Community Trails Strategy Update

The City of Burlington in partnership with Take Consulting Ltd. has been hard at work on the Burlington Community Trails Strategy Update. The project was originally scheduled to be completed in 2025; however, due to significant interest and opportunities related to the project, we have selected to continue work through 2026 with anticipated completion and adoption by early 2027.

So, what have we done and what’s to come…

We completed our second round of engagement and have added more public and interest holder outreach in the coming months. We will be using our Community Panel Program that will invite interested panel members to work with the team on upcoming project tasks and deliverables through workshops and other engagement opportunities. If you would like to be part of a community panel, please register at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/communitypanel.

We’re excited to share that we have added an indigenous trails framework component to our work. We are engaging with the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the Mayor, rights holders, community representatives and interest groups to better understand how we can effectively continue to build relationships and understanding around indigenous history and knowledge through trails.

We continue to develop our trails strategies pulling together research, current trends and lessons learned to identify strategies that support our “good for” statements. The strategies will help to identify recommendations and metrics tailored to Burlington based on our vision and objectives.

Trail focus areas have been identified throughout the City. Focus areas represent geographic areas that because of environmental, social, economic and demographic factors have demonstrated a high need or potential for trail improvements to unlock mobility and tourism opportunities within the City.

We are working with the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and Cycling Advisory Committee to embed the principles of safety, comfort, accessibility and access into all the work that we do and are proactively working with committee members to identify planning and design solutions where possible.

Thank you for all that you have contributed thus far. If you are just learning about the Burlington Community Trails Strategy Update – welcome – we look forward to working with you in the year to come. Please continue to follow this page for more updates on the Burlington CTSU including engagement milestones and opportunities.

Trail focus areas are a way for the City of Burlington to connect our vision and commitments directly back to the projects and initiatives that are being recommended. The City already has a robust and well-known trails network; however, there are areas within the City that would significantly benefit from trail enhancements, additions or improvements.

A total of 10 trail focus areas have been identified within the City of Burlington.

As you review the focus areas the following should be considered:

1. The focus areas will not stop the City from exploring trail projects in other areas of the City.
2. Focus areas are not meant to be a specific size. The area is driven by conditions and information that connects back to the “good for” statement / commitments of the plan.
3. There is not a specific number of projects or initiatives that are expected within each focus area. A focus area may have 1 project or 20 projects. The conditions and the gaps / opportunities will drive what is recommended.
4. When identifying projects within a focus area the team will be exploring improvements to existing trails, new trail linkages or support for previous recommendations from other municipal plans like the cycling master plan, integrated mobility plan and rural Active Transportation plan.
5. Consideration will be given to new trail linkages within future development areas within the City. The team is currently coordinated with the City’s planning department to understand where those opportunities exist.
6. We know that there are a number of informal and unassumed trails within the City and the focus areas. Consideration will be given to formalizing those trails – where appropriate – as part of this plan.
7. Consideration will be given to trail improvements through partnerships with partner organizations such as Conservation Halton, Royal Botanical Gardens, Bruce Trail, etc.

We are excited to share our commitment to reconciliation and relationship building with Indigenous and First Nations friends and partners through the development of a City of Burlington Indigenous trails framework.

The framework will be informed through conversation and engagement with rights holders, community representatives and supportive organizations. We will be:

1. Hosting a series of in-person working sessions with the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the Mayor.
2. Facilitating conversations and meetings with rights holders and community representatives.
3. Sharing information and co-creating indigenous specific content as part of the plan.

The framework will be fully integrated into the trails master plan and will highlight opportunities for:

• Education as a commitment to our “good for learning” principle through site specific as well as overarching education of the past, present and future.
• Environmental preservation and mitigation through planning processes as the plan proceeds to implementation and design solutions thinking of the 360-degree view and impact of trails.
• Programming and awareness through partnerships and activation of space in and around trails, incentivizing safe and supportive use of trails City-wide.

And much much more….Stay tuned for more updates about this important work!

Thank you to everyone who shared ideas during the first round of engagement. Your input helped shape the foundations of the CTSU. You can review the summary of feedback from Round 1 and see how it was used

This is your chance to help ensure Burlington’s trails are welcoming, inclusive, and meet the needs of the community—now and in the years to come.

• In-Person Public Open House
  • Date: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
  • Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Location: Tansley Woods Community Centre (1996 Itabashi Way)
  • Format: There will be an opportunity to review and provide feedback on project display boards, as well as to have one-on-one discussions with staff and project team members.
• Online Public Session
  • Date: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025
  • Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Location: Zoom Webinar. Register here: https://lura-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a4AYZ9mYTGyjAG41mpHD9g
  • Format: There will be an opportunity to view a presentation prepared by the project team and engage in verbal or written discussion during a Q&A session.

Thank you to everyone who attended the in-person Public Open House and the Online Public Session! We appreciate the time and thoughtful feedback shared by all participants. Your input is helping shape a more connected, inclusive, and accessible trail network for everyone in Burlington for years to come.

Missed the Sessions?

If you were unable able to make the sessions, consider reviewing the Online Public Session Boards.

Share Your Feedback:

There is still time to have your say! We want to continue hearing from you about what’s working, what could be improved, and how Burlington’s trail system can better support walking, biking, rolling, and exploring.

• Email:
  1. Send your comments or questions to:
     • marion.rabeau@burlington.ca
• Phone:
  1. If you prefer to speak with a member of the project team directly, call:
     • 905-335-7777

What’s Next?

All feedback gathered through the engagement conducted so far will be reviewed and used to inform you of the next steps and stages of the draft Community Trails Strategy Update.

We look forward to the next round of engagement which is anticipated for early Fall 2025. Stay tuned to this page for updates and future opportunities to review and comment on the draft strategy.