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May 25, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Symphony on the Bay: The Orchestra for Kids. May 28 11:00 AM Admission is $10 + HST for children (one free chaperone per child). This program was sold out last year so buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment.  All this – for $10 
May 24, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON With the Performing Arts program for the 2016/17 season now known, the next major event on the cultural calendar is the annual Art Gallery Burlington art sale – this is the 38th such sale. It draws a different crowd than the Performing Arts; a little younger, a little more hip and a lot more fashionable. You will actually see people turned out in well-cut suits and smartly fitted dresses. This crowd usually has more in the way of disposable income. The art sale usually has a better buzz to it – maybe that’s because it has a longer pedigree.  Some of the choices in the 38th annual art gallery sale. The event is an occasion to chat with your peers, freshen your network and button hole someone you wanted to “bump into”. There is an ample bar and surprisingly different finger food. The catering crowd seems to pull out their top menus for the Performing Arts crowd and then one up things at the art gallery sale. All the art will be displayed in the Lee Chin Family room. The sale kicks off at our Public Opening Preview on May 29th at 2pm, and runs until our Live Auction evening on June 3rd.  Tom Thomson’s iconic Jack Pine This year’s Art Auction celebrates the 100th anniversary of The Jack Pine, a beloved oil painting by Canadian artist Tom Thomson that has become an iconic representation of There will be a collection of Tom Thomson paintings on display in the Perry Gallery – they are on loan from the PLACE
May 24th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON After the reveal of a pleasantly balanced offering for the 2016/17 season the Performing Arts Centre opens the box office to the public Online sales begin at noon today. On Wednesday in person at the box office sales begin at 9:00 am with telephone sales beginning at noon. The Centre put on a performance last Thursday that went through the full line up, and then, as is now their custom, allowed their VIP members to place their ticket orders several days before the general public gets to purchase.
A Cappella, Blues. Brunch. Celtic, Cirque. Classical,  VIP members going through the program. There are some very attractively priced shows, some that you are going to have to move very fast to get a decent seat and pretty much something for everyone.
May 23rd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
 Tamara Kwapich – self portrait Teresa Seaton has invited her friends to see Tamara Kwapich’s ” Feathers Fur and Fables” Exhibiton on Sun June 5th form 1pm – 4pm. She will tell you it is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Kwapich was one of six artists whose work was placed in the city – one in each ward. We will tell you more about her when her event takes place What we can tell you wish much certainty is that you want to get to the gallery before May 29th – when the  Michele Van Maurik peonies at the Seaton gallery. Michele VanMaurik exhibiton comes to an end on May 29th. If you haven’t had a chance to see her flowers you are really missing something.
May 23, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON  Robert Missen Robert Missen spent a lot of time managing the careers of some of the bigger names in the entertainment business. He touches base with hundreds of them each month – placing then in a venue, talking through future plans. From time to time he has a conversation with one of the best entertainment names this country has produced – Gordie Tapp who can still be coaxed onto a stage. Four years ago Tapp was made the first inductee into the Burlington Performance Arts Centre Hall of Fame. Little did Bob Missen ever think that he would see his name on the wall.  Bob Missen and Loretta Bailey on stage at the Lowville Festival last summer. Missen who has returned to Burlington after a number of years now operates the The Bobolink Agency. He was the artist representative for the Elmer Iseler Singers from 1986 – 2012; sang in the Rosedale United Church for 25 years and was the director of the Norfolk Arts Centre for three years. Missen has represented some of the country’s finest performing artists in the fields of classical, jazz and pop music, theatre, musical theatre, comedy and dance. Artists included Stuart McLean, Sylvia Tyson, Maureen Forrester, Veronica Tennant, Michael Burgess, and Men of the Deeps. He was the founder of the Tapestry New Opera Works/Tapestry Singers which ran for 12 years.  Robert Missen with the award, designed and crafted by Teresa Seaton, poses with Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines on the left and Theatre Board chair Ilene Elkaim on the right. Missen didn’t need much time to get active in Burlington – last year he, along with Loretta Bailey and others in the Lowville community, created the Lowville Festival which has announced its second year. It’s clear Missen is going to “bop along” for some time yet.
