 By Pepper Parr
April 3, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Some very tough times ahead for the hospitality and retail sectors of the Burlington economy.
 These days even the tables and chairs are gone. No business thus no revenue – with expenses that are basic – with rent being the biggest.
The Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Economic Development, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA, and Tourism Burlington have joined forces to offer support and help Burlington’s Business community navigate the economic impacts of COVID-19.
 Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of Burlington Economic Development. While the Team Burlington name is not new, COVID-19 has renewed the group’s collaborative mission to keep the business community informed and ensure relevant and timely information is distributed as soon as it becomes available. “Right now, it’s about pooling resources for the collective benefit of the business community,” explained Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of Burlington Economic Development. “That means daily scrum meetings, sharing information, engaging subject matter experts and government officials, and asking the tough questions to ensure we know what businesses need now, and what they’ll need in the future to come out strong on the other side.”
About the best the Team is going to be able to provide is sympathy – there isn’t much they can do. Hydro will be low – the lights aren’t turned on; the city is creating some breaks on the tax side and I am sure that the Team will talk to landlords, and yes, lean on them a little but how much of the support has to come from the owners of the properties?
The first thing Team Burlington did to support businesses during COVID-19 was launch a one-stop-shop resource for businesses to turn to for information, resources and tools. With so much information rolling out every day, the website, which is hosted on burlingtonchamber.com, aims to provide the latest government updates, toolkits, support programs, economic relief information and resources all in place.
 Carla Nell, President and CEO of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Carla Nell, President and CEO of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce also spoke to the power of working together. “Our membership already trusts that we’ll take a strong stance to advocate for their interests. Through this team approach, we’ll be able to do even more and extend our reach further to ensure all businesses of all sizes and industries feel supported and heard during these difficult times, and to position them for recovery in the longer term.”
Team Burlington is planning a series of COVID-19 virtual business support forums to give business leaders the opportunity to ask questions and hear from subject matter experts and key government officials at the local and regional levels, as well as Provincial and Federal representatives.
The available information is on the Chamber of Commerce web site.
The global COVID-19 pandemic is putting substantial pressure on the Burlington business community. Mandatory closures, necessary social distancing measures, layoffs and supply chain disruptions are putting immense pressure on businesses of all sizes. However, it is Team Burlington’s hope that through communication, advocacy, and the right relief measures, Burlington’s business community will remain steadfast in its short-term and long-term recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
Bold statements – the reality is that some in the hospitality and retails sectors are going to end up closing their doors. On Friday, we will earn what the province thinks the immediate and medium term infection results are and what the projections look like.
The Premier has already said the news is not going to be easy to accept.
And if, for reasons that are not yet fully understood, the state of near total lock-down extends into the fall – the economic devastation will be severe.
 By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police Service officers are now collaborating with local bylaw enforcement officers to respond to calls for service related to non-compliance with emergency orders within our collective boundaries.
 Regional police now working with municipal bylaw enforcement officers. For the duration of the pandemic, if a member of the public wishes to report an incident of non-compliance with the emergency orders, they may contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722 Do NOT use 911 for these calls
The Province of Ontario declared a provincial emergency on March 17th, through the authority granted under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).
Since this declaration, several emergency orders have been made under the Act to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure that essential services continue to be provided and Ontarians are supported.
A ministerial designation under the Provincial Offences Act temporarily allows for by-law enforcement officers to assist police officers with enforcing the emergency orders being made by the province.
It is critical that our residents use 911 for emergencies only.
A call taker will collect relevant information from the complainant, and when appropriate, a by-law enforcement officer or police officer will be dispatched to follow up.
Upon responding to an alleged incident of non-compliance, the severity of each infraction in relation to the potential risk to public health and the spread of COVID-19 will be taken into account to guide a response. If compliance is not obtained through dialogue and education, officers have the authority to issue a ticket or summons.
The enforceable orders that fall within the authority of the Halton Regional Police Service, the municipal by-law officers and Conservation Halton officers include:
• Closure of Places of Non-Essential Businesses
• Prohibiting events and gatherings of more than five people
• Closure of public places and establishments
• Closure of all outdoor recreational amenities and parks
People who are being charged with an offence under the EMCPA will be required to identify themselves if asked by a provincial offences officer, which includes police officers, First Nations constables, special constables and municipal by-law enforcement officers.
The Halton Regional Police Service only has the authority to enforce the Federal Quarantine Orders under the Quarantine Act when directed by a quarantine officer or health officer. Residents may still contact the COVID-19 Hotline to request follow-up for quarantine concerns.
Further, at this time, there is no legislative authority for Halton Regional Police Service officers to enforce non-compliance with physical distancing recommendations. Residents may still contact the COVID-19 Hotline to request follow-up for physical distancing concerns.
 Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner. “These are unprecedented times. It is incumbent on every member of our community to do their part now to slow the spread of COVID-19. The emergency orders that have been put in place by the provincial government are there for our collective protection. Our expectation is that residents will step up, comply with these measures, and contribute meaningfully to flatten the curve,” said Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner.
“We are fighting an invisible threat to our health and our way of life—we all need to work together and take action now,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “I can’t stress enough how important it is that everyone take direction from Public Health seriously. Thank you to all those who are taking action to help flatten the curve and for those who haven’t, you need to start now. We are all in this together.”
