By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 31, 2011 It`s business, paying the bills, trying to keep the wolves from the door and see something in the way of a profit at the end of the year. Just business? It doesn`t quite work that way. Every day a retailer, a supermarket manager, an advertising executive – even accountants and lawyers, look for ways to be more creative in the way they offer and deliver their services and work at differentiating themselves from the other guy. Those ideas just don`t fall off the back of a truck.
It is how one can go about generating the creative idea, the significantly different promotional idea – 10% off just doesn`t cut it anymore – not when you`re up against a WagJag offer of 65% off. When your competitor does something like that he`s stealing your lunch and going hungry at the same time.
So where do the new creative ideas come from? What do you do to get the creative juices flowing ? Gerry Visca is going to talk to business people at the Mayor’s Networking Luncheon Series, Connect-Collaborate-Create, put on by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation this Thursday, November 3rd, at the Burlington Convention Centre. Visca`s presentation will focus on unleashing your creative potential. Gerry engages the audience with his 10 creative laws designed to help teams reach a new level of magnificence. An inspirational delivery on how to uncover your company’s unique ability and stand out in the marketplace.
 Gerry Visca has launched more than 1000 promotional campaigns and will get your creative juices flowing. Cultivating creativity in business uses the power of creativity and collaboration to strengthen innovation. In this presentation, Gerry masterfully combines insightful case studies featuring some of the top innovative companies and their unique approach towards driving innovation. Gerry engages the audience to push the envelope as to what is possible for them and uncover innovation within multiple levels of their organization by cultivating a creative and collaborative internal culture.
As the President of Redchair Branding, Gerry Visca is regarded internationally as Canada’s Creative Coach and creatively inspires people and ideas to action. Gerry Visca is one of the most diversified Creative Directors in Canada with over 15 years of experience:
Visca was originally trained and educated in architecture. In 1999 he moved into selling ideas and the potential an idea has to significantly change the way a company attracts, engages and interacts with its clients.. Visca has launched over 1,000 marketing campaigns and captured several international branding awards. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and made several TV appearances including CBC Fortune Hunters and is also being considered as a new TV show co-host.
Every business, every business leader needs to get the creative juices refreshed. Taking in events like this are cheaper than buying a couple of books you probably won`t finish reading. Lunch and a chance to pick up some ideas and meet with colleagues you`ve not seen for awhile – $65. Tough deal to beat. Register at https://www.bedc.ca/BEDCevents/Events_Registration/MayorsNetworkingLuncheonSeries
By Staff
 It`s still there –and we`re still losing money on the place. There have been responses to the document the city put out asking for Expressions of Interest on the Paletta Mansion site off Lakeshore Road in the eastern part of the city.
The arrangement the city had for the operation of the site, a location for small conferences and weddings, was less than an ideal situation for the city. On a closer look at the financial reports, the city found that Geraldo’s, at the LaSalle Pavilion, was making a profit but that Paletta was losing money. However, because of the way the financial reports were put out the loss of one operation was buried in the numbers. With those numbers now shown separately, the city realized that something had to be done at Paletta, and that resulted in advertisements asking for expressions of interest on what to do with the place.
 It took time and a lot of money to get the property back to its original sate. It is now one of the most impressive examples of its era - and it's losing money every month. Dating back to 1806 the land was owned by Canadian legend Laura Secord. The British Government in a lottery awarded her the land. Secord later sold the property and may not have even visited the site. It is not clear what the lottery was and if it had any connection with Laura Secord`s heroic trek through woods at Queenstown to warn the British of an impending American plan to attack at Beaver Dam. With the warning the British were able to repel the attack. Laura Secord never actually did anything with the property, she may never have even visited the site.
Between the years of 1810 through 1912 the land changed hands many times until in 1912 two men bought it by the names of Cyrus Albert Birge and William Delos Flatt. Birge was a renowned industrialist, who played a large role in the industrial development of Hamilton as it moved to becoming a major North American steel producing city. Birge’s company, Canadian Screw Company, was one of the five merged in 1910 to form steel giant Stelco.
Cyrus had a daughter named Edythe Merriam Birge. It was Edythe that built the house somewhere between 1929 and 1931, after her father had passed on. That would have been in the middle of the Depression when all kinds of labour would have been available and building supplies on the market at very advantageous process. This suggests there was a very sizable Birge estate.
 It was Paletta family money that made it possible for the city to purchase the property and renovate it to its original state. Edythe married a man by the name of James John MacKay and together they had a daughter who they named Dorothy. James died in 1959 and not to long after in 1960 Edythe also passed on leaving the house and the grounds to their daughter Dorothy who married a man by the name of John Wallace McNichol. This is why it was known for many years as the McNichol Estate.
Burlington and Hamilton had a strong connection dating back to the early 1900’s, when Burlington was the summer destination for many affluent citizens of Hamilton. Birge and his friends used the property to hunt on. It wasn`t until Birge`s estate passed into the hands of his daughter that any development was done on the property. The daughter Dorothy made up for lost time by building a sprawling four storey mansion.
The MacKay’s originally used the estate as their summer home. It stands on an exquisite 14 acre lakefront property rightly called “the jewel in the crown” of the Burlington waterfront. . Dorothy passed away in 1987 and her children sold the property to the city 1990.
By that time the property was in a sad state of disrepair and was boarded up.
 There was a time when the mansion had to be boarded up while waiting for renovations to be made to a site that was much in need of repairs. It took a number of years for the city to figure out what they wanted to do with the property – the purchase at the time was to keep it out of the hands of developers. At one point it looked as if the city was going to put together an agreement with the Niagara Institute, which at that time was in the business of offering corporate executive development courses to senior executives. The city wasn`t able to conclude an agreement. With the property deteriorating the city turned to a wealthy benefactor Pat Paletta who wrote what is believed to be a $2 million cheque that paid for the costs of the renovations with the provison that the name Paletta be put on the property.
The city clearly didn`t have the financial smarts the Paletta`s have and is now looking for someone willing to take on the location and make it a paying proposition.
The site is the only truly historic property left in Burlington and owned by the city to which the public has access. The bird watching people maintain that Paletta is one of the best sites in the city.
As nice as it is – no one has yet been able to find a niche for the place. The park has four heritage buildings (the Mansion, the Orientation Centre and Loft, the Art and Environment Study Centre, and the Dollhouse) on the property.
The property’s mansion ranks among the finest representations of great estate homes designed and built in Burlington in the two decades between 1912 and 1932, and was the last of its kind and quality to be built in Burlington.
 The sun room at the rear of the building was in terrible shape - it took significant private money to get the building to where it was in its prime. Renovations were completed in 2000. The 10 acre Discovery Trail features a flood plain that is one of the only natural areas of its kind remaining along the Halton shoreline of Lake Ontario. The wetland area on the park attracts migratory birds because of the protection, cover and food supply provided.
The gatehouse has been magnificently restored as The Art and Environment Study Centre. The centre boasts a welcome centre, a community gallery space and a studio loft. Currently, selected prints of world renowned environmental artist Robert Bateman are on display. The loft, an open concept studio space, provides a classroom venue for an array of program activities.
The property began to get very run down and with no one using it – plywood was placed over the windows and rot began to set in. Restoration on the mansion began in April 2000.
The site features three other buildings: a gatehouse built circa 1912 which has been redesigned to serve as a small art studio and display area; a dollhouse, the only known heritage children’s playhouse in Burlington; and one of the last remaining stables in urban Burlington. The two-storey barn and stable has been converted into an educational loft. Youth camps, art classes and environmental workshops will be held here.
Preserving the natural habitat and landscape was a top priority for the city and the residents in the immediate community. Shoreacres Creek runs through the 14-acre property, featuring a flood plain that is one of the only natural areas of its kind remaining along the Halton shoreline of Lake Ontario.
As rich as the pedigree of the property is – the city decided it couldn’t just let the place continue to lose money and provide little value to the taxpayers who foot the bill for the property. The property needs a new mission and a new vision – the city is now going through the expressions of interest to see just what might be possible.