May 21, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Burlington Bandits are not the only team in the Inter-County Baseball League who have yet to win a baseball game so far this season; Hamilton shares that honour with the Bandits. Maybe it’s the water in this end of the lake? The Kitchener Panthers hit four home runs in their 12-1 win over the Burlington Bandits Saturday afternoon.  The Bandit batters showed up – they just didn’t manage to round all the bases very often. Sean Reilly hit two longballs and added a single. He had three RBI and three runs. David Whiteside had a home run, two RBI and three runs, and Darren Saunders had a pinch hit solo blast. Frank Camilo Morejon drove in three on a pair of doubles and scored a run, and Tanner Nivins had two hits and a run. Eric Hall (1-0) threw five shutout innings, allowing five hits while striking out three and walking one. Carlos Villoria had a single and double for the Bandits. Canice Ejoh scored the team’s lone run in the sixth inning. Barinder Rakkar (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven runs (four earned) on four hits over three innings. He walked four and struck out three. Kitchener improved to 3-0, and Burlington dropped to 0-3. Toronto Maple Leafs edge the Guelph Royals in ninth Justin Marra came to the plate after a single, hit by pitch and walk and walked on a full count to bring in the winning run. Solazzo had three hits, an RBI and run, while Grant Tamane and Dan Marra each had a hit and RBI. Will Richards had an RBI and Ryan White added a pair of hits. Dillan Mulholland (1-0) threw 171 pitches in a complete game. He allowed four earned runs on six hits, walking six and striking out eight. Chandler McLaren, Richard Gill, Aaron Loder and Brendan Power each drove in a run for Guelph. Ryan Greco took the loss, giving up two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings of relief. He walked four and struck out one. Starter Matt Schmidt got two outs, allowing a run on a hit and walking two while striking out one. Toronto improved to 2-1, and Guelph fell to 1-2. Brantford Red Sox leave Hamilton in the dust with their convincing 15-1 win over the Cardinals Murray and Burdett each had two of the team’s 20 hits, and Murray also scored twice. Leadoff batter Benjamin Bostick had three hits, three RBI and three runs. Tyler Patzalek had three hits and scored three times, Brandon Dailey went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, Dan Jagdeo drove in a run on two hits, and Graham Tebbit had three hits and two runs. Nathan Forer (1-0) picked up the win, allowing one run on four hits over six innings, striking out eight and walking two. Kyle Adoranti (0-1) went two innings, giving up nine runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out two. Brantford improved to 2-0, and Hamilton dropped to 0-4. Upcoming games: Monday, May 23
May 21, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON A reader asked: Do you happen to know why the fire hydrants on Lakeshore Road between Guelph line and Appleby line have been painted gray? Is a new fire code colour? Burlington’s Fire Chief responded with:  Primed and ready for a new coat of paint.  New coat of paint – it will need a touch up. The yellow top tells the fire fighters what the rate of flow for the water coming out of the hydrant will be.  Fire hydrant with a blue top – which tells fie fighters the rate of flow they can expect from the hydrant.
Fire Hydrants are the responsibility of Halton Region. They are govern by Regional by-Law 131-1 Sec 5. The Region is re-painting them. The gray colour is primer. They will be red again soon. The colour on the bonnet (top of the hydrant) identifies the flow rate. Blue hydrants can move the largest volume of water, able to pump out 95 litres per second, while a red hydrant is the weakest, only able to pump less than 31 litres a second. Green and yellow hydrants fall in the middle ground, with the former able to dispense between 63 and 95 litres per second and the latter pumps between 31 and 63 litres per second. In Toronto and Hamilton the base (barrel) of fire hydrants are painted yellow. Halton Region has chosen to stay with the traditional red. Now you know  New Street is being torn up from end to end during the balance of the year so that new water and waste pipes can be put in place. Fire hydrants get a coat of paint in the process.