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, in a prepared comment said: “We thank the province for giving our regional police and local municipal by-law enforcement officers the tools to ensure the orders for closures and gatherings are followed. The more we stay apart now, the sooner we can come together.”
 By Ray Rivers
April 2, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Spouting Donald Trump regularly spouts so much misinformation that the American public has almost become immune to him. But almost a hundred thousand people have signed a petition calling for Trump to end his daily COVID-19 briefings, claiming he is politicizing the crisis and using the news pressers as just another partisan political rally.
Fortunately nobody is making that kind of complaint on this side of the border. As tedious as the PM and premier’s daily briefings have become, there is usually some newsworthy item to justify pre-empting our favourite day-time TV reruns. And unlike the combative Trump, our leaders appreciate the seriousness of the situation and have been careful to play nicely with each other.
Doug Ford, whose poll numbers were in the toilet only a few months ago, has almost overcome his bully-boy countenance, dutifully earned after attacking teachers and Toronto’s city council. His fight over the carbon tax with the federal government now seems like distant history, as he regularly heaps praise on the PM and his deputy PM.
 Doug Ford is coming across as a much more focused and stronger reader. But his populist instincts of overreaching continue to get him into trouble, as for example when he advised workers to just walk off their jobs and promised not to let anyone get evicted for not paying their rents. But his past stumbles, most recently the illegible license plates, are forgotten and forgiven as this epidemic now interminably occupies our lives.
Compared to our southern neighbours, Canada is in a better place. But our numbers are still growing and there is no end in sight. And if there is a recovery strategy it has to be a best kept secret, as new numbers roll-in every day telling us that things are only getting worse – not better.
We’ve seen how China, despite bring hampered initially by its knee jerk denials, was finally able to lock down the virus only with a dramatic quarantine, exhaustive travel restrictions, a shuttering of virtually all business and the mandatory wearing of face masks in public. We’ve also seen how South Korea is claiming limited success by aggressive testing and tracking, isolation, travel bans, and… face masks.
But Canada is not following either of these models. Our first COVID-19 case arrived from China near the end of January, yet it took another month to restrict International travel. Arriving passengers were neither tested nor quarantined until enough infected people had arrived for the virus to become a self sustaining problem.
 It was a different time: The Prime Minister was welcoming refugees into the country almost every day. We just kept counting the infected and dead until, by early March, we had joined the rest of the world in suffering the consequences of this deadly and growing epidemic. So we started ratcheting down our economy by a series of half measures. Mr. Trudeau announced voluntary internal travel restrictions but not a ban, and only partially closed the US border. And Mr. Ford shuttered some, but not all, non-essential Ontario business.
Our chief medical officer of health keeps telling us that all we need to do is wash our hands and keep our social distances. Social distancing is a good idea but how is that even possible for those who need to make the daily commute to their job by subway or bus, for example. So what about the masks which worked so well in Asia?
The virus is respiratory. I’m not a medical doctor but even I know that means the pathway for the infection starts with the mouth or nose and moves out by a cough, sneeze or even talking. The virus apparently lasts a relatively long time on some surfaces (counters, doors and grab rails and grocery produce) but it gets there when an infected person coughs or sneezes near or onto those surfaces – or touches them after sneezing into their own hands.
 Masks were essential in China – Rivers wonders why they are not essential in Ontario  World wide data on the morning of April 2, 2020 So the Chinese authorities believe wearing a mask reduces the contagion. But our Dr. Tam, the World Health Organization and the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) are still telling us not to wear a mask in public unless we are already infected and contagious. But couldn’t people be contagious and not display symptoms? And shouldn’t they stay at home if they are sick? And why do doctors and nurses wear masks?
Given the enormity of the epidemic spreading across the USA, the CDC is apparently on the cusp of recommending that everyone should start wearing a mask in public. Of course there aren’t nearly enough masks in America for all the people, so the CDC will likely offer a ‘how-to’ make and keep clean (for re-use) your very own cloth mask.
This would no doubt give Donald Trump something new to announce at one of his press availability sessions. But how will he explain why he didn’t do this sooner? Trump’s poll numbers have never been higher. This is amazing given how he has totally mismanaged the COVID-19 issue. Trump was aware of the epidemic when he banned commercial flights to China back in January.
But his administration fumbled terribly. Having decided to develop their own test kits they failed to get them done in a timely fashion. They failed to enforce social distancing. And their business as usual attitude allowed the virus to spread such that the US is now the global epicentre of the pandemic. And they don’t even have enough face masks to protect their own health care workers, let alone their population.
The US infection rate has been doubling every four days and is now 200,000 – more than twice China’s. The US chief medic has projected that the outbreak could rise to a million infections or more in that country alone. It is very likely that US deaths, already greater than those in China, could reach 100,000, even if they all start to wear masks tomorrow. That is twice as many fatalities as all those American soldiers who died in Vietnam.
Canada’s political leaders are also witnessing a rise in their approval ratings. That is a natural phenomena, particularly In the early stages of a crisis like this. We want to believe in our government and leaders in a time of uncertainty. For example, George W Bush, one of American’s worst presidents by almost any account, saw his approval rating skyrocket after 9/11 as the country looked to their president for leadership.
