Burlington, Canada

Burlington (2001 population 150,836)^[1] is located in the Golden Horseshoe, across the Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay harbour from Hamilton, in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada.

The land which is now Burlington, was deeded to Chief Joseph Brant in 1798. and settlement on the "Brant Block" started soon afterward. In 1874 the communities of Wellington Square and Port Nelson were incorporated into the Village of Burlington, and a town in 1915. In 1962, most of the township of Nelson was annexed including, Aldershot and it became a city in 1974, upon the creation of the Regional Municipality of Halton (and some land in the north and northeast became part of Milton.

Like most cities of its size in Ontario, manufacturing of various goods sustains Burlington's livelihood, but its proximity to both Hamilton and Toronto means many residents commute to those cities. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, although it is still part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area, and is served by Queen Elizabeth Way, Highway 403, Highway 407, as well as Dundas Street, and by both GO Transit and VIA Rail; Burlington Station is the weekday terminus of hourly commuter trains on the Lakeshore West Line, and Aldershot Station is a peak-hour station, and VIA Rail facility.

In recent years it has been one of the fastest growing areas of Canada with many new homes being built. The region by the lake has a number of expensive homes while the rest of the community is mostly middle class suburbs.

Burlington is represented in the Canadian Parliament by Paddy Torsney (Liberal) and in the Ontario legislature by Cam Jackson (Conservative).

Cultural organizations

The Burlington Teen Tour Band 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.