 By Norm Coles
May 27th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Paying for groceries, transit, subscriptions, travel bookings and household services now depends on trust as much as speed. Canadians use cards, wallets and online transfers because they are convenient, but every payment also asks a simple question: is this platform safe enough?
Consumer guides such as American Express casinos in Canada are useful because they show how Amex-friendly online platforms are compared by card security, payment rules, fees, withdrawal conditions and operator reliability before users trust a card in a high-risk digital setting.
Cash is still present, but cards set the pace
Cash has not disappeared. It still works for small purchases, tips, local markets and people who prefer visible budgeting. The larger payment story has moved elsewhere. Canada recorded 22.5 billion retail payment transactions worth $12.2 trillion in one recent annual period, showing how deeply digital payments now sit inside daily life.
Credit cards represented 33% of transaction volume, while debit cards accounted for 30%. Cash held 11% of payment volume. That split shows a mature market, not a cashless fantasy. People still use cash, but cards and digital transfers now carry the weight of routine spending.
 Fumbling through a purse for cash to pay the grocery bill can slow down checkouts. Contactless behavior is the clearest signal. Canadians made about 13 billion contactless transactions, representing 58% of total payment volume. Tap payments have become normal because they solve a practical problem: fast checkout without handling bills, entering a PIN for every small purchase or slowing a line.
Convenience created a new trust problem
Speed changed expectations. A payment that takes ten seconds now feels normal. A checkout that asks too many questions feels suspicious or outdated. That creates pressure for merchants, banks and platforms to balance ease with verification.
Digital trust depends on details that most people only notice when something goes wrong. A clean checkout page, clear merchant name, recognizable card network, visible refund policy and two-step authentication can decide whether a customer finishes a transaction.
The strongest payment experiences usually share several practical signals:
- clear pricing before checkout
- visible merchant identity
- secure card authentication
- simple refund and dispute rules
- transaction records sent quickly
- no surprise currency or processing fees
- customer support that can be reached
These signals matter across ordinary purchases. They matter when residents pay for home services, buy event tickets, renew memberships, order online or book travel. The more payments move online, the more trust becomes part of the purchase itself.
Fraud made payment safety a household concern
 Fraudulent transactions were 300% higher than in 2020 Fraud is no longer a niche banking issue. Reported fraud losses in Canada reached $643 million in one recent annual count, nearly 300% higher than in 2020. The real figure is likely higher because many victims do not report losses.
The risk has changed because scams now look professional. Fake invoices, copied websites, urgent texts, marketplace fraud, investment pitches and account takeover attempts can all look credible at first glance. A household payment can become a security decision in seconds.
Card networks and banks have responded with stronger protections. American Express uses SafeKey for participating online merchants, which can confirm identity through a one-time code or security check. Canadian consumers also have protections against unauthorized credit and debit transactions when they meet their responsibilities and report issues quickly.
That does not remove risk. It changes the standard. A modern payment method is judged by how well it prevents fraud, detects unusual activity and gives the customer a path to challenge a suspicious charge.
Premium cards are judged by control, not status
Premium cards used to be discussed mostly through rewards, travel perks and recognition. That view is too narrow now. Consumers judge payment methods by security, acceptance, dispute handling, digital controls and how clearly each platform explains its terms.
American Express is a good example because it often appears in conversations about premium card use, purchase protection and online security. For consumers, the practical question is not whether a card sounds prestigious. The question is whether the merchant accepts it, whether authentication is clear and whether the platform explains deposits, withdrawals, refunds or fees before payment.
 The card choice can shape the whole transaction. This matters because card choice can shape the whole transaction. Some merchants accept every major network. Others limit options because of processing costs or technical setup. Some digital platforms support cards for deposits but use other methods for withdrawals. A careful payment page explains this before the user commits.
Clear payment rules now shape consumer confidence
The next stage of digital payments will not be won by speed alone. Fast payment is already expected. The real advantage belongs to platforms that make rules easy to understand before money moves.
That shift can be seen in everyday behaviour. People compare checkout methods before buying, check reviews before entering card details and notice when a platform hides fees until the final screen. Payment trust has become part of consumer literacy.
Businesses that want confidence need to make payment information visible:
- accepted cards and wallets
- refund timelines
- identity checks
- transaction limits
- possible fees
- dispute channels
- data protection basics
 Digital payments changed more than checkout. A trustworthy payment experience does not need to feel complicated. It needs to feel honest. People want convenience, but they also want proof that their money and personal information are handled properly.
Digital payments changed more than checkout. They changed how people judge businesses, platforms and services. The card, wallet or transfer method is now part of the public trust equation, and consumers are becoming more selective with every tap, click and confirmation.
 By Denis Green
May 27th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario’s regulated online gambling market pulled in $4 billion in gross gaming revenue during 2025. That’s a 34 percent jump over 2024, and it pushed the province’s cumulative haul past $10 billion since the market opened in April 2022. Nearly $98.3 billion in wagers flowed through licensed platforms over those twelve months, which means the average Ontario bettor wasn’t just signing up – they were coming back, week after week, and spending more each time. Three years ago, plenty of analysts doubted whether Ontario’s open-market model could pull revenue away from offshore sites. Those doubts look pretty silly now.
The numbers aren’t slowing down in 2026, either. January alone saw $9.5 billion in total handle, and March topped that with $9.6 billion – a new all-time monthly record. For context, that single month of wagering is roughly equivalent to the annual GDP of a small Caribbean nation. So what’s actually driving this growth? Is it just pent-up demand from years of grey-market gambling? Or has Ontario stumbled onto a regulatory model that other provinces should be copying?
One reason the market keeps expanding is fierce competition among licensed operators. There are now over 50 active platforms chasing Ontario players, and that pressure has forced everyone to improve their product. Faster payouts, better mobile apps, more live dealer tables, localized customer support – it all adds up. Platforms like NorthStar Bets casino have carved out space by focusing specifically on the Canadian player experience, which matters a lot when you’re competing against global brands with massive marketing budgets and decades of European market experience behind them.
Where the $4 Billion Actually Came From
Here’s the thing about Ontario’s revenue split: online casino games, not sports betting, do the heavy lifting. Casino revenue hit $3.15 billion in 2025, accounting for roughly 79 percent of total gross gaming revenue. Sports betting brought in the rest. That ratio surprises people who assume sports is the main draw, but slots and table games generate far more per session than a parlay on the Raptors.
 This logo and the organization behind it have made Ontario a leader in safe gambling. The math is pretty straightforward. Casino players tend to bet more frequently and at higher stakes than sports bettors, and the house edge on most casino products runs higher too. A sports bettor might place three or four wagers over a weekend. Someone playing online slots could run through hundreds of spins in the same time frame. Multiply that by 2.6 million active accounts and you start to see why the casino side dominates the revenue picture so completely.
Player Accounts Keep Climbing
The province reported over 2.6 million active player accounts by the end of 2025’s fiscal year. That’s out of a total adult population of roughly 11.5 million, so about one in four Ontario adults now has an account on at least one regulated platform. Not all of them play regularly, obviously. But the conversion from “created an account” to “actually deposited money” has improved steadily since 2022.
Early on, a lot of people signed up for a promo and never came back. Operators have gotten smarter about retention since then, with loyalty programs and personalized offers that keep players engaged past that first bonus. The average deposit frequency has climbed by about 18 percent year over year, which tells you that operators aren’t just acquiring new customers – they’re actually getting existing ones to stick around longer. That’s a sign of a maturing market.
What Ontario Did Differently
Ontario didn’t follow the American model of awarding a handful of exclusive licenses. Instead, the province opened the door to any operator willing to meet regulatory standards and pay an annual fee of $100,000. That low barrier attracted dozens of companies. The result? Fierce competition and fast innovation.
Ontario’s approach also let the market self-correct. Operators that couldn’t compete on product quality or customer service quietly dropped out, while the strongest ones captured larger market share. Three years in, the model looks like it’s working – revenue keeps rising, player protection complaints have stayed low, and the grey market is shrinking. Compare that to states like New York, where a limited-license approach created a top-heavy market dominated by just a few massive operators. Ontario bet on competition, and the bet paid off.
The Grey Market Problem (and How It’s Shrinking)
Before regulation, Ontario’s online gambling market was essentially the wild west. Offshore sites operated freely, and Canadians had zero protection if something went wrong with a withdrawal or a disputed bet. By late 2025, an estimated 83.7 percent of surveyed players said they used regulated platforms. That’s a massive shift from 2021, when virtually 100 percent of online gambling happened on unregulated sites.
 A stick or a carrot – Ontario regulators are using both. It didn’t happen overnight. It required both carrot and stick – the carrot being better products on licensed sites, the stick being payment processor blocks and advertising restrictions on unlicensed operators. Banks started flagging transactions to offshore gambling sites, making it harder to deposit. At the same time, licensed operators were spending millions on marketing. Point being, the grey market hasn’t vanished entirely, but it’s losing ground fast. That remaining 16 percent is still worth hundreds of millions, though, so there’s work left to do.
How Mobile Changed Everything
If you asked someone in 2019 how they’d gamble online, the answer was probably “on my laptop.” That’s completely flipped. Mobile now accounts for over 70 percent of all sessions on Ontario’s regulated platforms, according to operator reports from late 2025. The shift happened because smartphones got faster, apps got better, and mobile payment options made deposits almost frictionless.
