 By Staff
May 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association Board of Directors invites you to BurlingtonGreen’s 2020 Annual General Meeting, held virtually using ZOOM on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
 Learn more about what BurlingtonGreen has been up to for the past year, meet our Board and Leadership Team and tell us what matters to you!
When: Tuesday May 26, 2020, 5:30pm – 6:15pm
Where: Virtually via ZOOM webinar
Register today!
Don’t see all that much time to ask probing questions; no mention of their financial statements. Transparency applies to the not for profit sector – not just the politicians.
 By Joe Gaetan
May 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Joe Gaetan is a regular Gazette reader who more often than not gets it right. He can be, has been, a trenchant critic. He is Italian.
“First, I would like to say that this will be the last issue of my reporting on the Covid19 pandemic. Secondly, I recently read an article entitled, “Seniors with Covid19 show unusual symptoms Doctors Say”. The premise of the article is that some seniors experience unusual symptoms, please read it and share as you see fit, https://khn.org/news/seniors-with-covid-19-show-unusual-symptoms-doctors-say/
“ When I first started doing this I did so because I wanted to see how Canada was doing compared to Italy. As time marched on I became interested in what was occurring in South Korea (for obvious reasons) and the USA (because they are our neighbor). And now it is time to move on and I am getting sick and tired of hearing phrases such as “during these difficult times” blah blah.
“This chart shows the average number of new cases per day for the months of March, and April and for May to the 15th. The U.S.A. is currently running at an average of 25,951 new cases per day while S Korea is seeing about 17 new cases per day. Canada is now seeing 1,419 new cases per day on average while Italy is at 1,228. We have a way to go.
 Cases per day, by month, comparing Canada and Italy. “This series of charts and my favorite are the % Daily Change in Cases that tell us if we are winning or losing the battle against Covid19. Canada is within striking distance, but we need to be below 1%.
 Canada’s curve – needs to be brought down to less than 1% “S Korea is the benchmark for this. As you can see S.K was running at a rate of 1.85% back in March. The rest is history and their average % daily change rate for May is .16% down from an average of.32% for April. Canada per the above chart is at an average daily % change rate of 1.65%, so I suspect we may be 45 to 50 days away from where SK is today % wise but with way more cases.
Penny Hersh, a strong face mask advocate, said in a comment: “My concern has been that once things started opening up that residents would not do what they should to protect themselves and others.
“Yesterday, there was a huge lineup for ice cream at La Creme de la Creme on John Street. The lineup outside of the shop snaked all around the street and around the corner. No physical distancing was taking place and no one was wearing a facial mask.
“Friday evening, about 5 or 6 cars of residents( about 15 people) came together in the parking lot across from Emma’s and stood in the parking lot some drinking and all socializing once again no physical distancing or masks.”
The message is getting out to family’s – it doesn’t seem to be getting out to the younger people who seem to think they are immune to the virus. The data does say that this cohort is infected less than other cohorts – but they are being infected. No one has come up with a way to get this message across.
 They are sometimes oblivious to the obvious.  South Korea’s curve – this is where we need to get to.  Joseph A. Gaetan has a BGS degree in applied studies, earned through studies at The University of Waterloo and Athabasca University. He also earned a Province of Ontario Engineering Technology Certificate through Fanshawe College, and for 8 years worked at earning a trade becoming a Journeyman Machinist. He also studied French at the Centre Linguistique du Collège de Jonquière and Italian at Mohawk College. In addition, he has taken online courses through the EDx platform taking courses from Harvard, The University of Queensland, Wellesley and Delft Wageningen, he is currently working at learning 6 languages through Duolingo. His work career includes being a Machinist, a CNC programmer, a business owner, a consultant and the Director of Organizational Development for a Fortune 100 company. All of this thanks to life-long learning.
By Staff
May 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Well – there goes the weekend.
 Conservation Halton advises that the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry’s Surface Water Monitoring Centre is forecasting an incoming low-pressure system that will bring up to 40 mm of rain over our jurisdiction beginning Sunday afternoon with a chance of thunderstorms leading to an additional 10 to 25 mm locally. An additional 10 to 30 mm is possible on Monday before the system moves out of our jurisdiction.
Soil conditions within the watershed are saturated from recent rainfall meaning that much of the forecasted rain on Sunday and Monday will runoff into our rivers and streams. The combination of increased flows and water levels and slippery and unstable banks will create hazardous conditions close to any rivers, streams, or other water bodies.
Widespread flooding is not anticipated. Our reservoirs are still in range of our seasonal holding levels and have storage capacity available. However, fast flowing water and flooding of low-lying areas and natural floodplains may be expected. Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should be on alert.
 High water in the creeks and streams Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to keep a safe distance from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream flow and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary. This Flood Outlook Statement will be in effect through Thursday May 21, 2019.
 By Pepper Parr
May 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The city opened up – a little today.
 There were golfers at some of the courses on Guelph Line. The plant merchants were very busy. There were golfers on some of the courses and line up as the driving ranges.
Weather was nice.
 Most of the golfers we say were buzzing about in electric carts – 1 person per cart. No one was lugging a golf bag. The city, for some reason wasn’t as prepared for the opening that everyone knew was coming. Parks and recreation announced on Friday that they have cancelled all of the summer Parks and Recreation program and were starting from scratch to figure out what they might be able to open as the rules from the province are clearer.
The LaSalle Park Marina could be open but won’t be – construction of the new water break is still taking place.
 Golfers at a driving range – wasn’t operated by the city. The City’s Tyandaga Golf Course is preparing for opening Saturday, May 23, 2020 with COVID-19 safety precautions in place to help keep both golfers and staff safe by minimizing the spread of the virus.
Players wishing to book a tee time can do so online as of Saturday, May 16, 2020 at tyandagagolf.com. Booking by phone can be done starting Tuesday, May 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. by calling 905-336-0005.
New Rules and Operations
• Tyandaga will be open daily, 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Online tyandagagolf.com and phone booking for tee times only; no walk-in green fees
• Only credit card or debit cards will be accepted for payments (no cash)
• Food and beverage services will be limited to window take-out service only. Dining area is closed.
