July 2025

Summer is finally here. After a long and somewhat cold and wet spring we are finally blessed with nice summer weather just in time for the season. Burlington has some great festivals to offer during the summer season. For a full list of events, visit the City of Burlington Event Calendar and plan accordingly.

In addition to the festivals, Burlington has a great beach strip that has seen soaring popularity since the pandemic. You need to get there early to find parking or you may need to park downtown and shuttle, bike or walk to the beach. We enjoy doing breakfast at the beach and spending a few hours down there in the morning hours of peace and tranquility.  

If golf is your thing, then please look at booking Tyandaga Golf Course, which is our only municipal golf course. Great for both learners or advanced golfers; it really has it all.  

If you need to chat with me anytime during the summer, please reach out to my office. I will have some in person Drop-In Sessions at the Aldershot Farmers Market location. See dates below in the newsletter for details.

Thank you!

Kelvin Galbraith

Ward 1 City and Regional Councillor

kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca

The Bay Area Economic Summit took place on June 5, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and experts to address key economic challenges and opportunities.

On June 7, the 52nd Annual Sail Past event took place at LaSalle Marina to kick off the official opening of Burlington Sailing & Boating Club for the 2025 season.

A ribbon cutting ceremony took place on June 25 to celebrate the re-opening of the Glenview Public School gymnasium.

Statutory Public Meeting - 35 Plains Road East

A Statutory Public Meeting has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 8 at the City's Committee of the Whole standing committee meeting regarding a proposed development at 35 Plains Road East (corner of Cooke Blvd).

City planning staff will be presenting a report recommending approval of the development applications that propose to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to facilitate the development of:

• a 13-storey mixed use building with 161 residential units
• approximately 457m2 of ground floor retail space
• approximately 1,656m2 of amenity space in the form of balconies, roof top terrace and indoor roof amenity space
• vehicular access proposed from Cooke Blvd with two levels of underground parking, including a total of 110 residential spaces and 6 visitor spaces

Meeting Details:

Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Location: Hybrid - to watch the meeting online, access the link for the July 8 Committee of the Whole meeting at burlington.ca/calendar or attend in person at City Hall, 426 Brant St., 2nd Floor, Council Chambers

A Special Council meeting will also take place immediately following the Committee of the Whole to consider this item.

View the Staff Report:

The staff report is available on the Burlington Council and Committees Calendar under the Committee of the Whole meeting agenda (Item 13.1).

Speak at the Meeting:

There are two ways to share your feedback during the Statutory Public Meeting:

Pre-register to speak by Noon the day before the meeting in one of the following ways:

• complete the online delegation request form at burlington.ca/delegate;
• submit a written request by email to the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@burlington.ca; or 
• call 905-335-7600, ext. 7481. 

Register to speak during the Statutory Public Meeting: 

• If you are attending the meeting virtually, you can register to speak by emailing clerks@burlington.ca, as noted in the ticker tape that will be scrolling along the bottom of the live stream webcast of the meeting; or
• If you are attending the meeting in person, you can register to speak during the meeting by following the instructions provided by the Committee Chair at the meeting. 

Speakers are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes each and are webcasted online. If you have presentation materials, they must be submitted to Jo-Anne Rudy, Committee Clerk, at Jo-Anne.Rudy@burlington.ca no later than Noon the day before the meeting to allow for their distribution and review by all members of the Committee. Please note the content of all submissions is considered public and will be posted to the City’s website with the meeting minutes. 

Provide Written Feedback:

If you do not wish to speak at the meeting, but would like to submit feedback in writing, please email it to clerks@burlington.ca. Your correspondence will be shared with all members of Council, attached to the minutes of the meeting online, and kept on file as part of the official public record.

For more information about this development, visit the project page.

Complete Application Received - 100 Plains Rd E

The City has received a complete application for 100 Plains Road East, which consists of the properties at 84-104 Plains Road East and 990 Glenwood School Drive (between Glenwood Ave and Birchwood Ave). The development proposes:

- an 11-storey mixed use building;

- 253 residential units;

- 1,045m2 of ground floor commercial space;

- 3,901m2 of amenity space for the residents;

- three levels of underground parking with 291 spaces. Vehicle access is proposed from Glenwood Avenue and Birchwood Avenue

View additional details on the City's project page at burlington.ca/100plains.

