 By Staff
April 18th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Roland regrets:
“I posted a comment on Friday on my personal Facebook account about the current controversy between Burlington councillors.
“Nobody can claim that ‘private’ Facebook accounts are really private any more, and I can’t complain, given the circumstances in which I made the post, about anybody breaking the ‘confidentiality’ of a personal account.
“Within about two hours I thought better of the comment and deleted it. However, while it was online the comment was copied and sent to the Burlington Gazette, which posted it in an article today.
I’m not reposting the comment here, because it doesn’t need any further publicity, but it is linked to above.
“I have long been guilty of sudden rushes of blood to the head, and it frequently gets me in trouble. “Good Roland” tries to be fairly even-keeled and temperate. “Bad Roland” can’t keep his mouth shut.
“While I stand by the essence of the points made in the second paragraph (and made them in a more articulate way here), I have no evidence for the guess made in the first paragraph, and therefore should not have made it. I also crossed the line into an ‘ad hominem‘ attack in the words I chose to use on Facebook. I sincerely regret those words and apologise to the mayor and the two councillors concerned.
“We started the 905er Podcast because we wanted to contribute to a more balanced level of debate, based on a sound understanding of events and a willingness to see both sides of an argument. While we are not going to shy away from being critical when we believe it is warranted, it should always be within a context of fairness, balance and a basis on established facts. Even when critical, our writing and the comments we make on our podcast should never cross the line into personal attacks. I fell short of the standard we have set ourselves, and the standard expected of any responsible entity that claims to cover current affairs with journalistic standards.”
There are some very strong views being voiced by well-informed people on the release of the Integrity Commissioner’s report released last week.
Roland Tanner, who produces the 905er, a podcast aimed at the 905 market.
Set out below is what can only be called a rant.
Good on him. There are many others holding the same views
 By June Rouse
May 2nd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Are you a big basketball fan?
Burlington, Ontario, has a strong basketball pedigree – read more about some of the best players from the region in Canada.
Burlington Basketball is a non-profit venture that was originally started in 1973. Offering the community a program for youngsters to get involved with, Burlington Basketball has produced some top players over the years.
The Ontario city as a strong track record of producing outstanding sportsmen and women across various sports, but basketball really stands out.
Here’s a look at some Burlingtonians and their achievements on the basketball court.
Mfiondu Kabengele
 Mfiondu Kabengele first Burlington resident to be drafted, by the Brooklyn Nets then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Attending Corpus Christi High School, Mfiondu Kabengele played for Burlington Basketball from 2011 to 2015 under the expert eye of Zelemir Stevanovic. For his collegiate basketball career, Kabengele was recruited to the Florida State Seminoles.
In 2019, Mfiondu Kabengele became the first Burlington resident to be drafted, being picked 27th overall. He was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets but traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Between 2019 and 2021, he played 25 games for the Clippers before moving to Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021 and playing 16 games for them between April and October.
The basketball court was very familiar to Mfiondu from a young age as his uncle is Dikembe Mutombo, a pro player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame after an 18-year career.
 Ron Foxcroft eyeing the basket in a small court installed at the Fox40 whistle warehouse. Ron Foxcroft
Not everyone who’s from Burlington and famous in basketball is a player, as Ron Foxcroft perfectly demonstrates.
Foxcroft became well-known for his prowess as a basketball referee and for inventing a new type of pea-less whistle, the Fox 40. The whistle is now sold in 140 countries and is not used in just the sports community, but also in search and rescue. With armfuls of accolades, Foxcroft was named as one of the top Canadian entrepreneurs of the decade and, in 2015, travelled to Buckingham Palace for a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II.
On the court, he refereed at both National and International levels, including the Olympics. He spent 14 seasons evaluating the performances of NBA referees, and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted NASO Gold Whistle Award. This is considered to be the highest award that can be bestowed on a referee anywhere in the world.
Throughout his whole career, Ron Foxcroft has remained a permanent resident of Burlington.
Kevin Kangu
 Kevin Kangu: a name to watch. If you’re looking for a preview of the NBA season Kevin Kangu is a name to watch. Hailing from Burlington, he’s eligible for the draft in 2022.
In 2017-2018 Kangu was in his freshman year and played in 28 games, with 27 starts at Midland College in Texas. At Vincennes in his sophomore year, Kangu built on his previous performance, starting 19 games and appearing in 36 games in total. His performance in the Vincennes National Championship was so memorable that he was named in the all-tournament team.
At Oakland University, Kangu played for both the juniors and the seniors, appearing in the maximum 33 and 30 games, respectively. His performance across both years was impressive, with a number of achievements including the most total assists and the most assists per game.
Now in college, Kangu is playing guard for Lenoir Rhyne Bears.
 By Pepper Parr
April 18th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a sticky situation.
The cost of a house has sky rocketed.
The inventory of houses for sale is low.
Two groups are currently looking into the housing problem.
And a Housing Working group that was brought into being due to the persistent efforts of ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.
And she is about to get a public spanking on Tuesday for telling the public about some of the things being said in Closed sessions of Council about property that is being redeveloped by public agencies to benefit the public.
Go figure.
