By Pepper Parr
June 25th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
While Civic Square is being torn up and replaced with an area that is said to include water fountains and a new entrance to city hall with eight flag poles to the left and right of a new entrance, the public squeezes their way into the horseshoe part of the Council Chamber.
It has been evident for some time that City Hall no longer meets the needs of a growing city.
Most of the money for the refurbishment of Civic Square came from the federal and provincial governments. The money was available, and the city made an application. No one seems to have asked if the building, which a former City Planner once called “iconic”, was meeting the real needs.
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- Government of Canada: Investing $1,984,900 through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).
- Government of Ontario: Contributing $1,653,917.
- City of Burlington: Committing $1,323,432 in municipal capital funding.
The total construction budget for the overall Civic Square renewal project, including changes to the City Hall entrance and Brant Streetscape, is roughly $6.6 million.
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The pictures below show just how cramped the space is.
When crowded the Council Chamber doesn’t look like a safe place.
Adults in safety vests squeeze in between the podium and a railing to get into the horseshoe area. There are probably safety issues with the space limitations.
The elementary students had to squeeze themselves between the podium and the railing. The podium has a lever that raises and lowers the height. What if one of the students accidentally moved the lever?
The design and layout of the Council Chamber was changed when James Ridge was the City Manager.
What was not foreseen was that the size of Council is likely to increase within a decade.
Of all the Council Chambers in the Region, including the Regional Chamber, Burlington has the tackiest of the bunch.
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