Case Study: City of Burlington achieves inclusive, high-participation community engagement with Granicus' EngagementHQ

How Burlington, Ontario Used Food to Engage its Diverse Community

Burlington, Ontario ran Food for Feedback to invite residents to exchange a free meal for input on city programs and to introduce them to its online engagement portal, Let’s Talk Burlington. The challenge was to deepen engagement across a diverse population — about one in five residents speak English as a second language — and make outreach more inclusive and accessible.

Burlington used EngagementHQ to promote the event and provide portal content in 13+ languages, ensured site accessibility and dietary options (vegan, gluten‑free, halal, etc.), and audited spaces for mobility needs. The approach drew 2,000+ attendees, 100+ new portal registrations per event, and sparked a 50,000‑response discussion on fireworks, increasing overall inclusivity and diversity of engagement.

City of Burlington

Michelle Dwyer

Burlington Manager of Engagement and Volunteers