 By Gazette Staff
June 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Aquatic Devilrays sent out a statement earlier today sharing that the City of Burlington is exploring a public-private opportunity to develop a modern, multi-use aquatic facility, potentially including a 50m competition pool with training and community space.
 An indoor pool this size is getting talked about. Word is that the location for this possible private-public development would be the King Road development. Years away from shovels in the ground – but it is a start. The Burlington’s swim team, BAD fully supports this initiative and will be at Monday’s city meeting to declare our interest. This process is expected to take some time, even before development can begin, but getting in on the ground floor of these discussions will allow us to help shape the future of aquatic sports in Burlington.
They would like you to support this initiative.
In the announcement from the Clun that ask you to Visit our portal and sign a statement of support before 11:30 AM on Friday, June 5th so we can include these submissions in our delegation.”
Adding that they “realize this is short notice but the statement of support should take less than 2 minutes to complete and the more voices we have behind us, the louder our voice can be heard in these early discussions.”
Pepper Parr
June 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Chris is a large man. What surprises people is how soft his voice is. He doesn’t wear smiles; they are in there, just not displayed all the time.
 The consistent thought process for Chris Carter is “curiosity”. He is very direct with people – he wants to ensure that he is understood.
His elementary schooling took place in different communities. His father was a real estate salesman who moved to different jobs frequently.
High school was completed at MMR
Chris had no interest in college or university. He wanted to work and have some change in his pocket.
Got his first job in the automotive field but quickly found his niche: He was a natural communicator and he understood marketing.
Chris Carter is in his late 40s or early 50s.
His professional history includes a partnership at a firm beginning in 2009, which followed his earlier education and mentorship phases.
He is a father of two daughters, ages 10 and 8.
Chris Carter is a co-founder of The Burlington Dads, a non-profit community group established in 2013. He is also the co-host of the Sh*t My Dad Taught Me
The consistent thought process for Chris Carter is “curiosity”. He pokes away at whatever he can find and gladly admits that he is a computer nerd.
What he turned out to be very good at was marketing. Helping corporations and organizations create their brand and use that brand to achieve the market share they want. He knew all the social media tools that were available and put them to very good use for many clients.
 Chris Carter: Direct, focus. Running for the Ward 4 Council seat. He was a partner in a marketing agency for 17 years. When he made the decision to run for public office, he sold his interest in the company.
One of the organizations he spends a lot of time on is Burlington Dads. It started as a Facebook page where guys could ask members if there was a good plumber they could recommend. That grew into a Facebook page where members could borrow tools from one another.
When it was clear the organization had legs 100 Founders put up some money and created a Registered Charity. Every nickel they raise goes into the people they give it away to.
It is now more than a group—it’s a movement. What began as a simple way for local fathers to connect has grown into a 6,000+ member strong brotherhood.
He has a podcast with 2.5 million followers – so people listen to him. The podcast run for close to an hour. Give it a listen and get a sense of how Carter communicates .
He is a cottage man.
He has traveled quite a bit; one was a tour of world war sites
How does all this translate into his sitting on a city Council?
And what motivated him to run for public office?
Chris will tell you that “timing is everything and this was his time. I have been blessed and have done very well. I have control over my life, and this is something I want to do.”
Assuming he wins the election, what would Carter set out to do?
He wants to push back on
—Overcomplication
—Inefficiency
—Rising costs without value
—Slow decision-making
He wants to build towards
Well-governed, tech-enabled services that deliver better results faster
Support for families
Responsible growth
Clear communication
Community-first decisions.
 Chris Carter: A careful listener; takes notes. He is in the early stages of his campaign. Literature, signs, and putting a campaign team together are underway.
The website is up: chriscarterofficial.com
Olivia Duke, a Ward 4 candidate in the 2022 election, and Allen Nize have filed nomination papers. Shawna Stolte, the incumbent, has not filed nomination papers and has yet to say whether she intends to run for a third term.
 By Gazette Staff
June 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Taste, move, and experience culture in motion at Joseph Brant Museum during their dine & dance series.
This event will introduce you to various cultures through the world of food, music, and dance. Guests will have the opportunity to try hors d’oeuvres and beverages from a specific region of the world (7pm – 8pm) and view the special exhibit “eat make share: a taste of immigration.”
A dance demonstration and short, interactive dance lesson will then follow on the museum’s Rooftop Terrace (8pm – 9pm). Dance demonstrations and interactives will be provided in partnership with a local, cultural organization.
