History of Burlington

On this page:  City Hall  |  Town Bell  |  Town Crest  |  Brant Street  |  Early Villages  |  Early Schools  | Churches  |  Burlington Bay  |  Services  |  Libraries  |  Bibliography

See also:  Burlington Quick Facts

• Our files on Burlington history were compiled in cooperation with Joseph Brant Museum.
• Photographs are from Burlington Images.
• Explore Burlington's role in the Maritime History of the Great Lakes.

City Hall

In 1986, an $8,000,000 expansion added 60,000 square feet to the building. The architectural firm of Sveda, Koyanagi and Yamamoto designed the expansion, which added a three-floor extension beside the existing eight storey office tower. The front was embellished with the City Crest. Also added was a concrete and brick civic square.

Old Town Bell Situated Outside Central Library

In 1894, the village fathers decided Burlington should have a bell to announce important times of the day. It was mounted on a tower over the town hall. A bell-ringer tolled the bell at 7 a.m. noon, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., marking the usual workday of the time. The bell was tolled more quickly to announce fires and summon volunteer firefighters.

After being taken down in the fifties, the bell was stored at the Boy Scout camp on Twiss Road north of Lowville. One night, the bell, which weighed 10,000 pounds, was stolen, but the loss was discovered right away, the police notified, and the bell subsequently recovered. It then sat behind the Works Department building for some time until a fund was established by Mr. William M. Gilbert, the Chairman of the Library Board at the time. With this financial assistance the bell was enshrined by the side of the Library in 1962. When the new Central Library was built in 1970, it was moved to the library's front entrance. In the summer of 2005, the bell was once again moved, to the new north entrance to the newly renovated Central Library.

Town Crest

In 1914, Ariel Shapland, who later married Hughes Cleaver, designed a town crest for Burlington. Her design, described as a "snapshot" of the town at that time, had apple trees, a barrel and a strawberry to honour the area’s fine market gardens. Three peaks, separating the upper and lower portions of the crest, refer to three major local headlands: Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo, and something known as "Flamborough Head," all described in 1795 in a diary of Governor John Simcoe. Unfortunately there is no other reference to Flamborough Head and its location remains a mystery. Also included was the motto "Stand By."

Fifty years later, Dr. G. P. Gilmour of McMaster University, a heraldry expert, redesigned the crest. In 1974 the word Town (of Burlington) was changed to City. In his design the strawberry was changed to a heifer’s head, which has three meanings. It represents animal husbandry; "burl," which is Lincolnshire dialect for heifer, and the red bridle on the heifer relates to Bridlington, a Yorkshire town for which Burlington may have been named. The heifer and apple – replacing the original trees - represent the fact that animal husbandry and fruit growing were very prominent in the early days of the city. The beehive represents the role of industry in Burlington's development. The sailing ship and lighthouse represent Burlington’s nautical role as a significant lake port in its early years. The background colours of silver and blue stand for water and land.

The former Town of Burlington's crest

A Walk Down Brant Street

Early Villages

What is today Burlington, was in the early 1800's, known as Nelson Township. It was comprised of several small towns, villages and hamlets. These were Hannahsville, St. Ann's, Kilbride, Lowville, Wellington Square, Dakota, Zimmerman, Freeman, Cumminsville and Port Nelson. Unfortunately, many of these small communities have disappeared over the years. What was originally Wellington Square, at one time little more then a collection of shops, wharves, warehouses and a few homes, would one day become the "focal point of the entire area."

Each community had its own individual identity and none more so than Aldershot. This community, formerly in East Flamborough Township, had a "fiercely independent spirit" and always maintained a quality of independence and individual identity although it was never incorporated as a village. This may be because Aldershot, originally called Burlington Plains, may have been the earliest settlement in East Flamborough Township. It was first surveyed in 1791 by Augustus Jones. It is believed the first family to settle in the area was the Fonger Family in the early 1790s.

Aldershot - Settlement of Aldershot took place along present day Plains Road and around Townsend and Shadeland Avenues.

