 By Paul Deegan
October 4th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
This National Newspaper Week, as we face the rise of fake news amplified by algorithms that prioritize engagement, it is in everyone’s interest to protect the truth.
 In their 2018 book Truth Decay, Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich of the RAND Corporation, wrote about the role news publishers and broadcasters play in mediating information – separating fact from fiction. They differentiate between these businesses and Big Tech platforms, arguing that because the former can be sued for defamation and hold themselves to journalistic standards, they remain accountable.
According to Kavanagh and Rich, “the filters and algorithms embedded in social media platforms and search engines, such as Google, contribute to Truth Decay — and particularly to increasing disagreement and the blurring of the distinction between opinion and fact — by inserting bias into the types of information a person is likely to encounter or engage with.”
 Generative artificial intelligence has compounded the problem. In the seven years since their book was published, generative artificial intelligence has compounded the problem. AI companies are flagrantly scraping and summarizing content directly from published news articles. This is theft on an industrial scale – plain and simple.
Publishers are being harmed because these artificial intelligence overviews are so detailed that the reader often stays within Big Tech’s walled garden, rather than being pointed electronically to news websites via links. No clicks mean no money for publishers to reinvest in fact-based, fact-checked journalism.
Readers are being harmed too. All too often, these artificial intelligence overviews serve up slop: inaccurate, irrelevant, out-of-date, and even harmful information. In today’s attention economy, these companies prioritize engagement. That leaves it up to the user to try to separate fact from fiction.
In a world of misinformation and disinformation, we need fact-based, fact-checked journalism. Crowdsourcing is not journalism. There are no alternative facts: there are just facts. And Canadians need facts to live their lives and to make informed decisions that empower them to participate effectively in democratic processes.
 Federal government advertisement. “Buy Canadian” is part of the solution. According to a recent report from Canadian Media Means Business, 92 per cent of digital ad dollars are now going to non-Canadian platforms, which puts the sustainability of Canadian media in jeopardy. Governments across Canada should not be spending their advertising dollars with foreign search and social media giants. They should walk the talk and “Buy Canadian”. They should follow the Government of Ontario’s lead and set aside a minimum of 25 per cent of their advertising budgets for trusted news brands. And that should be one of the planks in the Government of Canada’s new Buy Canadian Policy, which seeks to ensure our economy is resilient and self-reliant.
Beyond ensuring federal advertising is placed in a brand safe manner and without any additional cost to the taxpayer, a federal set-aside would send an important signal to other orders of government and to the private sector about protecting Canada’s digital sovereignty and sustaining independent, commercially viable public interest journalism.
More than 85 per cent of adults in Canada turn to newspaper content each week, and two-thirds trust that content – ahead of television, radio, magazines, social media, and online search.
Editor’s note: That statement is not completely true. Older people used to getting a newspaper delivered to the doorstep are still reading newspapers. The people under 35 – not so much.
Paul Deegan is president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada
 By Pepper Parr
October 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
First of series on the changes taking place in print media and the challenge keeping the public informed.
This is National newspaper week; an occasion to look at the challenges the news business faces.
That daily newspaper that was read in most households in the evening or the paper that was delivered in the morning before Dad left for work are things of the past.
 Once the largest newspaper in western GTA – the Spectator struggles to stay alive. We no longer have daily newspapers, or weekly newspaper that tell us what is going on in our communities, provinces, the rest of the country or the world.
There are some daily newspaper being published. The Hamilton Spectator comes out six days a week but it is not the powerful local daily it once was.
Except for a small number of daily newspapers that are national in scope – the New York Times, the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times – include some of the financial press like the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times and that is what we have. There are exceptions but they are few and far between.
Those publications have reasonably robust advertising bases that fund the operation; everyone else was taken out by services based on the internet.
Craig’s List and Kajiji killed Classified Advertising; a service that drew in millions in revenue with little in the way of editorial expense other than taking down the information and setting it all up under the dozens of classifications. It was a brilliant idea that has been with us for centuries in different forms.
 Classified advertising was phenomenally successful Newspaper revenue from classifieds advertisements decreased continually as internet classifieds grew. Classified advertising at some of the larger newspaper chains dropped by 14% to 20% in 2007, while traffic to classified sites grew by 23%.
This was the beginning of the end for print newspapers. It took an additional decade and a half for the business side of newspapers to realize that they were in serious trouble – by that time it was too late.
In the past year the Toronto Star pulled the plug on their Metroland unit that published close to 50 weekly newspapers in the province.
 Soon after Kajiji was created others created versions of online advertising that included photographs – it was classified with colour and all on line. Without a financial base print was dead – going on line was the answer but it took time for the larger media companies to figure that out.
Newspapers could tell a story – they had sections that reported on business – the Globe and Mail Report on Business being the most successful. Ironic that while very good at reporting news they were not able to see how what they were reporting was going to impact them. They weren’t able to see the fundamental change that was taking place.
An interesting example of the newspaper that saw the change coming and found a way to change their business model.
The Toronto Star and LaPresse, the largest French newspaper in Quebec, formed a joint venture with the Toronto Star to create a digital version of the newspaper and publish as online newspapers.
 Going totally digital worked for Montreal’s French language newspaper. It worked for LaPresse – the Star was never able to convince their readers that online was going to be the way you got your news.
In 2016, a few years after the launch of La Presse+, print was restricted to Saturdays and shortly thereafter, on 31 December 2017, the last newspaper was printed.
Publisher Guy Crevier says the paper will become the world’s first major daily to go completely digital on weekdays as it responds to a permanent shift in advertising spending.
Guy Crevier, publisher of LaPresse, pointed out that the North American newspaper sector had lost 63 per cent of its revenues — or $29 billion — over the past decade. “There is nobody who can survive in an environment like that.
The Toronto Star was losing far too much money – the family trust that held a majority of the voting shares accepted an offer to sell the newspaper.
 Nicole MacIntyre – Toronto Star editor The newspaper was acquired by NordStar Capital on May 26, 2020, after the board of Torstar voted to sell the company to the investment firm for CA$52 million—making Torstar a privately held company.
