Burlington, Ontario

Burlington (2006 population 164,415) is a city located at the western end of Lake Ontario. Politically it is part of the Halton Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada. However Burlington is the only member of the Halton Regional Municipality that is part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area.

Transportation is served by the Queen Elizabeth Way, Highway 403, Highway 407, as well as Dundas Street/Highway 5, and by both GO Transit and VIA Rail. Burlington Transit is the public transport provider in the city. Rail Service is provided by both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific.

Burlington is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Mike Wallace (Conservative) as well as Garth Turner (Liberal). Burlington is also represented in the Ontario legislature by Joyce Savoline (Progressive Conservative) and Ted Chudleigh (Progressive Conservative).

In 1989, Burlington signed a twin city declaration with Itabashi, a ward of Tokyo, Japan. Since then, various exchanges and programs have been carried out between the two cities and relations between have flourished. Apeldoorn (the Netherlands) is also a twin city of Burlington, while Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA is a sister city^[1].

Some of the many attractions include: Canada's Largest Ribfest, Sound of Music Festival, Burlington Art Centre, and Spencer Smith Park. All are located downtown in close proximity to Spencer Smith Park.

[edit] History

The land which is now Burlington was deeded to Chief Joseph Brant in 1798. Settlement on the "Brant Block" started soon afterward. In 1874 the communities of Wellingt\1o0 .n Square and Port Nelson were incorporated into the Village of Burlington, and later a town in 1915. It also has lots of rapists so becareful

In 1962, most of the township of Nelson was annexed including Aldershot. It became a city in 1974, upon the creation of the Regional Municipality of Halton. Burlington's growth is due in large part to is location between Hamilton and Toronto where many residents commute to work.

[edit] Demographics

Ethnic Origin[1]	Population	Percent
English	59,330	36.51%
Scottish	39,605	24.37%
Irish	33,855	20.83%
German	16,640	10.24%
French	15,980	9.83%
Italian	11,430	7.03%
Dutch	8,575	5.27%
Polish	8,120	5.00%

According to the 2006 census, there were 164,415 people residing in the City of Burlington, located in the province of Ontario, of whom 48% were male and 52% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 24.5 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 15.4 percent. This compares with the Canadian average of 24.4 percent (minors) and 13.7 percent (pensioners). The average age of Burlington residents is 40.3 compared to the Canadian average of 39.5.[2] In the five years between 2001 and 2006, the population of Burlington grew by 9%, while Canada as a whole grew by 5.4 percent.

As of 2006, 91.04% of the population was white. Other groups include South Asian: 3.1%, mixed race: 1.5%, black: 1.5%, and Chinese: 1.3%.[3] From the ethnic origins table, respondents were able to chose more than one ethnicity.

[edit] Religion

In the city of Burlington, almost 80.0% of the population declare themselves as Christian. Approx. 41% are Protestant and Anglican, while 32% are Roman Catholic, with the balance of Christians being Orthodox Christian and smaller denominations. The non-Christian population numbers less than 1.0%, mostly Islam, Sikh and Hindu.

Burlington sits in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton.

[edit] Media and journalism

[edit] Television stations

Crossroads Television System (CITS-TV) is based in Burlington with studios on the North Service Road near the junction of the QEW, 403 and 407.
Television station CH serves Hamilton, Halton and Niagara, thus including Burlington.
Burlington has a local community channel provided by the cable provider, Cogeco. The channel is called Cogeco 23.

[edit] Radio

One radio station, FM 107.9 CJXY, is licensed to Burlington and another, FM 94.7 CIWV, to "Hamilton/Burlington." Both presently broadcast from studios in Hamilton; CJXY, indeed, brands itself "Hamilton's ONLY Rock Station." Burlington listeners are also served by stations licensed to Hamilton, Toronto, and other nearby radio markets.

[edit] Print media

The Hamilton Spectator

http://www.thespec.com/

Burlington Post
InBurlington

http://www.inburlington.com/

Snap Burlington

http://www.snapburlington.com

The Toronto Star

http://www.thestar.com

[edit] Education

[edit] High schools

M. M. Robinson High School

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 de District du Centre Sud Ouest (CSDCSO) and French catholic elementary and secondary schools are part of the Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud (CSDCCS).

