 By Pepper Parr
June 24th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was one of those Public Information nights – no presentations; city staff on hand to answer questions, residents dropping by to get answers to questions or clarifications on issues they were not clear on.
The issue this evening was a private tree bylaw – is Burlington going to have one or will it continue to be one of the few municipalities in this part of the province to live life without one?
 Tree on Guelph Line taken down in the afternoon – residents meet to talk about a private tree bylaw that evening. There were a few people who didn’t want a private tree bylaw. The get together, and that is what it was, was made up of people who wanted trees saved.
 Residents filling out comment sheets.  Roseland residents exchanging views on a private tree by law. The meeting was held, some felt, to keep people in the Roseland community happy. The notice of the meeting was apparently limited to that community.
It wasn’t publicly posted by city hall staff.
Councillor Dennison was on hand, the Mayor did not attend. Some felt that a private tree bylaw was his issue and having him in the room would have helped.
To be fair to the Mayor – he could, and often is, out at an event every evening of the week. He either had somewhere else to be or took a deserved evening off.
Copies of private tree bylaws were set out on tables for people to read.
 By Staff
June 24th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was in the sixth inning that the Burlington Bandits took the game that ended 6-4 over the Guelph Royals Thursday night.
Burlington had just five hits against two Guelph pitchers, but four of those came in the decisive eighth inning. Jim Martin delivered a two-run home run with one out, which gave the Bandits a 6-2 lead.
 Bandits took the game against Guelph – play against Brantford on Friday Canice Ejoh had a two-run single, while Brad McQuinn and Todd Blair each had RBI doubles.
Ryan Beckett (2-2) went the distance, scattering seven hits as two of the four runs were earned. He struck out five and walked one.
Aaron Loder had a home run and two RBI for the Royals (4-15), who lost their eighth straight. Patrick Coughlin added a two-run home run in the ninth. Trevor Nyp had two singles.
Ben Reid (0-1) went two-thirds of an inning to take the loss, giving up a run on one hit and walking one and striking out one. Alberto Rodriguez started and went 7.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits, striking out 10 and walking one.
Seventh-place Burlington improved to 5-13.
Elsewhere in the league the Barrie Baycats beat the Toronto 10-2 Thursday night.
DeGrace singled home a run in the third inning, hit an RBI double in the sixth and capped his night with a three-run blast in the eighth.
Ryan Spataro tripled, singled and drove in two while scoring three runs. Jeff Cowan had three hits and an RBI, Jordan Castaldo drove in a run, and Kevin Atkinson and Steve Lewis each had two hits and scored once. Zach Sardelletti singled twice, drove in a run and scored once, and Conner Morro had a hit and two runs.
Brett Lawson (4-1) went 5.1 innings for the win, allowing two runs on six hits, walking four and striking out three.
Dan Marra had three hits and an RBI for the Leafs. Connor Lewis and Jonathan Solazzo each had two hits, while Sean Mattson singled, doubled and scored once.
Brett van Pelt (1-3) took the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits in four innings. Van Pelt walked two and struck out one.
Third-place Barrie improved to 13-7, and fifth-place Toronto fell to 8-9.
Future games:
Friday, June 24
Toronto at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener at London, 7:35 p.m.
Burlington at Brantford, 8 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
June 23rd, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Here it comes
Ontario is launching Canada’s first High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes as part of a pilot project on the QEW—between Trafalgar Road in Oakville and Guelph Line in Burlington—to help manage congestion and add another option for travellers.
 Lanes that were for High Occupancy vehicles (HOV) are about to become HOT – between Trafalgar and Guelph Line – begins middle of September. This new pilot project will start on September 15, 2016. Existing High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on the QEW will be designated as HOT lanes. Carpools of two or more occupants will still be able to use the QEW HOT lanes for free, while single occupant drivers will now have the option to purchase a HOT permit to use them.
HOT permit applications from members of the public will be accepted online from August 1 to August 21 through ServiceOntario. A limited number of applicants will be selected to purchase permits through a draw. The permit will cost $180 for a three-month term.
