You know it when you feel it.

A great main street makes you want to slow down and wander; to stop for a coffee, browse the shops, have a conversation with someone, or simply find a place to sit and stay awhile. But what exactly creates that feeling?

That was the question behind the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association’s (OBIAA) Professional Development Day, where Burlington was selected as this year’s host city to showcase the importance of partnerships in placemaking. BIA leaders from communities across Ontario – from Exeter and Ottawa to Kerr Village and Thornbury – came together to see firsthand what happens when a community invests in its spaces.

“Local businesses are the heartbeat of a Main Street,” says Rachel Braithwaite, Executive Director at OBIAA. “BIAs give an area an identity, a look and feel that’s unmistakably its own. When that’s done well, people aren’t just walking down a street, they’re making memories and connections through enhanced experiences in their community.”

Burlington is home to two very different, but equally valuable BIAs: Burlington Downtown and Aldershot Village. 

“I was excited to showcase that Burlington’s main street experience isn’t just about one traditional downtown,” says Andrea Dodd, Executive Director at Aldershot Village. “Conference delegates were able to see how we approach placemaking, beautification and community building in very different environments while still working side by side.”

Jaclyn Jones, Membership and Community Engagement Consultant at Burlington Downtown, describes their core experience as the city’s front door, or perhaps its living room, where many people discover Burlington for the first time, and residents gather to celebrate important community moments. 

While downtown offers festivals, waterfront views, and cultural experiences, Aldershot feels more like an area built on generations of neighbourhood connections. Both areas recognize that great business districts are about much more than retail and restaurants. They’re about creating destinations and experiences that bring people together. During a virtual tour of Aldershot Village and a walking tour of Burlington Downtown, conference attendees learned about the beautification initiatives that help create their inviting environments. 

The tours offered plenty of examples of how community partnerships can change the way people relate to a street. In Aldershot Village, Connection Corner became the first placemaking project along Plains Road, creating a welcoming spot to sit, pause and connect. The Rooted in Aldershot “fruity fence” transformed an otherwise ordinary fence outside a local business into public art that pays tribute to the area’s agricultural roots.

As delegates strolled along Brant Street and through the surrounding downtown, they saw several creative approaches to placemaking, including partnerships with private businesses to turn blank walls into murals that visually animate the area. Branded chairs in the Village Square and outside the Performing Arts Centre add inviting places to sit, while way-finding baubles bring personality to lamp posts throughout the area. Delegates also stopped for a photo opportunity at the I (HEART) BURLDT installation on the exterior wall of Scrivener’s, which is an eye-catching conversation starter.

“A great main street is built through strong relationships, local entrepreneurship, community pride, and a commitment to creating memorable experiences,” says Jones. “Our two BIAs continue to excel because we embrace all of those elements, making our business areas not just places to shop, but places where people want to gather, connect and belong.”

Burlington demonstrated that the best main streets don’t just give us somewhere to go. They give us somewhere we want to be.

Local at First Sight
Here’s what BIAs from out of town had to say about Burlington:

“I had been to Burlington several times but never to the waterfront or downtown, and I’m surprised by how beautiful and quaint it is.” – Nathalie Carrier, Vanier BIA

“Burlington Downtown has done well integrating the different streets with signage and working with their private property owners to animate where they can’t in public spaces. Their public art initiatives are something we can really learn from.” – Susan Nicholson, Collingwood Downtown BIA

“The shop owners have done a good job in making their storefronts and patios unique. I also love that they created baubles instead of using traditional banners on lamp posts. It’s the first time I’ve seen that.” – Andrea Steenbakkers, Barrhaven BIA

By Nicole Hilton

Look Local invites you to support these businesses which have recently opened in our community! 

Check them out and pay them a visit!

Red Coral Fashion
Inside Oakville Place, Oakville
www.redcoralfashion.com

Red Coral Fashion is a proudly Canadian, family-owned fashion company with over 40 years of experience. Founded in St. Jacobs, with a second location in Stratford, their brand-new boutique at Oakville Place is their third location.  They design unique apparel and accessories for women of all ages and sizes who appreciate versatility, comfort, and style, offering high-quality pieces at accessible prices.

They are delighted to welcome the Oakville community and become part of the neighbourhood. You may also recognize them from TSC (Today’s Shopping Choice), where they bring fashion to women across Canada.

Style Eyes
468 Brant Street, Burlington
www.styleeyes.ca  

Style Eyes opened this summer in the heart of Downtown Burlington, and proudly offer something you won’t find in the big-box optical chains – a truly personal experience in a beautifully curated space.  Step inside to discover a world where eyewear is celebrated as art, every visit is unhurried, and there is a deep community connection.

Master Optician Farshad Nekoui has over 25 years experience and can look after your comprehensive eye exams in store. And you can choose your frames from a carefully curated and exclusive selection sourced from independent artisans and renowned fashion houses.

EE Florals & Juice Bar
315 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville
www.eefloralsandjuice.com 

EE Florals & Juice Bar just opened in a fabulous location in Downtown Oakville. A small family business owned by brother and sister team Ema and Emanuel, they have created a space where freshness, flowers and community come together.

