 By Pepper Parr
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
I didn’t know John Calvert. I knew of him. He was Director of Planning in Mississauga at a time when Hazel McCallion was Mayor – and he survived – Hazel was one tough cookie.
I was sent a copy of the letter Calvert wrote to Mayor Marianne Meed Ward expressing his profound disappointment on how the National Homes development on Brant was proceeding.
John Calvert has lived in Burlington for more than 30 years. Watching the shape, look, and feel of the city disintegrate has bothered him for some time.
 John Calvert: Deeply hurt and disappointed I had to ask a friend for contact information and see if Calvert would take a call from me.
He said he would and we had a ten minute talk.
I heard a very distraught man who was deeply hurt talk about the Due Process that he did not feel had taken place and the need for public input on planning decisions.
He agreed with me that people were excited when Marianne was elected Mayor – many believed that the development proposals on the table were going to ruin the city.
Calvert said he “likes Marianne” he just didn’t seem to like what she was doing.
“It took me some time to write the letter” said Calvert. “I showed it to my neighbour Ed Doer who was heavily involved in the opposition to the National Homes development; he said I had written what needed to be said.”
When Mayor Meed Ward went to France to take part in the 75th WWII anniversary she went with Calvert’s wife who was one of the Burlington residents who made the Juno Beach reception centre possible. Calvert told me that the two women travelled together and got along very well.
Calvert said he was asked to speak at one of Meed Ward’s campaign funding events. “I did so willingly” said Calvert
Calvert knows the ins and out of the planning profession. He told me that the communities we build today will determine the kind of society we will have a couple of decades later.
He talked about the lack of amenities in a community that was to have 233 homes – which may have been chiselled down to 215.
“The traffic problems will be horrendous.”
Calvert hopes that this Council decides to take a sober second look at what is being proposed.
The issue for Calvert is trust and quality in developments. By quality he doesn’t mean quartz counter tops and shiny high end stoves. He means space for people to live, back yards where there is room for one of those large Italian families and parks where children can play and enough room for a child to learn to ride a bicycle.
Calvert said he was excited when Meed Ward came along – mistakes that had been made were going to be corrected. Now it doesn’t look that way.
“Someone has to stop this” he said
Related news item:
The Calvert letter
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 Pepper Parr
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Premier Doug Ford – sweating out a very tough situation. During a media conference call hours ago, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that Ontario Schools would not be re-opening on May 4th and that the Minster of Education will be making an announcement on that matter in a few days.
The Premier added that the decision to not open the schools on the 4th “does not mean that the school year is lost”.
 By Pepper Parr
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
She broke his heart – he truly believed that after working his buns off to get her elected that she would not sell him out – the Mayor has lost a fan.
John Calvert John Calvert, former Chief Planner for the City of Mississauga when Hazel McCallion was Mayor wrote Marianne Meed Ward saying:
Madam Mayor
Trust, Honesty and Commitment are the qualities I value most in family, friends and colleagues.
It appears that Council is considering a settlement agreement with National Homes on their application for a townhouse development at 2100 Brant Street.
 A planned 233 homes for the property on Brant Street It pains me to write this letter after all you did on the file, as a Councillor and Mayor, and the extensive work by Vision 2100 Brant, in addition to the commitment I made to your campaign. I am so profoundly disappointed and personally offended in this process and possible outcome.
 It has been a farm field for decades – owned by the Catholic Church. Then a developer saw an opportunity. This file is a critical example of where you could demonstrate keeping your campaign promises which all residents expected.
I regret having believed that you would actually fulfill your two main campaign promises – to oppose over-development and improve public engagement. The proposal for 2100 Brant is probably the worst case of over-development the City will experience (except the mess being made of our downtown) and yet you appear to support it.
The current planning process in Burlington, which is not practiced by other municipalities, consists of ….file an application…no decision….appeal to LPAT…settlement hearing. This not only denies Due Process but takes away residents’ rights.No public input into the settlement. It is not what we were told after this Council rescinded the 2018 settlement. We were told no more settlement hearings. Tell that to the residents along Townsend Ave after settlement hearings at 92 and 484 Plains Road. You supported these two settlement hearings.Why are the majority of development applications decided by LPAT and not Council?
You agreed that staff were compromised on the 2100 Brant file and the City would retain an outside planner to review the file, and if required, would be the expert witness at the LPAT hearing. The planner would be retained by the City and for the City. The planner was not for Vision 2100 Brant. It was your decision and now, at the last minute, there is a change of mind.