Tickets are $35/person, or $40/person with an alcoholic drink ticket. All tickets include museum admission, hors d’oeuvres, light refreshments, a dance demonstration, and interactive dance lesson. This is an 16+ event. The dance portion of the event will be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.
Tickets at the link below.
June 13, 2026, 7pm – 9pm | Latin Night with danceScape
Through Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha, Cumbia, storytelling, and community participation, danceScape invites audiences to experience Latin culture through rhythm, movement, and shared human connection. One of the most meaningful aspects of the evening is that many of the participants are not professional performers and do not come from Latin backgrounds. They are members of the Burlington community from diverse cultural backgrounds who discovered joy, confidence, friendship, and connection through Latin music and dance.
 Robert Tang and Beverley Cayton-Tang will show you just how it is done. Hosted by Robert Tang and Beverley Cayton-Tang, former three time Canadian and two time North American Ballroom Champions featured on The Marilyn Denis Show, Dragons’ Den, and CHCH Television, the evening reflects danceScape’s ongoing mission of building confidence, connection, wellness, and community through dance.
Museums play a vital role in preserving heritage and culture within our city. Your support is essential in ensuring that these invaluable aspects of our community remain vibrant and alive.
The Burlington Museums Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Museums of Burlington and inspires the community to invest in heritage, culture and learning opportunities.
 By Gazette Staff
June 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
A one-time GST/HST credit top-up payment worth up to several hundred dollars is set to hit Canadians’ bank accounts this Friday.
 Just like that! Before the new program officially begins, eligible Canadians will receive a one-time spring payment worth 50 per cent of their annual GST/HST credit amount. For some households, that could mean a few hundred dollars landing in their account this week.
Who is eligible for the top-up payment?
Most Canadians won’t need to apply for the top-up payment — all you had to do was file your taxes in 2024, even if you had no income to report, and be eligible or entitled to the GST/HST credit in January 2026.
The CRA also notes that the family or individual’s net income declared in the 2024 tax filing must fall below the maximum threshold.
How much will you get from the top-up payment?
- $267 for single individuals without children
- $349 for couples without children
- $441 with one child
- $533 with two children
- $625 with three children
- $717 with four children
Parents with shared custody will each receive half of the eligible amount.
 By Gazette Staff
June 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The city has announced several road closures that will be taking place this weekend as both the Moon in June Race and the Cruisin’ Car Show are set to bring family fun to the waterfront and downtown core.
The Burlington Cruisin’ Car Show has two main iterations:
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- Weekly Shows: Every Monday evening (5 p.m. to 8 p.m., excluding holiday Mondays) from May 11 to October 5 in the exterior parking lot of the Burlington Centre (near the Canadian Tire at 777 Guelph Line).
- Annual Special Event: The “Cruisin’ June” special event takes place in Downtown Burlington on Brant Street (between Caroline Street and Lakeshore Road) on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-
 Kelly’s has moved further north on Brant Street and as soon as the city gets the pepper work done they will open up. Meanwhile this Saturday the “Cruisin’ June” will be open. Lower Brant is a bit of a mess with construction taking place at Civic Square and across the street, where a high-rise (17 storeys) is under construction.
The Moon in June Road Race course is shown below:
 The following roads will be closed this Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to allow for the planned events:
- Brant Street from Caroline Street to Lakeshore Road
- James Street from John Street to Brant Street
- Elgin Street from Brant Street to Locust Street
Several roads will also remain open but have lane closures throughout the day:
- Brant Street from Ontario Street to Elgin Street, 4 to 10:30 p.m.
- Lakeshore Road from John Street to Brock Avenue, 7:15 to 10 p.m.
- Brock Avenue from Lakeshore Road to Elgin Street, 7:15 to 9:30 p.m.
- Elgin Street from Brock Avenue to Maple Avenue, 7:15 to 9:30 p.m.
- Richmond Street, Hager Avenue, Ghent Avenue and Olga Drive from 7:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Residents attending the downtown events are encouraged to park on side streets away from the closure and bus routes 2, 4 and 10 will see detours to accommodate the road closures.
There are also regular closures on the Burlington Skyway Bridge each weekend.
 By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
A Different Drummer Books ~ Burlington Public Library
Harper Collins Canada
present
CLARE MACKINTOSH
introducing
It’s Not What You Think
Hosted by SARAH LAING
Saturday June 6 2pm
at
Burlington Public Library, Central Branch
2331 New Street Burlington
Admission Free ~ Please Register
Clare Mackintosh , internationally best-selling and acclaimed author of electrifying crime fiction, visits Burlington with her spellbinding new tale, of a woman’s dark suspicions about her spouse and the stunning deadly events that ensue.