Having said that, the city planners are doing some solid work; gathering the information on which to base the strategy that is needed to find a way to provide housing for the thousands of people who are going to move to Burlington in the next two decades.
 Expect the work that City Council has approved on the housing file to become a major election issue. Will it get the Mayor re-elected? The people who will benefit have yet to move to the city. There is the common ground established that housing is a basic human right, and there is a collective civic responsibility to ensure that the supply of housing available within a community can accommodate the varying needs of residents throughout their lifetime, including financial needs.
 Working Group on Housing, made up of both volunteers and people steeped in the business of housing has met virtually for a number of months. Burlington has initiated a project to develop an Innovative Housing Strategy that sets out policies, tools, identifies partnerships, and actions to address residents’ current and future housing needs. The consulting team of Dillon Consulting Limited (Dillon) and SHS Consulting (SHS) were retained by the City to carry out this work, in partnership with the City’s Housing Strategy Project team, Housing Strategy Working Group, and Housing Strategy Steering Committee.
Housing: what can Burlington do and how do they go about doing it.
While there has been a lot of effort and emphasis on improving housing opportunities in the City, this Housing Strategy project provides an opportunity for a focused approach. The principal objective is to develop an innovative Housing Strategy for the City of Burlington that sets out policies, tools, and actions to address residents’ housing needs, identifies opportunities for partnerships, and redefines Burlington’s role in meeting local housing needs, now and in the future.
What is the biggest issue? Affordability or inventory?
There are many different ways of defining affordable housing. Definitions that exist in provincial laws, may differ from definitions used in federal housing programs. For many people, there is also a very personal definition of affordability based on their own income.
Affordable Housing
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) defines affordable housing as housing with a price for purchase or rent where households spend no more than 30 percent of their gross household income on housing.
In the case of ownership housing, the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) defines affordable housing as, the least expensive of:
- Housing for which the purchase price results in annual accommodation costs which do not exceed 30 percent of gross annual housing income for low and moderate income households; or
- Housing for which the purchase price is at least 10 percent below the average purchase price of a resale unit in the regional market area;
In the case of rental housing, the PPS defines affordable housing as, the least expensive of:
- A unit for which the rent does not exceed 30 percent of grow annual housing income for low and moderate income households; or
- A unit for which the rent is at or below the average market rent of a unit in the regional market area.
In Halton Region’s Official Plan, affordable housing is defined as:
“housing with a market price (or rent that is affordable to households of low and moderate income, spending no more than 30 percent of their gross income.
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- a) Affordable rental housing should meet the demand of households at the low end, as described in Halton’s annual State of Housing Report, pursuant to Section 86(7). Such households would be able to afford at least three out of ten rental units on the market.
- b) Affordable ownership housing should meet the demand of households at the high end, as identified in Halton’s annual State of Housing Report. Such households would have sufficient income left, after housing expenses, to sustain the basic standard of living.”
Attainable Housing
While there is no universal definition of attainable housing, it is often used to refer to rental or ownership housing without any subsidies which is affordable to workforce households or households with moderate incomes. In the US, it is defined as non-subsidized, for-sale housing that is affordable to households with incomes between 80 and 120 percent of the area median income.
Using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), to bring the 2016 incomes to 2021 values, the estimated average household income in Burlington for 2021 is $159,083 and the estimated median household income is $124,154.
Based on research conducted as part of this report, findings indicate the following 2021 average ownership prices in Burlington:
 This development at 2100 Brant sold out before the sales office was opened. Single-detached: $1,398,357
Semi-detached: $901,963
Townhouse: $894,997
Condominium townhouse: $575,299
Condominium apartments: $575,299
This means that, within the context of Burlington, ownership options are only affordable to households earning $164,016 or more on an annual basis, unless they had a down payment greater than 5% or spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
With respect to rental tenure, the research conducted as part of this report indicates the following average monthly rents in the primary rental market in Burlington9:
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 Some of these units at the Burlington GO station will be rentals. Bachelor: $1,229
- One bedroom: $1,577
- Two bedroom: $1,641
- Three+ bedroom: $1,658
This means that, within the context of Burlington, rental options within the primary rental market are only affordable to households earning $60,072 or more on an annual basis. This is further complicated by the low vacancy rates for rental housing in the City, which has remained below 3% since 2010.
Within the Burlington Context, where the cost of all tenures of housing is high, there are very few “affordable” housing options for households within low and moderate income deciles when applying the Federal and Provincial government’s definition of “affordable”.
Given the City’s stated objective for the Housing Strategy to provide a toolkit with options to address housing needs across the entire housing continuum, the strategy will need to provide tools to address both housing “affordability” and “attainability” throughout Burlington to best position itself as an inclusive and complete community that provides housing options for all.
When “affordable housing” is used within the context of this report it is meant to encapsulate the definition of affordable as set out in the Halton Region Official Plan and does not mean government- assisted housing or subsidized housing.
 These two developments; one at the Burlington GO station and the other in the east end are part of the inventory that will come on line at some point. The GO station development has most of the approvals it needs. What isn’t know – how much will the rents be?  Burlington’s role in housing.