You can go from opening an app to placing a bet in under 30 seconds. That convenience drives volume in a way desktop never could. Think about when people actually gamble – it’s during a commute, on a lunch break, waiting for a friend at a bar. Nobody’s pulling out a laptop in those situations. The mobile-first design of newer platforms has also lowered the barrier for casual players who might never have visited a desktop gambling site but don’t mind tapping through an app for a few minutes. Push notifications help too – a well-timed reminder about a live dealer promotion at 8 PM on a Friday can pull someone back who wasn’t planning to play that evening.
Alberta Is About to Join the Party
Ontario won’t be alone for much longer. Alberta has confirmed a July 13, 2026 launch date for its own regulated iGaming market, with 28 operators already approved. Big names like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM are on the list. The province’s structure mirrors Ontario in some ways – a dedicated oversight body will manage day-to-day conduct, while a separate commission handles regulation and licensing.
But there are differences. Alberta’s annual licensing fee runs $150,000 per operator, fifty percent higher than Ontario’s. The application fee alone is $50,000. Whether that higher cost scares off smaller operators remains to be seen. Either way, Alberta’s entry roughly doubles the Canadian population covered by regulated private iGaming, from about 15 million in Ontario to around 19.5 million combined. That’s a big deal for operators who’ve been waiting for a second Canadian market to open up.
The Infrastructure Nobody Talks About
Running a regulated iGaming market isn’t just about licensing operators and collecting fees. It requires payment processing networks, identity verification systems, geolocation technology, and server infrastructure that can handle billions in monthly transactions without going down. Ontario’s built much of this from scratch since 2022, and the same challenge faces every province that follows.
 Geolocation alone is surprisingly tricky. Geolocation alone is surprisingly tricky. The system needs to confirm a player is physically inside provincial borders before every single session, and it has to do that without draining the player’s phone battery or creating noticeable lag. Payment processing is another headache – operators need Canadian banking partners willing to handle gambling transactions, and not every bank is eager to get involved. It’s a reminder that digital markets depend on physical systems underneath, not unlike how rural Ontario’s hidden infrastructure challenges show that even basic services rely on networks most people never think about until something breaks.
Tax Revenue and Where It Goes
Ontario charges a 20 percent tax on gross gaming revenue. At $4 billion in 2025 revenue, that works out to about $800 million flowing to provincial coffers. The money goes into general revenue, which funds healthcare, education, and infrastructure projects. That’s a meaningful contribution, though it still pales next to Ontario’s total budget of over $200 billion. The real question is whether these numbers change how other provinces think about regulation – especially as federal transfers tighten and healthcare costs keep climbing. According to Canada’s economic outlook heading into 2026, provinces across the country are scrambling for new revenue sources, and iGaming taxation is starting to look like easy money compared to the political pain of raising income taxes or cutting services.
Alberta’s tax rate hasn’t been finalized yet, but even at a similar 20 percent, the province could reasonably expect $200 to $300 million annually once the market matures. That won’t solve any province’s budget problems on its own, but it’s money that didn’t exist before – and it’s coming from activity that was already happening on unregulated sites where zero tax was collected.
What Comes Next for Ontario’s Market
The easy growth phase is over. Ontario’s market won’t keep expanding at 34 percent annually – there simply aren’t enough new players left to find. The next phase is about squeezing more value from existing customers, which means better retention, higher average deposits, and product innovation like social casino features or gamified loyalty programs.
 Live dealers have become the fastest-growing segment. Live dealer games are already the fastest-growing segment, and operators are investing heavily in Canadian-themed content. Exclusive games featuring Canadian imagery and partnerships with local sports teams are becoming more common. Some operators have even started hiring Canadian dealers for their live streams, which sounds like a small detail but apparently matters to players who want that local feel.
Anyway, the bigger picture is this: Ontario proved that a well-designed regulatory framework can grow the legal market quickly without creating a mess. Alberta watched, learned, and copied the playbook. Quebec, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan are all watching too. Each province will probably tweak the model to fit its own politics and market size, but the core idea – open the market, set clear rules, tax the revenue, and let competition do the rest – looks like it’s here to stay. Give it another two or three years and the patchwork of provincial approaches might start looking a lot more uniform than anyone expected back in 2022.
By Gazette Staff
May 27th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
More Ontarians fell behind on their mortgage payments at the start of 2026 than the same time last year, according to new data from consumer credit reporting agency Equifax Canada, out Tuesday.
The balance delinquency rate (the total balance of all mortgages with a missed payment for 90 days or more as a percentage of the total open mortgage balance) jumped 52 per cent in Ontario, from 0.24 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 to 0.36 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
 Housing prices in the Toronto market have fallen by as much as 21%. In comparison, the balance delinquency rate jumped 32 per cent nationally over that same period, and was up 36 per cent in B.C.
Rebecca Oakes, vice-president of advanced analytics at Equifax Canada, said this is a reflection of “high value mortgages” (large loans) in “hot housing market regions, or historically hot housing markets,” such as the Toronto region.
“As they’re coming up for renewal, interest rates are much higher than they once were,” Oakes said. The U.S. trade tariffs have “impacted some provinces more than others,” she added, and unemployment had also gone up in Ontario over the past 12 to 18 months.
“A combination of affordability and high interest rates is really impacting those homeowners.”
The volume mortgage delinquency rate (the total number of mortgages with missed payments for 90 days or more as a percentage of the total volume of open mortgages) jumped almost 38 per cent in Ontario from 0.19 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 to 0.26 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
Brampton had the biggest increases for both the volume (up 63 per cent) and balance (up 64 per cent) measures of mortgage delinquencies in the Toronto region. In the city of Toronto, volume jumped 43 per cent and balance rose 58 per cent.
Severely delinquent mortgage numbers typically are quite small because people protect their homes as much as possible, Oakes said.
But housing prices in areas like the Toronto region have dropped, just as some people are struggling to keep up with bigger monthly payments at higher interest rates.
“It’s not as easy to sell a home, it’s a bit of a buyer’s market at the moment,” she said.
Since the peak of the market in February 2022, the average sales price in the Greater Toronto Area has dropped by about 21 per cent, with the decrease deeper in some communities, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
 By Gazette Staff
May 27th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The annual Burlington Public Library Book Sale takes place Saturday May 30th; Runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
One-day sale of gently used library books and other item.
Book lovers can mark their calendars for this super-sized sale.
 Following the runaway success of past sales, BPL has continued its in-depth review of print, DVD, and CD collections—and that means another fantastic opportunity for Burlington readers, movie lovers, and music fans to discover great finds at great prices.
Collection maintenance helps keep library collections fresh, relevant, and responsive to community interests. While some withdrawn items include extra copies or outdated materials that have been replaced with newer resources, many books and audiovisual items still have plenty of life left to enjoy.
With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to stock up on beach reads, family favourites, and hidden gems. Shoppers can expect a wide selection of romance, mysteries, science fiction, westerns, graphic novels, adult fiction and non-fiction, children’s books, and more.
The sale includes:
- Paperbacks and hardcovers
- Large-type books
- Picture books and board books
- DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks
- Magazines for all ages
Tables restocked throughout the day.
Two Easy Ways to Shop
Fill a Bag
Bring your own bag and fill it for $10, or purchase a sturdy Books Make Me Happy zippered canvas tote at the sale and fill it for $15.
Buy Individually
- Books: $1 each
- DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks: 3 for $5
- Magazines: 4 for $1
The Library accepts cash, debit, and credit.
Book sale proceeds support Burlington Public Library initiatives and help fund future collections for the community. Every purchase helps bring more great books and materials to Burlington readers.
By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a reason for becoming a member of the Performing Arts Association.
First, you are supporting the work they do – bringing first-class talent to the city.
The best reason is that you get to buy tickets for good seats for the performances you want to see.
Check those dates in the graphic below.
The Gazette will be reporting on their Season Launch on Thursday.
Learn more about becoming a member: Click HERE
 By Gazette Staff
May 26, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
A Different Drummer Books and Viking Books for Young Readers
present
ANITHA RAO-ROBINSON
introducing
Music of the Bells
Sunday May 31 1pm
at
A Different Drummer Books
513 Locust Street Burlington
Admission Free ~ All Ages Are Welcome
Conservationist and author Anitha Rao-Robinson, launching her splendid new picture book, the captivating story of a young person in a new environment and a spirited celebration of movement and expression in dance, Music of the Bells.
“Rao-Robinson’s affirming, sensory-rich text flows evocatively, while Chaaya Prabhat’s vibrant illustrations make vivid use of shadow and gesture to capture the energy of the dance and create joyous movement.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Neela’s story tenderly honours dance as both a part of a unique cultural context and something that can be universally enjoyed by anyone.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Join us for great storytelling, fun crafts, tasty refreshments, and breathtaking live Kathak dance! Everyone is welcome!
 By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have confirmed, through historical and archival research, that a previously unidentified grave at Courcelette British Cemetery in northern France is that of Sergeant Norman Harold McLennan.
Details of Norman’s early life remain unclear. He was probably the oldest of six children born to John and Elizabeth (Lizzie) (née Morrison) MacLennan of Cape North, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (N.S.). Norman would later say that he was born in Montreal in 1886 or 1887, giving different years at different times.
