 By Vince Fiorito
October 2, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Regarding the “choice” between the environment versus the economy Vince Fiorito explains that this is a false dichotomy. We can also have both or neither.
Another way to describe the “environment” is the “global life support system”.
 Would an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) be forced to choose between his job and the ISS’s life support system?
Would we even give an astronaut a task that would make the ISS uninhabitable?
If the life support system fails on the ISS, the repercussions would be immediate. Any task that would adversely affect the ISS’s life support system would not likely be attempted. That’s because humans react to immediate problems pretty well.
What we aren’t that good at, is reacting to and managing long term problems, like climate change, the biodiversity crisis, environmental toxification and potable water shortages. These human created problems impact the “global life support system” and must be solved immediately and simultaneously.
Unfortunately, most of the environmental protest industry has focused on climate change; neglecting, for the most part the others.
These groups have held protests during elections that interfere with political environmentalist efforts to identify and get out the environmental vote.
Effectively the environmental protest industry has increasingly become an obstacle to positive progressive political change. Since these groups must protest to recruit volunteers, fundraise and grow their movements, their relationship with status quo governments they help greenwash during elections and then protest afterwards, is mutually beneficial. Most environmental groups seem uninterested in helping to elect governments that solve environmental problems. Without status quo governments that increase our economic dependence on converting fossil carbon into GHG emissions, who would they protest? How would they grow their movements?
Many of them are dependent on the status quo governments for grants and other funding. Why would these organizations bite the hands that feed them?
Another part of the problem is that during an election, political opportunists will say anything to win the environmental vote including nonsense like “balancing the environment with the economy” as if improving the economy always comes at the expense of creating environmental problems… or solving environmental problems always comes with an economic cost. The truth is that solving environmental problems would create economic growth and new jobs.
 The cost of solar has now dropped to the point where it is cheaper than all other energy sources. Monthly payments on a loan to install a solar power system to go off grid would be cheaper for most homes and businesses, than their current monthly electricity bill. After the upgrade is paid off, the cost of electricity would be near zero, whereas the monthly electricity bill would continue to increase.
This change to a distributed network of micro energy producers and consumers would create more jobs that pay better than those that would be lost due when the nuclear power plants and gas turbines become stranded assets.
I understand why people who have invested in the status quo would oppose this change, but why electrical unions and the construction industry haven’t embraced this change remains a mystery to me.
Probably the biggest opportunity to grow the economy and save the planet at the same time is through energy conservation. Most homes and businesses can be made more energy efficient, reducing costs. The monthly savings would pay off the upgrades in a relatively short time. Why the housing construction industry hasn’t embraced this change is also a mystery to me.
 The energy industry is lying to us, for the same reasons why the tobacco industry lied in the past. I believe we have been manipulated by wealthy people who profit from the status quo of laying waste to the earth’s biosphere for short term profits and union jobs. These people refuse to embrace change. The energy industry is lying to us, for the same reasons why the tobacco industry lied in the past.
I used to believe that people could be convinced to make better decisions if they were presented with good accurate information. I now realize that most people are overwhelmed by bad inaccurate manipulative misinformation.
Solutions exist to all our problems, but we won’t implement these solutions, not because it doesn’t make economic sense, but because the people who profit from the status quo are better at manipulating public opinion, than scientists and engineers.
 Fiorito didn’t tell me if the hare got away. For this reason, I’ve moved on to acceptance. Humanity isn’t going to make better choices to save ourselves and the earth’s biosphere. That’s why I am up north, trying to document what’s left, before its destroyed by logging companies intent on converting old growth forest into mostly toilet paper and consumer products that end up in landfills. While the rest of the species that share the Earth’s biosphere with us don’t deserve what’s coming, most of humanity does, including the environmentalists who are more interested in protesting the status quo, rather than meaningful action to change the status quo.
 Watching –  Watching – ready to pounce. Vince Fiorito now lives 300km north of Thunder Bay, near Wabakimi Park where he took the photographs.
