Spencer Smith Park

Burlington continues to win awards among mid-sized cities across Canada

& our downtown community is a big reason why. The flagship of Burlington’s

park system creates the ideal backdrop for our downtown shops, restaurants

& cultural centres… of course, I’m talking about Spencer Smith Park. 

The park space land in particular was part of a large parcel given to

Joseph Brant for his service to the Crown during the American Revolution.

Joseph Brant is a name many will associate with our hospital

just beyond the west end of Spencer Smith Park...

But Joseph Brant was a Mohawk War Cheif who fought with the British & advocated for his people

when meeting with prominent figures like King George the Third & George Washington.

His given name was Thayendanegea & locally, the north Burlington neighbourhood of Tyandaga

is another ode to his incredible impact locally. If you’re curious about the neighbourhoods

in Burlington, I’ve covered them all which you can check out here...

Join me for a stroll back through time...

To when Burlington was just a village & the

main road connecting Hamilton to Toronto was Lakeshore.



The stretch through the village was very close to the lake & if you’ve ever been downtown during

a winter storm, you know how quickly the water could overtake the steep limestone

cliffs causing mayhem for those travelling on the main road. 

The erosion was a serious concern & in 1906, councillors sought

funding to protect the shoreline without success.

In 1909 the village’s Reeve Maxwell Charles Smith took up the fight to find funding for the project.

After many years & a stroke of luck, Charles Smith, now the first Mayor of Burlington, managed to secure funding after taking a trip to Ottawa.

In the years after, the breakwall was finally in place protecting the shores

& creating a safe harbour for small boats. 

Spencer Smith, a local grocery store owner born in England who had humble beginnings as a

teenage farmhand with a local family, was a charter member of Burlington’s Horticultural Society

& was passionate about the beautification of the town he loved.

In 1933, while president of the Burlington Horticultural Society,

he set his sights on the land at the base of Brant St

& embarked on creating a beautiful waterfront space

for locals known as Lakeside Park.

Many of the large mature trees throughout old Burlington are a result of his seedlings

& the impact can be felt rippling through time when in 2017 the willows he planted had

reached the end of their life & had to be removed to the dismay of many locals. 

His efforts & leadership are why in 1942,

the park space was re-named Spencer Park.

The Burlington Centennial Committee proposed a new name...

“Wellington Square Park”

to commemorate the hamlet that became a part of Burlington in 1873,

but locals passionately objected & the committee decided instead to

change the name to Spencer Smith Park. 

So, before Burlington even became a city,

"Spencer Smith Park" stood proud on the shores of Lake Ontario. 

With so much history long gone, it’s nice to know there are

monuments throughout the park to reflect on the past… 

There’s the Navy Memorial in honour of the

Canadians who served in the Navy during WWII.

Located just west of the Brant St Pier, this 6’4 bronze statue of a

WWII Canadian sailor at attention saluting lost shipmates.

Installed in 1995, it is one of two main locations where

Remembrance Day services are held on November 11th each year. 

If you stand at the most western lookout on the promenade,

there is the story of the Victory at Burlington Bay which had a direct impact

on the last invasion of Canada in 1814 at Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls. 

The promenade & Pier are accessible year-round, however come winter,

the ice that forms with the winter storms can create very slippery conditions.

This time of year, note that the City posts signs that

they do not maintain & you use them at your own risk. 

Do note, it’s a pay-to-park situation, so you

may want to park on one of the nearby streets & walk to Spencer Smith.

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the south-end neighbourhoods

along the paved Centennial Trail, you can bike downtown in no time!

See the full pathway in this video where we ride from end to end

(don't worry, it's sped up)

There are also multiple municipal lots in the area where you can find additional parking.

• The parking lot on either side of Spencer's Landing

(the western lot is often reserved for the restaurant)

• The lot at the corner of Brock Ave & Lakeshore

• The lot between the Pearle & Waterfront Hotels

• The multi-story parking garage on Locust Street

(just north of Lakeshore Rd.)

The playground is one of my kids' favourites in the city!

With different climbers, swings & a zip line… there’s something for all ages.

There is also the Dofassco Waterjet Splashpad which opened in 2006

& gives kids a fun way to cool down over the summer months.

Beside the playground, you’ll find Rotary Centennial Pond which offers hobbyists

a calm space to captain their boats during the warmer months.

There are signs posted, but a reminder, this is

not a wading pool & it is not for people or pets to play in.

Come the winter months, the water freezes & converts to an awesome waterfront skating location!

With low edges to take a break, skate rentals & assists to help new skaters,

it’s a winter treat to come down for a lakeside skate.

Now if you are looking for more outdoor skating locations locally,

I did create a video covering 11 of our local spots which you can check out here!