 The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canadian Army infantry regiments. In April 1905, Norman enlisted with The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) in Quebec, spelling his name as McLennan. A career soldier, he was deployed to Bermuda at the start of the First World War, helping free British troops for service on the front. The RCR returned to Halifax from Bermuda in August 1915.
After re-attesting for war service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in August 1915, Private McLennan was promoted to sergeant and sailed with the RCR to England for training. He arrived in France in November 1915 and served across the Western Front for nearly a year.
 Battle of the Ancre Heights, part of the broader Somme Offensive. Sergeant McLennan was last seen on October 8, 1916, on the first day of the Battle of the Ancre Heights, part of the broader Somme Offensive. After capturing a German trench known as Regina Trench, soldiers fought off at least three German counterattacks before surviving members of the RCR were forced to withdraw. Alone or in small groups, soldiers made their way back to the Canadian line by moving from shell hole to shell hole. Initially reported as wounded and missing, Sergeant McLennan was later officially presumed to have been killed in action.
 Courcelette British Cemetery. Multiple external research reports were submitted to the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) regarding a grave in Courcelette British Cemetery. The grave was partially identified as that of “A Serjeant of the Great War Royal Canadian Regt.” Through extensive historical research, DHH confirmed that the grave could only belong to Sergeant McLennan. The identification was confirmed by the Casualty Identification Review Board in December 2025.
The CAF has notified the family of Sergeant McLennan of his identification and is providing them with ongoing support. A headstone rededication ceremony will take place at the CWGC’s Courcelette British Cemetery.
By Pepper Parr
May 25th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 The lovely’s are going to rebrand. Rosemarie Maurice, Founder/Artistic Director of Gotta SING, Gotta DANCE announced today that the organization is taking a break to reflect on the success of the current production and evaluate our long term vision “We have made the thoughtful decision to pause with future productions while we undertake a rebranding process. This period will allow us to strengthen our organizational foundation and position ourselves for a more impactful future. Our goal is to return with a clearer identity, expanded opportunities for collaboration, and even a stronger platform for community engagement.
In this final show she added, “We have a mother/daughter dancing together in this show as well as a long-time member who is 89 and still kicking up her heels.”
 By Pepper Parr
May 25th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
You might appreciate a look at who might be the next Premier of Ontario.
 Navdeep Bains will be seen as the leading contender and the likely winner of the Liberal Party Leadership race. Navdeep Bains has officially entered the race for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. That event takes place on November 21st.
Ajax MPP Rob Cerjanec is said to be poised to enter. Pressure is building on Erskine-Smith to make a decision after his appeal of a Scarborough Southwest nomination loss was rejected.
Leadership hopefuls Lee Fairclough, MPP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, and policy adviser Dylan Marando have previously enlisted.
 Ajax MPP Rob Cerjanec  Lee Fairclough, MPP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore  Dylan Morando Policy Advisor Bains, who left Rogers Communications as chief corporate affairs officer May 8 to seek the provincial leadership, filed his paperwork with Elections Ontario over the weekend.
On Monday, Elections Ontario confirmed he was the third officially registered candidate to lead the Liberals, naming Suh Kim as his chief financial officer.
Bains, a former industry and science minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, launched a “coming soon” website at NavdeepBains.ca moments after Elections Ontario confirmed his candidacy.
He represented the old riding of Mississauga—Brampton South from 2004 to 2011 and, after losing his seat in the Liberals’ 2011 trouncing at the hands of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, he helped Trudeau rebuild the party and take power in 2015, representing Mississauga—Malton and serving in cabinet until 2021.
Formally registering for the leadership is crucial because it allows candidates to accept money from donors in a race with a $150,000 entry fee and <
 Nate Erskine-Smith: A total rethink of his political career is needed. Erskine-Smith’s loss in his challenge of a bruising Scarborough nomination fight followed his allegations of “serious irregularities” in the May 9 vote won by Ahsanul Hafiz, owner of 30 Domino’s Pizza outlets.
Erskine-Smith has not yet commented on his future, but said recently he would quit as an MP after the House of Commons begins its summer recess and noted he was less inclined to seek the provincial leadership after his nomination loss.
By Gazette Staff
May 25th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington has received an additional $2,112,000 from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to help further address housing challenges in the city.
Burlington qualified for the additional funding mainly due to its agreement to support the CMHC catalogue and new residential zoning bylaw. The new zoning bylaw expands permissions for a range of low-rise “missing middle” housing, such as Additional Residential Units (ARUs) and townhouse units.
With ongoing investments from the CMHC, a key goal for the City has been to support local property owners and housing providers in building new rental, affordable and missing middle housing and has undertaken a number of strategies, including its:
 The problem is more than a missing middle – it is a missing middle that is affordable. New Zoning Bylaw – Phase 1 of Burlington’s New Zoning Bylaw Project is complete, creating a new Residential Zoning Bylaw that will provide a set of rules for land use planning and development across Burlington residential areas. The new bylaw makes the rules easy to use, reflects modern zoning practices, streamlines development approvals and implements the objectives and policies of the new Official Plan (Burlington Official Plan, 2020). The new Zoning Bylaw will be done in phases, with Phase 1 focused on supporting more housing options in Burlington neighbourhoods.
Housing Connections Centre – The online centre provides residents and developers resources such as standard unit designs with:
As Burlington continues to grow, working with community partners, landowners and developers to support the City’s Housing Strategy will continue to be a priority. The City’s ongoing focus is to support the development of complete, low-carbon, climate-resilient communities that are affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse. This will encourage a range and mix of housing in the city, including the ‘missing middle’.
By the end of 2026, the City is targeting 66 new units for approval as part of the City’s HAF initiative.
For more information, visit burlington.ca/HAF.
- On Jan. 15, 2024, the Government of Canada and the City of Burlington announced a $21 million agreement to encourage more affordable homes for Burlington, built faster. HAF is an application-based program that provides funding directly to municipalities across the country to incentivize and support initiatives that will accelerate the supply of housing. Burlington’s Housing Strategy was approved by Council in June 2022. This strategy creates a road map and acts as a guiding document for housing needs in the City of Burlington. It will help the City to work towards meeting the housing needs of the community and move us closer to reaching our Vision for housing in Burlington.
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 A four-plex design that meets all the requirements of the Ontario building code In October 2023, Burlington City Council unanimously approved a motion to declare its intention to allow four residential units per lot. The motion builds on the City’s recent update to the Additional Residential Unit policies of the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw to permit up to three residential units per urban residential lot which was approved by Council in September 2023. The motion also supported the City’s application to the Housing Accelerator Fund.
- Missing Middle Housing is a range of different building types with multi units that fill the gap between single-family homes and high-rise buildings. These may include an ARUs (detached or attached) townhouses and other buildings of four storeys or less. The goal is to increase housing options in neighbourhoods, create communities that are walkable with local services and have public transportation options.
By Gazette Staff
May 25th, 2027
BURLINGTON, ON
This event is only open to new and returning BPAC members. Learn more and become a BPAC member HERE
 Celebrating 15 years of operations. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre officially launches their 2026/27 Season and celebrates the start of its 15th Anniversary year.
This exclusive event offers a first look at the remarkable artists, performances, and experiences planned for the upcoming season. Guests will hear highlights from the new lineup, enjoy live performance moments, and gather with fellow arts supporters to celebrate the role BPAC has played in bringing our community together through the performing arts.
 BPAC members deciding what they want to attend during the 2026-27 season. Over the past fifteen years, BPAC has become a vibrant cultural gathering place for Burlington and the surrounding region. This anniversary season honours that journey while looking ahead to the next chapter with inspiring Canadian and international artists, exciting new initiatives, and opportunities for our community to connect through the arts.
Be among the first to discover the performances that will shape this milestone season and celebrate the stories, memories, and creative spirit that continue to make BPAC the cultural heart of downtown Burlington.
This is a MEMBERS ONLY event. Become a Member today to access the 26/27 Season Launch.
Become a Member
Date & Time
Thu May 28, 2026 at 7pm
Doors at 6pm
By Parker Williams
March 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Hidden Systems Supporting Rural Living
Across Ontario, conversations about infrastructure often focus on roads, bridges, public transit systems, and municipal water treatment facilities. These are the systems people see and interact with daily. Yet beneath thousands of homes in rural communities lies another critical form of infrastructure that rarely receives attention. Septic systems quietly manage wastewater for properties that are not connected to municipal sewer networks, allowing rural communities to function safely and sustainably.
 They operate underground and silently perform their job every day, which is why they are often forgotten until a problem occurs. For many homeowners outside large cities, these systems are essential. Rural houses, cottages, and small community residences depend on private wastewater systems to collect, treat, and safely dispose of household waste. Without them, wastewater would have nowhere to go, creating serious health and environmental risks.
Despite their importance, these systems remain largely invisible in public discussions about housing and development. They operate underground and silently perform their job every day, which is why they are often forgotten until a problem occurs.
Why Septic Infrastructure Is Often Overlooked
One reason septic systems receive little attention is that they are out of sight. Homeowners naturally focus on visible parts of their property, such as roofs, driveways, and landscaping. Systems buried underground rarely attract attention unless there is a noticeable issue like slow drains, unpleasant odours, or pooling water.
