Pokémon Go has taken over the world.
The app, which combines the popular Japanese franchise with features borrowed from augmented reality (AR) and geocaching, has quickly become one of the most popular pastimes in North America. Seriously, it even briefly eclipsed porn in terms of Google searches.
SFU hasn’t been immune to this trend, and students and faculty alike will have noticed trainers crowding around popular PokéStops on campus to catch their favourite monsters and retrieve eggs and other items — if they’re not too busy playing the game themselves.
Many of us at The Peak are also aspiring Pokémon Masters, and we’ve scoured Burnaby Mountain and sacrificed our monthly data bills in a quest to find the most popular PokéStops, the most competitive gyms, and the best spots to find a high CP Squirtle that won’t goddamn run away from you again.
Happy hunting!
SFU Pokémon Go Map
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PokéStops
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There are a whopping 40 different PokéStops on the main part of Burnaby campus, ranging from Residence all the way to UniverCity and down to Discovery Research Park. If you’re looking to stock up on Pokéballs or just gain a little extra XP, here are some spots for you to check out. They appear on the map in blue.
- Burnaby Mountain Trail Map
- Hannah and Benjamin Endicott Memorial (Townhouse Complex)
- Madge Hogarth House
- Labatt Sports Court (2 PokéStops)
- Lorne Davies Complex
- Beedie School of Business
- Ronale Sanjay Naidu Memorial Bench
- Sam Lam’s Judgement (Student Central)
- Bennett Library
- Movers and Makers (SFU Archives)
- SFU Sculpture (Halpern Centre)
- Guardian II (Victory Square)
- SFU Art Gallery
- Louis Pasteur Infographic Display (C Building)
- Commemoration Plaque South Science Building SFU
- Environment Canada Weather Station
- Robert C. Brown Hall
- Angels of Choir (South Sciences Building)
- Glen Rose Trackway (B Building)
- Floating Stone Bridge (AQ)
- Khalil Gibran Monument (Education Building)
- Shrum Seating Circle
- Isaac Bashevis Singer (Shrum Science Centre)
- Renaissance Woman (AQ)
- TASC 2 Meetup Shelter
- Alcan Aquatic Research Centre
- SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- Kenneth Thompson Strand Memorial Plaque (Strand Hall)
- Ironclad Instruments (Saywell Hall)
- TASC 1 Mallet
- Djavad Mowafaghian Courtyard
- École Polytechnique Memorial
- Campus Map Placard
- University Celebration Plaque
- Highlands Fountain
- Running Mural
- Bear Statue (Cornerstone)
- The Bird at Simon Fraser University (University Highlands Elementary School)
- SFU Water Tower
Gyms
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There are five gyms on Burnaby campus, all at varying levels of difficulty and accessibility. If you’re feeling ready to challenge one, here’s what you need to know. They appear on the map in yellow.
- Xlaim: Level 3 Gym
- You can find this gym just outside the West Mall Centre, next to that abstract red sculpture that leads to the parking lots. As of publication time, it’s the only gym on campus not claimed by Team Valor.
- Terry Fox Statue: Level 3 Gym
- This gym is located in the middle of the AQ next to the Terry Fox Statue, and is one of the most often challenged on campus due to its central location.
- SFU Greenhouses: Level 4 Gym
- If you’ve got a green thumb or a Pokémon that’s super effective against ghost types, consider challenging this gym, currently the only one led by a female trainer.
- Richard Bolton Park: Level 2 Gym
- This gym may be one of the toughest ones to access, but it’s also one of the easiest to beat, given that it tends to be protected by relatively low-level Pokémon.
- Discovery 2: Level 4 Gym
- Fraser International College might not have many PokéStops, but it does boast a competitive gym. If you find yourself in the area or are on a mission to conquer the mountain, this gym is a must.
Rare Pokémon
On top of all of the PokéStops and gyms to be found on Burnaby Mountain, there are also plenty of rare Pokémon to be caught. Here are a few harder-to-find monsters that have been found by players on campus. They appear on the map in red.
- Squirtle has been spotted near the Terry Fox Statue and the SFU Observatory.
- Charizard has reportedly been found by trainers searching the Convocation Mall, near PokéStops at the Bennett Library and Student Central.
- Eevee is relatively common on the mountain, with sightings in the West Mall Centre, the Science buildings, and near UniverCity.
- Rhyhorn can occasionally be found in the AQ, around that triangle sculpture.
- Growlithe is known to frequent the Rotunda area, especially near the Starbucks.
- Golbat has made an appearance or two at the Tim Hortons in the West Mall Centre.
- Shellder shows up occasionally on the way up the mountain, so keep your eyes peeled while riding the bus home!
- Tauros has been seen hanging out at UniverCity near the group of three PokéStops.
- Slowpoke can be found at Labatt Court in the West Mall Centre.
Though we made an effort to be as thorough as possible, we probably missed some things. If you notice a PokéStop we didn’t catch or a rare Pokémon we didn’t mention, let us know on Facebook or at www.the-peak.ca!
