Winter Fun in Burlington

I have a good friend who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  He always jokes that winter lasts eight months of the year here.  I usually roll my eyes and remind him he’s totally wrong, but I have to admit, once I think about it for a few minutes, there are many years when it seems to last at least six!  I can name plenty of times I’ve seen snow in both November and April!  That’s a long time to hibernate indoors, which is what we usually end up doing until the leaves start sprouting on the trees again.  Given how much we love parks, long walks and barbecues, the season can sometimes pass by painfully slow.

This year we decided to stop complaining and we definitely declared that we would not be deterred from our weekly family outings any longer!  As soon as the snow fell, we began to explore all the great winter activities Burlington has to offer.  We invested in some skates, some long johns and some solid gloves, and once we got started, we couldn’t believe how much we’d been missing!

Playbarn at Bronte Creek

It’s easy to rely a bit too heavily on the television when you have young kids and the temperature is freezing, but there’s really no need when you have exciting places like Bronte Creek Park open all year long!  Aside from their big outdoor skating rink, the kids can also run around, climb, slide and spin on tire swings in the children’s barn no matter what the weather.  I’m always delighted when they fall asleep at night in 2 minutes thanks to having gotten a little fresh air and exercise!  Bronte’s children’s barn will practically guarantee that every time!  Bundle up though – it’s covered, but it’s not heated!

Sledding at Lowville

Tobogganing is a blast no matter what your age at Lowville Park.  It’s not too steep for beginners, but it’s still high enough to thrill your senses with the joy of speeding down!  I never get tired of that feeling!  There’s a great kids park right beside the hill, and trails to hike along the nearby creek.

Just up the street from Lowville Park you’ll find the Crawford Lake Conservation Area, where you can enjoy 19km of snowshoe and cross country skiing trails.  There’s also a reconstructed 15^th century Iroquoian village to explore in any season.  It’s amazing to imagine how tough it would have been to brave the winter elements back then.  A great history lesson for anyone who loves learning!

Skiing at Glen Eden

I truly love to ski, but I haven’t been in years since the ordeal of driving at least an hour or two, just to fight the weekend chairlift crowds, is something I’ve never found appealing.   I seem to forget far too often that we have a great ski hill along the escarpment at Glen Eden!   With well-lit night skiing, it’s even a great option after work any day of the week!   They have lots of lesson options, from groups to private instruction, so even beginners can enjoy this invigorating winter activity!  Next year I am promising myself to enroll in snowboard lessons.  It just looks way too fun!

The Burlington waterfront continues to be a social hub for events all winter long, and skating at Discovery Landing next to Spencer Smith Park is fun for the whole family.  You really can’t beat the view!  Afterwards there are plenty of places to grab a hot chocolate or a delicious meal along Brant Street and the downtown core.

Hiking at RBG

One of my favourite places to go for a long walk starts at The Cherry Hill Gate at The Royal Botanical Gardens. If you love nature, you’ll want to bring your camera every time you hike here!  I’ve spent hours in the woods there at times, looping around the water on pleasantly challenging trails.  There’s tons of wildlife to see, and my kids are always thrilled when little chickadees eat birdseed right out of their hands!  If you’re skeptical of how brave & friendly those little birds are, check out the video accompanying this article and you’ll see the proof! 

Winter in Burlington Ontario: so many fun things to do!

Victoria Hughes, Guest Blogger

Victoria Hughes is a local entrepreneur, social media specialist and website & blog author. Born in Burlington and living in the GTA her whole life, her professional career has taken her through the diverse worlds of leadership consulting, fashion retail management, fine dining, communications technology and online travel. After launching her own business in 2008, she began authoring the daily Girl It Up! fashion and discount blog, tweets on topics of the day @vbhughes and recently spearheaded a site full of guidelines and resources to keep youth safe & smart as they explore the ever-changing world of social media: safesocialmedia.ca . Her greatest loves are travel, shoes, laughter and family. 

Family Day 2011

As a new statutory holiday has been added to our calendar year, we can embrace the day off, spend quality time with the ones we love and build a great yearly tradition.