In rural Ontario, many homes were built decades ago, and the septic systems serving them were installed during the original construction. While these systems were designed to last for many years, they require maintenance to function properly over time. Without regular inspection and pumping, solid waste can accumulate inside tanks and gradually reduce the efficiency of the entire system.
Another reason these systems are overlooked is a lack of awareness. Many homeowners simply do not know how septic systems work or how important they are to protecting groundwater and local ecosystems.
The Role Septic Systems Play in Environmental Protection
Septic systems do much more than dispose of wastewater. They are designed to treat household waste before it returns to the surrounding soil. Inside the septic tank, solids settle to the bottom while liquids flow into the drain field, where the soil naturally filters and treats the wastewater.
 Inside the septic tank, solids settle to the bottom while liquids flow into the drain field, where the soil naturally filters and treats the wastewater. This process helps remove harmful bacteria and nutrients before they reach groundwater or nearby waterways. In rural communities that rely on wells for drinking water, this natural treatment process is especially important.
When systems are not maintained properly, however, the environmental consequences can be serious. Wastewater may contaminate groundwater or nearby lakes and streams, affecting both wildlife and local water supplies.
Because of these risks, experts often emphasize the importance of regular maintenance. Professionals working with on-site sewage systems frequently recommend periodic inspections to ensure tanks and drain fields continue operating safely and efficiently.
Growing Pressure on Rural Wastewater Systems
Ontario has experienced significant population growth over the past several years, and many people are moving outside major cities in search of affordable housing or a quieter lifestyle. As rural communities grow, more homes rely on septic systems instead of municipal sewer infrastructure.
Modern homes often use more water than houses built decades ago. Multiple bathrooms, large washing machines, dishwashers, and other appliances can increase daily water usage significantly. When older septic systems are expected to handle higher water volumes than they were originally designed for, the risk of failure increases.
Weather conditions also influence how well septic systems perform. Ontario experiences heavy rainfall, snowmelt in spring, and freezing temperatures during winter. Saturated soil or frozen ground can affect how wastewater moves through the drain field, potentially causing backups or reduced treatment efficiency.
The Financial Impact of Neglected Systems
 Without regular inspection and pumping, solid waste can accumulate inside tanks and gradually reduce the efficiency of the entire system. Ignoring septic maintenance can lead to high costs for homeowners. While routine inspections and pumping are relatively affordable, repairing or replacing a failed system can be expensive. In some cases, major excavation and reconstruction of the drain field may be required.
Beyond the direct repair costs, system failures can also reduce property value. Potential buyers often request septic inspections before purchasing rural homes, and a failing system can delay or complicate real estate transactions.
For homeowners who rely on private wells, contamination risks can also create additional health concerns. Protecting wastewater infrastructure, therefore, protects both property investments and household safety.
Why Education and Awareness Matter
Many people who move from urban areas to rural communities have little experience with septic systems. Municipal sewer networks handle wastewater automatically in cities, so homeowners rarely think about where their wastewater goes.
In rural areas, however, wastewater management becomes the homeowner’s responsibility. Understanding how these systems function is essential for maintaining them properly. Simple habits such as reducing excessive water use, avoiding flushing non-biodegradable materials, and scheduling periodic inspections can extend the life of a system.
Community education also helps protect the broader environment. When homeowners understand how their systems work, they are more likely to maintain them responsibly and reduce the risk of contamination in surrounding water sources.
Looking Ahead for Rural Infrastructure
 Referred to as a single-hole outhouse, there are still a lot of them around the province. As Ontario continues to grow, rural housing development will remain an important part of the province’s housing landscape. Expanding municipal sewer infrastructure to every rural area is not always practical due to geographic distance and infrastructure costs. As a result, septic systems will continue to serve as the primary wastewater treatment solution for many communities.
Recognizing the importance of these systems is essential for long-term sustainability. Local governments, environmental organizations, and homeowners all play a role in ensuring septic infrastructure remains safe and effective.
The systems beneath rural homes may be hidden from view, but their role is essential. By understanding their importance and maintaining them properly, communities across Ontario can continue to rely on this quiet but vital infrastructure for many years to come.
By Gazette Staff
May 15th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 An important Auditor General report. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a major topic of discussion. It ranges from those who see it as a disaster about to take place to those who tout it as the solution to all our problems. There are statements being made by both sides that are reckless and irresponsible. The Ontario Auditor General recently released a report on how AI is being used by governments. Portions of their report are set out below. The full report can be found HERE
Why We Did This Audit
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving technology that brings both opportunities and challenges. Its use raises important concerns around transparency, privacy, security
and the risk of potentially biased outcomes. AI can also impact people’s lives in positive ways by boosting productivity and innovation in various industries and in daily life.
• In November 2024, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) introduced its AI Strategy. The strategy sets out the approach for using AI to deliver services that the government provides to
Ontarians. The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (Ministry) is leading the AI adoption efforts on behalf of the OPS. Our Office performed this audit to
help ensure that the OPS has a strong foundation of AI principles, safeguards and controls in place.
 The public needs a much deeper understanding on what AI actually does. What We Found
OPS Staff Accessed Unsafe and Unsecured AI Websites, Creating Risks of Potential Unauthorized Data Exposure
• The Ministry had not blocked OPS staff’s access to numerous unsafe and unsecured AI websites
on their OPS-provided devices.
• The Ministry had not implemented security controls to prevent OPS staff from inadvertently
uploading Ontarians’ personal information or sensitive corporate data onto these AI websites.
• Of the 400 AI websites that OPS staff accessed between April 2025 and August 2025, 244, or
about 60%, were deemed unsafe and unsecured according to the security score given by Microsoft’s Defender cybersecurity tool.
• As of August 2025, 3% (1,800 of 55,000) of OPS staff had completed the Ministry’s Responsible
Use of AI training. This training is not mandatory.
There is a lot of work to be done to ensure that AI is better understood and that public servants are properly trained in its use.
The Gazette published a report on how AI has done significant damage to individuals. A link to that report is HERE
By Mark Barker
May 26th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Independent investigations tell one story, while some media coverage tells another, raising questions about how accountability is reflected in public reporting.
Recent reporting by the publication The Pointer presents municipal administrator David Barrick as emblematic of a broader “collapse of accountability” in local government.
 It is a serious allegation, but one that does not always line up with the full public record. In fact, deeper research indicates that such a conclusion rests on a foundation of selective omission and disproportionate emphasis that materially alters the overall impression of the record. At the core of the The Pointer coverage is a pattern: the repeated presentation of allegations without equal weight given to their outcomes, combined with the omission of material and exculpatory facts that directly contradict the narrative being advanced.
Take Barrick’s tenure in the City of Brampton. In a March 2026 article, The Pointer characterized it as defined by controversy, citing what it describes as “years of scandal and turmoil.” However, contemporaneous coverage by other news outlets, notably Bramptonist, pointed to a political dimension surrounding the allegations against David Barrick, suggesting they arose amid internal governance disputes and tensions among elected officials. That same reporting also noted that the resulting investigations carried a significant financial cost to the municipality’s taxpayers, reportedly approaching $1 million.
Importantly, the allegations of misconduct stemming from Barrick’s time in Brampton were not left unresolved; in fact, they were the subject of a formal independent review conducted by Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services firms and a trusted auditor. That review concluded that Barrick acted in compliance with all municipal policies, procedures, and bylaws, clearly stating that there was no evidence he acted beyond his authority and that no city policies or standard operating procedures were contravened. These findings were later confirmed by the Ontario Ombudsman, who dismissed the complaints.
 Brampton City Hall The City of Brampton subsequently issued a public statement acknowledging the outcome of the review and its impact on Barrick’s reputation, inviting him to continue working at the City, and even going so far as to offer an unreserved apology for the “unfounded investigations” and related privacy breaches he experienced.
These are not peripheral details. They are the outcome of the process. Yet they are frequently absent from the narrative.
A similar pattern can be observed in reporting related to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA). Allegations of organizational misconduct here were investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police, which found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. These findings are part of the public record.
In both cases, formal processes were initiated, and conclusions were reached. However, in some coverage, such as that of The Pointer, earlier allegations continue to be referenced without equivalent emphasis put on the resolutions.
What emerges instead is a cycle: allegations are introduced, investigated, dismissed – and then later reintroduced, stripped of their resolution. The cumulative effect can be to create the impression of a recurring pattern of misconduct, even where formal processes have reached documented conclusions.
 There is also a broader issue of source credibility and context.
Some of the claims that continue to circulate have also been advanced by individuals involved in prior disputes or advocacy efforts connected to Barrick’s roles. Publicly available court records have identified instances where circulated materials contained factual inaccuracies in related disputes. That history is important, not to discredit any particular news outlet in holding public officials accountable for their actions, but rather to highlight the need for careful verification when reporting on complex governance matters. This is particularly important when those same narratives are amplified by ongoing media coverage.
The result of all this is not simply scrutiny from the fourth estate, but a news story that doesn’t present the whole picture.
Lost amid much of the recent coverage is an important consideration: how oversight committees, superior officers, hiring panels, and recruiters continue to assess Barrick’s record in practice.
