Summer and summer holidays are traditional times for road tripping.. Last weekend my wife and I went for a weekend visit with dear friends in Orillia. Highway 400 is still being improved but there is a section which hosts high occupancy vehicles (HOV) and even HOV passing lanes. I have an EV which allows me to access HOV even when alone. To maximize my vehicle’s range I typically keep the cruise control at or just above the posted speed limits.
The science is clear. The aerodynamic drag of an automobile guarantees that the faster you go the more energy your vehicle has to use. For fossil fuel powered vehicles that means higher costs and more pollution the faster you drive. A typical gasoline powered vehicle delivering 8.0 L/100 km at 100 kph, jumps to almost 9.0 L/ km at 110 kph. That’s an extra $14 cost for someone with a 60 litre gas tank. In other words, it’s like paying $1.76 per litre when the pump price is only $1.60.
The same rules of high speed inefficiency apply to my EV. I lose 10 to 15% range by travelling at 110 instead of 100 kph. I would need to recharge at least 50 kms sooner on a 500 km trip. So I stick to the speed limit or slightly above the limit – if only to avoid angering the ignorant Yahoos who think they own the road and I should be driving faster.
The pickup truck that was tailgating was one metre gap, though at one point he came within centimeters of my rear bumper. This is what that would have looked like.
I encountered one of these Yahoos on my trip last weekend. He decided to sit on my tail leaving about a one metre gap, though at one point he came within centimetres of my rear bumper. I remained cool and collected and exited as soon as the HOV lane ended. Perhaps this Yahoo didn’t understand that an HOV lane is not a passing lane, or perhaps this was just another example of road rage.
It’s possible that my friend in his speeding pick up truck didn’t realize that over a million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Any increase in average speed increases the likelihood of a crash as well as to the severity of the crash. For every 1% increase in speed there is an estimated 4% increase of fatalities.
According to WHO, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years globally. And if that number doesn’t break your heart, road traffic crashes cost most countries something like 3% of their gross domestic product, more than what Canada currently spends on national defence.
Speeding is typically defined as exceeding the legal speed limit, but it is also driving faster than the conditions allow or the driver is capable of driving. So what do we call it when our own government decides to raise the speed limit despite all the information advising to the contrary?
According to the Ontario government, for more than 25 years, Ontario’s roads have ranked among the safest in North America, with one of the lowest fatality rates per 10,000 licensed drivers. So why would the premier decide to risk that record by raising the speed limit to 110 kph on almost two thousand kms of provincial roads.
This is not what you want to see in your rear view mirror.
Studies have shown that driving faster reduces a driver’s capacity for timely reactions and effective maneuvering. It increases stopping distances and amplifies the likelihood of losing vehicle control. More importantly, it increases the severity of crashes and can lead to more severe injuries.
Speed cameras, where used, have shown a reduction in fatal crashes by roughly 11% to 44%. But Ontario’s Mike Harris and Doug Ford have banned these highly effective speed enforcement tools. Their answer is to create speed bumps in towns and cities and raise the speed limit on the highway. It’s almost Orwellian – speed kills but you’re not really speeding if it is legal.
Perhaps instead of cursing we should be thanking grid lock for slowing us down, saving lives and saving us money at the pumps.
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
Be a part of the show and join Nova Dance’s Body Choir for their upcoming BPAC performance of Svāhā!
Thu Oct 15 2026 | 7:30pm
Whether you’re a dancer, mover, or simply curious, this experience welcomes people from many backgrounds and movement traditions. All levels of experience welcome.
The Body-Choir is an opportunity for community members and dancers of all backgrounds and experience levels to learn from Nova Dance Company artists and cast members of Svāhā!, immerse themselves in the creative process, explore movement practices and artistic traditions, and perform alongside the cast of Svāhā! at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
To register and for more information, please visit our website.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, along with Award-winning dancer and choreographer Nova Bhattacharya (Nova Dance) invites Burlington community members to participate in a free workshop series from September 8 to September 12, 2026. Led by Nova Dance Company artists and cast members of Svāhā!, the workshops will culminate in the co-creation of an opening invocation Body-Choir performance, presented alongside Svāhā! on October 15, 2026, as part of the 26/27 BPAC Presents Season.