 By Alex Windsor
September 28th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
While the digital revolution has put many industries to the test, others like public services have thrived, such as the police who can take notes electronically when on duty. The development of new and emerging technologies has seen the success of the gambling industry skyrocket in recent years. Today, it is thought that 76% of Canadians take part in some form of gambling activity, whether that be a national lottery, visiting a casino or playing online.
 Toronto – capital of Ontario – the province with interesting and exciting sports gambling locations. In many countries across the world, gambling has traditionally been a taboo subject that has been frowned upon. As a result, many places including Canada have had restrictive gambling laws that have prevented the industry from growing. Yet, as attitudes towards gambling have become more progressive and laws have been altered to reflect this, the gambling industry is once again beginning to thrive in Canada.
Below, we’ll take a look at the thriving gambling scene in Ontario and investigate some of the best land-based and online gambling places where people can go to enjoy their favourite casino games.
Gambling law ambiguity across Canada
There are many different gambling laws and regulations in Canada. Canada’s first forms of legal gambling appeared in 1969, in which a variety of landmark casinos were developed. These casinos brought tourism and a steady economy to cities across Canada after years of gambling being illegal.
 For the citizens of Ontario, online gaming complements the already thriving gambling scene. By the early 2000s, online gambling was growing rapidly as more and more households gained access to computers. However, the law states that any casino venue operating in Canada must be licensed by the regional authorities. Since many online gambling providers were operating from another country, this meant that they weren’t bound to the laws set by the Canadian authorities.
This loophole has meant that up until today, Canadian citizens can enjoy gambling at online venues, as long as the provider is offshore. This grey area in the law means that Canada is missing out on a significant economic opportunity as they do not benefit from online gaming taxes or fees from licenses at all. However, for the citizens of Ontario, online gaming complements the already thriving gambling scene.
The best casinos in Ontario
As the most populous province in Canada, Ontario has a thriving gambling scene with some of the nation’s best Casinos. The most popular casinos include:
Shorelines Casino – Thousand Islands
The Shorelines Casino chain has three casinos located in Ontario, however it is their Thousand Islands venue located on the outskirts of Gananoque that is one of the most popular. The venue is home to over 450 slot machines and various gaming tables for visitors to enjoy.
Shorelines casino are well-known for hosting various table games from blackjack, roulette to a variety of poker games including 3-card poker and ultimate Texas Hold’em. Those who want to get in some practice online before trying their luck at the casino can try real money poker at 888 Poker. Players will get a chance to hone in on their strategy and practice their poker face before going up against the big players at Shorelines.
Casino Rama Resort
Located near Orillia, Ontario, Casino Rama Resort is known as one of the region’s best casino resorts. Guests to the resort can benefit from a fully serviced hotel, a spa and health club, and a top-class casino with over 2,200 slot machines and 6 gaming tables.
Best of all, the casino resort is just a 90-minute drive from Toronto, making it an ideal weekend getaway from the city.
Elements Casino – Brantford
Elements casino offers a great variety of popular games, including over 500 slot machines and over 55 table games with Blackjack, Texas Hold’Em Poker and Roulette amongst the offerings.
Sports betting in Ontario
On the 27th of August, single event sports betting became legalized and was officially launched across Canada. Currently, there are 71 casinos in Ontario that now offer sports betting and in addition, Ontario has now made single-game sports betting available online through the Ontario lottery and the gaming Corporation’s PROLINE website.
 The gambling scene in Ontario will now be able to thrive as the industry continues to grow While this is a monumental moment for Ontario’s gambling scene, residents of Ontario are also able to take advantage of the many offshore online casinos available to them. The move to legalize sports betting in Ontario means that several sports betting vendors in the Northern US could now be looking to expand into Ontario, offering even more variety in the region.