May 21, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton Regional Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance identifying a male person that robbed a Burlington Petro Canada gas station in the City of Burlington. Very early this morning – 6:10 am – a lone male person attended the Petro Canada Gas Station at 3515 Upper Middle Road in the City of Burlington. Upon entering this business, the suspect brandished a machete type knife and confronted the lone store attendant demanding cash and cigarettes. An undisclosed amount of currency and cigarettes were handed over and the male suspect who then left the store on foot. The employee was not injured during the incident. The suspect is described as a male, black, between 20 to 25 years of age, standing approximately 5’8″, with a thin build. He wore a black ski mask, and a grey hooded sweater that was worn inside out with a beige colored inside lining. He was also wearing grey jogging pants, black high top running shoes and white socks. Upon exiting the store, the suspect was last seen walking in a northerly direction along Walkers Line. Anyone with information is asked to contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext. 2316 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
May 20th , 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Teresa Seaton has invited her friends to see Tamara Kwapich’s ” Feathers Fur and Fables” Exhibiton on Sun June 5th form 1pm – 4pm. She will tell you it is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Michele VanMaurik’s peonies We will take her word for it – what we can tell you with much certainty is that you want to get to the gallery before May 29th –which is when the Michele VanMaurik exhibiton comes to an end. If you haven’t had a chance to see her flowers you are really missing something. Kwapich’s was one of the artists chosen for the mural project – she did the apple scene for the Orchard community. Tamara Kwapich – self portrait Her self portrait is an interesting piece of work.
May 20th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON It’s not quite Ukraine or South Africa, but certainly more exciting that the US Congress. Canada’s parliament turned a page as it broke into uncharacteristic chaos this past week. Unbelievably, we got to see our new prime minister body-check one member with his elbow in the course of undertaking an involuntary rescue of another from what appears to have been a deliberate defensive wall of MPs. The CBC may be considering running the parliamentary channel on Saturday nights, just so we don’t miss the best fights on TV.  Members of the Ukraine parliament are a little more obvious wen it comes to manhandling each other. It was fitting that Canada’s near-invisible former PM, Mr. Harper, had chosen to grace the lower chamber with his presence, perhaps tipped-off to the likelihood of a skirmish among MPs ensuing. After all Harper is an avid hockey fan, having written a book on the topic. And we all know the best part of the good old hockey game is when a fight break out. Walking into a crowded floor of opposition MP’s is nothing short of an invitation for trouble, something Mr. Trudeau should have realized, despite an apparent over-confidence in his own ability to get things done. Though there is no doubt that our PM can handle himself in a scuffle.  Prior to becoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dukes it out with then Senator Patrick – that left jab worked for him. Recall that boxing charity match, a few years ago, with Senator Patrick Brazeau. Martial arts pro Brazeau was the 3:1 favourite but ended up being beaten into oblivion by the son of, arguably, Canada’s most famous PM – a martial artist in his own right. This Trudeau guy is not the kind to hide in the closet were there another gun fight on Parliament Hill. However, it appears Canada’s most positive and sensitive PM in a long time can talk softly and carry a big elbow. And Trudeau’s well-earned reputation as a fighter did him no favour, as the NDP member, who suffered the blow to her chest, used the opportunity to drag the PM down. And honestly it was as if I’d seen a ghost. For a moment it seemed that Rob Ford was back, this time bullying his way through the corridors of the House of Commons instead of City Hall. He had been Canada’s most colourful mayor, though mostly for his notorious antics. And it’s no secret that he and his brother both had long aspired to get to that top job which Mr. Trudeau now holds. Watching the sad episode I couldn’t help thinking about how Sunny Ways had descended into some kind of Ford-like Trudeau Nation. At least on that day, as an obviously exasperated PM appeared to be trying to assist the Tory parliamentary whip to his seat in order to complete the vote on assisted suicide. If Mr. Trudeau’s intentions had been good he had just stepped on that proverbial paved road to hell – at least until he apologized. And Canada owns the apology, unlike the Americans and Brits who would rather die first than say they had ever made a mistake and were sorry for it. Apology is our national expression.  The late Rob Ford, a former Mayor of Toronto, rushing around city council chamber knocks over a fellow member of council. And its not a partisan thing, Mr. Harper had done his share of apologizing, and Trudeau himself had just finished apologizing to, presumably, the descendants of a group of refugees from India which we turned back over a century ago. Trudeau has now apologized, not once or twice, but three times for his almost inexplicable behaviour. Nobody should think his intentions were malicious, but they were clearly inappropriate. Parliament was constructed to be a theatre of confrontation. It is the role of opposition parties to damage the governing party and their agenda however they choose. In this case the PM set himself up for an ambush and he got what was coming. Mr. Trudeau has distinguished himself with his innovative and refreshing approach to all things, from the Syrian refugees to Canada’s own aboriginal people. For that he has earned the respect of people at home and everywhere. But this Commons scuffle has taught him an important lesson about limits. There is a time and place for everything and Parliament is the place to persevere with protocol.
