Many longtime local residents recall the Halliday Company, which started operations in about 1910, selling home building kits by mail order.
From 1942 to 1975 the Canadian government had a “Build your own Home” program that offered financial assistance to amateur home builders.
One of the most prominent lumber dealers and building suppliers was the Halliday Company in Burlington. The company was located on the east side of Maple Avenue just north of Ontario Street, next to Nicholson’s Lumber, operating at this location not far from the core area since 1930.
Halliday kits were officially approved for use under the “Build your own Home” scheme. This was highly encouraged since the kits made it easier to build homes.
In February 1964 a new ownership group bought the Halliday Company and the name was changed to Halliday Homes with co-owner G.W.E. (Bud) Gordon as president.
On Friday, Oct. 24, 1974 a fire was sparked late afternoon, and with the abundance of lumber, sawdust and airborne particles, the whole lumber yard and all the buildings quickly became an inferno.
Sixty men and eight fire trucks were needed to contain the blaze to one block and remained overnight.
The heat from the fire was so intense that several fire trucks were damaged. The paint was blackened, blistered and peeling, and light lenses on the trucks were melted. Ash from the fire floated several kilometres away.
The Fire Department deemed the business a total loss. However, Mr. Gordon and his team were able to at least have a phone line up and running the next day.
They eventually rebuilt a modern facility on the north side of Dundas Street, east of Appleby Line, and relocated there in 1976.
In the late 1970s, Goodfellow Inc.- Timber Specialties Ltd. took over Halliday Homes and the company was moved out of town in 1994.