As part of the pilot, Ontario is issuing a Request for Information seeking innovative technologies that can be used to support tolling, compliance and performance monitoring of HOT lanes for the purposes of testing during the pilot. Possible technologies include telematics, radio frequency identification, video-analytics, GPS, and infrared cameras. The pilot will be used to inform long-term planning for future HOT lane implementation and will also support Ontario’s innovation sector by providing an opportunity to test emerging traffic management and tolling technologies.
 The media release made mention of one objective, which was to keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life. Another objective would appear to suck money out of our pockets and into the coffers of the province. $180 for a three-month term – annualized that amounts to $720. Yikes.
GO trains are looking nicer.
By Staff
June 23rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It will work properly – eventually.
Burlington Transit got all excited about a new computer application that would let you plan a transit trip – it had all kinds of neat whistles and bells – but it didn’t work – so they took it off line. It is now back up- but isn’t working quite they way they want it to work.
The Gazette was to spend time with “marvelous” Mike spice, Director of Transit for the city – to get a full demonstration. That has been put off until it works flawlessly. We will let you know when that bright shiny days arrives.
The Gazette got word from the transit people that site is active again but they are still “testing”.
 “The problem seems to be with the volume of users accessing the trip planner at the same time. We are not anywhere near our total capacity, but something is causing the system to crash. We think we have worked out most of the issues, but will wait until tomorrow to determine if we have rectified all the bugs.”
“The only way to determine if we have fixed the issues is to put it live again in order to see how it works in the real environment.”
To be continued.
 By Staff
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Future games:
Thursday, June 23
Toronto at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
Guelph at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 24
Toronto at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener at London, 7:35 p.m.
Burlington at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Saturday June 25th
Hamilton at Burlington
 By Staff
June 22nd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Region Health Department has received test results confirming that a bat found at Honeyvale Road and Swansea Drive in Oakville, on Friday, June 17, had rabies. Residents who may have had physical contact with a bat in this area are advised to immediately contact the Health Department by dialing 311.
 Bat in Oakville found to have rabies “The Health Department is reminding residents to avoid all contact with bats and other wild animals,” said Matt Ruf, Director, Healthy Environments ＆ Communicable Disease for Halton Region. “Anyone who comes in physical contact with a bat or other wild animal should see a physician immediately and contact the Health Department.”
Rabies is a viral disease that causes severe damage to the brain and spinal cord, leading to death. The virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite. Rabies illness in humans can be prevented after exposure to rabies by the use of rabies vaccine, which is extremely effective, but only if it is administered before symptoms occur.
It is not always possible to identify if a bat has rabies, however rabid bats may move slowly, lose the ability to fly, remain active during daylight hours or be unresponsive to loud noises.
There are a number of things you can do to protect your family and pets:
• Make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up to date.
• Warn your children to stay away from any wild, stray or aggressive animals.
• Do not touch dead or sick animals.
• Do not feed or keep wild animals as pets.
• Keep your pet tied on a leash when off your property.
• Seek medical attention immediately if you come in contact with a potentially rabid animal.
• Any pet that has come in contact with a bat, raccoon or other wild animal should be seen by a veterinarian.
• Report all animal bites or scratches to the Halton Region Health Department.
For more information on rabies, visit halton.ca/rabies or call the Halton Region Health Department by dialing 311.
 By Staff
June 22nd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is going to get a little hairy for people who use Lakeshore Road where it cuts away at Maple Avenue.
The city is raising parts of that road, just outside the Joseph Brant Museum as much as a metre and slopping it down until it gets to the end of the water treatment plant – that will close the road from July 4th to Early August 2016 +/-
 For those that ride their bikes along the old railway line and want to head for Hamilton – bad news – the pedestrian crossing at the lift bridge will be closed frequently:
Burlington Canal Lift Bridge – Daytime Sidewalk Closures
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise pedestrians and cyclists of restricted access to the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge from July 4 to 29, 2016.
During these dates, the following restrictions will be in place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.:
• from July 4 to 29, the north and south pedestrian underpasses will be closed;
• from July 4 to 15, access to the east (lakeside) part of the Waterfront Trail will be closed;
• from July 18 to 29, access to the west (bayside) part of the Waterfront Trail will be closed; and
• from July 18 to 29, the west (bayside) bridge sidewalk will be closed.