Through the work completed to date, it was determined that the biggest impact the City of Burlington can make, as a lower-tier municipality, is to provide innovative solutions to address housing affordability and attainability for middle-income earners. Increasingly, middle-income households are struggling to find housing that is appropriate for their needs and income level in Burlington with the high cost of housing posing significant challenges for middle-income working households.
Providing support to these households insures that they can remain housed in Burlington.
It is in addressing the middle income needs where the City can make the biggest moves.
By Pepper Parr
April 17th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
A reader corrected us on the matter of the Closed Meeting Investigator hired to review and report on the practices used in Burlington.
We watched the archived February 15th meeting of Council which you can look at yourself using the link below.
 Mayor Meed Ward during the February 15 session of Council  What is especially interesting is the Mayor’s body language; the Stolte comment on how an
amendment had come forward and the explanation from the city manager on what was to happen.
 The amendment that was put forward came from Councillor Nisan, there apparently wasn’t any notice given that there was going to be an amendment. In commenting on his own amendment Nisan is clearly reading from prepared notes.
Aird & Berlis the law firm retained to serve as the Closed Meeting Investigator, is certainly a solid, if conservative group. They are not known for innovative solutions to issues – but they are sound. If there is even a hint that there are flaws in the practices in Burlington – it could be seen as time for the current City Solicitor to move on.
The Gazette has been criticized for the stand it takes on some senior members of the current administration.
Take the eight minutes and decide for yourself what is actually happening.
Put the lines below into your browser.
https://calendar.burlington.ca/?StartDate=02/15/2022&EndDate=02/15/2022&Calendar=City%20Meetings&Category=Council%20Meetings
That will get you to the calendar and the meeting of the 15th of February.
Scroll to the bottom of the calendar to the line that reads: Revised Agenda.
That will bring up the Agenda – scroll down to item 12g which is set out below.
Click on that and watch for the next 8 minutes. You can quit when Councillors Kearns begins to ask about how the service provider (Aird & Berlis) was chosen.
Realize that at this point, February 15th, Nisan and Galbraith had already filed their complaint with the Integrity Commissioner – so the blood was in the water at this point.
The item on the agenda for Tuesday April 18th is set out below. It will not be discussed in a Closed session. Unfortunately, the time frames are such that there may not be any delegations.
If you are interested and have some comment that can add to what is taking place – do delegate.
Harry Voortman, a pillar in the community and a supporter of City Kids died at the age of 89.
He came to Canada around 1948 when the Russians were blockading Berlin.
He worked hard and he prospered.
The Gazette will be publishing an Appreciation later in the week.
CEO Andy Callahan said: “Harry was a true one-of-a-kind, and I know will be missed by many of our Voortman team members who knew him well over the years. Harry’s passion and presence, even though he had retired from managing the business day to day, was ever present in the stories of the Burlington team from the moment I first visited in October of 2019. Consistent was his passion for baking the highest quality products, delighting consumers with delicious, sweet treats, supporting the community and, above all, investing in and knowing the lives of the people who made the Voortman Baking Company so great.”
By Pepper Parr
April 14th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s Chamber of Commerce has gone through what might best be called leadership turmoil.
Keith Hooey retired after more than 20 years of excellent service.
He was replaced by Carla Nell who wasn’t able to replicate what Hooey had done. She retired.
 Terry Caddo: An ability to spot a problem, recognize it for what it is and make the necessary course correction. Terry Caddo was brought in to rebuild and redirect what has always been an organization with a strong vibrant membership.
Caddo is surprisingly self-effacing with a rich background in a number of sectors.
Raised in Thunder Bay he cleared high school went to the Lakehead University. Worked on the student newspaper. After graduation he scrimped and saved to buy a franchise that was going to be located in Cambridge Ontario.
 Failing is one of the early lessons every business person has to experience. Terry Caddo had his early in his career. With a wry smile Terry explained that Robin’s Donuts was a strong franchise with strength west of Winnipeg.
“When I got to Cambridge I saw Tim Hortons shops on almost every corner.” It was a tough lesson for Caddo.
Before buying a franchise Terry wrote for the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal – quickly realized he was not really a writer.
Caddo has this ability to spot a problem, recognize it for what it is and make the necessary course correction.
He returned to the classroom to study sports marketing and worked at the Toronto Star on their sports events and sports marketing division.
He got involved in syndication work.
He worked at Ontario Place at re-branding with the focus on the park as a place to go to..
He worked with Rogers and eventually found himself at the Royal Botanical Gardens where he put winter programs in place and instituted the model trains exhibitions.
 Setting a course for a post pandemic commercial environment is the top challenge. He worked on the Canada Blooms event and tied it in with the Home Show – something that had not been done before.
It looked like an event that was loaded with potential – then the pandemic hit the world.
There is a pluckiness to Terry Caddo. He is what you see – not a front for an ego that is out of control.
He did what you have to do when you are asked to run an organization that needs one of those course corrections. He began meeting with the stakeholders, rebuilding the staff, letting the membership know that the ship is being righted.
With the tight focus on getting staff to work as a team Caddo also has to figure out what will a post pandemic Chamber of Commerce will look like.
Like most people who get a chance to look at the public space at the Bridgewater – he was amazed and was thinking about the potential for the location.
He supports the intensification and loves the number of opportunities for his kids to play soccer.
