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October 5th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Ooops! We erroneously told you that the Hydro Open House was on Saturday the 7th of October. We were wrong. Friday is a Professional development day for schools in Burlington and the |Open House is to take place on Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
October 5th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Anita Krajnc, 49, a woman currently on trial on mischief charges for giving water to pigs that were headed to slaughter last summer was arrested again Wednesday morning, this time at the scene of an accident where another truck full of pigs headed to the same pork plant flipped over in Burlington, Ont. Krajnc testified in her own defence in court on Monday. It is unclear what charges Krajnc is now facing. “We will release further information in regards to this occurrence at a later time,” said Halton Police Sgt. Barry Malciw.  Truck transporting 150+ pigs flips over yards away from slaughterhouse – pigs walk that last distance. The truck lost control and flipped over just after 7 a.m., Halton Police say, near the corner of Appleby Line and Harvester Road. That’s on the corner of the Fearmans Pork Plant, where the animals were headed for slaughter. Some of the pigs were roaming free for a time, but Halton police Staff Sergeant Peter Corner told the CBC that they have since been “corralled.” The Gazette thanks CBC Hamilton for much of the material in this piece.
October 5th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, the following online services will be unavailable from 4:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. for maintenance:
October 5th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Region is hosting its third job fair of 2016 on Wednesday, October 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Burlington Convention Centre (1120 Burloak Drive, Burlington). Job seekers are invited to bring their resumes and prepare to meet with more than 50 local employers.  Region holds Job Fair at Burlington Convention Centre “Halton Region’s unemployment rate is significantly lower than both the provincial and national rates and by partnering with local Halton employers we’re not only keeping our economy strong, we’re also helping to make a real difference in the daily lives of our residents,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “With a growing population, easy access to major markets and commitment to high-quality infrastructure, Halton is a great place to do business, as well as a great place to live and work.” Whether it’s technology, government, manufacturing, retail, hospitality or healthcare, October’s job fair will have employers from a diverse range of industries and is expecting approximately 1,000 skilled and motivated job seekers to attend. Every year, the two Employment Halton offices in Oakville and Milton offer a comprehensive range of programs and services to more than 8,000 job seekers and over 200 employers. Employment Halton also provides extensive services to the region’s employers to support their recruiting efforts with annual averages of more than 250 direct placement matches. As a service provider for Employment Ontario, Employment Halton offers resource centre services, one-on-one job search support, training incentives for employers, an online job board at haltonjobs.ca, apprenticeship opportunities and programs such as Second Career which provides assistance to participants as they retrain for a new career.
October 5th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON
Demonstrators descended on the truck laying on its side at the intersection of Appleby Line and Harvester Road that was carrying 150+ pigs headed for a nearby slaughterhouse. At 11 am this morning it was getting a little rowdy with one demonstrator arrested and police pushing others out of the way. The police were handling the demonstrators while the firemen did their best to handle the pigs – who seemed a little perplexed by it all. A video attached to a tweet is set out below – enjoy. The crisis management people at Fearmans must be wondering how to deal with this one.
October 5, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Eastbound Harvester Road will be closed for an extended period of time today, October 5th, while police investigate an accident involving a truck roll over. Truck carrying 150+ pigs flipped over while making a turn on its way to the slaughterhouse. Just after 7:00 am Wednesday morning, a truck carrying a reported 160 pigs lost control and flipped over at Apply Line and Harvester Road. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. The driver of the truck is being treated for minor injuries.  Firemen round up pigs that were in a truck that flipped over yards from the entrance to a slaughterhouse. The pigs were being transported to Fearmans Pork Plant. A number of pigs escaped from the truck; one radio report had a pig walking through a Tim Hortons drive through – take that report with a grain of salt. There is no report of any of the animals being killed – what makes the event relevant is the trial taking place on how these pigs can be treated by those he feel they are being mistreated. Burlington is in the third day of what look like a five day trial that has Anita Krajnc being charged with mischief for giving pigs in a truck water on a sweltering hot day.
October 4th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Those guys over at Burlington Hydro know how to make the system work for them. Last Saturday the city held an Open Doors event. Dozens of places around the city opened their doors – the Fire Station, Freeman Station, and the Union Burial Grounds to name a few. Hundreds of people poured in. How do you compete against attractions like that? Don’t compete – put you tent up on another day. Thinking like that explains why we pay the hydro people the big bucks.
Activities are taking place in different locales on the property: EVs along the front – displays and exhibits in the back garage – charity BBQ, bucket rides, and equipment on the back lot. North parking lot will be used for visitor parking.  One of the several EV’s that were available for a test drive at a recent historical auto show. Four or five EV will be available for test drives at the Burlington Hydro Open House. The EV cars will be lined up at the front of the building. Plug n’Drive brings 4 or 5 EVs that people will be able to test drive through the neighbourhood.
