Born with little fanfare, Burlington became a giant
IT WAS IN 1873, just six years after Confederation, that history gave birth to a village destined one day to become a key spoke in Canada’s commercial-industrial “Golden Horseshoe.”
Burlington was born with little fanfare. The name was chosen, in part, to ease the workload of a postmaster.
Originally known as Wellington Square, the community by the 1870s had outgrown its set boundaries within a section of “Brant’s Block.” The postman had complained the words of Wellington Square were inconvenient because of ‘the large percentage of mail arriving daily.’
Soon, a petition was taken to have the name changed to correspond with that of Burlington Bay. In September 1873, Halton County Council passed a bylaw incorporating the village of Burlington.
This action ended an era — and began another.
One hundred years earlier, the American colonies had revolted against England. Thayendamega, the great Mohawk Indian warrior known as Joseph Brant, remained loyal to the British Crown. Leading a band of Six Nations Indians, he distinguished himself during the war.
Then in 1798, a deed to 3,450 acres of land ‘at the head of Lake Ontario’ was registered in the name of Joseph Brant. The parcel was a gift from King George III in recognition of Indian services during the war against the American colonists.
A section of this land — which became known as Brant’s Block — was named Wellington Square in honour of the Duke of Wellington.
By 1803, Brant was selling parcels of land to settlers to pay off his debts. The foundation for the future Burlington was laid by 1810 by James Gage, of Stoney Creek. He made the first survey of Brant’s Block and purchased 338½ acres.
On this land, fronting upon Lake Ontario between what is now Brant Street and the Rambo Creek, Gage put up mills and commercial establishments. Soon others came, and by 1817 there were 16 houses in the community.
From this small beginning, Wellington Square rapidly became a bustling centre of commerce. With the construction of a large steam and flour mill, wharfs and a warehouse, the community became the headquarters for grain growers in the area.
By the early and mid-1800s, Wellington Square and nearby Port Nelson had become important shipping points. Each day the communities would host several schooners. Grain was the main cargo, and nearly 200 horse teams daily would deliver loads to the docks for shipment by boat. Later, lumber became an important item in the growth of the communities.
Wellington Square’s 400 inhabitants of 1845 rose to number more than 750 by the time the village took its new name in 1873.
Live-wire on new highway
During the lifetime of Wellington Square, other communities were thriving in Brant’s Block and the surrounding areas. Port Nelson, Aldershot, Appleby, Zimmerman, Kilbride, Lowville, Tansley, Freeman and other communities were then living a life of their own.
From the rural village of something more than 750 persons in 1873, the Burlington of 1914 housed 2,100 persons. It was now time to become a town. By 1918, the population had grown to 2,600 persons.
During this time Burlington was known as ‘one of the live-wire towns on the new highway.’ This ‘new highway’ was one of the first concrete roads in the country. Begun in 1914, Highway 2 was formally opened late in 1917.
THE DEPRESSION came, lingered, and passed on. Then the Second World War. Neither greatly changed the face of Burlington — but change was on the way.
Within Burlington itself, the population had risen to 4,379 by 1945, then to 6,700 by 1952. Nothing spectacular.
But those ‘other areas’ on either side and to the north of the town limits were filling in. Farmers’ fields were now sprouting new homes. By 1957, the greater population brought greater problems to all areas — education, policing, fire protection, sewers, street lighting.
As seen by the Ontario Municipal Board, the answer to these and many other problems was the amalgamation of Burlington, Nelson Township and part of East Flamboro Township.
And so the most amazing growth rates ever seen in the country occurred the very second 1957 became 1958. At that moment, Burlington became the biggest town in Canada. Its 800 acres shot to nearly 90 square miles. The population jumped from 9,568 to 32,635.
In 1958 and 1959, the town issued 2,292 permits for residential housing units. This was more than the combined total of permits issued in Belleville, Barrie, Chatham, Galt, Kingston, St. Catharines, and St. Thomas during the same period.
‘City in the suburbs’
Burlington by 1961 was truly a ‘city in the suburbs’ and began to attract more and more industry. ‘Progress Park,’ the town-owned industrial subdivision, was opened.
As the face of the town changed, it became necessary to provide more and better municipal services.
The town’s four-constable police force of 1947 had grown to a 31-man department with amalgamation. Today, 65 police officers and civilian personnel are needed to operate the department.
The fire brigade of the early 1900s had become a force of three full-time men and 75 volunteer firefighters in 1958. Late last year, the fire department moved into new headquarters on the Guelph Line. Now the force has a full-time staff of 31 men and 90 volunteers.
THE LACK of storm and sanitary sewers in many parts of the newly annexed areas was one of the greatest problems facing the enlarged Burlington.
Since 1962, the town has invested many millions of dollars in storm and sanitary trunk sewers to service both the east and west sections. And a large treatment plant — the Skyway Pollution Control Centre — was opened in 1964.
Amalgamation also brought problems to the town’s administrative staff. Various departments could be found in no less than five different buildings spread throughout the town.
It was not until November 1964, with the opening of the new $857,000 civic administration building, that all departments were housed under one roof.
Farming has always played a big part in the development of Burlington. With fertile soil, area farmers had a comparatively easy time of things once the land was cleared of scrub. Even today within the great ‘city in the suburbs’ there are still close to 400 farms being operated.
Schools illustrate growth
Today’s schools are probably the best illustration of the explosive growth of Burlington. Back in September 1957, 6,096 pupils enrolled in the 14 public schools, and 1,562 students entered the two high schools in the area soon to become the new Burlington.
This September — exactly 10 years later — it is expected public school registration will more than 13,300, while close to 5,400 students will be in high schools.
Two new high schools have been built since amalgamation and the board of education is now working on another. In addition, the board has added 280 new rooms to the public school system.
A real picture of the young, growing town was seen when the first separate school opened. It was in 1948, and 75 per cent of the children in the four-room St. John’s School were in Grades 1, 2, and 3. Today, St. John’s School has 20 rooms and the separate school system has grown by six additional schools.
Burlington’s first hospital was a far cry from today’s sophisticated Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital. The first institution was the Brant House Hotel, converted into the Brant Military Hospital for the treatment of First World War soldiers.
This ‘hospital’ was eventually torn down, and residents had had a long wait for another. ‘Joe Brant,’ as today’s hospital is called, was opened in February 1961.
Sod-turning ceremonies for a new addition that will more than double the hospital’s present 228-bed capacity, are planned for this year.
Burlington marched into centennial year proud of its past, but a little uncertain of its future. Indications are the town might become part of some type of regional system of government. A local government review has recommended Burlington, along with other municipalities to the east, become part of a county ‘Mississauga.’
More recently the town has approved a study which might eventually lead to a westward tieup with Hamilton and Wentworth County.
This ‘new highway’ was one of the first concrete roads in the country. Begun in 1914, Highway 2 was formally opened late in 1917.