Spencer Smith Park is a park in downtown Burlington, Ontario located on the shore of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

. It was named in memory of Spencer Smith, a former president of the Burlington Horticultural Society who was instrumental in the development of the park system throughout the city. It is home to the Sound of Music Festival, Canada's Largest Ribfest and the Burlington Beer Festival. It has a small beach and plenty of walking paths along Lake Ontario. The City of Burlington Waterfront Project opened in early June 2006. It is home to Spencer's, a restaurant with a capacity of more than two hundred diners, with a large patio are entirely made of glass offering beautiful views of Lake Ontario and

Lakeshore Road Lakeshore Road (originally Lake Shore Road) is a historic roadway in the Canadian province of Ontario, running through the city of Burlington and the town of Oakville in Halton Region, as well as the city of Mississauga in Peel Region. As its n ...

. The Centennial Pond features ice skating in the winter months, and is used as a model sailboat pond in the summer. The

Dofasco ArcelorMittal Dofasco is a steel company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Dofasco is a standalone subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest integrated steel producer. History Clifton and Frank A. Sherman founded Dominion Foundries and S ...

Waterjet plaza also opened in late July 2006 and offers a water play area for children with jets spraying water in the air, as well as a playground. Along the walking path, across from the water, there is a Navy Memorial which recognizes the Canadian seamen that served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. "Royal Canadian Naval Association Naval Memorial (1995)" by

André Gauthier (sculptor) Colonel André D. Gauthier OMM, CD (1935 – October 26, 2017), was a Canadian army officer, monument sculptor and designer in various materials including bronze casting. He was also an artist in oil painting, charcoal, and watercolours. Many of ...

is a 6’4" high-cast bronze statue of a World War II Canadian sailor in the position of attention saluting his lost shipmates, which was erected in Spencer Smith Park. The model for the statue was a local Sea Cadet wearing Mike Vencel's naval service uniform. On the black granite base, the names of

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

and

Canadian Merchant Navy Canada, like several other Commonwealth nations, created the Canadian Merchant Navy () in a large-scale effort during World War II. 184 ships are involved in merchant shipping activity in the Canadian shipping industry. History An informal m ...

ships sunk during World War II are engraved. On June 16, 2013, during the annual Sound of Music Festival and Fathers' day, the 137 meter long attraction Brant Street Pier officially opened to the public as a part of the park. The pier is designed with a walkway, raised platform and a beacon.

References

Burlington, Ontario Parks in the Regional Municipality of Halton {{GoldenHorseshoe-geo-stub

See also

References