October 4th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON They do it every year – and every year the number of tickets issued and the number of rigs that get taken off the roads seems to climb. The 2016 Annual Truck Inspection Blitz at Mohawk Racetrack Starts Wednesday  Halton Regional Police have a unit dedicated to inspecting commercial vehicles. Halton Regional Police, in partnership with other police and law enforcement agencies, will be conducting a two-day commercial motor vehicle inspection & enforcement blitz October 5-6, 2016. The inspection site will be located at the Mohawk Racetrack on Guelph Line in the Town of Milton. Enforcement officers will deploy across Halton Region, which includes the 400 series highways, looking for commercial vehicles that appear to be deficient in mechanical fitness or display a safety or load concern. Those vehicles will then be escorted back to the inspection site at Mohawk.  Police officers trained to know what to focus on when they are inspecting commercial vehicles. This annual initiative is an integral part of Halton’s traffic enforcement strategy. Any vehicles found to be unsafe will be taken off the road. Cargo and the corresponding administrative paperwork required to be carried by the drivers will be inspected. Light commercial vehicles such as small panel trucks, cube vans and pick-up trucks with trailers will also be subject to this inspection. Last year a total of 472 trucks were inspected over a two-day period. Out of those inspected commercial motor vehicles 167 were taken out of service; a 35 percent failure rate. Traffic issues are seriously addressed in Halton Region. Enforcement campaigns such as this are essential to ensuring our roads and highways are safe for all users. We hope to send a message out to the thousands of commercial motor vehicle operators who travel on our roadways or through our region each day that compliance to rules and regulations is non-negotiable and community safety will not be compromised. One gets the impression that putting a rig that is known to be deficient and risking getting caught and paying a fine is just part of the cost of doing business and it cheaper than keeping equipment in top shape. Public safety doesn’t appear to be a major concern.  Deputy Chief Nishan Duraiappah, on the right, will be on hand to give the 75 officers that will be deployed a pep talk and emphasize the importance of the work they will be doing for the next two days. Detective Constable Paul Proteau listens carefully. To kick-off the event, Halton’s Deputy Chief of Police, Nishan Duraiappah, will be addressing the media and law enforcement officers at approximately 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Approximately 75 law enforcement officers from across the GTA have confirmed attendance. The media are invited to attend and observe those remarks made to the inspecting officers before they embark on the blitz and for photo opportunities. Mohawk Raceway is located at 9430 Guelph Line (Highway 401 and Guelph Line) in the Town of Milton.
October 4th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington does not take to change all that well. A change in the configuration of traffic lanes on New Street has everyone up in arms – both those wanting the change and those opposed to a change. The Halton District School Board has told the public, via the release of the agenda for the October 5th regular board meeting, that two of the city’s high school “could” be closed effective June 2018. Burlington has seven high schools: Aldershot High School, A recommendation to close two of the seven Burlington Central High school and the Lester B. Pearson high School, has left the community thunderstruck.  Central High – the school in th downtown core is where the biggest battle to remain will take place. The ward alderman has already come out against closing the school – fortunately the school board trustee might give the decision more thought and wait until there is more in the way of public feed back. Feathers flew, school board trustees were inundated with phone calls and emails. One can expect all kinds of misinformation to get in the way of what the board is being asked to approve.  The spunk and school pride at Lester B. Pearson may not transfer to M.M. Robinson where most of the students will transfer to in the 2019 school year. Some things to keep in mind: Staff prepare reports, they work within the provincial guidelines and have a collection of acronyms that that can’t be used in a Scrabble game. The staff report goes to the trustees – those men and women you elected two years ago – they are going to make the decision on your behalf. There is a well-developed process for community input – use it before you lose it. The proposed time line, assuming the trustees, go along with the staff recommendation is as follows: If the Program and Accommodation Review proceeds as scheduled the following is a proposed timeline for the implementation staff recommended (they are considering 19 different options) Completion of a PAR with a Final Decision in 8 – 9 months Capital Priorities Application and Funding takes 3 – 6 months Transition Planning takes 1 year Pre-Construction and Construction (project dependent) 1-3 years School Closing June 2018 Now to those acronyms – try to remember them – the process doesn’t make much sense without some understanding of what the Gazette has come to call “board speak” PAR – Program and Accommodation Review 1. The school or a group of schools has/have experienced or will experience declining enrolment where On-The-Ground Capacity (OTG) utilization rate is below 65%; 2. Reorganization involving the school or group of schools could enhance program delivery and learning opportunities; 3. Under normal staffing allocation practices, it would be necessary to assign three or more grades to one class in one or more schools; 4. The current physical condition of the schools negatively impacts the optimum operation of the building(s) and program delivery; 5. In respect of one or more of the schools under consideration there are safety, accessibility and/or environmental concerns associated with the building of the school site or its locality. LTAP – Long Term Accommodation Plan is something done by all school boards annually. The plan is adopted by the Board of Trustees. The document provides enrollment projections for the upcoming ten years for all schools in Halton. PARC Program and Accommodation Review Committee is an advisory group that acts as an official conduit for information shared between the Board of Trustees and their communities. The PARC will meet, review information, provide feedback from the community, and suggest options. Each PARC consists of a Trustee and Superintendent from an area outside of Burlington; Principal or designate, two parents/guardians Utilization rate – the percentage of the capacity that is being used.  The table set out above shows enrollment estimates for the next ten years, the capacity of all the high schools in the city; the percentage of that capacity that is being utilized and the amount of space that is available. These numbers are for all the high schools – a breakdown of the numbers for each school is set out below. Staff are recommending that two high schools be closed in June of 2018:  The Utilization rate is just too low to justify keep the school open. Lester B. Pearson High School, Grades 9-12, located north of the QEW between Guelph Line and Walker’s Line. The school offers English and Late French Immersion programming. It is the only school in Halton to have Late French Immersion. Late French Immersion begins in Grade 7 at Sir E. MacMillan Public School. Growth from infill developments are included in projections. The utilization is 65% and it is expected to decline. There currently is an excess of 220 spaces in the facility. Enrollments in Grades 9-11 English are expected to be less than100 students per grade. The board staff may have failed to recognize the changes taking place between Guelph Line and Walkers Line – east and west and between Upper Middle and Mainway – north south. Real Estate agents will quickly tell you that multiple families are living in a single detached house with basements being converted into a bedroom for four and six children. Many of these families are from the Middle East and culturally they are comfortable with a large family in the house – this is the way they choose to live because it is the only way they can afford houses in that community.  