The future of gambling in Ontario
The recent easing of restrictions for gambling across Canada means that the gambling scene in Ontario will now be able to thrive as the industry continues to grow. These changes demonstrate the appetite for gambling across the region, in which many northern American influences are moving into the Ontario region. From sports betting vendors to US casino chains, cities like Toronto are becoming even more of a hotspot for betting shops and casinos.
However, online gambling is more popular than ever, meaning that the footfall to physical gambling venues could decrease over time – as can be seen in countries like the UK. As technologies become more affordable, many people are opting for the convenience and freedom that online gambling brings.
Overall, over the past year, there have been many positive changes across Canada that support the growth of the gambling industry. As Canadians views of gambling become more progressive, it will be interesting to see how the market develops and whether physical casinos will stand the test of time.
 By Staff
October 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Wolseley Canada announced the Canada Indigenous Bursary, to help Indigenous students across Canada reach their full potential with funding for post-secondary education.
In partnership with Indspire, Wolseley has donated $25,000, which will be matched by the Government of Canada for a total of $50,000.
 Sebastien Laforge, President, Wolseley Canada. “This is an important day to reflect on history, and to consider how we can better support Indigenous communities,” says Sebastien Laforge, President, Wolseley Canada.
The Wolseley Canada Indigenous Bursary is part of the Building Brighter Futures program, and provides funding for individual First Nation, Inuit and Metis students enrolled in full and part time studies in college, university, skilled trades, apprenticeships, and technology programs.
For more information about the scholarship, or to apply, visit https://indspire.ca/programs/students/bursaries-scholarships/.
 Wolseley Canada is a market leader in the wholesale distribution of plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, waterworks, fire protection, pipes, valves and fittings and industrial products. With its head office in Burlington, Ontario, the company has approximately 2,500 employees and more than 220 locations coast to coast. Wolseley’s team of sales and service specialists, an industry-leading e-business platform, Wolseley Express, and relationships with the best vendors and brands in the business, make Wolseley the professional’s choice across the country.
Wolseley Canada’s parent company, Ferguson plc is the world’s largest trade distributor of plumbing and heating products and a leading supplier of building materials. Ferguson plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FERG) and on the FTSE 100 index of listed companies.
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 By Ryan O’Dowd
October 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Hundreds attended an Every Child Matters Truth and Reconciliation Day ceremony yesterday afternoon in downtown Burlington.
 People parading along the Beachway Trail towards Spencer Smith Park The event, hosted at Spencer Smith Park, was by turns celebratory and somber. Music, dancing, education, and prayer made for a lively afternoon; the speakers reminded everyone why they had gathered.
Residential schools and other systemic injustices were at the forefront of the discussion.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns with an Indigenous dancer The event was punctuated by a resounding plea that events like these aren’t enough, real action must follow. Some speakers issued pointed warnings to the politicians in attendance, recently re-elected Minister Karina Gould and Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
Speaking to the Gazette event organizer, Amber Ruthart, reiterated the need for reconciliation to be a constant consideration and not a trend.
“Today has been a very beautiful outpouring of support from the City of Burlington, and the community. A lot of people are here and they’re asking the right questions. It’s unfortunate how mass graves had to be discovered for this to happen but in a way, it’s bringing our community together, awareness of it.
“I hope that education continues and is not just a trend. Also, we hope to be doing more indigenous awareness social events in the future here in Burlington,” said Ruthart.
 Family members with Residential School survivor
In the afternoon’s most emotional moment, a speaker, White Eagle, brought her mother, a residential school survivor, to the stage. Overcome by the moment White Eagle paused a long while to collect herself before introducing her mother, fighting back tears.
The politicians in attendance were called out by some speakers, demanding they turn their words into actionable change. Minister Gould, who’s Liberal party has been the target of scorn for shortcomings on Indigenous matters, watched stoically.
 Dancers preparing to perform at the foot of the Pier “We all live together. This is what reconciliation is about and I challenge the government to honor her word with the Indigenous peoples in this land,” said a speaker.