Register to participate by August 30, 2026. Participants must be available for all the following dates:
Workshop Schedule
Tuesday, September 8, 6pm–9pm
Thursday, September 10, 6pm–9pm
Friday, September 11, 6pm–9pm
Saturday, September 12, 10am–4pm
Dress Rehearsal and Performance
Wednesday, October 15, rehearsal time TBC
Performance at 7:30pm
Dancers surrender themselves, sparking the imagination, conveying a range of thoughts and sensations through movement, and creating rhythm with their entire beings.
All workshops, the dress rehearsal, and the performance will take place at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust Street, Burlington, ON, L7S 1T7.
About the Show
Svāhā! is a celebration of dance as a revitalizing ritual that brings us closer together. It is an offering of movement, music, colours, and sensations. Created by award-winning choreographer Nova Bhattacharya, Svāhā! embodies the transformative power of dance, expressing the uniqueness of the individual and the value of community. Dancers surrender themselves, sparking the imagination, conveying a range of thoughts and sensations through movement, and creating rhythm with their entire beings.
Gas and diesel fuel are going to spike and probably stay high until the mess at the Straight of Hormuz is resolved.
Dan McTeague
Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, anticipates gasoline prices will rise by eight cents per litre Wednesday. That should place GTA morning (peak) prices for regular-grade gasoline at 172.9 cents per litre.
As for diesel, he anticipates an increase of 11 cents per litre on Wednesday. That should put GTA morning prices at 206.9 cents per litre.
Wednesday increase may be just the start
McTeague worries Wednesday’s price increases may be the start of what’s still to come.
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is reaching a critical low as the United States burns through its emergency stockpile. The Wall Street Journal reports the reserve is reaching its breaking point.
At the same time, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is blockaded by both Iran and the U.S., choking off once again a major oil trade route.
“I think it’s the beginning,” McTeague said.
“We continue to dwindle global supplies while demand is not curbing enough to slow down the drain in supply.”
The 6 p.m. rule: expert tips to save on gas in the GTA
McTeague reminds drivers to wait until the evening to buy gas as stations reduce their profit margins at those times.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns, one of the three people running for the office of Mayor in the October 26th municipal election, has learned that there is a proposal for a technology hub/AI Data Centre that is moving through the Planning Department with no Council involvement.
Lisa Kearns: one of three candidates who want to be Mayor.
Kearns points out that Burlington does not have any Zoning or Land Use provisions related to this type of use, so any applications would be ‘allowed’ without any public or Council input or review.
The location is 3110 South Service Road
Size: two-storey data centre with basement, total of 5,163 square metres
Cooling: proposed to utilize air-cooling (not water-cooling)
Energy draw: estimated at 20MW electricity
Next Steps:
Proposed site for the development on the South Service Road
Kearns plans to move an Urgent Business motion at the Tuesday July 21st City Council Meeting to have Staff report back with options to manage and regulate impacts and options to use planning and non-planning tools to manage this new land use, or an interim control bylaw to allow time to conduct the studies required to control the use of Land, Buildings or Structures for the purpose of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centres on lands with Industrial Zoning.
Kearns points out that this land use request was disclosed to Council members after the last Committee meeting and before Council and should be treated as Urgent. She adds that Council becomes lame duck after the upcoming July 21st Council Meeting and can’t make decisions.
Andrea Grebenc sent us a note saying: “With the upcoming municipal election, I’ve had questions about whether I would apply for the Regional Chair appointment since I ran for the position in 2022. thought I would put out an op-ed type of statement.
Since I ran for the position of Regional Chair for Halton in 2022, people have been asking me whether I would apply for the appointed chair position now that the Ford government has removed the role from the October municipal election ballot.
My answer is no. I will not be applying for the position of Regional Chair.
Andrea Grebenc
To change a democratically elected position into an appointed one, empowered to veto 23 duly elected councillors and mayors, push through provincial priorities rather than the priorities of local voters, and limit public consultation and debate at council is a travesty.
I sought to represent the people, not the Premier and his agenda.
I fear for the future of regional mandates under this new scheme, including the potential privatization of our water. We saw what happened in Walkerton and should never risk seeing it happen again. Our ambulance services and public long-term care facilities could also be at risk of privatization.
Recent undemocratic moves by this government leave me deeply concerned about the future of accountability and transparency at the regional level. Defying a court order to release the contents of the Premier’s cell phone, banning Freedom of Information requests for the Premier and Cabinet, and withholding information about Skills Development Fund scoring that provided millions to potentially unworthy recipients with ties to the PC Party while rejecting worthy applicants all raise serious questions about transparency.
Andrea Grebenc as a candidate during the last provincial election.
