Sakura Festival This Weekend

Why Poolside Swimming is your 1st choice in backyard Swimming Lessons

Poolside Swimming has been the trusted name in backyard swim lessons and lifeguarded pool parties since 1993. Over three decades, we've built a reputation for safe, supportive instruction that meets each swimmer where they are.

We work with swimmers of every age and ability, from toddlers taking their first splash to adults building confidence in the water. Our instructors have particular experience teaching swimmers with special needs, including sensory, developmental, and physical, and many families come to us specifically for that expertise.

Lessons are personalized because every swimmer learns differently. Whether sessions are at your home or ours, you get instructors who bring real skill and genuine care to the work.

Our certified lifeguards extend that same standard to private events, so you can host your gathering and actually enjoy it.

Thank you for thirty years of trust. We look forward to the next thirty.

Burlington's annual Touch-a-Truck event is moving to Nelson Park (4183 New St.) this year, with free admission and parking on Saturday, May 23.

The event celebrates National Public Works Week and lets kids explore the big rigs and equipment the city uses to keep services running. Expect construction trucks, a transit bus, snowplow simulator, and more.

The city is also collecting non-perishable food donations on-site for the Compassion Society of Halton food bank. Parking is limited, so carpooling or taking the bus is encouraged.

Burlington's annual Sakura Festival returns this Saturday at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, celebrating the city's 37th twinning anniversary with Itabashi, Japan.

The afternoon kicks off with opening remarks from Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Consul General of Japan Matsunaga Takeshi, followed by a performance from local drumming group Do Kon Daiko. Martial arts demonstrations, traditional dance, and student art displays from Frontenac and Fujimidai public schools fill out the program.

Organizers are also encouraging attendees to walk down to the waterfront to take in the cherry blossom trees while they're still in bloom. The festival runs 1 to 3:30pm Saturday at BPAC.

Looking for a great meal next time you're in Toronto? Canada's 100 Best Restaurants magazine just released its annual list, and Ontario claimed 32 spots, with 23 in the Toronto area alone.

At the top: Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station, named Canada's best restaurant for the second year running. The two-Michelin-star spot, about an hour southwest of Toronto, is known for seasonal French cooking on a 42-acre property that includes a winery, orchard, farm, and bakery.

If you're hoping to snag a table, you'll need patience. The restaurant is booked solid through June, with the next round of reservations opening May 21 at noon for July and August sittings.

🔧 Job Fair Coming To Denninger's This May

⚖️ Gary Carr Leaves Regional Chair Post To Run For Council

At the corner of John Street and Lakeshore Road sits a piece of Burlington's earliest days. The building at 2021 Lakeshore Road has been standing since 1865, making it one of Burlington's oldest surviving commercial buildings.

Merchant John Waldie rebuilt it after buying the original general store from his former employer at age 22. Waldie and his partner William Kerns ran what was described as one of the top businesses in Canada West, selling dry goods, hardware, and groceries. The store stayed packed on Saturday nights when farmers rolled into town.

The building played a key role in Burlington's shipping boom, with a massive windlass hoisting grain from the wharves. Waldie later became a lumber baron and Burlington's first reeve after leading the village's incorporation in 1873.

Burlington welcomed the King's Baton Relay at Spencer Smith Park on Wednesday morning, celebrating both the upcoming Commonwealth Games and M.M. Robinson, the local figure who helped found the games 100 years ago.

The baton is one of 74 traveling from Commonwealth nations before converging in Scotland for the 2026 Games, which kick off in Glasgow on July 23. Each country designed its own baton this year. Canada's word is "global."

Local athletes and students from M.M. Robinson High School ran the baton down the boardwalk before presenting it to Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. Robinson's great nephew, Bill Clark, spoke at the ceremony about growing up with his great uncle.

Friday, May 8
🌦️ Partly sunny, a few showers
High: 14°C | Low: 5°C

Saturday, May 9
⛅ Mostly cloudy, afternoon showers
High: 17°C | Low: 7°C

Sunday, May 10
☁️ Cloudy with a morning shower
High: 16°C | Low: 4°C