The approval we’re giving Mr Ford and Trudeau is unlikely to last if this epidemic continues too long or gets worse, however. And that approval will disappear if the public discovers that our governments have failed to protect us because of some kind of prejudice by our chief medical officer against wearing face masks – even if they have to be homemade ones.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
Background links:
Trump Petition – Ford Overreach Ford Risen – Mask Use –
Trump Worst Leader – South Korea – US Death Toll – More Masks –
Dr. Tam– Face Masks –
By Staff
April 1st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Someone seems to have forgotten to do a reality check.
The Halton District School Board today released the proposed school calendar for the 2020-2021 academic year.
At the March 25, 2020 Board meeting, trustees of the Halton District School Board approved the proposed calendar dates for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Final approval of the calendar by the Ministry of Education is anticipated later in Spring 2020.
Will there be an academic year? In the event that there is the calendar proposed is set out below.
 The school year calendar is developed with input from the School Year Calendar Committee consisting of representatives from interested and affected groups, including parents/guardians. The 2020-2021 school year calendar is aligned with the Halton Catholic District School Board calendar, to consolidate resources on school bus transportation, which is shared between school boards.
The calendar outlines the Professional Activity days (PA) for staff when schools will be closed to students, as well as school breaks and holidays. The first day of school for the 2020-2021 school year is Tuesday, Sept. 8.
These dates will be provided to schools to be shared with students and parents/guardians, and they are also posted on the Board’s website at www.hdsb.ca (refer to the Calendar on the home page).
The date is April 1st – is this a prank? Apparently not.
 By Nicki St George
April 1, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
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, Amber Rohol, 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.
Saturday, March 21
My friend who runs the homeschooling FaceBook group posts a great idea – why bother keeping a tidy house when no one is coming over? I mull this over but decide that my brain cannot function without a clean space. Today is “Cleaning the House Day.” Everyone has their own job to do. I argue with my husband over the placement of the vacuum cleaner, so things are pretty much business as usual.
Everyone is getting each other’s nerves a bit. We go for a long family walk and we see some sidewalk art that cheers us up. Various Facebook mums groups are trying to coordinate rainbows and smiley faces to be put in windows. I take a long bath, something that I don’t always feel like I have time for, but now…
Sunday, March 22
Things left at my door: cheesecake from my neighbor, Kumon math book for Leo, USB cable for the monitor, no monitor yet, a gift from my friend in NZ. We watch the New Zealand news (where my husband and mother are from and where I lived for 10 years)– they are beginning lock down. Dan takes the kids out for a bit so that I can have some breathing room. There is a lot of asking questions today; Bea is whiny…can I have a treat? Can I have iPad? What’s for dinner? I finish my puzzle! I start a new puzzle.
 Keeping them focused and busy is going to be a challenge if this lasts more than a month. Monday, March 23
Overall the day is okay. I write our schedule on chart paper (as has become the norm) and permit my kids the use of electronics at two points during the day – when I have two school meetings scheduled over Zoom. I marvel at anyone who is trying to work from home right now and watch their kids at the same time.
I decide to attempt some homeschooling with the kids and I try to figure out how to work with one, while keeping the other one busy. There is a reason why I chose to teach high school. This will get easier I tell myself. They start journals. They spend the rest of the day on devices. Bea chats with Maelle. This involves going through every face filter on Messenger. Bea calls out instructions, “choose the scariest…funniest…” A revelation comes when she realizes that her dolls’ faces register as faces in the camera. This goes on for a long time. I am happy that she has a friend to play with.
Tuesday, March 24
Today the first thing on our list is “get dressed and brush teeth.” Bea, in typical six-year-old fashion, refuses to get dressed. I get frustrated. We go for a walk. I try to encourage Bea to learn the names of some birds and she refuses. She stops every 5 meters and complains that I am walking too fast. Molasses would beat me in a race. I get more frustrated. We return home and both kids pick up their workbooks without complaining and quietly start to work. This was the next thing on our list. I pat myself on the back and my mood lifts. I make us lunch. Then it is time for a break. I have had to dig out my husband’s old iPhone so that both kids can chat with their friends at the same time, while leaving me in peace. I do some reading for my Masters degree that I’m working towards. I check in on friends, scroll through social media feeds, and do anything possible to avoid actually doing any reading. Next up is fairy garden making. Something that Bea has been so excited about. It is also convenient since Leo lost another tooth on our walk earlier. The kids complete their journals for the day. I give them sentence starters. Under “A challenge I faced was…” they each write the other’s name. I conquer.
 The whole tribe on line to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Mom and Dad. Wednesday, March 25
Today my parents celebrate 50 years of marriage. I send out a request to my brother, parents and 82-year-old aunt in NZ to download the Houseparty app so that we can have a toast together. The process of getting my dad and aunt to go through the motions of downloading the app and signing in nearly finishes me. But we make it work and we have a nice chat together!
Thursday, March 26
I have to go to the hospital for an appointment with my oncologist and my Herceptin treatment. My dad has given me an N95 mask, which I wear. There is only one entrance into the hospital. They ask the usual questions, take my temperature and tell me my mask is better than theirs so I should just keep that one on. Things have changed dramatically in the chemo suite since my last visit two weeks ago. The nurses are all wearing masks and while I am here, they are told to move their workspaces so they are three meters apart and they are given new masks with eye protectors attached. I am still confused over the don’t wear a mask/wear a mask debate. My oncologist tells me that I should hold off on going back to work right away and we decide that I will return in May. While I’m at the hospital I leave instructions for the children. For one hour they can do the following: go in the backyard, play a game together, clean Bea’s room (as if). Then for the second hour they may have screen time. I come home to find that Leo has been helping Bea with some schoolwork. My heart swells.