At the second LPAT Pre-hearing (April 3. 2019), Legal staff told the LPAT Chair that the City would have two Expert Witnesses, a land use planner and a traffic engineer. The Chair gave us permission to “umbrella” or use the City’s witnesses, and made no mention that each Party needs to provide their own independent witnesses. Check the minutes of the Pre-hearing. Once again, the residents are disappointed.
 The intensification is obscene. The blue area denotes the Havendale community with 236 homes. The orange area is the proposed National Homes development where 233 homes would be built. Have you challenged staff on why 2100 Brant is not compliant with the Official Plan policies on Compatibility based on the Intensification Strategy? Why have an Official Plan if the residents cannot count on Council to address the policies in their decisions? In addition, how can you support the need for 26 variances to the zoning development standards to allow National Homes to overdevelop the site?
Do you really think this is Good Planning? What impact will it have on the rest of the City? If you support it here, what does that say to all residents? This will be a precedent established by this Council. This is exactly what residents expected you, and the new Council, to oppose on our behalf.
I feel you did not keep your promise for the Downtown. How could you not remove the MTSA designation for the John Street bus stop and why hasn’t the City filed a motion with the Province to review the location for the Urban Growth Centre following MPP McKenna’s letter? The numerous delegations were counting on you to protect the Downtown by avoiding developers using these elements to ask for increased height and density as in the Adi application. Again I feel let down and unfortunately I am not alone.
I commend your leadership and time commitment in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, but feel compelled at this time to make my feelings known prior to the next Council meeting where the apparent settlement agreement might be dealt with. All of us are counting on you, and our elected councillors, to support us and the City at large will expect the same when this is all brought to light.
Related news stories.
Meed Ward’s view on September 2018
New council gets the development – what do they do?
Council gets another chance to debate the development
 By Staff
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Public Health office released COVID-19 data up to end of day on April 12, 2020
The population % of Halton’s COVID-19 cases is higher than the province when ranked by age. This is because Halton has more seniors than any other part of the province.
The curve has not yet flattened.
The data tells us that there were:
87 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update (63 confirmed + 24 probable)
356 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (316 confirmed + 40 probable)
 COVID-19 cases, by reported date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 12, 2020, shows the 356 COVID-19 cases that had been reported to Halton Region Public Health by end of the day on April 12. All cases have been graphed according to the date they were reported, which is often several days after the onset of symptoms. Among the cases in this figure, 87 were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 9 and April 12, 2020).
Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
48 Halton COVID-19 cases work in health care (13% of all cases)
 Figure 2: COVID-19 cases, by age and sex, Halton Region, 2020 Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 129 cases, or 36%). 208 of the 356 cases (58%) were female.  COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020 The figure 3 shows that by end of the day on April 12, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 122 cases, or 34%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.
 Percentage of COVID-19 cases, by exposure source, Halton Region, 2020 Case Exposure source
Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, 154 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (43%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 96 cases (27%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of infection. 83 of the cases (23%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for 23 cases (6%).
Case outcomes
46 Halton cases of COVID-19 have ever been hospitalized to date
114 Halton cases of COVID-19 have recovered to date
11 Halton cases of COVID-19 have died to date
Institutional outbreaks
1 confirmed institutional outbreak of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update
7 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the seven confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, four (57%) have been in retirement homes, while two occurred in long-term care homes and one occurred in a hospital. One of the confirmed outbreaks was reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 9 and April 12, 2020). None of the confirmed outbreaks have yet been declared over. Please note these counts do not include any suspected outbreaks that remain under investigation.
Comparison to Ontario
7,470 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
 Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020 Figure shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are now similar to the provincial rates for all age groups (for example, while Halton has 21.9 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, this is not statistically significantly different from the 17.0 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario). It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic, and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested.
Data limitations and data sources:
All Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on April 13, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on April 12, 2020
Ontario case data: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to April 12, 2020, posted on April 13, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020.
Data notes
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.
The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of under-reporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours.
Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included.
Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded.
Figure 1 distinguishes between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Since April 7, probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, meaning they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms and therefore are presumed to have COVID-19. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined.
In subsequent reports, counts in Figure 1 may increase as cases are added from past dates due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results. To minimize such retrospective changes, cases have been graphed according to case reported date, which does not reflect onset of illness.
Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc.
Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.
Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovery, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time.
Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and prisons.
The story for the period ending April 8th.
 By Staff
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Community Development Halton announces the appointment of a new Executive Director.