Director of Parks and Recreation Chris Glenn said at a recent council committee meeting that no one proposal offered a solution, but that amongst the proposals there appeared to be enough to cobble together a purpose for the site that would stop the financial hemorrhaging.
Burlington now has two historical sites to deal with: The Paletta Mansion and the Freeman Station. There is every possibility that the Paletta gift has some codicils in it that prevent the city from doing anything they want with the site.
Perhaps the city will find itself having to develop a program for preserving and maintaining historic sites in the city. At a public meeting, scheduled for November 19th at Mainway Arena, the city will attempt to answer the very real and noisy concerns of property owners who don`t want the historic site designations that have been placed on their houses.
Why does Burlington have this aversion to recognizing its history?
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 31, 2011 It`s going to be a little tougher to get through to your Council member during the month of November. They will be meeting at an off-site location (a local hotel) to interview prospective candidates for the job of City Manager.
A usually reliable source, who sits around the horse table, says there are some very good candidates – not quite sure how this Council member knew that before the closing date for applications – but the person did.
There is one known candidate from within city hall staff interested in the job. Current acting city manager and full time General Manager, Community Services, Scott Stewart has indicated his interest and got his resume in before the deadline. Stewart hails from Hamilton where he honed his management skills; and if you can manage staff and council members in Hamilton, you can manage anywhere. Stewart has a very direct approach to tasks. To paraphrase the man – he will say: `Ya know what has to be done, so just do it. If you don`t know –ask, and I’ll make sure you know”. Stewart is not big on holding hands. He tends to get things done and in the past year we have seen his handiwork in a number of areas – most tellingly The Pier.
 Scott Stewart, the only known candidate for the job of City Manager from within city hall, brings a brisk, sometimes brusk approach to his job as General Manager Community Services where he gets things done. Stewart will never get a job as a diplomat, but he will get the job done and knows how to develop staff. He can spot the winners and he isn`t shy about placing a bet on someone he believes needs just a little nurturing. He has a great sense of humour, knows how to have fun and really believes the Maple Leafs can win the Stanley Cup. That belief could handicap his job application.
There is also a staffer whom many thought was sure to go after the job but he has made it very, very clear that he is not in the running. The “no I am not interested in the job” is Frank McKeown, who currently serves as the Mayor`s right hand man. McKeown has been with the mayor since the beginning of this term and is responsible for much of the growth the Mayor has shown as he transitioned from a ward councillor (Ward 5) to Mayor. Goldring is much more of a Mayor today than he was the week he was sworn in.
While many felt Frank McKeown would be a first rate City Manager, they didn’t know the man when they made those comments. McKeown is a project person and an immensely successful serial start-up entrepreneur. He works best at situations where there is a clear objective and a goal in sight. Give Frank McKeown those two things and you`ve got the equivalent of a pit bull on your hands. The long arduous meetings filled with a lot of silly talk – that ain`t Frank. So he will not be the next city manager. He may not be with the Mayor that long either. Frank`s job is done – and it has been done very well.
There will perhaps as many as a dozen people who apply for the job. Burlington is a good city to live in; a great place to work and the money is good (above $200,000 a year plus perks). The challenges the city faces are exciting.. There are some problems but the city has all the resources it needs to meet the challenges.
The City Manager is the most important person a Mayor has to work with at City Hall. It is vital that the Mayor and the City Manager be singing from the same song sheet; that the City Manager understand the vision the Mayor and his Council have and is fully behind all the objectives the Council has set out. Burlington is about to officially pass its Strategic Plan – which is a useful tool for an incoming City Manager. That document, the best this city has produced in some time, will be read several times by all of the job applicants and if they are truly aligned with its contents – then they deserve serious consideration. Stewart was a part of the team that crafted the document.
A couple of reliable sources advise that the first round of interviewing will be wrapped up well before the end of November with round two taking place in December and a decision perhaps as early as mid-December. There just might be a candidate that is so sterling; one that just jumps out as THE person for this city. Should that be the case – the city just might direct the recruiting firm they outsourced the hiring to – to make a job offer.
Every member of city council was interviewed by the recruiting firm as well as members of the city`s executive committee to determine just what they each felt Burlington needed in the way of a city Manager. Those interviews produced a protocol, which is basically the job description for the new city manager. You can read that document here.
 Tim Dobbie, Burlington's third city manager, worked exceptionally well with then Mayor Rob MacIsaac but left the job at about the same time McIsaac found what he thought were greener pastures at MetroLinx. Dobbie now works as a consultant. Former Mayor Rob MacIsaac had Tim Dobbie as his City Manager – they worked like a tag team of wrestlers but it was always clear that the Mayor was always calling the shots – Dobbie just did his bidding and at times that wasn`t always easy. Dobbie left the job for health reasons and the city had hired a new city manager, Roman Martiuk, before the 2006 Mayor, Cam Jackson, took office. Jackson and Martiuk never saw eye to eye. The Mayor came from a Queen`s Park environment where as a Minister he could do whatever he wanted – all he had to do was clear it with the Premier and fellow cabinet members and then direct deputy ministers to carry out the plans.
 Roman Martiuk former Burlington City Manager, was often described as someone who thought he was the smartest man in the room - quite often he was and many people couldn't deal with that. Martiuk came from a solid municipal background and had great difficulty accommodating a Mayor who didn’t really understand the way municipalities worked. One Council member referred to Jackson as a Mayor who thought he was a Premier. Needless to say it didn`t work out for either Jackson or Martiuk, who may have thought life was going to be easier when Goldring defeated Jackson as Mayor. While Goldring was part of the Council that hired Martiuk and should have known what he had to work with when he became Mayor, it didn`t take Goldring long to realize that a Martiuk-Goldring team wasn`t going to materialize either.
Goldring should have had some sense, even as just a Council member, as to how Martiuk managed things. The learning curve for the new mayor was steep and it was tough going for him in the first 45 days, but he found his footing and with McKeown at his side he grew into the job. There were some nasty, tasteless comments about Goldring’s reliance on McKeown, made by people on staff, who should have known better. It wasn`t dependence, it was a wise move by a man who found himself with a job he wasn`t fully prepared for and knew enough to bring in the support he needed.
When Council learned early in its first term that the city had a surplus of more than $9 million that they had not been warned about – Goldring, with the aid of McKeown, saw faint words written on the wall and over time those words became clearer. During the several staff/council Strategic Plan meetings the differences between Council and the City Manager became clearer. At that point Martiuk’s days were numbered. Martiuk, who is no stranger to city hall politics, decided to find out just where he stood and met with the Mayor to review. That review meeting ended up with Martiuk deciding to “step aside” then rather than face a full scale review of his contract with city council. That allowed council to look for a city manager more attuned to the style of the new team.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON. October 31, 2011 Loss Prevention Staff pounced on two thieves at the Wal-Mart store on Fairview Street yesterday at 5:30 p.m.
The lone male suspect was caught outside the store with approximately $560 worth of stolen merchandise stuffed into a shopping bag. Police were brought in and further investigation revealed an accomplice, and the discovery of a parked vehicle belonging to the suspects. The vehicle was loaded with additional stolen property.
 Retail store cameras catch every move a thief makes - they see you even if you're not a thief The same two suspects were already being investigated for another Wal-Mart theft that occurred on October 15th at the Dundas Street location in Burlington. In that incident the suspects loaded up two shopping bags with shaving razors and blades totaling $6000.
Two from Toronto were charged with multiple offences:
Steven BENNETT, 38 years, of Toronto has been charged with Theft Over $5000; Theft Under $5000 and possession of Stolen Property Under $5000 They got this guy coming and going – look for some plea bargaining on this one.
Hali SNOW, 32 years, also of Toronto has been charged with theft Over $5000., theft under $5000., possession of Stolen Property Under $5000 and fail to comply with a Probation Order (two counts) Ms Snow is clearly not a nice lady.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2011 – On October 20th at 10:36 p.m. Halton Police got an alarm call from the Future Shop, 3060 Davidson Court, Burlington. Thieves had broken into a vacant store next to the electronics store, broken through the wall and began stealing.