The two businessmen, Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett bought the newspaper along with the regional newspapers and the chain of weeklies, and found that they didn’t share the same vision for the Toronto Star. Bitove bought out Rivett. In July the Star appointed Nicole MacIntyre as editor.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON March 14, 2011 – David Vollick got asked to help at a church event awhile ago – they needed someone with a loud voice to let people know about the different events that were taking place one Christmas Season. They dressed him up a bit and gave him a bell to ring and that planted the deed of an idea in Dave’s mind that resulted in his appearing before a city council committee to suggest that Burlington might get itself a Town Crier.
 Costs $50. to clean and press the uniform – but he is pretty isn’t he. David Vollick as a Town Crier. Council kind of liked the idea and sent it off to staff to consider all the implications and sometime later this year the city will probably have a Town Crier of its very own. Vollick wasn’t asking Council to pay him to do the job but he did point at that the people getting the benefit of the Crier usually pay a small stipend to cover the cost of cleaning the elaborate uniform they wear.. As Dave pointed out ”it costs $50. to have this uniform cleaned and pressed.”
His wife Barbara often joins him at any events he works. What council heard was that Crier could read out the public declarations that are made by the Mayor. Girl Guide Month or Small Business Week – the range is immense. There could be a proclamation made on Canada Day.
The first documented use of a Town Crier was in1066, after the Norman Invasion of England. Criers were regularly used after that by the ruling King or Queen to inform all the citizens of their orders and decrees. To this day old English law still protects Criers from being Hindered or Heckled whilst carrying out their duties.
The term “Posting A Notice” comes from the act of the Town Crier attaching the notice or Proclamation he had read to the door post of the local Inn or Tavern.
Citizens of the towns relied on the crier for the information, be it good or bad news. Criers were not always men. Many Town Criers were women. Bells were not the only attention getting device. In Holland a Gong was the instrument of choice for many, and in France they used a Drum, or a Hunting Horn.
Criers where often old military veterans who could read and write but who had fallen on hard times. The position of Town Crier gave them employment and a pension. The position of Town Crier has often been passed from one generation to the next.
Council directed the City Manager to investigate the idea of establishing an Official Town Crier for Burlington, looking into the costs and report back to the Community Services committee by April 20.
 David Vollick ably assisted by his wife Barbara. The intention was to hold a contest for a crier if the city manager could find a benefit for the city. Tourism Burlington was reported to like the idea and Vollick could see the Crier being used for store openings and other events that wanted to draw public attention.
We just might see someone at City Hall reading out a Proclamation on Canada Day while the cyclists zoom by.
[retweet]
 By Staff
June 2nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
We apologize for the error in the photograph of Dr. Lennox that first appeared in this article.
New Democrats will announce a motion this week addressing social media harms to youth.
 NDP member and Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions – Dr. Robin Lennox MPP Catherine Fife, joined by Deputy House Leader and Shadow Minister for Education, Chandra Pasma; and Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions with responsibility for Primary Care, Robin Lennox; will introduce her motion calling for action on the harmful impacts of social media on children and youth in Ontario.
The motion urges the government to study the addictive design of platforms, clarify the responsibilities of tech companies, and implement health warnings through Ontario’s public health units.
Everyone is taking a whack at social media – especially the politicians, who use it more than any other sector of society.
 Brock University recently published a paper on just how serious the problem is.
“Information is rooted in the political agenda of the media outlet or person putting it online, and we need to confirm facts via other sources, such as print media, parents and teachers, and alternative websites,”
We have attached a link to the article: Spotting fakes and facts: Brock experts on why digital literacy is critical for children
By Pepper Parr
January 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
There wasn’t much in the way of notice.
The last print edition of the Burlington Post was printed on September 15th. The public got the news a day before. The Post is one of 70 local newspapers that are part of Metroland.
What does all this mean to Burlington?
 John Best, a colleague who publishes the Bay Observer put it very well when he said: “Locally, the biggest danger is in a community like Burlington, where on a good day there would have been one or two people at the media table at City Council or Board of Education meetings—now maybe none.
“Burlington Council with only seven members is already more or less devoid of any real debate, its seven members apparently in broad agreement on almost everything, or if they don’t, they hash it out somewhere else. The small size of the council is a factor that makes it easier to keep members in line, and the lack of media scrutiny outside of online disruptors like the Burlington Gazette have led to a country-club atmosphere. This is a council that put its heads together in 2022 and decided to keep the $100 million cost of the Bateman Community Centre Project a secret until after they were all safely re-elected. Media scrutiny has diminished in Burlington right at the time when a whole lot more is needed.”
Loosing a print media is significant and a clear understanding of just what happened to the Post and the other Metroland newspapers matters
Nordstar Capital LP owns the Toronto Star which is struggling. The Toronto Star owned Metroland. “Metroland was losing money; working furiously to find a solution but realized they were at a point where they simply couldn’t pay their expenses. Torstar chief executive officer Neil Oliver said at a creditor meeting held in November. That “Metroland is not out of the woods with the proposal, we believe it gives the remaining team and properties the opportunity to be viable for the long term.”
 Metroland cited the challenging economic environment for newspapers – particularly the steep decline in print advertising revenue – for its financial troubles. The company’s papers have faced a “sizable loss of readership” and revenue has fallen more than 10 per cent each year for the past three years, according to Grant Thornton, an accounting firm.
Metroland said in mid-September that it planned to make a proposal pursuant to Canada’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and it followed up in mid-October with the plan.
In his report to creditors, Grant Thornton trustee Jonathan Krieger recommends a “Yes” for the vote scheduled for Tuesday, which would give unsecured creditors 13 cents on the dollar for their claims. Key to this analysis, of course, is just how much Metroland’s assets are worth.
 The news business has changed. Among those creditors were the news reporters who no longer have jobs.
“There was no discernible enterprise value for a business that has lost $10-million in the past year alone” adding that Metroland “held numerous M&A discussions with prospective buyers over the past year and could not procure a successful cash bid for any of the newspapers,” he said. The $20-million in equity stakes are undisclosed because they are “subject to confidentiality provisions.”
However, unlike other corporate reorganizations where the stockholders get wiped out in order to pay creditors, Torstar will emerge from this process maintaining its 100-per-cent ownership of Metroland, with all of its assets.
