The City of Burlington accepts donations that honour a special person, or celebrate and important occasion or accomplishment, through our Memorial Bench Program. These donations are made as a lasting tribute to loved ones and serve as a gift to residents of the city.
Funds go toward an outdoor amenity, such as a bench, bike rack or sun shelter. Donations include a personalized plaque placed on the amenity in honour of your loved one. We work with you to determine a specific location, donation amount and installation schedule.
To make a donation with Memorial Bench Program, please call us at 905-335-7777, ext. 7488, or email us at peggy.lei@burlington.ca to coordinate your donation and determine location and amount details.
Once you have confirmed your donation's details with us, download and complete our Donor Form to complete your donation. Submit your completed Donor Form and the full amount of your donation to us by mail or in-person at City Hall at:
City of Burlington
426 Brant St., PO Box 5013
Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6
We only accept cheque payments by mail. Please make your cheque payable to the City of Burlington.
View more details and guidelines about our Memorial Bench Program, including site locations and availability, plaque messages, maintenance and more.
View the Park Amenities Recognition/Celebration Program - Program Guidelines - 2025 (PDF)
Site locations and availability |
The program is available at most parks, other City-owned properties and along some City roads. Please note that not all parks or open spaces offer this opportunity. Once a site has been chosen, we strive to fulfill your wish to place the amenity at your preferred location at the park or site. When determining location, we work to ensure that there are a balanced number and type of amenities within the site. Proposed amenities along City roads may require public consultation. The following guiding principles ensure the amenity location is compatible with the intended design and functionality of the location, and considers user safety, accessibility and maintenance requirements:
Park site limitationsWhile most parks are candidates for the program, there are some parks that are currently not available or have limitations.
Beachway Park
La Salle Park
Maple Park
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Amenities |
You can make a donation to purchase different types of park furniture, such as park benches, bike racks and sun shelters. Benches are the most popular choice. We provide a list of amenities for you to choose from, with specific models pre-selected by City staff. If you request a different type of amenity, we will evaluate its suitability for the program. |
Plaque details |
A plaque with your message will be securely mounted on the amenity and is subject to the following conditions:
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Maintenance |
Both the plaque and the amenity will be the property of the City and will be maintained by the City for its lifecycle. The amenity will be removed when repair is no longer feasible (as determined by the City) due to damage and deterioration from natural elements or otherwise. The amenity will then be recycled. The plaque will be given to the donor, or alternate contact if the donor cannot be located, when the amenity is removed at the end of its lifecycle. If we cannot locate the donor or alternate contacts, we will store the plaque at a City facility for five years, after which it will be repurposed or destroyed. Temporary removal or location changeThe amenity may be temporarily removed for the purpose of maintenance, construction or park festivals and activities. We may permanently change the location of the amenity due to park and road improvement or reconstruction work. We will inform you of this change. Access and celebrationsPublic access to the amenity location may be restricted if it is deemed unsafe due to adverse weather conditions or construction. We request you keep celebration gatherings at the amenity small and informal, and in keeping with a celebratory atmosphere. Due to maintenance considerations, we request you do not place memorial wreaths, flowers or other memorial items at the amenity location. These items may be removed. The scattering of human and animal remains is not permitted. VandalismIn the event of vandalism, we make reasonable efforts to restore the amenity or the plaque back to its original state but will not replace either item. |
Timing for requests and installation |
You can request to make a donation at any time. You must pay for the full amount of the donation before we order the amenity. The selected location can only be reserved once we receive payment. InstallationDonation requests must be finalized by June 30 for the amenity to be installed in the same calendar year. Installation of the amenity will take place in late fall. The installation schedule is dependent on many factors, so we cannot provide a specific installation date. |
Records |
We maintain program records for amenities and donors' contact details. It is your responsibility to update us with any changes to your personal contact information. |
Program costs and tax receipts |
This program is intended to be self-funding. The established cost for each donation is based on the type of amenity, plaque and installation cost. Donation cost of new benches start at $6,000. Donation cost of other amenities will be evaluated on an individual basis, and may vary throughout the year due to fluctuation of the Canadian dollar and supply/demand of the amenities. Older benches or other older amenities already existing on-site may be adopted under this program if the park/site does not have a need to add more of the same amenities. This will be evaluated on an individual basis. The donation cost of adopting an older amenity is dependent on its age and its remaining years of life. We issue tax receipts to the extent permitted by the Income Tax Act. |