• No group events or tournaments at this time
• Clubhouse will be closed except for washrooms and pro-shop area. Only one person allowed in pro-shop and washroom at a time
• One person per power cart
• Lessons, practice greens, practice chipping area and rental clubs will not be available at this time
• Sand bunker rakes have been removed. Any shots in the bunker are a free drop
• All high-contact surfaces are regularly sanitized such as the payment terminals, all service-related surfaces, power carts and bathrooms
• All machinery will be sanitized daily to ensure public and staff safety
City hall had this to say about opening their parks:
Re-opening of the City parks and facilities is something everyone is looking forward to, but we must continue to do it slowly and carefully with the right precautions.
The City of Burlington remains committed to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect its residents and employees.
While City of Burlington parks were never closed for walk-through traffic, residents can now enjoy a few more casual activities in their local City of Burlington parks and green spaces with members of their own household or groups of five of less, including:
• Playing catch, kicking a soccer ball and flying a kite (not on a soccer field or baseball diamond)
• Sitting on a blanket, grass or lawn chair
• Exercising and stretching on a yoga mat, but not in a class
• Letting young children run and burn off some energy
Facilities, amenities and spaces that continue to be closed in City parks include:
• playgrounds and play structures such as swings, slides, climbers
sports fields such as soccer fields, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, running tracks
• outdoor exercise equipment
• skateboard parks
• off-leash dog areas
• benches, picnic tables and shelters
• beaches
• marinas and boat launch ramps
• park parking lots and washrooms
• recreation centre grounds and parking lots
Respect the caution tape and keep off playgrounds, sports fields, skateboard areas, tennis and basketball courts. The City has signage and barricades in the entrances of parking lots to block vehicles from parking.
Parking lots remain closed to encourage people to stay in the neighborhood and to help prevent overcrowding at some of our larger parks.
This will be reviewed as we consider additional phased opening of park uses.
Organized sporting activities and training, such as football, softball, ball hockey, soccer, ultimate frisbee and basketball – even if they are not being played on a court or sports field – are still not allowed in City parks. Similar activities that do not allow for proper physical distancing, like running a sports or fitness class in City parks, are not allowed until further notice.
Provincial emergency orders that remain in force include:
• Prohibiting events and gatherings of more than five people
• Closure of public places and establishments
• Closure of outdoor recreational amenities
I didn’t see the words “have fun” anywhere in the city’s words. They sound like a crabby grandmother.
Sport Facilities
The Province announced some sport organizations are able to resume activities. The City of Burlington will work with our joint venture partners to ensure there are plans in place based on provincial guidelines and their sport governing body’s requirements. The City is also working to ensure these organizations can use the facilities while complying with provincial guidelines and protecting the health of athletes and city staff.
Conservation Halton Parks.
 Turtle clan longhouse at Crawford Lake. Few people realize that there are provincially operated parks as well as parks operated by the Halton Conservation Authority. THEY will be opening five of their seven parks for hiking and biking, using a simple reservation system, starting May 22.
Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo and Kelso Summit (biking only) will be open to members and to the public, for paid access, from 9am-9pm. Other parks and facilities will be added in the coming weeks.
What do I need to do to access the parks now?
The new system that we have mentioned above will allow to us predict and monitor the number of people in the parks through an online reservation platform. From this point forward, parks visitors and members will be required to make a reservation prior to their visit. (The pilot has shown us that this process should take no more than 1 minute.) Here is how it works: After you have made your online reservation, and arrived at the park, you will drive up to the gate and stop. Your license plate will be scanned and the gate will open. If there is any issue with your license plate, a gate attendant will scan the barcode on your ticket. (The pilot has shown us that this process should take no more than 10-15 seconds.)
When can we start making reservations?
Reservations will be open on Wednesday, May 20 or Thursday, May 21. You can visit our website or follow us on social media to be notified when the reservation system is made public.
Why do we need to reserve our park visit in advance?
Being able to predict and monitor the number of people in the parks means that we can create the conditions needed for physical distancing, but this system will offer a number of other benefits, even once things are back to normal. For you, as a visitor, this system will show you which parks are busy and which are not, right down to the minute, before you leave your house. We know it can be frustrating to get ready for a hike, drive out to a park and then be faced with a lineup, so we hope that this system will prevent that. For us, this system will allow us to improve the experience of visiting our parks and reduce the impact that visitors have on our parks for a more efficient, enjoyable and sustainable approach to park management. We want you to enjoy nature when you come to our parks, not wait in line ups.
Why not open the parks all at once?
Trust us when we say that we would if we could. Each of the parks is a little bit different, which means that the improvements to infrastructure and operations are a little bit different for each park. We are working incredibly hard to open as many of the parks as possible, as soon as possible, but this process does take time, so we appreciate your patience, and we promise it will be worth the wait.
How many spots will there be?
With these 5 parks open, we estimate there are about 15,000 timeslots per week available for visitors to reserve, to safely accommodate about 75,000 visitors across the parks, each week. We feel this should be enough to meet the needs of our members, and the public, however we welcome suggestions through a post-visit survey on how we can continue to adjust our model.
Can I get a refund on my membership?
 One of the views from the top of Mt Nemo Conservation Halton Parks memberships will be extended for the duration of the park closures but memberships are (and have always been) non-refundable. Considering that memberships provide access to the parks for an entire year, that the parks were closed for just a few weeks, that memberships pay for themselves in just a few visits and that we are extending memberships for the duration of the park closures, we are confident that you will still be able to find value in them. Memberships will resume on May 22.
When will the extension be added to my membership?
With parks open on May 22, memberships will be back in effect, and the full duration of the park closures will be added to your membership, automatically. There is nothing you need to do to receive this extension.
What about camping and picnicking?
With facilities still closed, we are not currently able to offer camping. Picnicking in the parks is permitted, as long as physical distancing is practiced, visit time limits are respected and no trash is left behind. Also, picnic tables will not be accessible, so you will need to bring your own blanket. We also expect all visitors to follow Provincial Orders and Guidelines related to group sizes when gathering for any activities and staying within their household groups. As the Province updates these guidelines, we will offer more activities and options at our parks.
What about the Bruce Trail that goes through Conservation Halton Parks?
The Bruce Trail Conservancy has recently started to open some sections of the trail. As of May 22, if a part of the Bruce Trail passes through one our parks, which is open, that part of the trail will be accessible. If a part of the trail passes through one of our parks, which is still closed, that part of the trail will not be accessible.