He is particularly proud of the way in which the Chamber responded to the need for testing supplies. His Chamber worked quickly to get it hands on a supply of Rapid Response testing kits and has made them available to more than 1100 companies that did more than 200,000 tests. There was a point where they just couldn’t keep up.
 No raging ego with this man. Tends to look for solutions. He worked with the other organizations that make up what is referred to as Team Burlington: Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association and the Economic Development Corporation and created a web site that meets the needs of all of them to more than .
The Chamber has a Before 9 event on the 21st where Ron Foxcroft will talk about Winning in Business: people will get the full Foxcroft Monte.
The Chamber will release its Strategic Plan on the 27th.
 By Pepper Parr
April 13th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Very early Wednesday morning the Gazette will publish a recommendation from the Integrity Commissioner in which they set out a case for sanctioning a member of City Council.
 Stand By says the city motto – for how long one might ask? The recommendation comes after a three month investigation when two other members of Council filed a complaint with the Integrity Commissioner.
The Councillor named in the report is believed to be preparing a Statement.
The recommendation from the Integrity Commissioner is to go to the City Council meeting on April 19th.
It is not know at this time if the report will be read in a Closes Session of Council.
The Integrity Commissioner is reported to have said that it was “their preference” to have the report not made public until it was actually before Council.
The City Clerk is reported to hold the same view.
The issue is related to how and when Council chooses to go into a closed session and what gets reported from the Closed Session.
The report is lengthy and sets out issues that deserve open and public debate.
Mayor Meed Ward has been involved in discussions with the City Manager on this issue.
 By Staff
April 12th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The City, Burlington Hydro, BurlingtonGreen and Plug’n Drive are hosting Earth Day activities in the parking lot at Central Arena on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Register for Tree Giveaway
The City of Burlington is giving away 200 trees. To receive a free four-to-five-foot tree, you must register in advance and have a vehicle able to safely transport the tree.
Registration opens April 13.
To register for a tree, go to Get Involved Burlington. Quantities and tree species are limited.
 Meet Electric Vehicle Experts
The City and Burlington Hydro are sponsoring Plug’n Drive’s Mobile EV Education Trailer for four weeks at the arena starting April 23 until May 20, 2022.
Talk with experts and owners about driving an electric vehicle (EV).
Book an EV test drive in advance at plugndrive.ca/meet-burlington/. Test drive appointments are available Thursdays to Sundays starting April 23 until May 20, 2022.
Check Out BurlingtonGreen’s 12th Annual Clean Up Green Up
Learn about spring eco-opportunities. Giveaways at BurlingtonGreen’s tent will include free clean-up kits and free pollinator seed packets for the first 100 visitors.
More information about the Clean Up Green Up event can be found at burlingtongreen.org
 By Staff
April 12th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
 Tables waiting for customers City services and facilities will be closed for Good Friday, on Friday, April 15, and Easter Monday, on Monday, April 18.
A list of which City services and facilities are available on the Easter holiday weekend is set out below.
If you are out and about and in places where there are a lot of people – wear your mask.
The weather reports look good – a chance to get out and enjoy the city – restaurants are looking forward to welcoming their customers.
 By Staff
April 10th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Shortage of school-bus drivers amid pandemic continues to temporarily disrupt services
Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) is reminding families of the continued bus route disruptions due to the ongoing decrease of available drivers resulting from COVID-19 isolation requirements.
 Lots of busses – not enough drivers. “Every effort will be made to communicate cancellations as quickly as possible, but in many cases, we will have minimal notice as drivers continue to follow public health guidelines and minimize risk to students,” says David Colley, General Manager of Halton Student Transportation Services.
To stay informed about bus route cancellations, families can:
• Visit the Halton Student Transportation Service Alerts page for up-to-date route cancellations and delays
• Register for Delay/Cancellation email notifications via the HSTS Parent Portal
• For instant delay notifications, download the Delays App to your smartphone: BusPlanner Delay App
We understand the impact that this has on families and we thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
By Staff
April 9th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Baxter was a very successful condo development; seen as a prime location. During the month of March, the average price for a condo apartment in Burlington was $797,000, 37.2% higher than March 2021 when we saw the average price at $581,000 and up slightly from last month $775,000.
The price per square foot was up in March at $791, compared to $640 the same month last year. In March, properties sold for just over 111% of the listed price, down from 116% last month and on par with last month in 8 days.
Sales were slightly down 4.4% as compared to March 2021 and up slightly from last month.
The condo market is a bit of a different beast, condo investors are still strong and although as markets start to shift we tend to see it first in properties like condos, inventory levels remain low and the market is still performing strong.
By Denis Gibbons
April 9th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The boys of summer were getting ready to play their season opener in a ballpark they had not played in for close to two years.
The crowd in the stadium was expected to top 50,000 people.
And the fans were pumped.
Anything less than a win, a big win was going to be seen as a bummer.
I interviewed nine Burlingtonians at the GO station to get their take on the game they were going to watch.
Interesting bit of information – a lot of the people I interviewed were from the Niagara region – I thought they would have boarded the GO train at Aldershot.