Friday, March 27
 The Beachway is a quiet part of the city where keeping that two metre space isn’t all that difficult. My family is settling nicely into the swing of self-isolation. However, I am acutely aware of my privilege in this situation. Our jobs are secure, we live in a nice neighbourhood that is safe to walk around and where neighbours look out for one another, I am on sick leave which means that I have time to spend with the kids and they are not glued to screens for 7 hours a day, and my kids are 6 and 8 – old enough to be somewhat independent and young enough to still be enthusiastic about scavenger hunts, arts and crafts and my lame attempts at doing science experiments.
Today I take the kids for a walk along the Burlington beach strip. In the afternoon, we abandon our baking project in favour of spending time outside in the sun. I make us spaghetti for dinner, a family favourite. Leo digs out his portable record player and spins records while keeping me company. Today was a good day.
Related news stories:
This is how Coping got started.
Marathon Mom gets through the first week – does the Around the Bay run solo.
 By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
I was surprised to learn that there isn’t always someone from city council at the Emergency Coordinating Group (ECG).
I knew that the Mayor and the City Manager were never in the room at the same time. Tim Commisso told me in a telephone interview that he is putting in 15 hour days and stick handling 200 + emails. He has deep experience at the municipal level and has seen a city through a disaster. But he is not a young man and he doesn’t have as much as he needs in the way of bench strength.
A State of Emergency does change the ground rules – but it shouldn’t dilute the level of on-the-ground democracy.
Running a city under a State of Emergency is not business as usual.
The politicians have to let the experts do what they do.
However, there isn’t a reason in the world why at least one member of Council cannot be in the room. They are not in the room to participate – they are in the room to witness, record and to serve as a hobble on bureaucrats that could go too far astray.
They are not there to ask questions. A good committee chair would ask the Councillor if there were any questions or suggestions at the end of a meeting.
Right now we have a Mayor saying everything is going just fine. That may well be the case.
We are not suggesting there is anything amiss. It is when the proceedings are transparent that things don’t go amiss.
Our Mayor would be serving her constituents’ interests well if she advocated for having at least one member of Council at that table or on-line.
Sharman was right to bring this to the attention of a very concerned public.
Related news story:
Councillor Sharman finds being elected means squat during an emergency.
By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
What do you do when you become acutely aware of someone who either doesn’t understand what social distance means or just doesn’t give a dam?
The Mayor has been out there every day saying over and over – walk – don’t stop. Take care of yourself.
 As Mayor Marianne has a “Bully Pulpit” – she can be very persuasive. Most of the people who listen to the Mayor already know the rules – they follow them – but there are those who don’t even want to follow the rules.
You call the Mayor – there isn’t all that much she can do.
You call public health and there isn’t much they can do.
The police don’t have time for these small issues – which aren’t really that small in the big picture.
Can by law enforcement officers play a role? Give them a bull horn and an address and have them drive out and explain.
The federal government has enacted the Quarantine Act – that gives them the authority to take people into custody – but who wants to grab someone who might be COVID compromised and put handcuffs on them?
The biggest tool we have is social peer pressure.
A reader makes mention of “a guy beside me who has been holding court on his driveway and his porch sometimes with as little as 1 foot between him, his wife, and another neighbour.
“When I emailed the mayor’s office about this her assistant sent me a link about social distancing (SD) — I pointed out how unhelpful this was because I understand SD and was asking that someone inform the three families that are hanging out together about SD.
“Halton Dept. of Health said they can’t do anything because it’s a choice these people are making and that I can only keep myself safe.
 Something along these lines could be created in a couple of hours – and pressure city hall to get the bylaw officers out on the streets. “Right now he is sitting at the bottom of his driveway with a beer trying to get kids and adults to come over and talk to him.”
Some people will recall when Neighbourhood Watches were created; they began developing in the late 1960s as a response to the rape and murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York. People became outraged after reports that a dozen witnesses did nothing to save Genovese or to apprehend her killer. Inspired in part by Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), which stated that Americans need to keep their “eyes on the streets” and connect with each other in their neighborhoods.
Look for someone on your street to lead something like this and pressure city hall to get the bylaw enforcement people out on the road.
 By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
In 2014 Paul Sharman, ward 5 councillor found himself dealing with people whose homes had been heavily damaged during the flood that August.
Sharman finds himself in much the same situation and will tell you that “We need to recognize that Covid-19 is quite different from what we were dealing with in 2014 because it is pre-emptive, not reactive.
 Councillor Paul Sharman: this is not an emergency that requires the city to stop functioning, “I appreciate that an emergency has been declared and I know that protocols are being followed. However, this is not an emergency that requires the city to stop functioning, there are no armies in the street, no service outages, no starving crowds, no panic, nothing that manifests as a physical impediment to many people continuing to live their lives with optimism. Indeed, we need the economy to keep working and for people to continue to function as well as possible.
“In fact, technology permits us to conduct business, pretty much as usual on many core activities. A you may know, I ran a business with clients around the world with a bunch of staff members and colleagues. All of us worked from home. We would meet in person from time to time, but on-line technology makes that unnecessary now.