“Clare Mackintosh is a solid-gold storyteller at the top of her game, and It’s Not What You Think should be your next buy-today, read-tonight delight.” –Lee Child
“A nail-biter of a thriller.” –Shari Lapena
Sarah Laing, journalist and cultural commentator known for her features in The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star among many others, will lead a stirring session with Clare.
Meet Sarah and Clare in Centennial Hall at Burlington Public Library, Central Branch on Saturday, June 6 at 2pm.
Admission is free–please register at this link.
A Different Drummer Books
differentdrummerbooks.ca
 By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Mayor Meed Ward Photo taken in May 2026 She said she needed some time to think through her future.
That time came to an end today when Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said she would be running for Mayor and looking forward to a third term
Meed Ward served as a Council member for two terms and then as Mayor for two terms.
By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario Trails Week is an occasion to see and enjoy the splendour of being outdoors. Great sights, scenes you will want to take pictures of and show to your friends.
Parks Ontario operates and maintains these locations
If something interests you, log into the Parks Ontario site and see what is available. Link is shown below.
Step outside and into some Ontario Parks for Ontario Trails Week or save these must-see trails for a summer adventure.
Anyone who is a fan of waterfalls, canyons and selfie-worthy lookouts needs to visit Northwestern Ontario.
See the list: Ontario Parks trails. All the answers to your questions. Click HERE
 By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON,
 BurlingtonGreen believes if we work together we can Make a Difference.
Join us at BG’s Eco-Hub at the Beach (1094 Lakeshore Road) on June 14th or 20th from 10am-12pm to remove garlic mustard. We will learn about the importance of removing invasive plant species, how to identify garlic mustard, and tackle some hotspots in the area.
This family friendly event is best suited to ages 10 and up, and is eligible for high school volunteer hours. Learn more and sign up.
By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Now we know what Library CEO Lita Barrie is reading for the summer. Burlington Library released the Annual Report for 2025. Some interesting numbers.
The Burlington Public Library has six full-service locations and one small rural lending location.
In 2025, the library expanded and improved its services to better serve the community. Library customers enjoyed a wider selection of digital books to borrow, collaborated in free meeting spaces, got creative with new maker spaces at two more branches, and celebrated a new library space at the Robert Bateman Community Centre.
Responding to Your Feedback
Top comments in our annual Customer Satisfaction Survey asked for more selection of books and shorter wait times, more programs on topics like maker services and tech support, and more quiet spaces to work and study.
By the numbers:
By Pepper Parr
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Masha Brar is the third candidate running for the Ward 2 Council seat.
 Masha Brar, a Burlington lawyer is a candidate for the Ward 2 Council seat. She is a lawyer, trained in India, who came to Canada in 2009 and became a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada after studying and articling with a firm. She has a practice focused on Wills and Estates and some property transactions. She has been a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 2020
Brar feels she and her family have been given so much during the time they have been in Canada that it is time for her to give something back.
The family consists of a husband and an 11-year-old son.
The Gazette has arranged for an in-depth interview later in the month. We just wanted get a short piece on the third candidate seeking the Ward 2 seat.
At the moment Gary Carr, current Chair of the Halton Regional Council, a job he has been elected to several times.
That job disappears as soon as the municipal election closes.
Sean Campbell is the third candidate seeking the seat.
Campbell is the co founder of Burlington Helping Burlington.
 By Pepper Parr
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
There is that wonderful phrase “A Day Late and a Dollar Short.” It was actually the title of a movie
 Mayor Meed Ward finds that Ward 6 Councillor Angela Bentivegna is often thetag along partner at many events. ROMA is the Rural Ontario Municipal Association. Some of Ward 6 is rural. It sums up the Motion Mayor Meed Ward and Ward 6 Councillor Angelo are planning to table at the next Standing Committee.
The battle to save any of the golf course property was lost more than two years ago.
The City didn’t just drop the ball – they never really picked it up.
They’ve suckered the residents into thinking the city is ever going to do anything for them.
Worse than that. In a CLOSED DOOR meeting, the city discussed offering the people who bought some of the golf course property $15 million for the land. Councillor Bentivegna let that cat out of the bag.
There is an election in October – the residents of the community can decide who they want to lead them.