 MP Karina Gould talking with one of the hundreds of people who took part in the event. Gould would not say if her presence at the event indicated she would be working in a hands-on capacity with Indigenous issues. Clarifying that Indigenous issues are considerations in every portfolio.
“Today was important and inspiring. It grounded people in why we’re here,” said Gould.
 Social distancing and politely listening on a wonderful autumn afternoon Audio was played of Orange Shirt Day (the basis for Truth and Reconciliation Day) founder, Phyllis Webstad, sharing her story.
The day takes place in September because that is the month during which Indigenous children were taken to residential schools.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward spoke during the day. Mayor Meed Ward delivered a speech, and land acknowledgment, discussing residential schools, systemic injustices, and praising the courage of the Indigenous women who organized the event.
“Today is meant to be about listening and learning and working towards healing, to understand what happens in our country, the truth of what really happened. There are issues that still face indigenous people, coast to coast, and right here in the city of Burlington, the discoveries of the mass and unmarked graves at residential school sites, shocked many Canadians and for many, It was the first time that they have learned this evil history,” said Meed Ward.
 Drummers with an attentive audience Education of Canadians on the truth of Indigenous relations was a recurring topic. This came a day after the province announced Indigenous curriculum will be expanded to cover grades one through three.
The ceremony began in song and ended in traditional dance. A song was proceeded with a call and response exercise where the performer taught the audience how to say “I love you” in several native tongues.
Before the ceremony, a memorial walk took place along the promenade. Young people led the way carrying signs reading “every child matters.” They smiled and celebrated along the way, sun danced through foliage and warmed the crisp autumn afternoon. It was a hopeful image on a day about hope. The orange-clad parade passed a surprised wedding party in Spencer Smith Park and shouted well wishes to them. They walked past Joseph Brant Hospital, a hospital with an Indigenous namesake serving the community as the backdrop to Indigenous peoples feeling undeserved by the community.
Several speakers called the ceremony the first Indigenous event in Burlington.
Pop-up storefronts sold “Every Child Matters” T-shirts worn by almost everyone at the event. Orange shirts could be spotted all around the downtown core.
Event organizer, Ruthart, said her native name translates into “loud voice,” her message was loud and clear today. The city was listening. Ottawa was listening. Will they act?
 By Gary Scobie
October 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The comments section of the Gazette is heavily used. At times there is a lot of tooing and froing – so much so that one wonders just what the writer is trying to say.
However, on occasion a writer responds with statements that are painfully true.
Gary Scobie, an intelligent, retired Burlington resident who has delegated frequently before Council, responds to David Barker who asked: Are you are really saying the Mayor and our councilors pretended to work on stopping the over-development of the downtown? Because that’s what you wrote. You used the word “pretend”. If you are really saying that, your credibility is shot.
The Scobie response is too pungent, too painfully true to be left as just a comment to a reader.
David, here is the inaction that they created. They were well and often advised during 2018 that the only way to stop excessive numbers and heights of high rises in downtown Burlington was to
1) Remove the Downtown Mobility Hub that was a farce and
2) remove the Urban Growth Centre from the downtown.
 It was named as a Mobility hub which was enough for some smart lawyers to argue that it served a mobility purpose equal to that of Pearson Airport. The Mobility Hub was the easier one and Jane McKenna helped in showing how it could be done in the Official Plan. The Urban Growth Centre was going to be the harder one. Therefore it needed to be tackled as soon as the new Council convened in January 2019.
 Gary Scobie in the middle of a delegation to city council. The new Council decided to do one thing instead that would not help – bring in the Interim Control Bylaw (ICB) for one year that would delay processing applications but not stop their time-stamping. They decided to do a second thing that would just make it look like they cared about stopping excessive high rises – start out on an updated OP that reduced somewhat the zoning but still allowed a concrete jungle in the downtown that few citizens in the work groups supported.
This OP took months and months to update, months and months to sit on the Regional Council agenda before being rejected for a few issues. Even when it was given support, it took months again to get provisionally passed.
