Burlington | |
---|---|
City of Burlington | |
Motto: Stand By | |
Coordinates: 43°22′12″N79°48′51″W / 43.37000°N 79.81417°W [1] | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
Region | Halton |
Established | 1874 |
City status | 1974 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Marianne Meed Ward |
• Governing Body | Burlington City Council |
• MPs | Karina Gould (Lib), Pam Damoff (Lib), Adam van Koeverden (Lib) |
• MPPs | Natalie Pierre (PC), Zee Hamid (PC), Effie Triantafilopoulos (PC) |
Area | |
• Total | 185.66 km2 (71.68 sq mi) |
Elevation | 74 m (243 ft) |
Population (2021) [2] | |
• Total | 186,948 (Ranked 28th) |
• Density | 946.8/km2 (2,452/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Burlingtonian, Burlingtonite |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Forward sortation area | |
Area code(s) | 905, 289, 365, and 742 |
Highways | Queen Elizabeth Way Highway 403 Highway 407 Former Highway 2 Former Highway 5 |
Website | www.burlington.ca |
Burlington is a city and lower-tier municipality in Halton Region at the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada. Located approximately halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls, it is part of the Greater Toronto Area and the Hamilton census metropolitan area.
Before the 19th century, the area between the provincial capital of York and the township of West Flamborough was home to the Mississauga nation. In 1792, John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, named the western end of Lake Ontario "Burlington Bay" after the town of Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. [4]
The British purchased the land on which Burlington now stands from the Mississaugas in Upper Canada Treaties 3 (1792), 8 (1797), 14 (1806), and 19 (1818). Treaty 8 concerned the purchase of the Brant Tract, 14.0 km2 (3,450 acres) on Burlington Bay which the British granted to Mohawk chief Joseph Brant for his service in the American Revolutionary War. [5] [6] Joseph Brant and his household settled on this tract of land around 1802. [7] Brant is accordingly often referred to as the founder of Burlington, and the city of Burlington still celebrates an annual Joseph Brant Day in early August. [8] [9] Subsequent disputes between the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Canadian government over payment for the Brant Tract and the Toronto Purchase were settled in 2010 for the sum of $145 million (CAD). [6] [10]
By the turn of the 19th century, the name "Burlington" was already in common use. With the completion of the local survey after the War of 1812, the land was opened for settlement. Early farmers prospered in the Burlington area because the area had fertile soil and moderate temperatures. Produce from the farms was shipped out via the bustling docks of the lakeside villages of Port Nelson and Wellington Square, as well as Brown's Wharf in the nearby village of Port Flamborough (which was to become Aldershot). Lumber taken from the surrounding forests also competed for space on the busy docks. In the latter half of the 19th century, increased wheat production from Western Canada convinced local farmers to switch to fruit and vegetable production.
In 1873, the villages of Wellington Square and Port Nelson merged to become the Village of Burlington which then became the Town of Burlington in 1914. [11] The arrival of large steamships on the Great Lakes made the small docks of the local ports obsolete, and the increased use of railway to ship goods marked the end of the commercial wharves.
Farming still thrived though, and the resultant growth resulted in continued prosperity. By 1906, the town boasted its own newspaper—the Burlington Gazette—as well as a town library and a local rail line that connected Burlington to nearby Hamilton. During the First World War, 300 local men volunteered for duty in the Canadian Expeditionary Force—38 did not return. In 1914, Burlington was incorporated into a town.
As more settlers arrived and cleared the land, cash crops replaced subsistence farming. Gradually, mixed farming and market gardens became the dominant form of agriculture, and in the early 20th century the area was declared the Garden of Canada. The first peaches grown in Canada were cultivated in the Grindstone Creek watershed in the city's south-west part. The farming tradition has passed down through the generations. Today over 40 per cent of the Grindstone Creek watershed is still devoted to farms, orchards and nurseries. [12]
Following the Second World War, cheap electricity from nearby Niagara Falls and better transportation access due to the new (1939) Queen Elizabeth Way encouraged both light industry and families to move to Burlington. The population skyrocketed as new homes were built, encouraging developers to build even more new homes. On 1 January 1958, Burlington officially annexed most of the Township of Nelson, as well as Aldershot, formerly a part of East Flamborough Township. By 1967, the last cash crop farm within the city had been replaced by the Burlington Centre. [13]
Burlington was the site of the Brant Inn built by the lake in 1917, which became famous during the ’40s and ’50s for showing big-band performers.