These actions leave me apprehensive about the procurement of regional infrastructure projects, including roads, water, and waste management. Finally, I suspect that land-use planning will return to the regional level under this new leadership structure and its expanded powers, allowing for closer provincial control and less local voice over the extremely valuable land here in Halton.
There was another path.
The new structure for Halton Regional Council could have followed the model used by school boards, where the chair is chosen from within the elected council itself. That approach would have preserved the tenets of democracy, ensuring that local voices, influence, and priorities remain in Halton rather than being dictated from an office or two at Queen’s Park.
The people of Halton deserve a Regional Chair who is accountable to them, not an appointment that answers first to the provincial government.
Andrea Grebenc is a former Chair of the Halton District School Board trustees.
The Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) made that point in a very commanding fashion during the weekend
The team that went to the Swim Ontario 2026 Championships and came home with two silver medals. Devilrays CoachSergei Soloukhin with Ella Markowsky and the three youth swimmers: Seamus Hilson, Remi Jacquemart and Heinrich Meissner-Roloff.
The Swim Ontario Championships that took place in Toronto ranked the 89 clubs that participated
BAD ended up in 43rd place with 241 points and Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (GHAC) ended up in 58th place with 128 points out of 89 clubs.
This was the club that was given all the pool time for three years in a contract that was determined by a Procurement procedure that was not designed or intended for small financial matters.
Procurement, a very rigorous process used when million-dollar fire trucks are being bought.
Mayor Meed Ward is reported to have said that contracts can be broken and that the Procurement process was a mistake.
Time for the city to correct that mistake.
BAD, had to scramble to find space for its members and was fortunate enough to get pool time at the YMCA.
Two weeks ago, BAD held its annual Long Course Invitational that was a huge success.
The Club has held this event for several years.
BAD learned that in 2027 GHAC will have the pool for the second week in June, which meant BAD didn’t have a pool for their annual event.
Consideration is being given to letting BAD use the pool for the 4th week of June in 2027. ‘Consideration being given’ is not enough. BAD has to plan for the event, and the clubs that take part in the event have to plan as well.
BAD swimmers practicing.
BAD has been left with a serious predicament by the city. Council doesn’t seem to be fussed by the problem. They don’t seem to have a problem with letting a Hamilton-based club push a 40-year Burlington Club aside with little in the way of explanation.
One would think that Council members would applaud what BAD managed to do during the Swim Ontario event.
BAD ranked much higher than GHAC in the final standings total.
GHAC showed their colours in a YouTube video, bragging that they were now the “Burlington Swimming Club”.
Tough statement to back up when you are 15 points lower in the rankings that the club you have been bullying for the past two years.
We are told that the Gordie Howe Bridge will be officially opened on July 27th, now that there is a revised agreement on where the toll money is going to go.
The Conservative Party wants to know just what the changes in the agreement amount to?
It was a good question. The chances of getting a detailed answer would appear to be pretty slim.
With the House of Commons on summer holidays until September 21st, the bridge will have been operating for more than a month.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge. What a beauty!
In a letter to the Minister handling the discussions with the Trump White House, the Conservatives ask:
What, Exactly, Did Canada Win?
Dear Minister LeBlanc,
Canada paid 100% of the cost of building the Gordie Howe International Bridge in exchange for a promise that we would collect 100% of the tolls until the cost was repaid. We even paid for infrastructure on the American side of the border. We took on the risk and the cost. We deserve to recover our money. That is why we were shocked to learn that you have agreed to give half of the toll profits to the United States, at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.
Before the bridge opens, Canadians deserve the full agreement, a complete accounting of its costs, and clear answers about what was given away.
Dominic Leblanc
The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge should be a moment of national pride. This critical crossing will strengthen trade, shorten travel times, and support workers and businesses on both sides of the border. Canadians can take pride in the planners, builders, and taxpayers who delivered it.
Yet your government’s announcement of a July 27 opening raises serious questions about the deal struck with the United States. Canada financed the bridge, its approaches, ports of entry, and the Michigan connection to Interstate 75. Taxpayers assumed the cost and risk. Your announcement, however, speaks vaguely of “cooperative measures” on tolls, American concurrence for certain changes, and a 15-year economic development fund tied to bridge profits—without disclosing the full agreement or its costs to Canadians.
Media reports indicate that half of the bridge’s net profits will now flow to a regional fund, with the United States gaining new authority over toll decisions. If true, these are extraordinary concessions on an asset built and paid for by Canadians.