Across multiple appointments, Barrick has been tasked with leading complex organizations, modernizing operations, and advancing strategic priorities under the watchful eye of other local government officials, the independent news media, and the general public. During his tenure in Brampton, the municipality was recognized nationally for its performance and workplace environment, including being named among Canada’s top employers during the COVID-19 period, which was a uniquely demanding time for municipalities and their staff.
In other roles, including Thames Centre, his tenure was publicly described by Council as “transformative,” with measurable progress in securing external funding and modernizing municipal operations.
At the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, parks operations under his purview moved from deficit to surplus, with revenues reinvested into capital upgrades and environmental programming.
These examples show outcomes directly tied to service delivery, financial stewardship, and community growth.
It is also notable that David Barrick continues to be screened by independent executive recruiters. The processes used by these recruiters are designed to assess experience, performance, and potential risk, and they have repeatedly resulted in his recommendation for new senior leadership roles. For employers and hiring bodies, this suggests that his record continues to be viewed favourably.
Leaving aside Barrick’s individual case for a moment, there is a larger dimension at play in this discussion that cannot be ignored. Municipal governance is inherently political at the elected level. Campaign periods, leadership contests, and policy disputes often generate allegations and counter-allegations. That is expected.
But public servants occupy a fundamentally different role.
Chief Administrative Officers and senior staff are not elected officials. They are bound by statutory duties, professional codes, and strict requirements of political neutrality. When allegations arising in political contexts are directed at public servants and then repeated without full context, the line between political contest and administrative accountability can become blurred.
It’s also important to note that senior municipal administrators operate under significant constraints. Privacy legislation, confidentiality obligations, and employment agreements limit their ability to publicly respond to allegations, even when those allegations are incomplete or inaccurate. This can create an imbalance in public discourse: claims may be widely circulated, while responses are necessarily limited. In that environment, public narratives can outpace the facts that are supported by formal clarification.
The implications of this extend beyond any one situation or single individual.
Ontario’s municipalities are already facing increasing difficulty recruiting and retaining experienced administrative leaders. The role of CAO is demanding, visible, politically exposed, and usually subject to high turnover. When the professional risks begin to include sustained reputational pressure emanating from partial or recycled information published by the press, the calculus for applicants may change.
Particularly, talented leaders may decide that pursuing or remaining in these roles is simply no longer worth the headache. That is not a hypothetical concern. It is one increasingly raised within the public sector.
Organizations such as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association (OMAA), and the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) have long emphasized the importance of professional, non-partisan public administration. Yet situations like this raise a pressing question: who speaks up when these administrators are unable to speak for themselves? If the answer is no one, the consequences may be felt across the system.
Of course, none of this is to suggest that scrutiny of public officials should be diminished. Accountability is essential, and investigative journalism plays a critical role in ensuring transparency. But genuine, good faith reporting must be grounded in completeness and context. A review of the available record indicates the full scope of findings is not always reflected in some media narratives, as may be the case in some coverage, including reporting by The Pointer on David Barrick.
Presenting a complete and balanced record of events means publishing not only allegations, but outcomes. Not only claims, but official findings. Not only controversy, but resolutions. And that means publishing them in full context, with the same emphasis as the allegations. When that delicate balance is lost, media scrutiny risks becoming selective.
And when media scrutiny becomes selective, it risks undermining the public interest it is intended to serve.
 By Lou Frapporti
May 24th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There are court decisions that resolve disputes between parties. And then there are decisions that reveal something larger about the moment we are living through.
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Named Respondents and Persons Unknown, 2026 ONSC 2971, released Thursday, is one of those cases.
The case centred on legal efforts by the region to dismantle an encampment on public lands on the grounds that the parking lot where individuals are sheltering is needed to allow for construction to begin on the Kitchener Central Transit Hub later this year. The hub is set to provide bus and light rail service, a GO Transit station and a Via Rail stop.
In his very lengthy reasons for decision, Justice Michael R. Gibson found that a local bylaw created to allow the region to remove the homeless living on the site violates their rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Premier of Ontario was asked about this decision and was having none of it. Ford said that the Court’s decision was “the most ridiculous ruling I’ve ever seen” … putting the rights of …. “a few dozen people over millions of future transit riders.”
At one level, the decision dealt with a very specific issue: whether the Region of Waterloo could remove an encampment from municipally owned land in the absence of sufficient available and accessible shelter spaces for the people living there.
 At another level, the case speaks to a much larger problem now confronting municipalities across Ontario: the growing inability of public authorities to manage public space. At another level, the case speaks to a much larger problem now confronting municipalities across Ontario: the growing inability of public authorities to manage public space, enforce public order, protect property, support neighbourhoods, and advance revitalization efforts without first being caught in a morass of litigation, process, political fear, and moral paralysis.
For anyone who owns property, invests in urban renewal, manages a business, leads a municipality, or simply cares about the future of our downtowns and communities, the decision represents yet another headwind to revitalization and deserves careful attention.
What the Court Decided
In plain terms, the Court concluded that where people are homeless and have no realistic indoor alternative, enforcing bylaws in a way that prevents them from sheltering themselves outdoors can breach their rights under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — the right to life, liberty and security of the person.
It is important to note that the Court did not say that the homeless have a permanent right to occupy public property, or private property, for that matter. But it did say that, on the facts before it, the Region could not simply remove people from the encampment when the evidence did not establish that there were sufficient low-barrier, accessible shelter spaces available to them.
That is the legal core of the decision. And not something I propose to remark on beyond that. I’ll leave that to other commentators. I am more interested in the broader societal implications of the decision and what our immediate future holds for us and our children in the absence of a re-ordering of these priorities.
For many readers, the human instinct behind this result is understandable. No serious person wants vulnerable people pushed from place to place with nowhere to go. Homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty are real. The suffering is real. The need for housing, treatment and support is real.
But that is not where the analysis can end.
Because the broader consequence of this decision — and the broader policy culture it reflects — is that the burden of systemic failure is increasingly being transferred onto municipalities, local residents, property owners, business owners and investors who had no role in creating the crisis and often have no practical power to solve it.
Why Property Owners Should Be Concerned
Property ownership – indeed our entire societal structure – depends on a basic social bargain: that public authorities will enforce the rules that make investment, safety and civic life possible. As a young university political science student in the 1980’s we were reminded that life was “nasty, brutish and short” in the absence of that order.
The Waterloo Region decision, and a good deal of well intentioned public policy that is centred on an empathic response to historically disadvantaged individuals or groups, tends to view the broader societal implications of prioritizing the interests of these individuals as abstract and theoretical. But when public spaces or private property become encampments, when disorder becomes normalized, when business entrances, parks, sidewalks, trails, laneways or development lands become sites of unmanaged occupation, the impact is not theoretical.
 When courts make enforcement conditional on the state’s ability to provide a sufficient menu of alternatives — shelter, housing, supports, treatment, mental-health care — the result may be morally attractive but operationally paralyzing. It affects insurance. It affects financing. It affects leasing. It affects customer traffic. It affects employee safety. It affects construction timelines. It affects neighbourhood confidence. It affects whether private capital will take the risk of investing in places that badly need renewal.
And when courts make enforcement conditional on the state’s ability to provide a sufficient menu of alternatives — shelter, housing, supports, treatment, mental-health care — the result may be morally attractive but operationally paralyzing.
The municipality cannot create supportive housing overnight. The property owner cannot build the mental-health system. The business owner cannot solve addiction. The police cannot supply treatment beds. The investor cannot repair decades of failed housing policy.
Yet all of them are increasingly expected to absorb the consequences.
That is the imbalance at the heart of this issue.
Why Government Should Be Concerned
Government should be concerned for a different reason: the decision exposes the widening gap between rights-based litigation and practical governance.
Municipalities are now being asked to solve problems they did not create, with tools they do not fully control, under legal standards that may make action extremely difficult unless every upstream system is functioning.
But those systems are not functioning.
Ontario is short of housing. It is short of supportive housing. It is short of treatment capacity. It is short of mental-health resources. It is short of low-barrier shelter options. And many municipalities are confronting public-space issues that are immediate, visible and deeply destabilizing.
The public sees the result every day.
As I’ve written here previously, permitting encampments is not a substitute for housing policy. Open drug use is not compassion. Public disorder is not dignity. The surrender of civic space is not social justice.
 The widespread news coverage of encampments across Ontario, the appeals from mayors for stronger tools, and Premier Ford’s public comments on the issue all reflect the same basic reality: local governments are under extraordinary pressure to respond, and the current legal and policy framework is not producing the confidence, safety or order that communities need. In 2024, a group of Ontario mayors asked Premier Ford for additional powers, including use of the notwithstanding clause, to deal with encampments; the province later moved forward with legislation aimed at giving municipalities and police stronger tools to address encampments and public drug use.
Whether one agrees with those specific tools or not, the political reaction is not surprising. It is the predictable consequence of a system that has made visible disorder harder to address while failing to deliver the housing and treatment infrastructure that would make enforcement less necessary.
The Problem of Extreme Empathy
As I referenced in an earlier article, the deeper issue is cultural. There is now enormous organizational and institutional momentum exhorting compassion and empathy for the disenfranchised. This can be seen in the plethora of organizations, associations and interested parties that intervene in support of the homeless and others in litigation of this kind. Or who influence municipal policy or spending.