Provide your comments by July 22, 2025 to City Planner, Mariana Da Silva, at mariana.dasilva@burlington.ca.

A Statutory Public Meeting will be scheduled, and I will share the details when I receive them.

Tim Hortons Update - 434 Plains Rd E

The new owner of the Tim Hortons property at 434 Plains Road East (corner of Falcon Blvd) had applied for a minor variance application through the Committee of Adjustment to operate motor vehicle leasing, rental and service on the property.

City staff undertook a zoning review, and it was determined that there isn't a need for the owner to seek a variance to facilitate their plans for the site.

The next step will be for the owner to apply for a Zoning Clearance Certificate followed by a building permit.

Ward 1 Drop-in Session

Stop by to share your feedback or ask a question at my upcoming outdoor drop-in session.

Date: Thursday, July 17, 2025

Time: anytime between 6:30 and 8 p.m.

Location: 1016 Waterdown Rd (location of the Aldershot Farmers Market). In the event of rain, the Drop-in Session will be held inside The Fitness Firm, 15 Plains Rd W.

Drop-in sessions provide residents with an opportunity to speak to me individually about city matters. We schedule residents for 10-minute slots on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Contact ward1@burlington.ca with any questions.

Filming at LaSalle Park Marina

Filming of a portion of a movie titled Sterling Point will take place at LaSalle Park Marina beginning at Noon on July 3 until 1 a.m. on July 4. LaSalle Park Marina Association has approved a section of the boat slips for the shoot.

Aerial Surveying over City View, Hidden Valley & Mountainside Parks

City of Burlington Forestry staff is collaborating with the University of Toronto to conduct aerial surveys of select woodlands in city forests this summer and fall. The innovative project uses drones with special sensors to survey local woodlands from the air to help staff gather data to better protect trees from pests, diseases, and invasive species.

As part of the work, a licensed drone pilot will be conducting approximately 12 aerial inventories of the woodlands of City View Park, Hidden Valley Park, and Mountainside Park from June to November 2025 in an effort to identify invasive species as well as native tree species vulnerable to pests/disease (e.g., oaks). This work supports a data-driven Woodland Management Strategy and evidence-based development of efficient and effective forest monitoring and management strategies to mitigate risk of loss to pests and disease.

The flights and data collection will be directly over the woodlands themselves and span the growing season to capture different species of trees at different points of the season (leaf-out, flowering, and leaf-off). Drones will not be flown over private property.

Questions can be directed to Service Burlington at city@burlington.ca.

Aldershot Community Honour Roll Recipients

Congratulations to this year's outstanding Aldershot contributors who were awarded at the Aldershot Community Honour Roll Awards on June 3:

• Karen Maerz, Mae Radford, Connie Price, and Jim Young
• Student Awards - Marcus Hamlet and Anthony Sivestri
• BIA Business Award - Cam Robins of Tim Hortons
• Rick Craven Heritage Recognition - The Easterbrook Family

Left to right are Karen Maerz, Mae Radford, Connie Price, Jim Young, Marcus Hamlet and Anthony Sivestri.

King Road Public School Playground Renewal

The oldest play structure at King Road Public School will be replaced this summer with a new structure, along with the installation of engineered wood fibre safety surfacing.

Construction is expected to begin in July and take 6-8 weeks to complete. To ensure public safety during construction, the playground area will be closed and fenced off with signs posted.

Questions about this project can be directed to kim.napier@burlington.ca.

Tour d'Aldershot 2025

The 2025 Tour d'Aldershot takes place on Saturday, Sept. 27 with 10km, 40km and 80km rides. The event also includes a family 3km "do it your way" ride/walk/scooter on the Francis Road Bike Path and finishes with a BBQ for all participants and volunteers.

This annual fundraising event supports Next Door Social Space & Kitchen located on Plains Road, a gathering space for community meals and social activities.

Sponsorship packages are available for the event.

Visit the event page for more details.

Upcoming at Standing Committees and Council

Here are some of the items coming up at the next round of standing committee and Council meetings:

Committee of the Whole - Monday, July 7, 9:30 a.m., and continuing Tuesday, July 8, 9:30 a.m.