“The notion of an emergency in the case of Covid-19 is different from previous such emergencies in the sense that it is in anticipation of a worsening situation. Thank goodness governments took the steps they did. No complaints from me. Having said that, it seems probable that until widely available vaccination and significant levels of community immunity has been built up through natural transmission and recovery from Covid-19, it isn’t going away.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman is usually very direct, tends to want to see data that is verifiable. “Lets hope three months is enough. Possibly not, given what is happening in the USA.
“If it does extend for many months, governments at every level might consider operating as always intended but as a modified continuum by adapting to the new context rather than continue as an emergency per se. Perhaps with a modification/adaptation of the emergency process to take advantage of available benefits.
“I understand that the Region and Province have not yet adopted a three month planning horizon. This means that Burlington is ahead of the curve, which I applaud. Further, because there are plenty of risks, plans are always wrong by definition. We need to recognize that planning is an inexact art that is only as good as its assumptions. Plans for rapidly changing times obviously need to be modified and adapt in an agile fashion.
 Emergency Coordinating Group meetings are not held in public nor with members of Council listening in. “As a business person and as a consultant I have worked through quite a number of significant organization design activities (downsizing, ongoing business crisis are two examples), some quite aggressive. In all cases, leading practice was to begin with a strategic assessment of conditions, assumptions and goals for the long term, recognizing that short- and medium-term circumstances would arise that require evolving tactics and choices.
I believe the City of Burlington has something like that in mind. As a Councillor, I am waiting to find out, because ECG (Emergency Coordinating Group) meetings are not held in public nor with members of Council listening in.”
By Staff
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Should you see a freight train rumbling through town with all kinds of military equipment – it does not mean the army is about to take over and do a total lock down.
National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces announced yesterday that due to the cancellation of Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE, the public can expect to see a large amount of military vehicles and equipment transported by rail starting this week from Wainwright, Alberta. The rail movement will occur across the country and may cause surprise due to the extent of the equipment transported back to Garrison Petawawa, Ontario.
 That army equipment is being taken back to base – the MAPLE RESOLVE exercise was cancelled This equipment transportation is not related to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The equipment was meant for Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE, the largest Canadian Army exercise occurring every year in Alberta, which was cancelled two weeks ago.
Drivers and pedestrians are asked to be patient and cautious as the rail transportation is extensive and may cross roads and highways throughout Canada.
 By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON,ON
A light voice on a difficult day.
The hospital announcing that a 93 bed unit is being built for the expected COVID-19 patients; the Prime Minister warning corporations not to try and game the system.
 The Koogle Theatre Group put a bunch of their students before the cameras – and well here is the result.
We needed something to brighten the day
By Staff
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The world, like the people at the Burlington Food Bank, has March going out like a LION.
“We’ve been seeing an increase in the number of people using our services around 25 families a day.
 Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Food Bank outside the receiving doors Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Food Bank reports: “This morning we saw a group at the front of our store and everyone is responsibly social distancing themselves. We’ve managed to get about 20 of 25 moved to the home delivery model so far. If you know of anyone (a neighbour or a relative) that might need food please check in on them. We are here to help.
If you want to help – you can donate HERE
Getting the food in and out.
By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We are in perilous times and will have to, on occasion, make important and immediate decisions.
There is nothing easy about any of this.
A short short video clip on how best to approach these situations is HERE
The production values are not all that good but the message is clear.
Please share this information.
By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
93 additional beds are being built in a modular unit attached to the South Tower of the Joseph Brant Hospital.
Joseph Brant Hospital is building a temporary Pandemic Response Unit to expand the hospital’s bed capacity in preparation for the anticipated surge of COVID-19 patients.
This modular structure is being built on the hospital grounds and connected to the South Tower. It will provide 93 additional beds for patients who require hospitalization and treatment for COVID-19.
 Modular hospital that will house at least 93 beds is on the way to Burlington from Calgary. The modular unit left Calgary this afternoon on a transport truck – they will begin putting it together – could be ready by the end of the week.
 JBH president Eric Vandewall “The Pandemic Response Unit is being built as a critical part of our pandemic response plan to meet the heightened care needs of our community and ultimately save lives,” says Eric Vandewall, President & CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital. “We are doing everything we can to care for the people of Burlington to prepare for these unprecedented times.” The Pandemic Response Unit is a collaboration between Joseph Brant Hospital, community-based health care providers, the City of Burlington, and Halton Region.
“The construction of the Pandemic Response Unit will allow the hospital to preserve our critical care and high acuity patient beds for our sickest patients,” states Dr. Ian Preyra, Chief of Staff for Joseph Brant Hospital. “Physicians from the Burlington community are volunteering to provide patient care in the Pandemic Response Unit, treating COVID-19 positive patients with acute care needs who may require oxygen therapy and ongoing monitoring.
“I have confidence in our health care system, and particularly in our healthcare professionals. The Federal government has provided an extra $500 million to provinces to support our health care system. We are also coordinating the procurement of essential equipment to keep our front line workers safe and working with Canadian industry, including here in Halton, to produce the equipment we need. I want to recognize the efforts of our local hospital. This is a challenging time for everyone, but the measures we are putting in place are extremely important. By staying home and physically distancing ourselves from each other we are keeping our frontline workers, like nurses and doctors, safe. We all have a role play to protect ourselves and our community from Covid-19,” states Hon. Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington.
