 By Staff
November 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The sprinkle of snow over the weekend told us that winter weather is upon us which means the Burlington Santa Claus Parade comes to town December. 3, with community floats, marching bands, costumed characters and, of course, Santa Claus himself.
The parade will start at 2 p.m. at the corner of Guelph Line and Prospect Street and make its way downtown along New Street. The parade then travels north on Brant Street and finishes at Caroline Street.
 The Santa Claus parade has taken place for more than 48 years in Burlington. Organized by a citizens group that works out of the city’s Festivals and Events office it is the premier holiday event in the city. This year’s parade will feature 82 entries, including floats, mascots and 16 bands. The parade will include traditional favourites, such as the Burlington Teen Tour Band, the Junior Redcoats, Top Hat Marching Orchestra and the Halton Regional Police Service Pipes & Drums.
Children are encouraged to bring letters for Santa, which will be collected by letter carriers from Canada Post along the parade route. Spectators may bring non-perishable food donations, which will be accepted by the Burlington Teen Tour Band boosters and the Gift of Giving Back. The Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club will be collecting loonies and toonies to help support the operation costs of the parade.
Many local businesses have contributed donations, flatbed trucks, float entries and sponsorship funding to this year’s parade. For a complete list of sponsors, visit burlington.ca/parade. This year’s gold sponsor is BUNZL.
Spectators will have the chance to help choose the People’s Choice Award for best parade float. Voting will begin online after the parade at burlington.ca/parade. All entries will be entered in to a draw for a chance to win a prize.
 Chris Glenn, director of Parks and Recreation Chris Glenn, director of Parks and Recreation is “ very excited to have Santa back in Burlington for this annual family tradition. We know that thousands of people and families from across Burlington and beyond look forward to the parade to mark the start of the holiday season.”
 By Staff
November 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington has repaired and replaced the playgrounds in three city parks after that equipment was severely damaged by arson in June 2017.
The playground and park equipment in Doug Wright Park, Emerson Park and Lansdown Park was damaged by deliberately-set fire, according to the Halton Regional Police Service. The playgrounds in each park have reopened to the public now that all work has been done to repair and replace the damaged equipment.
The playground equipment in Emerson Park was repaired at a cost of slightly more than $5,000.
The playground equipment, underground drainage and protective surface was replaced in Doug Wright and Lansdown Parks. The cost to complete the work in Doug Wright Park was about $85,000, and in Lansdown Park the cost was about $60,000.
 Rob Peachey, Manager of Parks and Open Spaces Halton Regional Police Service continues to investigate these crimes. Anyone with information please contact 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau 905-825-4747 ext: 2316 or tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the website at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca; or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
Rob Peachey, Manager of Parks and Open Spaces said “We recognize how important these playgrounds are to the families who use them. Replacing the play equipment was a priority for the City of Burlington.”
By Staff
November 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is when ordinary people see a decision made by a level of government that they do not agree with and turn to their neighbours and friends and decide to become agents of change that a city grows.
Susan Goyer has created Engaged Citizens of Burlington; a non-profit group working towards building a better Burlington for generations to come.
 They will be virtual – all on-line, creating a community presence to help to build awareness on issues affecting Burlington residents and the community as a whole.
Small org – big hearts; a diverse group of residents and business people who want only the best for Burlington.
They want you to call, text, email and share their Facebook page with “those you would like to mobilize, and remember you’re not selling them anything or trying to convert them to a new religion.”
They are a grass roots based community trying to save a parcel of land – their fuel is passion which they find “ irresistible!” If you are excited about this cause and discuss it with those around you, they will naturally become engaged and interested in helping. Their virtual home is a Facebook page.
They define themselves as “caretakers of our environment and resident of Burlington who have a responsibility to ensure that building a better Burlington is a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
They talk a good talk: “All it takes is a few minutes of your time to advocate for a better Burlington.
“Volunteer: Recognize how your contribution is important to the people of Burlington. Leverage your amazing skills, we loved to be wowed, and we would be missing out if we didn’t have you!
 Susan Goyer, first member of the Engaged Citizens of Burlington Facebook page would like people to like kittens. “There are many opportunities to help, by helping to build our network, mobilize people in your community, and serve as an ambassador.
“Qualifications: Authentic, open minded, enthusiastic and a willingness to take on assignments to solve problems.
“Key Responsibilities: Attend city council meetings, events, raise awareness and achieve a win/win where gaps exists
Reflecting their sense of humour they suggest being “able to leap tall buildings; like kittens, puppies, like all animals really.”
Their first task is to take the city council decision on the 421 Brant project to the OMB. They are asking people to become part of a small (and growing) but mighty team to submit an appeal to the OMB on the recent approval of a 23 story building on Brant Street?
They maintain the approval by Burlington’s City Council exceeds the current 12 story limit for downtown Burlington. They want to have that decision reversed.
They plan to meet on December 13th to get the OMB appeal started.
Home for the Facebook page is HERE.
 By Staff
November 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Police have released data on the most recent Impaired Driving arrests made.
On Thursday, November 16, 2017, before 11:00pm, a traffic stop was initiated near the intersection of Mill Street and Martin Street in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Aaron Brouwer (43) of Wallaceburg was charged with driving over 80mgs.
 Police doing RIDE checks – do they deter drivers who have been drinking? On Saturday, November 18, 2017, after 2:00am, a traffic stop was initiated near Woodward Avenue and Ontario Street in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Jeremiah LeBlanc (27) of Milton was charged with driving over 80mgs.
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, after 5:30pm, Halton Police officers investigated a collision near the intersection of Guelph Street and Draper Street in Halton Hills involving an alleged impaired driver. Police charged Donald Bacon (79) of Brightsgrove with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and impaired driving over 80mgs.
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, after 7:00pm, Halton Police officers investigated a collision near the intersection of Guelph Line and Harvester Road in Burlington involving an alleged impaired driver. Police charged Renu Sethi (49) of Burlington with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and impaired driving over 80mgs.
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, after 9:30pm, witnesses reported a suspected impaired driver in Burlington. Adam Johnson (37) of Burlington was arrested near the intersection of Dundas Street and Rotary Way and charged with care or control while impaired and care or control over 80mgs.
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, after 10:00pm, witnesses reported a suspected impaired driver in Milton. Ravindra Gnanamuttu (56) of Milton was arrested near the intersection of Ontario Street South and Parkway Drive East and charged with drive while ability impaired and impaired driving over 80mgs.
 There are signs along many highways – showing a small cross and an In Memory of – marking the location where a drunk driver lost control of a car. The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to road safety through prevention, education and enforcement initiatives.
Members of the public are reminded that driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime in progress and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report a suspected impaired driver.
The Service’s Twitter and Facebook accounts should not be used for this purpose as they are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers have a more direct comment.
 By Pepper Parr
November 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was direct and to the point – the New Street Road Diet was to come to an end with instructions to the Director of Transportation that will be debated at city council November 27th.
Direct the Director of Transportation Services to convert the existing bike lane pilot project (New Street from Guelph Line to Walkers Line) to the original four-lane cross section.
Assuming city council members vote to approve the staff recommendation that will bring to an end a project that was poorly designed and poorly communicated to the public.
The idea of a Road Diet was about as divisive as they get. It was so bad that the Mayor found himself being challenged at the Y when he was getting in some exercise.