Canadians deserve straight answers:
Will you immediately release the full agreement, including all amendments, side letters, financial arrangements, and commitments to the United States?
What precisely will be divided: gross toll revenue, operating profit, net profit after expenses, or revenue after Canada has fully recovered its investment?
Will any bridge revenue be transferred, shared, or placed in the economic development fund before Canadian taxpayers recoup the project’s full cost?
What does the government project this 15-year fund will distribute, and how much will be spent in Canada versus the United States?
What new authority has been granted to the United States over toll rates? Can American officials block increases, demand decreases, or otherwise slow Canada’s recovery of its investment?
Did the agreement alter the bridge’s ownership, governance, liabilities, or the original timetable for recovering Canada’s contribution?
What did Canada receive in return—beyond American agreement not to obstruct the opening of a bridge that Canada alone paid to build?
The original Crossing Agreement already provided for cooperation with Michigan after Canada recovered its costs, expected to take decades. Surplus revenues were then to be divided equally, with shared obligations for future shortfalls. Has your government now granted the United States access to profits decades early, without any corresponding contribution to the billions Canada spent?
This cannot be viewed in isolation. Prime Minister Carney was elected promising he could “handle” President Trump, negotiate wins, and secure the best deal for Canada.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised he could “handle Trump,” “negotiate a win,” and get a deal by “July 21st” of last year. It was all an illusion. A year after his own deadline, what has he accomplished? He has conceded to every one of the President’s demands and gotten nothing in return, except double the tariffs on Canada now applying to more goods.
He has given away all our bargaining chips without even showing up at the negotiating table. He rightly reversed course on the DST, the Netflix Tax Hike, counter tariffs and defence spending, but failed to use these as bargaining chips to get U.S. tariffs removed in return. Now he appears to have given the U.S. half the toll profits on a bridge for which Canada paid 100% of the cost.
In the meantime, Canadians want answers. Before the bridge opens on July 27, release the full agreement. Provide Canadians with a complete accounting of what was given away, what was received, and the true cost of this deal.
Prime Minister Carney promised Canadians he would negotiate a win with the United States. What, exactly, did Canada win?
Tough words: questions that had to be asked and have to be answered.
This summer, sixty singers from Burlington-based Myriad Ensemble will travel to Helsingborg, Sweden, this summer to represent Burlington and Canada at the 2026 World Choir Games, the world’s largest international choral competition.
Bringing together hundreds of choirs and thousands of singers from around the globe, the World Choir Games celebrates artistic excellence, cultural exchange, and the unifying power of music. Myriad Ensemble has been invited to compete in the prestigious Champions Competition, performing alongside some of the world’s finest choirs.
You can hear the choir when they present a special send-off concert, Trevlig Resa (Bon Voyage!), on Thursday July 30 7:00pm, Port Nelson United Church.
Elise Naccarato, Founder and Artistic & Executive Director of Myriad Ensemble.
“I don’t know that I will ever have the words to fully express how proud I am of this ensemble,” says Elise Naccarato, Founder and Artistic & Executive Director of Myriad Ensemble. “Representing Burlington and Canada on the international stage is an extraordinary honour, but what means the most to me is knowing that we have earned our place there. Myriad has always believed that artistic excellence and an extraordinary sense of community can, and should, exist side by side. These singers continue to raise the bar, take risks, and pour themselves into the music we create together. I cannot wait for the world to hear what Myriad can do.”
Founded in Burlington, Myriad Ensemble has become recognized for its artistic excellence, innovative programming, and commitment to fostering an inclusive singing community. The choir regularly performs works by Canadian composers and is known for championing diverse voices and contemporary choral repertoire.
For the World Choir Games, the ensemble will present a distinctly Canadian program featuring music by celebrated Canadian composers alongside repertoire that showcases the ensemble’s versatility and artistry.
The journey to Sweden has been made possible through the generosity of donors and community partners who have rallied behind the ensemble throughout its fundraising campaign. The choir continues to work toward its goal of raising $30,000 to offset travel and participation costs, ensuring the opportunity remains accessible for all singers.
On Thursday July 30 (7:00pm, Port Nelson United Church), Myriad will present a special send-off concert, Trevlig Resa (Bon Voyage!), featuring the repertoire the choir will perform in two competition categories and will participate in the Friendship Concert series.
Myriad Ensemble.
The concert offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the programs before they are presented on the international stage while supporting the ensemble’s journey.