By 1974, with a population exceeding 100,000, Burlington was incorporated as a city. The extremely high rate of growth continued, and between 2001 and 2006, the population of Burlington grew by 9%, compared to Canada's overall growth rate of 5.4%. By 2006, the population topped 160,000.
Burlington is at the southwestern end of Lake Ontario, just to the north east of Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula, roughly in the geographic centre of the urban corridor known as the Golden Horseshoe. Burlington has a land area of 187 km2 (72 sq mi). The main urban area is south of the Parkway Belt and Highway 407. The land north of this, and north Aldershot is used primarily for agriculture, rural residential and conservation purposes. The Niagara Escarpment, Lake Ontario and the sloping plain between the escarpment and the lake make up the land area of Burlington. The city is no longer a port; sailing vessels in the area are used for recreational purposes and moor at a 215 slip marina in LaSalle Park.
Burlington's climate is humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with hot, humid summers and cold and snowy winters. The climate is moderated somewhat by its proximity to Lake Ontario. Monthly mean temperatures range from 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in July to −4.4 °C (24.1 °F) in January. The average annual precipitation is 763 mm (30.0 in) of rain and 99 cm (39 in) of snow.
Although it shares the continental climate found in Southern Ontario, its proximity to the lake moderates winter temperatures and it also benefits from a sheltering effect of the Niagara Escarpment, allowing the most northerly tracts of Carolinian forest to thrive on the Escarpment that runs through western sections of city. Several species of flora and fauna usually found only in more southern climes are present in Burlington, including paw-paw ( Asimina triloba ), green dragon ( Arisaema dracontium ), tuckahoe ( Peltandra virginica ), American columbo ( Frasera caroliniensis ), wall-rue ( Asplenium ruta-muraria ), plus the Louisiana waterthrush, hooded warbler, southern flying squirrel and rare eastern pipistrelle bat. Near the visible promontory of Mount Nemo that rises some 200 m (650 ft) above the lake level, a "vertical forest" of white cedar clinging to the Escarpment face includes many small trees that are more than one thousand years old. [14]
Hamilton Harbour, the western end of Lake Ontario, is bounded on its western shore by a large sandbar, now called the Beach strip, that was deposited during the last ice age. A canal bisecting the sandbar allows ships access to the harbour. The Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway (part of the Queen Elizabeth Way), and the Canal Lift Bridge allow access over the canal.
Climate data for Burlington TS Climate ID: 6151064; coordinates 43°20′N79°50′W / 43.333°N 79.833°W , elevation: 99.1 m (325 ft); 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1866–present [note 1] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) | 17.9 (64.2) | 27.2 (81.0) | 32.0 (89.6) | 36.1 (97.0) | 38.9 (102.0) | 41.1 (106.0) | 38.3 (100.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 26.7 (80.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 41.1 (106.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.6 (30.9) | 0.8 (33.4) | 5.2 (41.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 26.7 (80.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 15.1 (59.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | 13.7 (56.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.4 (24.1) | −3.2 (26.2) | 1.0 (33.8) | 7.5 (45.5) | 13.9 (57.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.9 (62.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 4.4 (39.9) | −1 (30) | 9.1 (48.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) | −7.1 (19.2) | −3.3 (26.1) | 2.6 (36.7) | 8.3 (46.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.9 (62.4) | 16.1 (61.0) | 11.9 (53.4) | 5.7 (42.3) | 0.7 (33.3) | −4.3 (24.3) | 4.4 (39.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −30.6 (−23.1) | −29.4 (−20.9) | −27.2 (−17.0) | −14.4 (6.1) | −7.2 (19.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | 1.7 (35.1) | −3.9 (25.0) | −11.1 (12.0) | −22.8 (−9.0) | −27.8 (−18.0) | −30.6 (−23.