 By Staff
June 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Parking spot for those getting tested. Some of the negative and positive fall on the COVID19 front.
Testing at Joseph Brant has gone up 70% since the Premier encouraged more people to get tested
Test results are taking 24-48 hours to come back, on average
A big question being asked, being led to a large degree by Collen Mulholland, is how charities will have to do things a lot differently in the years ahead.
 This is what the Salvation Army would like to see – it may not be what will happen. The Salvation Army Kettle Campaign won’t be able to proceed as usual without retail locations they can be in front of and the handling of cash will be different – that’s a $400K campaign for them annually.
 A very successful event that raised thousands for Rotary and was heavily attended. Can the event recover if they close for a year. Cancellation of Ribfest is a huge loss for Rotary fundraising.
There is a need to look at innovation and flexibility in how charities fund raise – something to give thought to in future meetings.
Domestic/family violence/mental health continues to be an issue – upcoming June public meeting to hear messaging around support.
There are a lot of questions that have to be addressed.
 By Staff
June 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
A Solidarity March to raise awareness of anti-black racism in the community and across North America, is being held tonight, Thursday, June 4, between 5-7 p.m. in Burlington.
The peaceful march will begin at Walkers Line and New Street and will end at Burlington city hall, 426 Brant St.
The March in Kitchener drew thousands.
 The march in Kitchener earlier this week was massive – thousands
 By Ray Rivers
June 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s not the first time that America has come to this point over race relations. Meanwhile Canadians are embroiled in a debate about whether there is systemic racism in this country, and asking why we still haven’t done anything about the legacy of missing and murdered indigenous women. Still the sudden prominence of racial issues almost provides a relief from COVID 19 crisis, allowing the the news media to change the channel.
 The lessons to be learned from SARS was lost It has been about six months since we first heard about this novel coronavirus. We understand it most likely originated from an exotic animal in one of those disgusting wet markets in the heart of the Chinese city of Wuhan. Apparently we don’t learn from history so are having to relive the SARS epidemic of only a few years ago. Except that COVID 19 is far deadlier and more contagious, so perhaps we’ll get the message this time.
Six months in, and beyond the sickness and death and the economic collapse, we are witnessing changes in the mental health of our society.
The extent of protests over the George Floyd killing is perhaps a manifestation of people living on the edge, angry about all the sickness and death, out of work, tired of the isolation, and asking why.
 Ray Rivers in his latest mask: He jabbered and jabbered until his message began to be heard. Even mild mannered columnists, like me, are finding it harder to stay positive in light of all the bungling and betrayal by our federal and provincial governments.
The US is a basket case, but many other nations have safeguarded their population from the disease much better than Canada has. Some didn’t even have to lock down their economies and others are almost back to normal now.
One columnist recently complained that Mr. Ford has mismanaged the lockdown, squandering the effort without significantly lowering the infection rate. Others have contrasted how B.C., after an early long term care (LTC) home outbreak, mobilized to effectively protect its seniors, while Ontario dragged its feet while all those seniors died. And, of course, eliminating annual inspections of Ontario LTC homes didn’t help.
But it is the feds who got us here in the first place. Primarily concerned about the political optics of restricting travellers from China, they refused to close the borders until we had established our own homegrown contagion. And then the chief medical officer of health instructed Canadians not to wear protective face masks – something which might have saved thousands of lives.
 Wash your hands at least eight times a day. Research shows that physical distancing and being outdoors are the safest ways to interact with others. Research has also cast doubt on whether the virus is actually spread from contacting surfaces, and thus the high priority given to hand washing. Though hand washing is always a good idea – epidemic or not.
But since the virus is spread primarily from our mouths and noses, being in close quarters without face protection is a front seat to the virus. Seniors’ homes, hospitals, prisons, meat processing and other industrial facilities, grocery stores and schools head the list of dangerous places.
Face masks are now mandatory in over 50 countries globally. Had nursing homes insisted that guests and staff wear masks, much of the carnage could likely have been avoided. As it is, the elderly in these close-contact places have accounted for the bulk of this country’s fatalities – victims through no fault of their own.
And so it is upsetting to hear, Jason Kenney, the noisy premier from Alberta rant about why he thinks his province’s economy should be fully opened up. According to his numbers the average age of death for all people in his province is 82 and of those dying from COVID is 83. So bring it on!
There were casualties among younger folks at the Cargill meat plant and from those working the oil patch as well. But I guess those lives don’t count anymore than those parents and grandparents who might otherwise live into their nineties? Somehow it is strange to hear Mr. Kenny bang on about the immorality of a woman’s right to choose, but promote letting old folks die prematurely from COVID.
 Jason Kenny: It was a grossly irresponsible comment and demonstrates a willful misuse of statistics. It was a grossly irresponsible comment and demonstrates a willful misuse of statistics. But that’s Mr. Kenny, and that perhaps reflects why his personal polling is near the bottom compared to the other premiers.
