 By Pepper Parr
April 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Parents at a public meting were the details for each of the school closure options were made available. Parents with high school students are getting a bit of a break from the work that was done by the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC). The members of that committee have completed their work knowing that they did everything they could to dig out much needed information and whittled a list of more than 30 possible options down to five.
Those five are:
Robert Bateman high school closes in June 2018.
Nelson high school closes in June 2018
No schools closed – catchment boundaries are revised.
Central and Pearson high schools are closed in June 2018
Pearson high school closes in June 2018
The next municipal election, at which school board trustees will stand for election is October 2018. The provincial government is up for re-election on June xx 2018.
The schedule going forward is:
Chair of the PARC gives his report to the Director of Education (The Gazette has yet to be given a date for the completion of this report.)
Friday April 21, 2017 – Director’s Final Report released online at www.hdsb.ca in the agenda package for Committee of the Whole.
Wednesday April 26, 2017 (6 pm) – Director’s Final Report will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line, Burlington). This meeting will be live-streamed on the Board website. If additional audience capacity is required, it will be available at M.M. Robinson High School (2425 Upper Middle Road, Studio Theatre).
Monday May 8, 2017 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night. These evenings will be live-streamed on the Board website.
Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line). Seating priority in the Boardroom will be given to delegates. If additional audience capacity is required, it will be available at M.M. Robinson High School (2425 Upper Middle Road, Studio Theatre). Monday, April 17, 2017 – Is the first date to submit online Delegation Request Forms for the May 8 Delegation Night.
Thursday May 11 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night. These evenings will be live-streamed on the Board website.
Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line). Seating priority in the Boardroom will be given to delegates. If additional audience capacity is required, it will be available at M.M. Robinson High School (2425 Upper Middle Road, Studio Theatre). Thursday, April 20, 2017 is the first date to submit online Delegation Request Form for the May 11 Delegation Night.
 Parents listening to the PARC meetings. Central high school parents had a team at these meetings every occasion. Wednesday May 17, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “information”. Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line). If additional audience capacity is required, it will be available at M.M. Robinson High School (2425 Upper Middle Road, Studio Theatre).
Wednesday June 7, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “decision”. Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line). If additional audience capacity is required, it will be available at M.M. Robinson High School (2425 Upper Middle Road, Studio Theatre).
Maps of the school boundaries and the rationale for each option is set out HERE.
 By Staff
April 5, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington wants artists to participate in the creation of a Garden of Chimes; an outdoor installation celebrating Canada’s Sesquicentennial.
 The exhibition will be installed in the AGB outdoor courtyard from July 1st to October 31st. Successful entries will be available for pickup first week of November.
This invitation is open to all AGB Guilds, the Potters Guild of Hamilton and Region and the Brantford Potters Guild.
Specifications:
• Maximum size is 12” diameter and 36” length.
• The chimes should emit a pleasing sound and be weather proof/waterproof.
• As the chimes will be hung from wires, consideration should be given for total hanging weight.
The proposal has to include a sketched image with description of materials and include an estimate of weight.
Please submit your proposal by APRIL 17, 2017 via email to kai@agb.life .
Charming idea – why limit it to just Potters Guild members?
 By Pepper Parr
April 5, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
City council had decided they were going to keep a barge pole length between what they do and what the Public school board has to do.
These two organizations –both vital to the smooth operation and functioning of the city are far apart when it comes to working together on joint issues. The city and the school board are so far apart that they don’t even meet on a formal basis.
The Halton District Regional Police make a presentation to the city; the Library makes a presentation to the city. When the Board of Education meets with the city it is usually at the staff level and then it usually boils down to a turf war. These guys tend not to play golf with each other.
Everyone in the city is the lesser for that political failure.
When the Board of Education told its trustees that it believed it was necessary to close two high schools (that was one of 19 options the School Board staff had considered) City council seemed to be hoping that the matter would stay at the school board level – let them deal with the inevitable political fallout.
 Councillors Sharman and Lancaster were te only two who wanted the city to write a letter to the Minister of Education to halt the Program Accommodation Review the school board was undertaking. And it seemed to be working out – that was until Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman asked Council to waive the advance notice of a motion rule and debate his motion that the city write the Ministry of Education asking for an immediate halt to the school closing process now in place to consider the closing of one and perhaps two of the seven high schools in the city.
It has become the hottest political potato the city has faced in a decade.
There was considerable discussion and debate on whether city council was going to let the Sharman motion come forward. Eventually they did on a 5 for, 2 against vote.
One of the negative votes was cast by Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who argued that it was too late for the city to have any impact on the decision.
Meed Ward said: The moment for the city to show some leadership passed when city council chose to appoint the city manager to the PARC instead of the Mayor and then not give the city manager anything in the way of a mandate. “That ship has sailed” she said.
The motion was to ask that the city write the provincial government and ask that there be an immediate halt to the school closing process now taking place.
Council agreed to allow the motion to proceed which brought Denise Davey to the podium who was given permission to delegate.
She said:
As I wrote in my column in The Hamilton Spectator, this has been an extremely difficult and emotionally draining few months for thousands of parents across the city. We’ve been pulled into a process that we knew nothing about and it’s been a steep learning curve trying to figure it all out.
In addition to trying to sift through a maze of information, we’ve had to deal with ineffective public information sessions where we had no voices and a tedious online survey.
 Delegator Denise Davey My worry is that that flawed process and that misinformation that’s been floated around is leading us in the wrong direction and my position – and the reason I approached Paul Sharman – is that I believe Burlington city council needs to take a leadership role.
This is your city and the closure of any school will have an impact on the social and economic fabric of the entire community.
I am not asking that you take a stand around which school to close but simply that you support Councillor Sharman’s motion to suspend the process immediately so that in the end the right decision will be made.
