 By Staff
July 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It looked like a minor matter on the Audit Committee agenda – but it was probably that whopper of an issue – the more than half a million dollars that got sucked out of a city bank account.
 Councillor Bentivegna moved a motion to put city council into a closed session. The Audit Committee went into a CLOSED session. Moved by: Councillor Bentivegna that the Audit committee “Move into closed session in accordance with the following provisions under the Municipal Act, sections 239 (a) the security of the property of the municipality or local board, with respect to finance department report F-24-19 regarding the risk of fraud”.
This took place on June 5th, – the city reported that the money disappeared on June 14th
The city deserves some credit for eventually going public. There hasn’t been a word since. Report F 24-19 would have had plenty of detail that got discussed behind closed doors.
There is really no reason for this level of Closed Session use.
Related news story:
City gets clipped for a half a million.
 By Pepper Parr
July 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
If the City Manager has a well-run office – things get done. That office sets the tone for the rest of the bureaucracy.
In the approval of the 2019 Operating Budget, a staff direction was passed to review the organizational structure of the City Manager’s office with a report due back May 31, 2019.
 Tim Commisso – Does this look like a man that suffers fools easily? Commisso was the Interim city manager when the budget was being put together. Staff in the City Manager’s Office were working on the review with a focus on identifying key business processes.
CMO staff have held two think hard sessions. A total of eight separate services and processes have been identified as key focus areas for the City Manager’s Office. Commisso explained the “services” are actually internal corporate business processes the CMO is responsible for: Internal Audit, corporate risk management, service reviews (new).
More detailed work by the CMO team is needed to confirm resourcing. As well, there is a need to engage with the Burlington Leadership Team on this work. The City Manager’s Office team have advised that a report will get to Council in September.
Our understanding was that the BLT – Burlington Leadership Team, was something the city manager created and runs.
BLT is senior staff management team that meets weekly, previously it was called Management Committee. Membership is not rotating but the chair does rotate each week. Includes CM, DCM and all Directors.
In a conversation with the Gazette Tim Commisso explained that he was “looking at how the City Manager’s office functions from an overall corporate strategic management and organizational effectiveness perspective.
Reading between the lines and being aware of what this Council wants – expect the Directors to be told to get more value for the money being spent. Can anyone tighten things up at city hall?
 Tim Commisso – his 20 years as a city hall Staffer could serve him well not that he has the keys to the Office of the City Manager. The September report will include implementing ongoing city service reviews as well as continuous improvement and performance measurement. Commisso will update Council verbally on status as part of the work plan report and adds that “FYI I’m not looking to add any $ to 2019 approved budgeted resources – which included a net reduction of $235k.”
The key metric is who Commisso chooses to work with him – there are some very good people in the hall – does Commisso have the ability to identify talent and recruit them?
And does he have it with him to gently move some of those that have not served the city all that well along to something more suited to their skill set?
This guy is going to be fun to work with.
 By Pepper Parr
July 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
What do you mean – it will be the final Poetry Slam. Final as in FINAL?
How did that happen? And why?
 But it is – taking place at the Nuvo on July 18th.
I first heard Tomy Bewick at an Installation Art show at the Waterfront Hotel.
There was this guy running up and down the hall way yelling his head off. I didn’t at first understand what he was doing or saying.
He disappeared around a corner – I didn’t see or hear from him again that night
The Installation Art was very progressive for Burlington.
The brunette stretched out nude face down across a Queen size bed with the tall, black, handsome dude standing over her had the hotel management edgy. They really didn’t want that exhibit to be “public”.
It was a one night event that brought out all the in the know people; not a politician in sight.
I next heard Tommy at the Black Bull on Guelph Line – torn down for a storage operation.
The Poetry Slam was a regular event – you could get a decent meal and hear some very good work and just get caught up with people.
When the Bull closed the Poetry Slam moved out to eastern Burlington, I think they were at the Windjammer.
 Tomy Bewick – on stage. Slammers from elsewhere would show up and do their thing – it wasn’t for everyone but it did have a core audience.
They are on at the Nuvo – will there be a bar?
Will decent food be available? If Tomy is ending this part of his contribution to the culture of the city – can we at least send him out with a bang!
By Pepper Parr
July 2nd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
When the news is bad release it on a Friday and get some good news out the following week.
The good news for Burlington is that Burlington has been ranked Ranked Internationally by American Cities of the Future for Foreign Direct Investment Strategy
Burlington has received an American Cities of the Future 2019/20 Award for top Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Strategy. Placing 23rd on the list of cities, Burlington is one of only a handful of small and medium sized cities to make this distinction. More than 200 cities were considered, and Burlington is one of only four cities with a population less than 1 million. Other winning cities include New York City, Chicago, Greater Montreal, and nearby Mississauga.
