 By Ray Rivers
April 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Canadian taxpayers have been doling out billions every year through their income taxes and GST/HST to subsidize the oil and gas sector. One estimate puts that figure at over $6 billion a year – over $200 per taxpayer. And of course there is no corresponding rebate for this. Federal prime ministers, including both Harper and Trudeau, had been promising to eliminate these subsidies for decades.
 In 1973 the federal government bought a 15% share in Syncrude which gave them a closer look at how the oil industry worked. In 1973 Pierre Trudeau bought a 15% share in Syncrude after US partner Atlantic Richfield pulled out of the oil sands. Federal subsidies have continued pretty much ever since. Trudeau senior even contemplated nationalizing the western oil sands at one point. In the end he created the National Energy Program to bring lower cost western oil to the rest of Canada in response to the international oil embargoes of the 1970’s.
Subsidies include income tax breaks; direct financial investment; carbon capture; and even the Trans Mountain pipeline. In addition to the feds, the three westerly provinces offer reduced royalties as well as tax exemptions. The other provinces have various programs offering some combination of direct subsidies and tax breaks for aviation and agricultural fuels.
Subsidies are the reverse side of taxation. Subsidies lower commodity prices which in turn increases the demand for fossil fuels. That defeats the purpose of carbon taxes, which aim to reduce demand through higher prices. Yet, despite commitments by the last two federal governments to stop giving your money to big oil and gas, these subsidies continue.
It’s little wonder that the effectiveness of carbon pricing so far has been somewhat disappointing. Between 2019 and 2021 emissions did fall by over 50 million tonnes but it is uncertain how much of that can also be attributed to the economic decline during the pandemic.
 The electric vehicle is positioned to become what people will eventually use. Rational people will react to higher prices by changing their behaviour, e.g.,taking public transportation instead of driving. But typically they’ll look for alternative modes of transportation, e.g. electric vehicles (EV). Developing alternate technologies like EV’s takes time which is why the carbon tax gradually increases – to accommodate the adoption of new low carbon technologies as they arrive on the market.
Few policies have been as well studied as carbon pricing. And 72 nations around the world have adopted some form of carbon pricing. Recently over 200 leading economic professionals challenged Canada’s opposition leader over his wrong headed attack on carbon pricing and all the misinformation he has been generating. These experts tell us that the only practical option for an orderly phase-out of greenhouse gas polluting hydrocarbons is a carbon tax.
 Poilievre has rejected the advice of professionals, insulting and belittling them and insisting that his ‘common sense’ is superior to their decades of academic research. Mr. Poilievre has rejected the advice of these professionals, insulting and belittling them and insisting that his ‘common sense’ is superior to their decades of academic research, including a Nobel prize in economics on the topic. And, of course, Mr. Poilievre offers no alternative. His policies to deal with climate change are non-existent. But then he a leads an antediluvian political entity steeped in the denial of global warming.
The linkage between the gas pump and climate change events, like the massive forest fires last year, is indirect, perhaps even subtle. But even ostriches with their heads buried in sand should be able to feel the heat as it increases year after year. Most concerning is that the opinion polls foretell the Mr. Poilievre will be Canada’s next PM.
Floods, drought and forest fires tell us climate change is already at out door. Carbon pricing is the least disruptive and most cost effective way of trying to meet Canada’s international climate change commitments. But even carbon pricing won’t work unless we are prepared to change our life styles. There is no free lunch if we really care.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Subsidies – Carbon Tax – Carbon Debate – 72 Nations –
Oil Sands History – Carbon Tax Info – Poilievre Defies the Experts –
 By Staff
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
From the Burlington library:
This year, we asked for a design inspired by your favourite book, and the entries we received were as creative and diverse as the books on our shelves. It was challenging to narrow the entries down to just four for each age category for voting, but we hope you agree that the winning designs showcase the imagination and talent of our Burlington community.
Our youngest winner, Lea, recently checked out the books Earth by Marion Bauer and Planet Name Game by Tish Rabe, instigating “many, many, many questions about space” (according to her family!) and her awesome space-themed bookmark. Alex was inspired by the popular book, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt. Alex’s favourite subject is art, and this is his first time winning a competition. We don’t think it will be the last!
The book, Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter inspired Adrianna to create her beautiful wintery scene. Tazi honoured one of her favourite books of all time, If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang. And finally, Diana’s surreal fish creation was inspired by How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Congratulations to our five winners, and a big thank you to everyone who submitted a design and voted. These awesome bookmarks are now available to pick up at your local branch. Tuck them into your next great read!