I want to offer an example of how problematic this process has been and why it needs to be suspended, namely, that the data and information being thrown out to the public about Bateman school has been seriously misrepresented.
Shortly after this point Committee chair Meed Ward cautioned Davey that she was straying from the subject being debated.
Davey pressed on and was cautioned a second time – she was determined to get the Bateman high school plea on the record.
 Councillor brought in a “walk on” motion to have the city write a letter to the province asking that the Program Accommodation Review in Burlington be halted. Sharman then began to explain what he was hearing from his constituents. He said he had been asked to help find corporations that might help fund keeping the high schools open. He didn’t mention any specific corporations and asked council to support his request that the provincial government be asked to immediately halt the school closing process in Burlington.
Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor, the longest serving member of Council, joined the debate. He didn’t support letting the motion get to the floor of council and he wasn’t going to support the motion either.
He then went into what was pretty close to a tirade about party politics getting into the debate.
He did however bring some background and wisdom when he explained that the “baby boomers” – those born just after the end of the Second World War, have changed everything they touched as it grew and evolved.
They changed the way education was delivered; we were building elementary schools all over the place and then high schools, and then then universities.
The woman who worked in factories during the war returned to their homes, married and had children. Three to four children was not unusual. Those children needed schools. They were the boomers and as they grew families found they needed two incomes to pay for the housing they wanted.
Taylor asked his colleagues why anyone was surprised that we face this problem today. It has been in the making for more than fifty years. When dozens of elementary schools were closed it should have been no surprise that at some point high schools would have to be closed as well.
 Councillor Taylor gave Council members a broad stroke picture of what they were dealing with. Taylor added that the next phase the boomers are going to impact is the building of hospitals and nursing homes to take care of the boomers who are now aging.
To add to it all Taylor pointed out that advances in medicine have us living longer.
We have to do something about this problem – it can be avoided, he added.
Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison said that this was a provincial government and Board of Education trustee problem – it is not a city problem. He saw no point in the city making a plea to the provincial government.
Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster said that more and more parents were asking her to become involved. “None of the schools that are being recommended for closure are in my ward but some of the students are”, she said.
And added that she too felt the process was flawed and that while she wasn’t comfortable with interfering she was very concerned about the problem of the quality of the data that was being used to make a decision.
“This is an important decision and I want the best data available to make that decision”, she said. Lancaster added: “If an appeal to the provincial government can get us a time out and let us take a step back and get better data and do it right then I am for sending the letter.”
Meed Ward said she did not believe the province would intercede for one Board of Education and asking it to do so was “irresponsible and inappropriate”.
 City manager James Ridge, on the right, with PARC Chair Scot Podrebarac. Ridge said very little during the meetings – he wasn’t given a mandate other than to attend the meetings. “Council squandered its opportunity to lead on this. There was an opportunity to send an elected member – we didn’t do that and we didn’t give the person we did send anything in the way of a mandate.”
Having “squandered” the opportunity to lead Meed Ward said the city could now join the other organizations in asking the province to put a moratorium in place across the problem. ROMA – the Rural Ontario Municipal Association has done a lot of research that is very well documented – we could join their plea. AMO, the Association of Municipalities in Ontario has made comments however they have not asked for a moratorium.
 Meed Ward is troubled by the message city Councillors are sending constituents, particularly parents of Central and Pearson high school students. Meed Ward said she is “troubled” with the kind of message is this council sending when it said up and down that it was not going to get involved but now we have council members who have schools that might be closed in their wards and want the city to do something when the opportunity to do anything has passed.
What message does this council send to the parents of Central and Pearson? that we did not value their schools when they were subject to closure but now that other schools have been named we want to interfere? This is both inappropriate and offensive.
During the discussion the Mayor mentioned that he had a conversation earlier in the day with the Minister of Education – but didn’t say what words were exchanged.
 By Staff
April 4th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Bayview Park Leash-Free Area will be closed on Thursday, April 6 to allow for construction within the fenced area.
Thank you for your cooperation during construction.
 By Staff
April 4, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The weather doesn’t look all that promising but the Tyandaga Golf Course will officially open for the 2017 golf season on Saturday, April 8.
The course is located 1265 Tyandaga Park Dr. Players wishing to book a tee time can do so online at www.tyandagagolf.com.
 An 18-hole course with 4,852 meters of scenic terrain. Tyandaga, a city owned and operated golf course, offers memberships, tournaments, clinics, private lessons, men’s and women’s league play, and in-season and off-season rentals.
Tyandaga Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 4,852 meters of scenic terrain characterized by its natural waterways and broadleaf woods.
Spring specials on green fees include $45 to ride in a golf cart and $30 for golfers that are walking.
For more information about golfing at Tyandaga, call 905-336-0005 or visit www.tyandagagolf.com.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4TH, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
How does one go about the process of giving their parents into some form of care when they can no longer fully care for themselves?
The parents tend to resist this change in their lives – to a considerable degree because they don’t know enough about this next phase of their lives.
 Marion Goard, came up with the idea for the event. she has been nominated as one of Burlington’s BEST Marion Goard, a Burlington real estate agent went through this process with her parents and found it emotionally exhausting. It was clear to her however that in her situation changes had to be made.
Where to go for information? That’s when Goard found that there really wasn’t a single place with all the information needed. There were all kinds of vendors with their offerings but that meant travelling from possible location to yet another possible location.
That is when Goard came up with the idea of gathering all the service providers and the vendors and the social agencies in one location and inviting people to attend and learn as much as they could.
The Housing Options For Seniors Event was born
 Here is the list of organizations who are going to be at the Monday April 10th event being held at the Holiday Inn.