The Burlington Central facility houses elementary and secondary school classes (Grades 7-12) and is located within the downtown core. Combined with adjacent Central PS (K – Grade 6), this facility forms a part of a K-12 campus. This school offers English and French Immersion programming. Enrolments are projected to be stable. Growth from infill developments are included. The high school’s utilization is expected to remain stable at 68% capacity. In 2015, there were 376 available pupil places in the facility. Burlington Central is the only facility without an elevator/stairlift. The sports field lands are not owned by the Halton District School Board. Staff is recommending that Burlington Central HS be closed effective June 2018. All secondary students, west of Brant St., will be redirected to Aldershot HS and secondary students east of Brant St to be redirected to Nelson HS. This recommendation does not include the redirection of Grade 7 and 8 students from the Burlington Central Elementary PS. In the event that the decision is made to close this high school, there is a potential that a Program and Accommodation Review may be required for the elementary schools that currently feed into Burlington Central PS for Grades 7 and 8. The enrollment, utilization ans space available in the other five schools is as follows:  Located within the Aldershot community in southwest Burlington, the Aldershot facility houses elementary (Grades 7-8) and secondary classes (Grades 9-12). It is the only Grade 7-12 school available west of QEW/407 ETR. This school offers English and French Immersion programming. Enrolments are projected to decline beyond 2020. In 2015, there were 327 available pupil places in the facility. Growth from infill developments and North Aldershot Planning Area developments are included in the projections. The high school’s utilization is currently 78% and is expected to increase to 83%, by 2019. It is projected there will be close to 100 English secondary students per grade (excluding Grade 12). Aldershot High School  Nelson High School, Grades 9-12, is located south of the QEW between Walker’s Line and Appleby Line. This school offers English, French Immersion, and Secondary Gifted Placement. Enrolments are expected to increase over the next ten years. Growth from infill developments are included in the projections. Nelson HS utilization rates are expected to remain above 80%. Nelson HS has the second highest high school utilization in Burlington. There is an excess of 343 available places at this school in 2015. There is support for a Nelson Stadium Revitalization project between the community, Board and Burlington staff. Nelson High School  M.M. Robinson High School, Grades 9-12 is located north of the QEW between Guelph Line and 407 ETR. The school offers English, French Immersion and SC-SPED programming. It is one of two schools to offer SC-SPED programming in Burlington. The SC-SPED program was added to the school in 2013. Growth from infill developments are included in the projections. The utilization is below 55% and is expected to decline. There is currently an excess of 617 spaces in this facility. M.M. Robinson High School  Robert Bateman HS Robert Bateman High School, Grades 9-12, is located south of the QEW between Appleby Line and Burloak Drive. A small area known as Samuel Curtis Estate in Oakville is directed to this school. The school offers English programming, International Baccalaureate programming (IB) and a variety of Self Contained-Special Education (SC-SPED) programs. Robert Bateman High School is the only school in Burlington to offer the IB program. This program attracts students from senior elementary schools in the Burlington area. This high school is one of two schools to offer SC-SPED classes and as such, this school has specialized facilities to accommodate the programs. Growth from infill development is included in the projections. Utilization is below 65% and is expected to decline. There currently is an excess of 500 spaces in the facility. The combined English program and IB program is expected to be under 100 students per grade (excluding Grade 12), by 2022. Hayden is already over-utilized and there are three new developments that are going to feed into the school – the third is the development at Dundas and Walkers Line.  Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School, Grades 9-12, is Burlington’s newest high school located in Alton Village, north of Dundas St. It opened in 2013 and offers English and French Immersion programming. Enrolments are expected to increase. It is the only high school in Burlington that is currently above total capacity (2016) and is expected to continue to grow until 2021. Growth from new development west of Guelph Line and north of Dundas Street, and infill development is included in the projections. Current utilization is 118%. A major development application has been submitted after projections have been created for the 2015-2016 LTAP in the Evergreen Community, located north of Dundas St., and west of Tremaine Line. This area has not been assigned to a specific school. The development consists of 907 residential units. The City of Burlington is in the midst of creating a secondary plan. It is anticipated that there will be approximately 50 secondary students from this area. The closest high school to this development is Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS. Using the space that is available in a school if there aren’t enough bums to put in the seats. The province recently gave the school boards permission to rent out some of their space to community organizations. The Community Planning and Partnership Guidelines directs Boards to identify potential partnership opportunities and to share such opportunities with government agencies and parties that expressed interest for such opportunities. In response, the Halton District School Board adopted the new Community Planning and Partnership Policy on October 21, 2015. The first annual Community Planning and Partnership meeting was held on June 22, 2016, in Burlington. Approximately eight organizations had representatives at this meeting. There have been three follow up meetings and preliminary inquiries with interested partners since June 2016. At this time, there has been expressed interest in potential partnerships, but no specific details related to a partnership within a Burlington secondary school. What is possible with both is re configuring them into affordable housing which is a Regional responsibility. However, surely the Region could pick up the telephone and call the school board and ask: ‘What do you think of the idea of selling the buildings to a developer we can convince to take on such a project.’ Have a chat with the four major developers who want some additional height and density and suggest a proposal to turn a high school into affordable housing units might elicit a favourable response to more height and density. None of the developers in this city are interested in including affordable units in their buildings – they are marketing a lifestyle that doesn’t include people who can’t afford a unit that is going for something north of $400,000 Closing one high school in a community the size of Burlington would be a big deal – suggesting that two be closed at the same time is a bigger piece of meat than th school board can chew through in the time frame they have given themselves. These decisions are Burlington decisions – but there are school board trustees from Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills – what impact will their votes have on a Burlington situation? Interesting times ahead – stay tuned.