Cities were assessed based on four key categories: Economic Potential, Business Friendliness, Human Capital and Lifestyle, and Cost Effectiveness and Connectivity. Business that choose to locate in Burlington leverage the highly educated talent pool of over 2 million within a 45-minute commute, regional and international transit hubs and excellent quality of life.
 Anita Cassidy, Acting Executive Director at the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). “BEDC works very hard to attract new companies to our community and this international distinction recognizes what we have been doing for years,” said Anita Cassidy, Acting Executive Director at the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC).
“Being one of the smallest cities on this list demonstrates our competitive advantage over other regional locations and the reason businesses choose Burlington.”
In 2019 BEDC partnered with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to provide immigration support to Burlington companies with highly qualified talent from around the world.
The BEDC team continues to partner with Toronto Global and Halton Region to attract and support businesses to invest in Burlington.
In 2017, BEDC helped Finnish Robotics company, Orfer, locate in Burlington from Finland via the soft-landing program at TechPlace, Burlington’s Innovation Centre that is led and supported by BEDC.
TechPlace provided them with office space, connections to partners, and hiring support during the first several months while they began the process of opening their first North American headquarters.
 Looking north, yards away from the Mountain Brow. Shopping Plaza on the right, engineering firm on the left. The bad news that hit the fan last week was the announcement that L3 Wescam was moving from their Burlington location to new digs in Waterdown at the intersection of highways 5 and 6.
 Looking south at the intersection of High way 5 and 6 at Clappisons Corner The site is massive and will have space for 1400 cars to park – no mention of bike racks.
 The people promoting the GTA as a possible home for Amazon’s HQ2 thought Bronte Meadows would work for part of the plan. Why wasn’t the site looked at for L3Wescam? The Bronte Meadows site in Burlington was more than big enough to accommodate was Burlington wanted to do. The property, zoned as Economic Land, intended for the commercial sector, apparently wasn’t available. Paletta International has been trying for more than a decade to have the property zoned for residential.
There is a deeper story in all this somewhere – Burlington is going to have to come up with the skill sets to have land designated as employment land and used for that purpose.
In past news stories the GAzette reported the following:
Gerry Smallgange , president of Burlington Hydro pointed out that BEDC does not have a “deal maker”; has never had a “deal maker” and that the city has to re-think the way it has zoned its employment lands.
Pat Sugrue, who ran Fearman’s Pork when it was bought in November 2010 by Sun Capital Partners from Maple Leaf Foods Inc. for $20 million told a Standing Committee meeting in 2011 that Sun Capital moved very quickly and scooped another offer that was on the table because they were able to commit to the deal in seven days and close it within 45 days. Burlington hasn’t see a deal like that in the last century.
Sugre made another important point: municipal people do not, cannot and should not be in the deal making business. It takes people with skills sets that don’t exist in a municipal environment.
The L3Wescam ball got dropped much the way the International Harvester Navistar ball got dropped.
Related news stories:
BEDC has been struggling to find its way for more than five years.
L3 Wescam needed more space – and the city wasn’t able to find anything for them.
International Harvest Navistar was on their way to Mississauga when a Hamilton developer made them a better offer – they ate our lunch.
 By Staff
July 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON.
Halton Regional Police report that at 8:01pm on the 2nd of July 2019, they received reports that a vehicle had driven into Lake Ontario from LaSalle Park.
 LaSalle Park Marina after recent flooding. Initial information was received that there were several occupants trapped inside the vehicle described to be a navy blue sedan. Efforts by witnesses, police, the Burlington Fire Department, and Halton Paramedics were unsuccessful in rescuing the trapped occupants from the fully submerged vehicle.
Police divers of the Peel Regional Police Service and Toronto Police Service attended and assisted with the recovery efforts.
The vehicle was extracted from the lake by divers and a heavy tow service. Two adults were located deceased in the vehicle, a 55 year old male and a 51 year old female from Burlington.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit has taken carriage of the investigation, any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police are asked to call the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 905-825-4747 ext: 5065.
 By Staff
July 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The event took place in the Gazebo in Spencer Smith Park. It was one of the quieter events on Canada Day but for those who raised their hands while reading the Oath it was a huge day in their lives.
 If you look closely in the far right hand corner there is a young girl with her hand raised – becoming a Canadian citizen. Those people had chosen to come to Canada – some from war torn parts of the world, other from just south of our border.
Immigrants built this country – ideally the people taking the Oath yesterday will build on what we have in place now.