Burlington Age Friendly Seniors Council – Housing Committee
Burlington Gardens Retirement Residence
CARP, Halton Chapter (Canadian Association for Retired Persons)
Chartwell – Christopher Terrace Retirement Residence
Chartwell – Martha’s Landing Retirement Residence
Egality
Estate Concierge
Hearthstone by the Lake
Halton Heart to Home Meals
Heritage Place
Home Equity Bank – Reverse Mortgages
Home Share
Lakeshore Place Retirement Residence
LaSalle Park Retirement Community by Signature
Neat Spaces
Organize Me
Park Avenue Manor
Pearl & Pine Retirement by Signature
Retire-at-Home Services
RBC Royal Bank
Revera Appleby Place
Sell ‘n STAY
Sunrise of Burlington
The Gardens by Maranatha
The Village of Tansley Woods (Schlegal)
The Williamsburg Uptown Seniors Living
That is an impressive collection of people who can help and organizations that have services that might work for you and your parents.
A web site was created with a form people could use to register.
That’s when the problems began to occur.
“Everyone I talked to” said Goard “thought it was a great idea – but the registrations aren’t all that great.”
It is a very good idea and worth a visit even if you are only going to look around and kick some tires.
Registration isn’t vital but Goard would like an idea as to how many people to expect. You can register at: https://www.mariongoard.ca/seniors/housing-options-for-seniors-event.aspx
 By Staff
April 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement that forecasts rainfall depths of 20-30 mm in our region, overnight and into the day Tuesday.
Rain is also forecast from Wednesday through Friday, with more significant rainfall potential Thursday.
 Our forests aren’t this green yet – but the flow of water is what we are seeing now with the Spring rains. Following recent rains last week, flows are still elevated and soils are wet. As a result of the forecasted rainfall, watercourses may rise rapidly. Banks may be slippery and currents may be strong. Local streams and rivers may become dangerous, particularly in the vicinity of culverts and bridges.
Widespread flooding is not anticipated, however fast flowing water and flooding of low lying areas and natural floodplains may be expected.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to stay away from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
This Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety will be in effect through Sunday April 9th, 2017. Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will provide updates as required.
By Staff
April 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Mark Kippin, an acting captain with the Burlington Fire Department, was recently recognized for saving a life while playing a hockey game at Appleby Ice Centre.
 Acting Caption Mark Kippin holds a Challenge Coin which recognizes contributions to public safety, customer service and firefighter safety. Kippin, who was off duty at the time, began early CPR with help from a teammate and used the arena’s public access defibrillator to deliver a shock to a resident who had collapsed.
“I was on the ice when I saw people running toward the change room and then I heard the call for help. Thankfully 911 was called right away and they quickly brought over the defibrillator as we started CPR. After the first shock, we got a pulse and stabilized him until the paramedics arrived.”
“I suppose I was in the right place at the right time. Without quick intervention and access to AEDs, these kinds of situations may have fewer positive outcomes.”
Halton Region’s Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program places Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public locations where there is a chance someone could suffer a cardiac arrest. Many of Burlington’s city facilities have AEDs.
 By Staff
April 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The original report came in March 18th and with solid support from the community the police were able to identify and arrest three suspects and are now looking for two additional suspects for various theft and fraud offences.
Charged with various theft and fraud offences are:
Josh PARKIN (29) of Hamilton
Sean CARTER (32) of Hamilton
Keara CAMPBELL (24) of Hamilton
Police in Burlington would like to thank the public for their help positively identifying 3 of 4 theft/fraud suspects.
One suspect remains unidentified.
 Suspect yet to be identified. Police have also identified a 5th suspect using the stolen credit cards in Hamilton and are seeking further assistance from the public in identifying him.
The thefts overnight on March 14/15th from rural driveways in north Burlington. One victim had credit cards stolen which were used fraudulently at several locations in the City of Burlington. Four suspects were observed at the various locations.
 Suspect captured on video at a beer store. Theft from autos continue to be a concern in Burlington, particularly when windows are smashed to gain entry. A second series of thefts from vehicles occurred in the same rural area of Burlington overnight on March 16/17th. Police would like to remind people to avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view. Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.
 Suspect captured on video at a Brick store. Anyone who can identify these suspects is asked to contact Det. Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Property Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 ext 2312. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
April 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the third annual Burlington for fast meeting – the audience was much the same, the issues were the same, there were fewer politicians on hand – The Mayor the MPP and one ward Councillor.
Staff from Planning, Director Mary Lou Tanner and Transportation Director Vito Tolone were on hand.
What was very different was – the transit people were in the room and they made a very positive presentation.
 Director of Transportation Vito Tolone on the left with Transit supervisor Bob Mennell on the right. Mennell did a great job of telling transit users how good things were going to be in the future. Time will tell on that one. Mennell would make a very convincing member of Council. A former transit driver and now a supervisor Bob Mennell gave a presentation that was sprinkled with shout outs to many of his former customers. He kept referring to those occasions when he “looked the other way” when someone didn’t have the full fare.
Acting Director of Transit Jeff Black did a fine job of bringing people up to date on the changes that have been made.
Aiding Doug Brown, who has carried this project on his shoulders for the past couple of years was Collin Gribbons who moved to Burlington from the Pape and Danforth part of Toronto where he could “catch a bus or a subway to anywhere. “Can’t do that in Burlington – the system just doesn’t work,” was the way he put it.
Mayor Goldring positioned himself as a transit supporter who proudly announced that he had taken the bus to the event and added that while waiting for the bus to arrive someone had pulled up and offered him a lift. The Mayor declined and then went on to tell the audience how much money the federal government was pumping into transportation. Tonnes of dollars going into the GO system.
Which was fine according to Doug Brown who added that the dollars the Mayor was talking about were for capital projects – new buses and major upgrades to the GO system.
What Burlington needs is an operational contribution to transit and that is something city council can do. They haven’t done it yet.”