New Street was having new pipes put in which meant digging up the road in stages and then re-surfacing it all. Why not use the occasion to test the idea of a road diet – which is a re-configuring of the lanes to make room for dedicated bike lanes on both sides of the road.
The cyclists loved the idea. Those who drive their cars on New Street wanted everyone to believe that the world was about to come to an end.
And that was where the issue stuck in the craw of many – they didn’t feel safe sharing a roadway with vehicles.
Many pointed out that there was an excellent trail system yards to the south.
 The trail runs parallel to New Street from Rossmore in the east to Martha in the West. The completion of the Elgin Street promenade will allow cyclists to get to the canal and on into Hamilton. Neither the Transportation department nor most of city council could tap into the public concern.
The issues wasn’t about people riding their bikes – it was where they were going to ride their bikes and how safe they would be.
The cycling lobby, and there most certainly is a cycling lobby, wanted those lanes on New Street. Those people feel safe on their bikes in almost all forms of road traffic – they would feel save on the QEW if there were a HOT bike lane.
But for the average citizen who is Ok with the idea of hoping on their bike to run a short errand or visit with a neighbour – they just didn’t want to put themselves at risk.
The Cycling Lobby didn’t take the time to fully listen to the average citizen who understands the issues – they just don’t want to put their lives on the line to support a good idea.
The report goes to a Council Committee on November 27, 2017 and then to city council for approval on December 11, 2017
This city council needs a win badly on this one.
The Staff report sets out much of the detail and data collected during the Pilot Program.
 Vito Tolone, Director of Transportation had to stick handle an awkward file – he was in a no-win situation. The transportation people convinced themselves that providing cycling facilities, particularly throughout key transportation corridors, such as New Street, served to provide more mobility choice to the residents of Burlington, and ensures that all road users, including cyclists, have access to safe facilities.
The purpose of the pilot project was to provide an opportunity to evaluate the impacts and benefits of on-road cycling
The outcomes of the pilot project were to be used to help inform the development of future cycling projects and the Cycling Master Plan Update which is currently underway.
This all started in July of 2016 when City Council approved transportation services department report with the following direction:
Direct the Executive Director of Capital Works and Director of Transportation Services to report back on the performance of the pilot project prior to the top layer of asphalt being placed on the section of New Street between Guelph Line and Cumberland Avenue;
Following Council approval, staff converted New Street (between Guelph Line and Walkers Line) from a four-lane cross section to a three-lane cross section consisting of two through lanes and a centre two-way left-turn lane. The revised three-lane cross section included buffered on-road bike lanes. The pilot officially “launched” on August 23rd, 2016.
New Street is a minor east-west arterial that runs parallel to the QEW and Fairview Street, providing key connections to the major north-south arterial road system.
New Street accommodates both residential and commuter traffic and provides access to adjacent residential, commercial and institutional developments as well as the surrounding established neighbourhoods.
 City hall went to great lengths to explain the project to the public – few people attended the information session at Bateman high school where there was a lot of detailed information. 24-hour traffic volumes along New Street range between 15,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day. Prior to installation of on-road bike lanes, an average of 60 cyclists per day used New Street.
Prior to the pilot project, this section of New Street consisted of a four-lane cross- section (two travel lanes per direction) within an overall roadway width of 14.0 metres.
The posted maximum speed limit throughout the corridor is 60 km/h exclusive of school zones.
The Pilot Project Design called for a reallocation of the existing roadway through the removal of two through vehicle lanes and introduction of a centre two-way left-turn lane. The preferred design achieved dedicated cycling facilities and reprioritized the function of the street in order to better accommodate bikes.
 Lane configuration prior to the bike lane installation (left graphic) and lane configuration during the pilot project (right graphic) 3. Community Feedback
New Street has been identified as a key commuter cycling corridor given its continuous length, topography, and proximity to GO Stations. Under the previous lane configuration, New Street averaged 60 cyclists a day (June, 2016).
Installation of the pilot has increased cycling use to an average of 80 cyclists per day. Cycling volume data was obtained from a traffic camera situated at the intersection of New Street and Cumberland Avenue.
Based on feedback received from bike lane users, the pilot project has increased levels of comfort, safety and enjoyment of this mode of travel. Users also noted that extending the buffered bike lanes to Burloak Drive and connect to cycling infrastructure in Oakville should be pursued.
Vehicle volumes were collected using automatic traffic recorders used to measure the volume, direction of traffic flow, traffic speed and vehicle classification.
Recognizing that a reduction in lane capacity on New Street had potential to result in diversion, traffic data was collected to substantiate the impact of the pilot project to nearby neighbourhood streets.
 The most notable change in traffic volumes (net increase) was recorded along Woodward Avenue where the daily traffic volumes rose by 16% and while the volume is within acceptable limits of the roadways classification it is an increase nonetheless. The pilot project resulted in negligible impacts to the other surrounding roadways.
Vehicle travel times were recorded before and during the pilot project in order to quantify the increase in travel times as a result of reducing lane capacity and introduction of on-road bike lanes. Bluetooth technology was utilized as a means to collect a large data sample of vehicles (30,000 vehicle sample) traveling through a predetermined section of the corridor.
Vehicle travel times were recorded before and during the installation of the pilot project and excluded the period during which watermain and other sewer work was actively under way and disruptive to traffic flow.
 Data collected under stabilized conditions (post watermain work) indicates that the travel times have increased on average by approximately one and a half minutes during the evening peak hour in the westbound direction.
Collision experience was also examined as part of the evaluation of the pilot project. Before and after analysis appears to indicate a downward trend, however, with less than one year of collision data available under unimpeded road pilot conditions, staff are not comfortable drawing conclusions as it relates to the overall safety of New Street.
Staff received over 1100 comments and suggestions via e-mail, telephone, social media and in person. Feedback predominantly showed a lack of support for the on-street bike lane installation. Increase to travel time, increased traffic congestion and lack of use by cyclists were recurring themes in opposition to the pilot project.
 It was all hands on deck – the city was promoting the use of bicycles – that got Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward on her bike – not something seen very often, Positive feedback cited sense of improved traffic and safety conditions for those residents who reside on New Street. Cyclists who utilized the on-road bike lanes noted that they experienced greater comfort and convenience and felt they promoted safer cycling.
Cycling Master Plan Update
The 2009 Council approved Cycling Master Plan is currently being updated to determine the next critical steps in the evolution of the city’s cycling infrastructure. The focus of this study, which is being undertaken by Alta Planning and Design and led by Transportation Services staff, is to provide guidance and expert opinion on facility types and locations and to recommend a minimum network for cycling in the City of Burlington.
Within the scope of this study, New Street was examined to confirm its suitability as an east-west cycling spine and evaluate the most appropriate type of cycling for the corridor. The existing buffered on road bike lanes were not identified to be problematic and are an appropriate facility type, however, based on a preliminary review, a continuous higher order cycling facility on New Street would provide an important east- west connection for the City and is more likely to generate new cyclists to the corridor.
Transit Network
In recent months, Transit, Planning and Transportation staff have been working together towards developing a frequent transit network for the City of Burlington. The lane configuration on New Street was to play a prominent role in providing the necessary road infrastructure to accommodate high frequency transit service. From a transit perspective, a four-lane cross section best serves the needs of passengers when being dropped off at the curb without blocking bicycle traffic and having to merge back into traffic flow.