Renewed emphasis on racism in North America has moved the needle away from sexism and the Me Too movement, at least for now. But there is another ‘ism’ that also needs public attention. You may not see swaths of senior citizens brandishing their placards on the streets and setting police cars on fire – something they might have done in their youth. But they are still the victims of ageism, at least in Alberta.
It is said that the true measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members – in this case our elderly. At least we know where Mr Kenny stands. He has shown his hand… and it isn’t pretty.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links
Six Months – Squandered Time – Canada Bungles –
Early Action – Mandatory Face Masks – Doctors on Masks –
More Masks – Not Just Alberta Seniors – Kenny – Mental Health –
 By Staff
June 3rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Who gets the food handed out Monday to Friday by the Burlington Food Bank?
The demographics look like this: 40% of the clients they serve are families with kids. The food they supply to families; about two weeks supply includes snacks with juice for school aged kids
 Robin Executive Director of the Burlington Food Bank doing one of his regular, and short You Tube broadcasts. Robin Bailey, who does a podcast a couple of times a week, points out that “students need to eat economically, people have just been so impacted by this pandemic. It’s really important for people to be able to meet their basic necessities and one of the ways they can do that is by accessing community support through us. We are continuing on with our safe home delivery distribution model. Don’t go into debt for your food. Let us help.”
The Food Bank is a not for profit organization that gets food from a wide assortment of organizations that are both local and provincial. Milk producers supply dozens of cartons of milk that is kept fresh.
A number of organizations hold food drives.
Different groups donate funds.
 Just some of the volunteers who make the Food Bank work. The day to day work is done by volunteers who sort food as it comes in and then pack it into hampers for delivery.
 Food hampers include cloth masks that are made by volunteers who cut the cloth, sew the pieces together and distribute them to different groups, including the Food Bank. The model created by the Food Bank is a direct delivery. They take orders by phone. When Food is being delivered the drivers calls the household when they are outside the door the drivers call and someone from the household comes out to pick it up.
Covid19 safety procedures are paramount; everyone is masked.
If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at the door. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.
By Pepper Parr
June 3rd,2020
BURLINGTON, ON
More grief in store of those who depend on or live near New Street.
The final phase of the renewal of the street – from Walkers Line to Burloak where resurfacing is to be completed.
The City of Burlington is making improvements to New Street as well as Shane Court, Patrick Place and Bower Court.
The work to be done is extensive. All the details are set out below.
 New Street west of Walkers Line was done more than a year ago. The biggest concern for many might be the disruption to home internet or telephone service which may occur. The city is aware of the heightened concern with respect to families who are working from home and has raised this concern with utility companies and their need to react quickly to disabled services. Our goal is to have affected internet connections repaired by the utility companies within 24hrs of an issue occurring. The contractor typically contacts the utility company, however if you lose service, please feel free to contact us.
The City of Burlington and Halton Region are working with the contractors to make sure this work is done in a safe and timely way.
This construction site is managed by Associated Paving Ltd (APL). It is APL’s Health and Safety Policies and Procedures that will govern the job site. City of Burlington staff, Halton Region staff and all other consultants that go to the project site will follow APL’s policies for onsite health and safety.
Project Contacts
Inquiry/Concern Contact Contact/Road construction inquiries
Jason Forde
Construction Inspector
905-220-6682
jason.forde@burlington.ca
All other inquiries
Marc Daffre
Contract Administrator
289-208-2606
marc.daffre@burlington.ca
June 2020 Project Scope
New Street – Walkers Line to Burloak Drive
• Resurfacing
• Base repairs as required
• Curb and sidewalk repairs as required
• Bus stop landing pad improvements
• Minor drainage improvements
• Pavement markings
New Street at Walkers Line (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Remove traffic island north east corner
• Renew traffic signal
New Street at Longmoor (in addition to the above noted works)
• Widen Longmoor Drive to accommodate right turn lane
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Belvenia Road (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Shoreacres Road (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Appleby Line (in addition to the above noted works)
• Full depth asphalt replacement
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Timber Lane (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Adams Street (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street west of Wedgewood Drive (in addition to the above noted works)
• New Street widening to extend centre turn lane
New Street at Hampton Heath Boulevard (in addition to the above noted works)
• New Street widening to create centre turn lane
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
• Minor traffic signal improvements
New Street at Amanda Crescent (in addition to the above noted works)
• New Street widening to create centre turn lane
New Street at Burloak Drive (in addition to the above noted works)
• Pedestrian accessibility improvements
Shane Court
• Full depth asphalt replacement
• Curb repairs as required
• Minor drainage improvements
Patrick Place and Bower Court
• Asphalt resurfacing
• Curb repairs as required
• Minor drainage improvements
Project Schedule and Temporary Lane Restrictions
Construction Start: May 2020
Construction Completion: November 2020
New Street works including the road widenings, curb and sidewalk repairs as well traffic signal improvements will be completed weekdays during daytime hours. The removal and replacement of the asphalt surface on New Street will be completed at night.
