Love My Neighbourhood

• Decide what type of gathering or activity you are going to host, including the name of the event, location, date and time.
• Decide if your gathering or activity is a one time or a weekly reoccurrence.
• If you are hosting on apartment building or condominium building property, please get a permission letter from your condo/apartment building prior to starting your application.

• Have someone plan kids’ activities
• Who will bring music?
• Do you need tables or chairs?
• Show your culture by sharing your multi-cultural food option
• Organize an environment-friendly event and have someone be the lead to minimize waste
• Engage lots of people to spread the work

• Think about who is in your neighbourhood and plan for that audience.
• Strive to ensure your event is open and inclusive for all ages and accessibilities
• Have your youth help with set up or running children’s activities

Below is a list of approved use for funding:

• Insurance
• Food
• Craft supplies
• Garbage/recycling/compost bags
• Additional garbage bag tags
• Green consumables:  paper plates, bamboo and/or wood utensils, plastic cups
• Entertainment
• Rentals (chairs, tables, tents, sound system)
• Material to promote Love My Neighbourhood
• Rental of Sports Equipment
• Rental of TSSA Certified Inflatable Equipment
• Decorations that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable
• Fireworks (see below for permitted times)

Funding may not be approved for:

• Purchase of inflatable equipment
• Purchase of sports/play equipment
• Paid advertising
• Purchase of chairs, tables, tents, sound system, cutlery, plates, or any other items that need to be “owned” by someone after the event
• Purchase of tools or other equipment
• Balloons and other decorations that are not environmentally friendly
• Purchase of any alcohol beverages, tobacco, or cannabis products

All event organizers must abide by the City of Burlington Municipal Alcohol Policy and Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario guidelines. 

A budget must be submitted with your application. Use the Love My Neighbourhood Budget Template Document to accurately reflect how you anticipate you will spend the funds. Please have your completed budget template ready to submit with your application.

The event organizer is responsible for the cost of any damages including but not limited to the barricades, turf, park, facility, fixtures, etc. Damages incurred on city’s property will be deducted from the grant money.

The Burlington Fire Department regulations regarding tent or canopy use and cooking must be followed, as per the Fire Prevention Office.

Requirements for paid after-hours fire inspections at your event may apply and will be adhered to ensuring the safety of all event participants and residents.

Family fireworks are allowed on Canada Day and Victoria Day only between dusk and 11 p.m.  Fireworks must follow the guidelines laid out by the City of Burlington Fire Department. 

Food Trucks and Ice Cream Trucks are required to have City of Burlington business licences. All vehicles are required to follow parking and street bylaws.

Greening your event plan to make your event a “green event” by using the 4R principles

1. Refuse – Refuse to purchase or take items that are unnecessary, have excessive packaging or have better alternatives.
2. Reduce – Reduce waste by avoiding one time use items. Including drink containers.
3. Reuse – Reuse table clothes, decorations, etc.
4. Recycle and Green Bin – If you must buy one-time use items, ensure they are recyclable or green bin appropriate. Check out the list below or visit Halton Region Put Waste in it’s place tool.

Sorting waste

• Ensure your event has a waste sorting station. Cardboard boxes lined with the appropriate bag work great or ask the organizing team to bring their green and blue bins to the event. Clear bag for recycling, Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified compostable bags for green bin and black bag for garbage.
• Label all bins and give examples of what goes in each bin. Print and post the sorting guide if possible!
• Where possible, and especially with larger events, have volunteers sit at the sorting station to ensure waste gets sorted appropriately.

Utensils and cutlery

• Food serving waste is often the largest source of waste. Ask event goers to bring reusable mugs, plates, containers and cutlery to the event.
• Add this request to your posters, flyers and social media posts.
• Purchase only recyclable or green bin appropriate one time use items.

Recommended to use:

• Green Bin:
  • Paper plates
  • Napkins
  • Wood/bamboo cutlery
  • Paper cups
• Recyclable:
  • Plastic cups
  • Plastic coffee lids
  • Sparkling water, pop or juice in aluminum cans or bulk containers.

Do not use:

• All Styrofoam items
• Plastic cutlery
• Plastic plates (as they must be washed before recycling)
• Straws
• One time use drink containers such as juice boxes and drinkable yogurt to avoid excessive waste.
• Compostable plastics (not accepted in Green Cart program)

Decorations

• Do not buy decorations that will go into the garbage after the event. (Balloons, metallic streamers, confetti, sparkles, plastic or metallic banners, plastic table clothes. These items also have long lasting negative impacts on wildlife if littered.)
• Ask youth and children to make posters/signage with recyclable paper or cardboard boxes
• Choose paper items such as paper streamers and flowers
• Look at the second-hand store for tablecloths that can be reused for picnic tables or ask the organizing team to bring them

Plastic water bottles

• Do not buy or serve bottled water
• Provide water jugs or containers and ask participants to bring reusable water bottles
• Offer reusable plastic cups where possible (children’s cups or plastic patio cups)
• Ensure one-time use cups purchased are plastic (recyclable) or paper (compostable) (note that plastic style cups that are advertise as ‘compostable’ do not go in the green bin, but in the garbage instead)
• Provide a permanent marker so that people can write their names and keep only one cup for the duration of the event

Food vendors and food services

• Be conscious of waste caused by vendors at your event.
• When booking food vendors, ask about what they serve their products in
• Ask participants to bring reusable mugs or containers (such as coffee mugs)
• Avoid food trucks where possible as they will idle the duration of the event emitting air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Eco-conscious promotional materials

If you are printing promotional materials use recycled paper and environmentally friendly ink. Also consider moving your event information to digital platforms and sources.