While cycling numbers have increased by 20 per day along the New Street corridor, it is not apparent that it can be attributed solely to the on-road bike lanes. Vehicle travel times have risen somewhat and traffic diversion to parallel routes has also increased.
Before and after collision data does not provide any conclusive evidence of any safety improvement at this time. Future frequent transit service along New Street is better served by a four-lane cross section.
An increase in cycling volume is not the only measurable considered however, with no clear indication that cycling volumes have increased as a result of the pilot coupled with the negative impacts to travel times, diversion and future transit, staff do not recommend carrying on with the pilot project or extending it to Burloak Drive.
New Street provides an opportunity to create a critical spine for a cycling network in the City of Burlington. The length, location and cross section can accommodate a number of alternative cycling facility types. The test of any selected facility is its ability to attract more regular everyday “commuter” type users if we are to achieve the goal within our strategic plan of a higher cycling modal share.
After considering which facility best fits our goal to increase the cycling mode share, staff have concluded that dedicated, off road paved cycle tracks provide the greatest advantage.
The cycle track option was presented in transportation services department report TS- 10-16 in July 2016 with some preliminary assessment completed to determine cost implications. Recognizing the considerable cost of such a facility, staff recommend pursuing senior government funding which has been available in the past for cycling related infrastructure.
Next Steps – New Street Resurfacing:
Resurfacing of New Street from Cumberland Avenue to Walkers Line was included in the 2017 Capital Budget and was deferred to provide for full test of the New Street pilot project. With Council approval of this report the lane configuration for New Street will be confirmed and the resurfacing of New Street from Guelph Line to Walkers Line can be completed. The total cost including, inspection, testing, net HST and contingency is $650,000.
 The dedicated cycling lanes were not fully tested – road re-surfacing, sewer main replacement and repairs got in the way of a full fledged test. Storm Sewer Repairs
During completion of the asphalt rehabilitation on New Street, east of Guelph Line a significant storm sewer failure occurred. Upon detailed investigation, it was determined that full replacement of 340 metres storm sewer and 3 maintenance holes was warranted. To ensure motorist safety and have the work completed as soon as possible to allow the road lanes impacted to be reopened; King completed much of this work in 2017, with a small section of sewer work still to be completed. The additional cost to complete the storm sewer replacement is estimated to be $335,000. The total cost including, inspection, testing, HST and contingency is $392,000.
Public Engagement Matters:
In the Staff report that will go to the Standing Committee on the 27th, they say: City staff created a project website (www.burlington.ca/newstreetpilot ) where all the information was posted and where residents were able to provide their input.
Based on the emails, letters, social media posts and telephone conversations, staff produced a summary of comments received in favour and opposition of the pilot project. As part of public engagement, staff also received a petition that contained over 2,700 signatures of Burlington residents who are in opposition to the pilot project.
Conclusion:
The evaluation and subsequent analysis indicates that desired increase in cycling activity has not materialized based on the data collected before and after the pilot project. It is difficult to confidently attribute the increase in bicycle volume of 20 per day solely on the buffered bike lanes. However, there is also a recognition that the cycling volume may have been negatively impacted by the limited length and lack of connectivity to a larger east-west cycling network.
Travel time, during the evening peak hour has increased and while not excessive, does add time to motorists evening commute. There has been some nominal traffic diversion to Spruce and Woodward Avenues and while considered to be within the volume threshold of both roadways classification, it is not the function of a collector roadway to facilitate what is essentially “through” volume.
New Street is expected to play an important role in supporting a frequent transit network that is currently being evaluated. The preferred lane configuration for higher frequency transit operation on New Street is a four-lane cross section.
Cycle tracks, provide the greatest level of protection and encourages more people to use cycling as a commuting mode of transportation. Increasing the cycling mode share is aligned with the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan and upcoming Transportation Plan.
The implementation of cycle tracks on New Street presents funding challenges, however, senior levels of government are continuing to invest in cycling infrastructure and New Street is an ideal candidate for consideration. Staff will consider for inclusion, the implementation of cycle tracks in the capital budget and forecast in future years and will continue to pursue funding opportunities from both the provincial and federal governments.
This is a Staff recommendation that Council will take to – Councillor Jack Dennison will remonstrate over the missed opportunity to get more people out on bikes – the two women who brought in several thousand signatures on a petition will sleep well when city council kills the idea on December 11th.
 By Staff
November 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
When you see a notice like this in your electronic mail box you are at first startled and you want to do something immediately to ensure that there is not a problem with your email.
The instinct is to respond.
 Look at the email address the message came from. If you didn’t have a problem before you saw the email notice – you will most certainly have one if you do respond. You will have unwittingly given them access to your email.
This is what Identify Theft is all about.
 By Staff
November 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The list that follow is long – very long.
We published it for several reason:
One as a matter of record. We feel the public should know what these corporations and organizations have done.
Second, to let the public see just who it is that is doing something to meet the climate warming challenge. It is real, very real. Next week David Suzuki, probably the best known environmentalist in North America and certainly someone most Canadians will at least have heard about – he is going to be in Burlington to tell us just how close we are to actually losing it all.
Third – how did these corporations and organizations get on the Conservation Hall of Fame?
 Burlington Hydro explained that the criteria was straight forward – any company in Burlington that participated and completed a ‘Save on Energy’ For Business program between 2015 and October 2017, made the list The list is very diverse – from churches and sports clubs to larger commercial companies.
This is the 2nd Hall of Fame event. The first was held in 2015, recognizing 44 local companies that had participated and completed conservation programs between 2011 and 2014.
There is more information about the Save on Energy For Business on the IESO website.
Burlington Hydro delivers the programs and works closely with businesses to help them – https://saveonenergy.ca/Business.aspx
Our Conservation team helps companies with:
Complimentary site assessments
· Helping them to find the conservation opportunities through our Energy Manager
Early project reviews
· Confirming eligibility and best approaches
Vendor/Consultant referral
· Experts with proven track record
From the Mom and Pop operation to the factory floor, over 160 local companies have participated under the
Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) ‘For Business’ program umbrella since 2015.
Whether it was a lighting incentive program for small business, or a larger retrofit program that upgrades the efficiency of industrial equipment, programs are available to suit most every need. Not only are operational efficiencies being met, but positive environmental outcomes are being realized.
Gerry Smallegange, President and CEO, Burlington Hydro believes Hydro is “making a difference by delivering incentive programs that are helping participating businesses become a little bit leaner, a little more power savvy and a lot more energy efficient.”
The conservation program portfolio is designed to help businesses from across the spectrum. The IESO’s ‘Save on Energy’ business programs have been developed in collaboration with electricity utilities, and are delivered by local utilities, including Burlington Hydro.
Under Ontario’s Conservation First Framework, the IESO has assigned Burlington Hydro a target of just over 99 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in power savings to be realized between 2015 and 2020. When achieved this will be equivalent to taking 12,380 average residential households in the community off the grid.
Burlington Hydro Inc. is an energy services company in the power distribution business. Serving approximately 67,000 residential and commercial customers, Burlington Hydro is wholly owned by the City of Burlington.
There were 44 organizations and corporations on the 2011-2015 Conservation Hall of Fame list. There are a lot that you will recognize – what really matters is – are you on the list?
You can be and you perhaps should be.