 Nolan and Elliott Jackson Nolan Jackson, 16, (left) and brother Elliott, 12, had tickets for Opening Day of 2021, but couldn’t make it because the Blue Jays had to open in Florida during the pandemic. They didn’t miss this one, though.
Nolan, a middle infielder with the Oakville-based Ontario Royals, said the Jays have a lot of young talent like Bo Bichette and Chapman. “But pitching could be their weakness,” he said. “They need to strengthen their bullpen.”
 Barb Parsons Attending her 10th Opening Day game, Barb Parsons said Toronto’s chances are very good this year, barring injuries. “They have a lot of talent and good chemistry,” she said. Although it was her 10th opener, it was her first Blue Jays game in 12 years. That was before her husband passed away.
 Jo Savelli A public health nurse in Hamilton, Burlington’s Jo Savelli set an excellent example by wearing her Blue Jays mask as she waited for the GO train. As a 14-year-old, Savelli watched the team’s major league debut in the snow on TV in 1977.
Later that year she was a member of a Burlington team that won the Provincial Women’s Softball Association championship in its age group. What did she pay for her ticket? “$145, but I’m right behind home plate, five rows up. And it pays for all the vacations I’m not taking!” she said.
 Ian and Liam MacRae Eleven-year-old Liam McRae, a second basemen with the Burlington Bulls minor peewee team, attended his first Opening Day with his father Ian, who has his own construction company Your Life Outside.
The father-son duo have been to spring training games in Dunedin, Florida, but were looking forward to seeing a healthy George Springer leading off for the Blue Jays. What impresses the Central elementary school student about Springer? “He’s really good at his position and he smiles a lot!”
 Tyler Maskell A last-minute ticket worth $140 landed Tyler Maskell, 26, in a seat a field level near home plate. On his first Opening Day ever, Maskell was anxious for his first peek at the Blue Jays newly acquired third baseman Matt Chapman.
“He should put us over the top,” said Maskell, who also was lucky enough to be a spectator at the Blue Jays first game back in Toronto last July when they took the field at Rogers Centre for the first time in 670 days storming out of a tunnel, smoke shooting into the air behind them as the home crowd roared. They ran as a team towards the infield, their path lined on each side by 100 healthcare workers waving Blue Jays flags.
 The Jesus Family It was the second Opening Day visit for Burlington’s Trish Jesus, who made the trip with her husband Josh and sons Jeffrey, 10, and Darryl, 7. The family created these colorful signs at home.
“We’re in the nosebleeds,” Trish said. But that afforded the boys a perfect view of their favorite player George Springer in centre field. Josh, who has taken in three or four openers, said the best was the year the family had free tickets in a private box. “That’s when Bautista and Encarnacion were playing,” he said.
 John Droughan A condo superintendent, 33-year-old John Droughan -paid $60 for 200 Level seats in the outfield on his first Opening Day. “It’s exciting,” Droughan said. “With Vladdy and Bo, it’s going to be an electric offence. As long as our pitching holds up, we’ll have a good year. Droughan’s fondest memory was attending a playoff game against Texas during the Blue Jays long playoff run in 2015, which ended with Toronto losing to the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the American League championship series.
 Dayna Naim A student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Dayna Nairn has a huge affection for Bo Bichette and she’s not afraid to show it, as the photo indicates. “He’s my age and he’s a shortstop like I was when I played,” Nairn said.
Nairn bought a ticket online for her initial Opening Day. “The Jays spent a lot of money during the off-season, I think their chances are very good.”
 Doug McKillop and his daughter Ashleigh Doug McKillop’s father Lionel was in the stands at Exhibition Stadium in April of 1977 when the Blue Jays made their major league debut in the snow. He still has the ticket stub. Friday he took in his 15th Opening Day with daughter Ashleigh, who has been to seven or eight herself.
“There’s no excuse why they can’t get to the World Series,” Doug said. “They just have to stay healthy.
The first three innings were not good for the Jay – from that point on they took control of the game and ended up winning the season opener against the Texas Rangers 10-8. The fans on the GO trains going home were happy campers.
 Every seat in the ball park had a team cap on the seat. Keep sake for sure.
 By Staff
April 8th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Beachway water treatment plant in Burlington is the largest in the Region The Covid19 infection numbers for the province are not encouraging – infection reports are climbing and the number of children not in school is alarming.
The Boards of Education don’t have any central reporting – what we are hearing from readers is that – a lot of kids are not in class.
With province wide reporting gone for now municipalities are relying on waste water testing.
While the numbers are not high – the trend is in the wrong direction
Location of the waste water treatment plans where testing is done. The test results are rising in every location
 By Staff
April 8th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Yesterday we got the federal budget that promises all kinds of money for housing people can afford and a tightening of the rules that will govern real estate speculators.
Today we get to look at what life is really like in the Burlington real estate market.
 From the Rocca Sisters:
During the month of March, the average price for a freehold property in Burlington was $1,510,482, 17.3% higher than March 2021 when we saw the average price at $1,288,129 and slightly down from the average price of $1,626,700 last month.
During the month of March, properties sold for 116% of the listed price down from 124% last month and in 6 days, on average, on par with last month.
Sales were still down 23.8% as compared to March 2021.