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 66.0 (2.60) | 54.5 (2.15) | 61.6 (2.43) | 70.6 (2.78) | 81.0 (3.19) | 69.1 (2.72) | 75.3 (2.96) | 82.0 (3.23) | 83.1 (3.27) | 71.9 (2.83) | 84.9 (3.34) | 63.0 (2.48) | 863.1 (33.98) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 31.8 (1.25) | 33.0 (1.30) | 44.7 (1.76) | 68.2 (2.69) | 81.0 (3.19) | 69.1 (2.72) | 75.3 (2.96) | 82.0 (3.23) | 83.1 (3.27) | 71.9 (2.83) | 79.7 (3.14) | 43.5 (1.71) | 763.3 (30.05) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 34.2 (13.5) | 21.5 (8.5) | 16.9 (6.7) | 2.4 (0.9) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 5.3 (2.1) | 19.5 (7.7) | 99.9 (39.3) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 12.4 | 9.6 | 11.0 | 12.5 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.9 | 10.7 | 13.9 | 11.9 | 135.8 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.9 | 4.5 | 8.0 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.9 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 7.7 | 113.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 8.1 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 0.84 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 5.4 | 25.5 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada [15] [16] |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1901 | 1,119 | — |
1911 | 1,831 | +63.6% |
1921 | 2,709 | +48.0% |
1931 | 3,046 | +12.4% |
1941 | 3,815 | +25.2% |
1951 | 6,017 | +57.7% |
1961 | 47,008 | +681.3% |
1971 | 87,023 | +85.1% |
1981 | 114,853 | +32.0% |
1991 | 129,575 | +12.8% |
1996 | 136,976 | +5.7% |
2001 | 150,836 | +10.1% |
2006 | 164,415 | +9.0% |
2011 | 175,779 | +6.9% |
2016 | 183,314 | +4.3% |
2021 | 186,948 | +2.0% |
[17] [2] |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Burlington had a population of 186,948 living in 73,180 of its 74,891 total private dwellings, a change of 2% from its 2016 population of 183,314. With a land area of 186.12 km2 (71.86 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,004.4/km2 (2,601.5/sq mi) in 2021. [18]
According to the 2016 census, Burlington's population was 183,314 where 48% of residents were male and 52% female. Minors (individuals up to the age of 19) made up 22.6% of the population (almost identical to the national average of 22.4%), and seniors (age 65+) were 19.2% (higher than the national average of 16.9%). This older population was also reflected in Burlington's median age of 43.3, which was higher than the Canadian median of 41.2. [19]
According to the 2011 census, 70% of Burlington residents identify as Christian, with Catholics (31.5%) making up the largest denomination, followed by Anglican (10%), United Church (9.2%), and other denominations. Others identify as Muslim (2%), Hindu (1.1%), Sikh (1%), Buddhist (0.4%), Jewish (0.4%), and with other religions. A total of 25% of the population report no religious affiliation. [20]
According to the 2016 census, the most common mother tongue in Burlington is English (78.7%), followed by French (1.6%), Spanish (1.5%), Polish (1.3%), and Arabic (1.2). The three most commonly known languages are English (99.1%), French (9%), and Spanish (2.5%). [21]
Mother tongue | Population | % |
---|---|---|
English | 142,605 | 78.7 |
French | 2,970 | 1.6 |
Spanish | 2,680 | 1.5 |
Polish | 2,365 | 1.3 |
Arabic | 2,205 | 1.2 |
Italian | 1,845 | 1.0 |
Punjabi | 1,795 | 1.0 |
German | 1,645 | 0.9 |
Mandarin | 1,555 | 0.9 |
Portuguese | 1,545 | 0.9 |
Tagalog (Filipino) | 1,290 | 0.7 |
Dutch | 1,080 | 0.6 |
Knowledge of language | Population | % |
---|---|---|
English | 178,540 | 99.1 |
French | 16,140 | 9.0 |
Spanish | 4,455 | 2.5 |
Polish | 2,920 | 1.6 |
Italian | 2,865 | 1.6 |
Arabic | 2,750 | 1.5 |
German | 2,685 | 1.5 |
Punjabi | 2,565 | 1.4 |
Hindi | 2,055 | 1.1 |
Portuguese | 2,040 | 1.1 |
Mandarin | 1,990 | 1.1 |
Tagalog (Filipino) | 1,830 | 1.0 |
Ethnic origin [22] | Population | % |
---|---|---|
English | 56,130 | 31.2 |
Canadian | 42,935 | 23.8 |
Scottish | 40,050 | 22.2 |
Irish | 37,160 | 20.6 |
German | 18,645 | 10.4 |
French | 16,585 | 9.2 |
Italian | 14,235 | 7.9 |
Polish | 10,475 | 5.8 |
Dutch | 9,115 | 5.1 |
Ukrainian | 8,160 | 4.5 |
East Indian | 7,245 | 4.0 |
The 2016 census records a visible minority of 16%. [23]
The top 11 ethnic origins from the 2016 census are listed in the accompanying table. Percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents can report more than one ethnicity.