About 1791, the Applegarth family arrived from England. William Applegarth likely changed the name to Aldershot. He had received a crown grant of land on the north shore of the Bay east of present-day La Salle Park Road.

By 1793, the Chisholm and King families had arrived in Aldershot from the Fort Erie area. The Chisholms became very prominent people in this area: one became the first toll collector for Burlington and another founded Burlington's neighbouring community of Oakville.

By 1801, he had with his brother John, built a grist mill on Grindstone Creek which runs through Hidden Valley.

By 1823 the settlement had eleven log houses, twenty frame and three stone or brick homes. It also boasted two gristmills, five saw mills, and two merchant shops.

By the 1830's, fruit farming began with the arrival of the Gallagher and Emery families. By the 1890's, John Rendall Job started the first dairy farm on the east quarter of Lot 1, on Plains Road. He shipped whole milk to Toronto on a daily basis. Every day, he took his milk to meet the 6:55 a.m. train at the Burlington station, and on his way home he would pick up his neighbours’ mail at the Freeman post office and deliver it.

Zimmerman - was settled in 1794 by Henry Zimmerman, a farmer and a miller. By 1814 he had convinced his family about this area's potential and they settled nearby. By 1869, Zimmerman had two sawmills, a furniture-turning factory, a grist mill, a shoe shop, woollen mill, post office, a tailor, dentist, blacksmith, and a school with eighty children in attendance. Other early settlers were the Bennett, Bridgeman and Campbell families.

Blacksmith Shop, Zimmerman (ca. 1910)

Freeman - The village of Freeman, named for its founder Joshua Freeman, was at the intersection of Brant Street and Plains Road. In 1816, he came to Upper Canada from Nova Scotia and two years later built a home along the road to York (Toronto). The Freemans were farmers but also operated a toll road along part of the road from Hamilton to Toronto. By the turn of the century Freeman included a railway station, hardware store, basket factory, chemical company, a general store, a boarding house, and a post office that had it own postmark until 1952.

Lowville - The village of Lowville was settled by the Reverend Daniel Pickett and his family. Pickett was an early Methodist circuit preacher, who was born in New Milford, Connecticut in 1774. He became a preacher in 1800. Reverend Pickett was described as being "a spare man, sharp featured, hook nosed, bald and slow spoken." He later became one of the organizers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada. In 1822 he received a land grant on the north side of Mount Nemo and this land became the site of the village of Lowville.

Lowville Mill (n.d.)

Lowville General Store (ca. 1900)

By the 1860's Lowville had become a very busy commercial centre. It had a hotel, blacksmith shop, saddle maker, wainwright, tanner, shoemaker, miller, post office and general store, flour mill, cheese factory, foundry for farm implements, and a furniture factory.

Kilbride - was founded by William Panton and Francis Baker, who both immigrated from Blessington, Ireland. Panton came to Canada in 1834, and eventually settled on a farm in Nelson which he called Bakersdale. He was later joined by three sons of a friend from Ireland. One of these was Francis Baker, with whom he formed a business partnership. They set up a milling and lumbering business at Cumminsville.

Dr. Beattie's Drugstore, Kilbride - moved to Westfield Pioneer Village in 1972 (n.d.)

As well, the men purchased land immediately north of Cumminsville and laid out the village of Kilbride, likely naming it after a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It grew to be a prosperous lumbering community with a mercantile and woollen manufacturing company. By 1877 it had a population of 200 people and two years later had a two-room schoolhouse. Kilbride and the communities of Cumminsville and Dakota were really extensions of each other, being only a mile apart. Kilbride was a continuation of Cumminsville and by 1855 the Nelson Township council created a road between Kilbride, Cumminsville and Dakota. The communities became so intertwined that eventually sidewalks were laid that ran from the upper end of Kilbride, south to Cumminsville and on to the Dakota grist mill.