October 4th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
I’d heard about it; drove by the place hundreds of times, knew what it was but had never had a chance to actually go into the place. It was the Union Burial grounds on Plains Road established in 1848 by ten pioneer families who were members of the Methodist Union.  A brick wall, first built around 1882 to enclose the Union Burial grounds, now needs both renovation and repair The chief architectural feature is the fine brick wall surrounding the 138-by 104-foot burying ground. The wall was built around 1882 by brick mason Jabez Bent. There are also fine wrought iron gates at the front and side. The memorial markers commemorate some of the earliest pioneers in this area. The site was originally farm land owned by Asahel Davis, a Methodist, a community who wanted burying grounds separate from those established by the Anglican Church at St Luke’s and St John’s. Religious differences were a big deal in those days.  The Ghent’s were prominent farmers in Burlington. Both Thomas and hos wife Elizabeth rest in the Union Burial grounds. The families holding plots in the Union cemetery were major contributors to the early growth, prosperity, and well-being of Nelson and the Village of Wellington Square which are parts of what we know as Burlington today. The Baxter’s, the Crosby’s, the Cummins’s, the Davis’s, the Fisher’s, the Gage’s, the Galloway’s, the Ghent’s, the Kerns’s and the Pearl’s – the families whose names identify many of our strrets created their own cemetery. It is quite run down these days. The families moved on and there aren’t that many descendants of its founders around to continue to manage and maintain this historic burial place. The brick wall is, sadly, in need of restoration. The wrought iron gates and original name plaque also date from 1888. The grave markers are invaluable historic records and also merit preservation. This cemetery feels especially unique given it’s setting of urban development. “The families who created this cemetery came to Canada during the American Revolution. They were British and chose to remain part of the British Empire in North America. The Americans were in the process of creating their own country, there were just 13 colonial states at the time, who didn’t want the British imposing taxes on them. Out of the struggle between the Thirteen Colonies and their mother country emerged two nations: the United States and what would later became Canada.  The smaller markers recognize members of the family – several for children that died at a very young age. “Those that left the colonies became known as The United Empire Loyalists who wanted to remain faithful to the Crown and wished to continue living in the New World. Therefore, they left their homes to settle eventually in what remained of British North America. For many years after those people would put the letters UE after their names – United Empire. Many of the markers in the Union Burial ground have those letters on the stones. “The Loyalists came from every class and walk of life. Some depended on the Crown for their livelihood and status and had considerable wealth and property. Many were farmers and craftsmen. There were clerks and clergymen, lawyers and labourers, solders and slaves, Native Americans, college graduates, and people who could not write their own names. Recent immigrants from Europe also tended to support the Crown. “They had little in common but their opposition to the revolution. Their reasons for becoming Loyalists were as varied as their backgrounds. Some had strong ties with Britain: others had simply supported what turned out to be the losing side. Local incidents, fear of change, self-interest, political principles, emotional bonds – one or any combination of these influenced their decision to remain loyal to the Crown. The common thread that linked these diverse groups was a distrust of too much democracy which they believed resulted in mob rule and an accompanying breakdown of law and order. The Reverend Mather Byles mused, “Which is better – to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?” Loyalists believed that the British connection guaranteed them a more secure and prosperous life than republicanism would. “Historians estimate that ten to fifteen per cent of the population of the Thirteen Colonies – some 250,000 people opposed the revolution; some passively, others by speaking out, spying, or fighting against the rebels. Approximately 70,000 Loyalists fled the Thirteen Colonies with roughly 50,000 settling in British North America. “Of less practical value than land and supplies, but of more lasting significance to the Loyalists and their descendants, was the government’s recognition of the stand that they had taken. Realizing the importance of some type of consideration, on November 9, 1789, Lord Dorchester, the governor of Quebec, declared “that it was his Wish to put the mark of Honour upon the Families who had adhered to the Unity of the Empire…” As a result of Dorchester’s statement, the printed militia rolls carried the notation: U.E., alluding to their great principle The Unity of the Empire. “Those initials “U.E.” are rarely seen today, but the influence of the Loyalists on the evolution of Canada remains. Their ties with Britain and their antipathy to the United States provided the strength needed to keep Canada independent and distinct in North America. “In the two centuries since the Loyalists’ arrival, the myths and realities of their heritage have intertwined to have a powerful influence on how we, as Canadians, see ourselves. Truly, the arrival of the United Empire Loyalists not only changed the course of Canadian history by prompting the British government to establish the provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario, but it also gave them special characteristics which can be seen today. Perhaps the most striking of these is the motto on the Ontario coat of arms: Ut incepit Fidelis sic permanet that is, “Loyal she began, Loyal she remains.” One of the people telling the story of the Union Burial grounds on Saturday was Stephen Davis, a surveyor who works for the Region; his descendants are buried on the grounds. “We restored the rear wall and we will re-build the west wall. Trees planted too close to the wall grew and pushed over the brick work. It is a lot of work and we don’t have that much time – we are busy raising our family’s and some of the families buried here have moved on” said Davis. Davis is working on some ideas on how young people can develop an interest in their ancestry and take part in the rehabilitation of a significant part of Burlington’s history. Related articleL: Does the Ghent house on Brant Street at Ghent matter historically?Large portion of this report came from a document written by Ann Mackenzie M.A.
