In 2012, the City of Burlington was ranked #2 in Money Sense magazine’s “Canada’s best places to live” list.
Population
175,779
Geographic Location
Burlington is a beautiful waterfront community located at the southwestern end of Lake Ontario, just to the north of Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula – roughly the geographic centre of the urban corridor known as the Golden Horseshoe. Burlington has a total land area of 187 km2 (72 sq. miles). The main urban area is located south of Hwy. 407 and Dundas Street and the land north of these roads is used primarily for agriculture, rural residential and conservation purposes.
Notable Facts
Burlington was established on lands awarded in 1798 to Joseph Brant, the great Mohawk chief, as a reward for his services to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War. In 1873, the adjacent hamlets of Wellington Square and Port Nelson became the village of Burlington. In 1914, Burlington became a town and in 1974, a city. While port activity was an important part of Burlington’s history, now only recreational vessels use the marina in LaSalle Park. The 2.2 km long Skyway Bridge is a prominent landmark.
Events/Places of Interest
The Sound of Music Festival is held annually on Father’s Day weekend in Spencer Smith Park in downtown Burlington. It is Canada’s largest free music festival and has been voted one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario. (www.soundofmusic.on.ca)
Ribfest is held annually on the Labour Day long weekend (August 30-September 2 in 2013). This year marks the 18th anniversary of the event the National Post has dubbed “the Super Bowl of Ribfests”. Ribfest is presented by the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore and is Canada’s largest rib festival. (www.canadaslargestribfest.com)
The Burlington Art Centre presents various exhibits through the year – from local to national – and houses the largest collection of Canadian ceramics. The Centre’s exhibition spaces, which feature new exhibits every eight to ten weeks, are fully accessible and are free of charge to visitors. (www.burlingtonartcentre.on.ca)
Joseph Brant Museum features ongoing exhibits on the history of Burlington, the Eileen Collard Gallery, 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. (www.museumsofburlington.com)
Burlington has the distinction of having one of the only two naturally occurring magnetic hills in Canada. The magnetic hill is on King Road, north of Hwy. 403.
Sources: Wikipedia, City of Burlington
Photo by Rochelle Edwards