But compassion for various designated disenfranchised groups, whether in the form of judicial fiat or government policy, that elevates their interests at the expense of our broader society, however well intentioned – and it is well intentioned – ultimately leads to the complete unravelling of the social compact that underpins the very existence of our civil society. A phenomenon that Canadian author Gad Saad terms as “Suicidal Empathy” in his new New York Times best selling book by the same name.
What about the senior who no longer feels safe walking to the library? What about the family whose local park is no longer usable? What about the small business owner whose storefront becomes a site of disorder? What about the charitable organization trying to serve people in a setting that has become unsafe? What about the investor being asked to take a chance on a downtown that public authorities appear unable to manage? What about the broader community that depends on revitalization, employment, tourism, tax base, housing supply and civic confidence?
A society cannot function if empathy for one group requires indifference to the rights of everyone else. Particularly when those rights are the very foundation of our founding constitutional compact of “Peace, Order and Good Government”.
And as we are increasingly experiencing, when that takes hold, society does not become more humane. It becomes paralyzed.
The Revitalization Problem
This matters profoundly for communities like Hamilton, Burlington, Waterloo Region and other urban centres trying to attract investment and rebuild confidence in their downtowns.
Revitalization is not an abstraction. It requires capital. It requires risk. It requires belief. It requires entrepreneurs, institutions, developers, lenders, cultural organizations, residents and governments to act in alignment.
But investment does not flow into uncertainty. It does not flow into places where disorder is tolerated indefinitely. It does not flow into environments where public authorities appear legally or politically unable to enforce basic standards.
The tragedy is that the very communities most in need of investment are often the ones most damaged by paralysis.
We cannot say we want housing and then make development harder. We cannot say we want downtown renewal and then tolerate conditions that repel visitors and investors. We cannot say we support vulnerable people while allowing public spaces to become places of danger, addiction and despair. We cannot say we believe in compassion while refusing to build the systems that make compassionate enforcement possible.
A Better Balance
The answer is not cruelty. It is not indifference. It is not pretending homelessness can be solved through bylaw enforcement alone.
But the answer is also not surrender.
We need more housing. We need more treatment. We need more supportive housing. We need more shelter capacity that is actually usable by the people who need it. We need better mental-health interventions. We need provincial and federal governments to fund the systems municipalities cannot build alone.
These changes take time. Political will. And a good deal more. But we cannot undermine the broader interests of public safety and economic necessity in the interim. In my view we need to restore the principle that public space belongs to the public pending broader reform.
The Waterloo decision should be read carefully and fairly. It reflects real legal principles and real human facts and an earnest effort by a well regarded jurist to apply the law to the facts before him. But it should also be understood as a warning.
If senior levels of government do not act to address these difficult issues urgently, the courts will intervene in a manner that may not reflect the views of the broader electorate or the best interests of society. And when that happens, government loses the ability to govern and communities lose the confidence required to renew themselves.
That is the real concern.
Not that courts are wrong to care about vulnerable people.
But that we have created a society where policy failure, and the instinct to compassion, untethered from responsibility and balance, increasingly creates paralysis.
And paralysis is not compassion.
It is surrender.
 Lou Frapporti is a purpose – driven lawyer at Gowling WLG and business owner dedicated to elevating communities and fostering positive social impact.
 By Ray Rivers
May 25th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
“Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have / Before he can hear people cry?” (Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind)
Mr. Poilievre is saying he wants to eliminate Canadian content requirements for foreign digital streaming services. He argues that the latest rules from the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC), under what is called CanCom, will most likely result in increased subscription fees for Canadian viewers.
 The CRTC has set a requirement that foreign streaming services must allocate 15% of the fees they collect from Canadians to be used for adding Canadian content to their programming. The CRTC has set a requirement that foreign streaming services must allocate 15% of the fees they collect from Canadians to be used for adding Canadian content to their programming. And lobbyists for Netflix, Apple, Disney and other big foreign streamers as well as the US movie and film industry, and Mr. Poilievre, would rather not.
The CRTC did not arrive at the 15% decision in a vacuum, its neither an arbitrary nor trivial decision. It is the result of extensive consultation with Canadians on how to ensure that what we see and hear includes stories about Canadians, and reflects and strengthens our Canadian culture. And that these stories are produced in Canada and by Canadians.
It was back in the 1970’s when the CRTC mandated Canadian content for music. That policy led to Canada becoming the third largest music maker globally – after the USA and UK. So why wouldn’t we want to apply the same formula to digital streamers? This is a jobs, export income and industrial development policy. But Poilievre is fixated on a possible small putative price increase for those consumers who choose to watch Netflix.
There is no question about it. National content rules are protectionist – a kind of non-tariff policy instrument. And like tariffs they may well result in a small increase in subscription fees, an additional tax, as Mr. Poilievre suggests – at least initially. Still, while something like 80% of Canadian households include streaming services on their flat screens, it is estimated that as many as 80% of those choose subscriptions with advertising to lower cost or eliminate fees entirely.
 Poilievre cloaks his objection on the theory that Canadians playing a bigger role in our culture will annoy the US president and impede the update of CUSMA. Besides, what Poilievre doesn’t see, as the leader of a major political party, is the potential for growth in Canadian film and other media production…. and the possibility of the development of a Canadian streaming service to compete with the US based giants. It’s hard to believe in a strong Canada when the information we receive originates from another nation.
Poilievre cloaks his objection on the theory that Canadians playing a bigger role in our culture will annoy the US president and impede the update of CUSMA. But then he still believes that CUSMA will remain tariff free as if he wasn’t listening to the clear messaging from the US president, all of his CUSMA negotiators and even the US ambassador to Canada.
Free trade with the USA as we once knew it is dead. Any update or renegotiation to CUSMA will see sectoral tariffs on exports to the USA, like we see today on steel, aluminum and autos – like the rest of world is experiencing. And even if we dismantle our agriculture supply management systems and the CRTC, the US will still want to tack on a 15% tariff to everything we export to them, with the possible exception of oil and critical minerals.
Mr. Poilievre is living in fantasy land if he thinks the answer to Trump’s tariffs, America’s economic war on Canada, is to become even more integrated, more suppliant, more embedded and to surrender our sovereignty by eliminating the CRTC and the CBC. He needs to seriously re-read Mr. Carney’s Davos speech about how the ‘hegemons’ behave once they’ve hollowed out their middle power neighbours’ economies.
he Tories have long wanted to abolish our national broadcaster, the CBC. But if Poilievre watched a little more CBC instead of Netflix he might have heard the US ambassador say it as clear as day – “Tariffs are here to stay”. As Dylan once put into words – perhaps he needs more ears because he’s just can’t hear.
 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:
Canadian Content- Digital Streaming Services – Poilievre –
By Gazette Staff
May 24th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Did Mayor Meed Ward tell this table of friends that she was going to run? Councillor Paul Sharman has said that “she will announce very soon” “Perfect start to the weekend with Breakfast at the Bistro at the Seniors Centre this morning”, declared Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“The rain could not dampen spirits: great food, conversation, people and entertainment.
“Thank you to the staff and the volunteers from Rotary who make it all happen.
“We couldn’t do this without all of you.
 By Pepper Parr
May 24th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 The beautiful game. Earls King West, a Toronto bar, is holding Soccer City Watch Parties and is asking:
Worried about securing a spot on a sunny patio to watch the games? We’ve got you. Join us at Earls on King for Toronto matchdays as we celebrate being a host city, watch the big games and get live mid-match analysis from Toronto Star sports reporters and soccer-savvy guests from Footy Prime.
You’ll get pre-game insights from Footy Prime’s Jeff Cole and Dan Wong as well as halftime analysis from Star journalists. Watch parties run from June 12th through to July 2nd.Click the link below for the full schedule and guarantee your place at the Star’s Soccer City Fan Zone for one or all of the six games played at Toronto Stadium.
Smart idea.
 Wondering if there are any Burlington hospitality sites that are going to run a program that might be similar
Still enough time to put something together.
Or maybe we should all just make reservations and head into Earls King West in Toronto?
By Katherine Parron
May 24th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Instagram users searching for steady follower growth in 2026 are running into a tougher discoverability layer than any prior year. The platform now weighs profile-level credibility before a post ever earns explore page distribution, and that calculation pulls heavily from the ratio between a creator’s follower count and the engagement velocity their last few uploads produced. Content creator profiles, influencers, and entrepreneur-led brands all face the same friction. Strong quality content alone no longer breaks through the algorithm’s filtering, which is why outside lifts have become a normal layer in serious Instagram marketing. A reputable Instagram growth platform is the cleanest way to clear that credibility gate while staying inside Instagram’s terms.
Sourcing is what separates lasting results from short-lived spikes. Reputable providers pull strictly from real users on real accounts and never bots, so the social proof reads as authentic when Instagram’s algorithm scans for fake accounts and fake followers. Twicsy holds the lead in 2026 on the strength of its tiered package design and AI-drafted comments, Buzzoid follows on press credibility and the widest follower range in the market, and Rushmax claims third on 14-plus years of operating history backed by replacement coverage. iDigic and three additional names round out this 7-site shortlist.