“Competing at the 2026 World Choir Games, just six years after our organization’s incorporation, is a significant milestone. Doing so is indicative of the dedication and vision of Myriad Ensemble’s leadership team, and the support of our community, donors, and sponsors,” says Jen Wells, Chair of the Board of Myriad Ensemble. “It is a true gift to make and experience music with other people. We very much look forward to having an opportunity to do so within our group and with other choirs on the world stage. It will undoubtedly be a trip of a lifetime individually and organizationally.”
The Choir will also perform at the Performing Arts Centre on December 5th
Community members can follow Myriad Ensemble’s journey to Sweden through regular updates, including behind-the-scenes content and performance highlights, on the ensemble’s social media accounts throughout the World Choir Games.
Billed as a music festival, the three-day event is hosted by the Ontario Food Truck organization.
Thirty food trucks will be on-site. Admission is free
While festival-goers enjoy their sumptuous culinary delights by the waterfront, there will be a constant flow of live musical entertainment.
This is going to make a dent in the patio business as well as the restaurants. Weather might make being inside an air-conditioned location a better choice.
The Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) sent four swimmers to the 2026 Ontario Swimming Championships. They came home with two provincial silver medals, a top-20 provincial finish for every single athlete, and a team standing of 43rd among the 89 clubs entered — with 241 points, ahead of dozens of programs several times their size.
Fields drawn from Ontario’s fastest qualified swimmers
Team standing
43rd of 89 — 241 points
89 clubs entered from across Ontario
To understand what that paragraph actually means, you have to understand what this meet is.
This is not just a swim meet. It is the final round of a season-long elimination.
Devilrays CoachSergei Soloukhin with Ella Markowsky and the three youth swimmers: Seamus Hilson, Remi Jacquemart and Heinrich Meissner-Roloff.
The Ontario Swimming Championships is the province’s premier long-course competition, and there is no entering it on enthusiasm. Every event carries a qualifying time standard: an athlete must first swim fast enough, in officiated sanctioned competition, to earn each individual entry. That filter is applied across an entire season to the tens of thousands of registered competitive swimmers in Ontario — one of the deepest swimming provinces in Canada, the training ground of Olympic champions. The 1,049 swimmers who made it to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre are the survivors of that filter. Simply standing behind the blocks at OSC already places a swimmer in roughly the fastest one or two percent of the sport in this province.
Now consider what a placement inside that field means — in a sport that measures to the hundredth of a second. The margins at this level are fingertips: the difference between gold and silver, or between 10th place (which scores championship points) and 11th (which does not), is routinely a few hundredths of a second — less than the blink of an eye. And the field is so compressed that first through twentieth in the entire province can be separated by only a handful of seconds. To finish in the top 20 of an OSC event, then, is to be quite literally one of the twenty fastest swimmers in your category in all of Ontario, within seconds of the very best. A medal means that across every club and every pool in the province, exactly one swimmer touched the wall faster in that age category. At most clubs, a single top-20 provincial finish is a season highlight.
Burlington’s four swimmers produced, across the 19 individual entries; two silver medals, nine top 10 finishes, six top 20 and three top 25 finishes for the respective events and age categories.
Provincial silver at 15 and 11, top-5 provincial swim at 11, all swimmers in the top-20 at 11 — these are the results of athletes at the very beginning of their careers already standing among the fastest in Ontario.
Measured against the giants, the small club held its own
Ella Markowsky, on the right, earned silver in Open 50m free freestyle.
Championship team standings reward depth: Markham won with nearly 6,000 points, built by dozens of scoring athletes from a 70-swimmer entry, with relay points stacked on top. That is what resources buy, and Burlington’s four cannot be measured on the same scale. But on a per-athlete basis they more than held their own: three of BAD’s four swimmers produced top-10 scoring swims — a roughly 75% scoring rate, against something closer to 50–56% for larger programs like Markham, Oakville, and the Toronto Swim Club. It is not a clean, like-for-like comparison — a small, hand-picked squad will naturally convert at a higher rate than a large club that enters deep rosters knowing many swimmers will place outside the top 10 — but even read with that caution, three of four scoring, from the smallest tier of clubs, is a strong return, and it puts Burlington in the top half of the 89-club field.