 “After a thorough and rigorous search process the Board of Directors of Community Development Halton announced that Michael Nixon will become the Executive Director, effective immediately.
 Mike Nixon: newly appointed Executive Director of Community Development Halton. “Nixon is a Halton resident and brings significant business experience and community knowledge.
“Nixon will take over from the recently retired Dr. Joey Edwardh.
“A business entrepreneur during the past couple of years, Mike comes to us from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. A 30-year veteran of the non-profit sector, Mike holds a BA from McMaster University and has served on several Boards of Directors. He brings a high level of corporate interaction as well as fundraising and donor relations experience.
“Nixon is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded business leader. He will provide leadership to the organization, oversee program management, community relations, financial planning and management, and support to the board of directors. Mike will serve as the main public contact and spokesperson for the organization and represent the company and all professional business capacities.
“Nixon and his wife, Cindy, have been married for almost 35 years and are the proud parents of two daughters. He is an avid golfer and home renovator and at home has a passion for baking. He and his family have long supported Halton Children’s Aid through the fostering of several babies over the years.
“Over the coming weeks Nixon will be connecting with major stakeholders and officials throughout the Region to introduce himself and to better understand their needs and concerns”.
“Nixon can be reached via email at mnixon@cdhalton.ca or by phone at 905-632-1975, or toll-free at 1-855-395-8807.”
Community Development HAlton is funded by the Region of Halton and the Hamilton-Halton United Way. It has a staff of about seven; some of whom have been laid off during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
 By Nicki St George
April 13, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Nicki St. George is part of a team of parents who are reporting each week on how they are coping with the COVID19 virus and having the children at home.
Monday, April 6
Every morning, for the sake of my sanity, I write up a schedule on the whiteboard easel that resides in our living space. It looks something like this:
9-9:30 – get dressed, brush teeth, make bed and pull curtains
9:30-10:30 – schoolwork
10:30-11:15 – outdoor time (If you call it recess then the kids will automatically go outside and don’t question it.)
11:15-12:15 – creative time (this might be just watching a drawing tutorial on YouTube and following along, lego, play doh, etc.) or baking or something science-y.
12:30-1 – lunch (we listen to the Kidsnuz podcast while we eat)
1-2 – Reading and Dreambox math
3-4 – a walk or bike ride (weather dependent)
4 – 6 – ipad time/social time and a snack
This may seem intense; however, it keeps the requests for devices down to a minimum and I really only have to plan one thing for the day (during the creative time). My afternoons often get pretty loose and I have resorted to ‘educational TV’ as another option on occasion. I highly recommend Brain Child on Netflix! Next week I will tweak the schedule and think of something new for us to do.
 Bea – all set for the next creation. Tuesday, April 7
I find the work on google classroom from each of my kids’ teachers easy enough to follow. I am happy to have this work as it takes a lot of pressure having to come up with my own educational activities. Today, however, Bea is completely uninterested in doing the assigned work. Instead she has decided to create her own version of Mo Willem’s “Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” and since she is completely engrossed in this project, I decide to let the school stuff go. In the afternoon, I take some bean seeds that were left on the vine and we put them into glass jars with wet paper towel so that we can watch as they germinate. We also plant some cat grass seed in an old plastic container for Clifford (our cat).
Wednesday, April 8
Today I am feeling the need to get out of the house. After providing tech support for another mum friend who is trying to navigate google classroom, we go for a drive to one of Bea’s friends’ houses. I exchange some bean seeds for a printed-out workbook for Bea. We stand far apart on the lawn and Bea says hi to her friend and her sisters. Leo asks if we can visit his friends. So, we drive around some more and find two sets of friends playing out on their front lawns. We try maintaining the required social distance from our friends, but this is sometimes challenging as the younger siblings ignore the 2-meter rule. We keep these visits short, but it is nice to see some friendly faces. Is this against the rules? On the way home, I pull into the empty parking lot at Mapleview Mall. Bea sits on my lap and steers the car around the lampposts. Leo protests in the back seat – he is a rule follower, unlike his mother.
Thursday, April 9
We do our weekly drive up to my parents’ farm in Campbellville. I am grateful for the large 45-acre section, with trails maintained by my dad, which allows for us to have long, isolated nature walks. Bea wants to hold Nana’s hand, but we keep our distance. This week my mum has given the kids a checklist of things to find. Everything is changing week by week. This week we spot a patch of yellow daffodils. I pick some to take home and this is enough to brighten up my day.