• Transit Youth Loyalty Pilot Program
• Red Tape Red Carpet 2025 update
• 2026 financial forecast
• Motion memorandum regarding budget 2026
• Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and fee options
• 2025 Corporate Asset Management Plan
• Burlington Agricultural Action Plan
• Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendments for 35 Plains Road East (to be considered at a Special Council meeting immediately following the July 8 Committee of the Whole)

Pipeline to Permit Committee - Thursday, July 10, 9:30 a.m.

• Pipeline to Permit Dashboard
• Staff presentation regarding continuous improvement process update
• Planning application fee review update
• Pay-on-Demand Development Bonds Policy update

Council Workshop Committee - Thursday, July 10, 1 p.m.

• Learning from Helsinki

City Council - Tuesday, July 15, 9:30 a.m.

• Agenda published July 11

To see the full agendas and read the staff reports, visit the city meeting calendar. All meetings are live streamed from the city meeting calendar and the video from the meeting is archived on the calendar to view at a later date.

If you would like to speak at one of the committee meetings regarding an item on an agenda, you must register by Noon the day before the meeting. For Monday meetings, you must register by Noon on the Friday before. Meetings are held using a hybrid format allowing you to participate in-person or virtually. If you cannot attend a meeting and wish to submit your feedback in writing, please email it to clerks@burlington.ca. Your correspondence will be shared with all members of Council, attached to the minutes of the meeting online, and kept on file as part of the official public record.

For a full list of upcoming meetings (City Council, standing committees, advisory committees and Committee of Adjustment), visit the Council and Committees Calendar.

CAO Hassaan Basit Leaving City of Burlington

Hassaan Basit, the City of Burlington's Chief Administrative Officer, will be stepping down to accept a new role with the Province of Ontario effective August 4, 2025.

Hassaan's role with the province will be as Chief Conservation Executive, working to enhance the effectiveness of the province's conservation authorities. Read the full news release around this new role on the Government of Ontario's website.

Mayor Meed Ward will determine next steps to appoint a new CAO for the City of Burlington while ensuring leadership continuity in the CAO's office.

Spencer Smith Park Improvements

Work is underway to improve the promenade, railing and seawall in Spencer Smith Park. The project includes:

• filling of gaps at existing storm sewer outfalls
• construction of in-water concrete slabs along seawall
• steel cap repairs along the seawall
• replacement of pedestrian railing at west stairs
• seal (caulking) repairs along lower promenade

The work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of this year and the park will remain open during construction. Sections of the lower promenade will be closed while the seawall, storm sewer and steel cap repairs are taking place. Security fencing will be installed where work is occurring for the safety of park visitors. A contained storage area will be installed in the two locations marked on the map. Park visitors are asked not to enter the enclosed construction zones or areas with restricted access barriers at any time.

Visit the project page for more information.

Additional Residential Unit Incentives Program

Burlington's ARU Incentive Program offers you municipal fee waivers and financial incentives for affordable rental ARUs. You may also use it to legalize an existing non-compliant ARU.  

The NEW Incentives for Additional Residential Units (ARUs) offer: 

• Municipal Fee Waivers 
• Forgivable Loans for Affordable Rental ARUs 
• Grants to Legalize Existing ARUs 

For more information, visit ARU Incentives Program and fill out the application form to apply for incentives to create or legalize an Additional Residential Unit (ARU).

This program is part of Burlington City Council’s approval of the Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan and is funded through the April 2025 Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) report.

Coyote Etiquette and Petiquette Pop-Ups

The City of Burlington's Animal Services staff are hosting a Coyote Etiquette and Petiquette Pop-Up table at Central Library throughout the summer. Stop by to ask questions and learn more about a variety of topics, including: 

• How to haze coyotes and coyote-proof your property 
• How to report off-leash dogs 
• Bylaws related to stoop-and-scoop 
• Leash-free areas around the city, and more! 

Dates: July 9 & 23, Aug 6 & 20, Sept 3

Time: 2 - 4 p.m.

Location: Burlington Public Library Central Branch, 2331 New St.

More details on the City Event Calendar.