 By Pepper Parr
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We received the following from the City Communications people earlier today:
“With respect to recent changes in City of Burlington leadership roles, at no time have I spoken directly to the Burlington Gazette or any other publication asserting or implying that strong mayor powers have been used for this purpose. They have not.”
The Gazette never said that we spoke to Tim Commisso on this matter.
Here is what we published, the words were sent to us by the Communications people
“Responding on behalf of Tim Commisso, City Manager – Further to your requests to Council members and Corporate Communications, I can confirm Brynn Nheiley and Sheila Jones are no longer working for the City.
“As you know, it’s our policy not to comment on personnel matters, but I would like to note that the City is grateful to Brynn and Sheila for their many important contributions over the years and we wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
Commisso appears to be concerned with what we published in the following article – Link is HERE
Commisso seems to be saying that the removal of two senior staff members was not the result of the Mayor using her Strong Mayor powers. If the Mayor didn’t fire the two women then the City Manager did.
The only thing we do know is that two of the Executive Director level people are no longer with the city. Sooner or later the full story will come out – it always does.
What a heck of a way for Tim Commisso to end a career.
 By Rory Nisan
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We should have been more vigilant.
When Premier Doug Ford was handing out “strong mayor” powers in 2023, there were no protests and little criticism over an apparently anodyne amendment to the Municipal Act.
Those powers made clear the premier’s intuition on local government: mayors should run the show and a concentration of power is a good thing.
The power to approve budgets and bylaws without majority support on council is an abrogation of the core democratic principle of majority rule. Frustratingly, those powers cannot be delegated, according to the legislation.
What can be delegated to all of council is the power to hire and fire senior staff, including the city manager.
Do not sleep on this one, especially when combined with the budget and bylaw power.
Whether used or sheathed, the mere presence of this weapon can wreak havoc on a municipal administration like Burlington’s. It not only undermines local democratic institutions, but potentially also creates a municipal administration rife with the opportunity for dysfunction as staff may be in constant fear of the strong mayor and being “next.” They risk being defunded or defenestrated if they don’t say yes to the strong mayor’s every whim.
And once this path is beaten, it is much harder to regrow the grass. Staff may look to other municipalities for work to get out from under a strong mayor, or not bother submitting their resumes to a strong mayor’s city hall when there is an opening.If I cannot have an equal say on the budget nor on the hiring of the city manager, if the mayor alone is able to change the entire organization to suit them, why have city councillors at all, Coun. Rory Nisan asks.
Numerous mayors, including Guelph, Halton Hills, Kingston, Kitchener and Milton, identified the risks to local democracy as well as their own reputations and delegated powers.
Others found the siren song to be too much to resist, and either laid down the law unilaterally or, like in Burlington, kept the powers for a rainy day.
That’s why I drafted the motion that has now been unanimously supported by Burlington city council to request Mayor Marianne Meed Ward delegate those strong-mayor powers. The mayor has thus far declined to take a position on delegation of powers and so council has given her the deadline of our April 16 council meeting to respond.
Thousands voted in my election, and I am accountable to all my residents. If I cannot have an equal say on the budget nor on the hiring of the city manager, if the mayor alone is able to change the entire organization to suit them, why have city councillors at all? Who would want that job?
Burlington council is also officially requesting the premier rescind these undemocratic privileges.
Some, including the premier, will say that we need strong mayors to get housing built. However, there is no actual connection to “getting it done.” A NIMBY mayor can leverage strong-mayor powers to do less for housing if they apply the powers shrewdly, and allowing mayors to hire and fire senior staff gets us no closer to shovels in the ground.
Others may point to Mayor Andrea Horwath employing strong-mayor powers in Hamilton to approve an affordable housing project. Even if the intended outcome is commendable, the door is now opened wider for future deployment of strong-mayor powers to overrule duly elected councils, a dangerous precedent for the entire province.
Finally, claims that the mayor is accountable at the ballot box every four years and so they should have strong-mayor powers is a superficial take on local government. Representative democracy relies on strong institutions such as city councils, where distributed power balances competing interests, leading to better outcomes.
The premier is also accountable and oversees municipalities, but we don’t want him governing municipalities directly — the same goes for mayors. We have city councillors for a reason: they are the closest to the ground, providing the most representation. They are the local voice.