Cumminsville - was named after Titus Cummins, a grain merchant, who settled in the area in 1844. This village was located on Cedar Springs Road, just south of Kilbride near McNiven Road and once had 200 inhabitants. Within the boundaries of the village was the hamlet of Dakota, home of the Canadian Powder Company. This gunpowder company had been established in 1854 and employed nearly 200 people. It used the hydro power of the Twelve Mile creek to generate the power necessary to produce the powder. However, on October 8, 1884, there was a plant explosion that could be heard all the way to St. Catharines. After the explosion, and the subsequent loss of the area’s main employer, Cumminsville and Dakota became virtual ghost towns.

Hannahsville - was named after Hannah Green, wife of Caleb Hopkins. Settled in the 1850's, it was located near Guelph Line and Dundas Street. By 1858, the name was changed to Nelson. It prospered due to the lumbering business. By 1877 the village had boomed to include a stagecoach line, a schoolhouse, drill shed, three churches, one hotel, a wagon maker's shop, a store, a post office, two sawmills, a harness shop and a station for the Hamilton North West Railway. Some of early settlers were the Cleaver family in 1820, the Bastedo family in 1806, the Ireland Family in 1839, and the Springer family in 1835. In 1858, the death by hanging of Thomas Corner was the last in Nelson.

Tansley - was originally known as St. Ann's. It grew up around the water power of the Twelve Mile creek, just west of Town Line on Dundas Street. Its name change was the result of confusion between St Ann's in Nelson Township and St. Ann's near St. Catharines. The mail for one village was often delivered to the other. To end this confusion, people would send mail for St. Ann's in Nelson township in care of the postmaster there. His name was Mr. Tansley and eventually the village became known by his name.

Wellington Square - was originally part of the 3,450 acre personal land grant of Joseph Brant. He began building a home there in the mid 1790s. He sold or rented out some of his land, and later his family continued this practice until Kate Hunter, the widow of W.J. Simcoe Kerr, was forced to sell the remaining land to pay debts left by her husband’s death. James Gage, who is considered a founding father of Burlington, purchased 338 1/2 acres of land from the estate of Joseph Brant. He had the land surveyed, laid out into blocks for settlement, and he chose the name Wellington Square. In 1873, Wellington Square and Port Nelson incorporated as the Village of Burlington and in 1914 Burlington became a town.

Early Schools in Nelson Township

The earliest provision for education in pioneer Ontario came from individual parents' desires to provide their children with some basic training in reading, writing and arithmetic. In Nelson Township, organized schooling was in place as early as 1831, with the founding of Applegarth School in Aldershot. This school was likely named after William Applegarth, the founder of Aldershot. The prevailing sentiment was that schooling was a family matter and as such was private and on voluntary basis. Parents had to pay a fee for each child to attend school, as well as help maintain the schoolhouse and, in many cases, provide room and board for the teachers.

The schoolhouses in Nelson Township generally began as one-room log cabins. Then, as class sizes grew and more room was needed, brick or frame schoolhouses were built.

Churches in the Community

However, it is believed the first church in this area was founded in the home of Gilbert Bastedo around 1816. He established a farm on Dundas Street in 1806. As a devoted Presbyterian, he offered the use of his home for worship when a travelling preacher came through the area. In 1822, Bastedo donated land on his farm for a church, St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. The Reverend King, a missionary sent to Canada who had settled on a farm in Nelson Township around 1819, was the first minister.

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Hwy. 5 (n.d.)

Before churches were built, settlers were ministered to by travelling missionaries. These men would go from one pioneer community to another seeking out the faithful. The arrival of an itinerant preacher was a cause for rejoicing: "The preachers travelled to the farthest back settlements in the wildest places, under the most severe privations as to food, shelter and home comforts, preaching the gospel of Christ to the settlers. They travelled through swamps at the risk of their lives, to sing the good old Methodist hymns and pray for the poor backwoodsman and his family." "No one was more welcome than then preacher who not only gave them religious consolation, but the latest news of the outside world."

Trinity Baptist Church - formerly Zimmerman Methodist Church (1996)

Burlington Bay - Our Great Lakes Connection

Burlington Bay was a natural harbour that always held promise because it had many qualities of a good harbour. It had an excellent location, good anchorage, adequate protection and an easily defensible military position. The one major disadvantage was its limited access. Explore Burlington's role in the Maritime History of the Great Lakes.