It would not be incorrect to say that there are some shady issues surrounding how the Star managed to dump the Metroland employees, offer them pennies on the dollar and try to get some federal money for them.
If the creditors had said No to the proposal that was before them they would have been given five cents on the dollar, not 13 but Metroland would have been bankrupt – dead. But because the offer was accepted by the creditors Metroland is in receivership which means it is still operating.
The plan was recommended by an independent trustee employed by Grant Thornton, charged with operating in the interest of all the stakeholders in the matter. Some observers felt the trustee’s report was thin on details to make creditors wonder whether they have enough information to make an informed decision.
Creditors of insolvent newspaper chain Metroland Media Group Ltd. voted to approve a proposal on Monday that would see the company pay pennies on the dollar to restructure its debt and avoid bankruptcy.
Metroland sought creditor protection on Sept. 15 with liabilities totalling more than $78-million. The publisher laid off 605 employees, nearly two-thirds of its work force, without paying severance or termination pay, while other employees who took voluntary buyout packages earlier this year had their salary continuance payments cut off.
A restructuring proposal like the one filed by Metroland allows a troubled company to address its debt and avoid a bankruptcy filing. Had creditors voted against Metroland’s proposal, the company would have been deemed bankrupt under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Accepting the proposal meant that Metroland was kept alive while the 600+ employees looked at empty wallets.
The amount to be paid to creditors is not finalized. Metroland intends to apply to the federal government’s Wage Earner Protection Program, (WEPP) which offers payment to former employees stemming from a bankruptcy or receivership.
If WEPP is approved, former employees will receive 17 cents on the dollar for the balance of their claims, in addition to other payments. Other unsecured creditors would receive the same repayment percentage.
Lawyers for Metroland scheduled a court date to seek WEPP in late November, but the Department of Justice indicated it would oppose the motion. Metroland is still an operating company, and not in bankruptcy. The company then arranged to have a receiver appointed over its inventory, which could aid in its WEPP application.
“We believe that the likelihood of WEPP being eligible for this company is likely enhanced by virtue of that receivership,” Grant Thornton partner Jonathan Krieger said at the creditor meeting on Monday.
What does this mean to the communities across the province that relied on their local newspaper for news on current events..
Burlington had to decide recently where it would place notices they are required to publish under both the Municipal Act and the Planning Act.
Burlington is currently served by four online newspapers. The Gazette, which was the first online paper to be recognized by what was then the Ontario Press Council in 2010. The Post has become an online newspaper, the Bay Observer serves the Burlington market as does Burlington Today, a recent addition to the Burlington market.
The ceasing of the print publication of The Burlington Post has multi-faceted impacts on how the City provides public notice.
Whereas the Municipal Act, 2001 allows municipalities for more flexibility, other legislation is very specific as to the manner in which notice is given.
Staff have undertaken a review of the City’s Public Notice Policy and are seeking to make amendments where publication in a newspaper is not a prescribed requirement under the Municipal Act, 2001. Amendments to the Public Notice Policy are based on the findings summarized below:
Based on the above definition and the definition included in the policy, The Hamilton Spectator has been determined as the paper of record for the City of Burlington in the absence of a local newspaper such as The Burlington Post. The Hamilton Spectator is a daily newspaper with 4,673 subscribers in Burlington compared to The Toronto Star at 1,152 subscribers.
The Public Notice Policy provides minimum notice standards and encourages the public notice authors to consult with Corporate Communications & Engagement staff to ensure all appropriate tactics are used when providing notice to the public. The City has a dedicated News and Notices section with 1,065 current subscribers, where all City notices are posted in one centralized location.
By removing the requirement for printed media notices, where not statutorily required, the policy provides more flexibility while ensuring legislative requirements are met. In instances where newspaper notices are required, such as the Publication of Financial Statements, election notices, or notices required under other legislation including the Planning Act, the City will use The Hamilton Spectator based on the general circulation requirement, in addition to notices posted to the City’s website and digital publications. Many other municipalities have moved towards the publication of notices on their websites either exclusively or with a hybrid approach given the changing media landscape.
What this really amounts to is the city walking away from the concept that they really want to keep the public informed. Transparency and accountability took another punch in the head.
Financial Matters:
Costs will be incurred depending on the type and frequency of notice. If a legislative requirement to post notice in print media exists, the associated cost is unavoidable. Below is a cost comparison for comparable ads in The Hamilton Spectator versus The Burlington Post. These are the preferred rates for the City as provided by Communications staff. This price list is not extensive and meant to show cost differences.
| Approximate size of ad |
Burlington Post |
The Hamilton Spectator |
| 5” x 5” |
$372.50 |
$895 |
| 10” x 5” |
$696 |
$1,650 |
Whereas the cost to post notices in the Hamilton Spectator are nearly triple than The Burlington Post, the frequency of the required notices under the Municipal Act, 2001 can be expected to decrease. In some instances of notices required under the Planning Act, those costs are forwarded onto the applicants.
Total Financial Impact
On average, there have been 250 ads placed throughout the year, but that number does fluctuate. In 2022 the print costs totalled $131,103 with the Burlington Post. Staff will monitor the increased advertising costs closely in 2024 and mitigate the financial impact where possible. Should an increase to the City’s advertising budget be required, staff will identify the need as part of the 2025 Financial needs and Multi-year Forecast for the Mayor to consider for inclusion in the 2025 Proposed Budget.
 By Pepper Parr
January 27th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
You got here when you clicked on the Essential Reading graphic. Let me make the decision you made to click worthwhile.
When people ask me what the Gazette is, I tell them it is Essential Reading for people who live in Burlington and want to know what’s going on and what your City Council is doing. We make that point when we say: Informed people can make informed decisions.
Ensuring that the people you elected are kept transparent and accountable happens when there is fact based media, supported by informed opinion keeping an eye on them.
 Who is out there helping you understand what is happening?. Recall the people who spoke bluntly about the tax increase the city put in place? You would have read about their delegations in the Gazette
There is a major change in the patio program the city has put in place; what started out as three patios has grown to more than 20 that will pop up on the streets of the city. They are changing the city streetscape with little comment from the public.
The Gazette has been publishing for 12 years. We are members of the National Newsmedia Council; an organization we are accountable to.