The history of the premier at Toronto city council, where his brother’s powers were stripped in 2013 in what the now-premier declared at the time to be a “coup d’état,” is hard to ignore.
Premier Ford has been known to back down from bad ideas when exposed. Mayors across Ontario can correct the premier’s judgment, delegate powers back and build trust with the community. This starts in Burlington with Mayor Meed Ward, who as chair of Ontario Big City Mayors can show leadership and do the right thing.
Local democracy is the best kind of democracy. Let’s keep it that way.
Gazette publisher’s note: Interesting that Councillor would choose a newspaper from a different city to get his message out when there are three online newspapers that have significant readership. Councillors are the closest to the ground, providing the most representation. They are the local voice. Right on Rory. How many people in Burlington subscribe to the Hamilton Spectator?
 Rory Nisan is a deputy mayor in the City of Burlington. Prior to being elected to city council, he was a foreign service officer, during which he represented Canada at the UN, NATO and the Community of Democracies.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
This is how a municipal budget gets put together when the Mayor uses the Strong Mayor Powers.
Council is being asked to:
Receive and file finance department report providing an update to the format of the 2025 budget documents and the preliminary 2025 Mayors budget approval timelines; and Direct the City Clerk to schedule a Special Council meeting on November 25, 2024 for the purpose of reviewing the Mayor’s proposed budget.
Section 284.16 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25 outlines a statutory process for the approval of municipal budgets beginning with the presentation of the Mayor’s proposed budget, amendment of the proposed budget by City Council, veto of amendments by the Mayor and override of vetoes by City Council.
The general provisions of the Act regarding budgets are summarized below: Page 2 of Report Number: F-19-24
By February 1 of each year the Mayor must prepare and propose a budget to Council for consideration
Authority to prepare and propose the budget rests solely with Mayor
This authority cannot be delegated to Council or staff
Mayor can issue a staff direction for staff to prepare budget
Once the Mayor proposes a budget, Council has 30 (calendar) days to meet and pass budget amendments.
30-day period can be shortened by Council resolution
May require special council meeting to meet 30-day timeline
Following the amendment period, the Mayor has 10 (calendar) days to veto budget amendments passed by Council.
Mayor vetos must be set out through a Mayoral Decision and include reasons for veto.
Mayor can shorten veto period via a Mayoral Decision.
Budget amendments vetoed by Mayor are considered not to have been passed by Council
If veto power is not exercised, budget is deemed to have passed
Within 15 days of the veto period ending Council may meet to attempt to override Mayoral vetos.
Council override of Mayoral veto requires 2/3 super majority to pass.
After process of amendments, vetos and overrides has passed the budget is deemed to have been adopted.
Council no longer needs to vote on budget in its entirety.
Budget is considered to have been passively adopted once the approval process above has finished.
The following graphic outlines the key budget process steps as stipulated in the Act:
Mayoral Direction – Budget Development
As outlined earlier, under the provisions of the Act, the authority to propose a budget rests solely with the Mayor. However, a Mayoral direction can be issued for staff to undertake the work required to prepare a draft budget. In order to formalize this requirement for the 2025 budget, the Mayor will be issuing this Direction later this year.
The staff process to inform the Mayor’s Proposed Budget will include:
An extensive line by line review of the draft operating base budget submitted by each service will be conducted by the Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
An extensive review of the draft capital budget will be conducted by the Corporate Infrastructure Committee (CIC).
Staff will prepare a Financial Needs and Multi-Year Forecast report which will be presented to Committee of the Whole in June. This report will outline key budget pressures and significant drivers as well as make recommendations for additional budget investments to address key risks, increase or enhance service levels or address operational challenges.
Draft Budget timelines
Further refinement of the 2025 budget process and timelines will be undertaken prior to reporting back to June COW including the opportunity to consider alternative service delivery priorities and multi-year budget impacts.
Budget Motion Memorandums Forms
Similar to the process used in previous years, should a Member of Council wish to propose an amendment to the Mayor’s Proposed 2025 Budget, they are requested to prepare a Motion Memorandum. This memo will include the rationale for any proposed Page 4 of Report Number: F-19-24 budget amendment.
These Motion Memorandums will provide other members of Council and as well as the public, greater clarity as to why an amendment is being proposed and the rationale for the budget change request.
Motion Memorandums are due to Finance by 4:30 pm on November 11, 2024, to allow sufficient time for inclusion into the Budget Committee agenda of November 18, 2024. These Motion Memorandums will form the basis for the agenda to review the Mayor’s 2025 Proposed Budget.