1213763 ONTARIO INC.
1225511 ONTARIO INC.
1602211 ONTARIO LTD.
744497 ONTARIO LTD.
975445 ONTARIO INC.
AHERN REAL ESTATE
CORPORATION
 ALDERSHOT TENNIS CLUB
ALTERNATE CHOICE INC.
AMHILL ENTERPRISES
ARDENT MILLS
ARGO INTERNATIONAL
ASBURY WILKINSON INC.
BANK OF MONTREAL, REGIONAL DATA CENTRE
BAYVIEW CEMETERY, CREMATORY & MAUSOLEUM
BAYVIEW FARM
BECKER’S STORE
BENTALL KENNEDY
BERICAP NORTH AMERICA
BGC FUNDING INNOVATION INC.
BRANT CYCLE & SPORT LTD.
BURLINGTON CENTRE FOR OSTEOPATHY AND ATHLETIC THERAPY
BURLINGTON DANCE ACADEMY INC.
BURLINGTON FITNESS & RACQUET CLUB
BURLINGTON HUMANE SOCIETY
BURLINGTON NISSAN
BURLINGTON YOUTH SOCCER CLUB
CADENA PROPERTY LTD.
CANADA POST
CANADAS BEST VALUE INN
CAPO INDUSTRIES LTD.
CAPREIT
CATEGORY 5 IMAGING INC.
CEDAR SPRINGS HEALTH RACQUET & SPORTSCLUB
CELADON IMPORTS INC.
CHOICE PROPERTIES R.E.I.T.
CHRISTOPHER TERRACE
CIMTEK AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
CITY OF BURLINGTON
CLV GROUP, INTERRENT REIT
CONCEPT LIGHTING GALLERY
CORPORATION OF CITY OF HAMILTON
COSTCO WHOLESALE LTD.
CROWN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
DESTARON
DISCOVERY FORD
DRYCO BUILDING SUPPLIES INC.
EARTH FRESH
EASTWAY BAKE SHOPPE
EDEN TILE INC.
ELIZABETH INTERIORS
END OF THE ROLL
ESSO (SONEIL GROUP)
ETRATECH MANUFACTURING
FAIRHAM INVESTMENTS INC.
 FAITH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
FARAWAY GREENS INDOOR GOLF
FIBRECAST INC.
FISHER & LUDLOW NUCOR GRATING
FREIGHTLINE CARRIER SYSTEMS
FRONTIER COMMERCIAL
GERRIE ELECTRIC
GPM REAL PROPERTY LTD.
GRAFTON-FRASER INC.
GURU RAVIDASS SABHA
HADRIAN MANUFACTURING INC.
HALTON CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
HALTON CONDO CORP. #34
HALTON CONDO CORP. #80
HALTON CONDO CORP. #85
HALTON CONDO CORP. #160
HALTON CONDO CORP. #174
HALTON CONDO CORP. #364
HALTON CONDO CORP. #371
HALTON CONDO CORP. #552
HALTON CONDO CORP. #574
HALTON HONDA LTD.
HALTON REGION & HALTON COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION
HALTON STANDARD CONDO CORP. #417
HALTON STANDARD CONDO CORP. #602
 HALTON STANDARD CONDO CORP. #625 –
IRONSTONE CONDOMINIUM
HALTON STANDARD CONDO CORP. #630
HAMILTON KOREAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
HARVESTER HOLDINGS CORP.
HOME DEPOT CANADA
HOMESTEAD LAND HOLDINGS LTD.
HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY
HUMMEL BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE
HUNTER AMENITIES INTERNATIONAL
IKEA PROPERTIES LTD.
IVANHOE CAMBRIDGE INC.
JACK ASTOR’S BAR & GRILL
JAMES DIEPPE LTD.
KRPAN GROUP
 L3 – WESCAM
LANDECK PROPERTIES INC.
LCBO
LEGGAT PONTIAC BUICK
LEON’S FURNITURE
LIEBHERR-CANADA LTD.
LJM DEVELOPMENTS
LOBLAWS INC.
LONGO BROTHERS
FRUIT MARKETS INC.
MARILU’S MARKET
MARS METAL
MCDONALD’S RESTAURANT – PLAINS ROAD
MENKES INDUSTRIAL PARKS LTD.
MERCEDES-BENZ BURLINGTON
METRICAN STAMPING CO. INC.
MICHAELS OF CANADA
MIKE ZAVERSHNIK
MODEL AERONAUTICS
MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS
NATURE’S EMPORIUM (BURLINGTON)
NORTHGATE PROPERTIES INC.
PACK & RAIL
POLLARD WINDOWS INC.
PROGRESS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LTD.
 QUALITY HOTEL BURLINGTON
RATHCLIFFE PROPERTIES
REVERA INC.
RHI CANADA INC.
RIOCAN HOLDINGS INC.
ROGERS AT&T WIRELESS
ROSELAND PRODUCE
ROYAL STONE GALLERY INC.
RUSCOTT INVESTMENT CORP.
RUSTON RV CENTRE
RYAN SGRO ENTERPRISES
SAMUEL, SON & CO., LTD.
SCAN DECOR
SCOTIA BANK – NEW ST. BRANCH
SEARS CANADA INC.
SELENEX CORPORATION LTD.
SHAPLEY B INVESTMENTS
SHIFT MOTORS INC.
SPX FLOW CLYDEUNION PUMPS
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
ST. JOHN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
ST. PATRICK CHURCH
ST. RAPHAEL CHURCH
STARLIGHT INVESTMENTS
STOP RESTAURANT SUPPLY LTD.
STRESS-CRETE LTD.
SUN CHEMICAL LIMITED
SYNDICATE MANAGEMENT INC.
THE JUDGE & JURY PUB
THE WILLIAMSBURG RETIREMENT RESIDENCE
TIMBERCREEK ASSET MANAGEMENT
TUBE HONING & FINISHING INC.
VOORTMAN COOKIES LIMITED
WATERFRONT HOTEL BURLINGTON
WAVE HOCKEY INC.
WENDY’S RESTAURANT – FAIRVIEW ST.
WESTERN ONTARIO DISTRICT OF THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA
 WHITING DOOR MANUFACTURING LTD.
WOLSELEY CANADA INC.
WOODLAND CHILDREN’S CENTRE
ZETON INC.
ZIP SIGNS LTD.
ZOEY’S CONSIGNMENT COLLECTION
By Staff
November 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 3 of a multi-part series.
Residents of the city, especially those in the downtown core, have been bombarded by Mobility Hub proposals – there are four of those; an application for what many believe is the first of many 20 + storey high rise buildings on Brant street, (the first one has been approved by city council); a new Official Plan that is now in draft form and a proposal to tear down the existing Waterfront Hotel and build a couple of high rise towers on that property.
 The land for this development was assembled in the mid 80’s; approved by city council in 1995. While all this is going on the Bridgewater development, first approved back in 1995, rises floor by floor to its 22 storey level.
There is a group of people who have organized themselves behind the working name: Plan B.
Yes, they will have a petition but this group has some well heeled residents who have had enough – they are not going to tolerate changes to their waterfront.
They have the support of the Mayor and the Council member for ward 2, Marianne Meed Ward – which they feel they don’t particularly need. They are working towards getting the support of a much wider – city wide – public that the politicians will want to get behind.