 Leo – did he get soaked? Friday, April 10
A teacher friend of mine posts something on Facebook that makes me realize that I am not in fact homeschooling my kids. I am not creating the content or lessons myself; I am simply administering the work and making sure that they are completing their assignments. I learn a lot about my kids and their learning styles this week. I see how easily distracted my son becomes whenever I start working with Bea. I now understand why so much of his work comes home incomplete. I also notice that Leo has excellent manners and he thanks his teacher for each assignment. Bea learns her 3D shapes this week and, in the evening, she pretends to be the teacher and teaches us all about the shapes.
Saturday, April 11
Lows for the week: Very little exercise done; my husband working so hard to meet a deadline and only emerges to read Bea a bedtime story most days; my first trip to the grocery store since the full impact of social distancing has taken effect.
Highs for the week: Leo requesting new favourite songs from the COVID-19 Spotify playlist, such as Toxic and Don’t Stand So Close to Me (a welcome departure from his usual Weird Al songs); making decoupage Easter eggs for our window with the kids, using our new firepit to make s’mores (before the new bylaw against open fires comes into effect).
Sunday, April 12
8pm (the night before): Bea writes a note to the Easter Bunny asking them to use hand sanitizer before entering our house.
4am: Bea comes into the bed and asks if she can begin the Easter egg hunt.
5am: I order Bea to go into her room and shut the door and not to emerge until it reads 6am on her fitbit watch.
5:10am: Bea calls from her bedroom, “there’s a mouse in my room.” This is not unusual for our house. I call back, “is it alive or dead?” It is alive…barely. Probably Clifford’s handiwork. A typical male, he never finishes the job he starts.
 5:15am: Bea enters my room with the mouse in a box and tells us that it is her new pet. Dan quickly ushers her outside and gets rid of her new pet.
9am: Dan and I wake up having missed the excitement of the Easter egg hunt (for the second year in a row). Bea has eaten her body weight in chocolate and will later get herself a bowl from the kitchen to carry around with her from room to room in case she needs to throw up.
9:05am: I make us coffees (with Baileys) and scrounge around the house for the unfound eggs.
Related news stories:
The idea
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
By Staff
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite a report that there are infections at two units of the Joseph Brant Hospital the picture overall for the Region is, on balance, showing the results of staying home and being very careful when you do have to go out.
A full report on data released by the Regional Public Health Unit will follow later today – there is one indicator that will leave Burlingtonians feeling quite positive.
Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 122 cases, or 34%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.
 Data as at April 8th, 2020 The visuals tell part of the story. Number of COVID-19 cases for each municipality in the Region.
 Data as at April 12th, 2020
 By Staff
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
This is about as brazen as you can get.
Man drops by a used car dealership – looks over a car – goes for a test drive with the sales rep. The engine is shut down. Sales agent heads for the office to get some papers, customer asks if the sales guy will turn the engine on again – he wants to listen to it – we will let the police tell the rest of this story.
The Halton Regional Police Service is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a series of daytime vehicle thefts.
On April 8, 2020, the male suspect attended a dealership on Fairview Street in the City of Burlington. The male inquired about a 2017 Black Range Rover at the dealership. The male requested to see the vehicle in order to check out some of the features. Once the sales person shut the vehicle off; the male asked to hear the engine again and asked for the keys to start the Range Rover. The male suspect then proceeded to get into the Range Rover and drive away at a high rate of speed out of the dealership lot.
This same suspect is responsible for two other similar style vehicle thefts. These thefts took place on March 29, 2020 in the Town of Oakville and again on March 30, 2020 in City of Burlington. During those vehicle thefts, the male suspect proceeded to steal a 2015 Black Mercedes S550 (Oakville Dealership) and a 2018 Black Mercedes E400 (Online Private Sale). During all three incidents, male suspect was left alone with the vehicle keys briefly and was able to drive away with these vehicles.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for these vehicle thefts.
 If you know this man and can identify him …  … Call Crime Stoppers. Suspect is described as a male, white, with a slim build, 170lbs and was between 5’11” and 6″ in height with short brown hair. He was wearing a black jacket and white shirt and had black sunglasses on. The suspect appeared to be between the age of 30-40 years.
If anyone has information about the identity of the suspect, please contact Detective Constable Colin MacLeod of the 30 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825 4747 ext. 2357.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously 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.
 By Pepper Parr
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Even in the darkest days, there is a ray of sunshine.