[edit] Public

Aldershot High School
Burlington Central High School
Gary Allan High School Burlington Campus
Lester B. Pearson High School (1977)
M.M. Robinson High School (1963)
Nelson High School (1957)
Robert Bateman High School (2004)
École élémentaire Renaissance

[edit] Catholic

Assumption Secondary School (1977)
Notre Dame Secondary School (1989)
Corpus Christi (2008) -currently under construction. Will open for students in the school year 2008/2009.
École élémentaire catholique Saint-Philippe
Académie catholique Mère-Teresa

[edit] Private

Fern Hill School

Halton Waldorf School[4]

Burlington Christian Academy

Burlington Montessori Preschool

Glenn Arbour Academy

Halton Centre for Childcare

Hillfield Strathallan

Summerhill Day School

Trinity Christian School

[edit] Colleges and universities

There are no universities in Burlington, however there are many neighbouring universities in Hamilton, Toronto, and other nearby cities.

Burlington is home to the Canadian Therapeutic College, which is an affiliate of the Canadian College of Dental Health.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between former Burlington Mayor Rob MacIsaac and Hamilton's McMaster University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Peter J. George on September 30, 2004 acknowledging to work together to bring a McMaster campus to Burlington. The site for the school is TBA.

There has been a link established with a New South Wales Australia institution Charles Sturt University.

[edit] Economy

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 relationship to the Greater Toronto Area market and Hamilton, and its transportation infrastructure. The city has a robust economy with potential for future growth - it is located at the hub of the Golden Horseshoe, and is largely driven by both the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

There are also many stores and shops in Burlington. The Burlington Mall and Mapleview Centre are popular malls within the city. The many summer festivals in the city, including Canada's Largest Ribfest, which also attracts many visitors. The city is suburban and heavily automobile dependent.

[edit] Politics

The riding map for Burlington. Author: Elections Ontario.

Burlington's mayor is Cam Jackson, former member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, and has MP Mike Wallace with the Conservative Party of Canada representing Burlington in the House of Commons. Currently, Burlington is a centre-right-wing city, however, from 1993-2006 the city was represented by Liberal MP Paddy Torsney.

The riding of Burlington has not had a Liberal MPP since 1943.^[2]

[edit] 2007 by-election

Following Cam Jackson's resignation to successfully run for mayor of Burlington, the riding was left with a vacant seat at Queen's Park. Consequently, a by-election was called by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on January 10, 2007, to be held on February 8, 2007.[5]^[3]^[4] Joan Lougheed, who was defeated by Jackson for the mayor's post, is the Ontario Liberal Party candidate as of January 4, 2007. [6] Former Halton Regional Chair Joyce Savoline is the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate, narrowly defeating former Miss Canada Blair Lancaster for the nod.[7] On January 12, 2007, Brantford school teacher and community activist Cory Judson defeated former Halton District School Board trustee David Abbott for the Ontario New Democratic Party candidate spot.[8]

On January 25, 2007, Frank de Jong, the leader of the Green Party of Ontario began to campaign in the byelection.^[5]

John C. Turmel, who according to Guinness Book of Records hold the records for the most elections contested and the most elections lost, ran as an Independent candidate.

Barry Spruce ran for the Freedom Party of Ontario.

Wikinews has has news related to this article:

By-election, February 8, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	Progressive Conservative	Joyce Savoline	11,143	49.0%	+2.8%
	Liberal	Joan Lougheed	9,365	41.2%	-1.0%
	New Democrat	Cory Judson	1,310	5.8%	-1.4%
	Green	Frank de Jong	734	3.2%	+0.9%
	Freedom	Barry Spruce	106	0.5%	*
	Independent	John C. Turmel	90	0.4%	*

[edit] 2007 Halton Catholic District School Board By-Election

The resignation of Al Bailey has left a vacant spot for trustee. ^[6] ^[7]

The candidates are: Paul Muller, Mary Holko, and Arlene Iantomasi.

The winner was Arlene Iantomasi.

[edit] Sites of interest

Burlington shares the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada's largest botanical garden with neighbouring Hamilton, which incorporates both untamed and cultivated landscapes. There are 75 parks and 325 ha (800 acres) of parkland within the city, the largest being Spencer Smith Park. The park is located on the shore of Lake Ontario, and is going through large scale renovations. Located in North Burlington is Mount Nemo Conservation Area, the only park in Burlington operated by the Halton Region Conservation Authority.

