Take Action Burlington

Happy Canadian Environment Week, Burlington! Established in 1971, Canadian Environment Week celebrates our environmental accomplishments and encourages Canadians to contribute to conserving and protecting their environment. This year, Canadian Environmental Week is taking place from May 31 to June 6, 2026. Two special days include Clean Air Day on June 3 and World Environment Day on June 5.  

To celebrate, we wanted to highlight 10 ways we’re making a difference for the environment here in the City of Burlington. Don’t forget to also check out our Taking Action on Climate Change video.

1. Greening City Facilities

We are working towards low to zero carbon emissions buildings for our new and existing buildings. 

• Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan – targeting net carbon neutral operations by 2040 

• Corporate Energy and Sustainable Buildings Policy with a Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building Standard 

• City View Park pavilion – a net zero carbon operations building 

• Skyway Arena and Community Centre – a low carbon operating and solar ready building using geothermal and heat recovery 

• Robert Bateman Community Centre – transitioning from a 1960s era low efficiency high school to a low carbon emissions building 

• Deep energy retrofit study of Brant Hills Community Centre – electrification of HVAC equipment, increasing heat recovery and insulation, and installation of solar panels 

2. Encouraging Home Retrofits

• Home Energy Efficiency Retrofits – The City of Burlington’s Energy and Buildings webpage promotes energy efficiency incentive programs, which residents can use to save money and upgrade their homes   

• Home Solar – The City of Burlington’s Home Solar webpage promotes solar resources, including the Burlington Solar Map, which estimates your roof’s solar potential, and the financial and environmental benefits of installing solar panels on your home. 

• Home Flood Protection Assessment Program offers a 50 per cent subsidy to have your home assessed for flood risk and offer tips to minimize risk through a confidential report 

• Halton Region Enhanced Basement Flood Prevention Subsidy Program offers a 50 to 100 per cent subsidy on improvements to reduce flood risk such as downspout disconnection, weeping tile disconnection and sump pump installation, exterior storm drain disconnection, backwater valve installation, and sewer lateral (pipe) lining and repair. The City offers an associated Plumbing Permit Fee Grant Program covering the cost of a building permit related to any of Halton Region’s flood programs that require a building permit. 

3. Targeting Sustainable Development

• Working towards a mixed-use, livable, walkable, bikeable and transit friendly community 

• Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines – voluntary guidelines that encourage sustainable design approaches 

4. Supporting Sustainable Transportation

• Burlington Integrated Mobility Plan – a plan centred around how to move people, and not just vehicles 

• Protected Bikeways – Plains Road from Spring Gardens Road to Waterdown Road, and Prospect Street from Cumberland Avenue to Maple Trail 

• Use a PRESTO card for Free transit rides  for children and seniors all day, every day and for youth, aged 13 to 19, evenings and weekends, and loyalty rates for adults and youth 

• Bike racks on Burlington Transit buses to support intermodal transportation 

• Parking and Idling bylaw to limit unnecessary idling 

5. Promoting Electric Mobility

• E-Scooter Pilot Program – two-year E-scooter pilot along the Centennial Trail   

• Electric Mobility Strategy – policies and actions to support electric mobility options in Burlington  

• Green Fleet Strategy – increasing the City’s green fleet inventory with fully electric equipment and vehicles, and hybrid vehicles 

• Public EV Charging Stations – 92 publicly available Level 2 EV charging ports, and two Level 3 charging ports on City property for public use 

6. Increasing Community Preparedness

• Three designated emergency operations centres, as well as reception centres and an evacuation centre 

• Cooling and warming centres  

• Public education campaigns on severe weather 

• The City of Burlington, in coorindation with the Province of Ontario, uses the national Alert Ready System to issue emergency notifications for life-threatening community emergencies to ensure residents receive timely information on the emergency and what to do to stay safe. 

7. Reducing Flood Risk

• Climate Resilient Burlington: A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather 

• Climate Change Impacts Story Map – highlighting examples of how climate change can impact our local community our local community 

• Stormwater Master Plan (ongoing) – to assess the flood vulnerability across the City and make recommendations to reduce flood risk 

• Drainage Assessments and Improvement Studies 

• Drainage Bylaw Amendment – to prohibit the obstruction of any drain or watercourse and regulate altering, relaying or repairing of private drains 

• Erosion projects in creeks and along the shoreline 

• Conservation Halton flood hazard mapping 

• Plains Road rain garden with 18 trees and a variety of grasses and flowers 

8. Increasing Biodiversity

• Urban Forest Master Plan with a 35 per cent canopy cover goal by 2060 

• Woodland Management Strategy 

• Tree Protection and Canopy Enhancement Policy 

• Private Tree Bylaw 

• Tree planting partnerships and giveaways – Planting over 1,500 large trees on public property and over 6,400 small trees and shrubs planted for reforestation and afforestation purposes in 2025 

• Supporting Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System 

• Making the Significant Tree Maintenance Rebate a permanent program in 2026, helping offset the cost of maintaining mature trees and enabling more residents to participate 

• Annual King Road closure to allow the endangered Jefferson salamander to complete their spring migration 

• Educational decals, posters and information on the TV Burlington screens continue to be added at City facilities as applicable to educate patrons about the bird friendly glass treatment (dots) on the windows of those buildings   

9. Growing Local Food

• Community garden program at five City parks – Eight more community garden plots were added to the overall inventory in 2025 

• Zoning bylaw update to allow food gardens on any property, private or public, removing zoning barriers to residential, institutional, and commercial property where people would like to have a food garden 

• In July 2025, the Burlington Agricultural Action Plan was approved by City Council. Planning staff are working with the Burlington Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee to develop recommendations on which actions should be prioritized for short- and medium-term implementation 

10. Encouraging Waste Reduction

• Water refilling stations and water fountains at many City buildings to minimize single use plastic bottles 

• Annual, city-wide Clean Up Green Up events hosted by BurlingtonGreen between March and October 

• Event greening services offered by BurlingtonGreen at many events 

Take Action Burlington! Let’s all work together to reduce our impact on the environment. Collectively, we can make a difference.