The Local Media Association was asked to manage the distribution of $2 million in grants ($5,000 each) as part of the Facebook Journalism Project.
 In October the Gazette will complete its tenth year of publishing news, option and reader comment for the citizens of Burlington. More than 400 local newsrooms across North America have received grants to support their reporting on the coronavirus.
Many publishers in many provinces and territories will receive a grant of $5,000 USD to cover unexpected costs associated with reporting on the crisis in their communities.
The Canadian branch of the program was run in partnership with News Media Canada.
The grants will help fulfill needs such as remote work, increasing frequency of publishing, combating misinformation and serving vulnerable and at-risk groups.
The program is run in partnership with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Local Media Association in the US and News Media Canada and The Independent News Challenge in Canada. This announcement comes after the first round of 50 grant recipients was announced in March.
The Facebook Journalism Project doubled the total grant pool to $2 million after more than 200 publishers applied in the first 48 hours after the application launched. The expansion made it possible to help an even greater number of newsrooms navigate the economic impact of the outbreak.
The list for Ontario includes;
The Auroran Newspaper, Bancroft Times, Bancroft, Burlington Gazette, The Chatham Voice, Chatham, The Chronicle Journal, Fort Frances Times Ltd., Fort Frances, The Georgina Post, The Haldimand Press, The Highlander Newspaper, King Weekly Sentinel, Listowel Banner, The Logic, The Morrisburg Leader, New Canadian Media, New Pathway Publishers Limited, The North Grenville Times, Orangeville Citizen, The Ottawan, Peterborough Currents, The Review, Vankleek Hill, Salam Toronto, Thornhill, The Sarnia Journal, The Standard News Corporation, Port Perry, Temiskaming Printing, New Liskeard, Torstar Local – Torstar Corporation, Toronto, Freelancer – Trent Radio, Village Media Inc., The Voice of Pelham, The Walrus,Toronto, WHA Publications Ltd, Woolwich Observer.
The Gazette will hire a photographer and a writer for as long as the funds last.
By Staff
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
With a near total lock down of the community a number of people managed to find time to ingest or swallow stuff that doesn’t register so well with a police office who pulls you over.
Impaired Driving Offences Within Halton Region
On April 6, 2020 just after 3:30 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Kerr Street and Speers Road in Oakville. As a result of an investigation, Khaleq Noori (27) of Barrie was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 6, 2020 just before 8:30 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Main Street South and Guelph Street in Halton Hills. As a result of an investigation, Adam Knee (38) of Georgetown was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 7, 2020 just before 1:30 am, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Guelph Line and Prospect Street in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Brent Lalonde (27) of Burlington was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 8, 2020, just before 4:00 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a citizen-initiated complaint in the area of Thomas Alton Boulevard and Columbus Drive in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Stacey George (42) of Burlington was charged with blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 11, 2020, just after 2:30 am, Halton Police officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Millside Drive and Martin Street in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Carlos Marticorena (24) of Hamilton was charged with operation while impaired.
On April 12, 2020, at approximately 9:30 pm, Halton Police officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Britannia Road West and Thompson Road South in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Nitin Jain (42) of Milton was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to road safety through prevention, education and enforcement initiatives.
Members of the public are reminded that driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime in progress and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report a suspected impaired driver.
The Service’s Twitter and Facebook accounts should not be used for this purpose as they are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If you have been named in a police report and after going through the judicial procedure and were found not guilty of what you were charged with, or the police dropped the charge, be in touch with the Publisher of the Gazette and we will pull the original report and publish the results of the trial if you wish.
By Robin Bailey
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
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.
 Diane Gris – the woman who manages the volunteers – keeps an eye on things while doing an interview. Robin Bailey reports that: “Diane Gris was in this morning organizing our the volunteers as we prepare for the week ahead.
“Our doors are closed today however several volunteers are working in order to prepare for Tuesday.
“It’s a much-needed chance to regroup; Volunteers are busy going through the stock we have in house and doing some organization.
 Jane Newton – all-star volunteer with more than 100 hours logged – so far. “Jane Newton started going through the personal hygiene, cosmetics and toiletry inventory. Jane is one of our hall of fame volunteers having donated over 100 hours already. Having a long-weekend doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to but for our Food Bank it means we can relax a bit more and prepare.
“Diane mentions that it’s been three weeks since we implemented the delivery at home model and we had hoped to transition completely to delivery by now. I guess this week will tell how successful we’ve been doing that. We can’t thank our volunteers enough.