Work on Shane Court, Patrick Place and Bower Court will be completed weekdays during daytime hours.
The roadworks will progress from east to west over the project duration.
Traffic signal work will be completed in advance of the roadworks.
Single lane restrictions will be in place in the area of the active work.
Sidewalks will be closed where work is being undertaken.
Access to Businesses
Vehicle access to and from businesses will be maintained. Where a business has two driveways, one may be closed temporarily when work is being carried out in the immediate area.
Access to Your Residence
Vehicle access to and from your residence may be affected during normal construction hours, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Driveways will be temporarily closed when work is being carried out in the immediate area.
Burlington Transit
This project will include upgrading most of the bus stops between Walkers Line and Burloak Drive.
During the construction, Routes 4, 10 and 25 will be impacted with possible delays and stops may be temporarily inaccessible or moved. Signage will be installed at all affected bus stops.
Lawn Irrigation System
If you have a lawn irrigation system where a curb and sidewalk are to be replaced, please disconnect and remove any sprinkler heads within the City’s road allowance. Please flag all other irrigation heads.
Vibration
You may experience some minor vibration in your home during construction. We recommend you remove small, light objects from shelving in your house.
Waste Collection
Please continue to put your garbage and recycling out on the usual day. It is the contractor’s responsibility to move your bags and containers to a location that can be reached by the waste collection vehicles and return your containers. To help the contractor, please mark your house numbers on your garbage cans and recycling bins.
For more information, please contact:
Bob Jurk, C.E.T.
Senior Project Manager, Design and Construction
Capital Works Department
905-335-7600, ext. 7682
bob.jurk@burlington.ca
 By Staff
June 2nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Date moved to June 20th
There is an organization that wants to register 10,000 Canadian artists for an event that will supports 10 different verticals within the arts community – film, fashion, music, visual art, performing art, beauty, accessories, photography, craft and technology. There is no charge for artists to participate.
The National Arts Drive, a three-hour community experience on Saturday, June 20, 2020, 4 – 7pm, spanning throughout Canada, United States and Mexico. Local artists will showcase their work while respecting social distancing – from windows, balconies, driveways, front lawns, workspaces, or appropriate commercial spaces.
Community neighbours and supporters are invited to visit participating local artists, performers, musicians and designers living in their community from a safe distance.
Described as an engaging and exciting opportunity for artists and art lovers its being sponsored by RAW Artists Canada who have teamed up with Artfest Ontario to bring the National Arts Drive to Ontario Communities.
Highlights:
• Free to participate
• Easy to sign up
• Open to all art disciplines and arts supporters
• A driving tour taking place in communities across Canada
• Saturday June 6 from 4-7pm
Collingwood resident Michelle Bylow is leading the charge in bringing the drive to Canada.
“We are using all the resources available to continue our mandate of supporting and empowering artists,” said Bylow, executive director of RAW Artists Canada. “The drive will give artists visibility and financial support from their communities. 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the artists”.
Thousands of artists and art lovers are signing up.
The driving tour will be paired with a mobile website designed and built by RAW Artists. Art showcases will be identified on a map within the app, enabling drivers to plan their routes.
Using the site, visitors can support artists by liking, following and/or sharing artists’ work via social media, tipping artists through a touch free pay app (i.e. Venmo, PayPal), and/or making future purchases from the artists online. All donations go directly to the artists.
For more information on CLICK HERE
 By Staff
June 1st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Legislature will meet on Tuesday to get a motion to extend the State of Emergency Assuming the Provincial Legislature approves the motion the state of emergency, which was set to expire on June 2, will be extended until June 30.
Included under the province’s state of emergency are a number of emergency orders. The emergency orders include restrictions on social gathering limits.
This morning, Premier Ford said his government is “aggressively” working on a plan to continue reopening the economy.
“If numbers go down, we’ll be looking at other stages,” Ford said. “I want to get the economy going but we have to do it safely.”
The province was hoping to make an announcement on allowing larger social gatherings last month but said it was due to an uptick in cases.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province “still needs to go some distance” before moving to stage two of the reopening plan.
“We need to take a careful and measured approached based on four factors: the number of new cases needs to go down, make sure that we have sufficient capacity in our hospitals, make sure we’re doing adequate testing and we need to do contact tracing with public health units.”
A list of the Order the government has issued and the details behind the order is set out below. Just click on the link and you will be able to read the orders. This is what government is all about.
By Pepper Parr
June 1st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The first meeting of the creditors of 975445 Ontario Inc., which operated as Emma’s Back Porch is to take place electronically tomorrow, Tuesday.
The short financial picture is this: there was a deficiency of $168,706.89
While it is a lot of money, it struck me as a small amount and I found myself wondering if this could not be found within the community.
On the many occasions I was at Emma’s I often had to sit at the bar and wait for a table.