Suspects stole approximately $30, 000 in electronics, including Apple iPads (second generation), BlackBerry Playbooks, and Beats by Dr Dre headphones.
The following suspect descriptions were acquired from surveillance video footage:
 Safe, confidential place to help keep your community crime free. Suspect 1 – Male, wearing a blue jacket with a white vertical stripe on the arms, black hooded sweater with the hood up, jeans, and gloves.
Suspect 2 – Male, white, mid to late 40’s, dark hair, wearing a black baseball hat, black coat, white running shoes, dark pants carrying a hockey bag,
Suspect 3 – Male, white, wearing a dark jacket, dark jeans, dark shoes, carrying a hockey bag.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crimes).
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 29, 2011 In Burlington – you don’t get to park overnight on the streets and according to Councillors Dennison and Lancaster – that’s the way Burlington wants it. Ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward thinks the city should look at extending the amount of time people can park on a residential street at night, at least on the downtown streets, and asked her fellow council members to support her request for a Staff Direction that would look into the problem.
Council members can ask city hall Staff to look into a problem and report back to a Council committee with ideas and options. Any council member can put forward a staff direction but they have to get their fellow council members to go along with the idea. Frequently, the council member will work with Staff to craft the wording for the direction – and so it was on Wednesday Councillor Meed Ward put forward a Staff Direction that would look into various options to allow residential parking in the downtown core – which no one actually defined at the meeting but everyone seemed to know what it was.
The Staff Direction went as follows:
 Does Burlington want on street parking 24 hoiurs a day? What about those who just don't have the off-street parking they need? Direct the Director of Transportation Services to bring forward a proposed study scope, public participation process and budget as part of the 2012 current budget process to examine the feasibility on increasing Burlington’s 3-hr on-street parking limit between Friday evening to Monday morning, on select streets, to accommodate visitors; and
Direct the Director of Transportation Services to include in the evaluation of extended on-street parking duration, the pros and cons of changing the time limit, including the criteria for assessing which streets should be included or excluded, hours covered, experiences of surrounding municipalities with similar by-laws, and other matters staff feel are pertinent to the decision-making. (Councillor Meed Ward) (CC-15-11)
Councillor Taylor pointed out that parking on residential streets had not been looked at for the last three terms of council so “perhaps it is time to review the three hour parking limit on residential streets”.
Taylor however wanted to know what it was going to cost to get the outline for a study put together and when he heard “about $7500.00” he relaxed. The Direction went through a number of changes before it got to this point. And it was during this process that one could see the different views of what kind of a city the individual council members want Burlington to be.
Meed Ward talked of her time in Toronto where people paved parts of their front lawn to park on, or bought a permit that let them park on the street. She saw this as part of urban living – just what you had to do if you had a car and needed place to park the thing.
As the comment and debate went around the horseshoe there were suggestions that people be able to park in the public parking lots overnight or in those lots next to parks. Nope – that wasn’t possible – those lots had to be plowed when there was snow and the cars would get in the way.
Councillor Taylor said he wasn’t on for this kind of parking. “Nefarious things happen in cars that use those parking lots” he opined – which led his fellow councillors to much mirth and the question: “Was he speaking from experience” to which the jolly council member mumbled something about that “being a long time ago”.
Councillor Dennison wasn’t on for overnight parking either. He just didn’t want to see cars on any Burlington residential streets overnight.
Councillor Lancaster didn’t want cars on the street overnight either. “We’re not Hamilton” she explained. “I don’t want to go there.”
Dennison and Lancaster were speaking for the older more sedate Burlington that has a view of itself as very different than Hamilton.
Councillor Sharman didn’t have a viewpoint he wanted to put forward other than to say that parking was a “horrendous” problem for people in his ward.
Councillor Craven came up with the most striking comment when he said that parking arrangements amounts to a “fragile balance”. “When you upset the balance all you do is change who is complaining.” That’s the kind of wisdom that comes being on Council for more than ten years.
There are a number of parking programs that are available for those situations where a resident has relatives or friends staying with them for a couple of weeks – they can get a 15 day permit. These would apply to situations where a driveway is being repaired or renovations are being done on a house. You can get one 15 day permit per vehicle – per year, which means you’re kind of stuck if your renovation takes more than 15 days.
While Council members debate residential parking in the city the Burlington Downtown Business Association is coming to Council with a report developed for the Downtown Parking Committee – that report is due to be released early in November for discussion at a meeting November 16th.
All this discussion around parking – what happened to the cutting back on the use of cars; getting everyone on either a bus or a bicycle? Meed Ward made the comment that Burlington was in a state of “transition” between our reliance on cars and the move to public transit.
 Viewpoints can get pretty ugly. We are going to hear many different opinions on street parking. Meed Ward pointed out that there is “an opportunity to ‘repurpose’ and ‘recycle’ the asphalt we have for parking. It was a cute phrase and would go down well with the environmentalists but Burlington isn’t going to buy that one. Our environmentalism gets limited to the Escarpment.
Burlington, like many Ontario municipalities has had a 3 hour limit for the past 20 years. Behind that regulation was a policy to encourage residents to provide off street parking for the number of vehicles they own; to allow road maintenance and snow removal as well as the collection of residential garbage. It would also control the problem of derelict vehicles and result in clear and uncluttered streets.
The city does have a policy that would accommodate on street parking if enough people in a block petition for it. No one was sure what the policy was – other than Councillor Taylor who knew that it had a name with a lot of SS’s in it. That policy was approved in 2001 and amended in 2003. Called the NOSSP – Neighbourhood on-Street Parking Program – allows a minimum group of 10 residents (both sides of the street) or an entire street block to apply for extended on-street parking.
Any “parking zone” within the city may apply by picking up a package from parking services. A minimum of 75% support must be obtained within the designated zone in order to qualify. There are three different categories of NOSSO’s:
Category 1: weekends only which would be from Friday at 6:00 pm to Sunday at midnight
Category 2: 7 days a week, 24 hrs. a day. This one is to accommodate residents who are faced with inadequate off-street parking. In order to get this category residents must demonstrate to city hall staff that a problem exists. City hall defines inadequate as “1 or less spaces designated for off-street parking”. That seems like a very limiting definition – you might want to talk to people at the parking department about that one.
Category 3: Overnight which would allow parking on the street from 1 am to 6 am and to get this you must be able to demonstrate inadequate off-street parking facilities exist – which means 1 or less spaces designated for off-street parking
You can get an information package by clicking here.
You can get what the city calls a resident survey form by clicking here and you can also get the Designated Street Representative check list by clicking here.
This is your tax dollars at work.
The Staff Direction calls for an outline for a study that will gather facts, inform and consult with citizens and come back to Committee with a list of options. This one will be contentious.
 On street parking makes for a much different city. But one needs a car to get around Burlington - what are the other options. City council is going to revisit their parking policies. Programs like NOSPP meet needs – some of which are created by your council when they approve building projects that have inadequate parking space to begin with. Your Council is caught between the realization that we need to cut down on the use of fossil fuels if we are to do anything about global warming, and the fact that you need a car if you are going to live in Burlington.
The city was built during a time when land and gas were cheap. The city has yet to come up with policies that will result in a transit system that works adequately. A former Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson, is going to be in Burlington in the middle of November for a book reading. The social class that wants to hear what she has to say is just not going to take transit from their homes south of New Street out to the Royal Botanical Gardens on a cold winter’s day. And I just can’t see this crowd sharing a taxi from their condo’s on Lakeshore out to the RBG.
We have some distance to go on policy development and coming to terms with the reality we face before we really resolve the transportation problem. It’s about a lot more than parking on the streets overnight.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 27, 2011 This is an odd one. Sometime last week unknown suspect(s) smashed the front glass door to gain entry to A1 Transmission located on 4179 Harvester Road. It appears that the lobby and the office were entered, however no items were disturbed. Total loss of the damage glass door is valued at $300.