We are experimenting with different ways for readers to interact with the news and opinion we publish because that is what Essential Reading is all about.
By Pepper Parr
December 7th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City Hall communications people put out a media release on the taxi situation in the city.
With the Public Vehicle By-law amendments providing a temporary solution to replace lost taxi service, the City of Burlington is sharing that Blue Line Taxi company has been issued a new taxi licence. Blue Line Taxi will start to service Burlington residents today. To book taxi service, Burlington residents can call Blue Line Taxi by phone (905) 525-0000 or book online at 525blue.com.
 905-525-0000 will bring one of these cabs to your door The by-law that governs the issuance of new taxi licences was written to meet the needs of the taxi business model that existed in 2009. To allow new business to enter the Burlington transportation market, City staff recommended interim by-law amendments. These amendments provide flexibility in the application process to meet the demands of current business models.
Quick Facts
- Burlington’s main taxi service provider Burlington Taxi ceased operation on Nov.26, 2021
- At the Nov. 30, 2021 Special Council meeting, City Council approved amending the Public Vehicle By-law to allow exemptions to existing licensing requirements so other taxi services could apply to provide service for Burlington residents
- The by-law amendments allowed applications for new taxi owner licences/plates to open on Dec. 2, 2021 until all spaces are full
- The by-law amendments are intended to provide a temporary solution. City staff are aiming to undertake a comprehensive review and consultation and have a new by-law created prior to December 31, 2023.
- Further review is required not only to determine appropriate taxi licensing requirements, but to investigate the ‘rideshare’ businesses and options for regulating that market.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said: “I know we all welcome the news that taxi service can resume in our community as early as today, and in time for the holidays. I want to thank the successful applicant for coming forward, and I’m grateful to City staff and my Council colleagues for working quickly to find a temporary solution to restore taxi service in Burlington immediately. I also thank staff for their ongoing efforts to bring forward a permanent solution to this issue. As well, thank you to Burlington Taxi for their 53 years of dedicated service to our community.”
 Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte said: “As we learned earlier this morning, amendments to our Vehicle/Taxi Bylaw will allow us to welcome 13 new taxi vehicles onto to our streets as of today, Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Staff are open and eager to review additional licenses to increase this number of available taxi vehicles as multiple companies in the taxi industry continue to come forward with applications. It was unfortunate that these changes and amendments were not considered before the closure of Burlington Taxi as this could have avoided the subsequent transportation crisis for many Burlington residents, but I am relieved that an expedient way forward was sought by staff and I look forward to the renewed commitment to this valuable mode of transportation for Burlington residents in the future.”
There is some “shame on you” to be spread around on this one.
Related new stories:
Scott Wallace Talks Back
Burlington Taxi announces the need to close
 By Staff
August 20th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service found that working with its media made it possible for residents to be reunited with their stolen property.
On August 16, 2019, a Hamilton resident learned about the recovery results that came out of the arrest the Regional police made on July 4th.
 Much of a currency collection was recovered by police. Investigators in Burlington – 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau were contacted and later reunited the victim with over 95% of the recovered stolen property.
Investigators are currently liaising with Hamilton Police and further charges are pending.
The remaining property can be seen by clicking here:
Anyone who may have additional information concerning this investigation is asked to contact Detective Constable Jacques Brunelle of the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2334 or the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau general line at 905-825-4747 ext. 2316.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
In the original media release the Halton Regional Police Service advised the public that they had arrested a suspect attempting to gain entry into the Kings Carwash located at 1448 Grahams Lane in Burlington. At the time of the arrest a large quantity of jewelry believed to be stolen was recovered and remains unaccounted for.
Bradley MARK (37) of no fixed address was charged with
• Break and Enter with intent
• Possession of Break in instruments
• Possession of property obtained by Crime
• Fail to comply with probation order
He was held pending a bail hearing.
The Burlington Gazette is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
When the Gazette was covering a meeting of the Halton District School Board we made an error and attributed a statement to one of the trustees from Milton when it was made by one of the trustees from Oakville. The two sit side by side during school board meetings. We corrected the error but not to the complete satisfaction of the trustee. The NNC requires the Gazette to publish their report on how they respond to a complaint. That report is set out below.
April 3 2018
The National NewsMedia Council has upheld a complaint about accuracy and errors correction in the Burlington Gazette.
The March 22 2018 article reported on a Halton District School Board meeting, where part of the discussion was about a new administration building.
The complainant, Kim Graves, stated that two statements in the article were untrue.
The first cited inaccuracy was that “The Oakville and Milton trustees didn’t like the distance they would have to drive to get to Board meetings if they continued to be held in Burlington”. No trustees were named in the article but Graves, a trustee from Milton, objected that she did not make that statement.
Graves said the second untrue statement is that trustees “are queasy” about discussing the new administration centre. She said the statement implied all trustees are queasy, and is untrue because she is not queasy about having the discussion.
In its response, The Burlington Gazette said it did not refuse to make a correction, but that it would review the three-hour video of the meeting web cast.
Subsequently, the news outlet published a correction stating that in an “earlier version of this news story we said that Milton trustee Kim Graves had complained about the distance she had to drive to get to school board meetings” and that it was the trustee beside her who made the comment.
That correction also stated “we said ‘… they were a little queasy about having this matter on the table…’. It would have been more correct to say that some were queasy.”
The complainant objected to the first part of the correction as inaccurate. She noted the original article did not name her as making a statement, but did incorrectly imply she made a statement.
Based on the above, Council upheld the complaint about an inaccurate statement. It also upheld the complaint about the correction, because it incorrectly conveyed the original statement and drew unwarranted attention to the complainant. It is worth noting that the original statement implied six trustees were of the same view, but the correction admitted to misattributing a comment to just one.
The complainant also raised questions about the news media’s approach to making a correction. While it is reasonable for the journalist to double check the audio video recording, and to ask for a quote on that or another issue, it is also the prerogative of the trustee or any other interviewee to decline to comment. A correction should not be contingent on providing a further quote.
The news outlet defended its request for further quotes, and stated it “wanted to see a statement that was clearer” than the complainant’s earlier comments.