Inventory levels, although still historically low, have increased substantially over the last month. The market started to shift slightly mid-late February and we continue to see the transition day to day.
 By Staff
April 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau is investigating a robbery that took place at the Burlington Mall (located at 777 Guelph Line).
On April 6, 2022, at approximately 8:00 pm, three suspects entered the Rogers Wireless retail location inside the Burlington Mall and demanded cell phones while one suspect displayed a Conducted Energy Weapon (commonly referred to as a Taser).
 This is ugly – these men were prepared to hurt people. The suspects loaded garbage bags with approximately $200, 000 worth of phones and fled in a waiting vehicle driven by a fourth suspect.
The vehicle is a 2019 white Kia Sedona with Ontario licence plate CJWL 247. The vehicle was reported stolen out of York region.
No physical injuries to employees were reported to police.
Suspect 1: Male, black, with a slim build. He was wearing a black pullover hooded sweater with vertical white panel with the word “Reckless” embroidered on it. Also wearing a black baseball hat and white shoes.
Suspect 2: Male, black, with a slim build. He was wearing a black full zip hooded sweater with black track pants and white sunning shoes.
Suspect 3: Male, black, with a medium build. He was wearing a grey full zip hooded sweater with black pants and black high-top sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2316.
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.
Media Inquiries:
By Pepper Parr
April 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Most people are aware of the financial hit the hospitality sector has taken as a result of the pandemic.
The deep thinkers at the Economic Development Corporation and the leadership at the Burlington Restaurant Association believe it is going to take between 18 and 24 months for some to recover.
Those that had to take on a load of debt are going to need as much as three to five years to fully recover.
 Craig Kowalchuk – on the way to a come-back? One restaurant operate appears to be positioning himself for a new launch.
Craig Kowalchuk who operated Emmas Back Porch – very successfully for years has a new brand name on his T shirt.
Kowalchuk took the position that the pandemic was going to last a long time and renting space that he could not use due to closures was just not good business.
He put the corporation into bankruptcy and gave the landlord the keys.
The landlord gussied up the place a bit and does some private rentals.
When the conditions are right – look for Kowalchuk to appear in a new location- unless of course the owner of the property sees wisdom in welcoming back his former tenant.
 It was the best spot for a brew and a decent meal – out on the patio overlooking the lake.. It will re-open at some point – under whose operation – no one is certain at this point.
 By Pepper Parr
April 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
How does change come about?
What makes people decide they want to change something that they think could be better.
 Olivia Netto Olivia Netto and Inman Nemar were both students at Nelson high school out riding their bikes and a situation arose that had them talking about those occasions when you really need a product there is nothing at hand.
The product in this instance was feminine personal hygiene products – a taboo for many people and something that young men just don’t know all that much about and are not comfortable asking questions either. But for Olivia Netto and Inman Nemar it was a serious subject and they decided they wanted to try and bring about a change: Getting free mental products in as many public locations as possible.
“Over the course of the past few years, we’ve noticed a lack of accessibility to feminine hygiene products both within the community and at schools. Our mission is to create a donation-based drive to cater to those in need. At school, in the workplace and in Burlington”, said Inman.
They took the view that offering free menstrual hygiene products in public washrooms is now considered as essential to the community as offering toilet paper, soap and paper towels.
 Inman Nemar Providing menstrual hygiene products in each of the public washrooms in the facility also provides a more inclusive approach to support the needs of transgender and non-binary individuals.
When they decided to try and involve the city they got a very good response.
Their focus was on Burlington – given the success they have had – they have their eyes on the Region, then the province and – why not the whole country.
They researched, they asked questions and they put together a presentation that went before city council.
They wanted the city to consider a pilot program
Olivia is studying Industrial design at Carlton University and Inman is studying Life Sciences at McMaster.
Asked how they can monitor the distribution and the take up Oliva said: “We have scouts out there.”
 Why the apple? That’s something they will have to tell you. What they really want to talk about is their Pink Project. There initiative is called the Pink Project; it was enthusiastically taken up by council – they approved the project as a pilot that will be in place until the end of the year.
Public response so far has been positive
 By Staff
April 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Blue Jays season will start on Friday night, April 8, at the Rogers Centre.
Metrolinx advises that both GO Transit and UP Express recently added more service. Though fans planning to take the Lakeshore West line to Sunday’s game (April 10) should be aware of construction that will limit train service. Metrolinx News has the latest guidance for getting to the game.
Opening night is always a big occasion for baseball fans and Friday’s game (April 8) will be even more special. The Rogers Centre will be open to full capacity for the first time
 Been a while since we say those stands full. Photo by Mike Winterburn, Improvements, which have been in place since Saturday, include 30-minute service or better – evenings and weekends too – on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore
Going UP from Union Station
Additional UP Express trips have riders prepared for extra innings, with the last westbound trip of the night now departing Union Station at 11p.m. Departure times have changed, so riders should check the UP website for the latest schedule information.
Two Lakeshore West trains each way for Sunday’s game
While train service is generally increasing on Lakeshore West, construction on Sunday, April 10 will result in GO buses replacing most trains.
Two trips in each direction will be provided for Jays fans and others headed towards downtown Toronto on Sunday around game time.