Over all rules for everyone and everything
It has been said 100 times – and it will be said again:
Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most important steps everyone needs to take. The COVID-19 virus doesn’t move on its own; it needs people to move it. Remember to:
• Keep two metres away from others – about the length of a hockey stick
• Move to the right on pathways to make room for others to pass safely
• Carry out your garbage whenever possible
Do that and we can flatten that virus infection curve – we are still seeing new infections daily at the 300+ level
Residents who see groups of more than five people gathering or individuals using outdoor recreational facilities that remain closed can call the Halton Regional Police Service COVID hotline to file a report at 905-825-4722.
 By Staff
May 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Covid19 virus has had a devastating impact on the health of people around the word; it has brought the economy of the world to its knees and has spurred scientist from around the world into different ways of tracking the virus, determining how it moves while others spend millions of hours in labs trying to create a vaccine that will inoculate us from its spread.
 The graphics that explain the way the virus works are very good. There are others who have found new innovate ways to tell what has happen and teach something about how this virus works.
CBC recently produced a short piece on the trail the virus too.
You scroll through the presentation and trace the paths the virus took as it mutated several times. Fascinating.
CLICK and take a look.
 By Staff
May 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
A drug trafficking investigation by the Regional Police Burlington Street Crime Unit in April resulted in a number of arrests and charges against the following individuals;
Edlyn MILLER (27 years old from St. Catharines)
• Fail to Comply Release Order (2 counts)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Crystal Meth)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl)
Naithan BACHIU-TAIT (25 years old from Hamilton)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Crystal Meth)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Cocaine)
• Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public (Brass Knuckles and Flick Knife) – (2 counts)
• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Brass Knuckles and Flick Knife) – (2 counts)
• Possession of Stolen Property
• Fail to Comply Release Order (6 counts)
James SHIELDS (28 years old from Hamilton)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Crack Cocaine)
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (Crystal Meth)
• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public (Flick Knife)
• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Flick Knife)
• Fail to Comply Release Order
Amanda HARPER (27 years old from Hamilton)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Crystal Meth)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Cocaine)
• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public (Brass Knuckles)
• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Brass Knuckles)
Ashley JACOBSEN-SMITH (25 years old from Hamilton)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Crystal Meth)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance (Cocaine)
• Fail to Comply Release Order
On May 8th 2020, Investigators executed search warrants at residences in the City of Hamilton and the City of St. Catharines and the following items were seized from both locations:
 90 grams of Crystal Meth
• 7 grams of Crack Cocaine
• 1.5 grams of Fentanyl
• $2,252.00 Canadian currency
• 6 cellular phones
• 5 digital scales
• Pair of Brass Knuckles
• 2 Flick Knives
$7,400 worth of drugs was seized as a result of the search warrants.
Both Bachiu-Tait and Miller were held pending a court appearance in Milton.
Harper, Jacobsen-Smith and Shields have been released from custody pending a court appearance in Milton.
Anyone with information in regards to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Scott Heyerman of the 3 District Street Crime Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 2342.
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.
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
By Staff
May 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The nasty, socially ugly business of human trafficking is in front of us again.
 On May 13, 2020, members of the Halton Regional Police Service attended a hotel in Burlington in regards to an unknown problem.
Officers arrived on scene where they identified a female victim who wished to speak with investigators about her involvement and exploitation in the sex trade.
The accused had fled the scene however responding officers located him nearby and placed him under arrest.
Charged: Amir Mehrani (46) of North York
Charges:
-Adult Procuring by Exercise Control
-Adult Withholding or Destroying Documents
-Adult Trafficking in Persons
-Adult Material Benefit Resulting From Trafficking in Persons Material Benefit
Mehrani has been held in custody pending a bail hearing.
The Drug and Human Trafficking Unit is continuing the investigation.
For human trafficking and exploitation of women to take place there has to be a someone who is prepared to pay to be able to take part in that exploitation.
We see far too many situations where a local hotel or motel is reported as the location. Doesn’t reflect well on what some people in Burlington are doing with some of their time
Anyone who may have additional information pertaining to the offences related to this accused are asked to contact Detective Dan Ciardullo of the Halton Regional Police Service – Human Trafficking Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 4973
 The Halton Regional Police Service is a member of the Halton Collaborative Against Human Trafficking along with several other stakeholders and agencies. This Collaborative is dedicated towards providing services and support to those who have experienced Human Trafficking in Halton and surrounding regions. Local organizations such as “SAVIS” (www.savisofhalton.org) are able to provide first response care and support to victims of human trafficking.
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
May 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a new graphic related to what the city administration iis call Service redesign.
 Administration has been workiing on this for weeks. They will put it before a Standing Committee today and then make it official at a Special Meeting of Council. What’s the rush? No time for public engagement. The item popped up on the agenda for a meeting of the CPRM Standing Committee as an addendum. It is a 64 page document about how the city administration wants to run things differently. It will be discussed at the committee this morning.
Immediately after the Standing Committee there will be a Special Meeting of Council to approve the changes – which the public knew next to nothing about.
No public engagement.
We should be getting an uncomfortable feeling just about now.
By Staff
May 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
An application has been received by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for a retail cannabis store. If approved it will be the 8th retail cannabis in the city. The proposed location at 1860 Appleby Line, Unit 11B is now up for public comment.
Written comments about the proposed location will be received by the AGCO until May 25, 2020 and may be submitted online at www.agco.ca/iAGCO. The AGCO will accept submissions from:
A resident of the municipality in which the proposed store is located
The municipality representing the area in which the proposed store is located and/or its upper-tier municipality.
Comments submitted to the AGCO should relate to the following matters of public interest:
 A normal cannabis retail operation Protecting public health and safety
Protecting youth and restricting their access to cannabis
Preventing illicit activities in relation to cannabis
After May 25, the AGCO will consider all written comments and available information to decide whether the application for the proposed store location will be approved.
Currently there are seven licensed cannabis retail stores in Burlington, including two approved since the ACGO moved to an open licensing system for cannabis retail store applications earlier this year. The seven stores include:
Relm Cannabis Co.; 4031 Fairview St., Ste. 103
Corner Cannabis; 3007 New St.