As a general comment, Council noted that tension between the media and institutions is normal and part of the accountability dynamic of a healthy democracy. However, journalistic standards of accuracy, opportunity to respond, attribution, citing reliable sources, and willingness to make prompt and meaningful corrections are essential in a reputable media. Similarly, government and institutions have a role in allowing media access to information, and those in public office must expect a higher degree of scrutiny and less privacy than those individuals in private life.
March 10th, 2018
The Burlington Gazette has been a member of the National NewsMedia Council for five years. We became members when it was the Ontario Press Council.
The Council is in place to ensure generally accepted journalistic practices are followed.
We disagree with the decision the Council made in their March 9th founding but as members we are obliged to publish their reports.
The Council decision is set out below.
March 9, 2018 – For immediate release
2018-06 Ako-Adjei vs Burlington Gazette
The complainant, Kwabe Ako-Adjei, said the December 15 2017 Burlington Gazette article, “Major
organizational moves by the city manager seem to be out of focus”, contained inaccurate information.
He cited specific examples including errors in the reporting of a department re-organization and a staff change. He argued the errors could have been avoided with an email to city staff for verification. The complainant emailed the news organization a list of five points it felt were inaccurate and asked for a correction of the article.
The complainant also objected to the manner in which corrections were done, which was to append portions of the complainant’s email, in a different font colour, to the top of the article.
Subsequently, the complainant provided an example of an article that was critical of a city manager and published without giving the staffer opportunity to respond.
The Burlington Gazette responded by contacting NNC staff for clarification about the complaints. Staff stated a response should speak to the method of correction, and the reasons to seek verification of the information or not.
After three weeks with no further response from the news organization, NNC staff issued a warning that a recommendation would go ahead based on the information at hand.
At that point, the news organization responded with information detailing conflicts with municipal officials and expressing the opinion that city hall was trying to ‘shut down’ the Burlington Gazette.
The response also noted the publisher previously met with NNC staff for a discussion on journalistic standards about separating news from opinion in articles.
Finally, the Burlington Gazette suggested the complaint should be set aside until the publisher’s legal conflict with the city is settled.
On reviewing the complaint and related materials, the articles in question, and the news organization’s response, Council upheld the complaint about accuracy. The complainant, who is a city staff member, provided information that pointed to reporting errors. The publisher acknowledged one error and did not contradict others, nor did he defend his original material.
The complainant invited the publisher to call city hall to verify facts. There is no evidence that the publisher responded to those invitations. In contrast, the publisher stated that the city manager is trying to shut down the news organization.
In reviewing the article in question, the news organization failed to follow generally accepted journalistic practice for making corrections, which is to label the correction, state the correct material, and make clear what material it replaces. Council upheld this portion of the complaint.
Council found repeated instances in the submitted material where news and opinion were not adequately separated. The article in question was labeled both ‘News’ and ‘News Analysis’, which is not helpful in letting the reader know if news or opinion was being presented.
It was also evident that the news organization made liberal use of reported information without seeking verification, with qualifiers such as “according to people who were in the room”, and suppositions such as “appeared to have looked at Tanner in a manner that was uncomfortable to her”. Widely accepted journalistic standards require verification of fact, naming sources of verification when appropriate, and giving those named an opportunity to respond.
In light of the reasons stated, the NNC upholds the complaint.”
 By Pepper Parr
October 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
She was in what she calls her “happy place” sitting quietly with her library card in her hand getting ready to speak.
 Eleanor McMahon, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport was kicking off Public Library Week and announcing improvements to digital services at 307 libraries and library organizations across the province.
She spoke too of the valuable role that libraries play in Ontario communities.
Shelagh Paterson, Executive Director, Ontario Library Association said that libraries serve as the greatest equalizer for access to information across our communities.
The Library Digital Services fund provides resources for people in the community to use at its Ideaworks Studio, including a new 3D printer, digital embroidery machine and new digital media software. People will be able to enjoy these specialized technologies for their own interests and to help with projects and schoolwork.
 McMahon told the small audience that Ontario is increasing access to technology, digital services and training opportunities at public libraries in towns, cities and Indigenous communities across the province. Funding is helping libraries offer more technology in their communities, such as wireless internet connections, new computers, and e-books, as well as classes on topics like social media and computer literacy.
 Ontario is investing $3 million through the Improving Library Digital Services fund to support up to 307 libraries and library organizations across the province. This includes $1 million for rural, remote and First Nation public libraries through 2017 Budget Talks. Burlington Public Library is receiving $25,000 from this fund.
This investment builds on a commitment in Ontario’s Culture Strategy to support Ontario’s public and First Nation libraries as essential spaces for people to access cultural experiences, technology and community life.
Library week runs from October 15-21; the first took place in 1985
For immediate release
September 14, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The National NewsMedia Council has upheld a complaint that the Burlington Gazette breached journalistic standards in printing a correction that was inaccurate and did not provide opportunity to respond to an allegation.
Complainant Denise Davy stated that a May 23 2017 article, “The Gazette erred – Director of Education Miller did not meet with MPP McMahon”, provided no evidence to support a statement in the correction that false information was “knowingly given”, and allowed no opportunity to respond to that allegation.
 The complainant stated that she was called by the Burlington Gazette for information related to a school closing, and in that conversation she stated the director of education met with the MPP about a school closing issue. The news media organization reported her information. Later the same day it ran a correction stating the meeting in question had not occurred, and that “false” information was knowingly given. The complainant alleged the inaccurate correction and accusation impugned her reputation as a writer. She provided wording for an amended correction.
In its response, the news media organization said the interview with the complainant was interrupted and not resumed. It justified the decision to rely on a single source for the original story by referring to the established working relationship with the complainant. The correction article reported the director of education stated the meeting format was by phone rather than in person. There was no evidence of effort to verify either source in either instance.
The paper’s correction apologized to the director of education and the MPP, and faulted the complainant for the error. The news media organization denied the correction impugned the complainant’s character as it did not specifically identify her.
Reviewing the articles, Council found the news media organization’s view that it did not specifically identify the complainant was disingenuous in view of reporting her gender, occupation and position on the controversy. As well, the complainant was named and her photo was included in the original article, which remained easily searchable on the news media organization’s website.