You can follow just what it is the volunteers do at the Food Bank. Latest Today’s update —
By Pepper Parr
April 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Sunday habit is for one of us to walk up the lane to pick up the newspapers: she reads the Star; I read the Sunday New York Times.
I am convinced I get the better value but we share headlines and editorial cartoons.
 The Times this Sunday is almost wall to wall COVID-19 coverage or where President Trump dropped the ball.
New York City is reporting COVID-19 deaths of 800 a day and putting bodies in refrigerated trucks until they can determine where they can be sent.
A reporter managed to get into two hospitals, the Jack D Weiler Hospital and the Montefiore Medical Centre’s Moses division in the Bronx, to witness and document the chaos, panic, fear and bravery that takes place minute after minute.
Dr. Michael Jones who runs the physician resident program at both hospitals sent his young doctors an email last month asking them to go out of their way to comfort the COVID-19 patients.
Take a few moments if you can to talk about patients’ families, their lives, their dreams. Ask if there is a loved one you can call. And lastly, two very different things; hold your patient’s hand for a minute as they near death or pass, and ask your entire team to stop for five or ten seconds, bow your heads, state the patient’s name and ask for silence.
This helps us retain our humanity in times of such crisis and gives our patients’ family some solace that they were treated with dignity.
By Pepper Parr
April 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor is pushing the message again and again – she has been relentless, which at this point in time is the most important job she has.
In the photograph below people are milling about in Union Square in New York City. The photograph was taken March 21, a scant three weeks ago.
 Photograph taken three weeks ago – the COVID-19 virus was in the air then – they didn’t know that. Yesterday, the Governor of the State of New York announced that there were 799 deaths in one day in the city.
This red spikes are the part of the virus that attaches itself to us. Fascinating article in the Saturday Globe and Mail that explains what we are up against in great detail. The COVID-19 virus is literally in the air – we are transmitting it from person to person and in the process killing each other.
The way we stop this is to just stop going outside.
Difficult, yes. Very hard for some. Close to impossible for others.
But that is what we are up against.
We have to dig down deep and do what we are being asked to do. Stay inside; if you decide to go out – stay away from other people.
For those who would like to understand this disease we are fighting there is an excellent news feature in the Saturday Globe and Mail. It is complex, actually quite fascinating, to learn how this virus attaches itself to us and how the scientists are looking for way to combat it.
The Mayor’s message is clear – sure you may have heard it yesterday, and the day before. Listen to it again and pay attention – your life depends on it.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Please stay home and self-isolate, engage in physical distancing and only go outside for essentials, such as food and medical needs or appointments.
Residents with symptoms are to self-isolate at home for 14 days and ask family, friends or neighbours to safely drop off supplies to you.
This is required to keep each other safe and healthy and to “flatten the curve.”
The longer we stay apart now, the sooner we can come together again.
Look at those numbers out of New York City – 799 dead in a single day.
 By Pepper Parr
April 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Keeping up to date on the reports the Finance department sends to council means learning something new every day.
There was an item in the operating budget performance report that caught our eye. It has to do with computer software maintenance and the positive variance (which means they didn’t spend all the money they had budgeted) item in budget performance
 Former City Clerk Angela Morgan, on the right, explaining to council part of what went wrong with the CRM system. Morgan is now the Executive Lead on Customer Experience. We thought that the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that had all the wheels fall off at the same time and had to be sent back for a complete rebuild would have come under that computer software maintenance entry.
Turns out that is not the case.
 City Treasurer Joan Ford runs the tightest shop in the city. Joan Ford, City Treasurer explained that “The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software is a capital project (not part of the operating budget performance report). Capital projects are generally carried out over more than one year. We annually provide a capital closure report to council (the next one will be on the May cycle of meetings). The CRM capital project is not ready for closure at this time so will not be included in the report.”
Which means it will be as much as another 18 months before the project is re-done and then we see a closure report. That’s so far off that we could well be into deciding who the members of the next city council will be.
The screw up with the CRM took place before the current council was elected – before the current city manager was brought in.
 James Ridge – CRM mess took place on his watch. The prize for this cock-up goes to the former city manager James Ridge; he was ushered out the door some time ago.
The problems with the CRM became public when Council members found the CRM didn’t work for them. What no one knew at the time was that Sheila Jones, who was then the city auditor, was writing a report on how serious the problem was. It was a humdinger. Her report resulted in what had been done getting redone and the people who dropped the ball were no longer around to be held accountable.
