Two-acre property in the middle of suburban Burlington is a home for true nature lovers.Supplied
The listing: 5031 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ont.
Asking Price: $3,498,000
Taxes: $13,903.45 (2025)
Lot Size: 3067 square feet
Agent: Linda Joakim, Re/Max Aboutowne
The backstory
It was a hot August afternoon when David Joakim decide to ride the open road on his motorcycle. Before heading out, he received a text from his wife, Michelle, with a link to a property listing.
“She said, ‘Check this out, it’s one of those Batman kind of hideout houses that you always like,’” the 61-year-old says with a laugh. “And so, I came in on my motorcycle because it was a vacant house and I was blown away.”
He compares stepping into the seemingly endless forest covering the 100-acre land to a portal and had difficulty believing that he was still in central Burlington.
Mr. Joakim texted his wife that she should consider scoping out the listing, as well. Initially, the couple did not intend on buying the property. But after many visits to the vacant and – as Mr. Joakim recalls – outdated house, they bought it as a project to work on.
The property was first owned by the Triller family. The Crown granted them the land in 1809. It became Rose Hill Farm and was owned by the Triller family for 100 years. While the home is not officially a historical property and has undergone extensive renovations, tucked away in the valley of the property are what Mr. Joakim refers to as stone ‘ruins’ from a foot bridge that used to stretch across the creek that runs through the property today.
With a growing family, and new life chapters under way, the Joakims are relocating to Ottawa to be closer to the newborn grandchild of their eldest daughter while their youngest daughter attends university there in the fall.
The house today
There are two separate living and family room spaces, each with walkouts – one to a covered deck and one to a spacious pool area, ideal for outdoor entertaining.Supplied
The property itself is two acres, and is the last and largest remaining portion of the original 100-acre Rosehill Farm. Cushioned between the lush forest and Appleby Creek, this is a home for true nature lovers.
As a family, the Joakims have enjoyed taking long sailing trips throughout the years. “I would take long sabbaticals and we would take sailboats down to the Caribbean and live on them and we’d be just outdoors all of the time,” says Mr. Joakim, “Our girls grew up living on the boats and travelling, yeah as they’ve kind of grown up, they’ve taught sailing and they like to travel.”
Keen for adventure, the retired firefighter always had the desire to build a zip line on the property. “I just look at this valley and think ‘this would be phenomenal’ because you can zip line from up here where the house is, down into the valley and another one across down to the valley floor,” he says. Although Mr. Joakim never got around to doing it himself, it’s something he plans on encouraging the future owners to build.
The home is a bright space with wooden finishes throughout and cozy furniture, evoking that cabin feel.Supplied
The property is rich with wildlife, often attracting animals such as foxes, mink and trout in the stream as part of Appleby’s spawning season. “Lots of ducklings right now. The moms bring them up from the lake and they swim upstream and then they all turn around and ride back down,” says Mr. Joakim, “I like to sit down there and relax with the dog and just watch it all go by.”
This was the fourth house the couple has renovated together. Mr. Joakim takes on the construction while Mrs. Joakim takes charge of the design. “In 1990 we had a place in the Beaches on Beech Avenue,” says. Mr Joakim, “We bought it and we were really young and pretty clueless.”
While renovating their Burlington home, Mr. and Mrs. Joakim focused on modernizing the home, but kept much of the layout and landscaping the same. The previous owner was an artist and planted much of the garden herself. The home is a bright space with wooden finishes throughout and cozy furniture, evoking that cabin feel.
The property features a gourmet kitchen with marble and quartz countertops.Supplied
It features a gourmet kitchen with marble and quartz countertops. Between the main and second floors, there are three bedrooms, including the primary suite with an ensuite bathroom. There are two separate living and family room spaces, each with walkouts – one to a covered deck and one to a spacious pool area, ideal for outdoor entertaining.
Mr. Joakim says he enjoys spending time in the family room in the far west of the home, especially around Christmas time. “We have a wood-burning fireplace there and I never have to buy firewood, we just have it on the property,” he says, continuing, “I learned to split wood here and cut up a tree that’s either fallen or dead and then split it and the next thing, it’s in the fireplace.”
The best feature
Between Mr. and Mrs. Joakim, the forest and the creek are the crowned jewels of this house. The old growth trees consist of 300 to 400-year-old oak that has survived much of the urban development throughout the centuries. Lined with walking trails, the creek offers quiet retreat from the busy city outside. A close contender is the fire pit area near the creek, being place of solace and relaxation for the family.
“We are a wild oasis in the middle of suburban Burlington,” says Mr. Joakim.
The property is cushioned between the lush forest and Appleby Creek.Supplied