Revised Budget Book Format
The 2024 budget approval process was a year of transition given that the Province of Ontario only extended Strong Mayor Powers to Burlington on July 1, 2023. As this change occurred well into the budget development process there was limited time to make significant alterations to the process.
As a result, the traditional staff proposed budget was renamed to the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast and the budget book was aligned with those figures.
The Mayor used this document for reference purposes when preparing the Budget and outlined in a table the differences between the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast and the Mayor’s Proposed Budget.
We heard from members of Council and the public that this reconciliation between the two items was extremely detailed and cumbersome to manage. Additionally, we heard that the overall length of the budget book at over 730+ pages was not user friendly as a review document.
As a result of this feedback two significant changes will be made for the 2025 Budget process.
When the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast is presented at June COW, it will include a comprehensive staff report and presentation but will not include a lengthy reference document. When the Mayor’s Proposed budget is presented, it will include a detailed budget book fully aligned to those figures.
The format of the budget book will be condensed. Service Business Plans will no longer be included in the budget book but will be replaced with streamlined content focusing on current service delivery and operations, emerging opportunities and risks, key service investments and an operational financial summary of the service-based budget. Also included for each service will be headline measures which demonstrate and depict service performance. Finally, the 10-year capital investments will be included at the service level.
A sample of the revised budget book content for a single service is set out below.
Financial Matters:
The approved 2024 Budget invested $346.2M into delivering city services to the community and $88.6M into the capital program to renew aging infrastructure and invest in new community assets.
The budget process provides a venue in which decisions are aligned and made to ensure an appropriate balance between affordability, maintaining/enhancing service levels and financial sustainability is achieved over the long term.
The Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast will be prepared to recognize key budget drivers including ongoing inflationary pressures as well as investments required to stabilize service delivery. It will also make recommendations for increased funding to key areas to address the needs of our growing community.
This Financial Needs and Multi-year forecast will inform the Mayor with detailed information while providing sufficient time to prepare her 2025 Proposed Budget.
Climate Implications:
 A plaza was seriously flooded in 2014 – expectation is that there will be flooding in the years ahead due to climate change. The impacts of a changing climate can have a significant impact on the City’s budget. For example, increasing extreme weather events such as wind, freezing rain, extreme heat and cold can result in operational expenditures due to clean-up costs, more frequent emergency response and recovery efforts, and unbudgeted impacts to infrastructure requiring repairs and/or replacement.
Similarly, efforts to mitigate climate change can have a budgetary impact. Investments in renewable energy, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and public transit help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Engagement Matters:
The city will continue to use existing online engagement tools such as survey opportunities on GetInvolvedBurlington.ca.
 Will the public choose to take part in budget deliberations the way they used to – or with apathy become the norm? A Budget Townhall is also planned for November 6, 2024.
The results of all public engagement will be reported back to Council as part of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget and in advance of the budget review process.
The Open Book platform will also be used to present the budget and allow the public to view the budget data in an interactive and intuitive format.
A communications strategy will also be developed in conjunction with the presentation of the Proposed Budget.
This reported presents preliminary 2025 Budget approval timelines as well as outlines an update to the format of the budget book documents.
 By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Council met in CLOSED session this morning for two hours on a single item.
Zippo in terms of detail on what was discussed other than the following:
Confidential verbal update regarding a human resources matter.
Pursuant to Section 239(2)(b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.
Two hours for an update?
Council Sharman did not attend.
There were some pretty glum looking faces when the webcast was public.
This is what things look like when the Strong Mayor powers are used.
The public will never know what those dismissals are going to cost.
By Staff
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner.
 Kelsey Faulkner, Alanna Perkovich-Smith, Evan Delvecchio-Williams Photography by Heather Pierorazio As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron’s inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through icebreakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines.
Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?
Stage Director & Choreographer: Marc Richard
Music Director: Anne Barnshaw
Stage Manager: Barb Osborne
Co-Producers: Peter Smurlick & Rick MacKenzie
SHOW DATES 2023 (14 performances)
Evenings 8 PM May 3, 4, 10, 11, 16*, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 2024
Matinees 2 PM May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023
* Charity Thursday: Thu, May 16th, 2024
Resilient Kids Canada
(A portion of ticket sales is donated to this charity)
Cast
Evan Delvechchio -Williams – Aaron Kelsy Faulkner – Casey
Alanna Perkovich-Smith – Woman #3 (Waiter/Therapist/Casey’s Father)
Katharine Costa –Woman #2 (Allison)
Devin France –Man #3
(Reggie/Edgy Rocker Guy/Aaron’s Future Son)
Mark Rotil – Man #1
(Gabe/Edgy British Guy)
Stacey Tiller – Woman #1
By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Traditionally, City Hall has not released background information on staff changes.