It is really what the country is all about.
 Some questions: Are all those women Liberals, wearing the party colours? And where oh where did Dave Vollick, the Town Crier, get those stockings? Were you able to count the medals on that veterans chest? What a fine photograph of the people that represented the community in welcoming new Canadians to the country.
By Staff
July 2nd, 2109
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting an interview is just the first step.
Getting through the interview and telling your story is as important as getting yourself in front of someone.
 Getting to this point is hard work – getting through it requires skills some may not have – help is not available. Some younger people are naturals, they interview well. Others don’t have that gift and need to work on their presentation and interviewing skills. One of the key skills it to listen and answer the questions asked.
It’s a fact: Knowing how to answer the tough questions in a job interview in ways that are both honest and powerful can help impress the interviewer and land the job. While many candidates are aware of the power of proper preparation and showcasing their skills, many underestimate the importance of leaving a lasting, memorable impression of themselves. Skills and qualifications alone do not always make a candidate the obvious choice if their interview is not strong.
 So how do you deliver a strong, solid interview? Centre for Skills Development has a workshop dedicated to learning just that.
“In our Interviews That Impress workshop, we not only discuss what to do during an interview, but before and after as well. There’s also different types of interviews – over the phone, one-on-one, group interviews and panel – and different strategies should be used depending on which is being conducted,” says Jocelyn Zangao, Employment Advisor, Centre for Skills.
These workshops go over common questions that arise in interviews and some examples of how to answer each. Together, those in the workshop discuss the pros and cons of each response.
 The Centre occupies most of a building on the South Service Road with a wide range of educational offerings. “We want our clients to think through how they would approach the tougher questions,” says Jocelyn. “Bringing forward their past experiences from interviews and what difficulties they faced are helpful to the group as we can work our way through how to answer them more effectively moving forward.”
The workshop also goes over how a candidate should structure their answer, by using Situation-Action-Result Statements (SAR). “The way this works is that they answer the job interview question by using a real example of a situation they have been in; the action they took; and the ultimate result they got,” says Jocelyn. “This three-point method helps a candidate to avoid rambling or giving too brief an answer. It assists them in offering a stronger and tighter response.”
“Even those that consider themselves experts in interviews can learn from this workshop, as they can hear others’ experiences,” says Christine Young, Coordinator of Centre for Skills Clarkson and Milton Employment Services sites. “Job interviewing is about preparation, selling yourself and then evaluating your performance. Our staff can help with learning how to conduct company and industry specific research, performing mock interviews and even making suggestions on what to wear and navigating the route to your interview day of.”
The Interviews that Impress workshop for July in Burlington takes place on:
Tuesday, July 16, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
3350 South Service Road, Burlington
Click here to register for the next Interviews that Impress workshop in Burlington.
The Centre for Skills Development and Training is a stand alone not for profit organization that is overseen by the Halton District School Board and funded by different levels of government.
By Pepper Parr
July 2nd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
She doesn’t tap dance and despite the view of some in the city she doesn’t walk on water but she does sing.
Few people know that Marianne Meed Ward was trained as an opera singer – you didn’t see that in the campaign literature did you?
She will not be appearing on the stage of the Performing Arts Centre but do look for her appearance in a future edition of Smart Car Coffee Confidential – the road show (literally) that James Burchill has been running on his web site and with Cogeco TV.
 She’s an opera singer – who knew? Last fall Burchill had all four Mayoralty candidates in his car – Meed Ward was miles ahead of the others in the way she came across. She does know media.
In a conversation over lunch Burchill and I talked about what he would do next and mention of Her Worship came up – “why not put her back in the car – she’s great media – your audience will love it”, I suggested.
Burchill, who knows a sharp angle when he sees one, followed the lead and put the following on his LinkedIn page.
Since the then Councillor (now Mayor of Burlington,) Marianne Meed Ward and I filmed her Smartcar Coffee Confidential episode, we’ve been repeatedly asked when we’d make good on our promise to get together and sing.
Remember, Marianne is a classically trained opera singer! I can just about carry a tune, so this should be interesting. Anyway, I’m pleased to announce the stars (and calendars) have aligned and we’re set to film our repeat performance in late July. So if you see my little black Smartcar roaming around Burlington, with the Mayor and I belting out show tunes (or maybe some Neil Young,) just know we’re having fun, and you’ll be able to catch Mayor Meed Ward’s repeat performance on Season 2 of the Smartcar Coffee Confidential – coming later this summer both online and Cogeco’s YourTV.
This will be a “must watch” event. Could it lead to a part in a Performing Arts Centre event?