Here is what is odd about this: – the break in took place sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on October 22nd, a Saturday – in the afternoon to early evening.
Wouldn’t the shop have been open at that time?
 Fuzzy information on this Crime Stopper request for help. The police report says that shortly after the break and enter, (hold it – they have the time as between 1:30 pm and 8:00 pm – confusing) a small modified blue Honda car was observed exiting the driveway at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was last seen travelling westbound on Harvester Road.
The whole story obviously isn’t here – but if you know something both Crime Stoppers and the police would appreciate your help.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 24, 2011 Maple Leaf Foods announced yesterday that they are going to close the Burlington distribution and refrigeration plant on Harvester Road sometime 2013, which will mean the expected loss of 87 jobs.
Maple Leaf announced at the same time a massive expansion into the Red Valley Business Park in Hamilton where more than 1,500 jobs will be created. The announcement of the Hamilton move just may be the beginning of a stretch of economic growth that Hamilton needs if it is every going to shed its steel manufacturing industrial base.
Given that Burlington has had a working relationship with Maple Leaf Foods for some time one wonders if this city was ever in the game for the expansion? We certainly have the land and the Paletta people do know how to take advantage of an opportunity.
Hamilton did have a leg up on this one with the Canada Bread operation also being set up in the Hamilton community as well. The municipal taxes on the meat processing plant will amount to $2 million annually.
The Maple Leaf announcement was brought about by that city’s Economic development department which is an in house operation. The Burlington Economic Development Corporation is an arms length organization that has council representation on it.
 A 150 year old corporation that plays a significant role in the Burlington economy. Should a slughterhiuse be in this location? There are some who feel that there is a bit of a silver lining in the announcement for Burlington and that is Fearman’s could take up the Maple Leaf Foods space which is immediately adjacent to their property on Harvester Road abutting the Applyby GO station. The question for the city is – does Burlington really want a slaughter house right in the middle of an industrial part of town and next to a GO station?
Burlington will begin reviewing its Official Plan in 2012 and that question is sure to be asked. The Strategic Plan, that city council will pass within a week, sheds no light on industry specifics, but does talk about prosperity and those elusive high tech, high paying jobs. Nothing high tech or high paying about a slaughterhouse; but without them, bacon and eggs, and a ham at Easter won’t happen.
The F.W. Fearman’s brand is over 150 years old. So, it’s not only the oldest continuously operating pork processing plant in Canada, but also the first of its kind in the country. It was established in 1852, in Hamilton, Ontario, by F.W. Fearman, a dealer in sugar-cured hams and smoked meats.
Fearman’s sits on a site immediately to the west of the Maple Leaf plant and were the object of one of the more misdirected protests the city has seen in some time. Nearly 20 Toronto Pig Save supporters picketed the Fearman plant early in October. “We’re talking about how animals are inhumanely treated,” said Patti Blersch. “I live in Burlington and one of Ontario’s largest slaughterhouses is down the street.”
Blersch wore a pink pig costume while protesters also spread their message with signs, pamphlets, a megaphone and video-audio display. They plan more protests in Burlington, said one of the animal rights group’s founders. She claims 8,000-9,000 pigs are killed each working day at Fearman’s.
Fearman’s is an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners Inc., a Boca Roton, Florida hedge fund that has recently provided significant amounts for the upgrading of plant and equipment at the Burlington location.
 Obviously a major hydro user and also a company that is well funded and in a postion to grow their operation if the market demand is there. “The Ontario pork processing business is an impressive facility with significant potential to increase production levels. We are fully committed to growing the business, bringing our investment experience in the food processing industry to bear, working closely with hog suppliers and serving the markets with top-quality products. We believe there is opportunity to further expand into international markets and build out the company’s market share for specialty and value-added products,” said Anthony Polazzi, Principal at Sun Capital Partners. “Maple Leaf Foods will continue to be an important customer as we move forward.”
“This sale will complete the transformation of our fresh pork operations to focus our growth on branded, consumer-focused prepared meats and meals business,” said Michael Vels, Chief Financial Officer of Maple Leaf Foods. “We are very pleased to have secured a buyer who will continue to operate the facility, providing ongoing employment to a highly skilled workforce, and an important market for Ontario’s hog producers.”
Sun Capital has approximately $8 billion of capital under management and often bridges the entire purchase price at closing, raising permanent debt financing afterwards.
The company targets companies with up to $5 billion or more of revenues, but many of the transactions are with businesses with sales between $50 million and $500 million. A staff of approximately 150 people and a decisive approach to business enables them to close deals within 30 days compared to three to six months for most other buyers. Appropriate acquisition and investment targets may include private businesses, divisions of larger companies, and publicly-traded companies.
Fearman’s is clearly owned by people with very deep pockets – so buying up the Maple Leaf plant is not a financial problem. A reliable source in Burlington’s financial community suspects conversations between the two are already taking place. Should that happen – the jobs lost through the Maple Leaf closing would be more than made up with a Fearman’s expansion.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 23, 2012 It was a lovely fall afternoon; people were out and about – and hundreds, close to 1000 actually gathered at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre to walk around the place and kick the tires and look into every nook and cranny they could find. Few if any were disappointed.
 The Burlington Teen Tour Band took over the Family Room of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre the day the city turned the building over to the community. There was a festive sense to the day – all the politicians were there but all they were able to do was say hello to people they knew and to people who wanted to know them.
Mayor Rick Goldring was very much the man of the moment even though the building that was being handed over symbolically to the Burlington Theatre Board got its genesis from two men who asked the right question and motivated people to begin something that resulted in the building we have today that sits on a site that used to house the city`s police station.
 Babies and politicians - something magnetic about the two. Here Burlington MP Mike Wallace greets a little one. Some day that child will vote.. One citizen, pushing his Mother in a wheelchair wanted to say hello to the Mayor and did so – the Mother had a shamrock pin in the lapel of her jacket which the Mayor picked up on and asked is she was Irish – she was Irish and the conversation was amiable, the kind of thing that takes place at events like this – and then they asked – when the Pier was going to open – the Mayor just can`t get away from that one. He now has an answer – sometime in 2013.
One couple mentioned that a restaurant north of the Centre was sold to the current owners by her Father. `That used to be where our orchard was`, she commented and her husband added Ì used to come to the police station that was on this site for my papers to be a volunteer.
 Actors from Burlington Student Theatre were on hand for the turning over of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Everyone had a comment, hundreds picked up a cup cake or a cup of coffee and just milled around until the Burlington Teen Tour Band marched into the building through glass doors on the east side that opened up fully to the plaza. And in they came – all the redcoats you would ever want to see in one place. They played a couple of tunes and marched smartly out the building. The Main Theatre has great sound and we now know that the Family Room has even greater sound. The sound from those drums reverberated off the walls and just filled the large hall.
David Vollick, the Town Crier for Burlington did his first official gig for the city and read out the proclamation that had the symbolic key to the building placed in the hands of the Burlington Theatre Board president Allan Pearson. Didn’t see Pearson turn over the $1. annual rent to the city – perhaps that cheque is in the mail.
Our Town Crier was at his very best – a full force voice boomed out as he read the proclamation.
“Oyez, Oyez, Oyez” he began.
“Citizens of Burlington draw near and bear witness to an historic event in the growth of our fair city.
Today we celebrate the beginning of a new era for comedy, tragedy, aye for theater in all its forms in our newest and most favourably furnished facility –
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
 It was a proud day for former Mayor Walter Mulkewich, standing center with his hands in his pockets. The Centre has been a gleam in his eye for more than 20 years.  Mayor Goldring and his wife look on as the Burlington Teen Tour Band entertains hundreds in the family Room of the Centre. The centre is a gift from the City of Burlington to all the citizens of our fair city. It will encourage local talent of both our performers and our technical producers and will draw performers from across the great Country of Canada, and also from the world at large — to grace its stage.