Today the City announced that Samantha Yew is the new City Clerk. Her appointment began on March 25, 2024.
 Samantha Yew – City Clerk Yew has served as the Manager of Committee Services and Deputy Clerk since joining the City in 2022. In December 2023, she assumed the role of Acting City Clerk.
Ms. Yew is an accomplished public servant with more than 10 years of experience in municipal government. Prior to joining Burlington, Ms. Yew worked as the Deputy Clerk for the Town of Aurora managing the Council secretariat division.
During her tenure with the City, Ms. Yew helped lead the successful delivery of the 2022 Burlington Municipal Election and the recruitment of members to the City’s more than 10 advisory and standing committees, including the new Pipeline to Permit standing committee. As Manager of Committee Services, she oversaw the administration of all City standing and advisory committee meetings, and worked to develop a new civic recognition program launching this spring.
As City Clerk, Ms. Yew will continue to lead City Council meetings; provide professional procedural and governance advice to the Mayor and Members of Council and City staff; facilitate accessible and inclusive opportunities for members of the public to interact with Council; build awareness and understanding of municipal government through civic education; maintain City records; manage the City’s response to freedom of information requests; and ensure fair and open municipal elections.
 Mayor Meed Ward leaning to hear what the City Clerk has to say on a procedural matter. Ms. Yew holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University and a Certificate in Records and Information Management from the University of Toronto. She is also a member of the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.
 By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The following comment posted by Blair Smith is one side of the issue brought to the surface by three members of Council and strongly supported by a fourth.
 If the petition cannot generate 1000 signatures by April 16th, then the citizens of Burlington (and Ontario) may not care enough about our fundamental freedoms and the principle of majority rule.
Our Mayor, in my view and that of many, is now (perhaps with Ms. Horwath) the poster child of what is wrong with the Strong Mayor Powers. It matters not whether these powers are benevolently applied or with Council consultation, as Mr. Sharman contends. The fact that they exist and under the sole control of a single individual is just fundamentally wrong.
The citizens of Burlington can certainly be motivated and engaged. But the issues that move them tend to be those of the wallet. The general dissatisfaction with the Mayor’s budget proves that.
Issues of democratic freedoms and principles seem to be far less compelling and have much, much less news coverage and social media presence. The very successful petition against the Mayor’s unprecedented tax increase for 2024 was, in part, the result of an existential threat to peoples’ standard of living. It was a meat and potatoes issue and had Council ‘in toto’ conducting a defensive campaign to which the petition could directly respond.
The issue of democratic freedoms is unfortunately less direct and less visceral for a largely affluent society. Pity because the long term impacts on all citizens are probably much more severe.
I applaud the four members of Council for their courage and integrity in bringing the issue of Strong Mayor powers in Burlington into the open. They have forced the Mayor to respond and to demonstrate how horribly conceived and ill placed these powers are.
| Glenda Dodd asked, in her comment: |
Maybe some people actually agree with the mayor? |
For those who want to sign the petition – click HERE
Links to related news stories:
It was not the Mayor’s finest hour
By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
For those who have family who are dealing with Parkinson’s disease – every day is a hard day with brief bits of gratitude for the help that is available.
 The Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation will be hosting community events throughout April as part of their efforts to raise awareness and promote ways to make lives better.
On April 11, many cities across the country are joining the foundation`s second annual Light Up Canada for World Parkinson’s Day campaign. Cities will light up their buildings, bridges, towers and waterfalls in blue to acknowledge this important day. Some of the landmarks include Mississauga City Hall, Port Credit Lighthouse, the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, the Peace Bridge, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium and Vancouver’s BC Place. The Burlington Pier will be part of this.
“Since May 2021, we have grown significantly from a small grassroots organization with two outdoor exercise classes, to a booming charitable organization with eleven weekly programs,“ said Tamara Boaden, chair of the Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation.
