Burlington is a city in the Regional Municipality of Halton at the northwestern end of Lake Ontario. The town is part of the west end of the Greater Toronto Area, while its metropolitan census area is part of the neighboring city of Hamilton. Burlington lies between Lake Ontario’s north shore and the Niagara Escarpment. This prosperous urban setting is strategically located near the geographic center of the Golden Horseshoe, a highly populated and industrialized region of over 8 million people. It has been named the best mid-sized city in Canada by MoneySense magazine and, in 2016, it was rated as the ninth best place to live in Canada.
With a population of about 183,000 people, Burlington offers significant employment opportunities, low crime rates, urban amenities, including shopping and dining and is home to some of Ontario’s top festivals and events. Attractions include the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Burlington Performing Arts Center. More than half of the city is protected rural space.
HISTORY
Burlington began as a series of smaller historic communities, each unique in their day. Burlington has a rich history of agriculture, shipping, and tourism, made possible because of its favorable climate and its proximity to the waterfront. In 1792, John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, named the western end of Lake Ontario “Burlington Bay” after the town of Burlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
After the War of 1812, the land was opened for settlement, and the Burlington area became a prosperous agricultural center because of the fertile soil and moderate temperatures. In the early 20th century the city was declared the Garden of Canada. Even today, over forty percent of the Grindstone Creek watershed is devoted to farms, orchards, and nurseries.
Check also Hamilton.
BURLINGTON DEMOGRAPHICS
In 1974, with a population exceeding 100,000, Burlington was incorporated as a city. By 2006, the community topped 160,000. Continued high rates of growth are forecast as farmland is developed into more suburban housing and the city keeps attracting residents lured by the more than 13,000 businesses which employ over 85,000 people in diverse industries such as advanced manufacturing, software development, financial services, and biotechnology.
As of 2016, there were 58,845 males and 64,335 females. The population density in the city is 1,625.1 people per square kilometer. The total number of dwellings within Burlington is 51,547, with 50,638 currently occupied. Burlington’s average household size is 2.4 people per dwelling with 36,150 different families throughout the city.
Burlington is a classic Canadian town and therefore is quite accepting of other cultures. English is the primary language of Burlington, but French is a common language as well. According to the census, 118,415 people speak English at home. French-speaking citizens account for 2,105 people, and those that speak fluently in both languages account for 465 people. There is a small number of people – approximately 750 – in Burlington who speak neither English nor French.
Approximately 15,690 people in Burlington come from a minority background. South Asians are the most significant percentage at 33%. Filipinos make up 5%, Chinese 15%, and Latin American 7%.
Individuals from an African background represent 16% of the population, and Arabs 7%, while 17% are part of other minority groups.
EDUCATION
Burlington has 17 primary and secondary schools. One of the best schools is South Burlington High School, which is rated 10 according to some organizations that survey school results. The school has 901 children. The public schools in Burlington are in Burlington School District or South Burlington School District. Winooski School District is close by and rates worse than Burlington School District. Nearby Colchester School District scores higher, with a rating of 9.
Also, visit East York a regional municipality in the Toronto area in Canada.
