By Pepper Parr
October 14th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
That friendly rival between Burlington and Oakville at times gets a little too close to the bone.
Downtown Oakville topped all global competition to be presented with the “Best Downtown Area Award” at the 29th Annual Communities in Bloom (CiB) National & International Awards held in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Alberta in late September.
Oakville has always had a better downtown than Burlington; the retail choices are much more varied, appear to be a lot busier than Burlington.
Oakville’s Downtown Business Improvement Area said receiving the award is not just a testimony to its beauty, but a testament to the hard work, community spirit, and sustainable practices that the community has upheld.
Adrienne Gordon, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area said: “This award is a reflection of the unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit of our community. We’re incredibly proud of what Downtown Oakville represents – a perfect blend of heritage, vibrant spaces, innovative businesses, and forward-thinking sustainability initiatives.
“This recognition motivates us further to enhance our beloved downtown.”
To evaluate the competition, Communities in Bloom uses a process aimed at fostering community involvement, strength, and constant enhancement.
The organization, which has the motto “Growing Great Places Together”, champions environmental sustainability, green space enrichment, and heritage conservation. These efforts are geared towards augmenting the essence of municipal, residential, commercial, and institutional spaces, making cities and towns more inviting and vibrant.
Susan Ellis, National Chairperson of Communities in Bloom, praised the collective strength of the communities, highlighting the resolute spirit shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An aerial view of where Oakville locates it Christmas Tree.
“The past years have thrown at us unprecedented challenges like the global pandemic and extreme weather events,” said Ellis. “Yet, we’ve shown remarkable tenacity and resilience. 2023 is a testament to our communities’ drive to make their regions healthier, more sustainable, and thriving.”
That didn’t jive with the comment a Gazette reader made asking: “Remember when Blair Lancaster claimed that Oakville downtown was dead and we all laughed? Whose downtown wins an actual prestigious award and whose downtown is being ruined day by day?”
A large part of the difference between the two municipalities is geographic and where the development has been permitted. Burlington’s downtown core is where there will eventually be close to a dozen high rise pricey condominiums each taking away from the splendour that is Spencer Smith Park. The construction takes away from the comfort of being “downtown”. In the not too distant future the planned residential construction that will eventually break ground around the GO station will take some of the pressure off the downtown core and at the same time change the social demographics of the city.
Oakville isn’t going to go through the upheaval Burlington is experiencing.
Having delegated on a few developments that elbowed out a lot of the character of our downtown I will invoke my inner Jane Jacobs. As the diminishing supply of legacy buildings are relegated to landfill, sadly, I don’t see it getting prettier.
There is no surprise here. Oakville deserves recognition for protecting its downtown from high rise canyons through its efforts back in 2005 as the Places to Grow provincial legislation was about to be passed. Their Council wisely refused an Urban Growth Centre downtown so they could control the respectful changes to their downtown instead of the developers. They also chose only one Transit Hub and Urban Growth Centre, at the Trafalgar GO Station for high rise intensification.
Burlington Council at the time took no similar measures and left it to the Province to decide the downtown’s fate. We now reap what that Council sowed and other future Councils abetted – a coming tide of streets like canyons bordered by concrete, steel and glass edifices towering over everything and everyone who dares to walk the downtown.
Congratulations to Oakville for its early vision and continued vigilance. Shame on Burlington for giving up and giving in.
Well said Gary! Burlington could have done the same, could have done more since and we could have had a downtown somewhat on par with Oakville’s. They didn’t and we don’t and we won’t. By the way, most of the towers coming here aren’t yet up, but the wind tunnels are already here. It’s pretty grim walking along the areas down there in many places now.
Look at all the pretty little shops in downtown Oakville and compare that with the downtown mess in Burlington. What is there to go down for? Just take Village Square as an example….completely empty! The upheaval Burlington is experiencing is of its own making.