Ice Harvest, Hamilton Bay (n.d.)

Because of its location, the bay was thought to be of military importance in the event of a British and American conflict. Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Graves Simcoe ordered the building of an inn at the southern end of the beach. This inn, called the Kings Head, was a large two storey frame house with two wings. "It was essentially a depot for stores and other provisions, as well as a rendezvous for the militia and such other troops as it might have been found expedient to have stationed on a line of communication between York, Detroit and Niagara. Innkeeper Bates paid a rent of $1 per year."

But it had limited access caused by the beach strip, which in effect was a giant sand-bar that over time had built up and nearly closed off the mouth of the bay. The only access to the bay was through a small channel known as the Outlet, which at times was so shallow that a rowboat could barely get through it. The water levels in this channel were at the whimsy of the prevailing winds. If the wind was blowing east, off the Lake, the water would pile in and make the Outlet very deep. However, if the wind was coming westward, from across the land, the water was pushed away from the Outlet, making it very shallow.

Burlington Beach (n.d.)

This problem was dramatically illustrated during the War of 1812 in an incident known as the "Burlington Races". In 1813, the flagship "Wolfe," under the command of Sir James Heo, was being pursued by an American squadron. With Wolfe was a squadron of ships which included the corvette "Royal", the Brigantine "Prince Regent" and three other schooners. The Wolfe had been badly damaged and was floundering. The British decided to head for refuge at Burlington Bay, but there was serious concern that the 42-ton Wolfe would be driven ashore near the Outlet. Yet it was the British's only chance of escape. "The Nor'eastern was blowing...The Wolfe was struggling. Oddly enough it was the gale that saved them. It had piled up the waters at the head of Lake Ontario, ...allowing the squadron passage." The Americans, aware of the shallowness of the Outlet, ended pursuit of the British squadron.

The need for a canal at this site was apparent and early records show that both the residents and the government were aware of this. However, after the war of 1812 the Outlet fell under control of the two most influential families in the area, the Brants and the Chisholms. Due to the limited access to the Bay both families had set up very profitable forwarding businesses at the Outlet. Goods from Hamilton and the surrounding areas were sailed or rowed to the Outlet. There they were stored in warehouses owned by the families or transferred to ships - owned by the families - moored at docks on the Lake Ontario side. The Brants and the Chisholms did not easily give up control of the Outlet nor were they willing to leave profitable business behind by allowing a canal to be built.

Burlington Bay Canal (ca. 1910)

As a result, a site 100 yards north of the Outlet was chosen for the canal. William Chisholm and William Kerr, son-in-law of Joseph Brant, were chosen as two of the commissioners to oversee construction of the canal. Later, George Chisholm, William's son, was appointed the first customs collector for the Burlington Bay harbour.

On March 19, 1823, the government was authorized to obtain a loan of 5,000 pounds sterling to begin construction of the canal. It was the first public works in Upper Canada, now the province of Ontario. Francis Hall was appointed engineer of the canal works in 1823 and his original design called for a canal 72 feet wide, with piers lining both sides and a protective breakwater on the Lake Ontario side. The breakwater was wedge shaped to keep sand out of the mouth of the canal. James Gordon Stowbridge from New York was hired as contractor and by the summer of 1826 work had progressed enough to allow passage of vessels drawing less than ten feet of water. On June 4, 1826, a race to compete for the honour of being the first ship to enter the new canal was held. Captain E. Zealand of the "Rebecca and Eliza" was the victor.

The canal was beset with problems from the very beginning. In fact, its official opening of July 1, 1826, created its first closing. Lieutenant Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland was to sail through the canal on William Chisholm's 60-ton schooner the "General Brock" accompanied by a large escort. However, the "General Brock" was hit by a crosswind as it rounded the breakwater near the entrance. The schooner was swung around in the channel and the entrance was effectively closed. The Lieutenant Governor was forced to row through the entrance in a six-oared barge to open the canal. The government was not pleased with this incident and demanded the canal be finished to meet the original specifications of Francis Hall's design.