Panethnic group | 2021 [24] | 2016 [25] | 2011 [26] | 2006 [27] | 2001 [28] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
European [lower-alpha 1] | 143,180 | 77.83% | 149,320 | 82.9% | 151,195 | 87.15% | 145,720 | 89.68% | 137,575 | 91.88% | ||||
South Asian | 11,955 | 6.5% | 8,695 | 4.83% | 6,325 | 3.65% | 5,030 | 3.1% | 3,235 | 2.16% | ||||
East Asian [lower-alpha 2] | 6,295 | 3.42% | 5,160 | 2.86% | 4,175 | 2.41% | 3,280 | 2.02% | 2,335 | 1.56% | ||||
Middle Eastern [lower-alpha 3] | 5,510 | 3% | 3,495 | 1.94% | 2,385 | 1.37% | 1,555 | 0.96% | 1,075 | 0.72% | ||||
African | 4,670 | 2.54% | 3,795 | 2.11% | 2,830 | 1.63% | 2,450 | 1.51% | 2,305 | 1.54% | ||||
Southeast Asian [lower-alpha 4] | 4,075 | 2.22% | 3,520 | 1.95% | 2,270 | 1.31% | 1,550 | 0.95% | 890 | 0.59% | ||||
Latin American | 3,205 | 1.74% | 2,325 | 1.29% | 1,660 | 0.96% | 1,135 | 0.7% | 665 | 0.44% | ||||
Indigenous | 2,385 | 1.3% | 1,970 | 1.09% | 1,510 | 0.87% | 1,070 | 0.66% | 905 | 0.6% | ||||
Other/Multiracial [lower-alpha 5] | 2,680 | 1.46% | 1,835 | 1.02% | 1,135 | 0.65% | 685 | 0.42% | 755 | 0.5% | ||||
Total responses | 183,955 | 98.4% | 180,125 | 98.26% | 173,490 | 98.7% | 162,480 | 98.82% | 149,735 | 99.27% | ||||
Total population | 186,948 | 100% | 183,314 | 100% | 175,779 | 100% | 164,415 | 100% | 150,836 | 100% | ||||
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |
Burlington's economic strength is the diversity of its economic base, mainly achieved because of its geography, proximity to large industries in southern Ontario (Canada's largest consumer market), its location within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and proximity to Hamilton, and its transportation infrastructure including the Port of Hamilton on Burlington Bay. This diversity has allowed for sustained growth with regards to the economy. [29] The city has a robust economy with potential for growth—it is at the hub of the Golden Horseshoe, is largely driven by both the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
No single employer or job sector dominates Burlington's economy. The leading industrial sectors, in terms of employment, are food processing, packaging, electronics, motor vehicle/transportation, business services, chemical/pharmaceutical and environmental. The top five private sector employers in Burlington are Fearmans Pork Inc, Cogeco Cable, Evertz Microsystems, Boehringer Ingelheim and EMC2. Other notable business include The EBF Group, ARGO Land Development, The Sunshine Doughnut Company and TipTapPay Micropayments Ltd. [30] [31] [32] The largest public sector employers in the city are the City of Burlington, Burlington Economic Development, the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board and Joseph Brant Hospital.