The sharpest comparison, though, is with the meet’s other small delegations, which landed all across the table. A few similarly sized clubs — some of them fielding only senior swimmers — reached the top 30; others finished well down the standings, as a small handful of athletes up against clubs many times their size usually will. Burlington’s 43rd place sits in the upper band of that small-club field — achieved with a squad built around three 11-year-olds and one 15-year-old senior, the former being the profile with the most development still ahead of it.
There is one quieter measure worth knowing about, recorded in the meet’s official progression report, which sets every swim against the athlete’s entry time. Three of Burlington’s four swimmers bettered their seed times in some, most or all of their events — a modest but telling sign of athletes who arrived at the season’s biggest meet prepared, paced, and properly tapered, a telling sign of quality coaching.
And now the part that makes it extraordinary: the year this club just had
Seamus Hilson, earned silver in the youth 50m free -metre freestyle.
This result did not come from a program operating at full strength. It came at the end of a season in which Burlington’s only fully local, member-run competitive swim club essentially rebuilt itself from the ashes. BAD has been operating with a major cut to its pool time; the Ron Edwards YMCA in Burlington has since become the club’s partner and home, providing some of the most crucial water to keep it afloat. But less pool time has fed a slower, more corrosive problem: attrition. The roughly 180-swimmer club develops promising athletes and then, again and again, loses them — not only from its senior ranks but from the age groups beneath — to neighbouring programs several times its size, clubs drawing on memberships upwards of 500 to 600 with far more water to offer. Its senior track has thinned to just 27 athletes, and the same pull works its way down through the younger swimmers. At this very championship, a few of the former BAD elite swimmers who swam for BAD just a year ago, now swam for neighbouring clubs. A club that trains its swimmers up only to watch them leave cannot hold its competitive edge for long — and pool time is the thread all of it hangs on.
The club’s answer, all season, was to give more of itself. Three weeks before the championships, BAD hosted one of the region’s largest swim meets — more than 900 swimmers at Nelson Pool — staffed almost entirely by its own families, 97% of the volunteer shifts filled from within. And then four of its swimmers went to Toronto and finished the story. A comeback season, crowned.
The swimmers, coaches, parents and volunteers have done their part, emphatically. The open question this result should put in front of Burlington is whether these athletes will still be wearing Burlington caps in three years. That answer is no longer about talent or coaching. It is about pool time and whether or not Burlington will have a home for the team who carries its city’s name with pride.
This report was prepared by a BAD Board member using data from the official OSC 2026 point score, entry statistics, and athlete progression reports,Swim Ontario final results, July 12, 2026.
Bonnie Crombie will officially enter the race for mayor of Mississauga on Tuesday, ending months of speculation that the most recent Ontario Liberal leader would try to win back her old job.
This is the definition of “wearing out your welcome” and what has led the public to the point where they now feel the politicians are in it for themselves.
Bonnie Crombie was seen as a “cinch” to become Premier when the election was called. She wasn’t able to win the seat she was running in.
Crombie succeeded the legendary Hazel McCallion as mayor in 2014.
The Toronto Star reports that: “After being re-elected to a third term in a landslide in 2022, she left to run for the Ontario Liberal leadership a year later. Though the party made back some ground and regained official party status in the 2025 provincial election, Crombie lost her bid for the Mississauga—Cooksville seat and resigned as leader in January.
“Crombie announced her intention to resign after earning a tepid 57 percent support in a mandatory leadership review vote following the 2025 provincial election.
“While Crombie’s time at the helm was mixed, Liberal fortunes improved under her watch. The party won 30 percent of the popular vote in the February 2025 election, second to Ford’s Progressive Conservatives and higher than the 18.5 per cent won by the New Democrats, who hold the second-most seats and serve as the Official Opposition.
Bonnie Crombie in Burlington is looking for support.
“The party also increased its seat count from nine to 14 MPPs, and boosted fundraising events that added millions of dollars to Liberal coffers for the first time since 2018.
“Crombie will be running against former council colleague and current mayor Carolyn Parrish, who won a June 2024 by-election, as well as current councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla.
“Her candidacy could also change the mayoral campaign into a fierce battle between two high-profile rivals, potentially opening up an unexpected pathway to victory for lesser-known candidates like Tedjo and Damerla.
“Crombie won the 2022 mayoral election with 78 per cent of the popular vote. In the 2024 by-election, Parrish was elected with 31 percent of the vote, while Tedjo received 25 percent and Damerla 19 percent.”
People run for public office to serve those that elect them. That understanding is changing; people are running for public office to serve themselves. Crombie needs to be solidly trounced.