A series of gales during the winter of 1829-30 wreaked havoc at the Burlington Bay Canal. The breakwater and lighthouse were destroyed and the piers were swept away. A vast sand bar 40 feet wide developed 300 feet from shore, with a covering of just six and half feet of water. Nine ships wintering in the bay were trapped.

Burlington Beach - Bay Pier (n.d.)

The government set about clearing and repairing the canal. New piers were built under the direction of Captain Mann and Jacob Spaun. "Working in water up to their waists, crews used long iron bars to free stone from the lake bed and then loaded it on scows. In deeper waters, long handled two prong rakes were employed, and sometimes even larger rakes and derricks were necessary. Once the scow was loaded the cargo was transferred to awaiting schooners and taken to the piers." The stones then formed the foundations of the new piers. These crews became known as stonehookers.

Canal Swing Bridge (1952)

In 1830, a 62-foot swing-bridge on an iron pivot was installed at the canal, replacing four floating bridges. However, this bridge lasted only a short time until the schooner the "Elsie Hope" ran into it.

Services in the Community

Burlington has always had a very strong sense of community, excelling in the services provided to its citizens. Before the turn of the century, Burlington provided law enforcement, fire, medical, postal, telephone and hydro services, as well as a public library.

Medical Services

In the early 1800s there were only three doctors between Toronto and Hamilton. One of these,  Dr. Nathaniel Bell, was Halton County's first doctor. By 1889 the Burlington Directory listed six doctors and one dentist. Medical supplies were available at the Burlington Drug Co.

Burlington ambulance car (1957)

By the 1880s, Burlington had founded a Board of Health to supervise contagious diseases and to control unsanitary practices. John Harris, David Hartley and C.G. Davis were appointed to the Board in 1888, under the direction of Medical Officer A.C. Jones. By 1897 Dr. Jones reported that the low infant mortality rate and scarcity of malarial and other contagious diseases could be attributed to the township's plentiful supply of pure water, a general absence of poverty and overcrowding among its citizens, and the provincial enforcement of quarantine for cholera and small pox.  Dr. Jones recommended annual sanitary inspections of public schools, dairies and slaughter houses. He also suggested that the town consider vaccinating all children.  At this time, the Burlington Health Board set about hiring a sanitary inspector to check the conditions of all stables, water closets and privy pits.

Burlington's town council often took on the financial responsibility for the prevention of illness and the care of the sick. In 1901, Dr. Richardson was authorized to vaccinate all citizens against small pox.  Those who could not afford the twenty-five cent cost were vaccinated at the town's expense. When a citizen was under quarantine, the town hired a constable, purchased milk and groceries and had the house disinfected by a doctor. The town did try to recoup payment for the groceries, if possible.  The town also took on the financial responsibility of sending tuberculosis patients who could not afford private treatment to the Hamilton Sanatorium or the Muskoka Free Hospital for Consumptives.  As well, the town paid large amounts of money to other Hamilton hospitals for the care and treatment of indigent citizens on an annual basis.  In 1917, bills were paid for transportation to Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital and for the Pasteur Treatment for several children bitten by a rabid dog.

Law Enforcement

When Burlington was first settled, there were no policemen as we know them today.  In the early pioneer days laws were upheld by Justices of the Peace, such as Hiram Smith and William Chisholm. Nevertheless, by 1895 Burlington did have a police officer. His name was John Anderson, and he made up the entire Burlington police force.  His yearly salary was $365, and for this he served not only as a constable, but as the village commissioner and truant officer. On occasion he served as the street lamplighter and the keeper of strays.  He was expected to prepare the town hall for use on all occasions, provide a competent man in his absences, keep good order in the village, prevent improper conduct and arrest persons guilty of disturbing the peace or being drunk. By 1898, a town law made it the constable's duty to make certain that every dog owner bought a dog tag or else be fined and have his dog destroyed. All this for a dollar a day!