Other resources

Halton Region Put Waste in Its’ Place

Burlington Green Hosting a green event

Greening Programs

Burlington Green Zero Waste

All inflatables must meet Technical Safety & Standards Authority and Electrical Safety Authority standards for certification, approval and have a licensed TSSA operator at the booking to oversee the device. A minimum of $5 million in liability insurance is required and have the Corporation of the City of Burlington, 426 Brant St., Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6 listed as an additional insured.

A certificate of insurance for a minimum general liability of $2 million must be submitted minimum 15 days prior to the event. For higher risk activities such as bouncy castles or inflatables, external insurance of $5 million liability is required. This certificate must also list the City of Burlington, 426 Brant St., Burlington, Ontario L7R 3Z6 as an additional insured.

Learn about activities that may require insurance and where to obtain them.

• Alpine Skiing
• Bouncy Castles
• Boxing
• Climbing Walls
• Contact Hockey
• Contact Martial Arts
• Cycling
• Dunk tanks
• Fireworks (unless under the direction of a Fireworks Supervisor)
• Gymnastics     
• Horse Related
• Kickboxing
• Lacrosse (unless non-contact pickup)
• Minor Hockey (18 & under) (unless non-contact pickup)
• Rugby
• Skateboarding/Skateboard Parks
• Snowboarding
• Tackle Football

If you require $5 million insurance, you are welcome to contact the companies below or utilize your own insurance contacts. The Love My Neighbourhood grant will reimburse you for the cost of your external insurance when you submit your receipts.

Gallagher

www.ajgcanada.com

Phone: 905-538-2102

PAL Insurance

www.palcanada.com

Phone: 519-428-7716

Toll Free: 1-800-265-8098

Exhibitor Insurance

www.exhibitorinsurance.com

info@exhibitorinsurance.com

Phone: 905-695-2971

Toll Free: 1-866-836-9066

Ensure that all parking areas in regular parking lots and laneways are kept accessible to emergency vehicles. Regular rules will apply to signed, no parking and designated fire routes.

No vehicles are to be parked in a city park on the grass.

You will need to decide wish to host an event on the road. If so, a road closure is required. All road closure requests must be submitted with a completed Road Closure Neighbourhood Consent Document. Signed documentation of 70 per cent plus one of neighbour approval in the closed area is required. Please have the Neighbourhood Consent document completed and be ready to submit it with your application.

Smoking is prohibited in all parks including passive areas, walking trails, sport fields, playgrounds, wading pools, etc. The event organizer is responsible to ensure that the event and event attendees comply with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

Transportation emissions are Burlington’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. Do your part and encourage walking, cycling, transit and carpooling resources in all event promotions.

Check out what bus routes and cycling paths are available near your event on the Burlington Transit website and Burlington Cycling Map.

Define your neighbourhood or community

Use natural neighbourhood boundaries: a neighbourhood could be defined as a street, an apartment building, a few blocks or adjoining backyards. Be inclusive of all the people within the area you defined as your neighbourhood or community.

A community can be defined as a group of people who identify with and support each other.

Create an organizing committee

Include everyone in the decisions about the event. Start with smaller events or activities for the first year. Things can always grow in future years. The more people who are involved, the more likely your event will set up a legacy and have a new leader each year to plan the event annually.

Sign up as many neighbours or community members as you can to help out

For example, one person can create the flyer; a second person can be the contact for RSVPs and to answer questions; and a third person can put invitations in mailboxes.

Pick an activity or project you think would suit your neighbourhood or community.

Ideas for Events:

• Meet and greet afternoon social
• Holiday celebration (e.g. Canada Day celebrations)
• Hopscotch tournament
• Road hockey tournament
• Book exchange
• Frisbee, soccer, baseball or football game
• Street or park cleanup
• Tree or flower planting
• Fun fair
• Movie night
• Nature walk/hike
• Charity yard sale and BBQ
• Plant exchange
• Neighbourhood art project
• Community Jane’s Walk
• Capitalize on things already happening in the community. For example, if there is a free swim at a nearby pool, have a get-together after the swim.
• A Dog’s Breakfast: send invitations to all the local dogs and their owners. Breakfast is held in the driveway with cinnamon buns for the owners and biscuits for the dogs.

Think about Inclusion

Who is in your neighbourhood - Seniors? Youth? Who else?

This section gives ideas based on the type of people in your neighbourhood.