 There is a Balance Sheet and a list of the creditors in the papers that were filed with the Trustee in Bankruptcy.
There does not appear to be any rent due. Burlington Hydro is going to take a hit, there is a stated $40,000 due in taxes.
Gordon Food Services is down for $25,039.67
Most of the claims are for well under $5000
There is no Profit and Loss Statement – so we don’t know what the revenue was, what the profits were and where those profits went.
Thirty years of history down the tube for something over $150,000.
If 300 people had loaned Emma’s $575.00 interest free in return for premium service and a regular discount – the place could have been saved.
If 500 people had loaned Emma’s $340.00 interest free in return for premium service and a regular discount – the place could have been saved.
A failure of imagination for sure. Disappointing and unfortunate.
Or was this a situation where it was a business decision? The COVID virus was going to kick the stuffing out of every restaurant if rent had to be paid. It was unfair to expect the landlord to take the hit.
Of interest is that it is the landlord who now has possession of his property and the understanding is that the owners will operate the premises as Emma’s Back Porch.
Documents setting out the financial details are shown below:
 Balance sheet filed with the Bankruptcy Trustee 
By Staff
May 31st, 202-
BURLINGTON, ON
The Farmer’s Market Opens on June 10
The Burlington Centre, (you used to know it as the Mall) on Guelph Line, continues to be the home of the Farmers Market, which has been operating for 62 consecutive years by the Burlington Lions Club, offering great fresh and processed products from local farmers and vendors.
 Burlington Lions showing their support for the redevelopment and expansion of the Joseph Brant Hospital The opening of this Ontario Essential Business, a fresh air grocery, is the culmination of careful collaborative work by Vendors, Halton Region Health, City, Centre Owner RIOCAN, Lions Club and local businesses. Changes have been made for COVID safety and protection of the public, vendors and Market volunteers.
 It’s a bit of a maze but there will be a lot of people to help out if you get confused. Make it a fun day. The biggest changes are mandated for disease control and are based on experience at other already open operations: 6 foot distancing, cough containment and hand sanitizer, controlling the number of patrons in the Market at one time, and one-way traffic flow. The Market perimeter is defined by rows of bright colour pennant flags.
There is one entrance Gate (watch for Greeter’s Green or Red Wait sign) from the Parking Lot side indicated by an 8 ft high yellow ENTER sign. Once entering, all patrons will use one-way traffic flow in much wider aisles, including a centre median to mark the travel lanes and direction. Patrons may cross the median at various locations to change direction to the other side of the Market or to the single EXIT.
 This is one of those “abundance of caution” situations. Follow the instructions from people who really want you to have a good experience. Other precautions include protection from touching the produce and a new slogan: “Point to Buy” – Vendors will put less product on display at one time to help protect it. Cash is facilitated and some vendors are offering electronic payment options. All bags are supplied by Vendors. Sorry, no samples permitted.
Visitors are encouraged to wear a mask, use the Market Hand sanitizer (or your own), contain your cough/sneeze, keep six feet apart at all times. Service Dogs only please. Crops are coming in a bit later this Season, but Vendors will be happy to see You!
It will be a different experience but all that fresh produce will make it worth the bit of bother.
By Claire Nash
May 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON. ON
The gambling scene has certainly come a long way over the last few decades.
With the proliferation of online casinos and gambling platforms, the opportunities for high-quality and dynamic playing have never been greater. Although America tends to enjoy the more robust reputation for gambling possibilities – it is home to Las Vegas after all – there are actually a few key differences in gambling legislation that give Canada’s casinos a bit more freedom. That’s good news if you’re looking for an awesome online casino for Canadians that will present few obstacles to the gameplay. There’s no doubt that you can certainly find excellent gambling sites no matter where you are, but it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to understand the different laws that govern this activity in Canada and the United States.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
Back in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) was introduced into US legislation under President Bush. Although it has since been clarified and it’s restrictions loosened, it initially served to prevent payments on various kinds of online gambling. Although in its current iteration it focuses mostly on determining how betting on sporting events can be done, it still causes some headaches below the border. Ultimately, it can make it difficult for players to use certain types of payment when playing at online casinos. The way it is implemented varies state-to-state, meaning that some places enjoy more streamlined access to online casinos.
You can learn more about that here.
There is less red tape in Canada
Despite the fact that the UIGEA doesn’t necessarily prohibit online gambling, it can simply add another step and therefore acts as a big enough inconvenience to dissuade some players from taking advantage of all the online gambling opportunities that exist.
 In Canada, on the other hand, there is no need to overcome these limitations. No federal framework governing the parameters of online casinos exists, and therefore they can operate more freelance and are only subject to the controls imposed by each jurisdiction. Overall, the lack of an overarching legal requirement makes it easier to transfer money directly to the gambling site of one’s choosing, using a variety of payment methods, and to be able to withdraw without hassle. With fewer impediments to account for, it provides a pleasant and coherent online casino experience.