  The gas tax rebate the city gets was at one point split 30% for transit and the rest for roads maintenance is now at 20%.
The audience learned that the population of Burlington was now 183,000 souls – Regionally there are 548,000 of us – that is projected to grow to 1 million by 20141
The draft Official Plan just released talks of 15 minute service for transit.
There are even plans to upgrade the downtown bus terminal that was going to be torn down less than five years ago.
The gas tax the province pays out now total $2.1 million for the province – that’s scheduled to rise to $4.2 million.
 More Handi-vans are to be part of the improvement in the fleet. There are going to be more Handi-vans
There was just no end to the things that transit was going to get.
Mohamed had come to the mountain,
There were significant cuts to the transit budgets in 2012 and schedule changes that did serious damage to ridership.
Bfast polls the audience each year and produces a report card.
Here it is – not much to be proud about.
 The first report card – funding, the critical element has budged.  Some improvement. The data comes from the people who use the service. Jeff Black said the transit people needed to hear this – true enough. Bfast has been telling them often enough – they just weren’t listening.
During an interactive voting process that allowed opinions to be put on a screen instantly we learned that just 26% of the audience took transit to the meeting – the other 74% used some other mode of transportation.
 The reason for the decline has been poor service, lousy funding and a change to the schedules that drove passengers away from the service. The city own 53 buses and 10 Handi-vans that carried 1.9 million riders in 2016.
It was all mind-boggling. Almost too much to really believe.
At the meeting was coming to an end Joey Edwardh, president of Community Development Halton was given the microphone. She linked arms with the Mayor, a symbolic way to pull him into her comments about just how much more needed to be done for transit.
 Do you get the impression the two on the right are actually listening? The Mayor didn’t say much – while he may have become a transit convert – he is part of a council that has yet to understand the direction the civic administration is taking.
Four of the seven Councillors just don’t have much of an appetite for transit: Craven, Dennison, Taylor and Lancaster probably have not taken a Burlington Transit bus this Council term. One wonders if they own Presto passes.
 Jim Young The Mayor talked about all the funding that had come in from both the federal and provincial governments – didn’t say a word about municipal funding
120 people attended the Bfast forum, a record attendance.
Jim Young, that irrepressible promoter for better transit service said: “I think we are winning, but I’ve felt that way before” and added that ”present City Staff and management are very good at absorbing and paying lip service to engagement while quietly ignoring external inputs.”
By Staff
April 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
After completing the report card on Burlington Transit service and listening to transit staff, the Mayor and some of the people involved in Bfast it was time for the breakout sessions where transit users got down to the specifics. What worked and what didn’t work?
 Jim Young listening to the complaints about scheduling. There were so many different breakout groups that they had to use additional rooms for these sub meeting.
Jim Young a passionate advocate for better use of the existing transit facilities handled the breakout table for schedules. He had a long line in front of him
Here is a summary of the scheduling comments he took in:
1. No East/West crosstown bus along the most logical Plains Fairview corridor. Old route now breaks at Maple, transfer is erratic, requires walk from stop to stop, is outdoors in winter and Mae to Appleby section winds all through lakeshore/downtown/ new street making a former 20 minute journey into a 45/50 minute trek.
2. Community Bus start/depart/arrival times at Seniors Centre are completely out of synch with program opening/start/stop and closing times. This issue also came up at the seniors breakout.
3. Saturday bus service has approx. 19 to 20 buses on the road at times and on routes where weekday service has 33 to 35 buses, how does the city expect increased ridership at half the service.
4. Driver adherence to schedules is erratic and not monitored. When questioned drivers suggest schedules are too tight and make no allowance for changing traffic conditions.
5. On many days the #5 route shuts down early with no service after suppertime. Complainant suspects there are many non-commuter, local services with the same issues making visiting family in the evening difficult if not impossible.
6. South east of the city the #50 does not go to Oakville at nights forcing a much longer journey via city bus to GO and same on return journey.
7. The #20 New Street to Burloak & Appleby GO does not service some of the residential areas that the #40B serves. The #40b only runs as a morning evening commuter service which covers much of the same route as the #20 but goes deeper into residential areas. Can something be done to look at combining these two routes with improved all day service on both?
8. There were several comment on synchronizing services at GO stations and from bus to bus when a journey requires 2 buses and transfer. Again this highlights the too tight scheduling that others mentioned previously.
 Acting Director of Transit Jeff Black This is something the Gazette will return to in three or four months and learn how the transit people have responded. It must be said that the transit people who did the presentation were keen and where there to tell their story and listen.
Transit is currently led by Jeff Black as Acting Director of Transit. The city manager might want to think about taking th “Acting” off that title.
We heard a transit staff that was “stoked”, “pumped” and wanting to do a better job. Perhaps all they needed was better leadership
 By James Smith
April 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The next few months will be difficult for many Burlington parents and students as the Public Board decides the future of several schools. This issue is hardly new to Burlington or Halton, the phenomenon of is being played out throughout Ontario, Canada and North America. For example, Hamilton has closed 14 schools since 2003. Shifting demographics call for creative solutions. Some change is coming to Burlington Schools, what that change will look like is far from determined at this point.
 While Burlington’s high schools are not quite this old – these old country schools have disappeared and been re-purposed. In the past, boards have taken the relatively easy route (if closing a school and the ensuring protests they cause can be called easy) when a school is determined to be redundant; they have applied to municipality for re-zoning, then sell the land to the highest bidder. South East Burlington in 1987, when we moved there, had two separate schools, one high school and five public schools within walking distance. Soon both Elizabeth Gardens and Breckon Schools were closed and St Patrick School, the school our kids attended, hung on by its fingernails. At one point only having 75 students!