“On the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, the Ministry of Health has requested all hospitals implement pandemic plans to help increase capacity as cases of COVID-19 continue to grow. In these unprecedented times, I’m proud of the work the team at Joseph Brant Hospital is doing to ensure they are prepared to serve the people of Burlington by adding capacity,” MPP Jane McKenna reflects. “Thank you to the wonderful doctors, nurses and every employee on the frontlines at Joseph Brant Hospital. You are the real heroes in this crisis.”
 Modular structure is being built on the hospital grounds and connected to the South Tower. It will provide 93 additional beds “Joseph Brant Hospital’s plan for a Pandemic Response Unit is a critical step in ensuring we have the right resources in place during COVID-19,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “This is a difficult time for everyone as we fight this “invisible threat” and I applaud the leadership at Joseph Brant Hospital and all community partners who are working together to support our healthcare workers. It is also important at this time for everyone in our community to practice physical distancing to reduce the burden on our hospital resources,” states Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.
“I fully support the action Joseph Brant Hospital is taking in preparing for an increase in COVID-19 patients. Our community, including our hospital, needs to plan and prepare for every contingency during this emergency situation,” says Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
By Pepper Parr
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Comments from residents on what they see happening about the city suggest that the Mayor’s message hasn’t reached all ears.
 The normal walk to the canal just wasn’t possible – there were far too many people on the path. One resident said: “I abandoned my solo walk on the beach path this afternoon between the hospital and the lift bridge as it was simply too crowded to be sure that everyone was two metres apart.”
Another reported that “ at Spencer Smith Park, parents or caregivers were observed pushing young children on the swings, even though there was caution tape surrounding the swing sets. Unfortunately, the City must use their resources to dismantle the swings to protect the children from their parents or caregivers if they don’t adhere to the State of Emergency.”
The Gazette published this article yesterday – the last line “This will inevitably force us into lockdown.” is what the city will be forced to do.
“ I live on a court and have observed a home with a single resident welcome a) a girlfriend (not living at said residence), b) an adult son (not living at said residence) and c) a cleaning lady (also, not living at said residence). Likewise, I have noted a young couple with an 18 month old welcome one set of grandparents for playtime and a meal, and the next day another set of grandparents for playtime and a visit.
People are only willing to self isolate and socially distance themselves if it is of no inconvenience to them. This will inevitably force us into lockdown.”
“The beach path was terribly crowded yesterday – I saw someone had posted a video of the full parking lot and lots of people crammed everywhere. This will surely result in the parking lots being closed and perhaps the path itself being closed.”
By Jim Young
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Jim Young reports on how the Aldershot community is dealing with the COVID 19 crisis.
Those of you who pay attention to what happens in Aldershot, and we know that is everybody in Burlington, have probably heard by now that a group of us out in our city’s wild west are organizing twice weekly food drives to help keep Burlington Foodbank supplied and helping those who need help amid the Covid 19 crisis.
In such times the need for food is greater and in a medical pandemic not only does the need increase but the logistics of supplying foodbanks get more complex and run the risk of food donations drying up completely.
People who might normally donate food are socially and physically distancing themselves, staying home hesitant to venture out of doors. Volunteers who help with collection and distribution of food are less readily available, afraid to expose themselves and families or may even be sick themselves
People are hoarding food and reluctant to share. Hoarding produces a double hit on foodbanks. Fewer personal donations are available and empty store shelves leave grocery chains unable to make the donations of surpluses they regularly provide.
As a result many organizations that provide food for the needy and the hungry, have closed their doors. The lack of donations and the fear of physical contact involved in normal foodbank operations, have forced Halton Compassion Society, like many charitable and church food supply organizations to close down indefinitely.
Faced with a reduction in food donations at a time when the need is greatest, the Outreach Committee at St Matthew Anglican Church, on Plains Rd. are doing something to help. In conjunction with Partnering Aldershot Seniors Committee and Engaged Citizens Ward 1 Group they are collecting non-perishable food donations on behalf of Burlington Foodbank two days per week.
 Food donations get dropped off at the front door – out of the weather – they are taken inside moments after they are dropped off. In an inventive way of collecting donations safely, while limiting personal physical contact, these good folks have established a drive through donation drop off at St. Matthew Anglican Church. This allows donors to continue supporting Burlington’s only operating foodbank safely in this time of crisis and caution.
Supervised from behind the church’s glass frontage, donors drive around the circular driveway, stop by the wooden skids on the sidewalk, get out, safely deposit their donation in bags or boxes and drive off with thanks from the volunteer on duty inside. Donations are accepted Monday and Wednesday from 12.00 noon to 3.00pm.
As 3.00 approaches volunteer drivers arrive one at a time on a pre-arranged schedule to load the donations into their cars. Again “No Contact” is the watchword. Bagged and boxed donations are delivered to Burlington Foodbank on Old Plains Road. At the foodbank wheeled polyethylene laundry hampers await. Drivers transfer the bags from their cars to the carts again with no physical person to person contact involved. Drivers practice safe hygiene protocols for themselves and their vehicles.