 Plan B – stands for Better So where did Plan B come from?
Well there’s the Plan B organization and then there’s the Plan B – Waterfront Hotel Redevelopment proposal.
First things first. The people.
The City Planning Department’s September 14th Workshop 3 on the Waterfront Hotel Redevelopment left a lot of residents feeling disenfranchised with the process. The Emerging Preferred Concept, largely based on the previously presented Concept 1, was introduced and the rationale for it’s selection was hastily presented.
 What about the green space that everyone had pleaded for in previous workshops? Oh, that would be between the two buildings. Really! This was followed by a “prescriptive” (the Mayor’s words) workshop to critique the proposal, at each table, most of which had a tactical member from Mr. Vranich’s organization. (Draco Vranich is the owner of the Waterfront Hotel)The problem was that few attendees believed what was being sold and for good reason.
The Emerging Preferred Concept (above) included a 14-18 storey building on the west end of the property, abutting the east border of Spencer Smith Park, effectively making the park gateway down Brant Street a right-hand turn only! What about the green space that everyone had pleaded for in previous workshops? Oh, that would be between the two buildings. Really!
How could anyone believe The Planning Partnership’s recommendations when their evaluation of a design with a building on the west side (previous Concept 1) was that it could provide the exact same a) step back from Brant Street corridor b) transition to surrounding context c) create a gateway at Brant/ Lakeshore and c) provide transition to Spencer Smith Park, as a design with no building on the west side (previous Concept 2)?
And when the attendees tried to ask questions and raise concerns, there was just not enough time or microphones! Some of those disenfranchised citizens decided to do something about it, so Plan B was born.
It’s not rocket science.
The Plan B design simply employed the City’s own Concept 2; reducing the height of the buildings from 20 & 30 to 22 & 14 respectively, and effectively stepping the buildings down to the lake and the south eastern pathway of the park.
They just did what they thought the Planning Department should have done in the first place when they produced their Emerging Preferred Concept; provide the owner with the opportunity to develop his property in a fashion that respected his as-of-rights in exchange for more green space available to the public at the east end of Spencer Smith Park. A natural win-win!
Part 1: The background – how we got to where we are.
Part 2: Citizens want input.
 This is the Plan B design – notice how it has both Brant and John Street emptying into the park.
By Staff
November 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A Burlington resident was caught up in a Regional Police drug investigation that had the police seizing two high end vehicles, a lot of prohibited substances and more cash than most people carry around in their wallets.
Three men were arrested in a Cocaine and Opioid investigation
 Police display items seized in a drug bust. The “cattle prod” is an interesting item. On November 16, 2017, the Halton Regional Police concluded an investigation concerning an alleged cocaine trafficker identified as Kacey JOHN (35 years) of Oakville.
Kacey JOHN was observed conducting what officers believed to be a suspected drug transaction at a commercial parking lot near the intersection of Westoak Trails and Bronte Road, Oakville, with two men; Gary WARD (27 years) of Burlington and Ryan VOTHKNECHT (21 years) of Hamilton.
Gary WARD and Ryan VOTHKNECHT were placed under arrest and found to be in possession of 15 grams of cocaine. Officers also located a small amount of marihuana and two prohibited knives in Gary WARD’s pockets.
During the early morning hours of November 17, 2017, members of the #2 District (Oakville) Street Crime Unit executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant at Kacey JOHN’s residence. Kacey JOHN was located inside the residence and placed under arrested for trafficking cocaine. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of:
• Approximately 6.5 ounces (182 grams) of cocaine
• Approximately 130 oxycodone tablets
• A small amount of marihuana and cannabis resin
• 20 diazepam tables
• A replica handgun
• A prohibited knife
• A prohibited conducted energy weapon (cattle prong)
 Seized in a drug bust: 2011 Mercedes Benz GL350 and a 2016 Mercedes Benz B Class. The police also seized a 2011 Mercedes Benz GL350 and a 2016 Mercedes Benz B Class. The value of the controlled substances seized is estimated at $12,000.
CHARGED
Kacey JOHN (35 years) of Oakville was held for bail and charged with:
1. Trafficking Cocaine
2. Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine
3. Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Oxycodone
4. Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Diazepam
5. Possession of a Controlled Substance Marihuana
6. Possession of a Controlled Substance Cannabis Resin
7. Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Knife)
8. Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Conducted Energy Weapon)
Gary WARD (27 years) of Burlington was released on a Promise to Appear for:
1. Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine
2. Possession of a Controlled Substance Marihuana
3. Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Knife)
4. Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Knife)
Ryan VOTHKNECHT (21 years) of Hamilton was released on a Promise to Appear for:
1. Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine
2. Possession of a Controlled Substance Marihuana
The Regional Police have begun to add the following sentence to their media releases: “Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
What the police are not doing is advising the public should those accused be found not guilty.
 By Staff
November 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The road work being done on Spring Gardens road work has been extended to Nov. 24, 2017
The work is taking place near Valley Inn Road.
Something a little off here. Work started on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017 when work on hydro power lines closed the road between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Then the road was closed for road work from Monday, September 25 to Friday, November 17, 2017.
And now the extension for more time.
Might be worth the drive to see what is going on out there.
 By Ray Rivers
November 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A reader recently suggested that we might have to leave this planet should the consequences of climate change become overbearing. Fortunately for him astronomers have been working on that very solution.
They have located a planet which just might do the job as our next residence – a new earth for us after we have filled-up all the proverbial ashtrays here. It is an unfortunate human condition for too many of us – move on rather than clean up the teenager’s bedroom we live in.
 The Planet Ross B The planet Ross 128 b has a temperature not unlike ours, today. And it is only 11 light-years away – too far for the daily commute but, at only 65 trillion or so miles, it might be close enough for the hardiest and youngest among us to relocate. And the really good news is that, being about a third larger than our earth, it will be that much longer before we’d need to move again.
To expedite this kind of travel, scientists are working hard to invent a functional working particle transport mechanism, like the one used to ‘beam them up Scotty’. That would allow space cadets to avoid those deep-sleep chambers which Stanley Kubrick imagined in his travels with HAL back in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Of course I am expecting any day to hear that the amazing Elon Musk has developed a new Tesla which can reach warp speed.
 The Starship Enterprise – many of us were raised on the story of that adventure. Was it just a peak of what is to come? Kubrick’s flick dates back to the late sixties, well before most of us had even heard of global warming. But now it is over two decades since the global science community came together in Rio (1992) to really ring the alarm bell. Brian Mulroney should always be remembered for the leadership he showed in bringing his minsters on-side, back then, with all things environmental including the changing climate.
In fact most of Canada’s political leaders have done more than just pay lip service to the environment. Pierre Trudeau led the fight against acid rain, Mulroney expedited the clean-up of the Great Lakes, and Chretien signed onto the Kyoto climate agreement, though he did little about actually implementing it. But Stephen Harper was the odd man out, pulling the country out of Kyoto and eroding other environmental protection safeguards.
GW Bush must have been Harper’s mentor, for they were in lock-step on tax cuts for the rich and the war in Iraq, as well as global warming. In the end Bush was so reviled by his peers and party that he wasn’t even invited to attend the GOP leadership conventions. Who would have thought America could have had a worse president, at least until Mr. Trump showed up?