In the meantime, applications piled up and appeals were initiated at the “new” OLT (just an OMB remake). Time marched on and Council waited two years until 2021 to actually begin asking the Province to move the UGC to the Burlington GO Station.
Two years of wasted time on the most important task in saving the downtown that could have been started in early 2019. Even today it is still not in force until the province passes the legislation, if they actually do.
 Scobie maintains this Council has betrayed its citizens As I said earlier this year, it’s too late baby. The chance has been missed. You can’t go back in time and negate all of the high rise applications filed in good faith under the old OP and the UGC in the downtown. It bothers me and my like-minded friends so much. Council failed its supporters and pretended to work on it instead. We were betrayed.
 Scobie was seldom impressed with the responses he got from members of Council. There’s your timeline. Oh and by the way, the Interim Control Bylaw – it’s still huffing and puffing along after two and a half years of applications piling up for downtown high rises. It won’t go away until every appeal is dealt with at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
Some legacy.
 By Pepper Parr
October 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
With the first Truth and Reconciliation Day celebrated I find myself asking – just how much truth do I have today that I didn’t have yesterday?
 Dancing that reflect centuries of a culture we are now learning much more about. As I listened to people who know far more about this than I do I heard one woman say: Truth and Reconciliation – yes. But let us make sure, she said, that Truth comes before Reconciliation because without Truth there can be no Reconciliation.
I didn’t hear yesterday anything I didn’t already know.
We know information exists that will shed much light on what really happened, and we know there are people who hold that information very close to their chests for to let it out into the public domain will severely damage their interests.
The churches, the Catholic churches for the most part, have the names and numbers but they aren’t releasing that information.
They should be able to tell us how many cemeteries there were, where they are precisely, and the names of the children they laid to rest.
Why we are making the various tribal bands spend thousands of dollars with specialized radar scanning equipment that can see below the surface is beyond me.
I did hear some statements made by students at schools that were impressive and inspiring. One school wrote a Call to Action asking the province to make the day a paid holiday for every Aboriginal person who is a teacher whose parents were sent to Residential schools.
Another young man wrote a poem that took the breath away from the broadcaster who was doing the interview.
There were a lot of tribal dances, colourful headgear and much singing and drumming which are nice to see and hear. But surely there is more to Truth and Reconciliation than this?
It was a start – we owe those people much more than we are ever going to be able to give them. What we can give them, something we can individually demand, is that it be given and that it is the cold hard truth.
 By Staff
September 30th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Another virtual Annual General Meeting.
The type of thing you attend because you have to – the Community Development Halton AGM was a little more relevant because it brought to a close the term of office for President and Chair Jan Mowbray who served for more than ten years starting out as Secretary and serving as President for the past four years.
It was a bumpy ride that included the retirement of an Executive Director after more than 20 years of service; dealing with a couple of rogue board members who didn’t understand what it was to be a Director of a not for profit organization.
And like everyone else – adapting to Covid19 and the restrictions it brought to everyone.
 Community Development Halton President presiding over her last meeting as Chair – working from her kitchen counter – just like everyone else weathering our way through the pandemic. It was one of the few occasions when the pearls came out of the jewelry box. Community Development Halton (CDH) has served the community for a long time. It was an incubator for agencies that now provide needed service to the Region.
The three pillars of CDH are:
- Volunteerism – a hub for those wanting volunteer opportunities or needing volunteers.
- Age-Friendly initiatives that encourage and promote active aging by optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.
- Social Planning – data driven using many different resources to focus on economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status.
CDH is a source of useful data on changes that are taking place in how the wider community works. They publish Dispatches on a regular basis as well as Community Lens, a publication that digs down deep and takes a tighter look at what the data tells us.
In her last set of comments to her Board, President Mowbray said that ” If you can’t let go of certain particulars, you can’t divine larger patterns. If you can’t shake off the pains of yesterday, you can’t be open to the possible joys of tomorrow.”