To mark the significance of this occasion His Worship –
Rick Goldring – The Mayor of Burlington, will present the Symbolic Key to the Performing Arts Center to Mr. Allan Pearson — Chairman of the Board of Directors.
I call forth His Worship Mayor Goldring”
And with that the Mayor came on stage and the transfer and presentation of the key began. The building was now in the hands of the Burlington Theatre Board which is the organization that oversees the working of the staff at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. But the building is still very much a people place.. With the Burlington Teen Tour Band having sort of blessed the place with its sound people were milling about as if they were on a village square meeting friends and chatting away. The chatter and the exchanging of gossip was all part of the day. Our Theatre had been launched and the people of the city were there to witness the event.
Sometime in December there will be a very fancy $400. a ticket event and then the Centre will move into its Christmas Season program. The Nutcracker Suite has been sold out. Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café was sold out and – an additional performance added and it too was sold out. Both are tried and true events. As we move into 2012 the staff at the Centre can begin to bring in more innovative programs and begin to stretch the artistic imaginations of the community. Expect some birth pangs.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2011 He is in really great shape. Jovial, animated and having fun. Karmel Sakran didn’t want to lose the provincial election but – lose it he did and while he certainly isn’t saying no to another run – that’s not on today’s agenda. “I went four months without an income and now I’m glad to be back to work doing what I was trained to do.” He might have added that his wife and family get to see more of him these days.
For Karmel Sakran this all started back in November of 2010 when he got a call from the late John Boich. “I was coming out of Cumis with a cheque for $92,000. for the United Way in my pocket and I was feeling great. I was on Bluetooth and John Boich called and asked me if I would consider being the Liberal candidate in the 2011 election. It came right out of the blue – I wasn’t even a member of the association. I was kind of stunned – John had to ask me several times if I was still on the line. I said that I would have to take some time to think about it – and I found that all I needed was a day.” I called John the next morning and said I would stand for nomination.”
 Karmel making his views known to a Spectator reporter As it turned out Sakran had a competitor for the nomination when Alyssa Brierley put her name forward but she withdrew shortly after when she was asked to run as the federal Liberal candidate against Mike Wallace. Brierley ran a short vigorous campaign but lost to long time Burlington Conservative whose roots went back to municipal council.
As for Sakran – what’s next? His time on the Hospital Board has come to end. “The day I was nominated I was legally required to resign from the Hospital Board”, explained Sakran who was on the Board when that internal bit of hospital governance was passed.
“I’ll be seen more frequently at Rotary where I`ve been a member for a number of years. I will hold my annual fund raiser – the Wills & Power of Attorney event I put on, so I`ll be busy.
 We did our very best as a campaign and I`m proud of the team I was given to work with”, is the explanation Sakran gives for the loss. A look at the numbers and it was evident that Burlington was not prepared to elect a Liberal provincially. McKenna took every one of the advance polls – and while those numbers weren`t evident during the last few days of the election – they are an indicator of just how well the Conservative team did. They got their vote out.
The Liberals also got their vote out – but the New Democrats got more of their vote out – a surprising 19.9% of the Burlington total went to the New Democrats – in the past their numbers were in the 5% (in the 2007 by-election) and 11% in the 2007 election.
No one really knows yet why the NDP did so well. Walter Mulkewich, former Mayor of Burlington and chair of the NDP Finance Committee for their campaign, will tell you that the NDP is back to where they have been historically. Others think there was a distinct Layton factor in play. The federal New Democrats took a very significant number of seats in Quebec during the federal election and basically wiped out the Parti Quebecois. Shortly after the federal election Jack Layton died and many felt there was a sympathy vote that brought out NDP types in Burlington that had in the past gone to the Liberals.
The overall poor voter turnout didn’t help. Because Burlington actually had a bit of a contest going, the voter turnout was higher here than in the rest of the province. For many it just wasn`t that exciting an election. Andrea Horwath, the NDP leader brought some colour to the picture but other than that it had a bit of a boring cast to it.
Quite why elections have to be exciting and a real contest is beyond me. That poor bugger who died in a mud filled trench in France trying to clear the mustard gas from his lungs didn`t sign up so that we could have exciting ‘elections. But I digress – this is something that I get a little steamed about. It`s not about partisan politics – it`s about a democratic process where a community chooses the best person it can find to represent that community in the Legislature.
As for Karmel Sakran – he is sanguine about the whole thing. “It was an amazing experience. I loved every minute of it and I sure learned a lot. Would I do it again – maybe.“
If you`re a community based organization and you are looking for some very experienced executive talent – Karmel Sakran is in the phone book – give him a call.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2011 – A golden key, a silver bullet – something to commemorate the handing over of a building constructed for the Performing Arts – something brand new for Burlington. That’s the schedule for Sunday afternoon – October 23rd.
Thousands of people put in a lot of time and large sums of their own money during the past 30 years, which was when the idea that the city should have a performing arts Centre. One donation that is particularly poignant was the $60,000.+ donated by what was then Performing Arts, but renamed Creative Burlington who found recently they could not sustain themselves financially and had to cease regular operations. They were one of the first groups to put up real cash – it has been that kind of selfless dedication that has resulted in the building the city is going to turn over to a non-profit corporation that will provide a level of entertainment generally not available to Burlington.
 You are the owner - make some time to check out the property - get your face pained and enjoy a piece of cake. We’ve done stories on the relationship between the various organizations before and will do more of them in the future – but this Sunday afternoon from mid-day to 4:00 pm in the afternoon the public is invited out to look the place over, get your face painted, enjoy a piece of cake, get your bum in a seat, and take in a small performance. Basically just check the place out.
There will be tours through the building, many if not most, of the volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and show you around.
The Centre has a great bar – just not sure if it’s going to be open. No one was sure if this was a city event and therefore their bar and Centre staff couldn’t get us an answer to that question in the hour we had.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2011 The police need your help in locating a vehicle that struck a 12-yr-old girl, at the intersection of Appleby Line and Lakeshore Road, Burlington early in October.
It was 4:30 pm. In the afternoon, the girl had just exited her school bus and was walking westbound across Appleby Line when a vehicle travelling west on Lakeshore Road, turned north onto Appleby Line and struck her.
The vehicle ran over the girl’s foot, causing her to fall to the ground and scrape one of her knees. As a direct result of being struck, the girl sustained a fractured foot.
The driver of the vehicle stopped briefly, but subsequently left the scene prior to police arrival. The police are looking for a male, non-white, 45-55 years old, short black hair (spiky), wrinkly face, with a high-pitched voice. The driver was wearing blue jeans and a jogging style ‘Adidas’ jacket.
The vehicle is a black, 4-door sedan, with a spoiler on back.
The driver of the vehicle knew what he had done – he could have and should have remained at the scene of the accident. For failing to do so – he just may spend some of his time in a jail cell – that will only happen if he is apprehended – and that will only happen if you help. Keep your streets safe – make the call if you know anyone who drives a black four dour sedan with a spoiler on the back. Police will take it from there.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to contact Detective John Ophoven at 905 825-4747 x2307, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 TIPS(8477), the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crime).
 BURLINGTON, ON October 20, 2011 – Halloween can break the bank and there is more taking on the part of the kids than giving. Burlington’s Ireland House has revived a program that is intended for smaller children and their families.
Takes place Sunday October 30st – beginning at noon and running through to 4 pm. Small fee of $5. For the children and $2. for the adults. Thrown in to make it a real deal is a pumpkin for everyone for as long as supplies last.
Lots of activities and crafts for children and adults! Pumpkin carving and painting! Make a magic potion, see special amulets and learn about herbs with The Witch (La Bonne Sorciere) in her creepy cabin!