Burlington Foodbank has its own quarantine and sanitation protocols in place to ensure that cross contamination of containers and packaging is minimised. Distribution of food hampers will be continued by Burlington Foodbank but will be modified to a delivery model rather than traditional individual pick-ups. Those in need should contact info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca (905 637 CARE (2237).
Our hope is that this process will allow food donations to the foodbank to continue and, as word gets out, to increase from the current extremely reduced levels.
As the only currently safe method of making food donations, Burlington Foodbank is recommending that the Drive-Thru Donations at St Matthew be utilized rather than risky, individual donations at its Old Plains Rd. outlet.
At a time like this, monetary and grocery gift card donations are the most hygienic, non-contact way to donate and we urge people of Burlington to give generously in this way.
For those without the means to donate financially or who may be suffering buyer’s remorse at overstocking during the first days of panic buying, we hope to provide a way to continue giving safely in compliance with physical distancing protocols.
St Matthew’s Outreach Committee, Partnering Aldershot Seniors and Engaged Citizens Ward 1 Group exemplify all that is good about Aldershot, and Burlington. Help us continue to help those in need when the need is greatest.
Connie Price, Grace Anne Wilbur, Jim Young.
Connie is a member of St Matthews Anglican Church and Partnering Aldershot Seniors Committee. She is also a biggie on United Empire Loyalist matters.
Grace Anne is the Chair of St Matthews Anglican Outreach.
Jim is a member of ECoB Ward 1, Partnering Aldershot Seniors, Burlington Seniors and Inclusivity Advisory Committees.
By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
If you doubted that city staff are not really working – check this.
March 31 to April 1: MacLaren Drive from Woodview Drive to Caplan Crescent will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for watermain installation.
April 2 to April 3: MacLaren Drive from Caplan Crescent to Glenn Moor Crescent (north leg) will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for watermain installation.
 By Ashley Worobec
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
My family has come up with a big chart system, whereby we have listed 12 items that we think are important to include in each day. Every family member has their own chart and colours in their own squares, the idea being that by the end of this, we will have a brightly-coloured symbol of what we’ve been up to.
 Every family member has their own chart and colours in their own squares. We think the 12 important points are:
1. Outside time
2. Workout time
3. Reading time
4. Build your brain time
5. Alone time
6. Creative time
7. Talk/FaceTime a friend
8. Talk/FaceTime a relative
9. An act of kindness for someone outside your home (ie. raking your neighbour’s yard, mailing a letter to someone)
10. Eating >6 fruits/veg per day
11. Drinking > 6 glasses of water per day.
12. List something that you’re grateful for.
This has been a good way for us to give a bit of structure and routine to our days, while still maintaining each person’s flexibility on how they want to spend their time.
 Burlington Marathoner Ashley Worobec does the Around the Bay Run – she didn’t see it as a cancelled event. One thing we did this morning was really valuable for us all. I’ve been training all Winter for the Around the Bay 30K in Hamilton, which was scheduled to run this morning (March 29). It’s the oldest race in all of North America, and began in 1894- as a long-distance runner in this area, it’s pretty much a staple of Spring training plans.
Of course it was cancelled, but it only occurred to me a few days ago that I could still run it solo! And that’s exactly what I did.
My family dropped me off at Dundurn Castle on York Boulevard (the race typically starts and ends at First Ontario Centre, but Dundurn Castle made it easier for me from a logistics standpoint) and I headed East through downtown Hamilton, along Beach Boulevard and the canal lift bridge, and then across Northshore Boulevard’s rolling hills, to continue onto Plains road and end up back at Dundurn Castle.
My family met me at the 10km mark and at the 20km mark with water and Gatorade and cheers and hugs. It was such a chance for me to reclaim some normalcy in this abnormal world we’re living in, and it gave me SUCH a mental boost.
My kids and husband remarked how happy it made them as well, and I even saw two other runners out there doing the same thing as me, one of them wearing a homemade race bib that said “ATB Anyway”, complete with his wife ringing a cowbell at stoppage points along the route.
By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the City of Burlington has decided to suspend all City-run spring programs and extend the closure of all recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, sports fields and City administration facilities to the end of June.
During this time, all bookings will be cancelled, and refunds will be given. Organizations and residents are asked to please be patient as refunds may take up to two weeks to process. Questions related to rentals can be sent to rentals@burlington.ca. For registrations, email liveandplay@burington.ca.
This decision, made by the City’s Emergency Control Group, follows the guidance of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health to prepare and plan for the months ahead.
The City of Burlington regularly plans in quarters, including Council’s 4-year strategic workplan, Vision to Focus. We need to make decisions now that affect programming weeks and months out, to provide some certainty to our community and to our many community partners.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward explains that: “This decision is absolutely necessary to protect the health and well-being of our employees and our community, as we plan for the best but prepare for the worst.
“COVID-19 numbers are still rising in our City through community spread. So we must continue to work towards flattening the curve through social and physical distancing and staying home. That means we can’t gather together at recreation facilities, community centres, sports fields and parks.
“We don’t know exactly how long this situation is going to last. By planning ahead, we can redirect resources where most needed, put non-essential projects on hold, and remain agile enough to open things up earlier if the situation changes. And once this is over, we will come together again as a community to celebrate. Let’s each do our part to get through this, healthy and whole.”