Fire Department

The threat of fire was of great concern to the early settlers of Burlington.  A fire could mean the loss of the results of back-breaking labour in a matter of minutes and the destruction of a lifetime of dreams. In 1890, this threat became less ominous with the introduction of the Burlington Volunteer Fire Brigade. Engineer H. Lowe was hired  at $21 per month. In 1893, the first horse-drawn fire engine was purchased for $2500. The town hall served as the post office, jail and fire station.  Underground tanks were built in various locations in the village for water storage in the case of fire. The waterworks were built in 1909.

Town Hall and Fire Hall (ca. 1915)

Fire Department with Firefighters (1957)

Fire Department - Volunteers' Marching Band (1919)

Before 1900, all fire-fighting companies were strictly on a volunteer basis.  In some towns, fire fighters were exempt from poll tax, militia duty in peace time and from serving in the capacity of constable, juryman or in any other office.  There was a spirit of camaraderie in the volunteer brigade in Burlington, but as fire fighting apparatus developed in efficiency and the town increased in size and population, a more permanent arrangement became necessary.  In 1916, the first motorized fire truck was bought at a cost of $4855. By this time, the Burlington Fire Brigade had been divided into three companies and had thirty-six men.  The first fire station was built onto the town hall on Elizabeth Street.

Postal Service

Long distance communication of any kind was a problem in early Ontario. There was no government postal service.  A letter posted in England in the autumn might not reach Toronto until the following spring.  Matters were further complicated by the fact that the receiver, not the sender, had to pay the delivery charges. This resulted in many letters being left unclaimed because of the inability to pay for them.

Post Office (n.d.)

By 1816, there were only nine post offices served by a mail coach in Upper Canada.  However, by the mid-1800s Wellington Square had a post office with mail arriving daily.  Hiram Smith was the postmaster there, and T. Cooper ran the post office in Nelson.  By the late 1800s Nelson Township was dotted with post offices at Burlington, Port Nelson, Freeman, Ash, Appleby, Zimmerman, Lowville and Kilbride.

Post Office (ca 1900)

In 1898 the postal system was reformed and penny postage was introduced.  This was a great relief to many who had been unable to afford to write or receive letters.  By then the Burlington Post Office was located on Water Street.  Postmaster W. Peart presided over the tiny frame building, which became a gathering place for people to stop and exchange a friendly greeting.

Telephone Service

When the first regular telephone service came to Burlington in 1885, the agent for the telephone company was T.A. 'Tom' LePatourel, who was also the local druggist. The telephone switchboard was located in the dispensing room at the back of  his drugstore on Brant Street near Pine.  At first telephones were used strictly in local businesses. It was not until 1889 that the first residential telephone was installed in the home of Dr. F. Bates on Water Street. Mr. LePatourel handled all the calls himself until he moved to new premises on Brant Street.  Mrs. Pansy Smith became the first telephone operator in the new location.

Before 1900 telephone service in Burlington was available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Around 1900 a petition was circulated requesting 24 hour service. However, there were only eighty subscribers and one hundred were required to warrant round-the-clock service.  Mr. LePatourel's brother, E.J., came from the Hamilton office and signed up the twenty additional subscribers required. The rate for telephone service was $15 per year, including three free phone calls to Hamilton per day. If a subscriber called Hamilton only once one day, then he could use the extra calls on the following day.

In 1927 the telephone company changed from the old magneto switchboard to a new battery switchboard, and that year Burlington's 1000^th telephone was installed.  In 1949, when about 2500 telephones were in use, the switchboard and operator system was changed to the modern direct dial system.

Hydro Services

Prior to the 1890s, Burlington streets were unlit. In 1892 coal oil lamps were purchased from Montreal and installed at a cost of $1.50 for each lamp and post. These lamps were erected on turned wooden posts. This method was used until the turn of the century. Joseph Anderson was Burlington's first official lamplighter.

Electricity arrived in Burlington with the electric radial train line.  In 1900,  Mr. Kilmer and Mr. Read of the Electric Light Company, were given permission to build a plant to generate electricity in this area. The coal oil street lamps were replaced and the centre of town was lit by electricity.  This system had its problems and blackouts were a common occurrence. The power company was asked for rebates for the periods of darkness.  The ownership of the electric company went through several proprietors until Ontario Hydro took it over.

