Welcome to A Better Burlington

A Better Burlington began in 2006 after my neighbours said they felt left out of city decisions, learning about them only after they’d been made.

As a journalist for 22 years, I thought “I can do something about that” and a website and newsletter were born. Then in 2018, I was elected Mayor of the City of Burlington (to learn more about me, scroll further down this page).

Over the years, the coverage on this website has expanded beyond a neighbourhood or Ward to issues of interest to the whole city. The newsletter and website have taken various forms and names in that time, but the intent has remained constant throughout: To let you know what’s happening at City Hall before decisions are made, so you can influence outcomes for A Better Burlington.

The best decisions are made when elected representatives tap the wisdom of our community members, and welcome many different perspectives. This site allows residents to comment and debate with each other; our Commenting Guidelines, established in 2016, aim to keep debate respectful.

Got an idea or comment you want to share privately? Please, get in touch. You can also find me on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

email: mayor@burlington.ca

phone: 905-335-7777

ABOUT BURLINGTON MAYOR MARIANNE MEED WARD:

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward was elected for a second term as the 30th mayor of Burlington, Ontario in October of 2022. She is also the second woman to hold that position in Burlington’s history and is now the longest serving female mayor of the city.

Mayor Meed Ward is working collaboratively with Burlington’s city council, leadership team, staff and community partners to bring many initiatives that began during her first term as mayor to fruition and embark on new ones to help the city continue to grow and thrive. She also introduced a Deputy Mayor with portfolio initiative, giving each council member a focus area based on their unique backgrounds and interests. This is a new governance structure harnessing the skills and experience of each council member in service to residents.

Through initiatives such as the Mayor’s Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force, she led the city in partnering with local businesses to identify and remove the challenges to business expansion and attraction. In her commitment to reasonable growth and development, the work completed in Burlington’s new Official Plan will ensure future growth happens in the right places and at the right scale to align with the community’s vision.

Mayor Meed Ward and council unanimously supported and signed the Halton Equity and Diversity Roundtable Charter in 2020. This is a tangible reminder to continue the commitment of ensuring Burlington is an inclusive community. Council and staff support diversity through painted crosswalks, flag-raisings, proclamations, art installations, community events and more.

Mayor Meed Ward is committed to continuing efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous residents in Burlington and has announced the formation of an Indigenous Talking Circle to advise on actions and initiatives. 

She is committed to responsible spending while still investing in infrastructure improvements, transit, and tree-planting. Projects such as the acquisition of the former Robert Bateman High School site and upgrades to the Skyway Arena are well underway to address the need for more and improved community spaces. Both projects will ensure these facilities are environmentally sustainable as the city heads towards its target to become a net carbon zero community by 2050. Under her leadership, Burlington city council has already implemented several measures to protect the environment, including a private tree protection bylaw, implementing a Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project program and the declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019.

Mayor Meed Ward is the Chair of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors caucus and also represents Burlington as a board member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Large Urban Caucus. These seats afford her additional opportunities to advocate on issues of shared importance to large urban municipalities.

On her path to becoming Mayor, she served as a Burlington city councillor for two consecutive terms, from 2010 to 2018. Prior to her career in politics, she worked for 22 years as a journalist for clients including the Toronto Sun, Vision TV, the CBC, CHCH News, Chatelaine, Toronto Metropolitan University and more, committed to keeping people informed about the issues that impact their lives. Mayor Meed Ward lives in Burlington with her husband, three children, and their Wheaten Terrier, Boston

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This website and any associated material is owned and operated by Marianne Meed Ward. Personal information collected through the newsletter sign-up is collected under the authority of Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information will be used to provide information to the residents of Burlington and receive feedback. Questions about the collection of personal information should be directed to Marianne Meed Ward at mayor@burlington.ca or 905-335-7777.