 “Our participants really enjoy our boxing, cycle fit, indoor virtual golf, mindful movement, pickleball, and tai chi classes. Caregiver group meetings, support groups and a speaker`s series hosted by PD experts have been meaningful.
Collaborating with Rama Gaming House Mississauga and the Mississauga Charity Gaming Association this past year has also helped to raise much needed funds. The foundation is looking forward to its signature gala event on April 20 hosted by CHFI’s Michelle Butterly, celebrating our success with the Parkinson`s community, and expressing gratitude with partners, sponsors, donors and volunteers.“
Research shows that various forms of exercise or art can improve gait, balance, tremor, flex-ability, grip strength, cognition and overall motor coordination and sense of well-being. Improved mobility decreases the risks of falls and can help people with PD manage other related complications.
According to a recent Ipsos study, 73 percent of all Canadians living with Parkinson’s rate regular exercise as the service most important to them.
The Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation sources, implements and funds essential arts and exercise programs specifically tailored to address the needs of people living with PD in Halton-Peel. The foundation aligns with community partners and certified instructors, and delivers free arts and exercise programs that help manage the physical, cognitive and social conditions associated with PD.
For more information about the foundation and its programs and events, visit https://passionforparkinsons.org, or connect on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/passionforparkinson or Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/passionforparkinsonsfoundation
 By Staff
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton advises that Environment Canada is forecasting that a low pressure system will bring widespread precipitation across southern Ontario this week. Currently, local forecasts indicate that 25-50 mm of rain is possible on Tuesday and continue through Wednesday. As temperatures cool towards Thursday, the rain may change to wet snow. The anticipated rainfall combined with increased runoff from wet soil conditions will result in elevated water levels in rivers and streams within our jurisdiction. In addition, although the current Lake Ontario water level is below the established flood threshold, strong easterly winds with gusts up to 70 km/h may produce wave up to 2 m along shoreline areas.
 Take the umbrella Widespread flooding is not anticipated, however, fast flowing water and flooding of low-lying areas, natural floodplains, and areas with poor drainage may be expected.
 Creek capacity gets breached when rainfall is heavier tan normal. Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to keep a safe distance from all watercourses, Lake Ontario shoreline areas, and structures such as bridges, culverts, breakwalls, and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and cold water temperatures combined with slippery conditions along stream banks and the potential for waves to overtop breakwalls continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream, lake, and weather conditions and will issue an update to this Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook & Lake Ontario Shoreline message as conditions warrant.
This Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook & Lake Ontario Shoreline will be in effect through Friday April 5, 2024.
By Staff
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Wednesday is garbage but Monday was a holiday – does that change my schedule?
 It can get confusing at times.
The Regional government has a personalized online waste collection calendar that has everything you need to manage your household waste.
All they need is your address and they will send you a printed calendar or put you on a list that tell you by email what you can put out – and when.
Get connected click HERE
By Pepper Parr
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Well then – who did fire two of the top level city hall staff?
There are only two people who can fire a city employee: The City Manager and the Mayor IF shes uses her Strong Mayor Powers.
IF the Mayor fires a staff member using her Strong Mayor powers she is required to post a notice on the city web site saying what she did and why she did it.
Now here is where it gets tricky.
 Mayors says: “misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community.” The Mayor appears to have taken the position that she cannot write about the people who were fired because that would identify who they are and the rules the Mayor uses is that Burlington doesn’t name people publicly when there is a human resources matter.
The Mayor probably did not do the actual hiring herself: she would have directed the Executive Director of Human Resources to do the dirty – and, because that Executive is in place as an “interim” Executive Director, there was no way she was going to tell the Mayor it was not a task she was prepared to carry out.
We know the City Manager didn’t do the firing. He told us via a message from the City’s Communications department on March 22nd.
 City Manager Tim Commisso: not what he thought was going to happen when the Mayor chose him as City Manager after firing former City Manager James Ridge. Here is what we were sent:
“Responding on behalf of Tim Commisso, City Manager – Further to your requests to Council members and Corporate Communications, I can confirm Brynn Nheiley and Sheila Jones are no longer working for the City.
“As you know, it’s our policy not to comment on personnel matters, but I would like to note that the City is grateful to Brynn and Sheila for their many important contributions over the years and we wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
Mayor Meed Ward is telling anyone who will listen that there is “misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community.”
The misinformation is coming out of the mouth of the Mayor; speculation and rumour are the result of the elected leadership failing to be accountable and transparent.
