If you stand at the foot of Brant Street and look up from Lakeshore Road, it’s hard to imagine anything but a bustling main corridor – yet, not that long ago, Brant Street was nothing more than a dirt road with a smattering of stores.

Since the 1800s, however, the city’s main artery has been transformed from a quiet country road in a small village to the lively city street that exists today. The evolution of Brant Street has been marked by several key developments, one of which occurred in 1947 when the street saw the opening of its first grocery store. At the time, there had only been a greengrocer. The arrival of a new grocery store was met with such excitement that crowds lined the streets.

In 1954, another grocery store came to Brant Street triggering an even larger celebration. Not only did the opening of Loblaw’s draw a huge crowd but promoters even brought in a helicopter.

In the 1960s, the stores along Brant Street reflected the lifestyles of the residents and included Crest Hardware, one of five hardware stores on the street, along with a watchmaker, bakery, and shoe store. Then there was Queen’s Hotel, which was built in 1860 as Zimmerman House (later becoming the Sherwood Inn, followed by Coronation House). The area was also an employment hub, with a cannery factory on the lake at the foot of Brant Street, providing jobs for many in the surrounding area.

The change that perhaps most defined the street’s future came in 1965 with the construction of Burlington’s Town Hall. Built on the site of the old library, Town Hall, later renamed City Hall, was the only building of its stature at the time.

In 1966, the street underwent the ‘Brant Street Spruce-Up’. A sign of its growing popularity – some buildings were renovated and the street and sidewalks received a facelift.

The 1970s brought a lull to the downtown due to the popularity of the new Burlington Mall, which opened in 1968. Since then, however, many changes have been introduced to rejuvenate downtown, and today’s Brant Street has pulled shoppers back to the core.

Walking down Brant Street today, you’ll find an assortment of unique and local shops, including home decor stores like Centro and Pure Boutique, and eateries and cafes like The Queen’s Head, Saigon on Brant, and the famous Kelly’s Bake Shoppe. For those who are fashion-forward, Brant Street has Bush’s, Posh Couture, Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guy Shop, and Mirella’s, all popular clothing boutiques – and you can even get inked at The Tell Tale Heart Tattoo and Gallery.

Also downtown is Burlington’s oldest funeral home, Smith’s Funeral Home, which came to Brant Street in 1942.  Down the street is Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill and Bar and further toward the lake is sweet-spot Castelyn Belgian Chocolates. 

The popularity of Brant Street today has been closely tied to developments at Spencer Smith Park, once a small shoreline park called Lakeside Park and renamed Spencer Smith Park in 1942.

Over the years, the many festivals at Spencer Smith Park, including Ribfest and the Sound of Music, have introduced thousands of people to Brant Street. But many people are unaware of the park’s beginnings – a landfill site that originally sat where Brant Street meets Lakeshore Road.

Another little-known fact is that Brant Street was named after Joseph Brant, a Mohawk military and political leader, and the surrounding streets, including Caroline and Elizabeth, were named after his family members.

The opening of the Brant Street Pier in June 2013 was another significant change that brought more people to the core. There are more changes on the horizon, and some aren’t without controversy, specifically the plans for a high-rise across from City Hall.

While the dirt road of yesterday is long gone, Brant Street still remains central to the city’s identity – and who knows where it will go from here.

by Denise Davy

Local Links

Burlington Historical Society
Burlingtonhistorical.ca

Downtown Burlington Business Association
Burlingtondowntown.ca

Posh Couture
Poshcouture.ca

Joelle’s
Joelles.com

Castelyn Belgian Chocolates
Casteleyn.ca

Wendel Clark’s
Wendelclarks.com

Centro Garden
Centrogarden.com

Pure Boutique
Pureboutique.ca 

The Queen’s Head
Thequeenshead.ca

Saigon on Brant
Saigononbrant.com

Kelly’s Bake Shoppe
Kellysxo.com

Mirella’s Lady Boutique
Mirellas.ca

Maddie Smith will be turning seven next month and in those few short years, she’s lived a lifetime. From living with and battling two serious illnesses to raisings funds for others walking in her shoes – Maddie encompasses the very meaning of resilience.

Maddie’s fight started when she was born with cystic fibrosis, a disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. It’s the most common fatal genetic disease affecting children and young adults in Canada, and sadly there is no cure. Her parents, Keri-Lyn and Brian of North Burlington, say they don’t let Maddie’s illness define their family. With two other children and Maddie’s needs, it’s been a challenge given the time it takes to treat her condition and keep her healthy. 

“The whole family goes through it. You’re spending all your nights in hospital and you’re not with your other kids. Maddie takes the brunt of it, but it affects the whole family,” said Keri-Lyn.

Maddie requires physiotherapy twice a day, morning and night, plus nebulizers to break up the mucus in her lungs.

Not long after her fourth birthday, Maddie began to feel unwell. After several visits to doctors and emergency wards, the Smith family was devastated to find Maddie would be facing a second battle – this time, leukemia.

For two and a half years, Maddie endured intense chemotherapy, which came with weight loss and hair loss, all at the vulnerable age of four. On top of that, she battled several bouts of pancreatitis, which required eight hospitalizations.

“It was excruciatingly painful. It took her out,” says Keri-Lyn. “But Maddie is a tough cookie and she has rolled with the punches.” Keri-Lyn also says Maddie has wanted to know everything about her illness, to the point where she now wants to become a teaching nurse.   

After two and a half years and a heroic fight, Maddie is cancer free, lifting a huge weight from the family’s shoulders.

“This summer has been an opportunity for her to truly be a kid again and play with siblings and do kid things,” says Keri-Lyn, who was off work the last three years to focus on Maddie.

Despite her illnesses, Maddie still plays soccer, rides her bike, and jumps on the backyard trampoline. She’s also been engaged in many community events.

For Maddie’s fifth birthday, the family held a blood drive with the goal of getting 55 units donated. Instead, more than 250 units were collected. Then there’s the Mad for Maddie street party, an event the family has organized every July for the past three years to raise funds for the Children’s Wish Foundation and CF Canada. Last year’s goal was $10,000 and they raised more than $20,000.

At the most recent street party, which included the Burlington Teen Tour Band, they raised another $10,000.

The inspiration to give back came from the kindness of the community. When Brian needed to take time off work to be with Maddie, people stepped forward and donated cash as well as meals. Some even volunteered to clean their house.

“People stepped up in ways we never expected. It was so empowering and we felt like we had to spread the love,” said Keri-Lyn.

Have all of their fundraising efforts made a difference? They like to think so. When Maddie was first diagnosed, the life expectancy in Canada for a child born with CF was 30 years old. Today it’s 54.

“It’s great to think there’s a high survival rate but there’s still so much that needs to be done,” said Keri-Lyn, adding that less than four percent of cancer research funding goes to childhood cancer. “We have these kids who are clearly needing support which is why we’re always trying to bring awareness to childhood cancer.”

And when it comes to Maddie, she’s always stayed positive.

“Everyone has been so nice to me,” said Maddie. “It made me feel like I wasn’t the only one fighting and that everyone else was fighting along with me, too.”

by Denise Davy

Local Link

Mad for Maddie
facebook.com/Mad for Maddie