Spencer’s at the Waterfront...

Is a dining experience in Downtown Burlington where the large windows offer

diners views of the lake as well as a lakeside patio during the warmer months.

There is also an observatory that is host to many events

& weddings due to the picturesque setting! 

Below the restaurant, there is the Discovery Centre which offers public washrooms,

a warm place to put on skates, a water refilling station & a grab-to-go concession-style eatery. 

December means the Festival of Lights is on display!

The more than 60 displays are scattered throughout the 6+ acres of park space

from the end of November until the first week of January.

Like most events downtown, it’s free to visit, just be sure you are

respectful of these displays that started brightening our holiday season since 1995. 

I did also cover the Festival of Lights in another video so if you’d like to

learn more about what you can expect, be sure to check it out here!

One thing I love about this park is that... besides the stairs installed at the base of Brant St during the

1967 Centennial renewal & the set at the Lakeshore pedestrian crosswalk,

the rest of the pathways are completely accessible.

Now, there are the stairs at the Pearl but it’s considered just beyond the park despite

the pathway connecting & it also offers ramps down to the waterfront trail. 

The Brant St ramp is steep, but the rest of the inclines are reasonable

& allow people of all ages/abilities to enjoy this flagship park.



With more than a kilometre of waterfront pathway

& around 2km of pathways meandering throughout the park,

there’s a lot of space to explore! 

Of course, we can’t miss talking about the iconic Brant St Pier that almost never was… 

We’re so used to the 137-meter curved pier with its 12-meter tall beacon

that’s graced the shoreline since 2013, that it’s hard for many to

imagine a waterfront view without the colourful vantage point.

But before opening in 2013, there was a time when the build was at a standstill. 

Running millions over budget, the cost to complete was weighing heavy on our elected officials.

Determining it would cost just as much to tear down as it would to complete,

the choice to persevere with the unique curvature

& create this downtown destination was made.

Now, it’s the backdrop we all instantly recognize during

the many festivals throughout the year! 

The summer is filled with different festivals...

From Canada Day celebrations,

To food trucks,

 To children's events

& Movies under the stars…

There’s a lot happening at Spencer Smith Park year-round!

The Sound of Music festival kicks off the summer with free concerts, vendors to explore & core streets downtown shut down to traffic so pedestrians can roam the local shops & restaurants. 

Come the end of summer, the park is host to Canada's Largest Ribfest

every Labour Day weekend offering more than just ribs for locals to enjoy.

Brant St Pier Beach

There's one in Spencer Smith Park at the western base of the Pier.

It's not very big & it gets deep fairly quickly.

The water quality can shift, especially when there are lots of people kicking around....

Be sure to look at the water quality before swimming at any of our beaches.

Burlington Beachway

At the very west end of Spencer Smith Park is a trail heading off towards a tree line.

That's the Burlington Beachway!

An area that once was a tourist destination with seasonal cottages,

a small theme park & our old transit line (where the trail now runs)

With more than 3km of trails along the sandbar towards Hamilton,

beautiful sandy beaches & shallow waters that gradually

get deeper, it's packed for most of the summer!

There are no lifeguards on duty at either beach so be sure to keep an eye on your kids.

Also, please DO NOT feed the birds...

It makes them sick (not enough nutrients they need) & is one of the leading

causes of water pollution meaning fewer days of being able to swim.

I have covered the beach extensively, from the history of Burlington Beach to sharing

17 local beaches worth checking out during the hot summer months!

Culturally, Burlington takes an interest in supporting artists & sharing local talent.

With events like Art Walks where different pieces are showcased for some time, to events like Lakeside-A-La-Cart where local restaurants & beverage companies can showcase their creations.

Being across the street from the Art Gallery of Burlington & a short walk to the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, the city celebrates the arts every chance it has! 

Now a more recent addition to the park space is the completion of The Pearl,

creating a second hotel on the waterfront as well as a condo residence.



With an award-winning spa, lakeside restaurant with patio, coffee shop,

water feature & retail stores, it’s a beautiful addition to our waterfront space. 

The other hotel is the Waterfront Hotel with a pool overlooking the pier & lake as well as

a restaurant with arguably the best view of the Pier for any of the downtown restaurants.

That said, there is a proposal to develop the space into a new building

as the progress around the park & Burlington’s downtown is never-ending. 

Now we’ve covered Summer, Fall and winter at the park,

but Spencer Smith Park is truly all season…

and Spring brings with it a very special time of year.

In 1997 Burlington received a gift from our twin city, Itabashi Japan

of Sakura Trees which have been plated throughout the city.

With more than 25 planted in a row along Spencer Smith Park’s northeastern edge,

it’s no surprise that the Sakura Festival, or Cherry Blossom Festival, is celebrated every spring.