Profile of Burlington Public Library

Beginnings

Library services in Burlington can be traced to January 1872, when the trustees of SS No. 1 Nelson voted to spend $56 to purchase a suitable supply of books from the Toronto Board of Education. This collection was placed in the reception hallway of the old Central Public School on Brant Street. Members who paid fifty cents a year were able to access the collection for one hour on Friday afternoons. Over the next years additional items were purchased with funds raised through the membership fees, proceeds from concerts and social events as well as occasional grants from the school trustees.

The collection moved to other locations but by the 1890's was located in the home of Mr. Henry Berry who also lived on Brant Street. In 1906, Mr. John Waldie, a former reeve of the village and MPP for Halton, offered to pay for the cost of a library building if the village provided a site. Eighty-three of the eighty-five eligible voters agreed to the referendum and the new building was erected on the corner of Brant and James where City Hall now stands. By this time, membership stood at 130 and the collection included 2,600 books and 12 subscriptions to magazines. The town offices and council chambers were also located in the same building.

Library (1915)

In 1952 the Library Board turned the Brant Street building over to the City in return for a house at 482 Elizabeth Street. This move provided badly needed additional space to both the Town and the Library whose collections now included 10,000 items and 1,534 members. Despite several renovations and expansions this building too was outgrown by the mid 1960's and planning began for a Central Library on New Street in Central Park.

Central Library

Branch Libraries

As the city's population grew, the library's first branch, the Aldershot Branch, opened in Aldershot in 1960 in the basement of the Dominion Store. It is now located at Plains Road and Downsview. A second branch (now New Appleby) opened in the eastern section of the City in the Skyway Plaza (now Lakeside) in 1965 and is now located at Appleby Line and Fairview.

A small collection was also established in 1968 in the private home of Mrs. Roy Coulter in Kilbride to service those in rural Burlington. It was known as Lowville Library. This collection is now provided in partnership with Kilbride Public School as the Kilbride Branch.

Tansley Woods - a Centre for Learning and Leisure (1996)

In 1996 the library opened its first new location in 28 years. The Tansley Woods Branch is located in the City's new community centre. Tansley Woods, a Centre for Learning and Leisure is located in the rapidly growing northeastern area of the City at Upper Middle Road and Itabashi Way.

Brant Hills Branch

The Brant Hills Branch originally opened in 1968 in the Mount Royal Plaza under the name Mountain Gardens. More recently it was known as Tyandaga Branch, and was located at Brant Street and Upper Middle Road from 1978 until 2005 when the library joined the Brant Hills Community Centre and was renamed. Project overview and tour...

Sources

• Emery, Claire. From Pathway to Skyway: a history of Burlington - 971.3523 EME
  
• Emery, Claire. From Pathway to Skyway Revisited: the story of Burlington - 971.3523 EME
  
• Reynolds, John Lawrence. Sounds by the Shore - 971.353 REY
  
• Turcotte, Dorothy. Burlington: Memories of Pioneer Days - 971.3533 TUR
  
• Turcotte, Dorothy. Burlington: The Growing Years - 971.3533 TUR
• Our pages on Burlington history were compiled in cooperation with Joseph Brant Museum.
• Photographs are taken from the Burlington Local History Photo Database.

Vertical Files in the Burlington Historical Society Room

• City Hall and Burlington
• Public Library vertical files
  
• Burlington Scrapbook I, Section 1 p. 15
  
• Burlington Guide to Municipal Services, City of Burlington (undated)

Newspaper Articles

• Hamilton Spectator, Jan. 11, 1965 - p. 21
  
• Hamilton Spectator, Dec. 11, 1964 - p. 48
  
• Hamilton Spectator, Sept. 8, 1986 - p. T1, T2
  
• Burlington Gazette, Jan. 31, 1968
  
• Burlington Post, Aug. 27, 1987 - p. 1

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