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. Background links: Rob Ford – House Scuffle – South Africa – Ukraine – Brazeau Fight – Trudeau on Daily Show – Apology – Apology more –
May 20th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON There are those people who are good at what they do who just never quit. Tim Dobbie, probably the most effective city manager Burlington every had took retirement when the incoming Mayor wasn’t quite his cup of tea and went on to create a consulting business that has served more than 100 clients.  Dobbie with another former Burlington city manager Jeff Fielding Some administrators give it up when they have a street named after them; Dobbie went on to write the strategic plan for Milton and was offered an opportunity by Jeff Fielding to do some work in Calgary. Fielding was a city manager that came after Dobbie. Those guys all hang tight together. It would be a journalistic coup to hear what Dobbie thinks about the current Burlington 25 year Strategic Plan but Dobbie is too much of a professional to say anything publicly. While parts of his approach to public service may be old school – Dobbie is still recognized and appreciated by the municipal community to be awarded the Robert Baldwin Award from the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association (OMAA). “Tim exemplifies the professionalism, integrity and innovative spirit that are required by those in administrative leadership roles in municipal government,” said Gary Dyke, president of the OMAA and city manager for the City of Cambridge. “Our association is proud to present this award to Tim as an inspiration to our members.” Dobbie is well-known throughout the municipal sector, having served the City of Burlington for more than 30 years, including 11 years as city manager. Tim Dobbie Drive in the Alton area of Burlington is named after Dobbie.  Tim Dobbie, recipient of the Robert Baldwin award. “Tim Dobbie is a deserving recipient of the Robert Baldwin Award. Everywhere you look in our great city, you can find a project he helped bring to fruition,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “He is a respected leader and community-builder in the city of Burlington.” Robert Baldwin, who wrote the first Municipal Act, supported women’s rights and religious tolerance, and was one of the first proponents of a bicultural nation. He added the phrase “Responsible Government” to the lexicon of municipal administrators. After retiring from the City of Burlington in 2007, Dobbie launched Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd. His practice includes strategic planning, executive search, organizational reviews, service delivery reviews and mentoring for both private and public organizations.  Burlington Community Foundation chair Tim Dobbie confers with Executive Director Coleen Mulholland before deliver a research report with some stunning data. Dobbie served as a board member for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), is a past president of the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association and a former Board member of Burlington Hydro. He is a former chair of the board of directors of the Burlington Community Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Goodwill Amity Group and a member of the board of directors and former president of the Burlington-Hamilton United Way, and a member of the board of the Hamilton-Burlington YMCA. In October 2006, Dobbie received the Engineer of the Year award from the Hamilton-Halton Professional Engineers Chapter of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and the Hamilton Engineering Institute.