 Goblins and ghosts and the scary cabin at Ireland House - great entertainment for the young ones Put on a brave face and find your way through our haunted woodshed! March in a costume parade! Enter our costume contest and win prizes! Make some supernatural creations with Mad Science! See a breathtaking fire & ice show! Have you fortune read in a crystal ball! Sink your fangs into delicious barbeque refreshments! Take in carnival style games & a Giant Maze! Live entertainment for children and adults including costumed belly-dancing instructions with Belly-up Dance Studio and other special attractions!
Looks like a fun program:
Storytelling with Child Proof: 12:30
Mad Science Fire & Ice Show: 1:15
Belly-Dancing Demonstrations & Lessons: 2:30
Costume Parade & Contest: 3:15
Crafts, activities, tours and other attractions all day!
The house itself will be decorated for the Halloween season with a woodshed being set up for a special surprise as well as the cabin being put to interesting use. We are told there will be “belly dancers” on the premises – that should ensure that Dad comes along with the kids for this event.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 20, 2011 Halton Regional Police Service is still investigating the theft of cigarettes from a convenience store in Burlington.
Sometime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on July 24th, unknown suspect(s) entered the rear storage area of the Big Bear Convenience Store located at 450 Appleby Line and removed several cartons of cigarettes. The suspect(s) then exited through the back door leading into a laneway.
The store was open for business at the time of the theft. What – is someone kidding? No insurance claim on this one – and you have to know that someone who knows the a store and how it operates was the one who provided the information to the culprits that made off with the smokes.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)
By Casey Cosgrove
 BURLINGTON, ON October 19, 2011 – It may just be me, but the city feels remarkably quiet and calm this week. The provincial election is over, and we will have a respite of three years or so (we hope) before going to the ballot box again in Burlington. In the past year, we have elected those people that Burlington wished to see as its representatives, our political leaders on three fronts – provincially, federally, and on the municipal scene. I know many friends and colleagues that are looking forward to the time off to re-energize.
Things seem too good to be true here at home. The ‘mistake on the lake’ (pier) is on the right path, we have a lovely new performing arts centre opening downtown soon, the hospital development and mid-peninsula highway issues are in the hands of the ‘right’ provincial government – things just seem so, well, suburban.
 Believe me, as a director of an organization that does work with low-income families across Canada, Halton was a tough place to get partners. It was as if people here didn’t want to recognize that poverty exists. I live here and know it does. I see no signs of ‘Occupy Burlington’ on the horizon either. This time of relative ‘peace’ begs the question – What are the ‘burning issues’ that will affect Burlingtonians over the next while? Of course there are always things to do, ‘one-off’ problems to solve here in the city, but what will occupy the news in the coming months? Perhaps it will be another fight to preserve lakefront or green space, the protection of a piece of Burlington history, another possible sports franchise relocation, or maybe even a good old-fashioned political scandal! One never knows, and it is just this that would make having a crystal ball so wonderful!
No matter what dominates the news, when I wear my ‘community engagement’ or ‘leadership prof’ hat, I see this as just the right period in time for new leaders to surface here in the city. Yes, leaders often emerge in crisis, but it is also these ‘quiet times’ that allow civic minded people to take on a cause near and dear to them, and to plant the seeds to dealing with an important local issue. Take Mina Wahidi, and her building of the Compassion Society of Halton a few years back. This was a terrific example of leadership in action right here in the community, and was not done with interest of seeking political office. This was community leadership in its purest form. As a lifelong resident of the city, I do have my own wish list of areas that I would like to see local leadership emerge.
First and foremost, I would like to see genuine recognition that poverty exists here, and then see something done about it. Believe me, as a director of an organization that does work with low-income families across Canada, Halton was a tough place to get partners. It was as if people here didn’t want to recognize that poverty exists. I live here and know it does. The way I see it, many people that are consumed by taxes and their own pocketbook took the opportunity to vote here in Burlington last week, with a predictable local result. Now it’s time to get involved, and the best way would be to step outside ones comfort zone and better understand and see that there are a lot of people ‘hurting’ close to home. I believe that there is a great potential for people to step-up as leaders in the fight against poverty here in Halton, and hope to see it on the radar.
The other area that I believe has excellent growth potential in terms of local leadership involve seniors and youth – both individually and collectively. Imagine a community that not only honours its most senior members (which we have in great numbers), but works closely and actively with them in building community. Imagine a community that builds leadership in their young people ‘on purpose’, inspires them to be leaders no matter where their personal journey takes them. Utilizing these two local riches (seniors and youth) both individually and with a number of inter-generational approaches not only contributes to the development and growth of the people involved, but most certainly to the community as a whole. We hear the word leadership used a lot during elections, but it is this ‘quiet’ period of time in between elections where we should be focused on developing and encouraging emerging local leaders. Lets get at ‘er.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 18, 2011 This should have been written on Thanksgiving Day – for the citizens of Burlington indeed should be thankful for that band of hardy people who are fighting the good fight to keep the dream of restoring the Freeman Railway Station alive. It has not been an easy task.
The organization has new leadership, James Smith is the chair and there is something in the order of $20,000. in the bank, perhaps more. Les Armstrong was the chair previously. Les is a member of the Waterfront Advisory Committee where he did better than yeoman`s work on the gathering of data on waterfront locations where public access to the lake is blocked by private citizens who sort of assumed they could get away with letting people believe that access to the lake that was close to their property could be treated as if it was their property. Les hasn’t finished with that battle but he has stepped away from leadership at the Freeman Station. He served very well and very faithfully while he was there.
 The Freeman Station could - and should be placed on a site just beyond the trees in this picture - in Spencer Smith Park where it would be yards from where the railway line used to come into the city. It would have public washrooms that are badly needed in the Park. The Station has a colourful history. Council, both the current and the one prior to that, were completely irresponsible to the community when they let federal Stimulus funding get away because they seemed unable to find a place to put the station.
No need to go through all that dirty laundry now – there is only one place for the structure and that is right alongside where the railway line into Burlington used to run. Kind of across Lakeshore Road from the Joseph Brant Museum. With the Burlington Arts Centre across the street the city would have a small cluster of cultural, historical structures and it is that kind of clustering that draws traffic – which the Joseph Brant Museum could clearly use.
Once the station is in place – what are we going to do with it? Have the city move the Tourism office into the building – yes, there will be concerns over plumbing and electricity – just find a way to do it and get on with it. No more excuses please.
The structure sits beside the Fire Hall on Plains Road where rot has begun to take hold. Something is going to have to be done to wrap the structure and make some basic fixes so it doesn’t fall apart and have to be sold for poor quality fire wood.
There are two locations that top the list; one in Spencer Smith Park, the only really logical one, and another in Central Park tucked away in the back where it can`t be seen and sitting beside the planned location for the public market gardens that we will see in place early in 2012. If it goes to Central Park it could end up being a tool shed for the gardeners. Shudder
During the period of time when the city was trying – haphazardly it must be said, to find a home for the structure, there was talk of putting it in the parking lot behind the Arts Centre – but they didn’t want anything to do with the structure.
 The Freeman Station currently sits in the parking lot of the Fire Station on Plains Road where the weather isn't doing any good to the structure - which is still basically sound.. The city ran advertisements looking for expressions of interest – no takers there either. There were all kinds of rumours but no takers. It was when Councillors Marianne Meed Ward and Blair Lancaster asked council for some time to create a committee that would find a way to raise the money needed and to restore the building and find a permanent place for it. It is that hardy band of people who toil away with fund raising events that got us to where we are today. Time now to take the next brave step and get council back into the game.
There should be enough support on Council to make this happen. Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison is a right off; he’d float the Joseph Brant Museum out into the lake and let it sink. There might be a small chance of getting Dennison support if you put ina bicycle rack or better still set up a bicycle rental service – that would keep Dennison happy.
Councillor Paul Sharman was sympathetic to what the community wanted to do but his perspective at the time was that the community should be given a chance to see what they could do – and if they weren’t able to raise the funds needed – then they should just let it go. Sharman has enough pluckiness in his character to see what the citizens have done and while he is not part of the Meed Ward fan club he and councillor Lancaster have a good working relationship – there’s your four votes. And, the Mayor – he should be with them.
