Gail Fabiani

Burlington sales for the month of December dropped slightly from December last year but prices were up over 2010.

Aldershot is located at the western edge of Burlington on Burlington Bay. Known for its sandy soil Aldershot was especially suited to growing melons. The term “Aldershot melon” grew in fame as did PEI potatoes and BC apples.

Aldershot along with the town of Nelson amalgamated with Burlington in 1958.

The Royal Botanical Gardens, a world-class tourist attraction and facility is located in the Aldershot area of Burlington. The natural landscape setting of the Grindstone Creek and the Lake Ontario shoreline are the perfect setting for the gardens.

The older quaint neighbourhoods of Aldershot are on large well-maintained lots and the landscaped appearance reflects the character of many heritage quality residences. The large mature trees lining the streets add to the beauty of the area. A good many of the homes are bungalows and are perfect for empty nesters who want to downsize. There are also new home developments with condo townhouses, condo apartments and a new apartment complex in the old Zeller’s plaza providing a wide range of housing for those wishing to move to this area.

Aldershot is also just a short distance to downtown Burlington and Spencer Smith Park. This park enjoys many events during the summer months some of which are the Sound of Music Festival in June and the Rib Fest which is one the largest in North America.

Also located in Aldershot is LaSalle Park and Marina just a short walk from Plains Road. This 57 acre parcel of land includes sports fields, trails, a marina and picnic areas. The shoreline of the park is dedicated to fish and wildlife habitat managements. There are swans, ducks, geese and other wildlife to be seen during every season. This parcel of land was purchased in 1957 by the Hamilton Parks Board and Burlington has a lease agreement from Hamilton. It was originally called Wabasso Park but the name was changed to honour Sieur de La Salle’s landing in the area. The name was changed to La Salle Park in 1927.

Aldershot is a pleasant place to live with a strong feeling of community. There are many fine restaurants, family restaurants and take-out. Nancy's Flavours on Plains Road has authentic Greek pastries which are delicious. It is one of many new businesses along Plains Rd includingSpa Vaidosa and Ornella's Barber and Hair Dressing at 372 Plains Rd E in the live/work development. The Aldershot library has relocated to the new Seniors condos at the corner of Sanford and Plains Rd East.

Aldershot Farmers Market is located on Cook Blvd. off Plains Road just one block east of Waterdown Road. The market operates on Sunday and Thursday thoughout the summer.

Aldershot is a pleasant place to live with a strong feeling of community.

A new interchange has now been completed at Waterdown Road and the QEW. You are now able to access Waterdown Road when travelling west on the QEW and also access the east bound lanes from Waterdown Road. This interchange will increase development in the Aldershot area and increase Burlington real estate prices.

Schools in the area are

• Maplehurst
• Aldershot
• Glenview
• King Rd
• Holy rosary
• Aldershot High School
• Assumption High School

North America's Largest Rifest

During the Labour Day weekend at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Ontario, North America's largest ribfest takes place. This is a yearly event put on by the Rotary Club of Burlington. It attracts entries from as far away as New Mexico.

All this takes place at Spencer Smith Park on Lake Ontario at the foot of Brant Street in Burlington. In 2010 there were 139,000 visitors to this beautiful Waterfront at Downtown Burlington A rib cooking contest allows the ribbers to compete for bragging rights while showcaseing their skills and secret sauces. There are activies, music and entertainment to enjoy along with delicious ribs.

Don't miss this terrific outdoor event.

The homeowners have moved in. On moving day the kitchen counters had yet to be installed. The wals have all beeen painted but the trim is still being installed and painted. The master en-suite hasn't been finished as they are waiting for glass for the shower and until that is installed, the sinks and toilet can't go in.

The counters are now in. The kitchen is almost done except for the backsplash. It really looks good. The windows have been installed. The fireplace is now finished. They added more shelve on either side and covered the old stone with new and continued it almost to the ceiling.

The floors are dark maple throughout the house. It is looking great.

Living in the Burlington Hamilton area has some great perks. One of these is our proximity to the Niagara wine growing area. There are many great wineries in the Niagara region. One of these is Peller Estates.

Peller Estates vintages have been noticed by wine connoisseurs the world over. New York city, home to some of the world's finest dining establishments, has a number of wine lists that feature the wines of Peller Estates, including ‘per se', the new hotspot of Tomas Keller, known as "America's Best Chef". In Chicago at Charlie Trotters, in the UK at Gordon Ramsay and at Harrod's, and aboard the Cunard Oceanliners, oenophiles the world over are pairing Peller Estates wines with amazing meals, as they celebrate life's everyday occasions with friends and family.

Closer to home, the exquisite Peller Estates winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake hosts nearly half a million visitors each year who can enjoy a wide selection of wines crafted by winemaker Lawrence Buhler, as well as dine on the cuisine of renowned Chef Jason Parsons in a winery restaurant that has earned significant praise in its own right, rated "Extraordinary" by Zagat.

Many of the wines that Peller Estates exports around the globe are Icewine - a rare, winter treasure that Canada is uniquely able to produce every single year. No other climatic region on earth has the ability to warm the vines enough in summer to mature even the true sun-bathing grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, and then chill the vines repeatedly to less than -10 degrees Celsius to produce Icewine, every winter. While Icewine has certainly earned Peller international esteem, most Canadians tend to raise a glass of table wine most often. And for those of us who love a big, fruity red as the weather chills, Peller has a new "something" to be proud of - an award never before won by a Canadian winery - Best Cabernet Sauvignon.