 Andrew Scheer, leader of the federal opposition And now Harper’s protégé, the thirty-something Saskatchewan. MP Andrew Scheer has taken over the reins of Canada’s second party. Scheer is not yet a household name so has embarked on an advertising campaign to that end. But the early ad I watched was just fluff, the safe stuff all politicians are guided to spout – where’s the beef? He has been labelled a social conservative and today that tag represents some of the most divisive aspects of social policy, particularly when it comes to gender politics, a woman’s right to choose and the environment.
Coming from the prairies it is unsurprising that this young Diefenbaker mostly echoes the tired ideology of Brad Wall, the province’s outgoing Premier – oil is king and never say yes to a carbon tax. But Saskatchewan is yesterday’s Alberta, at least when it comes to energy and climate change. How ironic that this home of Canada’s socialist party, the NDP, is being led by the neo-con Wall.
Scheer might want to mimic the approach his former colleague and once fellow Harper-era MP Patrick Brown has employed since he became leader of Ontario’s PC party. Brown has seen the light, is a changed man, and from what he has been saying about policy these days almost sounds like a Liberal – a far cry from that last extremist Tory leader. Brown has done a one-eighty degree turn on classroom sex education and a woman’s right to choose. Of course that is not how he campaigned to the party faithful back when he was running for the job.
Something about the climate, and I don’t mean the weather report, is on the front page almost every day now. So Canadians cannot help but think about what is happening to our world. Hopefully the security of our planet will be among the highest priorities of the next Prime Minister to be elected in 2019. And that would mean a real carbon reduction strategy, including a conservative policy on population.
Even back in my day most folks who cared about the environment restricted themselves to simple replacement, a two child family. That wasn’t because we didn’t love children – but because we did – and cared what kind of world we were leaving them. It is estimated that a third child for a family in America would add almost ten thousand tonnes of extra carbon into the environment, almost twenty times more than could ever be saved by any of us turning down the thermostat, adding more insulation and driving hybrid-electric cars.
 Tesla SpaceX recoverable rocket. No longer will vehicles go into space and disintegrate when the re-enter earth’s environment – they can now be brought back to earth. The grandchildren cam visit at Christmas. Indeed the single most effective way for any of us, of child bearing age, to reduce our carbon footprint would be to restrict ourselves to having only one or two children. The consequences to this planet of having as many as five children would be literally astronomical – and would indeed force astronomy and all things related to astronomy to become our highest priority.
 Ray Rivers writes reguloarly 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 in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
New Planet – Kubrick’s Movie – Coal Phase Out –
Climate Change – Scheer Ad – More Scheer – Harper Climate Change –
More Harper – Climate Deniers – Even More Harper – Reducing Carbon Footprint –
Over Population – More Over Population –
By Staff
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Residents and community partners are invited to register for a workshop, Cultivating the Power & Possibility of Citizen Leadership: Creating Caring and Resilient Communities, Nov. 27, 2017 at LaSalle Banquet Centre.
Tamarack Institute and the City of Burlington are co-hosting a workshop with internationally recognized facilitator, Sylvia Cheuy, to explore Citizen Leadership: how it is nurtured, and the techniques and processes of working with citizens to become a positive force for change.
This workshop is for those who:
 Joanne Arnold delegating at city hall and being challenged on the validity of her petition. • Desire new ways to lead, engage and transform in your community
• Recognize the power and impact of citizen leadership in the development of resilient, caring neighbourhoods and communities
• Want to learn how municipalities and organizations can serve as catalysts for deepening community and fostering relationships of trust between neighbours
• Want to explore why multi-sector engagement is essential to positively impacting complex community issues such as: health and well-being; poverty reduction; overcoming loneliness and isolation; neighbourhood renewal; crime prevention; and, youth development
• Recognize why community engagement and collaboration are the foundation of inclusive leadership, including: NGOs; businesses; funders; and, national, provincial or local government
Cultivating the Power & Possibility of Citizen Leadership: Creating Caring & Resilient Communities
Date: Nov. 27, 2017
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A light breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. Lunch is provided
Location: LaSalle Banquet Centre, 50 North Shore Boulevard, Burlington, ON
Cost: Single registration: $199. Two registrations: $179 per person. Three or more registrations: $149 per person
To learn more, or to register, visit https://events.tamarackcommunity.ca/resilient-communities.
By Staff
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional police officers in Burlington seized several bicycles on November 9th 2017 as a result of an ongoing investigation.
The police want to identify the rightful owners of the bicycles.
 Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the 3 District, Criminal Investigations Bureau, through Angela Oliver at 905-825-4747 ext. 2374.
Angela will put the caller in contact with an on-duty investigator.
Tips can be forwarded to Crime Stoppers; “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
Charges are pending at this time and an update will be released when more information is available.
By Staff
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Learning Foundation hold what they call a Benefit Bash, an occasion they use to thank the people who support their work and to let loose just a little bit.
The Foundation is in place to work with school principal’s to meet those immediate need situations that far too many students face.
 Lesley Mansfield, the Executive Director of the Foundation reports that “This year’s Benefit Bash was one of the most successful to date, raising almost $89,000 in support of Halton District School Board students in need. Demand from schools to help vulnerable students is up more than 40% this year to date, so these funds are critical to ensure we can continue saying ‘yes’ to requests for support.”
 The Foundation provides financial support and is one of those early indicators of where there are real on the ground needs that often don’t get detected.
HLF provides emergency funds for students who require basics such as warm clothing, food, school transportation and school supplies, or who need help to be included in experiences such as field trips or school teams.
By Pepper Parr
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Organizing your community and getting people out to meetings is the hard part. Every group that doesn’t like what the politicians or the bureaucrats are doing to them always has a core group – often very small and usually led by one person with energy and driven by the issue.
The Tyendaga Environment Coalition (TEC) doesn’t quite fit the mold. The issue is critical to the community – saving their homes from the disruption of a shale mine metres away from their homes that is under threat.
The residents feel they are not being served by a Mayor and the ward Councillor who have basically walked away from their constituents. Situations like this tend to make people angry and gets them out to meetings.
The issue is the decision the brick manufacturer made to begin mining shale in the third “cell” on property along King Road north of the North Service Road. The company has a license to do what they are doing – it was issued in 1972.
 The mining operation consists of three pieces of property: a west, central and eastern cell. The eastern cell is just metres away from homes that are in the million dollar plus range. The residents believe things have changed since that license was issued and they want the brick manufacturer to limit their mining operation to the west and central cells and leave the east cell as it is with a reported 9000 Carolinian forest trees on the property
 Then when you hold a meeting you get lucky and attract a musician with some star power and then during the meeting a resident takes to the microphone and tells how upset he is with what is being done to his lifestyle and commits $5000 on the spot.
The Thursday evening meeting was the third held by the TEC organizers – each time they held a meeting they had had to look for a bigger space. The movement has traction.
 It does help that the people in the West Haven community are pretty flush – many were able to write a cheques for $500 to create a war chest and hire some legal talent and get access to the experts who can help dig out the data.
It helps too when the provincial government sends observers – there just might be something going on.
Observers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing were in the room.
Roger Goulet, one of the PERL – Protecting Escarpment Rural Land – driving forces, gave the audience of 200 a geography lesson that put the issue in a larger context and and pointed out just how inaccurate some of the information being given out by the brick manufacturer is.
The panel that answered some questions had Gord Miller, a former Ontario Environmental Commissioner speaking.