Trains headed for Union Station will leave from West Harbour at 10:13 a.m. and Aldershot at 10:55 a.m. – making all stops in between – arriving at 11:30 a.m. and noon respectively.
Afterwards, trains will depart Union Station at 4:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., reaching West Harbour at 6:03 p.m. and 6:33 p.m. (again, making all stops).
 Burlington fans waiting to board a GO train on the way to a Jays game. Lakeshore West customers planning to travel on Sunday at other times can find information about replacement buses here.
For those who haven’t been on GO Transit for a while, here are a few quick updates:
A weekend day pass for unlimited travel is available for only $10. The weekend pass is just $5 more.
At Union Station, the revitalized Bay Concourse offers more eating and retail options.
The new Union Station Bus Terminal is open, just south of the old terminal.
You will see seat belts on the newest GO buses. Please buckle up when seat belts are available – it’s the law.
By Staff
April 4th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
We don’t have a picture of the day section.
But we do get really heart-warming pictures pretty regularly.
This one had to be shared.
 The picture was taken by Scot Cameron – an Old timer as well as a photographer. It is of the Grey division Champions of the Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club
Share it widely.
By Pepper Parr
April 4th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
A report that was going to need a couple of months to be completed by the consultant the city had hired was given a big push and – on Tuesday Council will be asked to receive the report and endorse the recommendation from The Planning Partnership
The Appendix A part of the 245 page document is where the meat on the bone is set out. We will publish that as a seperate article.
The 400 page addendum to the Standing Committee will be debated on Tuesday. – virtually
 The white dotted line is the study area. The elephant in the room is the waterfront hotel site. What gets put on that property impact everything else. Receive the “Waterfront Hotel Planning Study Planning Justification Report” dated March 23, 2022, prepared by The Planning Partnership Limited, E
Endorse in principle the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study, the recommended Preferred Concept Plan, site-specific draft Official Plan policies, directions for a future Zoning By- law amendment and site-specific Urban Design Guidelines as detailed in Appendix “A” to community planning department report PL-28-22; and
Consider the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study findings in Council’s consideration of the site-specific development applications for 2020 Lakeshore Road.
The consultants are saying – no more public engagement – we have heard all we need to hear – let’s just get on with it – or words to that effect.
 The Mayor and Councillor Lisa Kearns bought into the Plan B objectives and became champions for it.  The Plan B people put a lot of pressure on the ward Councillor Lisa Kearns and the Mayor – those two bought into what Plan B was advocating, championed that point of view and ipso facto ( an inevitable result) a report comes popping out.
The city needed to close this poorly handled stage of downtown development.
What is particularly concerning is that the continued failures on the part of the Planning department took place when we had a Mayor who was going to bring some order to the way developments were handled.
One paragraph in the report, as dismal as it is, reflects what has been going on. It reads: Subsequently, the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study was placed on hold due to other various priorities in the Community Planning Department such as the new Official Plan process.
The decision came from the City Manager and Council went along with it. No one asked what the down side risk was. We now know what that risk is.
One Councillor who didn’t want to be quoted said to me during a conversation: “What Vision” – this city doesn’t have a vision.
 The PIER went trough its trial and tribulations. The city ended up with a tower that did nothing other than add to the price. It was supposed to house a wind turbine that would pay for the electricity used. The building of The Pier went through a similar tortuous process. In that situation the city paid for The Pier twice and went through one of the biggest collection of insurance law suits this city has ever seen.
The purpose of the study was to provide a land use and urban design framework to inform site-specific policies to guide a future redevelopment of the Subject Site.
 The quaint small village feel is hard to experience as you walk by the six level podium that has been proposed. The problem with that approach was that the city took so long to get the study completed that the owner of the Waterfront Hotel got tired of waiting and filed a development application that will plunk two 40+ towers at the bottom of Brant Street and crowd the sidewalk of Lakeshore with the kind of structure you find on Bloor Street in Toronto.
The time line the city was faced with was a treacherous path. When the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee iinformed Council on January 11, 2022, that the anticipated timeline to complete the study was 16-17 weeks a wave of indigestion must have hit the tummies of every member of council. They came back with a Staff Direction:
 They did it virtually – made sure that the Waterfront Study was going to be completed in time. Out went the 16 – 18 week. They had a couple of weeks to deliver. Direct the Director of Community Planning to complete the Waterfront Hotel Study within the statutory time frame of processing the pending application related to the Waterfront Hotel (2020 Lakeshore Road) so as to inform the review of any development proposal on this site in accordance with the policies of the Official Plan.
The time frame was this: The developer had the right to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal for a decision because the city did not respond within the allotted 120days – in order to avoid such an appeal the city had to complete their review of the application before April 17th.
The city Planning department “refusal” report is to be heard at Council on the 12th.