The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co.; 1505 Guelph Line, Units 3-4
Friendly Stranger Plains Road; 1025 and 1059 Plains Rd. E., Unit 3
Pioneer Cannabis Co.; 1200 Brant St., Unit B-004
Mihi; 3500 Dundas St., Unit A1B
Canna Cabana Burlington; 2400 Guelph Line, Unit 2
Mayor Mead Ward has this to say: “These latest locations all conform to our City’s guidelines and are in locations where we want cannabis stores to exist. Cannabis is still a new venture in our city and we were one of the first municipalities to embrace this new form of business – having these stores in spots that meet our local guidelines ensures safe access to a legal substance to those who are legally allowed to purchase it.”
Odd isn’t it; restaurants that have served the city well for some time can’t open and are going broke; cannabis shops that weren’t all that popular by many citizens are now at seven locations with an eighth application in process. And they can be open for business.
Something isn’t quite right. Are there now more cannabis shops than there are LCBO stores in Burlington?
 By Pepper Parr
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Sometime on Wednesday, today, Craig Kowalchuk went to the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy in Hamilton and filed notice of bankruptcy.
During the day there was all kinds of speculation as to just why the restaurant closed. In his announcement on the Emma’s Facebook page Kowalchuk said: “Circumstances have prevailed and we cannot move forward.”
 The decision to declare bankruptcy was a decision Craig Kowalchuk felt he had to make.
This afternoon the Gazette had an agent look at the premises of the restaurant to see if there was a notice posted on the door. No one really knew, or no one was saying, that it was a bankruptcy.
 Our agent took a couple of photographs. “ When I stepped onto the property” said our agent” a uniformed security guards stepped outside. I asked what was going on said out agent and I was told by the security guard that the building had been sold and that the new owner intended to re-open but under a different name and not until the COVID crisis was over.
The first meeting of creditors is on June 2nd – it will be done via a conference call.
Let’s look at what we know.
Kowalchuck files a declaration of bankruptcy. That wasn’t a decision that was made in 15 minutes. Craig Kowalchuck doesn’t work that way.
When we visit the premises we are told by a uniformed security guard that the building was sold and that the new owner would open a new restaurant at the location once the COVID crisis was under control and people were allowed to go to restaurants.
That sale will have to have taken place sometime earlier in the month and the negotiations leading up to it would have taken some time which suggests that the sale has been in the works for some time.
We have not had an opportunity to look at the sale documents. We do know that the building was sold in April of 1994 to 2084 Lakeshore Holdings Ltd.
There appears to be a new owner.
There also appear to be some unanswered questions.
Was the balance sheet so bad that he knew he could not wait out the COVID crisis and bankruptcy was the only option ?
Was there a new landlord who took over the lease and created a situation that led to a bankruptcy?
Or was bankruptcy and very good strategic tool?
Will we see Craig Kowalchuck standing behind the bar of a New Water Street Cooker?
By Staff
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) released as statement this afternoon on the surprising closing of Emma’s Back Porch & The Water Street Cooker
“Profoundly saddened by the announcement” said Brian Dean, Executive Director of the Association. Craig Kowalchuk is a longtime partner of the BDBA, an excellent corporate citizen and mentor to many in our dining and hospitality sector.
 What will happen to the business – could it re-open? “Craig is a resilient restaurateur and champion of our small business sector Downtown, the closure of Emma’s Back Porch- a Burlington institution – is a deep cut”, says Mark Eade, Chair, Board of Directors for the Association.
This sentiment is echoed by Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns, “Emma’s Back Porch has always been a place for everyone; a place that feels like home and a place to come home to. Burlingtonians have celebrated countless milestones under the warm hospitality of operator Craig Kowalchuk’s enthusiastic team. Emma’s has been a steadfast canvas for community events, from road races to fundraisers and campaigns to sporting victories.
The memories made will continue to galvanize our community with a sense of belonging and shared experience, for that we are forever indebted to Craig’s leadership. Always an advocate, Craig has stood tall in creating the downtown waterfront experience we have all come to love – his passion for safety, participation in community events, supporting local, and tackling tough business issues is unrivaled. As we look out to the horizon with sadness, let’s look upon Emma’s with smiling eyes and gratitude for all that we didn’t know Emma’s meant to us. Please join me in thanking Craig for his contribution to our community, hard work, and his passion which has humbly made our city a better place to live.”
 More often than not the place was packed. Craig operated Emma’s Back Porch & The Water Street Cooker for thirty years and maintained the building’s storied history. Some will recall it as the home of the esteemed Estaminet Restaurant and Sharky’s On The Water. Others have fond memories of family outings to the lakefront, grabbing a bite at Emma’s Freeze & Fries.
Craig quickly emerged as a leader in Burlington’s hospitality industry, forming the Burlington Restaurant Association, championing countless local sports teams and charitable causes and providing a training ground for a generation of young restaurateurs.
Right up until the Craig was leading the charge to advocate for measures that would help the restaurant sector recover quickly. We are thankful for all that he has given to our community over the years, he has left an indelible mark on our Downtown.
The Gazette has a question: “Who made the decision to close the restaurant?
Craig Kowalchuk or his landlord?
There is much more to this story.
Stay tuned.
By Pepper Parr
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Remember that announcement by the then MPP for Burlington, Eleanor McMahon that a new courthouse was going to be built fire the Region.
 It was an empty field – land the province owned – it was to be the home of a new courthouse. The current Courthouse on Steeles Road in Milton was years beyond its best before date and finding space for trial and hearing was getting hard to find.
Those plans were cancelled by the provincial government – there isn’t going to be any money to pay for what was budgeted as a $500 million project.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the other Halton mayors wrote to Premier Ford and Attorney General Downey saying they understand the financial pressures that have emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic and asked the government to postpone the construction project rather than cancelling it outright.
May 13, 2020
Dear Premier Ford and Attorney General Downey,
We are writing to express our disappointment in the Province’s decision to cancel construction of the Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse. While we recognize and understand the tremendous financial burden the COVID-19 relief efforts have put on Provincial and municipal finances, this construction project would help stimulate the economic recovery of Halton Region. The administration of justice is not where to make cuts, as this is a foundational pillar of democracy.
The design and construction of the new courthouse would have resulted in close to 600 jobs for our community, while the estimated $200 to $499 million in capital costs would have provided a tremendous economic stimulus for our Regional economy. At a time when we are all looking for ways to stimulate economic recovery, the Province will be left with the cancellation costs of this project, and no economic return.