No evidence was provided to support the statement in the correction article that the information given by the complainant was known to be false. The unsupported statement in question is an allegation of intentional error or shortcoming, with no indication there was opportunity to reply to the accusation. Council found the correction breached journalistic standards of accuracy and accountability by making a serious allegation and by failing to provide opportunity to respond to the allegation.
In upholding the complaint, Council noted it is commendable that the news media organization corrected information about whether a high-level meeting on a contentious community issue was held in person or by telephone. However, no evidence was offered to support the allegation that the flawed information was known to be false.
Best journalistic practice is to avoid single-source material. Adherence to that practice may have avoided the problem in the first place. In this case, the error was in the format rather than in the fact of the meeting. Because there was a breach of best journalistic practice, a simple clarification noting a reporting error would have been appropriate.
The complainant specified the wording of a correction. Because the NNC supports the prerogative of news media to determine their own content, it will not dictate the wording of a correction or compel a member to publish an apology. The NNC does expect member news organizations to publish or post NNC decisions in the case of an upheld complaint.
The NNC’s business is to consider complaints about journalistic standards. It declines to comment on the allegation that the complainant’s character was impugned.
The Gazette and the Newsmedia Council
Reach the National Newsmedia Council
The Gazette wished to add that “We have been judged to have erred and accept the wisdom of our peers.”
By Pepper Parr
September 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is a member of the National NewsMedia Council
We became members when the organization it was known as the Ontario Press Council – at that time we were one of the earlier online newspaper accepted into member unanimously by the Board of Directors at that time.
We pay an annual fee to be members – it isn’t cheap.
The National NewsMedia Council (NNC) does not impose its own code of practice. Instead, it expects members to adhere to their own or some generally-accepted code of journalistic standards, practice and ethics.
In considering a complaint, the NNC has regard for a cascading set of criteria that includes the news organization’s own code of conduct; generally-accepted national and regional journalistic standards; standards such as those of the Canadian Press and the Canadian Association of Journalists; such legal or ethical guidelines as appropriate; and any other considerations deemed valid by the Board.
The NNC promotes media ethics and responsible journalism through our mediation services, pre-publication advising, and outreach.
One of the prime purposes of the NNC is the provision of a place people can go to and air complaints they have about how media has treated them.
This is a valuable public service that is needed – media have to be held to account.
The NNC works diligently to get both sides of the story and they issue a statement that can be either:
An upheld complaint.
Dismissed complaints.
Dismissed with reservations.
Resolved due to corrective action taken.
As NNC members the Gazette is expected to publish any decision made to the Council.
 National Newsmedia Council advertisement that promotes the purpose of the Council. In the past several months there have been two complains made to the NNC about material published in the Gazette.
Both relate to the closing of two of the city’s seven high schools – and in each case the matter came from the Bateman community.
The fist was a complaint that we violated our privacy policy – which we in fact did. We published the name of an individual who has chosen a pen name rather than his own in a comment he made related to a Gazette article.
We later learned that the individual was a member of a Board of Education Advisory committee who we felt was hiding behind the pen name rather than letting readers of his comments know where his thinking was comment from.
We were asked by the NNC to apologize for braking our own rules which we did and that matter was closed.
Since then the Gazette has announced that it is in the process of changing its privacy policy; quite what form that policy change will take has not yet been determined.
We want to provide a form for people to air their views. We regret that frequently some people use a pen name and attempt to”game” the process. A number of news organizations have given up on a comments section. We are not prepared to go quite that far.
The second complaint is much more complex – it relates to a matter of fairness and just how much we did to ensure that we were fair and complete in our reporting.
The prime concern appears to be that we did not name the person we were reporting about but that anyone could read between the lines and determine who it was. Perception and reality are not the same thing.
 In our conversations with staff at the NNC they understand and appreciate that the closing of a high school is a very emotional issue and feelings come to the surface quickly. The situation at Bateman is very, very hard for many of the parents who have children in the Community Pathways Program to deal with.
We won’t comment further on this until the National Newsmedia Council has issued their decision, which we are advised will be before the end of the month. We hope at that time that we can name the individual, publish the content of the complaint and the Council decision which we will abide by.
The Burlington Gazette is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. This is the body in place to protect the public interest and ensure that media are fair, not always something that is easy to define.
Every quarter we get an update on what the association is doing and what other news media are up to.
We thought we would share what John Fraser, the president of the NNC, had to say.
Fraser has a rather impressive bio – he was the first North American reporter to be posted to China when he was with the Globe and Mail. He was also a former Master of Massey College. He is also a shameless punster; don’t let him get started.
 By John Fraser
April 6, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Opinion-mongering is one of the great bulwarks of traditional journalism. If you look at the history of newspapers, it will inevitably lead back to the glory days of London’s “Grub Street” periodicals and political broadsheets in the early 18th-century, generally favouring one party over another. Within a few decades, the business of music and theatre reviews also started up, either in their own broadsheets or attached to leading periodicals.
There is, these days, a kind of return to these foundational roots in the rapid and happily unregulated rise of specialized digital journalism platforms. iPolitics, for example, has started asserting itself on the national consciousness as an important source of knowledge on our political and governmental life. Ditto for impressive digital-only publications like The Tyee; or some of the newest members of the NNC like Musical Toronto or Queen’s Park Today. They come about because there are readers who care about the things these platforms report and comment on and they want to stay informed. They also like the angle or perspective taken, and especially the sharp commentaries.
The diffusion is equally a challenge for readers as it is for an organization like ours which strives to offer a legitimate and independent service to deal with disputes or errors or misunderstandings, whether on a digital service or the printed page. It’s the misunderstandings about opinion mongering that I want to focus on in this issue of the NNC Newsletter. Columnists and reviewers often have strong opinions and strong opinions invariably arouse reactions, one way or another.
A big part of the NNC mandate and our day to day work is to explain to complaining members of the public the traditional role of critics and reviewers, whether in the arts, the legislature, or even the dining rooms of the nation. When an outraged bistro owner feels a food critic has been unfair in Toronto Life, or an angry patron of the Canadian Opera objects to a critical evaluation of a performance, or a political party member feels there is a particular bias in a column about his or her favourite public figure or issue, our team at the NCC spends a decent amount of time explaining the role of the columnist or critic. It is part of the service, you might say.