Burlington Centre and Mapleview Centre are popular malls within the city. The city's summer festivals include Canada's Largest Ribfest, and the Burlington Sound of Music Festival which also attract many visitors.[ citation needed ]
The Burlington Teen Tour Band has operated in the city since 1947, including members between the ages of 13 and 21. The marching band are regular participants in major international parades. They are also referred to as "Canada's Musical Ambassadors" and have represented Canada all over the world. [33] One such occasion was during the 2018 Tournament of Roses Parade, where the band represented Canada for the fifth time in the band's history. [34] The band is led by Rob Bennett, managing director. [35] In 2024, the band performed on Juno Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. [36]
The Junior Redcoats are the younger version of the Teen Tour Band. The band includes children between the ages of 9 and 12. They are directed by Caroline Singh. [37]
The Burlington Concert Band (BCB) is the oldest band in Burlington and has been in operation since 1908. It is composed of local volunteer musicians, and plays a wide variety of musical styles and repertoire. The band's main goal is to raise money for local charities and organizations. The BCB maintains an open membership policy, allowing anyone who feels they can handle the music competently to join without an audition. The BCB is led by an elected volunteer board. [38] The current musical director is Joanne Romanow. [39]
The Burlington Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1973, is a community orchestra under the direction of Denis Mastromonaco. [40]
There are 115 parks and 580 hectares (1,400 acres) of parkland in the city. On the shore of Lake Ontario, Spencer Smith Park features a shoreline walking path, an observatory, water jet play area and restaurant. The park includes the Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond, used for model sail boating and ice-skating. Festivals in Spencer Smith Park include Ribfest, the Sound of Music Festival, Canada Day, Children's Festival and Lakeside Festival of Lights.
The Brant Street Pier opened in Spencer Smith Park during the Sound of Music Festival in 2013. [41]
The Art Gallery of Burlington contains permanent and temporary exhibits. [42]
"Royal Canadian Naval Association Naval Memorial" (1995), by André Gauthier, is a 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) high cast bronze statue of a World War II Canadian sailor in Spencer Smith Park. [43]
The Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington is the largest botanical garden in Canada. Ontario's botanical garden and National Historic Site of Canada features over 11 km2 (2,700 acres) of gardens and nature sanctuaries, including four outdoor display gardens, the Mediterranean Garden under glass, three on-site restaurants, the Gardens' Gift Shop, and festivals.
Located at The Village Square in Burlington's downtown are historic landmarks, businesses, shopping, and dining area. [44]
Mount Nemo Conservation Area is operated by Conservation Halton. Bronte Creek Provincial Park features a campground and recreational activities.
The local sections of the Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment, which is a UNESCO designated World Biosphere Reserve, provide hiking trails. Kerncliff Park, in a decommissioned quarry on the boundary with Waterdown, is a naturalized area on the lip of the Niagara Escarpment. The Bruce Trail runs through the park, at many points running along the edge of the cliffs, providing an overlook.
The Joseph Brant Museum has exhibits on the history of Burlington, the Eileen Collard Costume Collection, Captain Joseph Brant and the visible storage gallery. Ireland House at Oakridge Farm is a museum depicting family life from the 1850s to the 1920s. Freeman Railway Station (1906) of the Grand Trunk Railway, reopened as an interpretive centre in 2017.[ citation needed ]
Burlington offers four indoor and two outdoor pools, one splash park, nine splash pads, seven arenas and ice centres, six community centres and nine golf courses. [45] The Appleby Ice Centre is a 4-pad arena, used year-round for skating and ice hockey. [46]
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is a 940-seat facility opened in 2011. [47]
Burlington Centre is a two-storey mall opened in 1968, and Mapleview Centre is a two-storey mall opened in 1990.[ citation needed ]
Burlington doesn't host any professional teams, though several minor league teams are based in the city.
