Burlington was incorporated as a village in 1873, after the name change from the Village of Wellington Square to the Village of Burlington. The name Burlington was inspired by the nearby Burlington Bay, which had been named by Lt. Gov. John Graves Simcoe in 1872. Burlington was a name inspired by the town of Bridlington in Yorkshire, England.
The first Burlington election was held in the Temperance Hall on Elizabeth Street, located next to Knox Presbyterian Church. The Temperance Hall became the Town Hall in 1883 and also housed the Fire Hall. For a time after 1907, the town clerk had his office in the Public Library building on Brant Street (site of current City Hall), and the town clerk also acted as librarian. Court was also held there as well as council meetings.
In 1952, the town assumed full ownership of the library building, and the library moved to a house on Elizabeth Street.
Burlington City Hall's current location at 426 Brant St. was designed by the architectural firm of Schneider and Stevens, and the design was described as a "lens shape." The original structure cost $857,000. At the time, it was by far the tallest building on Brant Street. Then called Town Hall, it was officially opened on January 11, 1965.
When Burlington became a city on January 1, 1974, the structure was renamed City Hall. In 1986, an $8-million 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. The concrete and brick civic square was also added.
The drinking fountain in memory of King Edward VII was unveiled in 1912 on Lakeshore Road (then Water Street) near Brant Street, and was brought to the present site in 1977. It was restored to its former elegance in 2021.
The bronze statue in Veteran's Square on the north side of City Hall was originally erected in 1922 at Lakeside Park (now Spencer Smith Park) as a memorial to the soldiers who fought in the First World War. Additional names were added following the Second World War. It was moved to its current location in 1986 at the time of the addition to City Hall. It is reputed to be one of the haunted areas in Burlington.
The blue cast-iron clock in front of City Hall was installed to commemorate Burlington’s 125th Anniversary in 1999. A replica clock was donated to Itabashi, Japan to mark the 10th anniversary of the twinning of the two cities. The replica in Itabashi is called the “Friendship Clock” and stands outside the Itabashi City Hall.
Burlington’s clock was taken down in 2013 for a clean-up and refurbishing by clock maker John Bouwman, who was located at 389 John Street at the time. A fountain, donated by King Paving, was installed in the square in Spring 2000 as a Millennium project.
Plans are now underway for the Civic Square renewal project, combining two additional capital projects – the Brant Street entrance to City Hall and streetscape improvements on Elgin Street. The design process will include Indigenous community engagement and First Nations consultation. The main objectives are to improve accessibility, functionality, versatility (for festivals and events) and the character of the spaces to enhance the downtown core, creating a welcoming and comfortable public space.
The design is to be completed by Spring 2024 and construction will begin in 2025, with a planned opening in 2026.
I look forward to seeing the transformation.