The community has been awaiting construction of this courthouse facility for many years. The new facility would have brought the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice operations in Milton and Burlington together in one state of the art, accessible and efficient facility in Oakville.
The new building design included innovative technology features that would allow for video conferencing and closed-circuit television to enable children and other vulnerable individuals to appear before the court from a private room, allowing the court to run more efficiently and help speed up the criminal justice system in Halton Region.
We support the request made to you by the Halton County Law Association and the Halton Regional Police Service to engage and discuss alternatives to the full cancellation of this important project.
We urge you to reconsider your decision and request instead only a postponement of this much needed facility.
Related news story:
Original court house plan announcement
By Staff
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Wonderful news from the Farmer’s Market.
IT IS Official – the Burlington Centre Lions Market will open on Wednesday June 10 – 8am to 2pm, Friday June 12 – 8am to 3pm and Saturday June 13 2020 – 8am to 2pm
They will be happy to be able to serve you.
 Fresh bread – straight from the ovens – but you had to get there while the basket still had something in it. There will be some rules for the Covid19 virus – but the rules will be posted and the process will be simple to follow. They are there to help and with everyone following the rules it will amount to one more thing people can get out and do.
By Staff
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, On
The Regional Police Service would like the public’s assistance in identifying three suspects responsible for distraction thefts in the City of Burlington and the Town of Oakville.
Between May 4th to May 7th 2020, there have been four incidents where a group of thieves targeted elderly females shopping in retail spaces. Suspects obtained the victims personal identification numbers of their financial cards as they observed them at these retail locations. As the victims returned to their vehicles in the parking lots, these suspects distracted them in order to steal their credit cards.
Subsequently, these suspects used the stolen credit cards for cash withdrawals and retail purchases.
These thefts occurred at a Walmart in the City of Burlington and the Longo’s and Metro grocery stores in Oakville on May 4th. Another theft occurred at a Shoppers Drug Mart in the City of Burlington on May 7th.
The estimated loss to the victims is projected to be over $5,000.
Investigators from the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau are looking for the following suspects:
 Suspect One is described as male, white, 25-30 years old, 5’9 to 5’10, medium build 170-180 lbs, wearing black shoes, blue jeans, blue coat, Toronto Blue jays baseball cap and dark rimmed glasses.  Suspect Two is described as male, olive complexion, 25-30 years old, 5’9 to 5’10, medium build 170-180 lbs, wearing black shoes, pants and jackets and a white baseball hat with writing on the cap
 Suspect Three is described as male, white, 25-30 5’10-5’11, medium build, 170-180 lbs, wearing white/ blue shoes, blue jeans, blue coat, white sweater with hood and a camo-green Toronto Maple Leafs cap. All suspects were wearing surgical masks.
Suspects were last seen driving a older model Grey or Silver Ford Edge. Vehicle is likely a 2010-2015 year model. No licence plate was obtained.
The public is reminded to reduce their risk when shopping and only bring your driver’s licence, health card and a few financial cards.
All identity documents should be left securely at home. Don’t let your belongings out of sight and become distracted while shopping.
Thieves will take any opportunity to rob people; the COVID crisis with people wearing face masks made these three look like many other shoppers.
Be vigilant and keep your eyes out for anyone lingering too close. The six foot rule would have been very useful in these situations.
The security camera got two very good images of two of the three.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Derek Gray of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Seniors Liaison Team at 905-825-4747 ext. 2344.
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
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
 By Pepper Parr
May 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Some background on the closing of Emma’s Back Porch.
 Emma’s at its best – it was the place to be. Craig Kowalchuk, the operator of Emma’s Back Porch didn’t own the property; he rented it from Mayrose Tyco.
That company has significant property interests in Burlington. They owned that land on which the Bridgewater development is taking place.
The property to the east of Emma’s is a vacant lot, also believed to be owned by Mayrose Tyco.
The property to the west, the motel is owned by Solid Gold people in Aldershot.
The Water Street Cooker is also owned by Mayrose.
 This is what the CORE development group is proposing; the heritage building will continue as a restaurant; traffic will flow on to Lakeshore Road the other side of this rendering. The proposal is for a 27 storey structure.  The outline represents the properties that were acquired and assembled by the CORE group Directly across the road from Emma’s is the location of a major development proposal; some xx storeys high.
That development had some problems – there was no space for much in the way of amenities.
My guess is that the CORE group bought the property and will make it part of the development.
Nothing is going to be built on the Emma’s site.
There is a planning term: “top of bank” that determines how far back a structure has to be set back from the top of the bank.
That top of bank limitation made the development of anything very high impossible.
That part of the city, known in planning circles as the “football”, which has Lakeshore Road on the north and Old Lakeshore road on the south is about to undergo huge changes.
 The Carnacelli development at the east end of the football will become the focus to the entry to the city. The Carnacelli development on the east end of the football is before LPAT; the CORE development is before LPAT.
The property at the west end of the football is owned by a trust, one of the leading real estate agents ii the city has his fingers in that pie.
Developers saw huge opportunities in Burlington. The city council at the time didn’t seem prepared to fight for its authenticity; of the seven just one Councillor was prepared to fight – she became Mayor in the 2018 election.
The new Offical Plan, adopted but not approved – it has to go to the Region first- has very clear guidelines – but most of these developments were filed before the Official Plan became real.
Can changes be made? Time will tell.
 An architects model of what the east downtown core along Lakeshore Road could look like.  The football – where developers have some very big plans. While no one anticipated the closing of Emma’s – it might be the cost of the developments that a lot of people don’t want. However, people are going to buy the units. It will be interesting to see how this all rolls out.
Related news story links.
The development of the football
The background behind the CORE development.
 By Staff
May 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Closer Look was that part of the Official Plan Review that focused on the downtown – what did we want and what was possible. Remember the Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown? The exercise that had people taking walking tours and talking one-on-one with the planners, sitting in on Standing Committee and Council meetings to hear what the consultants had to say about what could be done and what couldn’t be done in terms of setbacks and height, and shadows resulting from the different height options?
 Alison Enns – she mothered that Closer Look from the very beginning. She introduced a number of innovative approaches to engaging the public; a public that wasn’t as engaged as it should have been. The group involved in working with the the public, Alison Enns and members of the team she was leading, churned out document after document. Two options were put forward, one of which didn’t seem to please anyone – the other began to look like the best of the lot but not all that good.