May 20th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON There was a lot of noise from the public when the construction of a new Court House was announced a few years ago. The proposed building location was going to put the public at risk, children would somehow be harmed by the existence of the building; public transit wouldn’t be adequate. The plans proceeded nevertheless. Last evening at the Haber Recreational Centre the public had an opportunity to look at what was going to get built on a design, build, and leaseback plan. All there was to see was floor plan layouts – the actual structure design will come from the contractor chosen to build the structure. The numerous stakeholders will have significant input – will the public be asked what it likes? Probably not. The city put out a Request for Proposals for a new building – the court house on Fairview Plains had reached capacity and there was no room to grow. The building iexpcted to be ready for operations late in 2018 – 2019 court cases are already being scheduled for the new Court House.  Site plan – the new Sundial community is being built on the other side of Walkers Line The operation of Court Houses turns out to be a money making proposition for the municipal governments. When the province downloaded the running of Court Houses for provincial offences to the municipalities in 2001 a financial structure was put in place that had the revenues (they call it a surplus) shared between the Region and each of the municipalities. 50% goes to the Region with the balance shared by the four municipalities based on their populations.  Ground floor layout of the planned Court House  Second floor layout of the planned new Court House. Provincial offences include Highway Traffic Act, Small Claims Courts, and by-law matters plus anything the Conservation Authorities wants the courts to decide upon. Criminal offences will not be heard in this Court nor will there be any Family Law cases heard here. Detailed design is now in the hands of the city – Burlington runs the court house on behalf of the Region and the other municipalities. A number of contractors were pre-qualified and the city is now conducting negotiations to determine the best deal which will be reported to council who will make the final decision.  From the left, Craig Steens, city Project manager for the new Court House, Dr. Shie of Emshie Development and Franki Evans, administrator of Halton Court Services. No contractor names have been released by Dr. Shie of Emshie Development showed up at the meeting last night to chat. He was the only member of the public who took part. Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster was in the room but she spent most of her time talking to the city arborist about the Emerald Ash Bore she was having problems with on her property The Walkers Line – Palladium Way site the Court house is to be built on was originally to be the location of the Recreation Centre.  Young boys doing warm up exercises at the Haber Recreation Centre Someone with the ability to and 1+1+1 and come up with a total of 5 – came up with the From the left, Craig Stevensidea of combining a library, a high school and a Recreation centre on a single site – the result is one of the most exciting places in the city for young people to be young people.
May 19th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON Introducing new technology into a retail operation with a very strong brand has to be managed very very carefully. There can be no glitches. McDonalds took a bold step and put in large screens at which people could place their food orders – the device covers all the bases and accommodates just about every need you can imagine.  Some people prefer the smile that comes with the service from a person behind the counter. But at some locations – the devices don’t get used. “There are people who would rather talk to the person behind the counter” explained Ryan Sgro who has the ability to hold a conversation and at the same time constantly scan the service counters. “Each McDonalds has its own environment – some get more traffic at the drive through – others have line ups that lead out the door” added Sgro. The McDonalds on Plains Road and King Road intersection in Aldershot is one of those place people drop into – quite often a group of people getting together to have a cup of coffee. The windows on the western side draw those who want to read a newspaper in the sunshine. For those who decide to use the screens – they are actually fun. You sort of talk to the screen by just touching it.  Eating in or taking it home?  I wanted an Angus burger and the options available to me were right in front of me – all I had to do was touch the screen.  I could tune up the taste as well – give it a little zip.  The result of the Angus Burger I created can be seen by the smile on my face. My friend was just as pleased with her salad The Sgro family operate six franchises in Burlington and one in Waterdown. Ralph, who started out with the McDonalds corporation a long time ago as an employee where he once worked at the Guelph Line location, drops by and remind son Ryan of a task and then nods to a customer who has been coming to the Plains Road location for years. There are a lot of young people in Burlington who got their first job at McDonalds, said Ralph. “I’m pretty certain that we trained a lot of the people who now work at Canadian Tire because when I go in there to make a purchase I see a lot of my former staff working there” he added. Ralph talks about the value of community for his locations. “There was once a serious fire at Walkers Line and Upper Middle Road – we made up meals for the firemen (and women) who had to battle that blaze – we ended up feeding some of the people who had to flee their homes.” Ralph explains: “We had a kitchen and food – they were hungry – we fed them.” Ryan comments on the view some people have that the technology is taking jobs away from people. “Nothing could be further from the truth” explains Ryan. The technology allows us to handle food orders faster which means more volume which means needing more people in the kitchen.” Also, people can take their time in front of the screen and they usually aren’t holding anyone up – there are two of the large screens in each location. Once you get the hang of the things they are pretty easy to handle.  The burger I created was so good – they named it after me. But the Sgro family nixed that idea – they did let me have the picture. McDonalds calls the technology – “Create your taste”. It worked for me.
