Burlington a has 206,000 residents, and is Halton Region’s largest city, lying west of Oakville on the western edge of the GTA , and just north of Hamilton along the Niagara Escarpment. Burlington provides easy access to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and highways 403, 407 and 427. Burlington has two GoTrain stations, Burlington in the middle and Aldershot in the west. Major employers here include Cogeco Cable, Boehringer Ingleheim, and Gennum Corporation.
Burlington has three general areas, Aldershot, west of the QEW and nestled along Burlington Bay, Old Burlington which is between the QEW and Lake Ontario, and the newer areas of Burlington lie north of the QEW closer to the Escarpment.
Burlington Attractions
Burlington Magnetic Hill
King Rd, 1.5 km north of North Service Rd
It can ‘pull’ a car over its crest when set in neutral.
Flamborough Heritage Society & Archives
163 Dundas Street East
Waterdown, Ontario L0R 2H0
905-689-4074
Over 12 walking tours. Brochures are available for visitors to learn about Flamborough’s heritage, together with history books and historical exhibitions. Information is available for people researching Flamborough’s heritage and history. Free parking.
Ireland House Museum
2168 Guelph Line
Burlington, ON L7P 5A8
905-332-9888
Built between 1835-1837 Ireland House was the home of Joseph Ireland, one of Burlington’s earliest settlers. He emigrated from Bowes, Yorkshire, England in 1819 and petitioned for land at Oakridge Farm. Ireland House was occupied by Joseph and his descendants up until 1985. In 1987 the City of Burlington purchased the property from the estate of Marie Ireland Bush. The homestead has since been restored to illustrate 3 distinct time periods, representing the generations of Irelands who lived in the house. Ninety percent of the furnishings are original to the Ireland family. The property consists of 3.68 acres of woodland, gardens, and picnic areas. Open Tuesday – Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Closed, Mondays & Saturdays. Admission $$.
Joseph Brant Museum
1240 North Shore Boulevard East
Burlington, ON L7S 1C5
905-634-3556
The Joseph Brant Museum is housed in a replica of the house built by Joseph Brant, Thayendanegea, the prominent Mohawk leader and Loyalist who moved to the head of Lake Ontario in the early 19th century. In 1798 the Mohawk leader was granted 3,40 acres on Burlington Bay by King George III for his services to the Crown during the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. The Museum exhibits artifacts that relate to the story of Joseph Brant, Burlington’s history as a community and the Eileen Collard Gallery of Historic Costumes and Textiles collection, Ontario’s 2nd largest collection of historic clothing. The museum was built in 1937/38 and opened its doors in June, 1942 as a one-room exhibit gallery. Today the museum has more than 2,200 square feet of exhibit space and houses more than 10,000 artifacts. Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House at Oakridge Farm offer tours and hold a variety of special events during the year which celebrate our heritage. Open Monday – Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Admission $$
White Rock Ostrich Farm
13085 Fourth Line Nassagaweya,
Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0
(519) 856-2629
Take 401 west to Regional Rd 25 (formally HWY 25). Go north on 25 to 25th side road. Turn left on 25th Side Road and continue to 4th line and turn right. We are the 5th mail box on the right. This real ostrich farm provides a total learning experience for kids of all ages, from seeing the eggs and how they hatch, and seeing an Ostrich chicks. Kids experience the farming aspect while learning about where our meat comes from today.
Burlington Parks
Waterfront Trail
Burlington is part of a 740 km waterfront trail system along the northshore of Lake Ontario connecting Brockville in the east with Niagara-on-the-Lake. There is a paved 23 km. waterfront trail rom the Burlington Canal to Burloak Drive along Lakeshore Road, and through some Municipal Waterfront Parks. There are trail markers, painted in half-kilometre increments enable runners, walkers and cyclists to track the distances they have travelled.
Royal Botanical Gardens
905-527-1158
680 Plains Road West (Hwy 2),
Burlington, ON L7T 4H4
These gardens have the world’s largest lilac collection, 100,000 tulips, 250,000 iris blooms, 3,000 rose bushes, a 30-kilometre trail system through Cootes Paradise and a 2,000 acre forest, and four nature sanctuaries where you can spot over 250 species of breeding and migratory bird. The gardens began in the 1930’s to transform an old gravel pit into a rock garden to rival England’s Kew Gardens. Today, there are six unique gardens covering over 2,700 acres. The gardens also host a number of festivals over the year, and provide horticultural courses.
LaSalle Park
50 North Shore Blvd E, Burlington, ON L7T 4A
In 1915, Hamilton bought this 57 acres on the shore of Burlington Bay and called it Wabasso Park, and a pavilion was added in 1917. In 1926, to commemorate Sieur de La Salle’s landing in the area the name was changed to La Salle Park. Today, the park is still owned by Hamilton but is maintained by Burlington, and the park features a marina, walking trails, sports fields, playground, wading pool, splash pad and extensive picnic area. It is home to the Burlington Sailing & Boating Club.
Beachway Park & Pavilion
1100 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A7
(905) 335-7736
The Beachway Park has a 2 km multi-use trail from Spencer Smith Park to the Burlington Canal. The Pavilion provides change rooms, outdoor showers, seasonal concession facilities and year round washrooms.
Brant Inn Node
905 335-7600 #7423
The Brant Inn Node connects waterfront waterfront Spencer Smith and Beachway parks with a continuous 3 km paved shoreline recreational pathway from the TravelLodge to the Burlington Shipping Canal. This park area includes scenic lookout points, a day-use boat tie up, a Japanese Garden and naturalized fish habitat pond, with plans for a restaurant and a skating rink.
Spencer Smith Park
1400 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1Y2
This land was originally granted to the Mohawk leader Joseph Brant for his service to The British Crown during the American Revolution. The Burlington Tourist Information Centre is across Lakeshore Road from the park. Until 1939, Lakeshore road was at close to the waterline, and frequently threatened by storms, so a seawall was added, and the park created behind it. A centennial project in 1965 construction added the Confederation Terrace and improved the park.
Paletta Lakefront Park
280 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7L 1A8
(On the south side of Lakeshore Road, between Appleby and Walkers Line)
This land was granted to Laura Secord in 1809, and had several owners until the 6.4 hectare estate was purchased in 1912, by a prominent Cyrus Albert Birge, and his daughter built the 1930 mansion on the land. Purchased by the City in 1990, this picturesque park has mature trees and has a formal allee of mature sugar maples leading from the entrance gate to the lake and has a series of three separate gardens.
Burloak Waterfront Park
5420 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7L 1C9
(At the foot of Burloak Drive, south of Lakeshore Road)
This park, with over 800 meters of shoreline, straddles the border between Burlington and Oakville, and is a trail head for the Waterfront Trail. The park has a significant Queenston shale cliff formation which is home to one of the largest nesting colonies of bank swallows in the western basin of Lake Ontario. Views from the bluffs include the Shell working pier, where large ships refuel, and on clear days and nights you can see the Toronto skyline and the Niagara Peninsula.