They had Dr Lynda Lukasik, Executive Director of Environment Hamilton talking about how to measure air quality and just how damaging the dust from the shale mine was to the lungs. When you have someone from Hamilton talking to you about air quality – you know you have someone who “knows whereof they speak”.
But the man who kept the focus was David Donnelly, an environmental lawyer who spoke with passionate that is supported by a deep knowledge base and just the right amount of chutzpah.
 David Donnelly. informed, entertained and told the audience that they can win their battle. Donnelly was part prosecutor, part evangelist nd always on point. He worked that crowd almost as well as John Diefenbaker did in his day.
Donnelly informed the audience that he had “served” the Ministry with an order to live up to the Environmental Bill of Rights, which sounded very impressive. What he did was email a document to the Ministry of the Environment and will follow that up with a hard copy that will be mailed.
Donnelly is no charlatan – he is just very good at entertaining and informing a crowd. He wanted the audience to:
Write a letter to the Mayor and the ward Councillor. He asked the audience to write the Mayor and tell him that they support the TEC position.
“Is this something this crowd and the community should do” asked Donnelly. All those in favour say Aye.
Aye said the audience in unison – then Donnelly asked for the Nays – you could have heard a pin drop. Anyone who might have had the courage to say Nay would have been stoned on the spot.
Donnelly asked the audience if the city should hold a design charette to decide what should be done with the property. He did the Aye and the Nay routine again
The TEC people held a draw – a nice piece of fund raising, and left a jar on the table with paper money in it – $20’s would give people the hint.
Donnelly explained to the audience the steps that were being taken – he was convincing.
 An audience of 200 listened intently as the progress to date on their attempt to stop a brick manufacturer from continuing to mine for shale. The crowd got to learn what a MZO order is – a Ministry Zoning order, a document that would compel a person or a corporation to stop what they were doing because the Minister had issued an order that the zoning on the property that allowed the shale mining to take place was on hold.
“All it takes is a stroke of the pen” said Donnelly
At times he sounded like one of those traveling evangelicals that aroused an audience and had them all at the altar.
It was fine theater and very effective community organizing. Donnelly and Goulet and Miller made a very critical point. Winning issues like this has been done before. Residents of Burlington had convinced a Joint Tribunal to refuse to issue a license to expand the Nelson Aggregate quarry in the Escarpment.
There is much more in the way of detail and background that the Gazette will report on.
What was clear was that the TEC was on a roll – it just might be do-able.
In the process of getting what the want the residents find that their Mayor and the ward Councillor are on what they feel is the wrong side of an issue.
One member of the TEC team said that their people had called the Mayor’s office to see if he was going to attend the meeting. A staffer is reported to have asked ‘Why would the Mayor attend an event at which he is going to b ambushed.’ The comment is probably not true but it did reflect the distrust that exists between the people and their Mayor who got elected partially on his environmental credentials.
Meridian, the brick manufacturer is hold a meeting to update the community on where they are with their plans. It will be a messy meeting – will the Mayor and the ward Councillor attend?
By Staff
November 17, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This one sale sets a new price level and marks the beginning of the end for the Beachway community that wanted to remain in their homes.
The owner of a property that is in excellent shape with two residences on the land has been sold.
 Sold for $1,302,000 The Regional Council approved the sale and a price of $1,302,000 that does not include incentives as outlined in the public Beachway Strategic Acquisition policy.
The sale will close December 22.
By Staff
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Awkward time for the United Way to change leaders but Jeff Valentine will leave the Halton Hamilton United Way December 1st and take up a position at Sheridan College.
The United Way organization has found itself having to focus on its organizational structure as it goes through a change that has the Milton, Oakville, Halton Hills, Burlington and Hamilton organizations merged into a single organization for planning and program development purposes.
The first attempt at this kind of merger didn’t get the votes needed – but it was approved by all the area organizations on the second attempt.
 Brad Park incoming UWHH CEO brings field level experience and a degree in business management to the job. Known now as the United Way Halton & Hamilton, (UWHH) the their Board of Directors announced the appointment of Brad Park as the organization’s new President & Chief Executive Officer. The change in leadership comes after current CEO, Jeff Vallentin signaled his decision to leave UWHH earlier in October.
 Anne Bermingham, chair of the UWHH Board of Directors The UWHH promoted from within. Anne Bermingham, chair of the Board of Directors said “we’re grateful for the depth of leadership that has allowed us to promote from within.” Bermingham added that “Brad Park is well known across the communities served by UWHH. He is a proven executive leader in the United Way movement and he is highly regarded for his passion and his track-record of results. “
Park has been serving as Chief Development Officer in the newly amalgamated United Way Halton & Hamilton. Prior to the amalgamation, Brad served as the CEO for United Way Oakville since 2012 and brings over 23 years of leadership experience with United Ways.
Jeff Vallentin will be joining the executive team at Sheridan College and his last day at United Way will be Friday, December 1, 2017.
 The merger of the organizations has been disruptive. Park has a major task ahead of him to ensure that the badly needed programs run efficiently and that the needs of the tens of thousands of people the United Way serves continue to be met.
A point of contention when the five organizations were merged was that all funds raised through United Way in a community are dedicated to the people in that community: easier said than done.
By Pepper Parr
November 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are at a point in Burlington when a developer can have tonnes of abuse heaped upon them when they bring forward a project that many do not like.
Developers have to work within a set of rules and it is the job of the Planning department to ensure that the rules are adhered to.
 The planning advisor, Robert Glover, the planning consultant, Ed Fothergill and the building executive Mark Bales before a public meeting at which the citizens got their first look at the 421 Brant project that has been approved by city council. When all the studies have been completed, when the staff within the Planning department have had their internal discussions a report is written and sent to a city Council Standing committee where there is extensive debate – often lasting hours.
It is interesting to note that during the Standing Committee debate there was just the one public delegation.
One also has to note that at that particular Standing Committee, James Ridge, the city manager inserted himself into the debate with comments that are seldom heard from a city manager. Planning issues are the domain of the Director of Planning.
There is a segment of the Burlington population that does not like what it sees happening to the downtown core of the city.
Developers bring a project to a city Planning department; a report is prepared by people with designations that qualify them to make planning decisions.
That report gets debated by a city council, the people the citizens of the city elect. The current city council was elected in 2010 and every one of them re-elected in 2014. That is the democratic process we have and depend on.
 Nick Carnicelli, centre, takes photographs of a city planning department presentation of his 421 Brant Street development There is nothing corrupt about city council, they are not “in the pockets of the developers”.
With very few exceptions every home in this city was built by a developer that had to get a project through the planning process and then approved by the city council that was fairly elected.
Why we feel we have to beat up on as developer who followed all the rules is difficult to understand.
Nick Carnicelli, president of Carriage Gate, was the last delegator at the city council meeting last Monday. Here is what he had to say:
We are very proud of our project and the design excellence that it brings to the Downtown. A new building that enhances the streetscape and pedestrian experience while at the same time building on and enhancing important elements in the Downtown is very exciting.
We have assembled a team, including many pre-eminent planning, design and technical professionals. With their assistance, we have ensured that our project is comprehensively planned to address all relevant planning issues – it may well be the most comprehensively planned application that the City has ever received and builds on and enhances the most significant elements of the Downtown.