The Burlington Coastline on Lake Ontario

In the Northwest edge of the city, right on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, there is Kerncliff Park, a naturalized area. The Park, which is built out of an abandoned quarry, straddles the border between nearby Waterdown, and features many trails that climb up and down the Escarpment. Additionally, the Bruce Trail runs through the park, at many points getting right to the edge of the cliffs, providing a clear overlook of Burlington, the Burlington Skyway Bridge, Hamilton, and Oakville. On a clear day, one can see the CN Tower in Toronto, approximately 50KM away from the park. The park is located on Kerns Road, which is connected to North Service Road near Brant street and the 407 entrance.

The Burlington Art Centre shows various exhibits throughout the year from local to national talent, including the renowned Canadian artist Robert Bateman. The Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House are also popular attractions.

Not widely known to many residents is that one of the three naturally occurring magnetic hills in Ontario is found in Burlington, on King Road just north of Bayview Park.

There are no large-scale stadiums or arenas in Burlington. There is no Opera or Theatre Company of note. Burlington being a bedroom community relies on neighbouring Hamilton's amenities.

Many annual lakefront activities take place in Spencer Smith Park including Canada's Largest Ribfest and the Sound of Music Festival.

Spencer Smith Park, downtown, Burlington, Ontario, Canada	The WWII Navy Memorial in Spencer Smith Park	Burlington Mall	City Hall, on Brant Street
Brant Street, downtown	Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, downtown

Image:NewBurlingtonPanEdit.jpg

Panoramic view of downtown Burlington.

[edit] Malls

Main article: List of shopping malls in Canada#Ontario

Appleby Mall - a mall located at Appleby Line and New Street.
Burlington Mall - a two-story mall at Guelph Line and Fairview Street.
Mapleview Centre - a two-story mall with many high-end stores at Queen Elizabeth Way and Fairview Street, which will be undergo expansion in mid 2008.
Millcroft Shopping Centre - an out-door mall located at Appleby Line and Upper Middle Road.

[edit] Organizations

A Burlington Transit bus

The Burlington Teen Tour Band (BTTB) has operated in the city since 1947, including members between the ages of 13 and 21. The marching band goes by the nickname The Redcoats due to the colour of its uniforms, and are regular participants in major international parades. They are also occasionally referred to as "Canada's Musical Ambassadors" and have represented Canada all over the world. 2007 will mark the 60th Anniversary of the BTTB. Celebrations, including a homecoming reunion, a concert and participation in the parade, are being planned to mark this anniversary during the 2007 Sound of Music Festival. More information is available at the BTTB Alumni Web page . The band is currently led by Rob Bennett, managing director, along with Sir William Hughes, musical director.

Since 1961, 715 "Mohawk" Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets has been a fixture in the city. The Royal Canadian Air Cadets is only one of the three branches of the Canadian Cadet Movement. The CCM is a partnership between the Department of National Defence, and each of the three cadet leagues: The Air Cadet League of Canada, The Army Cadet League of Canada, and the Navy League. The CCM is the largest federally funded youth program in Canada, and is open to youth ages 12-18 who are interested in leadership, citizenship, physical fitness, the Canadian Forces, and personal discipline. Currently financial difficulties, among other reasons, have caused 715 squadron to consider relocation to a new squadron building in Burlington.

Burlington Area Scouts traces its organization back to 1910 when the town's population was about 1,000. The first local Scoutmaster was Archie McGibbon, who remained in his position for more than a year, after which there was a succession of leaders including Hughes Cleaver and William Gilbert. The original enrolment of 25 boys was considered excellent for the small population of Burlington.

About 1918, Rev. George W. Tebbs took over the troop. It was in the 1920s when Scoutmaster Tebbs and the local troop met Baden-Powell in Burlington. The founder was motoring to Toronto and broke his trip for a short while when he saw the Scouts lined up at Gore Park on the waterfront. For many years, Rev. Tebbs led the boys as they marched out of town, hauling the trek cart to some distant camping place. It wasn't until 1958 that the Scouts' combined group committees were able to buy the 90 acre camping grounds in North Burlington at Camp Manitou.

The current Burlington Area Scouts came into existence in 1958 as "Burlington District" with amalgamation of several groups from Burlington and surrounding area. There are 17 active groups within the Area, providing Scouting to over 700 members. The Area stretches outside the city limits of Burlington and encompasses the additional communities of Waterdown, Kilbride, and Carlisle.^[8]

[edit] Sports

[edit] Local Teams

The Burlington Cougars are an Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League Team.

