Burlington, Ontario

Burlington is a city located at the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada. It is part of Halton Region and is close to other cities such as Hamilton, Milton, and Oakville. Being part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is also included in the Hamilton census metropolitan area and the larger Golden Horseshoe region.

The city was founded in 1874 and became an official city in 1974. As of 2021, Burlington is home to 186,948 people, making it the twenty-eighth-most populous municipality in Canada. The city is known for its beautiful lakeside setting and offers many parks and recreational areas for its residents and visitors to enjoy.

History

Before the 1800s, the land where Burlington is today was home to the Mississauga nation. The British bought the land from the Mississaugas through several treaties between 1792 and 1818.

In 1792, John Graves Simcoe, the first leader of Upper Canada, named the western end of Lake Ontario “Burlington Bay” after a town in England. In 1802, Joseph Brant, a Mohawk chief, settled there after the British gave him land for his help during the American Revolutionary War. Many people consider him the founder of Burlington.

After the War of 1812, settlers began farming in Burlington because the soil was rich and the climate was good. Farmers sold their crops from docks along the lake. Later, they grew fruits and vegetables instead of wheat. By 1873, villages merged to become Burlington, and it grew into a town. During the First World War, many men from Burlington served.

After the Second World War, many people moved to Burlington because of cheap electricity and better roads. The city grew quickly and became official in 1974. Today, Burlington is a busy part of the Greater Toronto Area.

Geography

Burlington is located at the southwestern end of Lake Ontario, close to Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula. It is part of the urban area known as the Golden Horseshoe. The city covers an area of 187 km². The main part of the city is south of the Parkway Belt and Highway 407. Land north of this area is used for farming, homes, and nature protection. The Niagara Escarpment, Lake Ontario, and the land between them shape the city's landscape. Today, Burlington is not a port, but people enjoy sailing there for fun.

Burlington has warm, humid summers and cold, sometimes snowy winters. The lake helps keep the temperatures milder. The city has some special plants and animals usually found farther south, thanks to the warm air from the lake and the protection of the Niagara Escarpment. Near Mount Nemo, there is a unique area with very old white cedar trees growing on the rocky face.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population by Statistics Canada, Burlington had a population of 186,948 people living in 73,180 homes. This was a 2% increase from the 183,314 people living there in 2016. Burlington covers an area of 186.12 km² (71.86 sq mi), giving it a population density of 1,004.4 people per km² (2,601.5 per sq mi) in 2021.

From the 2016 census, we learn that Burlington's population was 183,314, with 48% male and 52% female. Young people up to age 19 made up 22.6% of the population, close to the national average. Seniors aged 65 and older were 19.2%, higher than the national average. The median age in Burlington was 43.3 years, older than Canada's median age of 41.2 years.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, 58.3% of Burlington residents identify as Christian, with Catholics being the largest group at 29.4%, followed by Anglican (5.8%), United Church (5.2%), and other Christian denominations. Other religions represented include Muslim (4.3%), Sikh (2.3%), Hindu (1.1%), Buddhist (0.6%), and Jewish (0.4%). About 32.4% of people reported having no religious affiliation.

Language

From the 2016 census, the most common first language in Burlington is English (78.7%), followed by French (1.6%), Spanish (1.5%), Polish (1.3%), and Arabic (1.2%). Nearly everyone (99.1%) knows English, while 9% know French, and 2.5% know Spanish.

Ethnicity

The 2021 census shows that 20.9% of Burlington's population belongs to a visible minority group.

The top 11 ethnic origins from the 2016 census are shown in the table below. The percentages add up to more than 100% because people can choose more than one ethnicity.

Economy

Burlington has a strong and varied economy. Its location near big industries in southern Ontario, close to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and good transportation help it grow. The city is important for making cars and many other products.

Many different jobs are available in Burlington. Some of the biggest jobs are in food processing, making things, electronics, cars, business services, medicines, and taking care of the environment. Some of the biggest companies are Fearmans Pork Inc, Cogeco Cable, Evertz Microsystems, Boehringer Ingelheim, and EMC2. The city government, schools, and hospitals also provide many jobs.

Burlington has popular shopping places like the Burlington Centre and Mapleview Centre. The city also holds fun summer festivals such as Canada's Largest Ribfest and the Burlington Sound of Music Festival, which bring lots of visitors.