Having fought hard to keep our local school, I understand what parents are now going through in their attempt to keep a local school. In our case we had a little bit of luck on our side, many of the original empty-nester home owners were selling to families with a couple of kids, so more children were moving into the neighbourhood. More importantly, the former Shell refinery lands west of Burloak, north of New Street meant expanded enrollment significantly. Neither new development nor is intensification is likely going to be an answer to expand enrollment for the schools at risk. The challenge now is for citizens who’s neighbourhood schools face closure, to transition from protest to vision.
Once the decision to close a school has been made, the challenge is to question some deeply held preconceptions; no easy task. The first preconception parents especially need to rid themselves of is the myth of the local school, especially when it comes to a high schools. Local schools, the kind that parents will often define as those as “within walking distance” are more and more not places children walk to. Sure some kids walk, but a significant number of children of all ages are now chauffeured to and from school. One just has to look at the infrastructure put in place to accommodate the pick-up delivery of children in cars. Passing by a school at opening or dismissal, makes one pine to be at the Mall the last weekend before Christmas by contrast. How do local traffic jams add to a community?
Many will talk about the loss of so called open space. Schools often have rather than open space something more akin to a green deserts surrounding the school building. Rarely used manicured lawns, a landscape design element left over from the plan books of Victorian through post war planners that serves little or no purpose; we’re just used to having them. We are used to seeing these areas with nothing there, so we want to keep these green dead zones. The green deserts surrounding all schools, but especially those to be closed, are resources that presently goes wasted. Overcoming these and other preconceptions and understanding the opportunity in school closures is a big and difficult first step. I have no illusion this will be an easy process to undertake, but citizens need to be ready to embrace this change, even reluctantly.
Once the decision has been made to close a school; who best to plan and execute the redevelopment? As stated the old model was a quick rezoning to Single Family Residential, and sell twenty or 30 residential lots to the highest bidder. While the “take the money and run” approach has served the board in the past, times have changed. Given the time and effort of those who have participated in the PARC exercise have demonstrated, and the controversial nature of the decision to close schools, the Board owe the communities and the city a more inclusive re-visioning exercise.
The board of education, by ownership and necessity must be a partner in the process, and realize most of the financial return, but the lead should be taken by the city of Burlington as the city will have to manage the results of the process. I’m rarely a proponent of the 3P model, but in this case I feel a public private partnership is the best way to maximize the return to the board and the city in developing these assets.
Did I say the city? By the city I don’t mean the politicians nor the planning department. As professional and well meaning as city planners may be, this exercise should be taken up by an outside urban planning firm who doesn’t develop and plan track housing. Preclude those firms with a history of developing planning with, and for, the city of Burlington should also be a condition. In other words, an open competition rather than one from the usual suspects. One consideration would be to fund a competition where three semi finalist firms are paid to work-up general, order of magnitude proposals. This way citizens can wade in on what firm’s vision is in the best interest of the the city at large.
In such a process the city’s role should be limited to setting the general goals and parameters. These guidelines should be as loose as possible to allow the bidding firms as much creative leeway as possible. By awaiting proposals from the winning planning firm prior to changing the zoning of former school property, the city can avoid the mistake of regulation that limits development of a novel proposal. Interesting creative uses shouldn’t be precluded from the beginning due to zoning constraints. Plan, then zone. Part of any redevelopment should include re-purposing some or all of the existing school buildings wherever practical, and the development of the site of community amenity assets should be based on input from the neighbours and citizens in general
Many people find the idea of giving up on what they see as “their school” surrender. Many will feel at this point surrender is premature. Change is likely coming. The best way to prepare for change is to start considering and examine one’s prejudices and to start to imagine what the second best alternative might be. Burlington might be a better place as a result of this kind of exercise.
James Smith is a is a former resident of Burlington and is a contract Designer, who includes Phillip H Carter Architect and Planning as one of his clients.
By Pepper Parr
April 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Having sprinkled federal dollars – close to half a million of them, earlier in the day around 14 projects in Burlington, our Member of Parliament and Minister of Democratic Institutions, Karina Gould and her staff headed for the Royal Canadian Legion where there were even more dollars to distribute.
The time the cheque was for $74,988.00 that was to be distributed between the Legion, St. Johns Anglican Church and St. Luke’s Anglican Church.
The Legion got $24,988 finding for a new stove in the kitchen and funds to upgrade the Legion Museum that has a treasure of historical memorabilia.
 Karina Gould with the cook for the evening in the kitchen of the Royal Canadian Legion The Legion holds a Fish and Chips night on Friday which meant an occasion for the Member of Parliament to enjoy both a local tradition and some time in the kitchen. Had she arrived an hour earlier she would have been able to help with the cooking.
Gould spent more than an hour working the tables with the several hundred people who were enjoying dinner, playing pool or dancing to some genuine Canadian east coast “hurtin” music.
There was something quite incredible to watch this not yet 30 year old woman move from table to table to talk to people.
Sometime she sat with people for far more than the “howdya do”.
 Gerry the senior giving Burlington’s MP Karina Gould a quizzical eye as they talk about the state of the Dominion at a Legion Friday night fish fry. The Father and Son team of Gerry and Gerry were enjoying the Goodness of Guinness when the Minister sat down for a conversation.
Before Gould made herself comfortable Gerry, the senior, had opined that the first Trudeau had come close to “ruining the country” and Gerry the Senior, wasn’t all that sure the son wasn’t going to do the same thing.
When Karina got up to talk other people, Gerry the senior seemed to have gotten himself to the point where he was going to give the young fellow a chance.
When the cheque presentation was being performed mention was made of Matt MacPherson, President- Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 Burlington, who, during the days when the first Trudeau was running the country, had served as the Prime Minister’s personal body guard.
“Each time he was in Burlington my job was to be beside him all the time. He was no problem at all” remarked McPherson “but it wasn’t the same with Diefenbaker” he added.