7 Best Sites to Buy Instagram Followers
Twicsy leads in 2026, with Buzzoid, Rushmax, and iDigic following in the real-brand tier, then TokMatik and two additional providers close out this Instagram-focused shortlist.
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Verified credibility at industrial scale is the foundation Twicsy keeps building on in 2026. The brand has served more than 1.5 million users with 1,000-plus verified customer reviews documenting consistency across years of orders, and that footprint underwrites everything from a 100-follower test through a 20,000-follower partnership push without any change in checkout experience.
The package architecture is what makes the breadth usable. Three distinct tiers (standard, active followers, and VIP) let creators match sourcing depth to where their Instagram account currently sits, and the AI layer drafts 5 to 50 contextually appropriate comments per post for approval before anything publishes. Real Instagram followers come exclusively from real accounts, never bots. Instagram packages cover 100 to 20,000 followers, 50 to 10,000 Instagram likes, and 50 to 50,000 views, with most orders beginning to populate within minutes of secure payment inside a 24-hour fast delivery window. A satisfaction guarantee returns a full refund on any incomplete order, customizable bulk orders accommodate any large number of followers, and a 24/7 support team responds in real-time across chat and email.
What lands Twicsy at number one this cycle
- 1.5 million users and 1,000-plus verified reviews back the operating history.
- Three-tier package design (standard, active followers, VIP) covers every creator stage.
- AI drafts 5 to 50 relevant comments per post, creator-approved before publishing.
- Instagram packages span 100 to 20,000 real Instagram followers, 50 to 10,000 Instagram likes, 50 to 50,000 views.
- Most orders begin populating within minutes inside a 24-hour fast delivery window.
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More than 100,000 customers served across 12-plus years in the social media growth space sits at the heart of Buzzoid’s runner-up finish in 2026. That operating history pairs with editorial coverage in Men’s Journal, US Weekly, and 303 Magazine, giving the brand the strongest press footprint of any provider on this list.
The Instagram lineup is built around scale. Follower packages stretch from just 10 followers up to 200,000 in a single order, which is the widest follower range available anywhere on this 2026 shortlist and the natural pick when an Instagram presence needs to absorb concentrated credibility in one push. Premium and VIP follower upgrades route through more active users so engagement rates climb alongside the raw follower count. Recently launched Auto Instagram Likes applies likes to every fresh upload automatically after a one-time setup at checkout. Likes packages run 50 to 10,000, views typically begin landing within roughly 60 seconds and scale to 50,000, and 5 to 50 AI-generated relevant comments round out the engagement mix. The customer support team works around the clock across chat and email.
Buzzoid’s case for the runner-up finish
- Widest follower range anywhere, stretching 10 to 200,000 in a single order.
- Premium and VIP follower upgrades route through more active users for stronger engagement.
- Auto Instagram Likes applies to every new post automatically after one-time setup.
- Press credibility from Men’s Journal, US Weekly, and 303 Magazine.
- Views typically begin populating within roughly 60 seconds of checkout.
- One checkout bundles followers, Instagram likes, views, and AI-drafted comments.
- 100,000-plus customers served by a 24/7 customer support team.
Buy Instagram followers on Buzzoid.com
Replacement coverage on follower drop-off is the quiet feature that keeps Rushmax customers returning across multiple campaigns. Any new followers that unfollow during the protection window get restored at no extra cost, which removes the budgeting uncertainty that usually shadows volume orders and gives the follower base a stability standard packages elsewhere can’t match.
That customer-protection posture sits on top of one of the longest track records in the entire space. Rushmax has been operating since 2011, currently serves more than 100,000 Instagram influencers, and positions itself as America’s #1 Instagram Growth Service with backing genuine enough that newer creators, small businesses, and entrepreneur-led brands trust it as a starting point. Starting prices from $0.99 keep test orders accessible without sacrificing sourcing quality, since the entire source pool draws strictly from real people on real accounts. The active follower tier delivers roughly double the engagement of standard packages by routing through active users who continue interacting with new posts. Custom bulk quotes scale comfortably to partnership-grade campaigns, no password ever changes hands at checkout, and the 24/7 expert support team handles questions across chat in real-time.
Strengths keeping Rushmax in the top three
- Operating since 2011, with 100,000-plus Instagram influencers actively using the service.
- Replacement coverage restores any new followers that unfollow during the protection window.
- Active followers tier delivers roughly double the engagement of standard packages.
- Starting prices from $0.99 make small test orders accessible.
- Custom bulk quotes scale to partnership-grade campaigns at any volume.
- Source pool draws strictly from real people on real accounts.
- 24/7 expert support team paired with username-only checkout.
Buy Instagram followers on Rushmax.com
Username-only signup, with no password ever changing hands at checkout, is the security posture that anchors iDigic’s boutique reputation in 2026. That careful approach has been refined across 13-plus years of operating history with 58,980-plus customers behind the brand, and the boutique posture is intentional.
Follower batches deliberately cap at 100 to 5,000 per order so each delivery can be carefully sourced from quality Instagram users whose demographics mirror normal organic followers. Two account-quality tiers (standard high-quality and premium) give creators the rare ability to match sourcing depth directly to where their Instagram account currently sits. Instant delivery within seconds of checkout is standard, splittable view packages running 100 to 50,000 distribute across multiple posts so the engagement pattern reads as the kind of organic growth Instagram’s algorithm consistently rewards on the explore page, and a money-back guarantee covers any order that doesn’t deliver as promised. A 24/7 live chat customer support team handles questions in real-time, and iDigic also covers TikTok and YouTube alongside Instagram for cross-platform creators running a unified marketing strategy across multiple social media surfaces.
iDigic’s edge in the quality-first lane
- Two account-quality tiers (standard high-quality and premium) match sourcing to creator stage.
- Instant delivery within seconds of checkout.
- Follower batches capped at 100 to 5,000 for careful sourcing.
- Splittable view packages from 100 to 50,000 distribute across multiple posts.
- Money-back guarantee on any order that doesn’t deliver as promised.
- 13-plus years of operating history with 58,980-plus customers.
- Username-only checkout with 24/7 live chat support.
Buy Instagram followers on iDigic.net
Authentic engagement that actually sticks long-term is TokMatik’s calling card, even though that focus currently keeps the brand entirely within the TikTok lane. The platform handles TikTok followers, likes, and views sourced from real users on real accounts, with instant delivery at affordable prices and a 24/7 customer support team behind every order. An Instagram product hasn’t launched yet, so the four providers above remain the active picks for direct Instagram orders today. TokMatik’s stated roadmap toward additional social media platforms makes it a name worth bookmarking now and checking back on once the broader lineup arrives.
Where TokMatik sits on the 2026 map
- TikTok-only specialist, sourced from real people on real accounts.
- Instant delivery across TikTok followers, likes, and views.
- Affordable prices with no password required at checkout.
- Stated roadmap targets expansion to Instagram and other social media platforms.
6. Verdantbloom Reach
Verdantbloom Reach leans on aggressive checkout discounts but provides little transparency about how its Instagram accounts are sourced. New followers may come from anywhere globally with no overlap on a creator’s target demographics, and the platform doesn’t offer replacement coverage if drop-off occurs after delivery. Customer questions route through an email contact form with multi-day response windows rather than a real-time customer support team, which slows resolution when timing actually matters.
Verdantbloom Reach at a glance
- Vague sourcing claims with no published source pool details.
- No replacement coverage if accounts drop off after delivery.
- Email-only support with slow response windows.
7. Cobaltquill Boost
Cobaltquill Boost runs entirely through an auto-renewing subscription rather than offering one-time orders, so the follower count drops the moment a customer cancels. Faster delivery costs extra at checkout as a paid upgrade, and the provider markets heavily through TikTok ads without matching transparency on its sourcing. The structure locks customers into recurring billing rather than letting them top up an Instagram account on their own schedule.
Cobaltquill Boost quick look
- Subscription-only billing rather than one-time orders.
- Followers leave once the subscription is canceled.
- Faster delivery requires a paid checkout upgrade.
- Heavy TikTok ads marketing without matching sourcing transparency.
Why Buy Instagram Followers?
Social proof is the gating signal for nearly every Instagram opportunity downstream of a profile visit. A stronger follower count lifts the rate at which casual visitors convert into follows, partnerships, and ongoing Instagram audience growth, because credibility shows up in the profile header before any quality content earns a second look. Influencers, content creator profiles, small businesses, and entrepreneur-led brands all hit the same threshold when scaling Instagram following, and clearing it sooner means brand outreach, organic followers arriving from the explore page, and SEO tailwinds across branded searches all start moving with less friction.
Algorithmic visibility tracks closely with the same signal. Instagram’s algorithm rewards profiles showing steady follower growth and balanced engagement rates by surfacing posts more often, and partnership teams almost always filter prospective collaborators by follower count before any conversation begins. Pairing a thoughtful Instagram followers package with consistent quality content and well-chosen hashtags lets organic growth stack on top of the lift, which is how durable Instagram engagement growth compounds across months. The right move accelerates a strong Instagram presence rather than substituting for one, buying time and visibility while the rest of the marketing strategy catches up.
What Do You Need to Know Before You Buy Instagram Followers?