February 21, 2011 is bursting full of great things to see and do in Burlington; the City of Burlington has decided that Family Day is a great day to have most of our recreation facilities open. At Tansley Woods Community Centre, you and your family are able to enjoy Gym Drop-ins, Family Fitness and many different Swims in their great indoor pool. Available for sale at Tansley Woods is the Family Day Pass; purchase a Family Day Pass and your family can participate in up to 3 activities at Tansley Woods Community Centre. Choose from the activities listed here. For those who love skating and want to keep Family Day a winter affair, check out Appleby Ice Centre for the Family and Public Skates or head down to the waterfront for some great outdoor skating on the Rotary Centennial Pond. Swimming is always great for kids, not only do they get to practice life saving skills; they have fun doing it without knowing they are! Aldershot Pool, Angela Coughlin Pool and Tansley Woods are all open for Family and Fun Swims.

If rosy cheeks and crisp air is more of what you had in mind for this Family Day, be sure to visit our Conservation Halton parks. Glen Eden is hosting their annual Family Day Dummy Race with great skiing, snowboarding, family activities and a BBQ. Join Mountsberg for a memorable winter experience for the whole family; Tales by a Winter Fire as well as Winter Wagon Rides are 2 great events both being held at the Conservation Area where bird watching, snowshoeing as well as cross-country skiing are encouraged.

A new event this Family Day is Burlington Kidfest being held at Corpus Christi Secondary School from 9am to 5pm. For $2 admission, you and your family are able to enjoy a pancake breakfast served by Mayor Rick Goldring at 8:30am, magic shows, inflatable jumping games, gymnastics, martial arts and dance workshops, a variety of sports, contests and games, special guests with activities and of course, smudge fundaes. This is definitely a worthwhile event to experience as a family.

Royal Botanical Gardens is always a great learning destination. On now is the “Glass under Glass” exhibit where you and your family are able to experience glass art in a glass house displayed inside the warm Mediterranean Garden. Also on at the RBG is Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life being held until April 10. On Family Day from 12pm to 2pm, take part in a dynamic and interactive drumming program with Wild about Rhythm Drum Circle; discover the origins of the drum and investigate the science of sound and vibration through hands-on demonstrations.

We hope you get out with your family to enjoy all that Burlington has to offer this Family Day. Check out our Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates throughout the day.

Discover Discovery Landing

 

The Waterfront Discovery Landing

While Discovery Landing and the Burlington waterfront are irresistible on hot summer days, they have their charms in winter too.  One of the best things to do, and it costs nothing, is to walk along the waterfront in the evening to enjoy the Festival of Lights. I know a little boy who can’t get enough of seeing Santa in his helicopter.  It’s beautiful, and if it gets too chilly, there are cafes and shops just a short step away. Discovery Landing is also close by to warm you up. 

The Observatory

The Observatory at Discovery Landing, with its timeline of the waterfront, and magnifying lake viewer, is open daily from 10 am-10 pm. There’s a gorgeous Christmas tree in the main floor window, and behind it the view of the lake and the Skyway is one of the best, especially at sunset.  It’s actually a pretty cool place to be when there’s a storm too – the waves crashing on the breakfront and the wind sweeping across the water allows you to feel the power of Mother Nature from a safe warm place.  You’ll see the lake in a whole new perspective.

The Ice Skating Rink

Right now, the ice is perfect at the Rotary Centennial Skating Rink, and there are wind breaks to protect skaters from the gusts off the lake.  If you get too chilly, The Bite is close by for hamburgers and coffee, or for a more sophisticated skate-break, Spencer’s at the Waterfront is right there, and you can dine while you watch other skaters do their turns.  The rink is lit at night, making it a unique and romantic place to take a date.

Admission to the Discovery Landing and to the skating rink is free.  Discovery Landing will be closed on Christmas Day but will be open on all other days over the holiday.

For information about ice conditions, there’s a hotline you can call (Dec - March) at 905-634-7263 or visit the webcam. 

This holiday, promise yourself a healthy encounter with the beauty of nature and the bracing freshness of winter.  It’s affordable family fun that will make your time together special.  Burlington is Winter-Wonderful.

Guest Blogger: © Barbara Ramsay Orr

Barbara Ramsay Orr is a freelance journalist, author of the Frommer's Guide to the Niagara Region, third edition (2010), Day Trips from Toronto for Globe Pequot and a lifetime resident of Ontario. Her work has appeared in many national and international publications, including Chatelaine, Canadian Living, The Globe and mail and Readers Digest. She is the Local Expert on Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Wine Country for Nile Guides, and is launching a travel app for Niagara Falls and on International Wine and Food Festivals. She has been the food writer for Hamilton Magazine for more years than she wishes to admit. You can follow heradventures, tune in to her tweets @Orracle, or visit her Niagara Falls andNiagara-on-the-Lake Blogs.