Happy holidays: What’s open and closed at the City

City Service

Holiday Closure Information

Animal Services

The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. will be operate as follows:

• Sunday, Dec. 24 and Monday, Dec. 25 – closed to appointments
• Tuesday, Dec. 26 – Saturday, Dec. 30 – open to appointments
• Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 – closed to appointments

To report an animal control related emergency on a holiday, please call 905-335-7777.

Burlington Transit

Burlington Transit will operate as scheduled over the holidays:

• Sunday, Dec. 24 – regular Sunday service

• Monday, Dec. 25 – Sunday/holiday service
• Tuesday, Dec. 26 – Sunday/holiday service
• Wednesday, Dec. 27 to Friday, Dec. 29 – regular weekday service
• Saturday, Dec. 30 – regular Saturday service
• Sunday, Dec. 31 – regular Sunday service and extended late night service on Routes 1, 50, 51 and 52
  
  • Route 1 Plains-Fairview will provide service every 30 minutes, with the last bus departing Hamilton at 1 a.m. and Appleby GO at 1:15 a.m.
  • Route 50 Burlington South, 51 Burlington Northeast and 52 Burlington Northwest will leave Burlington GO every 60 minutes, from 8:56 p.m. to 12:56 a.m.
• Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 – Sunday/holiday service

For real-time bus information and schedules, visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca.

Schedule for the Downtown Transit Terminal, at 430 John St:

• Tuesday, Dec. 26 – open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 27 to Friday, Dec. 29 – open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 30 – open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 31 and Monday, Jan. 1 – closed
• Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 – open from 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The Specialized Dispatch is open Wednesday, Dec. 27 – Friday, 29, and Tuesday, Jan. 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City Hall

Service Burlington and the Building, Renovating and Licensing counter on the main floor of City Hall at 426 Brant St., will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, and reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.

Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices.

For online development services, MyFiles can be used by residents who have applied for Pre-Building Approval. Check the status of Pre Building Approval applications at burlington.ca/MyFiles.

Halton Court Services

Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will operate as follows:

• Monday, Dec. 25 – Wednesday, Dec. 27 - closed
• Thursday, Dec. 28 – Friday, Dec. 29 - open, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 – closed

On days when the court administration counter is open, telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services. Payment of Provincial Offences fines is available 24/7 at www.paytickets.ca.

Parking

Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage after 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays, including Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 1, 2024.

NOTE: The Waterfront parking lots (east and west at 1286 Lakeshore Rd) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays.

Parking exemptions are required to park overnight on city streets and for longer than five hours. If you have family and friends staying with you that require street parking, please visit burlington.ca/parkingexemptions to register for a parking exemption. Please note: parking exemptions are not valid during declared snow events, to assist with snow removal.

Please make an online reservation using Park Pass to visit Lowville Park on weekends. Reservations are free and available in three-hour time slots.

Recreation Programs and Facilities

Burlington Seniors’ Centre
The Burlington Seniors’ Centre at New St. will close Dec. 23, 2023, for building maintenance, and re-open on Jan. 2, 2024.

Customer Service

Recreation, Community and Culture customer service is available to assist you over the holiday:

• In person at recreation facility counters during program times
• By email at liveandplay@burlington.ca
• By phone at 905-335-7738, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone and email service are closed Dec. 24, 25, 26 and Jan. 1, 2024.

Between Dec. 27 – 29, phone and email service hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Dec. 31, the hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cogeco Skating at Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond, located at Spencer Smith Park at 1400 Lakeshore Rd, is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. but closed at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Registration is not required. For more information, including skating times, visit burlington.ca/pond.

Residents are encouraged to call the ice conditions hotline at 905-335-7738, ext. 8587 before leaving their house, to make sure the pond is open.

The free skate lending program at the Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond is available Monday to Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., and Fridays, from 5 to 10 p.m. On Saturdays, Sundays, PA days and holiday school breaks, it is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tim Hortons Free Skating

Thanks to Tim Hortons, Burlington residents can enjoy another holiday season of free skating, from Dec. 23, 2023, to Jan. 6, 2024. A reservation is not needed. Skating is first come, first served until capacity is reached. For dates and locations, visit burlington.ca/timsfreeskate.

Drop-In Recreation Programs

Swimming, skating, fitness and other drop-in program times vary over the holiday period. Drop in or reserve in advance. For schedules, visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay.

Play Equipment Lending Library
If you need some indoor or outdoor play equipment or want to try something new without having to buy it, try the Play Equipment Lending Library. The last day to borrow the play equipment in 2023 is on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Items need to be picked up from Central Arena and returned to Haber Community Centre on Jan. 9, 2024. To borrow, visit burlington.ca/playlending.

Holiday ice and gym rentals
Stay active this holiday with family and friends by renting ice or a gym at a special discount. This holiday season, ice and gym rentals are available at a reduced rate for booking dates up to Jan. 7, 2023. Residents can view facility availability and complete the rental 24 hours in advance through their online Live & Play account. Learn more about how to rent at burlington.ca/rentals.

Outdoor Fun
Head outside and play in our parks with trails, disc golf, tobogganing and more. Explore all the options at burlington.ca/outdoorplay.

Roads, Parks and Forestry

The administrative office will be closed from Monday, Dec. 25 to Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, re-opening on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Essential services, including snow removal, will be provided as required.