The fear that has infected city hall is the result of a Mayor that hides behind procedures. Can you imagine the conversations that took place around the dinner tables of every single city employee during the Easter holiday? How many have decided that it is perhaps time to move on and fined a greener pasture?
There are those that know the full story – but they aren’t ready to speak – they do not want to incur the wrath of a Mayor who has let the power she has to go to her head.
Power does reveal – doesn’t it?
Now to find out more of the why.
Related News story
At best Mayor’s response
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The petition asking the Mayor to give up her Strong Mayor powers has yet to pick up any momentum.
These things take time – however time is the one thing the people behind the petition don’t have.
 As of 10:00 am today there were just 127 signatures on the petition. As of this morning there were just 127 signatures on the petition.
The objective is to have 1000 signatures by April 16th; the date by which the Mayor is committed to give her decision to Council.
For those who wish to sign the petition – the link is HERE
If the petition doesn’t get the response many had hoped for – bet the farm on the Mayor declaring that the general public doesn’t want what the four members of Council want whixh is getting the Mayor to relinquish the Strong Mayor powers she has.
In the meantime the Mayor is working every social media platform she has saying:
“I welcome any conversation about democracy, governance and how council can continue to work together in a collaborative and consultative way. I welcome Council to make any requests of me they feel are important, and support Council in making this request.
“That is why I voted in favour of the motion that was approved unanimously by Council today. I will take the time to give it the thoughtful consideration it deserves. Council has requested I respond by the April 16 Council meeting, which I will do. “
“It is truly unfortunate there has been misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community. I will do my best to focus on the facts — what has changed and what hasn’t.”
There was a bit of an uptick over the holiday weekend.
With 15 days left the petition people need to add just shy of 60 new signatures each day.
It is certainly do-able – but it will be a challenge.
Mayor Meed Ward is not going to feel challenged with 1000 signatures; 5000 signatures and she might rethink the position she has taken.
The disturbing part at this point is what the four councillors who brought on the Motion asking the Mayor to relinquish some of the Strong Mayor powers have done since they actually managed to bring the Mayor to heel.
Not a word that we could find from any of them on social media.
The Mayor is out there arguing her case with the public. The Council members are going to have to reach out to their constituents and make their case to them.
They clearly felt there was an issue (and there is) but they don’t seem prepared to fight publicly for what they want.
They won two rounds at Council. The Mayor did everything she could to keep the item off the agenda. She lost that fight.
 Mayor Meed Ward did everything she could to avoid the Motion brought by members of City Council. At this point there are four members (a majority) that want the Mayor to relinquish the Strong Mayor powers she has. Then when ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna moved that there by a Special meeting of Council; the Mayor who was opposed lost that vote as well.
 Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, usually a mild mannered pussy cat – kept pushing the Mayor until she finally agreed that she would let Council know what she was prepared to do (if anything) on April 16th. Council members pressed the Mayor for a sense as to what she wanted to do. She bobbed and weaved doing everything she could until Councillor Shawna Stolte got her into a corner where she committed to giving Council an answer to their request that she relinquish her Strong Mayor Powers on April 16th.
That bought the Mayor some time during which she would do everything to convince the public that there was no need to give up the Strong Mayor powers.
The Motion that was moved had just three councillors behind it. For procedural bylaw reasons there could only be three names on the document. Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns made it very clear that she was in complete agreement with what her colleagues had done which was:
The citizens of the City of Burlington respectfully request Her Worship, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, comply with the requests contained in Motion memo Improving Local Democracy by Strengthening City Decision-Making (ADM-05-24); specifically,
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under Section 284.5 of the Municipal Act, with respect to the City Manager; and
That the Mayor delegate to the City Manager the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under the Municipal Act, with respect to:
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- determining the organizational structure of the municipality; and
- hiring, dismissing, or exercising any other prescribed employment powers with respect to any division or the head of any other part of the organizational structure; and
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under f the Municipal Act, with respect to prescribed local boards or local boards within a prescribed class of local boards; and
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under the Municipal Act, with respect to prescribed committees or committees within a prescribed class of committees.
 Councillor Stolte  Councillor Nisan  Councillor Galbraith All the four Councillors have to do is bring in 15 signatures each of the 15 days between now and the 16th and the 1000 signature target will have been met.
The three members of Council are going to have to screw up their courage and be both bold and innovative in how they put some muscle behind the request they made of the Mayor.
Related news story:
Councillors have to deal with an insolent Mayor
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