You should still do your research
That being said, there are always going to be crooks out there ready to take advantage of a loosely governed situation, and it is therefore important to do a bit of research before deciding where to play. Keep in mind that having a gambling license is just the first step in running a fully legal operation, and in order to ensure that everything is being done above board, you should dig around a bit and see what you can find about the casino in question. If anything seems fishy, you’d be well advised to look elsewhere. There are plenty of great gambling opportunities that are 100% legal, so there’s absolutely no need to put yourself at risk.
The last word.
Online gambling is legal in both Canada and the United States, and both countries offer plenty of legal online casinos to choose from. Due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which exists exclusively in the United States, it can be a little bit more difficult to transfer and withdraw funds for certain types of gaming. As it stands, there is no equivalent legislation in Canada so it presents a more economically flexible environment in which to explore the world of online casinos and gambling. Nevertheless, it is also advisable to research a specific casino before playing.
 By Staff
May 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It started on the 25th when the weather was great – that Beach was either just too tempting to stay away from or there are a lot of people who are hard of hearing and can’t read.
On the 28th, Thursday, the city decided they would take strong steps and put up fences to keep people off the beach.
 People want to be near the water – it’s the lake and beach that make much of what Burlington is all about. The province mandated that Beaches were to stay closed period.
Many appear to have thought that if they respected the six foot social distance rule they were Ok – they weren’t.
The Premier of the Province has taken part in a media event every week day for some weeks. We expect that he will be on TV again on Monday – maybe that rule about beaches being closed will be relaxed.
 It used to be people, people, people – for almost as far as the eye could see along the Beachway. Province said No and the sound has fenced off the area. There are a lot of people who aren’t happy with those Beaches being closed.
The Mayor isn’t one of them. When asked why, she is reported to have told other media that they can look to the FAQ section on the city website for the details.
 Mayor Meed Ward presiding over a virtual city council meeting The Mayor’s statement is reported to read: “Unfortunately, despite announcements and signage asking people to comply with the Provincially-mandated beach closure, last weekend, we saw a high volume of users on the beach who even when approached with educational measures by our bylaw team, still refused to leave,” reads the statement.
“Our options at this point are either: to issue a high volume of costly tickets; to accept increasingly higher numbers of COVID-19 in Ontario as we have seen since May 10; or to put up a fence.”
Public beaches across Ontario are currently closed following the provinces Emergency orders.
By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We owe Craig Kowalchuk an apology – he did not declare personal bankruptcy. That was our mistake. The corporation that ran the restaurants was owned by Kowalchuk. That corporation filed bankruptcy papers earlier this month.
I learned early this morning that an error was made in the story published yesterday on the situation at Emma’s Back Porch.
I met with Craig Kowalchuk yesterday afternoon and had a five minute conversation with him.
In the story that I published later in the day we said the bankruptcy was personal.
It was not. The corporation that Craig Kowalchuk formed to run the restaurants filed bankruptcy papers.
We owe Craig an apology and do so unreservedly. It was an error which we corrected.
Craig Kowalchuk put 30 years of his life building a great business. He was ready in an instant to do what he could to make Burlington a better place. His energy will be missed. Hopefully he will rise again.
Our information from a source at the restaurant was that the restaurant would re-open and operate as Emma’s.
It is not clear at this point just who owns the name; the insolvent corporation?
Many people, the Gazette included would love to see Craig Kowalchuk somehow come out on top of all this when the dust settles.
By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 If you thought traffic was tight on Lakeshore Road as you come into the downtown core from the east – get ready for a real squeeze.
 The Adi Development Group is now getting serious about their Nautique Development. A passageway for pedestrians in the north side of Lakeshore Road is being put in place; it will take up one of the two lanes that run west from Martha.
They will be in place for years. Hopefully they will not find themselves with a timeline similar to that of Bridgewater on the south side and a block to the west.
Adi has had a bumpy relationship with the city; they are a little on the roguish side but do build smart looking buildings. Their architecture is progressive and we’ve yet to hear a negative word about the quality of their developments.
Adi is also putting up the Station West development in Aldershot at the same time.
This development and The Gallery (26 storeys) that is being built across the street from city hall will, in the future be seen as the beginning of a process that changed to feel of the downtown core.
What that change will come to look and feel like is something we won’t know for another four, maybe five years.
Add to this the difference the pandemic is going to have on the whole world – leaves one asking the question: what will it be like ?
By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Construction is underway again in the downtown core.
 Three structure project has been the “in the works” since 1985 when developers were given the right to build a 22 storey plus building on the property where the Riviera Waterfront Motel used to exist. The hotel part of the Bridgewater development is seeing workers on the site with a large chute attached to the side of the building.
 Debris chute attached to the side of the hotel part of the Bridgewater development. Those chute are usually used to dump debris from each floor of the building when there is a renovation or an upgrade being done.