October 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Halton Regional Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two persons of interest (POI). It’s believed that these two persons are connected to a series of distraction type purse thefts throughout the region of Halton since mid-June.  One of two “persons of interest” the Halton Regional Police would like to talk to – whenever they are around hotel lobbies purses seem to disappear. Better quality cameras would have these suspects in handcuffs by now. Suspects have been attending hotel restaurants during the breakfast hour and stealing purses left on chairs while patrons are distracted and/or getting food from buffet tables. Many of the victims are females visiting from other countries. As such, they are often carrying passports, jewelry and large sums in cash needed for travel.  Is this someone you think you recognize? Crime Stoppers would like to hear from you. In one incident in Oakville, it was reported that suspects stole a purse containing approximately $25,000.00 worth of jewelry and $8,000.00 in cash. Police believe that this large amount has motivated those responsible to target additional hotels. Eight similar thefts have occurred in Halton since July 1. Residents are reminded that anyone can become a victim of a crime of opportunity and the best safeguard is to remain vigilant of your surroundings and keep valuables directly on your person at all times. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Detective Tom Hockney at 905-825-4747 ext. 2491 (Milton and Halton Hills), Detective Mick Leighton at 905-825-4747 ext. 2218 (Oakville), or Detective Phil Vandenbeukel at 905-825-4747 ext. 2343 (Burlington). Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
October 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
What does 2334 people gathered together in the shape of a J in Spencer Smith Park look like? You saw it here first in the Gazette.  An additional 1039 people could have filled those empty patches. There is an opportunity for those who didn’t take part to do the right thing with the Paletta Matching $5 million campaign goes into high gear. Was the reason for falling short of that 3373 + 1 target because of the weather? There were a number of hearty souls who braved the rain – and it was raining when the first 700 people showed up, Or was there some other reason – it would be useful for the hospital to fully understand why we didn’t exceed the target. Is support for the hospital a mile while but just an inch thick? They will say of course it isn’t – it’s a mile wide and a mile deep. The Gazette doesn’t share that view. It could be and should be a mile wide and a mile deep. That it does not appear to be so is a serious issue for this community. Medicine is science; science is based on facts and evidence. It would be worth the while to look at the evidence. The 2334 total was nothing to sneeze at – but when you look at that magnificent J – there are a lot of empty patches aren’t there? Why?  The objective was to get 3373 + 1 people inside that yellow rope so the person in the cherry picker could verify the count – we have no idea how they did that. In a media release the hospital Foundation said: The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation kicked off its “Join the J” fundraising campaign yesterday in Spencer Smith Park with over 2,334 people forming a giant J. In large part due to significant rain, the attempt fell just short of the goal of breaking a Guinness world record for creating the largest human letter. However, the Foundation’s primary goal of raising awareness for the start of its fundraising campaign was met and those in attendance had a good time, learned about the campaign, and the new Joseph Brant Hospital. “We were on track and expected to set the Guinness record today, but not surprisingly the weather kept a number of community participants away,” says Anissa Hilborn, president, Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. “The real goal of engaging people from across our community to launch “Join the J” in a unique way was definitely met. We are encouraged by the support from so many members of our community.” The “Join the J” campaign will run until the goal of $60 Million is raised. The Foundation recently announced they have raised $50 Million to date, and with the Pasquale & Anita Paletta Family Match Challenge hope to raise the remaining $10M before the new Hospital opens in 2018-2019.  It was a great time for the kids – rain and rubber boots plus a nifty poncho – that was all they needed to make a day of it. “We had planned for a number of factors, including the weather, but you can’t always anticipate how people will respond in these situations,” adds Hilborn. “The event was still fun, and we want to thank all those who made the effort, and our sponsors and partners including TD, Hill’s Video, Access Storage, City of Burlington, Super Save Group, Bell Media, Burlington Mall, Kernels Mapleview Mall, Access Printing and Attridge Transportation. Everyone has been very supportive and we look forward to their continued support as we have many more events and initiatives planned for the months ahead.”
October 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
When David Vollick was accepted by city council in 2011 as the Town Crier there was just the one condition – that he not look to the city for financial support.  Glenn Gillespie, a Beachway resident meets Town Crier David Vollick. Vollick wasn’t asking Council to pay him to do the job but he did point at that the people getting the benefit of the Crier usually pay a small stipend to cover the cost of cleaning the elaborate uniform he wears. As Dave pointed out ”it costs $50 to have this uniform cleaned and pressed.” It continues that way. The city will frequently ask Vollock to appear – which he does. Doesn’t get a dime. Last Sunday Vollick appeared once again as the Town Crier at the “Join the J” event at Spencer Smith Park. It was raining a bit and the grounds were muddy.  Town Crier David Vollick reading a message to Council in December of 2011. We bumped into Glenn Gillespie, a Beachway resident who intends to stay in the home he owns despite the desire of the Regional government to buy it. While introducing Glenn to David mention was made of the cost of cleaning the Town Crier Uniform. It took Glenn all of 10 seconds to offer to pay for the cleaning. “I will arrange for my company to pay the cleaning bill for you” offered Glenn – which David willingly accepted. Finally, someone has done the decent thing.
October 2, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The weather didn’t help. Despite pouring rain – hundreds showed up and waited for a process to be counted.  It was raining steadily as people began to enter the park – the sun did make an appearance – it could have shown itself earlier. The grass at Spencer Smith Park was squishy and had begun to turn muddy – that didn’t prevent those hundreds from growing into 1000, then into 2000 and finally into 2334. But it wasn’t enough.  Anissa Hilbourn, president of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation, When Anissa Hilbourn, president of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation, came up with the idea, the record – 2165 – was held by Dell Technologies As the hospital Foundation was doing all the prep week for the event – which was to fill the shape of a J with at least 2166 people, Queen’s University, which was celebrating its 175th anniversary decided to go for the record and put thousands of people inside the shape of a Q. They did that at Richardson stadium in Kingston – 3373 people formed in the shape of a Q The hospital Foundation had a much different challenge in front of them – 2166 was really do-able for Burlington – 3373 was a much different situation.  The curl of the J started in the east and worked its way westward in Spencer Smith Park.  The length of the line of people was impressive and …  … and it kept on going and going and going.  2334 people who will be wearing an orange armband – they did their best to make history. They didn’t because you were not there. The crowd began to assemble before noon even though it was raining – not a downpour but certainly a steady falling of rain.  The challenge was to text, to tweet and to telephone and drag your friends out. At about 12:15 the sun broke through and it looked as if it just might be possible. The Master of ceremonies kept encouraging the crowd to text everyone they knew. “Get the message out” he implored people to do. He called out to those living in the condominiums across the street from the park to “come out – the sun is shining” – but it wasn’t enough.  The end of a disappointing day but only in terms of the numbers. The people who were there didn’t see the day as a failure. The hospital they were supporting was a km or more to the west. The Guinness World Book of Records official announced that the number of people inside the J that stretched almost the full length of Spencer Smith Park was 2334.