Club | Sport | League / Association | Venue |
Burlington Cougars | Ice hockey | Ontario Junior Hockey League | Appleby Ice Centre |
Burlington Chiefs | Box lacrosse | Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League | Central Arena |
Burlington Jr. Barracudas | Ice hockey | Provincial Women's Hockey League | Mainway Ice Centre |
Halton United | Soccer | Canadian Soccer League | Norton Park |
Burlington SC | Soccer | League1 Ontario | |
Burlington Eagles | Ice hockey | Ontario Minor Hockey Association | |
Burlington Bayhawks | Soccer | League1 Ontario | |
NEXXICE | Synchronized skating | Burlington Skating Club, Kitchener Waterloo Skating Club | |
Burlington Track and Field Club | Track and Field | Minor Track Association of Ontario, Athletics Ontario | La Salle Park (fall), Tansley Woods Community Centre (winter), Nelson High School (spring and summer) |
Burlington, Ontario, founded the Burlington International Games (B.I.G.). The games were first held in 1969 "to offer an athletic and cultural exchange experience for the youth of Burlington".[ citation needed ] Until recently,[ when? ] the games took place between Burlington, Ontario, and Burlington, Vermont, United States. But, other cities from places such as Quebec, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.S. have all had athletes compete since 1998. [48] The games celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2009 and the competition ceased in 2010 due to limited participation in later years.[ citation needed ]
The city is divided into six wards, each represented by a city councillor. The mayor, who chairs the city council, is Marianne Meed Ward.
Source: [49]
Year | Liberal | Conservative | New Democratic | Green | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 45% | 45,058 | 38% | 37,877 | 11% | 10,721 | 2% | 1,820 | |
2019 | 48% | 50,253 | 35% | 36,621 | 10% | 10,324 | 6% | 6,350 | |
Year | PC | New Democratic | Liberal | Green | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 44% | 33,239 | 16% | 11,700 | 31% | 23,227 | 6% | 4,566 | |
2018 | 42% | 38,124 | 28% | 24,839 | 24% | 21,517 | 4% | 3,952 | |
Federally, the city is represented by three MPs whose ridings cover parts of the city:
Provincially, the city is represented by three MPPs, whose ridings are geographically contiguous with their federal counterparts:
Major transportation corridors through the city include:
The Queen Elizabeth Way and Ontario Highway 403 run concurrently throughout most of Burlington.
Source: [53]
Source: [53]
Burlington Transit, the public transport provider in the city, provides bus service on a transportation grid centred on three commuter GO Train stations: Appleby, Burlington and Aldershot.
Commuter rail service is provided by GO Transit at the Appleby GO Station, Burlington GO Station and the Aldershot GO station. Intercity rail service is provided by Via Rail at Aldershot, which also serves Hamilton. Rail cargo transportation is provided by both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific.
Burlington Airpark in the city's north end is a thriving general-aviation without regular commercial passenger flight service. Some charter operations are provided.
On 26 February 2012, a Via Rail train traveling from Niagara Falls to Toronto Union Station derailed in Burlington, with three fatalities. [54]
Halton Regional Police Service provides law enforcement. [55]
The Burlington Fire Department offers emergency services from eight fire stations. [56] The services is made up of both career and volunteer fire fighters. [56]
Paramedic services are provided by Halton Region Paramedic Services. [57]
Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital is located in downtown Burlington.
Burlington's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Halton District School Board. Burlington's Catholic elementary and secondary schools are part of the Halton Catholic District School Board. French public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and French catholic elementary and secondary schools are part of the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. Several private schools are also available in the city.
There are 29 public elementary schools and 14 Roman Catholic elementary schools in Burlington.
There are six public high schools and three Catholic high schools in the area.
BurlingtonToday.com is an online local news source in Burlington, offering the latest breaking news, weather updates, entertainment, sports and business features, obituaries and more.