The funds handed out were part of a federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program that has distributed approximately $35 million in New Horizons for Seniors Program funding for close to 1,850 community-based projects approved through the NHSP 2016–2017 Call for Proposals.
 Delighted members of Burlington’s clergy and the Royal Canadian Legion pose for a presentation photograph. Tucked away in the back row, third from the right, is Legion president Matt MacPherson who did the same thing for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau when he served as his personal body guard – stood in the background ensuring the man was always safe. Since 2004, the NHSP has funded close to 19,700 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total Government of Canada investment of approximately $417 million.
Gould was filling in for the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
Investing in Canada’s communities is not only about creating good jobs and encouraging clean economic growth. It is also about building stronger communities. Partnerships with local governments, institutions and organizations are vital to deliver change and improve the lives of seniors.
St. John’s Anglican Church, and St. Luke’s Anglican Church each received $25,000 for fundamental renovations will take place to better support Burlington seniors in creating and serving healthy meals, providing inclusive and accessible social spaces and updating audio-visual systems with improved hearing and visual assistance.
 By Staff
April 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This is not an April 1st story. It is absolutely true – every word of it.
Burlington’s Members of Parliament could hardly keep up with the pace.
They were scooting from place to place during the day, in the rain, handing out cheques right and left.
The Gazette caught up with Karina Gould the MP for Burlington and Minister of Democratic Institutions and Pam Damoff the MP for Oakville North Burlington at the Mainway arena,where they jointly announced federal funding for an impressive number of Burlington projects.
The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario had approved up to $598,430 for 14 projects in Burlington under Intake Two of the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program:
 The dunes in the Beachway are environmentally sensitive. Burlington Green has been plating trees to stabilize the land. Some of the federal government money is going to be used to build a dune crossing. 1. Improvement of Bayview Park – $123,000
2. Ireland Park Washroom Improvements – $13,320
3. Lowville Park Washroom Accessibility – $23,310
4. Millcroft Park Washroom Accessibility – $14,985
5. Orchard Park Washroom Improvements – $16,650
6. Dune Crossing at Beachway Park – $73,000
7. Mainway Arena Accessibility – $100,000
8. Appleby Ice Resurfacing – $25,000
9. Mainway Ice Resurfacing – $12,500
10. Mainway Rink Lighting – $41,666
11. Appleby Ice Sub-Metering – $8,333
12. Mainway Sub-Metering System – $5,000
13. Multi-Use Pathway at John Street – $135,000
14. Tansley Woods Sub-Metering – $6,666
These projects are planned for completion by March 31, 2018 and are part of the Canada 150 celebrations for what will be our Sesquicentennial.
Mayor Goldring has set a personal goal for the city and the Love My Hood program where he wants to see at least 150 small neighbourhood projects taking place in the city.
The Parks and Recreation people have come up with a neat program that wants to see small hand coloured Canadian flags in, ideally, every window in the city.
The Mayor and the other assembled dignitaries were give blank forms and a box of crayons to create their own flags.
 Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation hands out blank forms with an outline of a maple leaf along with a package of crayons that MP’s Pam Damoff and Karina Gould along with Mayor Goldring can use to make flags for the windows in their homes. Mayor Goldring advised a disappointed looking of Parks and Recreation Director Chris Glenn that he had been kicked out of the grade 8 art class. Fortunately the Mayor had his wife with him – Cheryl, an accomplished artist in her own right, will probably be given the crayons and asked to produce a more than acceptable flag.
 Burlington Taxi is changing the colour scheme o three of its cabs and calling them Ambassador Taxis to recognize the 150 year of Canada’s birth. The getting into a Sesquicentennial mode was made a little easier with the appearance of two Burlington Taxis, done up in a bright red and white theme. Scott Wallace said that he had changed the colour theme of three of his cabs that he is calling Ambassador Taxis that will be available to people who need transportation to high profile Love my Hood events.
Pam Damoff wasn’t happy with the standard photo ops that were taking place and wanted everyone to step into the ice rink for some picture. The Mainway arena is in her Oakville North Burlington riding. One photographer wanted her out on the ice. “I’m not going out on the ice” said Damoff. She rides a bike rather well – but I guess she doesn’t skate.
By Staff
March 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
June 10th to the 18th – Sound of Music Festival’s 38th year takes place.
Every year in June, Burlington comes alive with the largest music event of the year. Well over 200,000 people come to enjoy concerts spanning all genres. Through the generosity and support of sponsors and the dedication of volunteers, the event continues to be free on Father’s Day Weekend for music lovers of all ages. The sponsors this year include: Burlington Downtown Business Association, Burlington Hyundai, Cogeco, Investors Group Burlington, TD Canada Trust, Terrapure, Mill Street Brewery, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
 Marianas Trench performing at the SoM this June. The number of ticketed events is growing but the free part of the Festival is stable. Marianas Trench, Smash Mouth, Spin Doctors, and Sumo Cyco, will join The Offspring and Live on June 10, 2017, along with special guests, Randy and Mr. Lahey from Trailer Park Boys.
Details on the free part of the festival will be made available – April 27th.
 By Staff
March 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Region Health Department is investigating a confirmed case of measles in an Oakville resident that has led to potential exposures in public and health-care settings in Oakville during the period of March 21-29, 2017.
 Anyone who has not had two doses of a measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV) or who has not had measles in the past is at risk of infection. People who have visited any of the following locations may have been exposed to measles:
• Tuesday, March 21, Sheridan College, 1430 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, 6 –11:30p.m.
• Thursday, March 23, Sheridan College, including the gym and campus Tim Hortons,
1430 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 23, Walmart (Oakville), 234 Hays Blvd., Oakville, 3:30 – 10:30 p.m.