May 18th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The City of Burlington public art program is inviting professional artists and artist teams to submit expressions of interest for an Artist-in-Residence program. In addition to attending planning meetings and consulting with key stakeholders, the selected artist will create temporary public art interventions to engage and interact with the community. This is a non-live-in residency however the selected artist is expected to visit Burlington frequently and must live within easy travel distance. The city’s public art program, funded for the most part from Planning Act Section 37 funds (these are monies developers give the city for additional height and density among other things). The city puts $50,000 of its own money into the public art plan. The opportunity is made up of a $10,800 artist fee and up to $10,000 materials  Early in the creation of the Cultural Action Plan people were asked to indicate where they saw culture taking place in th city. The next step is to build on the knowledge gathered. The city has a Cultural Action Plan as well as a Culture manager and of course there is the robust arts collective that leans on city council every opportunity it gets. Burlington hired Hamilton resident Jeremy Freiburger to craft the Cultural Action Plan. The work leading up to that document included asking people to map out where they “do” culture and how they define culture. Links below on those new stories as well. The focus appears to be looking for ways to better define cultural nods. We are not sure that research actually makes that kind of thing happen – when people find a place they want to be they gather at that place and it just becomes a node. The approach this call is using sounds and feels a little like “social engineering” – and we know where that kind of effort gets us. The project goals include: The integration of an artist’s perspective into planning cultural nodes The deadline for this opportunity is Monday, June 20, 4:00 p.m. Artists wishing to learn more about this project are invited to an optional information session on Wednesday, June 1 (7:00 to 8:00 p.m.). The presentation will be followed by an open Q&A session with the public art manager.  From the left – three people heavily involved in the cultural community: Deb Tymstra, Teresa Seaton and Donna Grandin. Artists interested in learning more about this project are invited to an optional information session at the Halton Hive, 901 Guelph Line, Burlington. Loads of parking. The Hive is just south of Harvester Road . A brief presentation will be followed by an open Q&A with the public art manager. Those wishing to attend must RSVP by Monday May 30th at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artist-in-residence-information-session-tickets-25377297179?aff=mcivte For more information contact:
May 19th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The following programs are cancelled: • Combo Lap Swim 10:30am-noon The Aldershot pool closing announcement used the same wording – they were close for several days. They rarely say what they mean by an unforeseen maintenance issue.
May 19th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Clyde Union Canada Limited, a company specializing in pump technology and hydraulic design, pleaded guilty and has been fined $50,000 after a worker was critically injured by a ruptured water hose.  Clyde Union Canada Limited located on North Service Road On or about February 5, 2015, a worker was testing a pump at the company’s workplace at 4151 North Service Road in Burlington when one of the 24-inch pipe elbows located outside the building froze, preventing the circulation of water in a rubber hose. The system then backfilled until it exceeded its maximum pressure. A six-inch rubber hose in the system ruptured, expelling water which struck the worker with enough force to push the worker about 30 feet across the shop floor. The worker’s injuries included fractures and lacerations. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company failed to take the reasonable precaution of installing a pressure relief valve in the discharge water lines, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The company was fined $50,000 in Burlington court by Justice of the Peace Denis Lee on May 17, 2016. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
May 19th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
A local real estate firm reports that the month of April brought with it a number of firsts in Burlington. The first property to sell in the Orchard for over $1.475 million, the first property to sell anywhere in Burlington for $210,000+ over the asking price and the first time that just under half of the sales in Burlington sold for the asking price or more. Six properties sold for more than $80,000 over the asking price – two in the southeast, one in Brant Hills, one in Headon Forest, one in Millcroft and one in the Orchard. At the same time, 24 properties experienced price reductions before they sold and 25 properties were on the market for more than 30 days before they sold.
Finally, notwithstanding the fact that we are experiencing the hottest market we have seen in history, an incorrectly priced house will very likely result in disappointment. Strategy is very important when pricing your home in an over-heated market. The realtor asked: Wondering what to do once your home sells? Many people are hesitant about capitalizing on this seller’s market because they will need to purchase a new home. They suggest there are more options available than you might think.  These homes were advertised and sold in March of 2012. Are these prices sustainable? Are we in the middle of a market bubble with a downside out there somewhere? Is there a market correction in the works?