Most of those who quietly left the city will probably be found working in some other municipality.
That’s the way things tend to work in the municipal sector.
Related news stories:
Councillor Kearns has a beef.
The report
The fallout
 By Staff
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward preparing her iPad for the Front Line Clap Out she performed from the veranda of her house. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will not be talking part this Friday in the Front Line Clap Out she organized hoping that it would be celebrated across the city.
Her office reports that she is otherwise engaged.
While the response to the event was tepid at best on the street the Mayor lives on it was popular elsewhere in the city.
Quite popular actually.
Comments from Gazette readers:
By Pepper Parr
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Data – data and more data.
Getting a grip on what is actually happening in Burlington and how we compare to those next door to us – is now possible. The Region released a report earlier today setting out where things stood as of April 8th.
It’s a sobering report but Burlington is going Ok – much better than the province overall.
There were 140 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update (125 confirmed + 15 probable)
There were 264 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (249 confirmed + 15 probable)
 Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by reported date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 8, 2020: shows the 264 COVID-19 cases that had been reported to Halton Region Public Health by end of the day on April 8. All cases have been graphed according to the date they were reported, which is often several days after the onset of symptoms. Among the cases in this figure, 140 were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 2 and April 8, 2020). Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
 COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020. graphic shows that by end of the day on April 8, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 102 cases, or 39%). Please note that because Burlington and Oakville have larger populations, it is expected that they have more cases.  Graphic shows that by end of the day on April 8, 106 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (40%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 68 of the cases (26%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. 56 cases (21%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of infection. Information on exposure source was pending for 34 cases (13%).  Chart shows that by end of the day on April 8, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 113 cases, or 43%). 144 of the 264 cases (55%) were female. Please note age groups have shifted since the last report, to align with provincial reporting.
 COVID-19 cases, by age, Halton Region, 2020 38 Halton cases of COVID-19 have ever been hospitalized to date
69 Halton cases of COVID-19 have recovered to date
4 Halton cases of COVID-19 have died to date
5 institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update
6 institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the six institutional outbreaks reported to date, four (67%) have been in retirement homes, while the remainder have occurred in long-term care homes. Five of the outbreaks were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 2 and April 8, 2020). None of the outbreaks have yet been declared over.
Comparison to Ontario
5,759 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
Figure 5: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020
Figure 5 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are similar to the provincial rates, except for residents aged 80+.
Currently, Halton has a statistically significantly lower rate of COVID-19 cases for residents aged 80+ compared to Ontario, with 6.3 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Halton, compared to 10.9 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario. and prisons.
By Pepper Parr
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We are not likely to see numbers like these in the 2020 financials – linger over them.
Most financial statements use the phrase profit/loss or surplus/deficit. Municipalities are different – they refer to what we know as a surplus as a “positive variance” and what we know as a deficit is a “negative variance”.
Municipalities are not permitted to have a loss – which is why they have reserves; funds they can draw upon when a particular account eats up what the departments had budgeted.
Snow removal is one account that is almost impossible to budget for – the 2014 flood was another example. When they need funds for unexpected events like these – they turn to a reserve fund.
The Tax Stabilization fund is the “piggy bank” that gets tapped frequently. It is also the account that any “surplus” or positive variance gets deposited into.
Where were the budgets over and under from the Strategic Plan viewpoint?
 The four strategic plan pillars – how the budget was allocated. Spending looked at from a departmental viewpoint. Where things went well and where things slipped up.
The expensive mistake of getting the Customer Service software in place and operation isn’t reflected in this report – some questions to ask at this level.
The earnings on investment appears to be what made the positive variance.
Does this report give the city finance department an A or a C?
 The investment revenue sort of papered over the problem areas. This report provides an overview of the financial performance of the 2019 Operating Budget and additional variance commentary for select services as at December 31, 2019.
The Gazette has put together a team of parents who are at home taking care of their children while the province goes through school closures and the shut down of everything other than essential services.
Ashley Worobec and Nicki St. George will write regularly on how they are coping. We invite parents to take part in this initiative by adding comments to each Coping with COVID19 & the kids article.
By Ashley Worobec
April 8th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We have been doing pretty well.
The shock and awe is easing, and we’re adjusting to a new normal.
All four of us are home, as my husband is a teacher so he and the kids are obviously not at school, and my clinic was closed as of March 16th.