We are asking everyone to remember they have a role to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19:
Please continue to keep out of park facilities including
o playgrounds,
o sports fields,
o skate parks,
o dog off-leash areas and
o community gardens.
o If you need some fresh air and activity, it’s okay to walk, cycle or jog through our parks, but please do not linger.
o Stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from everyone else in the park or on a trail.
o Please take your waste home with you to dispose of it.
During this extended closure we will continue to maintain our essential services and those services that provide direct support to keep our residents and staff safe. These include areas such as Burlington Fire, Burlington Transit including Handi-Van, Traffic Services, ByLaw Enforcement, Roads, Parks and Forestry Operations, Building Inspections and Service Burlington.
With this announcement the administration wants to assure residents that the business of the City will continue during this critical time.
“Our staff that are able, are continuing to work from home to maintain City services such as Community Planning, City Capital Works and various Corporate Services. During this unprecedented time, we are continually looking at ways for us to work more efficiently and to use taxpayer dollars wisely. We have already put in place spending restraints on all non-essential purchases during this time and will look to utilize our staff where we can instead of outsourcing.
“The majority of the City’s expenditures is paying our hard-working employees and we must continue to ensure we have the staff needed to get us through these challenging times. This means we will maintain our full-time staff workforce. They will continue to work remotely during this period or be redeployed where possible into essential service areas. We are also aware of other organizations that may need assistance, like the Region of Halton, where we may be able to redeploy staff.
“For our part-time staff, we will look at various options including evaluating government assistance programs being offered by the provincial and federal governments.
“Once we have looked at options for our staff, as a last resort we will also consider layoffs as required.
“We also know we’re not going to be back to 100 per cent on Day 1 after this pandemic has ended. We have to set the expectations for ourselves as a City and the public that it won’t be business as usual the first day we’re back from this. However, having plans in place for the next three months means we’ll be able to get back on our feet, operating at 100 per cent again that much sooner.
“This situation is evolving every hour and we are continually monitoring. The City of Burlington will continue to keep you informed.
 Tim Commisso, City Manager Tim Commisso, City Manager adds that “Over the last few weeks our focus and priority has been on dealing with the immediate impacts of COVID-19 which has included meeting daily and taking specific actions based on analysis of virus spread and in partnership with public health.
“Clearly, we now need to look ahead and make decisions that are in best interests of our community and staff. We still need to do all we can to prevent the spread of the virus and continue to deliver our essential services in addition to providing certainty and stability for the next several months. We remain committed to strong financial management and ensuing we have adequate resources to meet this challenge.”
By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Meed Ward explains how council will continue to guide and direct the administration as the city settles in for what is going to be a long haul.
 Burlington Mayor, Marianne Meed Ward We continue to find ourselves in unprecedented times with our lives changing daily, and at times hourly. We now know that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be over as soon as we expected.
We’ve heard from the Province, guided by the Medical Officer of Health, that gathering together in schools and other places will not be possible by April 6 as we had hoped, with no definitive timeline following that. We are also expecting another announcement from the Province related to schools in the coming days.
We have also heard from Canada’s deputy chief public health officer that this situation will last “many
months.”
The City of Burlington and your Mayor and Council are committed to seeing us all through this health crisis. To do that successfully, we must turn our mind to being prepared beyond hour-to-hour and day-to-day to a longer time horizon.
The City of Burlington regularly plans in quarters — that’s our rhythm, that’s what we do, including
Council’s four-year strategic work-plan, Vision to Focus (V2F).
It is prudent then for us to prepare for the next three months and continue our planning in three-month cycles, and important for us to provide stability and certainty to the public.
In practical terms, there are decisions that must be made now for activities months ahead, including activities that affect many of our community partners and city operations. We need a plan for what the next three months will look like in our community, and we are going to do that.
We will plan for the best, and prepare for the worst, and be ready to respond no matter what may come.
We also know we’re not going to be back to full operations the day our State of Emergency is lifted. It won’t be business as usual the first day we’re back, so part of our three-month plan will include ramping back up to full operations.
Our plan will also be agile and include flexibility to return to full operations sooner, should the situation warrant.
 Stand By says the city motto – for how long one might ask? The duration of the crisis depends on all of us. Everyone in our community has a role to play in this. The more of us that stay home (except for essential trips or outdoor walks/jogs/cycling); keep a 2-metre (6- foot) distance from anyone not in our immediate household when we are out; stop congregating in groups in public places; and follow all the advice of our expert medical professionals, the sooner we will see this situation resolved.
When it’s done, we will mark the occasion with a community celebration that brings us all back together!
By Pepper Parr
March 29th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 A Gazette reader made a comment on a piece we published about the Mayor’s efforts to impress upon people the need to stay at home.
The message isn’t getting through the way it has to or we will, as our reader said, all be “in lock-down”.
Here is what we received:
I live on a court and have observed a home with a single resident welcome a) a girlfriend (not living at said residence), b) an adult son (not living at said residence) and c) a cleaning lady (also, not living at said residence).
Likewise, I have noted a young couple with an 18 month old welcome one set of grandparents for playtime and a meal, and the next day another set of grandparents for playtime and a visit.
People are only willing to self-isolate and socially distance themselves if it is of no inconvenience to them.
This will inevitably force us into lock-down.
We asked for the specific address and were quite prepared to advise the Public Health Department who would send someone out with the police to “educate” the individual.
Our reader advised us that she had a talk with them.
This virus is spread from person to person. Stay at Home – please.
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