By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
For 55 seasons (1971-2026), the Snowbirds have flown to inspire, to bring communities together, and to share the pride and teamwork of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with Canadians from every corner of the country.
Come out to see Canada’s aerobatic team, the Snowbirds, on ground display one last time.
Snowbirds ETA 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Departure approximately 6:30 pm
Museum open 9:00 am to 7:30 pm
Come out to see Canada’s aerobatic team, the Snowbirds, on ground display one last time. Please note this is NOT an air show and the Snowbirds will not be performing their aerobatic routine.
NOTE – this is a weather-dependent event. There will be no rescheduled date.
This is a lot of history doing one last lap.
A great Father’s Day Gift
By Pepper Parr
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Doug Ford spoke in the Legislature before they recessed until October 27th. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles gave Premier Ford a blasting as he headed off on another extended summer vacation, after spending just 30 days in the Ontario Legislature.
“The Ontario Legislature sat for just 30 days this session,” said Stiles. “Doug Ford spent that time buying himself a private jet and changing the law to hide his phone records.
“While we were fighting to make life affordable for Ontario families, Doug Ford gutted OSAP, voted against banning surveillance pricing, and against scrapping the HST on food, putting grocery giants’ profits ahead of the people.
 Marit Stiles, Leader of the NDP Opposition at Queen’s Park tells us that Doug Ford was focused on wasting taxpayer dollars for the 30 days the Legislature met. The Ontario government has shut down the legislature until Oct. 27 after sitting for just 30 days so far this year, taking an extended summer break that opposition leaders charge is meant to shelter Premier Doug Ford from a series of recent controversies.
The Progressive Conservative Premier, who won his third straight majority last year, has lost some public support, according to recently published opinion polls. In particular, he has faced a storm of criticism over his April purchase of a $28.9-million private jet, which he then sold within days after a public outcry.
He has also faced flak for exempting himself, his ministers and most of his MPPs from freedom of information legislation. The FOI changes, forced through without the typical scrutiny of a legislative committee, appeared set to wipe out a court order requiring him to hand over his cellphone logs to the province’s information watchdog.
By Gazette Staff
June 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There’s something special about patio season in Burlington Downtown. It’s gathering with friends on a sunny afternoon, discovering a new favourite spot, lingering a little longer over dinner, and making the most of warm days and vibrant evenings.
That’s why Burlington Downtown is excited to launch the Patio Passport: Sip, Savour, Repeat — a free digital passport designed to encourage locals and visitors to explore the incredible patios, cafés, restaurants, breweries, and outdoor spaces that make our Downtown a must-visit destination all season long.
Running from June through October the Patio Passport celebrates outdoor dining and local discovery. Whether you’re enjoying a lakeside lunch, meeting friends for happy hour, starting your morning with coffee on a patio, or planning a weekend outing Downtown, the Patio Passport makes it easy to turn every visit into a new experience.
Here’s your invitation to spend time Downtown, explore local shops, stroll our streets, and discover the more than 400 businesses that help make Burlington Downtown such a vibrant and welcoming community.
So find a seat in the sunshine, raise a glass, and start checking off patios along the way. Your next favourite spot might be just around the corner!
Download your free Patio Passport and get ready to sip, savour, and repeat all season long!
 By Pepper Parr
June 2nd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Whenever a development is proposed, the city is required under the Planning Act, to hold a Statutory Public Meeting at which Staff present the development, usually in as few words as possible. The public can then comment.
In most situations, the developer’s planner makes a presentation.
On June 9th, the city has scheduled a Statutory meeting for the Bronte Creek development. In July, there will be a Statutory meeting for the King Road development.
The City doesn’t do very much to promote these events. There is a mention on the city website.
Both developments will have a significant impact on the nature of the city, especially the King Road development.
Bronte Creek includes 5164 to 5900 Upper Middle Road & 5201 Mainway is currently a large parcel of vacant land. It is adjacent to Bronte Creek Provincial Park and is bound by Sheldon Creek to the west, Burloak Drive to the east and Mainway to the south.
 The site has been a farm field for decades. Phase 1 will be made up of 254 lots and blocks including parks and open space blocks, employment blocks, natural heritage and stormwater management blocks, and a new public road network as “Phase 1”. Phase 1 will provide approximately 597 new residential units in a mix of single-detached, townhouse and medium-density mixed-use residences.
Phase 1, shown on the left, and Phase 2 on the right.The second development that will be discussed on July 7th.