FREE Summer Activities

The City of Burlington and the Burlington Downtown Business Association are hosting several free events and programs across the city.

Concerts in the Park - burlington.ca/concerts

Every Wednesday and Sunday at Central Park Bandshell, 2311 New St, from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Bring a blanket or chair, pack a picnic and enjoy an evening of free music. Visit the link above for the list of artists.

Movies Under the Stars - burlington.ca/movies

Ward 1 Movie - Toy Story - Thurs., July 24 in LaSalle Park

Arrive early, bring a picnic or snack and pick your spot on the grass. All movies begin at dusk. Visit the link above for the full schedule.

Movies by the Lake - burlingtondowntown.ca/movies2025

Tuesday nights in Spencer Smith Park from July 8 to August 19. In the event of inclement weather, movies will be cancelled. The movie lineup can be viewed at the link above.

Summer Swimming - burlington.ca/freeswim

Free summer swimming will take place at various times and locations across the city. Visit the link above for the full schedule. This summer, the City of Burlington's outdoor pools will be walk-in only for recreational swims; no reservations needed.

Pop-Up n' Play - burlington.ca/recreation

Ward 1 - Tues., Aug 19 in LaSalle Park, 10 a.m. to Noon

Children can explore, create, imagine and play in their own way in parks. City staff will provide materials to foster unstructured play that allows children to explore and use their imaginations. Visit the link above for the full schedule.

City of Burlington Statement Regarding Aquatic Services

Below is a statement from the City of Burlington surrounding the recent request for proposals process for aquatic services.

Burlington, ON, June 30, 2025 - The City is aware of recent media stories and public comments about the outcome of our competitive bid process for youth aquatics services. There has been some confusion and misinformation shared, and now that the contract is finalized, we can provide more clarity. 

Since 2020, the City has allocated pool time for competitive swim programs through a formal procurement process. This approach follows our procurement by-law and the Municipal Act. It helps ensure we get the best value for residents and that all qualified swim clubs have an equal opportunity to apply. 

Procurement processes are used by the City to purchase a wide range of services and supplies – from playground equipment to transit vehicles to aquatics programming. The process is designed to be fair, competitive, and accountable to the public. Rules are in place to make sure everyone is treated equally, including restrictions on political involvement, lobbying, and sharing bid details while the process is underway. 

Now that the process is complete, we can confirm submissions from the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) and Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (GHAC) were received for the 2025 - 2030 youth competitive aquatics contract. Both organizations also submitted bids for the 2020 - 2025 contract, with the same rules in place, including the submission of a certificate of incorporation as a Non-Profit or Not-for-Profit organization. In 2020, the contract was awarded to BAD. This year, the fact that BAD was the current provider did not play a role in the evaluation of new proposals. 

As part of the evaluation criteria, the RFP required all applicants to demonstrate that at least 85% of their registrants live in Burlington. This is to make sure that Burlington residents benefit directly from the pool time the City provides. GHAC met all the requirements of the proposal, including this residency threshold, and has been awarded the contract. 

As BAD has shared publicly, their bid was disqualified because it was missing some of the required information - in particular, a certificate of incorporation as a Non-Profit or Not-for-Profit organization. Under the bid process rules, City staff are not allowed to overlook missing mandatory requirements or allow submission after the RFP closing date. This protects the fairness of the process. 

We understand this outcome is disappointing for BAD and its members. BAD submitted a formal request for review, and that process confirmed the decision was made according to our policies and procedures. 

We value the role that all local swim clubs play in our community and will continue working with BAD to explore options for accessing pool time through our regular allocation process. 

Our focus remains on making sure Burlington residents have access to high-quality programs and fair use of City facilities. We appreciate everyone’s contributions to building a strong aquatics community here in Burlington. 

Several residents have reached out to my office regarding this RFP process. The City’s Procurement By-law prohibits members of Council from engaging in the procurement process outlined above. Section 8.5 of the Procurement By-law states: 

Members of Council shall separate themselves from the Procurement process and have no involvement whatsoever in specific Procurements. Members of Council who receive inquiries from Vendors related to any specific Procurement shall immediately direct those inquires to the Manager of Procurement Services.