The problem wasn’t so much with the ideas but with the graphics and illustrations that were used to get the concept across to people – they just didn’t work all that well.
 A graphic of one of the concepts for Brant Street looking south: it doesn’t convey all that much information. The announcement that we were now facing a pandemic changed everything. The province shut everything down; then the Mayor declared a State of Emergency and the city administration began running the city on a day to day basis – the crisis was something during which any immediate decisions that had to be made could be made without getting tied up in the procedural process that is required at council.
The COVID-19 infection was running rampant and it took some time for the health people to get a grip on the outbreaks that were taking place.
Most of them, it turned out, were cases where people working at several different nursing homes at the same time were spreading the disease.
Early in the game the disease was brought into the country from China, Italy, other parts of Europe and the United States.
Then the health people learned that the disease was being transmitted from one person to another in the community.
 On May 3rd the Halton Region Public Health Unit said the infections came from the following sources. Travel was significantly reduced. We had to stay home and we had to be careful about the way we conducted ourselves around other people when we were outside.
City Hall staff didn’t go to city hall anymore. Some exceptions – several of the members of Council go to city hall because it is a quiet place where they can get some work done.
The “Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown” project was the name the planners gave to the Scoped Re-examination of the Adopted Official Plan: it has experienced delays due to COVID-19. There is now an updated project timeline.
It includes opportunities for public engagement.
End of May 2020: The City will release:
• the recommended policy changes for Downtown Burlington,
• the associated staff report,
• consultant report and
• technical studies.
 From the left: Paul Lowes with SGL Planning and Design, one of his staff, Alison Enns and one of her planning colleagues.
These documents will be posted for public review on both the Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown project webpage on Get Involved Burlington and the New Official Plan webpage.
July 2020: The City will share two more documents:
• Financial Impact Analysis concerning the recommended policy modifications, and
• Draft Downtown Burlington Placemaking and Design Guidelines for public review.
Aug. 28, 2020: Anyone with comments on these documents should submit their comments to the project team by Aug. 28 so the project team has time to consider the feedback in advance of the Sept. 30 Committee meeting.
Sept. 30, 2020: City Council will review all reports at a public meeting of the Community Planning, Regulation, and Mobility Committee on Sept. 30. This meeting will include a presentation from City staff and the project consultants, and opportunities for the public to delegate.
Oct. 7, 2020: Council will consider the Sept. 30 recommendations at a Special Council meeting on Oct. 7.
 By Nicki St George
May 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
WEEK 8 –
Monday, May 4th
Today I commence my new work-from-home/complete grad schoolwork/homeschool/stay active/keep a clean house/do the meal planning and groceries schedule. My plan is to get up early and work on my Masters degree followed by a neighbourhood walk using the Strava app that was set up by my friend and work colleague.
Then I will work with the kids until my husband takes over for his turn at homeschooling so that I can do my actual job. He completes his hour of face time with the kids and I return to make lunches and finish of schooling until 2pm when I allow the kids screen time while I do more work.
I’m not going to lie. It’s a grind. I know that I will be comatose by the time Friday rolls around. I only miss one meeting in the morning (while on my walk), which I am only now realizing that will be evident to all of my work colleagues who are also using the Strava app (luckily I only have 2 followers).
 The cat and that ball of wool did add to the tension, Tuesday, May 5th
The new schedule is playing havoc with our routine. Tensions are running high today. Everyone is upset at everyone. I skulk off to my bedroom for a zoom call with a student at 7pm and try to shut out the desperate cries of a 6-year-old and the sound of slamming doors.
Wednesday, May 6th
One thing that I love about Beatrix is her creativity and endless ideas for games to keep us entertained. She gets ideas in her head about fun things for us to do (usually involving treats or very messy science experiments) and I indulge her and use her schemes as bait for good behaviour.
 Chocolate chip pancakes and they have to be in a stack, with butter and sprinkles and marshmallows and maple syrup and berries For a week, I have been promising her that she can have pancakes for dinner on Wednesday. She has spent the week fixated on what this would involve. They are not just any pancakes. They are chocolate chip pancakes and they have to be in a stack, with butter and sprinkles and marshmallows and maple syrup and berries and anything remotely tasty that she can find in the fridge.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am pretty stingy when it comes to dolling out the treats, so this is a big deal. Leo devours his stack while Bea eats about 1/8 of her 5-stack of pancakes and asks to save the rest for tomorrow’s breakfast. For a girl who does not see the point of getting out of her pajamas, this has made her week.
Thursday, May 7th
By some miracle, I have managed to stick to my early morning routine of schoolwork and walking every day this week. I even managed to get to the hospital for my appointment today without getting too far behind. I just wish that I were actually back at work. I had been looking forward to a big return after having conquered the Big C. I imagined getting high fives and kudos for being a badass cancer survivor.
Instead I am just a black screen on a staff zoom call of 189 people. Now everybody is going through this period of isolation and facing adversity and I am no longer special.
Friday, May 8th
I am pleased that Bea finally has the independence to go into the cupboard and get a snack for herself. Unfortunately, her snack of choice is a plastic bowl filled to the brim with cheerios which she carries around the house, leaving a trail of singular cheerios in her wake. There are cheerios in every crevasse of our house. She consumes a large sized box of cheerios a week in this style.
Leo has been getting his 10,000 steps everyday by spending hours on the trampoline. He contributes to a google meet session with his teacher and fellow classmates once a week. This week they had to describe a household object (en Français) and get the other classmates to guess it. He chose toilet paper.
My prediction of being comatose by Friday comes true. I fall asleep on the couch downstairs while spooning Bea and watching Trolls 2, which I finally gave in and paid $20 to rent.
Saturday, May 9th
It snowed. That is all.
Sunday, May 10th – Mother’s Day
Daily step count: minus 12
Actual thoughts that I had: How long is too long to sit in a bath? If I flail my arms around in the bath would that count as swimming?
Things I did on my phone while lying in bed and avoiding interactions with the children: searched murderous hornet memes, changed my Bitmoji avatar from completely bald to short buzz cut, played words with friends, watched SNL skits on my Instagram feed.
