English Bay. To the east, the hill looks over Indian Arm, Deep Cove, Mount Seymour and, on a good day, Mount Baker.
The outdoors
A stretch of the Trans Canada Trail runs along the hill’s northern flank above the inlet. Confederation Park, one of Burnaby’s largest, is just west, with the Eileen Dailly Leisure Pool and the McGill branch of the library beside it. Barnet Marine Park and Burnaby Mountain are a short drive east.
The homes
Capitol Hill is mostly detached houses on steep, quiet streets: original post-war homes, many rebuilt or renovated, and newer houses built to make the most of the view, often with a suite. Lots slope sharply in places, so two houses on the same street can have very different views and very different driveways.
Schools
Capitol Hill is in the Burnaby School District (SD41). Burnaby North Secondary, rebuilt and reopened in 2024, and Alpha Secondary serve this part of North Burnaby. Catchments depend on the exact address, so check before you make an offer. Why catchments matter
Buying on Capitol Hill
- The view: what could be built below or beside you, and whether trees on neighbouring lots are protected.
- The slope: retaining walls, drainage, the driveway in winter, and the age and condition of the house’s systems.
- Suites: whether a suite is permitted and was built with permits, especially if you’re counting on the rent.
The numbers above tell you what the market is like today. A walk-through with me tells you which views will last.