Any questions related to the procurement process can be sent to procurement@burlington.ca.

Water Meter Modernization Update

Halton Region has hired KTI Utility Services to provide replacement and maintenance services for residential and commercial water meters. You can identify KTI contractors because they will:

• carry Halton Region ID Badges with official photo identification;
• have "Halton Region Contractor" vehicle magnets as seen in the photo; and
• be in proper KTI-issued uniforms.

Appointments are always booked in advance. If in doubt, call Halton Region at 311 or 905-825-6000 to verify. Never let anyone into your home who arrives “unannounced”. Call local authorities to report suspicious activity. Visit Halton Region's Modernization of Water Meter Infrastructure in Halton webpage for more information.

New Paramedics to the Halton Team

On Friday May 23, the Region of Halton welcomed 22 new paramedics to the team. They join an incredible team of over 260 dedicated paramedics who respond to more than 59,000 calls and transport nearly 36,000 people to the hospital each year. Learn more about Halton Region's Paramedic Services.

Halton Police Partner with Reach Out Centre for Kids

Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has worked in partnership with Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) for many years to ensure children, youth and their families receive timely and effective support when they need it most.

The two organizations have formed an enhanced partnership, with ROCK Crisis Counsellors being added to the HRPS Youth Team. ROCK is the lead agency for children and youth mental health in Halton, and the goal is to streamline connections to services and better support vulnerable youth.

The new partnership will see the embedded Crisis Counsellors serving to assist the HRPS Youth Team and front-line officers during non-emergency calls for service, strengthening HRPS’ commitment to ensuring a full and complete response to those in need.

Aldershot Farmers Market

Music in the Garden

Halton Symphony Youth Orchestra

The Music Hall

Aldershot Lions' Garage Sale

Line Dancing Night

PA Seniors Summer Get-Togethers

Burlington Model Railway Club Public Viewing

Calendar of Events

For a full lineup of city events, community events and engagement opportunities, visit the city's Calendar of Events. Community organizations are also welcome to submit events to be added to the calendar.

City of Burlington

• Animal Services
• Building Permits
• By-law Enforcement
• By-laws
• Development Application Map - entire city 
• Development Projects in Ward 1 
• Dog Licences
• Drop-in Recreation Programs
• Flood Prevention 
• Forestry
• Get Involved Burlington
• Leaf Collection
• Parking
• Pool Permits
• Renovations
• Road and Sidewalk Maintenance
• Road Closures and Restrictions 
• Road Construction Projects
• Service Requests (report a pothole, street light outage, graffiti, etc.)
• Snow Removal
• Speeding and Aggressive Driving
• Traffic Safety
• Tree Permits

Halton Regional Police Service

• Auto Theft
• Child and Teen Safety
• Crime Map
• Cyber Safety
• Frauds and Scams
• Intimate Partner Violence
• Mental Health Support
• Online Reporting (collision, non-emergency crime, speeding, stop sign violations, school bus violations, distracted driving, and more)
• Residential and Business Safety
• Safety for Seniors
• Traffic Safety
• Youth Engagement

Region of Halton

• Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program
• Construction Projects (roads, bridges, buildings)
• Emergency Housing & Homelessness 
• Garbage and Recycling
• Halton Housing
• Mental Health Support
• Newcomers to Halton
• Older Adult Resources
• Water

Contact Service Burlington with City Service Requests

Connect with Halton Region

Contact Access Halton at accesshalton@halton.ca for regional services such as the basement flooding prevention program, emergency housing, public health, social assistance, water and wastewater, and waste management.

You can also dial 311 or 905-825-6000 or visit Halton Region's website at halton.ca.

Connect with Local Groups

• Aldershot BIA
• Aldershot Community Honour Roll
• Aldershot Insider Facebook Group
• Lockhart Village Community Forum Facebook Group
• Partnering Aldershot
• Surrey, Georgian, Warwick Community Facebook Group
• Tyandaga Community Facebook Group

Ward 1 Contacts

Email Kelvin: kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca

Email the Ward 1 Office: ward1@burlington.ca

Ward 1 Website: burlington.ca/ward1

Share this link with your friends and neighbours to subscribe to the newsletter:

https://bit.ly/ward1newsletter