The hotel has had a tough time getting to the point where it could open the doors to the public. It was originally going to be open for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
It was originally going to be a Delta Hotel, then got upgraded to a Marriott. Then there was a new player.
The Pearle Hospitality group, the operators of Spencer’s on the Waterfront and the Old Mill restaurant in Ancaster, bring a strong reputation to this endeavour. It will be the place to celebrate New Year’s Eve – in 2021 ?
Nothing from the latest restaurateur directly.
We will do what we can to talk to the people who make the decisions at Pearle Hospitality.
By Pepper Parr
May 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Emma’s Back Porch and the Water Street Cooker will re-open but Craig Kowalchuk will not be behind the bar.
 One of the greatest watering holes in the city. The buildings were always owned by 2084 Lakeshore Holdings Ltd., they were Kowalchuk’s landlord.
 Craig Kowalchuk speaking to his Customer base  2084 Lakeshore Holdings, Craig Kowalchuk’s former landlord, decided to run the two restaurants when the province permits them to re-open The Pandemic forced Kowalchuk to close the restaurants which he explained to his loyal client base on March 19th.
Between then and May 12th, when Kowalchuk declared bankruptcy something changed.
The sign on the door explains that 2084 Lakeshore Holdings Inc. will be the operator of the two restaurants.
No word yet on when the province will permit restaurants to re-open.
By Staff
May 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Aldershot Food Collection Committee reaches out to the wider community:
“We need your help!”
Unfortunately, the hot weather this week decreased the food donations.
 Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Burlington Food Bank Also, according to the Food Bank, they are low on Peanut butter and Mac & Cheese which is very unusual.
Of course, with the kids at home, their snacks and juice boxes are still needed and most families are also running out of toiletries.
Please share with your contacts, so maybe they can shop over the weekend and we can make up for the low donations this week to both the Food Bank and Compassion Society.
Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Burlington Food Bank shared the love with the organizations the Food Bank collaborates with.
The Salvation Army tends to the east side of the city, The Compassion Society manages to reach a vulnerable sector (homeless) that we aren’t able to connect with in the same way. Wellington Square and their Community Meals program, is supported by the Food Bank every month and more regularly during COVID-19. The Food Bank provides meal preparation support from Glad Tidings Church, Open Doors at St. Christopher’s, Next Door Social Space.
Food for Life shares the rescued food around Halton.
Bailey makes the same plea every time he speaks: If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at the door. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.
 By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s elected Council meets in different ways.
Sometimes in Workshop mode where the procedural rules are thin – the objective is to exchange ideas – there is usually a speaker making a presentation involved.
Council also meets as a Standing Committee; there are three of those
EICS: Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee
CPRM: Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Committee
CSSRA: Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee
The Standing Committees is where the real debates take place.
Usually there is a Staff presentation, delegations and opportunities for Council members to ask questions. This interaction allows staff to get a better sense of what the community thinks – frequently changes are made during the meeting so that the report can go to Council for approval.
Then they meet as a Council where they pass bylaws that approve action that will be taken.
 Four people in the Council Chamber – was the air conditioning shut off. Monday evening the seven elected members met as a Council in a virtual setting, no public in the Council Chamber and other than the Mayor, the Clerk and two administration staff the room was empty.
The Mayor strutted her stuff and zipped through the agenda in very short order. There were no delegations.
Then there was discussion on support for organized sports and what kind of use the parks can be put to.
The parks are open but there are limits as to just how they can be used.
The province has a rule – no more than five people congregating and those people should be people who live together in the same house.
When the question as to how this applied to private swimming pools the conversation came close to being silly.
The province has the five people rule; Burlington has a six foot social distance bylaw. “How” asked Councillor Sharman “are you going to apply that to a private swimming pool when there are three people who are members of a family and two who are not.”
The idea of a six foot rule applying to a swimming pool is a stretch – good luck with that one.
Sharman added that his understanding of the provincial five people rule was that the members of a family (say three people would count as one – allowing five friends to join the group – making it five
 Crowding got out of hand in one Toronto park. In two weeks we will know if virus infections increased. If they do we will know where and how the contamination is spread. Not so said Heather MacDonald the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility who had earlier said “We consider a group of five to be five people who live in the same house”. Later adding that “we interpret what the province has told us it is to be”.
Sharman did not have a follow up question.
Clearly a need for better communication on this issue
Mayor Meed Ward cleared it up when she wondered what the difficulty was in figuring out what five people was. If you have two children and a parent and an additional two children who ate not part of the family – that is an acceptable group of five. That’s the provincial rule.
In Burlington members of a family can walk side by side – others have to be six feet away.
Councillor Angelo Bentivegna wanted to know why the skate parks were open but the Bocce Ball courts were not open.
That was easy: Chris Glenn explained that the actual bocce balls would have to be wiped clean after each use and that wasn’t possible – just didn’t have the staff to do it.
The City has created Park Ambassadors – teams of two people who roam the parks to explain to people what they might be doing might not be permitted.