1200 King Road will be a mixed use development consisting of 26 development blocks including: four mixed use development blocks, an entertainment block, three educational blocks, six residential blocks, a park block, two natural heritage system blocks, three blocks associated with Indian Creek, two stormwater management pond blocks, one landscape buffer block, two MTO property line blocks and one future development block.
 Aldershot GO station is to the left; King Road is the eastern boundary. Both are Alinea Land Group developments. That isn’t the issue.
What is at issue is that the two of them are taking place with very little in the way of public notice. Both are very significant developments that the public has not had much in the way of an opportunity to comment on.
The Gazette has reported in significant detail on both developments. It is time for the public to comment on what is taking place.
All good stuff – but let the public be at the table.
Anyone can comment in person at City Hall on the 9th about the Bronte Creek development. You can also comment virtually.
Mark your calendars. And take part.
 By David Graham
June 2nd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
I grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., in the 1970s. The parents of kids at my school had jobs at the steel plant, the coal mine, the fish plant. They weren’t rich. But most of them owned homes. They saved, they bought and the houses were there to buy because builders could afford to build them.
What builders have to go through today to get a construction permit would be unrecognizable to anyone in 1975, when Canadians were putting up 230,000 new homes a year with two-thirds of the work force we have now.
Fifty years later, with twice the population, we are still putting up the same number of homes. CIBC economists Benjamin Tal and Katherine Judge explained the problem succinctly in a recent report: “Prices are too high to buy and not high enough to build.”
Every story about Canada’s housing crisis is focused on “affordability,” and for good reason. Families are squeezed.
 Every story about Canada’s housing crisis is focused on “affordability,” and for good reason. Families are squeezed. Young people are locked out. It’s painful, but affordability is the symptom of an underlying disease. The disease is feasibility.
For almost 20 years, Atlantic Developments has built and sold condominium projects in downtown Halifax.
In many instances, we provided the opportunity for young people to get into home ownership. But construction costs in the past five years have gone up much faster than the incomes of potential buyers. The economics of building condominiums in Halifax, like much of the rest of Canada, is broken.
Here’s the hard truth: If it’s not feasible for the people who build conventional market housing to make a profit, they stop building. Private developers are the source of 95 per cent of Canadian housing supply. When they stop building, the consequences show up three to five years down the road, with less supply, tighter vacancy rates, higher rents and longer commutes for workers who can’t live near their jobs.
Canada is now one of the hardest places in the developed world to get a construction permit. We’ve built up, layer by layer, a regulatory maze.
A small apartment project in a mid-sized Canadian city can take four to five years from conception to completion. A big project in Toronto or Vancouver can take a decade. Consider this: We ask builders to bet on economic conditions five to 10 years out, in a country where even the Bank of Canada won’t forecast beyond two or three years.
Canada is not alone. Consultants from McKinsey and Co. reported that global construction productivity has not improved in decades, and an RBC report says that Canadian construction labour productivity declined by 37.3 per cent from 2001 to 2023.
Every project is a prototype. Every site has different zoning rules, approvals, inspectors and utility hookups, involving two or three levels of government as well as water, power and telephone utilities. Cumulative oversight, and fees that sometimes comprise 30 per cent of construction costs, are suffocating project feasibility.
Municipalities, creatures of provincial charters, with limited revenue sources and much infrastructure obligation have paid for growth with growth, distorting market efficiency. We have hit a tipping point.
If the federal government wants more housing fast and cost effectively, it must negotiate deals with provinces and municipalities that reduce development charges, hasten approvals and help pay for infrastructure that aligns with population forecasts.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford made a good start with their recent $8.8-billion infrastructure announcement that included development-charge reductions, cost sharing on infrastructure and a time-limited 13-per-cent rebate on HST for all buyers up to $1-million that declines for a home purchase above $1.5-million.
The Carney team must make similar deals with other provinces and municipalities.
Continued and expanded Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. construction and takeout financing programs, make it feasible to build and attainable to buy with the double-barrelled benefit of price competitiveness and additional opportunities for home ownership.
Finally, Ottawa should aim to reduce market uncertainty. It is easier for builders to take calculated risk in a complicated industry if governments project population trends and intentions.
A long-term steady and stable supply of housing is vital to social cohesion, equality, productivity, GDP and Canada’s ambitious prosperity plan.
In my old neighbourhood, homes that were built for steel workers and miners 50 year ago are still providing shelter to families.