Adding that “This has been a tumultuous year – actually, it’s been a difficult three years with the pandemic taking its toll through the last 18 months. However, my comments today reflect on the past year not the least of which is the pandemic effect.
” That physical hug, the act of holding someone as hard as you can and being held onto in return is the physical reminder that we are together in whatever life threw at us.’
” ‘But it’s not just for the hard times. Most days, it’s a simple, physical reminder that we’ve still got each other, and we’re grateful.’
“I’m not saying staff and board members should all break into hugs – although I would willingly give everyone a hug if I could.
“As a society, we must find some way to safely return to physical, face-to-face meetings. Board and staff need it, we all need it.
“Interaction and discussion is far better, more meaningful, in person than on Zoom. Being in person provides a more supportive, more instinctive, more spontaneous interaction. It energizes and refreshes each of us – we play off each other in a way that doesn’t work on Zoom.
“Zoom is a stop gap meeting space at best –those radio lags really don’t contribute to good discourse.
“American Sign Language is dependent on facial expressions, so you can imagine the deaf community is impacted by the wearing of masks. However, let’s go farther – body language also speaks volumes – and you don’t get that on Zoom. (That we can’t see below the shoulders may well be a good thing from what I’ve heard about the way some people have been dressing at home during this pandemic.)
“Bottom line is we need to find a way to meet in person. Safely. Emotionally, mentally, and intellectually – we all need it. My one vote of thanks for zoom is that every meeting eliminated a two-hour drive.
“About the CDH board? I am proud to say that CDH has the best board ever. It has grown, matured and diversified.
Consultations with the overall community told us the changes the wanted to see at CDH, for example –
- That the board have representation in all four municipalities. Check.
- That we increase board membership – Check – we have a full complement of 12
- That we increase diversity on the board – check! But diversity wasn’t the focus during recruitment, it came about as a result of good qualified people applying for board membership. It bears mentioning that diversity isn’t always visible. But this board is diverse in its talent, professions, backgrounds, and interests.
- That we rotate meetings throughout Halton. Sort of Check We started that process with a meeting in Milton, but the pandemic brought that to a halt.
As Chair Mowbray challenged her colleagues to ask: : Where are we? Where is CDH really?
The Pandemic forced the cancellation of workshops and fee-for-service projects. Sustainability for CDH is through those avenues and staff is working hard to regain lost ground but the threat of burnout is ever-present. More financial resources are needed. She urged the Board to take ownership of this task, a task mandated for all NFP boards – to support the work of the organization.
“To substantially increase our output – workshops, fees-for-service events, we need more staff, to get more staff we need more money.
“What I am saying is that it’s a matter of outreach. We each need to utilize our contacts, reach out, make sure they understand exactly what it is that CDH does; create opportunities for engagement, opportunities where our Executive Director might be of help, perhaps to close a deal.
“To that end, the single biggest issue is trying to explain what CDH is, what it does, what we do.
The volunteer side of things is easier – though I wouldn’t want Heather Thompson or Heather Johnson to think that I think their jobs are easy – far from it.
We need new ideas for increasing our resources. We don’t have the sob story that pulls at the heart strings and makes people empty their wallets. CDH is unique. Can we turn that uniqueness into an asset?
On that note, if you haven’t already, I would remind everyone, to be sure to pay your 2021/2022 membership fees before the end of December. (CDH Board members are expected to join the organization and pay a membership fee)
They are financially supported by the Hamilton-Halton United Way and the Region of Halton.
And with that Jan Mowbray said thank you and then almost burst into tears.
The 2021-2022 Board consists of:
Ann Lawlor, president
Joanne McKiernan, Vice President
Ancilla Ho-Young, Secretary
Juan Barangote, Treasurer
Andrew Falls, Nominations & Governance
Nilo Yousof
Fawzia Patel
Steph Nguyen
Gay Loveland
Marg Connor
Bolu Babatope
Jan Mowbray, past president
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