Several publications are either published in or around Burlington, or have Burlington as one of their main subjects, including Burlington Post and View Magazine . Burlington Post is no longer in circulation.[ citation needed ]
Burlington is part of the Hamilton radio market. One radio station, FM 107.9 CJXY, is licensed to Burlington and another, FM 94.7 CHKX, to "Hamilton/Burlington." Both presently broadcast from studios in Hamilton. Burlington listeners are also served by stations licensed to Toronto, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York.
Burlington is primarily served by media based in Toronto (other than those noted below), as it is geographically in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Burlington has twin-city relationships with the following cities: [61]
Past twin-city relationships:[ citation needed ]
Oakville is a town and lower-tier municipality in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton. At its 2021 census the town had a population of 213,759, with an estimated 233,700 people as of 2024, making it Ontario's largest town. Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area and one of the most densely populated areas of Canada. According to the town, about 36% do not have English as their mother tongue, and land available for culture and recreation is over 300,000 m (1,000,000 ft).
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2017, St. Catharines has an area of 96.13 square kilometres (37.12 sq mi) and 140,370 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km2) of parks, gardens, and trails.
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing municipality in Canada, with a 71.4% increase in population from 2001 to 2006 and another 56.5% increase from 2006 to 2011. In 2016, Milton's census population was 110,128 with an estimated growth to 228,000 by 2031. It remained the fastest growing community in Ontario but was deemed to be the sixth fastest growing in Canada at that time.
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater Toronto Area begins in Burlington in Halton Region to the west, and extends along Lake Ontario past downtown Toronto eastward to Clarington in Durham Region.
The Golden Horseshoe is a secondary region of Southern Ontario, Canada, which lies at the western end of Lake Ontario, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. The region is the most densely populated and industrialized in Canada. Based on the 2021 census, with a population of 7,759,635 people in its core and 9,765,188 in its greater area, the Golden Horseshoe accounts for over 20 percent of the population of Canada and more than 54 percent of Ontario's population. It is part of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, itself part of the Great Lakes megalopolis.
Scarborough is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue and the city of Markham to the north, Rouge River and the city of Pickering to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south. Scarborough was named after the English town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, inspired by its cliffs.
The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the Golden Horseshoe, the largest megalopolis in Canada.
Halton Hills is a town in the Regional Municipality of Halton, located in the northwestern end of the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada with a population of 62,951 (2021).
The County of Brant is a single-tier municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario. Although it retains the word "county" in its name, the municipality is a single-tier municipal government and has no upper tier. The County of Brant has service offices in Burford, Paris, Oakland, Onondaga and St. George. The largest population centre is Paris.
The Regional Municipality of Halton, or Halton Region, is a regional municipality in Ontario, Canada, located in the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario. It comprises the city of Burlington and the towns of Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills. Policing in the Region is provided by the Halton Regional Police Service. The regional council's headquarters are located in Oakville. Burlington, Oakville, and Milton are largely urban and suburban, while Halton Hills is more rural.
Stoney Creek is a community in the city of Hamilton in the Canadian province of Ontario. Stoney Creek was a municipality until 2001, when it was amalgamated with Hamilton, Glanbrook, Ancaster, Dundas and Flamborough, to form the City of Hamilton.
The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is a heritage-listed botanical garden located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It covers extensive environmentally protected areas, historic sites, and culturally relevant gardens from Burlington to neighbouring Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as being a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation, and scientific resource.
Lakeshore West is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Union Station in Toronto to Hamilton, along the shore of Lake Ontario. Some train trips extend past Hamilton to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor is the most densely populated and heavily industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, the 1,150 km (710 mi)-long region extends from Quebec City in the northeast and Windsor, Ontario in the southwest. With more than 18 million people, it contains about half of the country's population and seven of Canada's 12 largest metropolitan areas, 3 of which are in the top 4. Its relative importance to Canada's economic and political infrastructure renders it akin to the Northeast megalopolis in the United States. The name was first popularized by Via Rail, which runs frequent passenger rail service in the region in its service area known as "The Corridor".
Hamilton Mountain is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. The riding is located in the Hamilton region.
Hamilton Centre is a federal electoral district in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004.
Burlington is a federal electoral district in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979.
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004.
Flamborough—Glanbrook is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015.