September 29th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
The New Street bike lanes and the impact they are having on traffic. Drove west on New Street Wednesday evening at just after 5:00 pm. Had to come to a full stop at Dynes and Woodview – the stop didn’t last more than 15 seconds, not long enough for the blood pressure to rise. Did not see a single cyclist on either side of the street on the trip west. I doubled back and saw one cyclist on the south side of the street as I drove east.  Device that counts the number of cars that pass by – same thing can be used for bicycles. What I didn’t see at all was those little boxes with a thick wire coming out of it to count the number of cars and or cyclists that pass and wondered …. How is the city going to know if the pilot is a success or not if they don’t do constant counts? Wasn’t the success of the pilot going to be based on evidence and not just the rants and raves of those who think the pilot was a travesty? The pilot project was a decent idea – bu if data isn’t collected regularly – then it is just plain dumb. Our poor Mayor at times feels he is being accosted by his peers at the Y where he exercises – they, according to the Mayor, gang up on him asking why the bike lanes were installed. The time to gang up on the man is when ballots get cast in 2018.
September 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Member of Parliament Karina Gould, suggested to the Speaker of the House of Commons yesterday that Parliament Hill follow the practice our city has of men wearing high heels as part of a statement to end violence against women.
“The message is simple: we will not end violence against women and children if boys and men are not included in the conversation and part of the solution. I thank all the boys and men for their leadership and their positive role modelling to help raise awareness and funds for a heroic organization in my community that provides vital support for our most vulnerable in their time of need. “I was thinking that the event was such a success this weekend in Burlington that maybe we should organize a Hope in High Heels on the Hill. “Are you up for it, Mr. Speaker?”
September 27, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Correction: There are no dairy operations in Burlington – there are two in Milton and 10 in Halton Hills! We thank Milton Councillor Colin Best for the correction. There isn’t a single dairy herd in Burlington – but there are some very interesting agricultural organization north of Highway 5 in Burlington and elsewhere in the Region. Each year the Halton Agriculture; Advisory Committee (HAAC) organizes a tour to showcase just what is being done agriculturally in the Region – the tour this year highlighted three operations and gave us a peek at a development at the Country Heritage Museum that could be very significant.  Not a very pretty piece of equipment but it get the broccoli into crates ready for delivery. One of the farm operations we visited had just two customers – but they employ more than 25 seasonal workers who harvest cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli and have a piece of equipment that gets broccoli out of the ground and into packing crates. It is the most ungainly thing you can imagine but it works.  Councillor John Taylor on an agricultural tour sampling lavender flavoured ice cream – it was pretty good. Another operation is part farming and part agri-tourism that has been so successful with social media that Facebook executives visited the operation to get a closer look at just how they make it work. The operation, a lavender farm pulls in 20,000 visitors a year at an entrance fee ranging between $5 and $20. And sells them high end products that have lavender in them. A third farm operation is run by a couple that are into everything: pigs, chickens, lambs, beef cattle and a curiosity that has them experimenting with all kinds of grasses they think can be effectively marketed.  Red Angus beef cattle on the Mabel May Farm – fresh meats available at the farm gate. This couple, Norman and Meaghan Richardson are close to being pioneers. Over the next few days we will tell you more about just what the farmers are doing in the fields
September 27, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
So – you’ve been in business for a reasonable period of time and you now need to expand your reach into your market. Or you are climbing the corporate ladder and you want to grow your personal network. Keith Hoey, president of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce told an audience of new members that people buy things from people they know” and added – “so get to know people – network, that is what the Chamber of Commerce can help you do.”  If you had a question: Keith Hooey had an answer for you. All part of his regular new member orientation sessions. You know that networking is the key to it all – but where do you go to begin creating that all important personal network? Ask that question of Hooey, and he will whip out an application form faster than you can pull out a business card. Hoey is passionate about the work he does. He is unrelenting and is also a very funny guy. Last week, the Gazette sat in on an orientation session for new Chamber of Commerce members – there were about 35 people gathered at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.  As interesting as Keith Hooey, president of the Chamber of Commerce was – there was business to be done. Hoey wasn’t selling memberships – the people in the room were already members – what Hooey was doing was explaining just how good a deal they had gotten themselves into. The benefits were impressive – Hoey almost made it sound as if you could end up making money on a Chamber of Commerce membership. The 3.5% discount on gas purchases will certainly get you started on the savings side. If you are a small business operator there is the opportunity to sign your staff up to a health benefits plan. The opportunities to meet people are abundant. There is he Before 9 crowd and the Business After 5 crowd that were described by Hooey as the best networking opportunities in the city. The selling features that Hoey focused on were the Chamber’s three prime purposes: Networking, Education and Advocacy. The organization has over 1,000 corporate members, ran 103 events last year and has eight committees advocating on behalf of their membership. How effective is the Burlington Chamber of Commerce in advocating or its members? Hoey gives on sterling example. There was a time when Burlington was short 22 doctors which was hurting companies that wanted to attract talent to the city. A committee was put together and after a period of time – these things do take time – a program was put in place that attracted doctors to the city – Burlington is now just two doctors short of what it should have the size of its population. Hoey had one word of caution for the new members he was orienting – “I hope you joined because you are interested”. An uninterested member was a person Hooey would chat up and give them reasons to become interested. One critical comment: Hoey will tell people to “get out there and make money”. One doesn’t hear him say – and “give back to your community”. Other than that he does a great job. He gave the new members all the time they needed and answered all the questions they asked – and kept looking at the clock – checking the time. Hoey was leaving for a Chamber trip to India – a part of the world he had not been to before. And he had yet to pack for his afternoon flight.