If you want to watch Meed Ward’s election performance in the front seat of a very small car – CLICK HERE
 By Staff
July 2nd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
They are just taking care of business – their business not mine and they have nothing to do with PayPal, a service we use frequently.
We got the following
Greetings from PayPal Customer Support.
Please be advised that we will deactivate the access of your account/s in PayPal if we don’t hear any actions from you.
It’s usually pretty easy to take care of things like this. Most of the time, we just need a little more information about your account or latest purchases. You can verify your account at https://paypal.com/
These communication channels are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thank you for your time with us!
The PayPal Inc Customer Support Team
Now look at the address the message came from.
That is not the url for PayPal.
Remember that cardinal rule – If in doubt – don’t. In the world of the internet – be ever vigilant.
By Pepper Parr
July 2nd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette got a note from a reader alerting us to plans on the part of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to advocate for the abolishing of the Local Planning Act Tribunal (LPAT), formerly the Ontario Municipal Board.
Meed Ward is part of the Large Urban Mayor’s Caucus of Ontario and is reported to be in talks with her colleagues there on bringing something forward. The Gazette is advised that: “To date, no motion has come before a Burlington committee or council.”
The Mayor’s office did say that she had “released a statement regarding the passing of the Province’s Bill 108 where she references her feelings towards the old Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) rules being reinstated under LPAT.
We asked a number of people what they thought of the move to lead the cry for the end of LPAT – got this from someone who has experienced with the Mayor who said: “MMW is putting herself in the front ranks of the Ford antagonists. We’ll see where that takes her and for how long.”
 Expect to see more of our Mayor traveling in different circles. Two things are happening. The Mayor would like to see an end to provincial involvement in municipal matters; she is in the process of building a profile beyond the boundaries of the city.
The breakout year for the Mayor will be 2026 or 2027. You heard it here first.
Stay tuned.
 By Staff
July 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
With nice weather it is one of the best ways to spend a day outdoors and enjoy what the Burlington waterfront has to offer – Celebrating Canada’s birthday at Spencer Smith Park
The Canadian Tire Burlington Store is the main sponsor.
Marking the nation’s 152nd anniversary of confederation, the City of Burlington’s Canada Day will officially kick off at 4 p.m. with the Burlington Teen Tour Band and remarks from special guests, including the Mayor of Itabashi, Burlington’s twin city, Mr. Takeshi Sakamoto.
 The day ends with a magnificent fire works display. The Citizenship Ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the gazebo.
Entertainment on the main stage will include:
• Bharatham Academy of Indian Dance at 2:30 p.m.
• Opening ceremonies featuring Burlington Teen Tour Band and Japanese Taiko and Music Group at 4 p.m.
• White Pine Dancers at 5:30 p.m.
• Symphony on the Bay at 7 p.m.
• Guitarist Johannes Linstead at 8:30 p.m.
• Fireworks presented by BUNZL at 10 p.m.
Fun activities planned in the park include:
• Yoga by the Pier at 9 a.m.
• Canada Day 5k at 10 a.m.
• Citizenship Ceremony at 1 p.m.
 They are becoming Canadian citizens. The ceremony today will take place at the Gazebo. Numerous other event highlights include: stilt walkers, face painters, hair artists, giant inflatables, sampling booths, great food, vendors and lots of true Canadian spirit!
Free Canada Day Shuttle
Downtown parking is in high demand during this event. Residents are encouraged to consider other transportation options such as cycling, walking, car pooling or Burlington Transit.
A fully accessible, free shuttle service will run from 2 to 11 p.m. The shuttle will make stops at the Burlington GO Station (north side) and travel to the downtown bus terminal. Free bike parking will be available near the Waterfront Hotel for cyclists to secure their bikes.
For more information, visit burlington.ca/canadaday, follow @BurlEvents on Twitter or call the Festivals and Events Office at 905-335-7600, ext. 7422.
Other Canada Day Activities
The city’s outdoor pool locations are open for unlimited access to recreational swimming for only $4.40 per person; $3.05 after 5 p.m.
Hours for Canada Day are as follows:
• Nelson Pool – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• LaSalle Splash Park – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Mountainside Pool 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All seven of the City’s spray pad locations are open and always free. For more information, visit burlington.ca/splashpads.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, believed to be a citizen of both Canada and the United States will tell you that: “We have so much to be thankful for in Canada. We have the greatest nation, the greatest people and now, the greatest basketball team! I look forward seeing everyone celebrate our country together in Burlington on Canada Day.”
 By Staff
July 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The invitation says it all.
You can skip the dignitaries and tour the station. allow an hour – there is tonnes of stuff to see.
On Fairview just west of Brant – beside the Fire Station.
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