An overview of the Study findings is summarized below:
 This is the concept the consultants working on the Waterfront Hotel Study are putting forward based on the work they have been doing since 2017. The question is – Is this the best the city can do? And does it comply with the vision. The recommended preferred concept (2022):
has regard for matters of Provincial Interest, policy and legislation and has been designed with consideration for the intent of the applicable Regional and Local Municipal policies and guidelines;
reflects overall alignment with City’s in-force Official Plan (1997), the new Official Plan (2020), ROPA 48 and emerging context within the Study Area;
delivers a vibrant mix of uses that will reinforce and support the continuing evolution of the Downtown;
provides for a compact built form that is transit supportive, provides for a range of housing, supports intensification and provides for a range of uses
enhances the streetscape along Lakeshore Road unified with a common language of materials and design elements;
provides for public view corridors down Brant and John Streets to Lake Ontario;
provides for on-site parkland dedication to enhance public access to Spencer Smith Park and build upon an important landmark through high quality open space;
Proposed urban design guidelines will provide site-specific guidance related to the conditions and context of the site to implement the Vision and Principles established through the consultation process and subsequently endorsed in principle by Council in early 2018;
An Official Plan Amendment (OPA) to the in-force OP is required to implement the findings of this Study, and include site specific directions related to matters such as massing and scale, transportation and public open spaces; and,
A Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) will be required to implement the OPA. The Study recommends that a rezoning process take place in the future to consider the Preferred Concept (2022) and would also be supported by detailed technical studies.
The following sections of this report summarizes the recommended preferred concept and implementation tools.
The recommended preferred concept is based on the inputs and work completed in 2017 and 2018, feedback on the emerging preferred concept (2022) and consideration for the relevant policy drivers and changes since the Study paused in mid-2018. Section 6.0 of the Planning Justification Report (see Appendix “A”) provides a comprehensive overview of the preferred concept plan.
Highlights of the Recommended Preferred Concept/ Highlights of the preferred concept include:
Land Use / Built Form
• Building heights: 21 storeys for the west tower and 22 storeys for the east tower
• John Street public view corridor with a minimum width of 18 metres
• Stepping down of built form toward Lake Ontario
• 3-storey podium/street wall along Lakeshore Road
• Active at-grade uses like commercial, retail and restaurants
• Focus on a strong pedestrian relationship to the streets and public spaces
Public Realm
• Enhance Brant Street as a gateway to the Downtown, the Waterfront and the Waterfront Trail
• Enhance the entrance to Spencer Smith Park and the Brant Street public view corridor
• Additional public parkland identified on the west and south sides of the Subject Site:
o West side: 0.13 ha
o South side: 0.05 ha
o Total: 0.18 ha
• Provide a John Street public view corridor and inclusion of a privately-owned public space (POPS)
• Maintain existing trees along Lakeshore Road
Mobility and Access
• Remove existing vehicular access at the foot of Brant Street
• Site access for parking and loading from Elizabeth Street
• Active Transportation route along Lakeshore Road, including a painted buffered bike lane as identified in the City’s Cycling Master Plan
• No surface parking on site
Future Zoning By-law Amendment
A Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) will be required to implement the OPA. The Study recommends that a rezoning process take place in the future to consider the Preferred Concept. Furthermore, the Study provides that:
“A future rezoning process, supported by technical studies and further evaluation, would allow for flexibility to achieve an interesting built form that would better respond to the landmark nature of this site. This ZBA process would take place in the future and would advance additional engagement through the statutory public process. It would allow for the principles of this Study to be further advanced and explored through meaningful active engagement with the public and stakeholders of this project. Furthermore, a rezoning in the future would allow for community benefits to be leveraged through Section 37.” (or in accordance with alternative benefit charges).
Site-Specific Urban Design Guidelines
The Study recommends site-specific urban design guidelines that will apply to the development of the Subject Site.
 When the two towers are in place the pressure to allow higher intensification on this part of Brant that is a two walk away in distance will be tremendous. The two towers remake the downtown – which is fine – if that it what you want. The intent of the site-specific urban design guidelines is to augment and enhance the City existing urban design documents by providing site-specific guidance related to the conditions and context of the site. They will work together with the guidance provided in the City’s design documents to implement the Vision and Principles established through the Study’s consultation process phase and subsequently endorsed in principle by Council in June 2018.
The site-specific urban design guidelines are provided in Section 6.3 of the Study (Appendix “A”).
The recommended site-specific urban design guidelines provide guidance with regards to:
• Built Form (Building Placement; Building Height, Massing and Transition; Tower Separation; Podium Height; and Setbacks / Stepbacks);
• Access and Mobility; and
• Public Realm (John Street View Corridor; Spencer Smith Park; Lakeshore Road; and Elizabeth Street).
Staff Position on The Study’s Recommendations
Staff are supportive of the recommendations as outlined in the Study
Delivers a vibrant mix of uses that will reinforce and support the continuing evolution of the Downtown;
• Has regard for matters of Provincial, Regional and Local Municipal policies and guidelines;
• Includes tall mixed-use buildings with commercial uses at grade, and residential and/or hotel uses which address many Provincial, Regional objectives and aligns with the overall directions established by ROPA 48;
• Achieves the City’s vision as articulated in the in-force OP (1997) and considers the policy direction of the new OP (2020);
• Provides residents and jobs and public open spaces in this central location that will further support the creation of a complete community; and,
• Creates a special place by balancing significant new redevelopment with public amenities and accessible open spaces.
It is staff’s opinion the completion of the Study has been fulfilled with the delivery of The Planning Partnership’s Planning Justification Report.
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