 The bridge will remain open to pedestrian and cyclist traffic on weekends and weekdays after 5 p.m.
This schedule may change due to weather conditions or logistical requirements. PSPC will publish notices regarding any changes in schedule.
Safety is a top priority for PSPC during this project. The closures are required as part of the project to replace the bridge’s controls, drives and cables. The replacement of key components of the bridge’s lift system will extend its serviceable life, meeting the needs of both marine and vehicular traffic in the area.
By Pepper Parr
June 22, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there an Arts Council in Burlington’s future? And if there is – what kind of a council might it be?
Arts and Cultural Community of Burlington, ACCOB, has been beavering away at creating some kind of an Arts Council – people in senior arts position in the city question just what the ACCOB people are doing and what I is they want.
 The Arts and Culture Collective of Burlington – a family photograph – less than half the family in the picture. This is a large group of people who have yet to turn their numbers into real political clout. There is a lack of discipline and not much in the way of focus within ACCOB” was one comment the Gazette picked up.
Please do not mention my name was another comment – “The news about the creation of the arts council is no secret, given that there are twelve members of the current ACCOB board and the CAPIC (Culture Action Plan Implementation Committee) External Body subcommittee, and word has spread to several city staffers.
We live in an age where there are few secrets – time for the ACCOB people to go public and set out just what they want. This jabbering away like a bunch of little old ladies over tea cups is getting them nowhere. (Little old ladies is an acceptable figure of speech.)
The reality the arts community faces is the seven members of Council. Can anyone identify the cultural leader on that Council?
One of the sessions at the Bay Area Summit on Tuesday focused on the role culture can play in the building of an economy. The Planning Culturally Can Unlock Bay Area Growth session had some very useful information.
Culture is a business and it is very good for business.
The Sound of Music might not fit the definition some have of what culture is – but it is certainly great business.
Artists need to add some discipline into their plea for financial support. Just what is it you want? Spell it out, make is financially feasible and then fight for it.
By Staff
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
If you’ve not managed to find a summer job yet – and you want to pick up some Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) experience meeting and greeting people at one of the biggest fairs in Canada – you might want to look into the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) ambassadors
The CNE is looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are interested in a rewarding experience, meeting people from around the world and serving as CNE ambassadors for the 2016 season.
 How would you like to be a volunteer ambassador at a place like this? Now in its 16th consecutive year, “Friends of the CNE” is a community initiative that has engaged more than 2,000 youth and adults, who have contributed nearly 63,000 hours of service. CNE volunteers assist with various roles and duties including greeting guests, providing directional assistance, acting as tour guides and supporting special events and programming such as the daily Mardi Gras Parade.
“Volunteers are at the heart of the Fair, and play an integral role in making the CNE a positive experience for all our guests,” says Virginia Ludy, General Manager of the CNE. “The Friends of the CNE program is a great opportunity for youth, and those who are young at heart, to apply their skills and gain valuable experience in a unique and exciting environment; and for others, it’s the fulfillment of community involvement and personal enrichment.”
o Friends of the CNE enlists more than 100 volunteers each year
o Volunteers work an average of 9 days and 43 hours during the 18-‐day Fair
o Over 80 per cent of CNE volunteers are between the ages of 14-‐17
o Ontario Secondary School students can earn credits toward community service hours
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old and must be able to commit to a minimum of six shifts, at four hours each. Applications are open to all but the CNE will give preference to those volunteers who can work evening shifts, between 5pm and 8pm.
All successful candidates will attend an orientation and training session, receive a “Friends of the CNE” shirt, are invited to a thank-‐you barbeque, and receive an I.D. badge that grants free admission to the Fair.
For more information on the Friends of the CNE program or to download an application, please visit: www.TheEx.com. Deadline to apply is July 15, 2016.
By Pepper Parr
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a success by any standard.
It was well run, tightly run even when the politicians went too long.
The Premier spoke – she nailed most of the points she wanted to make
There were plenary sessions, breakout sessions and a load of data put up on screens.