The station is on the border of Wards 1 and 2 – but even though Meed Ward and Craven sit beside each other – they don’t exactly hold hands. Craven could see the larger picture and perhaps be brought on side. That leaves good old John Taylor of Ward 3 who cares passionately about the rural part of the city and could be brought to appreciate that during the days when the railway ran through part of town it was those box cars that carried all the produce into the city.
 Councillor Craven could make amends and spearhead a drive to get the Freeman Station located in Spencer Smith Park where it belongs. That would mean getting along with Councillor Meed Ward. Can Craven get beyond his problems with Meed Ward and see the greater good for the city? During the phase of this structure`s history mention of Spencer Smith park came up as a location for the train station and at the time Councillors Peter Thoem and Rick Craven voted against the building being located in the park. There were apparently some people with more money than they know how to count and more influence than most people on the voters list – who convinced – bullied would be a better word – the two Councillors to back off the Spencer Park site. Something about it creating traffic that would not be welcome and noise – can you imagine – the Sound of Music Festival has a band stage less than 25 feet from the proposed site.
It is going to take a significant chunk of money to get the station out of “storage” and into a public place but with some effort and focus – this city could have the thing opened at about the same time the Pier gets opened. There will have to be a lot of creative thinking and the city is going to have to loosen up the purse strings quite a bit – but given that they failed to use the money the city actually had in hand – they should come up with much of the cash.
One obvious source for perhaps as much as $100,000. is the Mayor’s planned Cabarets that are going to be held at the Performing Arts Centre. The proceeds from the first event are already committed to the Centre – the Freeman Station people should begin cozying up to the Mayor and lobbying him for whatever can be generated in 2013. Don’t be shy people.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 18, 2011 – It is going to be a “boffo” event. There will be something for everyone. Face painting, cake, balloons, the Burlington Teen Tour Band, tours of the facility and special shows that will give everyone a chance to sit inside the Main Theatre and hear a short performance. All to commemorate the turning over of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre from the city (it is your building) to the Burlington Theatre Board, a non-profit organization that is in place to oversee and govern the staff of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
 Mayor Goldring is usually very direct - no flim flam with this guy. But something went werong last Monday. This is all a little on the complex side but there are very good reasons for having these different organizations in place. One of the reasons is to ensure that city council doesn’t get its sticky fingers into the workings of the Centre. All your council gets to do is own the building on your behalf and provide an ongoing financial subsidy to ensure that it is able to operate. Council has no say in who appears on the stage, nor can council hire or fire any of the BPAC staff. That can only be done by the Theatre Board, which is all very good governance and important stuff.
Getting to the point where all those legal wheels turn smoothly is easier said than done. Plans for the public event have been in development for some time – problems is that there isn’t a lease in place nor is the Relationship Agreement that is to govern how the city, the BPAC and the Theatre Board are going to get along has not been completed.
Council met last night and would have liked to have approved the agreement but it wasn’t ready and so an amendment was put forward that changed the words “Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign” to “ Authorize staff to continue negotiations regarding”, and that really isn’t a subtle difference. It is a very significant difference and your Council could have and should have made that point very clear. The city does not have a deal with either the Theatre Board or the Burlington Performing Arts Centre – yet.
Burlington is fortunate to have a Mayor who is pretty straight forward guy. I’ve not seen any fast and loose stuff from him before but on this one – he is treading on soft sand and not the solid footing we normally see from him. The Mayor is pretty close to a tireless promoter of the Performing Arts Centre and mentions it every chance he gets and promotes with all the authority behind that chain of office he wears. During the live broadcast of the Council meeting Monday evening he urged people to go to the Centre’s web site and get all the details on the big event. Fortunately for the Mayor the council meetings broadcast on Cogeco has a limited audience (and we mean limited) so few people would have heard the message. Good thing – because there isn’t a single word that we could fin on the BPAC’s web site about the city event at the Centre. Nor was there any mention of the event on the city’s listing of what’s going on in town.
The Theatre Board and the city and yammering away at some pretty fundamental matters – money of course, like who is going to pay for what, when. If these details don’t get the attention they deserve right up front – you know what happens? The lawyers get phone calls asking them to get us out of this mess.
That happened to Burlington with the development of the Brant Street Pier. The agreement between the original contractor and the city didn’t have an adequate dispute resolution and when there was a difference of opinion – well you know what happened with that one. We got known as the city with the “mistake on the lake”.
Quite why the Mayor wasn’t right up front about the problems – he was being broadcast live on Cogeco and could have used a few minutes to explain what the problem was, but he chose to take a pass. Not like him.
So, right now the BPAC people are squatters in a building you own. We apparently haven’t learned all our lessons yet. The people at BPAC are all very decent folk and very good at what they do. The people on the Theatre Board are decent folk as well and other than the fact that there are too many lawyers on that Board they are good at what they do.
But good intentions are not what we base our legal undertakings on. Thought we had learned that lesson.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON October 17, 2011 – While Thanksgiving weekend is a bit behind us now – it is a date that will remain on the minds of a number of people in Halton Region who had unintended meetings with a police cruiser or an unmarked police car during the holiday.
Halton Regional Police report that laid the following charges:
Impaired Driving – 9 charges
Roadside Suspensions – 14
 - More than 500 people got to see this crest up real close and personal on Thanksgiving weekend. More than 500 calls to lawyers made later in the day.
Distracted Driving – 79 charges(including 43 in relation to hand-held devices)
Aggressive Driving – 405 charges(including 340 for speeding)
Seatbelt Offences – 22 charges
Prohibited Driving – 7 charges
Dangerous Driving – 4 charges
These were part of a national road safety partnership called Operation Impact and they will certainly have an “impact” on those that were pulled over. The goal of the program was to remind drivers that an essential part of traffic education and enforcement is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways.
Assigned officers focused on behaviour that puts drivers, passengers and other road users at risk: impaired driving, seat belt use and all aspects related to aggressive/distracted driving. The focus resulted in a total of 540 Highway Traffic Act charges being laid. Great day for the lawyers.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 16, 2011 A second look at the newest gem in the city – the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. We are all agog about the place and Our Burling has certainly been a big and consistent supporters.
Having attended the Royal Wood performance and noting that it wasn’t sold out, we didn’t bother going on line to order tickets to the Jacob Moon event – just drove downtown and expected to walk up to the box office and buy a pair of tickets. SOLD OUT – which is great but we missed out on a performance the Missus wanted to take in and she wanted to see the place I was talking about so much.
 Jacob Moon - SOLD OUT at the Performing Arts Centre I had checked in on the web site and there was no mention there that the event was sold out – I didn’t think Moon would fill the 718 seat Main Theatre. Nowhere on the first level of the web site was there a note that this was a Studio Theatre event. The start time was there and that’s what I was after. I think if I’d know that I would have gone on line and ordered.
So, to the folks in the marketing department, which I assume is responsible for the box office and the web site – tighten things up over there a bit please. Use the technology to be instant – when the last ticket sells get the words SOLD OUT (which you just have to love) up on the web site pronto.
The Centre is one of the best people watching places in the city, especially if you get up into the second level where you can look down into the Family Room. With no tickets available, the Misses and I decided to have a glass of wine and just enjoy the space.
“It’s bare”, said the Missus. “There are no plants, no colour – it’s a cold room – can’t call a cold room a Family Room.” I’d not looked at the space quite that way, but the Missus was right. There is no colour unless you are sitting in the Main Theatre and you see that gorgeous, magnificent, crimson red, velour curtain that rises so elegantly.
The walls have no art on them. There isn’t a picture montage telling the story of what the site looked like when it was the local police station and then pictures of the various construction stages it went through. There are places on some of the pillars where luscious green plants could be placed.
The Family Room and the upper level could use a little more furniture – kind of bare except for the two very comfortable chairs on the upper level. The square upholstered benches don’t support your back when you’re sitting .