The trees have to be protected. No one wants to harm a tree – but did all the trees have to be protected like this? Who made up this rule? Looks like a make work project that wasn’t needed.
Just about every house on the Crescent has orange netting around their trees.
The Region was doing some Rambo Creek upgrade work, and the orange netting was seen as necessary.
The netting has been there for weeks. The residents have reached out to their ward Councillor; she always says she’ll get back to us, but never does.
The netting is everywhere.
“No one has told us if the work is ongoing or complete.
“If complete, when will hideous gates be coming down? No answer so far.
Conversations with Halton Region tell us they’re coming to take the gates down.
“Poor communication, no follow up lack of co-ordination from City of Burlington & Region of Halton.
“Rambo Crescent home owners are left in the dark.
And this house as well. The residents want to know when the netting is going to be removed.
” We’re all frustrated & angry at the state of our street.”
Heinrich Meissner-Roloff is part of the four-member Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) that attended the Swim Ontario 2026 Championships taking place at the PanAm Complex in Toronto.
Heinrich Meissner-Roloff, a swimmer and a triathlon.
He is also a Triathlon with a very respectable placing.
He is a reader, currently working his way through the Hardy Boys and thinks he might like to become an electrician.
He has two brothers and a sister.
Eleven years old and good at math; he likes working with division. He loves his time in the gymnasium.
His focus when he is in the pool is pushing himself to do better every stroke.
During the trials at Swim Ontario, all four BAD members placed fourth in their events; not unusual for a club that is rebuilding its competitive swimmers.
Seamus Hilson, placed second in the 50 metre freestyle
Seamus Hilson, a freestyle swimmer with the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD), placed second in the 50 metre event taking part in the Swim Ontario Championships in Toronto at the PanAm Sports Complex.
He is a student at Central Public where science and gymnastics are his top subjects.
The solar system fascinates him, saying he would be “surprised if there wasn’t something in the way of another species out there”.
Seamus Hilson
He is part of the competitive team that Coach Sergei Soloukhin is building. It is a small group right now – four BAD members went to the Swim Ontario Championships.
Seamus explains part of what drives him as a swimmer. Whenever he improves on his personal best, his father gives him $20
Ella Markowsky on the right with Bao Chau Clara Tran at the Swim Ontario Championships.
The beginning of the rebuild of the Devilrays began today at the Swim Ontario Championships at the Toronto PanAm pool in Toronto where Ella Markowsky placed second in the Women’s 50-metre freestyle.
Markowsky came in with a time of 27.17
First place went to Bao Chau Clara Tran who swims for the Oakville Club. Her time was 27.00
Devilrays Coach Sergei Soloukhin with Ella Markowsky
Devilrays Coach Sergei Soloukhin has been working at building the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) for a number of years. When the club lost their pool time in city locations, they had to turn to the YMCA for time in their pool. “We lost close to half our membership that year” said Soloukhin.
Markowsky was the only female swimming for BAD in Toronto.
Three boys in the 11 age category did well, but they did not place.
Celebrate with Ontario Parks on Friday, July 17, 2026 by heading out to a favourite park for our Free Day Use Event in support of theHealthy Parks, Healthy People movement.
Ontario Parks Free Day Use Event is a time to strengthen and rediscover our connection to nature. Ontario’s provincial parks are home to some of the most inspiring and beautiful landscapes in the country.
Connecting with nature is great for our physical and mental health. Time outdoors can improve sleep, increase productivity, and decrease stress, among many other benefits.
Events are taking place in parks across the province to strengthen nature connectedness and showcase all that Ontario Parks has to offer. Check out the events calendarto find nearby events.
Everyone is invited to head into a park on July 17, 2026 for a dose of nature. Access to Ontario Parks will be complimentary for the day. To guarantee access to parks offering advance daily vehicle permits, visitors are strongly encouraged to obtain a daily vehicle permitup to five days in advance of July 17 at no charge.
The project by Core Development Group was set to turn 2093, 2097, and 2101 Old Lakeshore Road plus 2096 and 2100 Lakeshore Road in Burlington into a 27 storey building that would include the Carriage Gate restaurant. But the bank took their keys back.
Rendering of the project.
Real estate insolvencies have, unfortunately, become relatively commonplace over the past few years, but few have involved Canada’s biggest banks, making a recent case a rare occurrence.
The project is a 27-storey mixed-use condo project called the Burlington Waterfront, which was being developed by Toronto-based developer Core Development Group through Core FSC Lakeshore Limited Partnership and Core FSC Lakeshore GP Inc.