Find ways to include youth:

• Provide free food, have contests/prizes for youth who attend.
• Have fun acts and attractions at the event such as fireworks, and/or live music (possibly by youth).
• Plan sport activities such as tug-of-war, baseball, basketball or street hockey.
• Contact local high schools and middle schools in the area and ask to have your activity announced.
• Spread the word using the Internet and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
• Talk to youth from your area that you know.
• Say “hi” to any young people who attend, welcome them to the event.
• Offer community service hours to high school students who are involved in planning and/or helping out with the gathering. This is a great way to get volunteers.

Find ways to include people with a disability:

• Is the information about the event being distributed in accessible formats for people with visual impairments or low-level reading skills?
• Is the location of your gathering accessible?
• If the event is outdoors, is the ground level enough for people with mobility devices to go across it? For more information, please check the Guide to Accessible Festival and Outdoor Events at burlington.ca/resources.

Find ways to include Seniors:

To find ways to include seniors and support seniors taking part in neighbourhood events, please contact: Supervisor of Recreation Programs Adults and Seniors, City of Burlington at 905-335-7888, ext. 6339.

Funding to organize Love My Neighbourhood is only available for one residential/neighbourhood area per year.

No, Love My Neighbourhoods are small, neighbourhood gatherings and not considered to be “serving the public”. If you feel that your event will extend beyond 250 people, we encourage you to reach out to Festivals and Events as they can offer more support for event coordination including food vendor permits.

One-time road closures or weekly road closures can be requested in your Love My Neighbourhood Application. Road closure requests must go through an approval process that can take up to six weeks. If approved, a City staff will arrange permits and barricades, as barricades are mandatory for all Love My Neighbourhoods on city roads. The City will provide up to four barricades for successful LMN applicants.

Barricades pick up and drop off will be the responsibility of the applicant. If the barricades get damaged or missing, the cost will be deducted from the Love My Neighbourhood grant.

Roads that are requested to be closed must following the below criteria:

• Roads should be no more than one block long
• The road should be a residential street
• The road should not be a major road and should be free from an active bus route
• There must be clear visibility from each intersection
• Road closure requests must be submitted a minimum of six weeks before the first street closure date

Yes, but there are important things to consider.

• Ensure the inflatable must be TSSA certified and this TSSA certification must also be submitted to the Love My Neighbourhood program.
• You will be required to provide external insurance of up to $5 million where the Corporation of the City of Burlington, 426 Brant St., Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6 is listed as an additional insured. This can be home owner insurance or externally purchased insurance.
• The Certificate of Insurance must contain undertaking by the insurer to notify the City in writing no less than 30 business says before any material change in coverage or the cancellation of coverage.

For Love My Neighbourhoods taking place on City property, $2 million liability insurance is required and can be purchased through the City of Burlington. Insurance purchased through the City of Burlington will not cover higher risk activities. For higher risk activities such as bouncy castles or inflatables, insurance of $5 million liability is required. Insurance fees can be deducted from the $500 grant, if eligible.

If you are hosting your event on a private property, you are required to contact your insurance company and have the City of Burlington, 426 Brant St., Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6 listed as an additional insured party. You will be required to submit this information to the Love My Neighbourhood Program before your start date.

The City will not fund or permit the purchase of any alcohol beverages, tobacco or cannabis products. Alcohol or cannabis products are not permitted at Love My Neighbourhood events or on public property.

Fireworks are never permitted on public property, or City of Burlington streets.

Fireworks are permitted to be set off on Victoria Day and Canada Day (July 1), and three days before each holiday. Visit Burlington.ca/fireworks for more information. 

If you would like to organize a neighbour cleanup and require garbage/recycling bags, gloves and garbage pickup on city property, visit Environmental Programs for more information. If you would like to organize a celebration after your clean up, then Love My Neighbourhood would support this. 

Love My Neighbourhood is going green. The City is committed to reducing waste and promoting green practices. We ask that neighbours use their own garbage, recycling and green bins to ensure that garbage from their event gets sorted properly. Organizers and participants are responsible for clean-up after the event.

• All recycling, composting and garbage is the organizers and participants’ responsibility and should be disposed of in your weekly collection.
• You may purchase compost, recycling and garbage bags, and garbage bag tags with your Love My Neighbourhood grant.
• Love My Neighbourhood grants will only reimburse the purchase of compostable or recyclable one time use items (paper plates, paper bowls, paper cups, napkins, plastic cups, wood or bamboo cutlery).
• Love My Neighbourhood will not support the purchase of plastic or Styrofoam plates, Styrofoam cups, plastic cutlery, one time use plastic water bottles, straws, balloons or other decorations that are not compostable or recyclable.

Other considerations:

• Consider having an "eco-team lead" to encourage proper sorting.
• When setting up your waste station, please remember to keep a six-meter emergency lane when on the road.
• If decorations are planned, please ensure that they are reusable, recyclable or compostable. We discourage the use of balloons, plastic or Styrofoam dinnerware and straws which have a negative impact on the environment.