You will find fresh cold-pressed juices made right in front of you using 100% fresh ingredients, coupled with fresh flower arrangements, custom floral orders, and beautiful plants to bring a little more colour and life into your home.

AcousticOn Hearing Aid Clinic 
_{2086 Pine Street, Burlington}
www.acousticon.ca 

AcousticOn opened in Downtown Burlington this summer with a mission to provide the expert care, advanced solutions and ongoing services you need to assess, diagnose and treat any hearing loss you have – so you can get back to living life to the fullest.

Led by owner and Hearing Instrument specialist James Dalios, their team of experienced and caring professionals use advanced diagnostic tools and state-of-the-art hearing technology to make sure that you get the best hearing care possible.

La Valle Gelateria
26 King Street West, Dundas
www.lavallegelateria.ca 

La Valle Gelateria just opened in the heart of Downtown Dundas and offer the community authentic Italian gelato, pastries, panini and espresso. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Niagara Escarpment, they are excited to add something delicious and distinctive to the Dundas food scene.

The business is locally owned and family run. Head gelato maker Jennifer was trained in Bologna, Italy, and uses quality, sustainable and seasonal ingredients for her gelato.  Get ready to indulge in something sweet!

Escarpment Running
384 Martha Street, Burlington
www.runescarpment.ca 

Escarpment Running opened this summer in Downtown Burlington and offers shoes and accessories for all runners in the community.  Mexican-born Canadian Juan Aja Aguinaco, who owns and founded the store, believes that running is a powerful tool to build community, friendship and support.  The store is more than a place to buy shoes; it’s a place where passion meets purpose.

Visit the store in person or shop online for a curated selection of men’s and women’s trail and road shoes, apparel, poles and electronic equipment, and nutrition and hydration products. They take pride in sourcing premium, hard-to-find brands and models chosen for precision, performance, and fit.

When Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward attended meetings with several other female elected representatives in 2024, they discovered that they shared one disturbing thing in common:  every one of those women had experienced harassment and abuse on the job. 

It turns out that toxic behaviour toward people trying to serve the public is widespread. While both women and men are subject to threats and abuse, women get a particular kind of threat that is based on their identity as women and can be sexualized – with threats of rape, or harm to family. Racialized communities get a specific kind of abuse related to their identity and race or religion. “It makes it that much harder for underrepresented candidates to step forward,” Meed Ward says. 

Hate is not OK

People don’t always agree with their elected officials, but there are civilized ways to express an opinion and be heard. 

“If you disagree, don’t threaten,” says Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington. “Advocate, and vote… Or run for office!”By Michelle Morra

Last June, Meed Ward and her peers launched Elect Respect to promote the right to work without threats, abuse or intimidation. The campaign has snowballed into a national movement, from Newfoundland to Victoria. Elected leaders, candidates, municipalities, boards, and citizens across Canada have signed the Elect Respect pledge, formally declaring that toxic behaviour is not acceptable.

NO EXCUSE

No one should be bullied out of a career or vocation, yet the risk has increased for government workers and elected officials. Here are a few reasons why:

COVID – The pandemic was a time of great anxiety and isolation for many people. That’s when the trouble started for Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “My first death threat came during COVID – that I was going to be hung from the rafters at City Hall, that people were going to exercise a ‘citizen’s arrest,’ people protesting in front of my home,” Meed Ward says.

Social media – The internet makes it much easier for armchair activists to spread threats and misinformation about a person, using anonymous or fake accounts. Posts are very difficult to get taken down and affect a person’s reputation. 

Leaders behaving badly – Political campaigns and tenures weren’t always so unfriendly. When the general public sees national or international politicians engaging in name-calling, taunts, and other nastiness, some get the idea that it’s okay to bully their own elected officials.

The threat is often extreme. Meed Ward says that someone once threatened to set her on fire if she attended a meeting on a development proposal they didn’t support. A city’s Mayor has important work to do — yet twice in the past year, she has been advised not to attend public meetings because of threats. 

Despite strong support from the Mayor’s team at the office, from health and safety staff, and among law enforcement, even one death threat is unsettling. “You don’t know what is waiting for you when you leave the office,” she says. 

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Fortunately, by shedding light on the issue and giving it national attention, Meed Ward and her grassroots group of female elected representatives have ignited optimism. It also helps that Canadians have their back.  

Citizens, including people in politics, can sign the online pledge at electrespect.ca. It promotes respectful conversations, issue-focused debate, and an end to personal attacks, whether online or face-to-face. When a local council endorses Elect Respect, it shows a commitment to creating a safer, more respectful community for everyone.

“Elect Respect has been an incredibly powerful and galvanizing movement,” Meed Ward says. “It has shown that none of us are alone, that we don’t have to suffer these threats in silence, that collectively we are stronger and can say ‘enough.’ Every public servant and elected official deserves a safe workplace.”

For more information or to sign the pledge, visit electrespect.ca.

By Michelle Morra