May 18th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It was to be a family portrait – no one really knew how big the family was. The number was put at more than 500 but how many would show up? 200 starving artists gathered in the Family Room of the Performing Arts Centre so that Ashley Sloggett could snap the shutter of her Brownie Hawkeye and then just to be sure she had the picture she wanted she did a camera upgrade to something with a more powerful lens – and here it is – The Collective. This, said Sloggett, represents only a FRACTION of the Arts community in Burlington and I hope to do one of these every year and watch it grow.  The Collective – a Family picture.
May 18th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The question was – what will she have to show us when the Performance Arts Centre reveal takes place? Will it compare favourably with the superb program Brian McCurdy delivered before he took leave of running the Centre? And would there be room for the local talent – and not just shows that were travelling and could spend an evening in Burlington? And is the lineup for 2026/2017 a good line up?  Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines chatting with a patron after the presentation. Suzanne Haines delivered. It’s a more than decent line up – and if the VIP members who lined up to buy tickets are any indication – the year will keep city council happy, meaning that BPAC won’t be back asking for more money – they already get close to a million dollars as it is. A VIP member is a patron who has purchased 4 or more shows in the previous season and the capital donors and supporters. There are a couple of boffo stand outs to comment on. The Shanghai Acrobats from China are astounding – a cultural circus if you will.  Two Performing Arts Centre patrons flipping through the program book. The Aga Boom – three clowns that will delight both parents and the children they bring with them. The pricing on this one is great $15 if you bought a series. Series pricing is $5 off the regular price if you buy tickets to four or more events. If this show doesn’t sell out – turn the Performing Arts centre into a day care centre. A lot more jazz than one might have expected – most of it top rank A solid family program for the Christmas season. Some greats – Les Grand Ballet out of Montreal, the Nylons Farewell tour, Piaff! The Show (expect this to be a stunner) The popular Gerry Dee and There wasn’t as much local talent given an chance to grow on the stage. There are going to be what are commercially called Added Value events – which will be performers in the Family Room entertaining theatre goers before and after different shows. That’s a start. Last summer the Performing Arts Centre put on free Jazz on the Plaza concerts that were a huge hit. They have expanded the program to include a Tuesday night live, a Friday Jazz on the Plaza and Sunday Family Fun. The presentation of the 2016-17program however was weak – it lacked any pizzazz.  Patrons lined up to get their tickets booked. Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines stood on one side of the stage and Director of Programming Costin Manu stood on the other side and read from telepromters. One would speak and then the other – as they passed the job back and forth. There was an opportunity for the two of them to ham it up a bit and become part of the entertainment. At one point Costin was dancing away in small circles on his side of the stage – while Suzanne tapped her toes on the other. They could have danced towards each other and made their presentation much livelier. Costin Manu can be very funny – he should have been given a writer to provide him with a bit of a script. It is after all show business.  Ilene Elkaim, chair of the Theatre Board listens to a patron The “reveal” as many people chose to call the event closed with a nice touch. Haines announced that Royal Wood would return to the stage on October 1st – the 5th anniversary of the opening of the venue. The Gazette was there that evening, which was described as a soft opening. The house wasn’t packed but the attendance was more than acceptable. As Wood was taking his final bow two of what I describe as the “blue rinse” set strode up the aisle muttering about the lousy performance. They proved to be completely wrong – the place works – now to keep the costs in line and the content current, popular and just a little edgy at times.  Deb Tymstra who reports on culture for Cogeco took in the evening and chats up a friend. The real test is to see the box office numbers – sales Tuesday night won’t be known until next week – they don’t appear to have adding machine over there.
May 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Walkers Line at Britannia Road – Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Walkers Line will be closed at Britannia Road on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. to remove vegetation along the road. No traffic will be allowed through, with the exception of emergency vehicles responding to a emergency calls.
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A VIP is a person who has purchased tickets for four or more shows the previous year. Those VIP’s came very close to filling the theatre last Thursday.
What does all of this mean? In short, there are still too many buyers and not enough sellers (there were actually 10% more sales in April, year over year).