 John Fraser I am a former arts reviewer and former political commentator, so believe me I know exactly how exercised readers can get about opinion mongering. I often find myself explaining what I firmly believe is the matrix of a healthy political or performing arts life in any community and it usually involves engaging the public through reviews or commentaries that are studied in their provocation. If, on the other hand, a writer makes factual errors, it is a legitimate source of complaint with which we always deal very seriously. If it’s a matter of “he says, I say”, then we try to put it in the context of acceptable community standards and practice.
 John Fraser wrote an award winning book on his experience in China where he reported for the Globe and Mail. This usually works to the complainant’s satisfaction, but sometimes it doesn’t. In one such encounter we have had recently, we listened for an age (and several times) to a complaint about an editorial in a leading newspaper. The complainant was exercised by the fact that there were conflicting facts which emerged after an editorial had been published (a day later in fact). His solution was to ask the NNC to order the newspaper to add a note to the digital version of the editorial which said, in effect, “This was researched and written before counterbalancing facts emerged.”
We tried to explain that this was something that could be put on almost any article anyone published. The logic escaped him and he is probably still complaining to anyone who will listen that both the newspaper and the NNC lack 20-20 hindsight – or is it foresight? Hindsight, in fact, we have. Foresight is for unanswerable or unresolvable complaints.
 By Pepper Parr
December 29th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Something is up!
 Burlington MP Karina Gould will be working New Year’s day. Burlington MP Karina Gould has called a media conference for Sunday January 1st at Tansley woods to announce what Burlington is going to get in terms of the Canada 150 fund projects.
Sunday media conferences are rare in this city – the federal Liberal’s jut might be directing their members across the country to hold these New Year’s Day events.
 Robert Stephen, President of the Art Gallery Burlington. President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington, Robert Steven, and Peter Martin, President of Sound of Music are going to be part of the media conference which suggests there are some goodies for them.
The event will take place at noon New Year’s Day – it will be interesting to see just how much media the event gets.
 By Pepper Parr
February 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there finally going to be a reckoning over what social media has done to us?
Toronto Star reporter Allan Woods writes: “As Ottawa readies a bill to protect Canadians — particularly children — online, the view from the front lines of this fast-shifting digital world shows there is a need to act even in the face of bracing American headwinds.
That’s the assessment of Dr. Susan Sawyer, a University of Melbourne pediatrician and the chair of Adolescent Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
 Watching the art of conversation being lost. Sawyer is studying of the effects of Australia’s two-month-old social media ban for kids under 16, and fielding inquiries from across the world. That includes Canada, which is reportedly considering a similar ban for young Snapchatters, TikTokkers, Instagrammers and Xers (formerly Tweeters).
Last week, Toronto’s Hospital for SickKids was picking her brain. Later this spring, she’s off to Stanford University, which is evaluating the impacts of Australia’s online safety laws.
“(It) feels like it’s an absolute tectonic shift in what has been a complete power imbalance in favour of the tech companies,” Sawyer said in an interview.
 Parents at a Community gala. “Social media has become a failed state, a place where laws are ignored and is endured, where disinformation is worth more than truth, and half of users suffer hate speech,” Sanchez said this week. “If we want to protect them, there’s only one thing we can do: take back control.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is moving in the same direction. There are reports a social-media ban is under consideration. The Liberals campaigned on a promise to “make sure that social media platforms and other online services are held accountable for the content that they host.”
The measures will undoubtedly be met by support — from parents most of all.
When Sawyer was talking to SickKids last week, she said the consensus was: “Every other industry is regulated, so why do the tech bros have this belief in tech exceptionalism?”
“These are commercially driven enterprises. They are there to make money,” she said. “Why would we have any expectation of them putting up guard rails that most parents and most governments would be expecting?” But with U.S. tariffs against Canadian goods and a looming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade deal, the pressing political question is how far Culture Minister Marc Miller’s online safety legislation will go in limiting the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and the other American tech titans.
After all, Carney’s opening offer to Trump last summer in the unresolved trade dispute was the scrapping of a Digital Services Tax, which was mostly paid by U.S. firms.
Trump signed into law a bill to criminalize the publication of AI-generated nude images — deepfakes. At the ceremony, his wife, Melania, described artificial intelligence and social media as “the digital candy for the next generation: sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children.”
But the reality in the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress is that measures touted in Madrid, Paris, Canberra or Ottawa as online protection are perceived as anti-American persecution.
Just a few weeks before Australia’s online safety legislation took effect, the country’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, was summoned to testify before a congressional committee about a law that “imposes obligations on American companies and threatens speech of American citizens.”
The Republican committee chair, Rep. Jim Jordan, referred to Grant as a “noted zealot” for legal takedown orders issued to tech and social media companies.
And the state of Wyoming has recently begun considering a bill dubbed the Guaranteeing Rights Against Novel International Tyranny and Extortion (GRANITE) Act.
It would allow Americans to sue foreign governments for violations of their free speech and prohibit American officials from acting on the orders of foreign social media or internet regulators to remove material deemed harmful or illegal.
 Two teachers at an awards event in Milton, Ontario That is the rumbling from south of the border that the Carney government will need to listen to as it balances online harms against the many other types of political and economic pain the Trump administration may try to inflict.
That should not shake the resolve to act. Sawyer says there are early signs from Australia and elsewhere showing a definite association between heavy social media use and negative emotional health and well being, though the numbers are “not as large as I think many parents might assume.”
“But that doesn’t mean that a small effect size doesn’t matter.”
They have also found that parents who spend too much time on social media tend to have kids who do the same.
Monkey see, monkey do.
Allan Woods is a Paris-based staff reporter for the Star.
By Gazette Staff
January 30th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Community Development Halton has published an interesting and very detailed report on housing in the Region of Halton.
Halton Region has one of the highest rental markets in Ontario[1]. But what is often overlooked is how different the market treats new renters compared with long-term renters.
A new study form Statistics Canada confirms a pattern seen across the country:
“Renters who recently moved into their unit face significantly higher shelter costs than renters who have lived in their homes for many years”[2]. This pattern holds even after adjusting for housing type, building age, income and neighbourhood characteristics,
The 2025 Statistics Canada study on renter shelter costs shows:
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New tenants (< 1 year in unit) pay the highest rents in Canada.