Sourcing decides everything about whether the lift lasts. Real Instagram followers from real accounts blend naturally into a normal follower base and contribute genuine engagement signals, while bots and fake followers get filtered by Instagram’s algorithm within weeks. Twicsy, Buzzoid, Rushmax, and iDigic each source from real users on active profiles, which is precisely why they anchor the top of every honest 2026 review of top Instagram growth services. Account safety depends on never sharing credentials. Reputable providers ask only for a username at checkout, and any service requesting a password should be avoided to stay aligned with Instagram’s terms.
Pricing transparency tells you what you’re actually paying for. Affordable prices are reasonable across reputable providers, but unrealistically cheap pricing almost always signals fake followers that vanish quickly. Look for clear refund policies, secure payment processing, fast delivery windows, and a customer support team responding in real-time. Several leading providers accept Instagram followers paypal options alongside major cards. Twicsy’s satisfaction guarantee, Rushmax’s replacement coverage, and iDigic’s money-back guarantee form the protection layer separating legitimate growth services from filler operations chasing volume. Read the fine print before paying so the order behaves the way you expect.
What’s the Best Site to Buy Instagram Followers in 2026?
Twicsy holds first place in 2026 thanks to its three-tier package architecture, AI-drafted relevant comments, and the credibility carried by 1.5 million users alongside 1,000-plus verified customer reviews. For creators who need a single provider to cover everything from a 100-follower test through VIP-grade partnership campaigns, Twicsy is the most flexible single choice and arguably the best place to buy Instagram followers for serious Instagram marketing. Buzzoid takes second on the widest follower range available anywhere and Auto Instagram Likes that sustain engagement across every fresh upload, which makes it the natural pick when a launch needs to absorb a large number of followers quickly.
Rushmax claims third on longevity, active followers tier engagement, and replacement coverage that restores any drop-off inside the protection window, with $0.99 starting prices keeping it especially welcoming for smaller test orders and small businesses still building their Instagram presence. iDigic’s boutique posture is the right call when high-quality followers and instant delivery matter more than raw volume, since two account-quality tiers give creators sourcing precision rare elsewhere on the market. Each provider occupies a distinct lane on this Instagram growth platform shortlist, so the best site depends on whether tier flexibility, the widest follower range, longevity with active engagement, or carefully sourced quality matters most for the profile being scaled.
Pairing follower lifts with the content rhythm already working
Purchased lifts compound fastest when they ride alongside consistent posting rather than replacing it. Instagram’s algorithm reads the relationship between fresh uploads and the credibility signals attached to the posting profile, so a follower top-up scheduled in the same window as an upload streak produces visibly stronger results than the same order arriving during a dormant stretch. Twicsy’s near-instant population window, Buzzoid’s 60-second view delivery, and iDigic’s instant delivery within seconds all sync cleanly with active content calendars where the next post lands within a day or two of checkout.
Quality content carries the rest of the weight. Hashtags chosen with intent, captions written for the right target audience, and posting consistency tuned to when active users in those demographics are scrolling all give the purchased lift somewhere productive to land. The combination is what produces compound Instagram brand growth: paid visibility opens the door, and organic followers walk through it once they see something worth following. Treat the order as one input among several, not as the entire growth plan.
Matching the order size to where the profile actually sits
Order size should track the credibility gap currently visible on the profile rather than ambition for the year ahead. A creator sitting at 700 followers gets more durable mileage from a 1000 Instagram followers top-up than from a 10k Instagram followers push that creates a noticeable mismatch with engagement rates. iDigic’s deliberately tighter 100 to 5,000 batches fit early-stage creators precisely, Twicsy’s 100 to 20,000 range covers mid-stage scaling comfortably, and Buzzoid’s 200,000 ceiling exists for partnership pushes where the credibility gap warrants serious volume.
Creator stage also shapes which tier within a provider makes sense. Smaller accounts benefit most from active followers tiers available at Twicsy and Rushmax, where ongoing interaction matters more than raw count. Established accounts targeting partnerships lean toward VIP-grade packages where follower base depth carries the campaign. The Instagram growth tools at each provider scale differently, so calibrate the order to where the Instagram account sits today rather than where it might be six months from now. Underbuying is easy to correct with a follow-up order; overbuying takes longer to grow into.
Reading provider transparency before you commit
Provider transparency is the fastest filter separating legitimate growth services from operations recycling bots under fresh branding. Reputable providers name their source pool plainly (real accounts, active users, no bots) and back it with a satisfaction guarantee, money-back guarantee, or replacement coverage. Vague phrasing like high-quality followers without any explanation of where those followers come from is a soft warning sign, especially when paired with subscription-only billing or paid upgrades for fast delivery that should be standard.
Verification habits matter too. Cross-check operating history, look for editorial coverage, and read recent customer reviews for patterns rather than isolated complaints. Twicsy publishes 1,000-plus verified reviews, Buzzoid’s press footprint covers Men’s Journal and US Weekly, and Rushmax has run continuously since 2011. None of those credentials guarantees a perfect order alone, but together they form a credibility profile that providers running on TikTok ads and stock photography cannot match. Trust the boring evidence over the loudest marketing copy and the shortlist narrows fast.
FAQ: Instagram Followers Services
How to buy Instagram followers safely from a trusted Instagram follower service in 2026?
Start with providers that source strictly from real accounts and never request a password. Twicsy, Buzzoid, Rushmax, and iDigic each clear both bars, asking only for a username at checkout and pulling from real users on active profiles. That sourcing aligns the order with Instagram’s terms and avoids the patterns Instagram’s algorithm flags on bot networks. Confirm secure payment, transparent pricing, fast delivery, and a 24/7 customer support team before paying. Twicsy’s satisfaction guarantee, Rushmax’s replacement coverage, and iDigic’s money-back guarantee all add protection layers that restore any drop-off inside the protection window so the order holds long-term.
Where to buy Instagram followers when I need to scale to 10k Instagram followers in one order?
Buzzoid is built for that scenario. The platform handles the widest follower range available anywhere, running from just 10 followers up to 200,000 in a single order, which makes it the natural pick when a launch or partnership announcement needs concentrated credibility delivered quickly. Premium and VIP follower upgrades route through more active users to keep engagement rates lifted at scale, and views typically begin landing within roughly 60 seconds of checkout. Buzzoid’s 12-plus years of operating history paired with editorial coverage in Men’s Journal, US Weekly, and 303 Magazine back the volume capacity with credibility behind the numbers.
What makes Twicsy’s AI-generated comments different from standard comment packages?
Twicsy’s AI reads each post before drafting, so the 5 to 50 relevant comments produced per order match the caption, image context, and tone rather than dropping generic phrases into the thread. Every comment goes to the creator for approval before publishing, which keeps the resulting conversation reading naturally to Instagram’s algorithm. The feature pairs with three follower tiers (standard, active followers, VIP) and Instagram packages ranging 100 to 20,000 followers. Most orders begin populating within minutes of secure payment inside a 24-hour fast delivery window, and a satisfaction guarantee returns a full refund on any incomplete order.
Where to find affordable prices on Instagram followers without ending up with fake followers?
Rushmax is the strongest value pick in 2026. Starting prices from $0.99 keep small test orders genuinely accessible for newer creators, small businesses, and entrepreneur-led brands building their Instagram presence, and the source pool draws strictly from real people on real accounts rather than recycled bots. iDigic also fits the budget-conscious lane with 100 to 5,000 follower batches, instant delivery within seconds, and a money-back guarantee. Both providers back their orders with replacement or refund coverage if anything falls short, which is exactly the difference between affordable prices and the unrealistically cheap pricing that signals fake followers vanishing within weeks.
How does iDigic deliver high-quality Instagram followers so quickly without sacrificing sourcing?
iDigic deliberately caps individual orders at 100 to 5,000 followers specifically so each delivery can be carefully sourced from quality Instagram users whose demographics mirror normal organic followers. Two account-quality tiers (standard high-quality and premium) let creators match sourcing depth to where their Instagram account currently sits. Instant delivery within seconds of checkout means the lift lands during whatever upload window matters most, and splittable view packages from 100 to 50,000 distribute across multiple posts so the engagement reads as gradual organic growth Instagram’s algorithm consistently rewards. 13-plus years of operating history with 58,980-plus customers backs the consistency.
By Gazette Staff
May 24th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The 13th annual Oakville Festivals of Film & Art (OFFA) will run from June 17th to June 27th, and will take place in both Oakville and Burlington, Ontario.
Over 100 Canadian and international films, including romance, comedy, and empowering documentaries and shorts over 10 days, will be hosted. Most will take place in Oakville.
 The Burlington portion of the Film Festival kicks off at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre with “Kickoff: the Beautiful Game on Screen” which will be a special OFFA launch exploring how the game of soccer unites communities around the work.
A selection of films is available online only during the festival. Check out the 2026 film guide here: https://offa.ca/offa-2026/
Burlington 2026 Red Carpet Gala Highlights:
 Wednesday June 17th – Kickoff: The Beautiful Game on Screen
A special OFFA launch event in Burlington is on Wednesday, June 17th, 7:00 PM at Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Event highlights include freestyle soccer performance acrobatics with soccer artists and dancers, Dennis Thompson & friends, jugglers, Soccer trivia and more! Door Prizes, photo opportunities with soccer heroes. Sponsored by Black and White Media, Burlington Economic Development & Tourism
For the full program click HERE
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