September 27, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Phase II Road Closure is expected to remain in effect until October 16, 2016. For access to the Joseph Brant Museum, Joseph Brant Hospitalloading dock and hospital construction site trailer, use North Shore Blvd/Maple Avenue. For access to the following locations, use the Eastport Drive detour route: • Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant  Map with detours that will be in place until October 16th, 2016 On October 17, 2016 Lakeshore Road, south of the Maple Avenue / North Shore Boulevard Lakeshore Road will be open to traffic, but will remain a construction site, with the following works scheduled to take place: • Completion of traffic signal and street light installation 2016 Construction works are scheduled to be completed by mid November 2016 with toplift asphalt Changes to Hamilton Street Railway Company (HSR) During Construction HSR service will be returning to Lakeshore Road. The date is yet to be finalized. For more Lakeshore Road was raised about one metre to align with the hospital. The raised portion of the road extends to the water treatment plant.  The Region purchased this property for a reported $550,000 – and then tore it down. Longer term, the road is expected to take a sharp turn to the right to accommodate the Regional Plans for a much larger Beachway recreation area, The longer term plan includes buying up the more than 25 homes still in he area on a willing seller – willing buyer basis. The Regional government is the willing buyer and has been offering good prices and a number of sweetheart deal initiatives.  Longer term the Beachway we know now will be a much different place – all that green in the photograph will be parkland with different themes for different sections of the property – and all the home will eventually be gone – IF the current plan comes to full fruition. If you have any questions about this project, please call Jeff Thompson at 905 335-7600, ext. 7669 or
September 26th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON
The debate on the installing of dedicated bike lanes on New Street was the thin edge of the wedge that is leading the city into a full blown review of both the way land is used in the city and how we transport ourselves. Sometime ago the city hired Brent Toderian to consult with the planning and transportation departments. Set out below is the “reporting letter” Toderian sent the city before the Committee of the While meeting last week that set out what Toderian described as a bold new move. Toderian UrbanWORKS (TUW), the corporate name this consultant uses explains that the reporting letter is what is behind the support for Council consideration of a proposed launch of a public engagement exercise for a new City of Burlington Transportation Plan.  Burlington as it was in 2013 – before the pier was completed. Council has decided it needs to grow up rther than out. How are they going to do that? TUW has been providing city planning, transportation and general operational and culture change advisory services to the City of Burlington since November, 2015. The engagement with the City has been strategically and deliberately broad/flexible, including advice on the City’s proposed new official plan, various transit – oriented development considerations, and more general city planning, urban design, communications, cultural, and capacity – building aspirations. The most specific and “deep” example of TUW’s consulting services to the City has been in the creation of a new Transportation Plan, the subject of this RL. The following is what Toderian wrote in his “reporting letter” Intended transportation plan, nature and structure: Informed by extensive discussions with city staff, the intention for the Transportation Plan work program is to prepare a plan document organized around a new central transportation vision, eight powerful “new directions,” and a series of new implementing policies and actions under each new direction. Actions will include, among other things, new work programs that will extend from the transportation plan, and be guided by it. The intention is NOT to make any detailed transportation alignment or design decisions as part of the Transportation Plan that would require processes such as environmental assessment – these would come later. Before any such detailed work is undertaken, and indeed before it CAN be properly undertaken, it is critically important for the City to consider and decide on a significant new direction for the city’s transportation. Our working title for the Transportation Plan, which should have a dynamic and engaging brand, is How we got here: The City of Burlington is at a turning point. We would say that we’ve reached a “fork in the road,” but frankly that is left – over language from a car – first transportation era. Building on decades of evolution in transportation thinking over many plans, policies & initiatives, two significant recent events have sparked a game – changing new conversation about mobility in Burlington. The first is the April 11, 2016 Council adoption of Burlington’s Strategic Plan 2015–2040. The bold new Strategic Plan contains unprecedented aspiration and commitments regarding both “A City That Grows” and “A City That Moves” — and to be more specific, a city that will move in a fundamentally different way in the future than it has in the past, as it grows in a different way than it has in the past.  Alton Village was a prime example of urban sprawl – the type of construction the city wants to see less of – the last of the new development in Alton is currently underway at the intersection of Walkers Line and Dundas. The second is the significant declaration by Mayor Goldring and City Council in 2015 that Burlington is the first Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) municipality to “stop urban sprawl” and become a city that is “growing up rather than out.” City leaders realize that for such a transformation to be successful, with resulting greater livability, quality of life, sustainability, equity, & healthy living, our city’s mobility and accessibility will need to be fundamentally rethought and rebuilt. The way we’ve been visioning, planning and designing our transportation networks as the city has grown outward has fundamentally focused on moving cars to such an extent that other mobility options are either not present, or at best are not practical. This approach will not succeed if we are to be a city growing upward and inward. Following these two big events, Council made two related critical decisions on July 7th of this year: 1. Council supported a new urban structure for the City with growth focused in downtown.  