There are two such teams – they are staff people who have been pulled from their normal duties and sent out into the sunshine to try and ensure that there is some order in the parks
The Beaches are closed. The Splash Pads are closed. The Public Pools are closed.
Chris Glenn seemed to suggest that it might come down to putting out garden type hoses for kids to use to cool down.
Keeping people six feet apart in parks was described as a problem by Councillor Kearns. She wanted to know what Burlington was going to do to ensure that Burlington doesn’t experience what Toronto experienced.
Heather MacDonald mentioned the idea that had been used in San Francisco where large circles were painted that would hold five people.
 Will Burlington see social distance circles painted in park grass ? Mary Battaglia, Director of Roads and Park Maintenance told Council that if circles were painted on the grass in Burlington she would have to hire people to do the work and added that she didn’t have budget for that. Also the circles would have to be repainted in two weeks.
One Council member wanted to know what she thought of the Vancouver idea where there were circles painted on the grass. Mary explained that in time the grass would grow and eliminate the circles and she didn’t have the budget to paint new circles.
Director of Parks and Recreation, Chris Glen and his sidekick Rob Axiak said they were working up ideas on how the sports fields could be more effectively used – one would have thought that would have been given the attention needed back in early April.
With the warm, Ok hot weather, people will want to be outdoors. The children are no longer in school and while some might be doing a bit of school work – it’s outdoor for most. To do what?
 By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It is getting a little confusing.
Emergency Orders are being extended for very short periods of time.
The most recent date is June 9th – a mere 12 days away.
We don’t seem to be getting clear reasons other than the “government continuing to protect the health and safety of the public during the COVID-19 outbreak.” And that “Public health and safety remain top priorities.”
We got that – we know that.
Could we have more in the way of detailed information on the why of it all ? Why are an additional 13 days needed? What difference will it make ? The people of Ontario are law abiding people – they are also capable of asking sensible, responsible questions.
 The six foot rule didn’t seem to mean anything to this crowd. will we see a spike in infection 10 days from now. And if we don’t – what does that tell us? Have we got testing under control? Is the province looking for specific details to come out of the testing that will guide their next decision?
 Day after day the Premier and a few of his Ministers parade before the TV cameras. Good communications practice – the message has not become more focused. The public has trusted the Premier – the Premier now needs to trust the public. The Premier put himself and a couple of his Ministers before the television cameras every day. He will do a rant on the “greedy landlords”; he will rant about the irresponsible behaviour of those who gathered in Trinity Bellwoods Park last weekend.
He broke the rules on Mother’s Day and made that trip to his cottage.
There is a bit of discomfort building up – the public isn’t buying it all they way they were two weeks ago.
The provincial government is “extending all emergency orders in force under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.”
That is a very power piece of legislation and so far, for the most part, the public has gone along with their political leadership.
I have this sense that their grip on things isn’t as firm as I’d like it to be.
“Current emergency orders include the closure of outdoor playgrounds, play structures and equipment, public swimming pools and outdoor water facilities, as well as bars and restaurants except for takeout and delivery.
“Additionally, there continues to be restrictions on social gatherings of more than five people, and staff redeployment rules remain in place for long-term care homes and congregate settings like retirement homes and women’s shelters.
“We are extending these emergency orders to protect the health and safety of all individuals and families as we begin to gradually and safely reopen our province,” said Premier Doug Ford. “To build on the progress we have made to contain COVID-19, people should continue to follow these simple public health guidelines, practice physical distancing, wear a mask when it is a challenge to physical distance, and wash their hands regularly.
The following emergency orders have been extended until June 9, 2020:
• Closure of Establishments
• Prohibiting Organized Public Events, Certain Gatherings
• Work Deployment Measures for Health Care Workers
• Drinking Water Systems and Sewage Works
• Electronic Service
• Work Deployment Measures in Long -Term Care Homes
• Closure of Places of Non-Essential Businesses
• Traffic Management
• Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes
• Prohibition on Certain Persons Charging Unconscionable Prices for Necessary Goods
• Closure of Outdoor Recreational Amenities
• Enforcement of Orders
• Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Health
• Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes
• Access to COVID-19 Status Information by Specified Persons
• Service Agencies Providing Services and Supports to Adults with Developmental Disabilities
• Pickup and Delivery of Cannabis
• Signatures in Wills and Powers of Attorney
• Use of Force and Firearms in Policing Services
• Child Care Fees
• Agreements Between Health Service Providers and Retirement Homes
• Temporary Health or Residential Facilities
• Closure of Public Lands for Recreational Camping
• Work Deployment Measures for Service Agencies Providing Violence Against Women Residential Services and Crisis Line Services
• Limiting Work to a Single Long-Term Care Home
• Work Deployment Measures for District Social Services Administration Boards
• Deployment of Employees of Service Provider Organizations
• Work Deployment Measures for Municipalities
• Limiting Work to a Single Retirement Home
• Work Deployment Measures for Mental Health and Addictions Agencies
• Congregate Care Settings
• Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record
• Certain Persons Enabled to Issue Medical Certificates of Death
• Hospital Credentialing Processes
• Education Sector
• Management of Long-term Care Homes in Outbreak
 The strain on the Premier is becoming evident. The following orders have also been extended:
• Electricity Price for RPP Consumers (until May 31, 2020)
• Global Adjustment for Market Participants and Consumers (until June 1, 2020)
That’s a lot of orders.
