Environment

Welcome to Burlington's Environment page.

Learn what we're doing to reduce our impact on the environment and how you can help by exploring the topics below. Consider subscribing to this and other environmental pages, including the Take Action Burlington blog, to stay up to date on our programs and initiatives.

You can find the 'subscribe to this page' button on the top right section of each page.

Climate Change

Citizen charging electric vehicle at EV station

Electric Vehicles

Energy

Environmental Programs

Forestry Operations

Garbage, recycling and green bin containers out on the sidewalk

Garbage and Recycling

Idling

Local Food

Water

Take Action Burlington

Check out the latest Take Action Burlington blog posts titled...

To receive emails each time a new post is published, press the "follow" button at TakeActionBurlington.ca and enter your email address. Approximately two posts will be published each month. #TakeActionBurlington #LiveGreenBurl

On June 17, 2019, City of Burlington sustainability staff presented Take Action Burlington – An Update on Our Local Environment to Council. This report provides an overview on the state of Burlington’s environment including information on local sustainability efforts and actions that can be taken. A series of five posts were published at TakeActionBurlington.ca throughout the summer (overview, land, air, water and waste). An online story map about the report is also available.

Environment Events

Event	Details	Date
Local Stories, Local Solutions	Join BurlingtonGreen for an inclusive, informative and solution-focused ZOOM webinar as part of Al Gore's "Climate Reality" presentations being held across the planet. Local Stories, Local Solutions will include climate change impacts and solutions with helpful takeaways and tips that you can put to ACTION as we join together to build the just and sustainable future we want and need. The free interactive webinar will include some fun with a chance to win a great eco-prize!	Oct. 22 7 pm
Walk and Roll Challenge	The City of Burlington has launched an active transportation challenge. Complete a variety of activities that involve active transportation and movement for your chance to win prizes. Examples of activities include: Park in the very last spot in the parking lot at the next store you go to. Take a picture with your car showing how far you are from the entrance. Record your steps. Take a photo at one of Burlington's many bus stops and tell us where the bus is taking you. Show us your best dance moves while rollerblading or skating. Roll at a skateboard park in your neighbourhood. Take a video of someone from your team doing all of the hand signals for cycling. Walk or wheel to school or work. If it's too far, park and walk at least two blocks. Start at Spencer Smith Park and rollerblade, walk, run or bike down on the pathway all the way to the Beachway park. Share a picture and explanation of your favourite path in Burlington. Learn how to participate and read contest rules at burlington.ca/walkandroll.	Closes Nov. 8 at 11:59 pm
Dig-in to gardening	Halton Food are hosting a "Dig-in to Gardening" weekly webinar series every Wednesday at 1 pm. Email questions in advance to grow@haltonfood.ca or join the conversation. Updated webinar details will be posted weekly on Halton Food's Twitter and Facebook.	Wednesdays at 1 pm

Enviro Fun @ Home

Activity	Source
Upcycle milk and juice cartons into bird feeders Scavenger hunt	BurlingtonGreen Environmental Organization
The library carries many environmentally themed books. Check out the eBooks for Earth Day collection list developed by staff.	Burlington Public Library
Marble painting Mail a hug Outdoor snakes and ladders	City of Burlington Parks and Recreation
With schools out for a while, Conservation Halton's outreach, stewardship, restoration and ecology experts developed Nature-Based Home Learning Resources that you can do with children to keep them busy and teach them a bit about nature. These include: Nature journal Nature guide Frog calling Bird calling Nature bingo Scavenger hunt Colouring pages Seek app Take the #TrashTag challenge Tree matching game Start your seeds indoors Start a 'lasagna garden' FishHeads #BackyardBarnyard Meet the animals	Conservation Halton's Nature-Based Home Learning
Check out environmental actions to do at home #EarthDayAtHome.	Earth Day Canada
Climate Kids - Everyone - big and small - can be part of the solution.	Government of Canada
Bingo sheet Dig-in to gardening - gardening Q&A weekly series Wednesdays at 1 pm. Email grow@haltonfood.ca for more information or visit Halton Food's Twitter or Instagram pages. Mindfulness and meditation Square foot gardening	Halton Environment Network
Toilet paper roll crafts Fairy gnomes Here's the Salt Dough Recipe referenced in the fairy gnomes video: 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 cup cold water Add the cold water a little bit at a time, stirring in between. When all mixed knead for 5-10 minutes and shape as you please! Must be baked at 250 degrees for about 2 hours to harden your designs.	Museums of Burlington
RBG@Home Painting with natural materials Make a nesting bag for birds Nesting materials experiment Can you make soil? Planting basil from seed Planting cold crops (arugula, beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach) The science of nature as stress relief Get to know your neighbourhood trees Identifying and removing garlic mustard Bird flap challenge	Royal Botanical Gardens

Environment News

Burlington City Council approves Deep Energy Retrofit program. Media release.
The Province announced on April 25, 2020 that it will be lifting emergency orders soon to permit the use of community gardens across Ontario stating these gardens are an essential source of fresh food for some individuals and families, including those who face food insecurity. The City of Burlington will be consulting with Halton Region Public Health to evaluate how and when to open our gardens with COVID-19 operating procedures and instructions that permitted gardeners must meet in order to operate and keep everyone safe. Once a set of instructions are approved and implemented then the community gardens will be open only to those assigned a garden plot. For more information about Burlington's community garden program, please visit burlington.ca/communitygardens.
The draft Climate Action Plan report was presented to Committee of the Whole on Dec. 2, 2019. A further opportunity to delegate was available at the Jan. 13, 2020 Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services meeting. An online survey was also available until Jan. 20 at getinvolvedburlington.ca/climate-action-plan. The final Climate Action Plan was presented to the Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Committee on March 9, 2020. The March 30 City Council meeting was rescheduled to April 20 due to COVID-19. The Climate Action Plan (April 2020) was approved.
Read a message from Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board on the benefits of walking or wheeling to school - Fall 2019.
July 15, 2019 - City of Burlington approves the 2018-2022 Burlington’s Plan: From Vision to Focus workplan which includes a Focus Area Supporting Sustainable Infrastructure and a Resilient Environment.
Environment reports at the June 10 Committee of the Whole meeting
- Take Action Burlington - An Update on Our Local Environment
  - Staff Report
  - Appendix A - Take Action Burlington - An Update on Our Local Environment
  - Appendix B - SDC Recommendations
  - Appendix C - Staff Update on SOER V Recommendations
  - Story Map
  - Take Action Burlington blog posts (overview, land, air, water and waste)
- Climate Action Update Report - June 2019
City of Burlington declares climate emergency.
Check out the latest blog posts at TakeActionBurlington.ca. #TakeActionBurlington #LiveGreenBurl
More EV charging stations in downtown Burlington.
In June 2017, the City of Burlington was recognized for achieving all five milestones in the Partners for Climate Protection Program. Media release and blog post.
What's your EcoScore? Find out and be eligible to win great prizes.
Bike Rack Giveaway Program - The City of Burlington recognizes the bottom-line benefits of businesses becoming more bike friendly for their customers and employees . This year the City of Burlington is offering a FREE bike rack (valued at $600 each) to the first 15 Burlington businesses that provide proof they have applied for a Share the Road Bike Friendly Business Award. All interested business are encouraged to email Dan Ozimkovic at Dan.Ozimkovic@burlington.ca

On June 22, 2015, Burlington City Council endorsed the City of Burlington's Blue Dot Declaration for the right to a healthy environment. Blue Dot is a project of the David Suzuki Foundation encouraging individuals and communities across Canada to declare their right to a healthy environment. View the Blue Dot report to Council

Environmental Videos