It is nicknamed Valley Town because of its topographical location at the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment on the western edge of Lake Ontario.

The population has been stable for decades at about 20,000, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley Conservation Area.

The Desjardins Canal had been completed and connected the community with Lake Ontario, allowing for convenient shipping of goods.

Dundas has a large community of potters, and several studio shows and town walking tours feature their work each year.

Visible minority status: Religion: Age characteristics of the population: The Dundas Museum & Archives, located at 139 Park St. West, was established in 1956.

Their collections, exhibits, and events showcase how Canadian history and geography have unfolded in the unique Dundas Valley.

Several local events also occur at the Museum, including art shows, book launches, community celebrations, and more.

"Dundas, Ontario" is also the title of a song from the album Start Breaking My Heart by the artist Caribou (formerly Manitoba), a native of the town.

The town has produced other independent artists, including Junior Boys, Orphx, Koushik, and smaller bands such as Winter Equinox and The Dirty Nil.

A notable aspect of his career is that he was one of the first musicians to embrace Google's social platform Google+ and used it to become successful as an independent reggaeton artist with his album "Ghosts of the Brokenhearted."

Avalon Music Academy, founded by Steve Parton, is in its 19th year of creating and nurturing musicians, many of whom have become professional performers.

Because of Dundas' 19th-century downtown architecture, films such as Haven, Cabin Fever, Wrong Turn, and others have made use of its location.

[15] In early December 2004, The West Wing did some filming, remaking parts of Dundas (Town hall, a residence, and Deluxe Restaurant) into New Hampshire locales.

Several dozen enthusiasts of this HBO series braved chilly weather to witness the snail's pace of television filming and grab autographs and photos with celebrities.

On April 3, 2010, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman named Dundas the winner of the 2010 Kraft Hockeyville competition during a live announcement on Hockey Night in Canada.

As a result of being named the winner, the community received $100,000 CAD in arena upgrades and got to host an NHL pre-season game between the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres prior to the 2010–11 season.

In 1819, Joseph Webster purchased property on the escarpment above Dundas, including the waterfall, which still bears his family's name.

Hikers can take the Bruce Trail from Tews or Webster's Falls to the peak and look over Dundas and West Hamilton.