 Something that says Spring is on its way – bit warmer would be nicer. We are filling our mornings with more structured activities- the kids have begun their daily online work, which has been a real help to provide some routine and concrete goals. I’ve been helping the kids with their work while my husband does his own computer work- creating assignments for his students and interacting with them online, checking in to make sure all have access to the work, phoning to see how they’re doing.
I’ve been really touched with how much communication we’ve had from the kid’s teachers and I’ve seen how much work my husband is putting in, keep his own students engaged and informed. It’s a trying time, but we’re all adapting. The afternoons seem to be more unstructured, and we do lots of walks, puzzles, and movies.
 For me, my clinic is having bi-weekly Zoom meetings and that’s been really helpful to keep morale high.
We are working hard on the business behind-the-scenes, and it’s been great to have that focus. We are also offering complimentary virtual or telephone appointments for our patients, which allows us to modify their rehab exercises and give advice if they’re in pain or looking for some guidance for their biomechanical health.
Spring is in the air, which I’ve found to be helpful as well. My extended family is all in Alberta, and they are still very much in the depths of Winter, so it’s been harder for them to be outside. My family has been spending a LOT of time outside, and yesterday the kids set up their slack line in our front yard- it’s basically a big tightrope and provides lots of fun for them.
 The Easter bunny brought it a couple of years ago, and it seems that every year around Easter weekend, the slack line finds its way outside- it really marks the start of the nice weather, and this year has been no exception.
Of course the kid’s sports have all been cancelled, but we’ve been playing a lot of games in our yard – soccer, football, and lots of workouts in our driveway. We have a bit of gym equipment, including some dumbbells and kettlebells and it’s been really nice to see our kids taking an interest in that as well, as my husband and I are both workout junkies.
Related news stories
Week 1
Week 2
By Staff
April 8th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Robin Bailey is a kind man who works hard at making sure people who need food get the food they need.
 Robin Bailey – Executive Director Burlington Food Bank He is a friendly man – but he does not want to see your face.
He doesn’t want you to come to his front door either.
If you need food; if you are self-isolating and don’t have anyone who can shop for you – call Robin – he will get food to you.
Just don’t visit him.
“At the Food Bank” explains Robin “we are still trying to transition our clients over to a home delivery model. For those that still come to the store, we are grateful that you are all practicing social distancing and wearing protective masks – thanks for doing your part.
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.
Donations are always welcome –
By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Fire Department has issued a City-wide burn ban and suspending all Open-Air Burning Permits until further notice. The ban is effective April 13th, 2020
 Brush fires can easily get out of control – not what the fire department wants to have to deal with at this time. As part of the COVID-19 response, a burn ban is being implemented as a preventative measure to ensure that Fire Department resources are available when and where needed most. Additionally, the Fire Department is trying to limit non-emergency interactions with residents and respect physical distancing requirements at this time.
 Fire department is discouraging the use of fire works this year. Firework displays for the Victoria Day weekend are also being discouraged due to the potential fire hazard and concerns around social gathering.
Emergency orders currently in place to address the COVID-19 outbreak include the prohibiting of organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people. Failing to comply with any of the emergency orders is an offence under the Emergency Management and Civil Protections Act and may result in fines.
Park Closures
All amenities in City parks are closed, including parking lots. Please continue to respect the caution tape and keep off playgrounds, sports fields, skateboard areas, tennis and basketball courts.
Only walking, jogging, riding a bike or scooter/wheelchair through a park or trail is permitted. Remember to keep two metres away from others – about the length of a hockey stick.
The best thing residents can do to protect themselves and the community, is stay home.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward “supports the decision to ban open fires and fireworks for the time being as we manage the COVID-19 response throughout our city. Removing additional risk helps us ensure our emergency responders are better able to focus on the urgent work ahead of us in this unprecedented global health challenge.”
 Dave Lazenby, Fire Chief Dave Lazenby, Fire Chief and Operations Section explains: “The open-air burning ban is a temporary measure to assist with the strategies put in place during this time of COVID-19, including physical distancing to help “flatten the curve”. It will also allow fire crews and fire inspectors to focus only on essential services without the need to deal with the issues and workload created by open-air burns. We anticipate lifting the ban as soon as it is safe to do so.”
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FYI The Strata at 551 Maple was there front and centre, shouting from balconies, clapping, blowing horns,whistling. We are also there every day at 6 p m. and join in on other tributes. Kind of like if a tree falls in the woods and you didn’t see it did it really fall? So, yes for the record, we supported our Mayor and our front line.