Our application has been reviewed within an emerging statutory framework for the Downtown based on the City’s Strategic Plan and will bring not only much needed housing to the Downtown BUT also new contemporary and usable retail and office space
In response to a rigorous review and scrutiny of the application by the City of Burlington, the Region of Halton and several other commenting agencies, many significant revisions have been made, with special attention being given to how people and land uses relate and work together at ground level and City-building initiatives:
The magnitude of the overall development has been reduced by approximately 25%. This has been accomplished by a number of changes related to not only the height of the building but also the size of the floor plate of the tower, the amount of the site that could be developed at-grade and revisions to the design of the building.
The entire building is pulled back from the property lines on all three sides – both the podium and the top to establish view corridors that do not exist today to frame City Hall, Civic Square and the Cenotaph. This has resulted in the buildable area of the site being reduced by 20% yet opportunities are provided for enhanced street-scaping, patios, tree planting, street furniture, paving materials and lighting to reinforce how special this site really is.
The lower podium adjacent to Brant and James has been cut back to provide view corridors – The original view corridor at the corner of Brant and James was 5 X 5 metres. It has been expanded to 16 X 16 square metres. This increases the size of the view corridor by over 500%.
The expanded view corridor in conjunction with wider sidewalks has resulted in a reduction in the amount of retail space – 17% not 30% as inadvertently noted by City staff. The benefits of the widened sidewalks, enhanced street-scaping, the view corridors and the construction of new contemporary retail space far outweighs the benefits of retaining a notional amount of outdated, obsolete and undesirable retail space.
The top floors of the building are pulled back even further and the height has been reduced by over 12.5 m. – 4 storeys
Tower floorplate has been reduced from 800 sq. m. to conform to the City’s Tall Building Guidelines and provide a slender tower.
The area of the proposed tower is well over 25% smaller than those that exist at adjacent buildings. In comparison, 478 Pearl Street built over 40 years ago is an 18 storey building with a floorplate of over 960 sq.
n. This is the equivalent of a 23 storey building built to current standards.
 Nick Carnicelli We are proposing to contribute to the easterly expansion Civic Square which has been presented as a significant City-building initiative.
Opportunities for public art are provided.
All of these changes recognize the importance of this site and its role within the evolving urban fabric of the Downtown. The City has never seen anything like this!
What Carnicelli didn’t say was that Carriage Gate began assembling property for this project ten years ago and that they at one point took a proposal to the Planning that met the 12 storey limit many people want.
It was a pretty plain looking building that used every possible foot of the property – not much in the way of a street-scape – but it met the rules.
The developer and the Planning department worked together to come up with the structure that met the new tall building guide lines that were new and the developer revised the proposal.
City council decided it was what the city needed and with two exceptions, the Mayor and the ward Councillor , voted for it.
Why are we beating up the developer?
Related news story:
Planning consultant explains the kind of growth Brant Street could see – become the spine of the city.
 By Staff
November 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The developers are seeing the opportunities and are picking up bits and pieces of property just outside the downtown core.
The three homes that also serve as business premises on the south west corner of James and Martha, the ROCK Centre is just across the road, have reportedly been sold the Mattamy interests.
 The three houses in the lower left hand corner are reported to have been sold. The council member for the ward, ward 2, lives further north on Martha.
The Mattamy people built a large part of the Palmer Drive part of Burlington. They promote themselves as Canada’s Top Home Builder · Over 90,000 Homes Built ·
No word on just what Mattamy intends to build – just that at least one of the business operations will be out of their space by the end of December.
 By James Young
November 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In November of 2016 Jim Young said to city council during a debate on the amount of time a citizen would have to delegate that: “Sometimes it may seem as if we delegates are the enemy of the process. That we somehow stand in the way of the great works and plans you all have in mind for the city.
“The democratic processes of our city demand that qualified, talented professionals like the city staffs and managers, we are fortunate to have in Burlington, apply themselves to a certain vision of the city.
“That they nurse that vision through the often tortuous process to council for approval and implementation, only to have someone like me, a citizens delegate, put a flea in council’s ear, a spoke in staff’s well-oiled wheel and force a review all of their efforts and the inevitable delay that brings.”
Jim comments on the most recent meeting of city council.
On Monday night Burlington City Council, ignoring the more than 1400 signatures on a petition and the 13 delegations opposed to it, voted to break their own rules governing downtown development and allow the development of a 23 story building in contravention of their own 12 Story bylaw. (Only one delegate, the developer, spoke in favour of the project.)
This was a sad display of council voting against the vast majority of citizen opinion, a rejection of local voices made even sadder by the fact that compromise may have been possible. Instead entrenched positions and a degree of “Not in My Wardism” were allowed to carry the day.
 Jim Young delegating before city council. We all know and understand that council cannot be swayed by every nuance of public opinion, we elect them to lead and expect them to do so, but in this instance the opposition was so overwhelming and the possibility of compromise so obvious that the wisdom of the five Councillors who voted for the amendment, in a the year before an election, must be seriously questioned.
Why, for instance, could the developer not have settled on 15 or 17 floors, there would still be ample profit in this, it would still meet intensification targets and be much less intrusive on the character of the area?
Why was there no offsetting land allocation for park or green space? Why does council not hold the developer responsible for affordability units in the development? (Only vague and non-binding considerations on affordability are embodied in the proposal)
While sensible intensification and increased density are supported by all of council, city staff and the majority of citizen opinion, last night’s decision to allow a development so far removed from the official plan, existing bylaws and any sense of building proportion, may well prove to be a tipping point in the eventual destruction of Brant street as we know it. Other developers have already snapped up adjoining properties and now have the green light on non-complying developments.
Ironically, the idea of downtown walk-ability and community vibrancy that the downtown plan seeks are the very things that will be destroyed by developments like this as the floodgates open and they become the new downtown.
On Monday night, there was palpable feeling that there may have been a settling of old scores between some members of council and ward 2’s Councillor Meed Ward. It would be a sad day indeed if decisions of this importance are based on past enmities. Hopefully, electors will such behaviour accountable in next year’s civic election.
 Jim Young as he thinks through a point he is making at a transit meeting. On the subject of elections, if I may be so bold as to offer Councillor Dennison some advice: Questioning the integrity of a well-intended citizen petition is just not smart politics. Even if a few of the more than 1400 signatures were not fully vetted, disparaging the integrity of the signatories as well as insulting a lot of citizens, ward constituents and voters, is hardly the way to encourage civic engagement by well-meaning citizens. If a few signatures were disqualified would 1399 have swayed you?
Mayor Goldring had to remind the gallery of the rules of decorum at the groans which accompanied one Councillor’s suggestion that this would not set a precedent for future downtown development, (by Wednesday, one more developer had requested approval to add two more stories to a proposed building at Locust and Elgin Streets) or that council’s rejection of citizen input is a template for future engagement.
While he insisted, we will listen in future and staff will listen in future. The groans from the gallery suggested: “Then why are you not listening now?”
Burlington City Council loves to parade their national and international honours and laurels for civic engagement. They now have to learn that when you talk the self-congratulatory talk you must also walk that walk!
When you ask citizens to come together, ask for their input, then, when they do, you overwhelmingly reject them, you can no longer claim that high ground on civic engagement.
You either listen to your voters and compromise or they will assume their voices are only heard at election time with all the future electoral consequences that entails.
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