• Sunday, March 26, Tim Hortons, 2355 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 28, Trafalgar Medical Clinic, including the main foyer, the food court and LifeLabs in the basement, 1235 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 29, Tim Hortons, 2355 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Visitors to these locations during the times noted should do the following:
 A severe case of measles. • Check your immunization records to make sure you and your children have had two doses of the measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV). Your immunization record (yellow card) or your doctor can provide you with this information. Two doses of measles vaccine are recommended for anyone born after 1969.
• Infants under one year of age, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems can get very ill with measles and should contact Halton Region Health Department or their health care professional immediately for further assessment.
• Watch for symptoms of measles until 21 days after exposure. These include a high fever, cold-like symptoms (cough/runny nose); sore eyes or sensitivity to light; small spots with a white centre on the inside of the mouth; and a red rash lasting four to seven days.
• If you think you may have measles and need to see a doctor, you must call ahead to the doctor’s office, walk-in clinic or emergency department. This will allow health care staff to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of infection and protect others visiting the office, clinic or hospital.
“With a case of confirmed measles in our community, it’s imperative that residents protect themselves and their community against the increasing risk of infection by ensuring their measles immunization is up to date,” said Dr. Julie Emili, Acting Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily through the air. Anyone who has not had two doses of a measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV) or who has not had measles in the past is at risk of infection.
For more information, dial 311 or call the Halton Region Health Department at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or visit halton.ca/measles.
 By Ray Rivers
March 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The federal government brought down a budget last week. Did anybody notice? Well if you drink wine it’ll cost you a little more. The tax credit for taking public transit is gone and you’ll have to pay the HST on your next Uber ride. There is also supposed to be more money for infrastructure, innovation and child care but these benefits will not be as noticeable as the taxes, nor immediately applicable to many of us.
It was all a bit anti-climatic. Even the people’s broadcaster (CBC) muted the Finance Minister’s speech and plugged in one of their own reporters instead. Why hear it from the horse’s mouth (no offence intended) when there is some reporter, barely exhumed from the pre-budget ‘lock-up’, who can ramble-on quoting second-hand information from his notebook of cryptic scribblings?
 Prime Minister Trudeau congratulating Finance Minister Morneau on the delivery of the 2017 budget I recall watching Flaherty and Martin being allowed to wax on poetic, why not Morneau? Over a thousand journalists, independents from think-tanks, and other influential people spend budget day together locked in a big room and not released until the budget is read out. But since most of the budget has already been leaked by budget day, it might just be the expensive feeding and watering that has them coming back each year. Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? Perhaps it’s time to get rid of the budget lock-up.
Pre-budget speculation had investors worried that Trudeau would impose a higher tax rate on income from capital gains. After all income is income, and that might help slow down the crazy inflation in the housing sector, particularly if homes selling for more than a million were included as taxable, which was one rumour.
It was Justin’s father who first introduced capital gains taxes and taxation had been applicable to 75% of that income in those days gone by. Anyway, that rumour was false, though that extra cash would come in useful for a government mired in red ink. That old saw, that you have to be crazy not to borrow at today’s ridiculously low interest rates, doesn’t sound so reasonable when one considers that even a balanced budget, let alone surplus, isn’t expected before the end of this decade, and well beyond the next election.
If this budget was designed to keep folks on-side with the Liberals it mostly failed. Despite its glossy front web page, it is long on minutia and mostly short on substance and vision, certainly compared to the last one. But then this is only a mid-term instrument, tailored to not steal the spotlight from the more important one coming in the election year. And perhaps we’re all too demanding and our expectations are too high – or maybe it’s the rumour mill that keeps whetting our appetite for more.
 Trudeau has been a media darling ? Trudeau has been a media darling since coming to power, in fact even more admired abroad than at home. Though when it comes to that domestic audience, his boat is starting to leak and according to one poll is now listing and behind the leaderless Tories for the first time since his solid win in 2015. How could that be? That voters saying they’d prefer a party with no leader to the current government? Well as Diefenbaker used to say…”polls are for dogs”.
Halfway into an election term, the public usually gets antsy – that mid-term itch. And there are some reasons for the public to start to back-off from their leader. Trudeau has done himself no favour with this on-going cash-for-access thing. And his expensive Christmas holiday, at our expense, in the Bahamas has proven unpopular among those of us who never seem to make the Aga Khan’s guest list, no matter how hard we try. And, like Harper before him, those idealistic promises on transparency are getting harder to fulfill once in office. Small things but still….
 Bombardier’s CS100 assembly line is seen at the company’s plant Friday, December 18, 2015 in Mirabel, Que. After years of delays and cost overruns, Bombardier’s CSeries commercial aircraft has been certified by Canada’s transportation regulator. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz There was this Castro fiasco a little while ago, and then elbow-gate showed a lack of composure in a leader we’d assumed had it all together. Some folks resent his subsidy to giant Bombardier, particularly as the company’s management has just given themselves whacking big (millions of dollars) raises while simultaneously laying off a chunk of their the wage-earning labour force. Lately some folks are unhappy about the business dealings between the government and Trudeau’s close friend Tom Pitfield.
The government has just dropped one of those white papers on parliamentary reform, which would give MPs a four day work week in Ottawa and require the PM to only show up one day a week for question period. There is the carbon tax, though at least environmentalists will appreciate the government cutting a subsidy to the oil sector. After all, why carbon tax the public so they’ll use less oil, while simultaneously encouraging more oil development with an almost instantaneous rapid capital write-off.
 How are we liking this so far? Sunny ways? Oh yes, and then for those who really care about electoral reform, there was that broken promise on ridding us of the unfair first-past-the-post system. While one can accommodate foot dragging while a government slogs through the mud of its agenda, this was a veritable ‘balls-up’ and a breach of faith.