The following are the names associated with Burlington's rep-level sports teams:

Burlington Barracudas Girls Hockey Teams
Burlington Skyway Roller Derby
Burlington Bulldogs Hockey Teams
Burlington Chiefs Lacrosse Teams
Burlington Eagles Hockey Teams
Burlington Stampeders Football Teams
Burlington Panthers Basketball Teams
Burlington Thunder Basketball Team
Burlington Bulls Baseball Teams
Burlington Centaurs Rugby Teams
Burlington Blaze Girls Volleyball Teams
Burlington Bandits Girls Softball Teams
Burlington Braves Football Team

The Burlington Youth Soccer Club (BYSC) is the organization behind all levels of youth soccer in Burlington. The Burlington Soccer League is the organization behind most men's league soccer in Burlington. Soccer Club Organization of Burlington Youth (Scooby Soccer) is a unique youth soccer club with ties to AC Milan.

[edit] International Competition

Also, Burlington, Ontario founded and is still a participating city of 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." Up until recently, the games took place between Burlington, Ontario and Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A.. But, other cities from places such as Quebec, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.S. have all had athletes compete since 1998.^[9]

[edit] Notable natives

[edit] Artists

Robert Bateman, (1930- ), Acclaimed Naturalist Painter.
Kelly Richardson, (1972 - ), Artist, born in Burlington.

[edit] Authors/ writers

Paul W. Fitzgerald -Writer, Academic and Author, attended Burlington Central High School.
Sylvia McNicoll, (1954 - ), author of over twenty novels for children and young adults.

[edit] Music

Dead and Divine - Metal / Hardcore / Southern Rock
Boys Night Out - Rock band.
Jeff Danna - (1964- ), Film Music Composer.
Mychael Danna - (1958-), Film Music Composer.
Finger Eleven - Alternative Rock Band.
Sarah Harmer - (1970- ), Singer and songwriter.
Idle Sons - Rock Band.
Ripped - Alternative rock band.
Melissa McClelland - (1979- ), Singer and songwriter.
Devraj Patnaik - (1975- ), Music composer, Odissi dancer and Choreographer.
Silverstein - Post-hardcore Band.
Spoons - 1980s New Wave Band.
Tebey - (1983- ), Country Music Artist, attended Assumption Secondary School.
Jordan Hastings, (1982 - ), Alexisonfire, drummer
Armitage - (1959- ), 80's Studio Guitarist.
Grade - Rock Band
James Anthony, (1955 - ), Blues Guitar.

[edit] Sports

Mark Appleyard, (1983- ), skateboarder.
Michael Broomhead, (1986- ), Canadian Formula Ford Racecar Driver, Britain West Motorsport, currently living in Burlington.
Angela Coughlan, bronze medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in swimming; gold and silver medalist at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games.
Karen Gike, Olympic Weight Lifting Champion (1984)
Adam Creighton, (1965 - ), retired professional hockey player who played 708 NHL games.
Peter Kneulman, (1983- ), Olympic sailor.
Jesse Lumsden, (1982- ), running back with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
Jesse Madore, (1991- ), Striker for the North York Astros
Melville Marks Robinson, (1888-TBD), founder of the Commonwealth Games.
Chris Schultz, (1960- ), former offensive tackle with the CFL Toronto Argonauts, and current TSN sportscaster
Chad Wiseman, (1981- ), NHL player, Washington Capitals, born in Burlington.

[edit] TV/ film/ stage

Jillian Barberie, (1966- ), Actress and television Hostess, attended Assumption Secondary School.
Michael Bradshaw (1933-2001) Actor, lived here from late 1950's until mid 1960's.
Carlos Bustamente - YTV The Zone Host , attended Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School.
Jim Carrey, (1962- ), Comedian and actor, attended Aldershot High School and Holy Rosary School
Ryan Gosling, (1980- ), Actor, attended Lester B. Pearson High School.
Adam J. Harrington, (1967-), Actor, ( Whistler (TV series) ), attended Burlington Central High School.
Torri Higginson, (1969- ), Actress.
Ellora Patnaik, (1968- ), Actor and Odissi dancer.
Lynn Shawcroft - Comedian.
Paula Todd, (1959- ), Television Journalist.
Owen Stanford Alexander, (1988- ), Much Music Television Personality, Attended M.M. Robinson High School and graduated in 2007