Wedding in Burlington
Burlington (2006 population 164,415) is a city located in the Golden Horseshoe, across Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay harbour from Hamilton, in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada.
It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, although it is still part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Transportation is served by the Queen Elizabeth Way, Highway 403, Highway 407, as well as Dundas Street, 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.
In recent years Burlington has been one of the fastest growing areas of Canada with many new immigrants and young families building new homes here. The region by the lake has a number of expensive homes while the rest of the community is mostly upper-middle class suburbs.
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.
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.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between former Burlington Mayor Rob MacIsaac and 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.
There has been a link established with a New South Wales Australia institution Charles Sturt University.
Like most cities of its size in Ontario, manufacturing of various goods sustains Burlington's livelihood, but its proximity to Hamilton and Toronto means many residents commute to those cities.
There are also many stores and shops in Burlington. The Burlington Mall and Mapleview Mall are popular malls within the city. The many summer festivals in the city, including Canada's largest Ribfest, also attract many visitors.
The city is also located in the "Golden Horseshoe".
Burlington is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada's largest botanical garden, which incorporates both untamed and cultivated landscapes. There are 75 parks and 800 acres (325 ha of parkland within the city, the largest being Spencer Smith Park, located on the shore of Lake Ontario, which is going through large scale renovations to improve the park. Located in North Burlington is Mount Nemo Conservation Area, the only park in Burlington operated by the Halton Region Conservation Authority.
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 two naturally occurring magnetic hills in Canada is found in Burlington, on King Road just north of Bayview Park.
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