Arts and culture

Burlington has many music groups that bring joy to people of all ages. The Burlington Teen Tour Band, started in 1947, includes young people aged 13 to 21. They march in big parades around the world and are known as "Canada's Musical Ambassadors." They have even marched in famous parades like the Tournament of Roses Parade.

There are also younger groups like the Junior Redcoats for children aged 9 to 12, and the Burlington Concert Band, which has been around since 1908. These bands and orchestras perform many kinds of music and help support local charities.

Attractions

Burlington has many places to visit and enjoy. There are 115 parks covering 580 hectares (1,400 acres) of beautiful green space. At Spencer Smith Park, which sits on the shore of Lake Ontario, you can walk along a path, visit an observatory, play in a water jet area, and eat at a restaurant. The park has a special pond for model sail boating and ice-skating, and it hosts fun festivals like Ribfest, the Sound of Music Festival, Canada Day, a Children’s Festival, and a Lakeside Festival of Lights.

The Brant Street Pier opened in Spencer Smith Park in 2013 during the Sound of Music Festival. The Art Gallery of Burlington shows many artworks in both permanent and temporary exhibits. The Royal Botanical Gardens is the largest botanical garden in Canada, with lots of beautiful gardens and nature areas to explore. In downtown Burlington, you can find historic landmarks, shops, and places to eat at The Village Square. You can also visit Mount Nemo Conservation Area and Bronte Creek Provincial Park for camping and outdoor fun. The Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment offer great hiking trails with amazing views.

The Joseph Brant Museum tells the story of Burlington’s history, and Ireland House at Oakridge Farm shows what family life was like from the 1850s to the 1920s. Freeman Station, a old train station from 1906, is now a place to learn about the past but is currently closed for upgrades. Burlington has many places to play and stay active, including indoor and outdoor pools, splash parks, ice rinks, community centres, and golf courses. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, opened in 2011, has a big main stage and a smaller theatre for shows and performances.

Malls and shopping

Main article: List of shopping malls in Canada § Ontario

Burlington Centre is a two-storey mall that opened in 1968, and Mapleview Centre is another two-storey mall that opened in 1990.

Sports

Burlington, Ontario, does not have any professional sports teams, but it is home to several minor league teams.

The city started the Burlington International Games (B.I.G.) in 1969. These games were created to give young athletes and cultures a chance to share experiences. Originally, the games were between Burlington, Ontario, and Burlington, Vermont, in the United States. Over time, athletes from Quebec, Japan, the Netherlands, and other U.S. cities also joined. The games celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2009 but stopped in 2010 because not many people were participating anymore.

Government

Local government

Main article: Burlington City Council

Burlington is divided into six areas called wards, and each ward has its own councillor. The mayor, Marianne Meed Ward, leads the city council.

City council

• Mayor: Marianne Meed Ward
• Ward 1: Kelvin Galbraith
• Ward 2: Lisa Kearns
• Ward 3: Rory Nisan
• Ward 4: Shawna Stolte
• Ward 5: Paul Sharman
• Ward 6: Angelo Bentivegna

Federal

Burlington has three areas that each have a Member of Parliament:

• Burlington: Karina Gould, Member of Parliament (Liberal)
• Milton: Adam van Koeverden (Liberal)
• Oakville North-Burlington: Pam Damoff (Liberal)

Provincial

Burlington also has three areas with Members of Provincial Parliament:

• Burlington: Natalie Pierre (Progressive Conservative)
• Milton: Zee Hamid (Progressive Conservative)
• Oakville North-Burlington: Effie Triantafilopoulos (Progressive Conservative)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

Burlington has several important roads that help people travel through the city. Some of the main roads include:

• Queen Elizabeth Way
• Highway 403
• 407 ETR
• Highway 6

The Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 403 often run together in Burlington.

North-South Arterial Roads

There are many roads that go north to south through Burlington, such as Burloak Drive, Tremaine Road, and Appleby Line.

East-West Arterial Roads

Burlington also has roads that go east to west, like Lakeshore Road, Fairview Street, and Dundas Street.

Public Transit

Burlington has buses that help people get around the city. These buses stop near three train stations: Appleby, Burlington, and Aldershot.