 The Family Room would be a great place for a huge Christmas Tree - all that space and to be able to see it from the street lit up at night. Will wee see something like that this year. And what are they going to do around the 10th of December? Will there be a humungous Christmas tree erected smack in the middle of the Family Room and will there be a community event to decorate the tree? Maybe Carollers in costume walking about as people take part in the decorating of the tree. So many opportunities to brighten up the place – not that it is dour or dull – but now that it is open and done “on time and under budget” as well – let’s make it look lived in.
The bar has potential. It’s long, approaching twenty feet is my guess, and the prices are manageable. $8.00 for a very decent 7 ounces of a good Chardonnay. Friendly staff with a mobile bar up on the second level. And even though the crowd for the Jacob Moon performance was small – they were using the Studio Theatre, there were quite a few people bellying up to the bar for some libation.
Now, Centre staff will ask for some time to get all these little things done – they don’t get the time. This is a “community” theatre and every one of us are landlords and we want to see that place just hum. The Jacob Moon event was, we are told, one of the first events, where a performer rented the space and put on his own show. Moon has a significant following with the Christian evangelical crowd and they were out there supporting his music.
The Stewart McLean Vinyl Café performance has been extended to include a Matinee – the evening performance was SOLD OUT. We’re doing something right – but let us not rest on our laurels.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON October 16, 2011 – The city is in the process of hiring a new city manager. The last manager “stepped” aside when it became clear that his five year contract was not going to be renewed.
Applications for the job close October 24th and the word is there are a number of excellent candidates who have sent in applications. If you want to be considered send you resume along to: Burlingtoncitymanager@organizationconsulting.ca
The job of city manager is the most important one within the city – nit so much for the work the man or woman will do but for the leadership the person will provide and for the relationship the Mayor and the City Manager can create.
 City Manager is a flag-ship level job - most important one at city hall. No slackers please. When Roman Martiuk left the job, unexpectedly to many but no surprise to the small group that oversee the operation of the city day to day, Many thought the Mayor’s right hand man Frank McKeown would seek the title. McKeown has made it very clear he has no interest in the position. And if you know McKeown you realize he takes a “project” focus to the work he does. But McKeown knows that a city manager should be and will tell you that this is the one person the Mayor communicates to staff through. A Mayor is not in place to run a city – he is there to communicate the wishes of council to the city’s administration and the city manager is the funnel into the administration. The two must be of the same mind.
The city manager is hired by the city council. All seven members interview the candidates and boil it down to a short list and select from that list to choose the candidate they want. The process is overseen by the consultants that were hired to first develop the protocol that would set out what the city wants and then sort through the applications and arrange for the interviews.
The protocol is in place and is set out below. What does it tell you about the kind of person the city wants? Some comment has been added and appears indented beneath several parts of the protocol.
Reporting to the Mayor and Council, the City Manager provides the cornerstone leadership for all aspects of business and services. The City Manager is expected to facilitate strategy formulation, manage strategy execution and implement Council directions; develop new governance models for Council and the Executive Team to ensure a focus at the strategic level and on critical issues; lead the organization to be innovative – not just best practice but leading edge; build the relationship between Council and staff and enhance collaboration to deliver a “we are in this together” climate; and be a change agent to make a difference.
Note the use of the words “to facilitate strategy formulation”. The job is to make it happen but not to create it. Previous city managers forgot that part of the job and some senior staff need to be reminded of that aspect as well.
The City Manager is expected to be a visible leader; to proactively develop critical internal and external relationships; build a strong and effective executive team; and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and services delivered to the community.
Efficient and effective applies to any successful commercial operation – problem is that a municipal government is not a commercial operation and many fail to remember the words.
The City Manager candidate must possess a progressive track record of success in a leadership role within a multi stakeholder organization. The ideal candidate will have significant and varied leadership and executive experience.
As an ideal candidate, you have experience and a demonstrated track record in the following:
A transformational leader who has the ability to vision and explore creative and innovative service delivery models, promote new ideas and implement new solutions or processes.
 This what the city doesn't want - looking for a facilitator, an innovator and a doer that will work very closely with the Mayor and his Council. Significant political acuity; able to deal with the culture of the City and navigate the formal and informal channels; able to network with Council, the Executive Team, management groups, the media and the private sector.
A solid strategic visionary and implementer of plans; experience in the development of strategic plans including developing operational priorities and associated resource allocation requirements – ability to translate strategic vision into plans for implementation and execution.
As a relationship builder; establishing, building, and maintaining strong and reciprocal relationships with Council and staff; enhancing collaboration between Council and the Executive Team.
“Collaboration between council and the Executive Team” easier said than done. Council members will certainly focus on this when they do their group interviews. Will the candidates look askance at some of the members of council and wonder if it is possible to collaborate with them?
A strategic communicator; able to adapt and tailor the conversation / presentation to a variety of audiences and contexts; understands the importance of both formal and informal communications.
Ability to break down organizational silos. Given the many challenges facing the City currently and in the future, the City Manager needs to exhibit a strong horizontal style of leadership – lead initiatives across the organization, rather than using the more traditional up and-down approach.
This is a challenge for any organization – how long do you think it will take the new city manager to figure out just where the silos are and then bring them into the horizontal, across the board approach the city is looking for.
Talented broker and strategic negotiator in both an “at the table” sense as well as behind the scenes.
A bold decision maker, who is not afraid to make a mistake and have the ability to learn from it. Track record as a decision maker – absolute results oriented and performance driven; links short term actions and long term goals.
How much room is your council prepared to give for mistakes making? Did they give the previous city manager too much room? $9 million + was one heck of a mistake.
 Breaking down the organizational challenges and getting department directors to work to their potential is one of the challenges for the new city manager. Excellent interpersonal skills, capable of relating effectively to a diverse range of people, personalities and styles (both internal and external) – demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders across the City and in establishing and building relationships with all stakeholder groups; an objective sounding board and voice, able to listen to vested interest groups and make objective recommendations that are best for the City; ability to speak the ‘partners’ language, establishing rapport immediately; exhibits a character of integrity and develops trust easily; willingly accepts the trust delegated by Council.
Drives for results and accountability at all levels; pragmatic, delegates responsibility and holds individuals accountable for results/performance; encourages the establishment of high standards and stresses the importance of continuous improvement; asks tough questions and addresses sub-standard performance quickly and effectively; assumes responsibility for decisions / results.
Holding people accountable and deciding that some are not cut out for the job they hold – moving them on – will the new city manager cut those who clearly can’t do their jobs ?
Exhibits a “Boardroom” presence – credible and articulate, able to present and sell concepts and plans to Council, the Executive Team and other external stakeholders and partners.
To have a city manager with some passion for the city and willing to work with council to make what we have even better – imagine?
Track record of building strong teams; demonstrates the ability to energize, motivate and lead an organization to achieve objectives; demonstrates the ability to build a sense of confidence and consensus, and create a positive and constructive work environment; sensitive to team needs, shows honesty and genuine interest in their concerns, avoids arrogance and defensiveness, develops sound solutions or approaches; requests, listens, and responds to feedback.
Lot of interesting language in this one. You can almost hear senior staff and council members recalling past experiences and saying ‘please’, not again.
Enhanced analytical problem solving skills; an ability to think critically; a realist who exhibits a common sense approach to problem resolution.
High energy level, a self-starter who exhibits high adaptability and flexibility to changing systems, conditions, or priorities; responds quickly to requests, meets deadlines and budgets.
Utilizes a variety of management styles, depending on the situation, with a capacity to facilitate groups through issues; leads by example; action oriented, generates original and innovative ideas and solutions – a continuous improvement perspective; high tolerance for change.
Knows him/herself well; capacity to build an executive team to capitalize on strengths and minimize limitations.
Wants to have fun and enjoy the role – has a sense of humour.
Will the person that meets the majority of the points set out above apply for the job and will your council recognize that person should she or he appear before them? And can council members set aside their own agendas and choose the person best suited for the job ? We’ll let you know.
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