Number of memes and funny videos forwarded to friends: 387
 Mothers Day – what more can one say. What the children did: They made me homemade cards and served up Leo’s scrambled eggs for breakfast in bed. Leo slept in his clothes from the night before. Bea refused to get out of her pajamas, as she does every day, but today I let her because it’s Mother’s Day (her justification). Bea and I sat together for a while looking back at old videos of her and Leo on my phone. We played beauty salon and I got a Bea make over complete with false eyelashes.
Conversations I had with Dan:
Dan: What would you like for dinner?
Me: To not have to make the decision about what we have for dinner.
Dan: But then how will I know that it will be something you want to eat?
Me: Sigh (on behalf of mothers everywhere).
Gifts: A gift card to a new local boutique #shoplocal
How I ended my day: Playing euchre over Zoom with my girlfriends from high school.
Highlight of the week: The kids changed Dan’s Netflix name to “Crap Bag” and he didn’t notice for several days.
Serious highlight of the week: The fact that we are all alive, healthy, and still smiling (most of the time).
By Pepper Parr
May 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The strategic thinkers ask the “What if” questions.
Their job is to attempt to look over the horizon and figure out what lies ahead and then plan for that possible eventuality as well as they can.
The province is stepping very gingerly into opening things up. Parks and provincial conservation areas have been opened. Retail is permitted to sell you something and have it delivered to you at the curb.
I saw one clothing store promoting their product line – couldn’t get my head around buying a suit without tying it on first and then having the alterations done.
Restaurants are hoping the province will come up with some regulations they can live with – staying alive is their issue at this point.
We Canadians watch with despair and at times total disbelief at what is taking place south of us. Hearing the Premier insist that the border between us and them be kept closed now sounds like a really good idea. Interesting change for Canadians.
The province is dragging its feet just a little in announcing when and if schools will be opened. My take is that the writing is all on the wall – see you all in September is the message I think we can expect – but I’ve been wrong before.
 What if ? The BIG question is – where will we be in December?
Will there be Christmas? If the province finds that every time they loosen up there are spikes in the number of new infections meaning they have to clamp down.
December is the month for retail. It is also a huge festive family month.
But what if things are just so bad that it would be necessary to put and keep regulations in place that severally limit what we will be able to do ?
The Premier broke the rules on Mother’s Day – will he, and others be able to exercise the discipline needed to stay the course should we be in December where we are now ?
The leadership of the country keeps referring to this as a war with absolutely no actual war time experience. We may be about to have to learn just what hard times are.
The people who are doing that strategic thinking are, hopefully, asking the hard questions.
There once was a small community in California named Paradise, which is what the people who lived there thought it was – until forest fires burned down every dwelling. Nothing was left standing.
We no longer have plagues; there are crop failures, tragedy hits some families. Life has never been fair.
All we have is our own inner strength – we might want to think about just how strong we may have to be.
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
May 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Her name is Deepika Lobo.
She is a medical practitioner who has the honorific Dr. in front her name.
She is an Assistant Medical Officer of Health with the Region of Halton working as the medical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Educated as a doctor in India where she worked for a year as a GP, Dr. Lobo came to Canada and earned her public health degree at McMaster University. She has also earned an MBA at McMaster.
 Dr. Deepika Lobo, Assistant Medical Officer of Health with the Region of Halton working as the medical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic. Lobo directs a team of 220 people who have the job of doing what they call “case management”.
The media refer to it as tracking and tracing, that is – identifying those who have been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19.
“We know the disease is transferred from person to person” she said. “When we determine that a person has been infected we want to know two things:
1: Who the infected person come into contact with in the last 48 hours and
2: who have they been in contact with for the last 14 days.
It is these people who might be the next person to become infected.”
More than 150 people are assigned to this case management work.
Lobo continues to explain: “Once we have them identified as an infected person, we begin trying to get in touch with the people they have been in contact with: these are the people we are now very concerned about.
“Sometimes the infected person has only been in contact with one or two people. They may have already begun self-isolating.
“Some of the contact was very casual – there is no need to dig deeper. We have learned to differentiate between high risk and low risk exposure.
“We explain to the infected person what they have to do – they have to self-isolate for that 14-day period during which the disease is going to grow. We quickly become aware of the personality we are working with and determine just how much they know about the disease; more often than not the person wants to know as much as we can tell them.
“They are usually very thankful that someone is reaching out to them.
“We counsel them while they recover from the infection on their own.
“Our task is to constantly assess and follow up every other day with the infected person who is self-isolating.”
What Lobo hasn’t had up until very recently is software that will serve as a massive data base the case management staff can refer to and add information to so that when there is a staff rotation (these people have to get some rest) there is a fully detailed report on the people who are self isolating.
 A nursing home with a 30 year reputation lost 11 of its residents. The biggest concern is managing the “outbreaks”. Some public health practitioners see four or five cases of infection at a long term care or nursing home as an outbreak. In Halton one infection at a nursing home is considered an outbreak and they are all over it.
“When there is an infection in a nursing home” said Dr. Lobo, ” we know that it was brought into the institution – who brought it in and who have they been in contact with is something we need to know.” It is a desperate race to track that down and time is their worst enemy.
“Telephone calls are made, people are not at home, call backs are made by staff all trained not to alarm people.
“Sometimes the person with the infection hasn’t been in contact with very many people; one perhaps two. Other situations the person with the infection has been in touch with as many as 30 people. That’s when the rush is on to get in touch with every one of them, enter them into the system and begin asking questions.
“All it takes is one infected person to be in contact with 20 people and within that twenty people there are five who have been infected – you can see where this takes them.”
Lobo emphasizes that it is vital to get in front of these situations when they are sometimes far behind. It is a race – and the consequences are measured in peoples lives.
“When there is a case that has a bearing on an institutional setting – the immediate objective is to contain it and ensure that it doesn’t surge out of control.
“It is in situations like that that tough measures have to be put in place which people often don’t understand and don’t appreciate.
“Staff resources are shifted to drill down and learn who has been in contact with the infected person and work out from that person.”
 The paramedics came through in a major way – it hadn’t occurred to anyone to use these people. The work for the team is exhausting – asked for her best experience so far Dr. Lobo pauses – then almost bursts when she explains “the paramedics suggested that they could do some of the testing. What really made a huge difference was the way the paramedics have come through for us by going to people’s homes and testing for the infection.
“They have 2500 of those tests – sometimes as many as 200 in a single day.
“That testing is vital – and it takes trained manpower to do it properly.