The site of the project is a land assemblyconsisting of 2093, 2097, and 2101 Old Lakeshore Road, plus 2096 and 2100 Lakeshore Road, located about two blocks east of the Waterfront Hotel Burlington, and steps away from the waters of Lake Ontario.
The parcels are currently occupied by five buildings and a parking lot; only one of the buildings is home to a tenant, while the others are unoccupied and have been boarded up.
According to City of Burlington records, the Ontario Land Tribunal approved the project in May 2022. The project was to include 310 residential units with commercial space on the ground level, a five-level underground parkade, and privately-owned public space along the western property line.
The decision to go forward with this project meant the opportunity to do something really dramatic was lost. The Burlington Waterfront project set for 2093, 2097, and 2101 Old Lakeshore Road plus 2096 and 2100 Lakeshore Road in Burlington. (Studio JCI, Core Development Group)
Behind The Scenes
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank) initiated the receivership proceedings with an application dated April 29 pertaining to a first-ranking land loan the two sides entered into in February 2023 for the principal amount of $18,000,000.
According to TD Bank, the loan was repayable on demand and their agreement allowed TD to “accelerate the payment of the obligations” in the event of a default or if TD did not approve development financing by February 28, 2026.
The loan was guaranteed by Core Development Group, but also Forgestone Capital through Forgestone Capital Fund No. 2 LP, FSC Old Lake GP Inc., and FSC Old Lake Limited Partnership. TD says that Core Development guaranteed up to 25% of total outstanding liabilities while Forgestone guaranteed 75%.
According to TD, as the development financing deadline neared, the three parties began discussions in December 2025 to address the obligations and the possible sale of the property. Those discussions continued into February, and led to TD discovering that a secondmortgagehad been registered against the property by Forum Subterra General Partner Inc. for $249,390.
Subterra Renewables is a developer and operator of geothermal heating and cooling systems for developers that has operated in partnership with Forum Asset Management since 2019 under Forum Subterra Limited Partnership. Forum then acquired Subterra earlier this year.
One of the best restaurants in town.
What will happen to the Carriage Gate restaurant?
The Receivership
TD says that the registration of the second mortgage without their consent represented a default. The borrowers also failed to make a monthly interest payment on February 9 in the amount of $67,924.23, which represented another default. Thus, TD issued a formal demand for payment on March 4, and said in its receivership application that it was owed $18,240,367.62 as of April 28, with interest continuing to accrue.
“In the circumstances set out above, I believe that it is just and equitable that a receiver be appointed by the Court,” said Dave Gemin, a Director of TD Bank’s National Real Estate Group in an affidavit dated April 28.”
“A receiver is necessary for the protection and realization of the Real Property and the interests of TD and all stakeholders,” added Gemin. “TD believes that the appointment of a receiver would enhance the prospect of recovery by TD and protect all stakeholders.”
TD’s receivership application was granted by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on May 19, with the judge presiding over the case noting that Forgestone was supportive of the receivership.
The property is now expected to go through a court-ordered sales process.
This article first appeared in Storyes. It was written by Howard Chai
A weekend partial closure is required to complete bridge deck rehabilitation on the Niagara‑bound lanes of the Burlington Bay Skyway.
One middle lane will be closed from Friday, July 10 from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. Monday, July 13
The ramp from the Eastport Drive collector lanes to the Burlington Skyway will be closed Friday, July 10, from 10 p.m. to Saturday, July 11 at 7 a.m. and again Sunday, July 12 at 10 p.m. to Monday, July 13 at 5 a.m., to allow for relocation of temporary barrier walls.
During this closure, two through‑lanes will remain open on the QEW and one lane to the Burlington Skyway will be available from the Eastport Drive collector lanes.
All ramps at the Northshore Boulevard interchange will remain open.
Eastport Drive will remain fully open and can be used as an alternate route to re‑enter the QEW Niagara‑bound.
In addition, lane widths will be reduced for the duration of the season. “Narrow lane” signage will be in place.
All closures are weather dependant.
There is an end date for the necessary repair work being done.
It is expected that there may be traffic delays during this closure.
Advance signing and notification will be provided to motorists so they can plan an alternate route.
Eastport drive will remain fully open to traffic as an alternate route, allowing motorists to rejoin the QEW Niagara-bound.
All ramps at Northshore Blvd will remain open during these overnight full closures.
By Ray Rivers
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
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