The city created four mobility hubs. Aldershot once appeared to be the one the city planned on starting with – that idea may have changed. The hub at the Burlington GO station linked to the hub in the downtown core may become the first to be developed. Burlington, at our GO Stations (Mobility Hubs), and along the connecting corridors of Brant Street (between hubs) and the Plains Fairview Corridor (connecting all three GO hubs). This smart, strategic land use facilitates, and is facilitated by, a different approach to mobility than Burlington has focused on in the past. 2. Council approved strategic and unprecedented funding for the detailed planning and implementation of growth in the planned Mobility Hubs. To further facilitate this turning point, and to begin the process of creating a new Transportation Plan for the City, we have prepared a DRAFT vision statement for Burlington’s new era of transportation. This Draft Vision draws from, and is inspired and directed by, existing policy, the new Strategic Plan, and recent community conversations about the future of our city. This Draft is not intended to be finished, but rather to start a conversation about what an ultimate new vision should include. Since beginning this work, the City has released a new communications strategy relative to the preparation to a new Official Plan and Transportation Plan for Burlington. The key message in this strategy is the need for us to “Grow Bold.” This message – this NEED – is in keeping with and is further inspiring our changing thinking around transportation. We will indeed need to grow bold in our thinking and building, and we will need to GO BOLDLY toward a better, more successful city as we grow.  Citizens meting with planners and developers to talk about how they want to see development taking place. The two meetings were held by ward 2 Councillor Marie Anne Med Ward. Her final report has yet to be released. The meetings were classic public engagement. A plan with almost perfect vision, aspiration and policy can still fail in the “buy-in,” implementation and follow through. Indeed, disconnects between vision and implementation are the most common reason for failure of plan achievement. Failure can occur when plans aren’t given significant weight and value by Council, staff, and/or the community, and thus “sit on a shelf collecting dust.” Plans also often frequently fail when there are disconnects between plan vision/aspiration and actual budget decisions. The goal of this Direction is to dedicate significant corporate energy and attention to ensuring that every level of follow-through, from culture change and capacity – building, to detailed levels of implementation & budgeting; is considered, and has been strategically positioned for success. This Plan will be a powerful catalyst for real change, and will not sit on a shelf collecting dust. Next steps. After the Council Workshop in September, the intention is to share this draft vision and 8 draft new directions with the public as a public “launch” for the new Transportation Plan. City transportation staff have coordinated closely with staff from other departments so that public engagement opportunities and efforts between the new transportation plan and the new official plan can be “piggy-backed” as much as possible.  Citizens talking amongst themselves about the kind of development they would like to see take place in their ward. It continues to be TUW’s advice to the city that all opportunities for less formal/”traditional” engagement contact with the public should be taken advantage of. The bedrock of this way of thinking is to “go where the people already are, rather than expecting the public to come to you.” Shopping centres, schools, events, fairs & festivals, markets, “pop-up” street installations and churches should all be considered to ensure that engagement reaches the broadest possible community, including those who would not normally engage with city participation processes. In addition to face-to -face connections, TUW recommends that individual transportation plan – related social media accounts be created (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc) ASAP , bolstered by the existing citywide accounts, to help create a new brand and specialized on – line conversation for the Transportation Plan. These will continue to be an asset after the Plan is approved, over years of implementation and review. Our intention is to take a very proactive approach to explaining to the public the “origin story” of this draft Vision and these 8 draft New Directions. In particular, it needs to be clearly explained how they seek to “make real” the commitments in the already Council – approved Strategic Plan. In that sense, it is not our intention to ask the public for comment on whether we are generally “on the right general track.” The truth is that Council’s existing approvals have already put us on that general track. We would be honest and transparent about that.  Can the city learn how real citizen engagement is done – or will they continue with the practice of showing the citizens what they plan to do and asking for approval? Having said that, we WOULD be communicating to the public that the draft text is considered far from finished, and for that matter far from perfect, and thus we invite comment on whether we’ve taken the right approaches & have the right language, with the intention of using such input to produce a final version of the Vision and eight New Directions. Based on this input , New Directions may be added, removed, revised or consolidated. Further, and very importantly, we would be inviting the public to comment on/recommend specific policies, actions or changes that the city should undertake in order to realize this vision and facilitate these New Directions. Conclusions. We eagerly await our opportunity to workshop these challenging and dynamic New Directions for Burlington transportation. They are inspired by, and hope to further inspire, the ambitious and bold thinking that Council has already been showing. This is a critical and significant step for the city. While city hall feels it has done a good job of explaining its Strategic Plan to the population – we would be hard pressed to find more than 2 out of every 100 people in the city who knows what the document says and what its implications really are. That inability to communicate is not just the fault of the city – communication is a two way street – speakers and listeners – most of Burlington hasn’t been listening – and the city doesn’t really know how to communicate with its citizens. Many suggest that the majority of this city council don’t want to communicate – they just want to decide what should be done and then go ahead and do it.
One wonders if such a project would be approved today.
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Our apologies
“Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, Halton Women’s Place held its seventh annual Hope in High Heels event in my riding of Burlington. Boys and men of all ages from 8 to 82, including our mayor, fire chief, Halton police, labour, business, and sports leaders, and my husband and my brother all slipped into a pair of hot-pink heels and strutted in solidarity with Halton Women’s Place to fight to end violence against women.
There is a construction crew working diligently on the south side of Lakeshore Road pouring concrete at an incredible rate to put up a 22 storey condominium along with a seven storey condominium and an eight story hotel. Getting that project to the point where there is a hole in the ground began back in 1985. It was approved when Walter Mulkewich was Mayor of the city.