We are all partners in this – help us feel more confident about what you are doing Premier.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
May 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington City Council Monday evening approved the 2020 Tax Levy Bylaw.
The bylaw allows the City to bill 2020 property taxes and set payment due dates for final tax bills on Aug. 20 and Oct. 20, 2020. Final tax bills will be mailed in early July.
That may sound a little confusing. City Treasurer Joan Ford explains.
 Director of Finance Joan Ford found a way to provide some tax relief for people pressed financially during the Pandemic. “We have two property tax billings mailed out each year – Interim and Final
“The bills are mailed out in January for Interim and normally in May for Final (this year the final bills are being mailed out in July instead of May)
“Each billing has two installment due dates
Here is where it gets tricky. The COVID19 Pandemic and the crisis it created resulted in the city giving people more time to pay their taxes.
The February payment stood as it was; the April payment was moved to June 30th (they called it Pandemic relief) That covered the Interim Billing – which is basically the first half of the year.
The June and September payment dates for the Final Billing were moved to August and October.
The 2020 Tax Levy Bylaw reflects the budget processes that determines tax rate for both the City and Halton Region. The province determines the education tax rates.
The overall city property tax increase is 2.43 per cent or $18.03 for each $100,000 of urban residential assessment. Tax impacts will vary by property based on actual changes in the assessed value of the property relative to others.
Interim billing generally represents 50% of last years taxes in which the payment is divided into the two installments.
Final billing represents the remaining 50% plus any budget changes for the city & region and changes in education taxes divided into two installments
The Final tax bill will show what the total taxes are for the year less what was levied earlier in the year as part of interim taxes with the balance split between the two installments.
COVID-19 Property Tax Relief
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Council approved temporary property tax relief which allows businesses and residents additional time to pay their April property tax installment, without incurring late payment charges.
For property taxpayers impacted by COVID-19 who require additional assistance for repayment of the April 21 instalment beyond June 30, the City is offering enrollment in a monthly pre-authorized payment plan.
This plan will provide for monthly withdrawals from Aug. 1 to Dec. 1 to pay the remaining 2020 property taxes (April, August, and October instalments). No penalty or interest is charged for taxpayers enrolled in this plan. Please visit Burlington.ca/propertytax for more information or email pap@burlington.ca to register.
 Here is where the tax money collected goes – the city Treasurer collects for the Boards of Education and the Regional government which includes the police. The City of Burlington collects property taxes for the city, Halton Region and the Halton district school boards. The total combined tax levy for all three entities is approximately $431 million. The city’s levy is $174 million; the city collects $138 million on behalf of Halton Region; and $119 million on behalf of the Halton district school boards. The taxes levied for Halton Region and the Halton district school boards are remitted to them.
Related news story:
Keeping the city solvent when there isn’t much in the way of revenue and expenses unheard of before
 By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Last weekend, Conservation Halton opened their gates to five of their seven parks—Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo and Kelso Summit—to members and the public; they were using a new reservation system, which is now required to visit the parks.
The re-opening of the parks last weekend saw about 6500 reservations made with more than 17,000 people entering the parks.
 The reservation system was developed to provide a way of coping with the need to limit the number of people in any place at any one time; the system let Conservation Halton (CH) handle the physical distancing required.
Now, with their first week behind them, Conservation Halton says they will use the information they have collected to make improvements: adjusting reservation times and offering exclusive reservation spaces for members, seniors and healthcare workers are being considered.
 When registering you get a screen that is reasonably easy to navigate. Get read to see a lot of FULL locations and time slots “We have talked about a reservation system for years. When we closed the parks, due to COVID-19, it didn’t suddenly become convenient, it was necessary for us to manage our parks in a more efficient and sustainable way,” says Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer at Conservation Halton.
“Thanks to the dedication and innovation of our team, we now have one of the most data-rich, user-friendly systems for multi-park, day-use reservation in Ontario, and we are quite proud of that. This system uses an integrated software platform, license plate scanners, touch-less payment and automatic gates to provide access to nature for our community, without compromising on physical distancing.”
The turn out told us that:
• 87 percent of reservations were made for hiking
• 48 percent of reservations were made by Conservation Halton members
• 62 percent of visitors were from Halton—others were from as far away as Niagara Falls and Ajax
• 96 percent of visitors said they would recommend the reserved park visits to a friend
• Visitors rated the “overall” reservation and visitation experience 4.6 out of 5 stars
Park visit reservations can be made here: parkvisit.ca
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