It’s a long road in political life until the next election. And what really matters are the first and last budgets in the cycle. Tweeners, like this one don’t really count much. And whether this is a made-in-Canada budget or not, Trudeau had to be looking over his shoulder at what is happening south of the border. Trump is just beginning his own tax reform process so it may have been sensible for us to wait. After all our guy doesn’t want to get too far out of sync with our greatest trading partner and best friend.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington 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:
Budget – Child Care Promises – Lock-Up Lunches –
Trudeau Popularity – Broken Promises –
Parliament Reform – More Parliament – Even More Parliament –
Transparency – Oil Subsidy – Bombardier – Pitfield –
Deficits –
 By Staff
March 31, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Every sector of the community looks for a place where it can share its viewpoint and get its message out.
This community is not the Chamber of Commerce set – they are men and women with expertise and experience that is not “on staff” at many organizations but that is needed from time to time.
 April 6th – from 4:00 to 8:00 pm., at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. It is a simple easy way to meet people who ply their trade – you never know who you are going to meet. And you usually come away knowing someone with a skill set that you will want to remember.
 It’s all about networking. James Burchill has been doing this for those independent practitioners who meet the needs of larger and medium sized businesses.
He calls it a Social Fusion Networking event that he holds at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. The event this year is April 6th – from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.
If you’re interested in free b2b networking [with hundreds of businesses] then you should check out next week’s [April 6] Social Fusion Networking event at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre from 4-8pm.
Burchill described his event in the easy folksy manner he brings to what he does: “Just show up, schmooze with hundreds of other business people. See how you get on.”
 By Staff
March 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Toronto-Dominion Friends of the Environment Foundation is sending the city a cheque for $20,000 to enhance the construction of a new community garden in Ireland Park. Construction of the new garden will begin this fall and will open in spring 2018. The garden will include 36 ground based plots and 3 raised accessible plots.
The city has come a long way since June of 2011 when Amy Schnurr of Burlington Green and Michelle Bennett stood as a tag team before city council trying to convince them to put up 15% of the cost of opening the first city based community garden.
 Amy Schnurr at the opening of the first community Garden. Former city general manager Scott Stewart on the left and Rob Peachy realizing that it was Schnurr and Burlington Green that got the city into community gardens. Council wasn’t all that keen on the idea but they couldn’t get away from the two women; they were relentless.
They prevailed and the community garden opened to some fanfare and has grown to the point where there are now four such gardens.
Construction of the new garden will begin this fall and will open in spring 2018. The garden will include 36 ground based plots and 3 raised accessible plots.
Funding will be used to expand accessible garden plots and accessible pathways throughout half of the community garden. These pathways will use wild thyme—a drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly ground-cover with reinforced turf mesh—rather than wood chips. This will result in an even, stable, accessible surface, allowing people with limited mobility equal opportunity to visit more areas of the community garden and interact with the other gardeners.
The grant will contribute to the cost of an accessible garden shed, an accessible picnic table and three raised, accessible garden plots.
A perennial garden will be planted around a one-metre border outside the garden fence to attract bees and add flowers to the area. TD FEF staff will be asked to help plant the perennial garden as part of TD’s staff volunteer program.
 Michelle Bennett – talked the city out of $11,000 + and created a network of community gardens. The city has four community gardens with 126 plots in total for 2017:
• Amherst Park
• Central Park
• Francis Road Bikeway
• Maple Park.
This year’s planting season will run from May 1 to Oct. 22, 2017. All plots have been assigned for this season.
The cost to rent a plot for the season is $50. Water, soil and compost are supplied and all plots have full sun.
Community garden applications are available online at www.burlington.ca/communitygardens, the Burlington Seniors’ Centre, or City Hall, 426 Brant St., at the Service Burlington counter. Completed applications are accepted until Nov. 30, 2017 for the 2018 planting season. Plots at all five gardens will be allocated by lottery at the close of the application period.
 By Pepper Parr
March 29, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What was originally planned as a two meeting consultation ended its seventh meeting with several of the 14 participants not certain they had finished the job they set out do – which for many was to ensure that their school did not close and for most to do everything they could to not close any schools.
There were some hard truths to be dealt with – there are 1800 plus secondary classroom seats empty and 3000 + elementary classroom seats that are not being filled.
 Empty classroom seats – 1800 + at the secondary level and 3000 + at the elementary level. Unsustainable. The problem was twofold – too many empty seats and catchment area boundaries that did not match well enough with the student population
It was during those conversations that the gap between the thinking the Board of Education does and the thinking the parents do – most of whom had strong private sector backgrounds, became painfully evident.
In thanking the 14 PARC participants Director of Education Stuart Miller was both positive and effusive. He had learned far more than he expected to learn and was much more aware of where the school board was failing to communicate effectively with parents.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller Miller mentioned how complex running an education system is and touched upon the acronyms that are used to describe the numerous programs that are offered to students. He added that the board knew the education side of the problem and the parents knew the community side of the problem and that the space between the two was much wider than he expected.
If anything comes out of this PARC exercise it is that there is a lot of work to be done by the board to get its story out to the community. Miller has to be given credit for that realization – now he has to find a way to improve that communication and accept that trustees cannot be expected to do all of it.
The options the Board has to deal with is to close one high school or two high schools or try really hard to find a way to not close any of the high schools.
The hard reality is that Burlington no longer has as many families as it once had – and there are nowhere near the number of young people being fed into the educational system
 The Director of Education admits that the Board has not managed to communicate effectively with the parents – the PARC process taught him that much. How does he change that dynamic? The problem is now in the hands of the Board staff who have to write reports that will go to the trustees who will then make the final decision – which will be on June 7th
The school year ends June 29th – there are a lot of educators who will want to get out of town real fast – the prospects for keeping all the schools open do not look that good.
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