There are also trains that stop at these stations. Some trains go between cities, and others help people travel far away. There is also a small airport called Burlington Airpark, but it does not have regular passenger flights.

Emergency services

The police in Burlington are helped by the Halton Regional Police Service. There are eight fire stations in the city, and they have both full-time and volunteer firefighters. Paramedics also help people who are sick or hurt. There is a hospital called Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in downtown Burlington.

Education

Burlington has many schools for children to learn. Public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Halton District School Board. Catholic elementary and secondary schools belong to the Halton Catholic District School Board. For French-speaking students, there are schools run by the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. There are also some private schools in the city.

There are 29 public elementary schools and 14 Catholic elementary schools. For high schools, there are six public schools and three Catholic schools.

Media

Burlington Post was an online news site run by Metroland Media Group. Though it stopped printing papers, you can still read Burlington news on its website, insidehalton.com. Another local news site, Village Media's BurlingtonToday.com, gives the latest news, weather, fun stuff, sports, business news, and more.

Burlington is part of the Hamilton radio area. Two radio stations are linked to Burlington: FM 107.9 CJXY and FM 94.7 CHKX. Both stations broadcast from Hamilton. People in Burlington can also listen to stations from Toronto, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo, New York.

Burlington gets most of its TV from Toronto. Two local channels are YourTV, from Cogeco Cable studios, and Yes TV, which has its studios in Burlington near the QEW, 403 and 407 highways.

Radio

Television stations

Notable people

Visual art and writing

Burlington has been home to many talented artists and writers. Robert Bateman, born in 1930, is a well-known painter. Margaret Lindsay Holton, born in 1955, is an artist, author, and designer. Donato Mancini is a poet, and Sylvia McNicoll, born in 1954, has written over twenty novels for children and young adults. Other notable writers include Mostafa Minawi, John Lawrence Reynolds, and Kelly Richardson, who was born in Burlington.

Music

The city has also produced many musicians. James Anthony, born in 1955, is a famous blues guitarist. Sarah Harmer, born in 1970, is a singer and songwriter who attended Lester B. Pearson High School. Tebey, born in 1983, is a country music artist. Other well-known musical groups and artists from Burlington include Boys Night Out, The Creepshow, Jeff Danna, Finger Eleven, Grade, Idle Sons, Jersey, Melissa McClelland, Saint Alvia, Silverstein, Spoons, Walk Off the Earth, and Adrianne Pieczonka, an operatic soprano singer.

Sports

Burlington has been home to many athletes. Josh Anderson, born in 1994, is an NHL player for the Montreal Canadiens. Steve Bauer, born in 1959, is a road bicycle racer and Olympic Silver Medalist. Ryan Bomben played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Angela Coughlan won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games. Tony Gabriel is a retired CFL tight end and eight-time CFL all-star. Graham Hood is a competitive middle-distance runner and Olympian. Russ Jackson is a retired CFL quarterback. Sarah Nurse, born in 1995, is a professional ice hockey player and Olympian. Mark Oldershaw won a bronze medal in canoeing at the 2012 Olympics. Dave Ridgway is a former CFL placekicker and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Shane Wright, born in 2004, is an NHL and AHL player and captain of Team Canada at the 2023 World Juniors.

TV, film, and stage

Many actors and entertainers come from Burlington. Jim Carrey, born in 1962, is a famous comedian and actor. Ryan Gosling, born in 1980, is a well-known actor. Lally Cadeau played Janet King on Road to Avonlea. Carlos Bustamante is a host on YTV’s The Zone and a reporter for Entertainment Tonight Canada. Torri Higginson is an actress, and Myles Erlick is an actor and dancer. Gordie Tapp was a comedian and country & western musician. Katherine Barrell is an actress, writer, producer, and director known for portraying Officer Nicole Haught in Wynonna Earp.

Twin cities

Burlington has friendly relationships with several cities around the world. One of these cities is Apeldoorn in Gelderland, Netherlands. They have parks named after each other—Apeldoorn Park in Burlington and Burlington Garden in Apeldoorn. Another friend is Itabashi in Japan. There are places in Burlington named after Itabashi, like Itabashi Way and Itabashi Garden.

In the past, Burlington also had friendly ties with Burlington, Iowa and Burlington, Vermont in the United States, as well as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.