For decades we have, step by step, with the best intentions, made it harder and harder for builders to put roofs over our heads.
If we want more homes, governments have no choice but to tackle feasibility.
Private developers are the source of 95 per cent of Canadian housing supply. When they stop building, the consequences show up three to five years down the road, with less supply, tighter vacancy rates, higher rents and longer commutes for workers who can’t live near their jobs.
David Graham is the Founder of Atlantic Developments
By Gazette Staff
June 2nd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
New national unity council to study what’s driving increase in antisemitism.
The new national unity council will assess what is driving antisemitism in Canada and improve research and data collection on hate incidents, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday.
 Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking at a synagogue in Toronto. Speaking at a synagogue in Toronto, Carney said “antisemitism has surged to levels not seen in the postwar period,” noting incidents including the firebombings of synagogues and bullets fired at Jewish schools.
He said more than two-thirds of all religion-motivated hate crimes in 2025 were directed at Jewish Canadians, who make up only one per cent of the population.
Combatting the problem starts with an admission that currently Canada is “failing Jewish Canadians,” he said.
“The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe and it demands a targeted response, and that is what our government is fully committed to,” Carney said.
Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple Yael Splansky said antisemitism is “not a Jewish problem.”
“Just as people of colour cannot fix racism, just as women cannot correct misogyny, Jewish citizens cannot rid the country of antisemitism,” she said. “Only government can govern.”
“Canadian stability is being tested now. Canadian values are on trial now. At this watershed moment in its history, Canada must make good on its promise of peace, order and good government.”
By Pepper Parr
June 2, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
This is one of those occasions where “better late than never” would apply.
I suppose there had to be an official opening.
Whoever set up the event decided it was an occasion to celebrate.
 Public takes part in the celebration of a site that cost them $100 million The Mayor kept calling it a milestone event.
The conversion of what was once Bateman High School is the most expensive development the city has undertaken. It exceeded the cost of the Pier, which was built twice.
Bateman High School was determined to be surplus by the Halton District School Board (HDSB), which made it available. Other school boards, the city and other organizations were able to acquire the property if no one else wanted it – commercial operations, which everyone assumed meant developers could bid on the property.
Tim Commisso, who was the city manager at the time, decided that Burlington could acquire the property and create a community hub.
It was a convoluted exchange of properties. The city owned the playing field to the west of Central High School. The city exchanged the playing field for an interest in the Bateman property.
 The place is home to a number of groups – it has yet to take on a character of its own. They then did a deal with Brock University to have them take space on what would become the second level.
They then moved the Appleby Line Library into the new Bateman Community Centre.
The Halton District School Board took up a lot of space as well
Tech Place, a part of the Burlington Economic Development and Tourism Corporation, a not-for-profit operation that operates at arm’s length from the city took up space
The details were messy.
During the multiple meetings leading up to the closing of the deal, Alan Magi, one of the city’s Executive Director’s at the time could not utter the word asbestos – a product the site was riddled with.
The soccer field at the rear of the building was turned into a parking lot – this was when the city was talking up the use of public transit.
 The Bateman Community Centre has all kinds of space for people to hang around in. Other than the library, there isn’t much that can be used. There doesn’t appear to be a way for community groups to use the gymnasiums or the swimming pool. The design of the space is certainly not an example of the efficient use of space. It is cavernous. There is enough space in the area where you enter to play pickle ball. There is nothing warm about the space.
The multiple communities that use the space don’t have much in common.
During my early tour of the place, the one thing that struck me was – there was no coffee shop or cafeteria; just a vending machine that offered different beverages.
 Lots of space for people to sit around. The three gymnasiums were not in use when I toured the building a month before the Official opening.
 Brock University went all out to connect with the public that attended the Official opening. For the most part, Brock doesn’t have much of a connection with the city. Brock University has a library for its students adjacent to the public library on the ground floor. They also have change rooms and storage space on the ground floor. A visit to the Brock space on the second floor had to be put off to another time.
The HDSB is understood to operate the space that is owned by the city.
As I read about the Celebration of the Official opening, I found myself seeing it as a wedding that was being performed for an unwed but pregnant teenager. These things are usually done quietly in a chapel somewhere – no need to tell the world about the circumstances.
It appears that Burlington saw it as an opportunity for multiple photo ops – and with an election on the horizon, photo ops are not something you take a pass on.
Hopefully, at some point, the place will take on a character of its own – or become a white elephant that didn’t quite work out.
Tim Commisso will have to wear that one, but he has moved on.
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