“It never occurred to us to call upon the paramedics – the said they could do it – and they did.”
Asked what the worst experience has been – there was another pause – then a recognition of those who were lost.
The pace at which this disease is racing through some locations is almost frightening.
The staff she has have to be both managed and trained. We learn something every day that we ensure is shared with everyone.
The case management people develop relationships with the people they are talking to at least every second day; it is a relationship that is under stress from the start – the job is to manage the stress and not let it take over.
There are 46 nursing homes – long-term care residences in the Region. Lobo is amazed that there have been just three outbreaks – one of which was tragic, 11 lives were lost in what was a quality operation.
Lobo has handled intense situations in the past – “but never on this scale”
Asked how much longer is this likely to go on – Dr. Lobo said “we don’t know. We are a day to day operation.”
When will they celebrate the end – “no idea”, she said, “we just hope it is soon.”
The regional public health units are directed by the province – they determine the overall direction – The Region follows that direction.
The staff have learned to support each other – they rely on one another for emotional and mental health support. These people have families at home – they volunteer hundreds of extra hours.
The province will decide to open things up a little – just a bit – we then wait that two to four weeks to see if there is an uptick or a spike in infections. If there are – the province might decide to cut back and re-impose restrictions.
Lurking in the background is the wish – a hope for a vaccine.
To date there have been 23 deaths in the Region; 11 of which were in institutional setting.
Dr. Lobo said there have been at least 40 guidance papers written and prepared for those who have to do this work in the 34 Public Health Units in the province; directing and supporting the people who do the slogging work – listening closely to what the infected people are saying; assuring them as well as supporting them.
Few people in the Region know that there are that many people working exceptionally long hours to identify infected people and ensure that they self-isolate.
They look forward to the day when they can see there was not one new infection reported – then that curve will have been flattened.
 By Ray Rivers
May 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
“All countries will wake up after the global pandemic with much higher debt levels. Canada is fortunate because we are starting at a much lower net debt-to-GDP level,”..…”If low interest rates are maintained, there is no good policy case for rushing to austerity — either spending cuts or tax increases.” (former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page)
Isn’t it a rule that one is supposed to become more conservative as they age? So I’m looking at the ballooning federal deficit – and it’s a lot of money. This year’s red ink may well stretch into the three hundred billion dollar mark. Government revenue has dropped like a lead weight and these monstrous payouts are rising like hydrogen blimps.
 720 billion is what it would cost to pay out a Universal Basic Income annually. Tory leader Scheer has grumbled that the $2000 a month in emergency funding (CERB) is discouraging folks from going to work, but CERB breezed through Parliament anyway. And he is wrong – it’s not the $2000 that is keeping folks at home – it’s the lockdown.
In fact Scheer should get on board with the other opposition parties, some voices within his own party, and even the Anglican Church, which are all calling for a permanent universal basic income (UBI). The COVID-19 health crisis landed on us with lightening speed and with it came the economic crisis, thanks to the necessary lockdown.
Since both crises will likely be with us, at least to the end of this year, those emergency funds will need to be extended. That sounds more and more like a UBI. Having already rejected implementing a proper UBI Mr. Trudeau needs a rethink. It is time for him to re-discover his social democratic roots and implement a permanent UBI or move aside for some one who will. There are those who once thought universal health care was impossible too.
UBI is not a new idea. There have been a number of pilot UBI projects around the world and the results have all been positive, even those in Ontario and Manitoba which were prematurely aborted. If mental health and income security mean anything to society UBI is a no-brainer. And there is no evidence that UBI provides a disincentive to work, so Mr. Scheer’s concern about ‘money for nothing’ turning us all into lazy bums is nonsense.
 As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to take to the idea of a Universal Basic Income. Do the numbers. A UBI at the $2000 per month level for each of the 30 million Canadian adults might seem frighteningly high. But UBI would eliminate the need for old age security, unemployment insurance and a host of other federal and provincial income support programs in addition to the complex of welfare programs administered by all three levels of government. UBI would be taxable and possibly even clawed-back for high income earners at tax filing time. In the end the numbers should be, at a minimum, a wash.
UBI or not Canada is facing a record high deficit this year. But we’ve done this before. Does anyone remember that we were once heavily invested in the second world war? The federal government, unlike the provinces or municipalities is not constrained by debt, at least not in the short run. We print our own money and the Bank of Canada is buying up most of that debt. So we owe that money to ourselves.
But we should expect inflation when it is safe to reopen the economy. We’re already seeing some of that – especially hand sanitizers and meat products as the processing plants shut down. And inflation may affect our currency exchange rates, but even much of that is unlikely. After all, if there is an upside to this being the pandemic it is in that we are all in this together – a level playing field – this economic malaise is truly global. And inflation is an eventual pathway out of the debt, since today’s obligations will be smaller in tomorrow’s inflated dollars.
We can pay ourselves back once this is over. Canada ran sizeable deficits in the later Pierre Trudeau years, and right through the Mulroney near-decade. Yet after Jean Chretien balanced the budget both Harper and Trudeau inherited and grew one of the lowest debt-to-GDP economies in the G7. And even with a deficit of $300 billion our debt-to-GDP ratio will still be lower than when Chretien came into office, unless our economy really slips into the dark side.
 The federal government can just print all the money they want to distribute. Most economists and politicians agree with the current approach of keeping the fiscal taps running. But the truth is that UBI would be more efficient than what the PM is doing now. It would cost less, avoid duplication for some and inadvertent exclusion for others. It would also avoid the inevitable double-dipping and potential cheating inherent in the current mess of hastily developed income subsidy programs.
Still we shouldn’t be too worried about those deficit numbers even as we are getting more conservative in our golden years, at least not yet. We’re doing what we can – staying home, keeping our physical distance, washing our hands often and always wearing a mask in public. Governments may have been responsible for letting this outbreak get as bad as it is here in Canada. But they are doing the right thing in keeping the money flowing.
And they will need to do even more of that once we safely open up more economic activities. Already the federal minister of infrastructure, Catherine McKenna, is calling for shovel-ready projects to get us back to work sooner than later – but hopefully only when it is safe to do so. But even when we get back to full employment UBI makes for better social policy and sounder economic sense.
 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:
Deficit – Biggest Deficit – CERB –
Wage Subsidy – Who’s Missing – UBI –
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