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 Moving in: How long they stay is a major determinant to the rent they pay. Long-term tenants (10+ years) pay the lowest, protected by rental control and lower historical rents.
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Turnover, not unit quality, explains most of the difference.
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Rent gaps grow larger in tight markets with low vacancy.
This is what we see in Halton Region today.
These gaps mirror national findings that new entrants into the rental market face the highest housing costs[4].
Mobility drives costs: many Halton renters move frequently
Frequent movers face market rents, while long-term tenants benefit from rent control stability-widening the affordability gap.
Why are newcomers paying the highest rents?
Rent control protects tenure, not people. Ontario caps (2.5% in 2025) increase for existing tenants, but vacant units reset to market rates. New renters pay the full increase; long-term renters do not.
Rental units occupied for the first time after November 15, 2018, are exempt from the annual rent increase guideline altogether. This means that for a new renter in a newer building, the landlord can raise the rent by any amount annually (after the first 12 months)[5].
Halton’s vacancy rate is extremely low. At 1-2%, competition forces new renters to bid into very high prices
Newcomers face strong mobility pressures. Many must move to find work, settle families, or leave temporary housing
Screening barriers exist. Landlords may prefer: Canadian credit history, local references, permanent, stable employment. Newcomers often lack these, even when financially strong.
House rentals, basement suites, and condos turn over more often and have higher renter turnover[6].
Turnover results in higher rents.
Affordability is not equal: who faces the heaviest burden?
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44% of Halton renters spend 30%+ of income on shelter costs
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23% are in core housing need
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Only 11% live in subsidized housing
Meanwhile, newcomers who pay the highest median rents show lower “core housing need” rate not because they are better housed but because many rely on overcrowding or shared housing to manage costs.[7],[8],[9]
In Halton, rent affordability is determined not only by where you live or how much you earn, but by when you entered the rental market. Strengthening purpose-built rental supply, improving tenant screening fairness, and supporting newcomers’ housing transition will be central to address these disparities.
Footnotes:
[3] Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021
[6] CMHC (2022–2023), Secondary Rental Market Report; CMHC (2023–2024), Rental Market Report – GTA Supplement; Statistics Canada (CHSP & CHS housing mobility analyses)
By Gazette Staff
January 30th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
Premier Ford’s Progressive Conservatives confirmed this week that no media will be permitted to attend any portion of the party’s three-day convention at the Toronto Congress Centre, an unusual decision that is already drawing criticism from political observers.
 There is something pugnacious about Doug Ford. Premier Ford has a number of reasons for not wanting any media at his event.
He is still able to get away with practices like this. The public has yet to arrive at a clear understanding as to what Doug Ford has done during his several terms of office.
The Greenbelt scandal – when the public became aware of it the Premier said he made a mistake.
Using private personal cell phones to conduct government business.
The Skill Development fund scandal.
The Highway 413 decision
Failed to come anywhere near close in meeting the number of new homes needed.
Failing to support public health care while pushing for private medicine to meet the demand.
The public is still in a Ford Nation mode.
 There will come a time when the public clues in. There will come a time when the public clues in – then the slide will be downhill and quick.
The report the public expects from the RCMP investigation would help the public see the man in a different light.
No word on the Mounties on when the report will be made public.
Soon soon maybe?
By Pepper Parr
December 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It was at the very end of the Council meeting that took place yesterday.
Mayor Meed Ward said the following:
“We do not engage in debate, but if anyone has any questions about how this meeting was conducted, I’d be happy to answer questions from public or media offline outside of this meeting.”
 A citizen delegating at a meeting of City Council. One interesting point that the Mayor didn’t make perfectly clear and a statement the Gazette has not heard even once during Meed Ward’s term of office as Mayor relates to her saying:
When she said “we do not engae in debate” she was saying that during Council meeting the public can delegate and answer any questions from members of Council. But they cannot debate with Council during the delegation.
Frequently,after a delegation has been completed the questions from Councillors will turn into an exchange of views on an issue. It doesn’t happen very often – but it does happen.
What has never happened is the Mayor saying she was prepared to meet with the public and media .
As Mayor, Meed Ward has never called a media event. A Carlton University graduate with a degree in journalism Meed Ward has frequently referred to herself as a journalist – that’s not quite true. Marianne has been an editor, a spokesperson, a panel member on a television show but she has never worked as a reporter covering a beat or doing an in-depth interview that we are aware of.
 Mayor Meed Ward on TVO ‘s The Agenda It is worth noting that Meed Ward is often very good on panels. She loves the camera and the camera loves her.
This shift – making herself available to media is new – and a positive sign. Some people have been pressuring the Mayor to be more open and available and act as the Mayor and not just as someone available for every photo-op imaginable.
Is the pressure working ? – keep it up. This shift could be because there is an election less than a year away and the Mayor is fully aware that she will face a credible candidate who wants to wear the Chain of Office.
By Pepper Parr
December 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
At a recent council meeting, during which how city councillors are to be compensated, Ward 1 Councillor Kelven Galbraith said: “With no print newspaper left in Burlington”, he relies on flyers to reach residents. He noted that the current budget only allows him to do so once a year.
Galbraith needs some help; There are four online newspapers that serve the city:
Burlington Gazette, which is the oldest online newspaper: 12 years
Burlington Today – a relative newcomer that has a strong readership.
The Burlington Post which converted to an online paper when Metroland Media killed all their weekly papers, and stiffed their reporting staff at the same time.
The Bay Observer and Insauga.
 
The five online newspapers are active, growing and serving the news and entertainment that are part of every city.
Advertising support from the city, precious little. The Bay Observer has managed to convince some of its city Councillors to advertise. In Burlington, both the federal and provincial elected representatives have advertising budgets. Not much of that money makes its way to the media.
 The Bay Observer manages to get some advertising from members of Hamilton City Council. In Burlington media gets invitations to photo ops where the Mayor might tear up or a Council member is cutting a ribbon at a new retail location. 
Media is in place to keep those that serve the public transparent and accountable. They all read the media – we know that because when there is something that they think is wrong – we hear from them.
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