The Gazette will report in detail on as much of the daylong event as possible.
Here is a rundown on what took place:
World Economic Trends, by Helmut Pastrick, Chief Economist, Central Credit Union 1
North East Ohio: Inspiring Stories of Regional Collaboration, Bethia Burke, Director of Grantmaking, Evaluation and Emerging Initiatives, Fund for our Economic Future
Toward an Innovation Supercluster: Moderator: Bill Mantel, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation with Dr. Patrick Deane, President, McMaster University, Ron McKerlie, President, Mohawk College and Avvey Peters, VP Community Relations, Communitech
Concurrent breakout sessions:
Magnet Cities: A Global View of Local Opportunities; Steve Beatty, Head of Global Infrastructure, Americas and India, KPMG
 Mary Lou Tanner – Burlington Director of Planing Investing in Mixed Use Transit Hubs; Moderator: Ryan McGreal, Editor, Raise the Hammer, Richard Joy, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute, Suzanne Mammel, Executive Officer, Hamilton – Halton Home Builders’ Association, Mary Lou Tanner, Director, Planning and Building, City of Burlington, Lorna Day, Director, Project Planning and Development, Metrolinx
District Energy: Now’s the Time: Moderator: Martin Lensink, Principal in Charge, CEM Engineering Inc., Dean Comand, President and CEO, Hamilton Utilities Corporation, Robert Marzetti, Director of Business Development , Hamilton Utilities Corporation, Gerry Smallegange, President and CEO, Burlington Hydro and Lynn Robichaud, Senior Sustainability Coordinator, City of Burlington
Planning Culturally Can Unlock Bay Area Growth: Presenter & Moderator: Gail Dexter Lord, Co – President, Lord Cultural Resources; Shelley Falconer, President and CEO, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Robert Steven, President and CEO, Art Gallery of Burlington, Rob Zeidler, Partner, The Dabbert Group
The New Analytics: Harnessing the Predictive Power of Big Data for a Healthier Community. Moderator: Heather Chalmers, Canadian General Manager of GE Healthcare, Rob MacIsaac, President and CEO, Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. David Higgins, President, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Patrick Horgan, VP Manufacturing, Development and Operations, IBM Canada
 Ingrid Vanderbrug, Landscape Architect, City of Burlington Human Wellbeing Element in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System. Moderator: Terry Cooke, President and CEO, Hamilton Community Foundation Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens, Maria Fortunato, Executive Director, Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association, Wayne Terryberry, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, McMaster University and Ingrid Vanderbrug, Landscape Architect, City of Burlington
Helping Bay Area Businesses Grow: Moderator: Karen Grant, Director, Angel One Investor Network, Scott Boutilier, Senior Policy Analyst, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Scott Mackey, VP Customer Success, Adlib Software, Julie Ellis, Chair, Innovation Factory
Bay Area Manufacturing Strengths
Moderator: Dr. Greig Mordue, Chair in Advanced Manufacturing, McMaster University, Tony Valeri, VP Corporate Affairs, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Irene Hassas, Director, Strategic Planning and Partnerships, Aslan Technologies Inc., Terry McGowan, President & CEO at Thomson Gordon Group
Economic Coordination in the Bay Area, Dr. David Wolfe, Co-Director of the Program on Globalization and Regional Innovation Systems, University of Toronto
Leading Change in a Regional Age: Moderator: Dr. Ishwar Puri, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University, Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO, CivicAction, Matt Afinec, Chief Commercial Officer, Hamilton Tiger Cats, Denise Christopherson, CEO, YWCA Hamilton, Ian Hamilton, VP Business Development and Real Estate, Hamilton Port Authority
Investing in our Bayfront: Presenter & Moderator: Sheila Botting, , National Leader, Real Estate, Deloitte. Bill Fitzgerald, VP Operations, Hamilton Port Authority, Chris Phillips, Senior Advisor for Planning and Economic Development, City of Hamilton
The Talent Imperative: Workforce Development in the Bay Area.
Moderator: Judy Travis, Executive Director, Workforce Planning Hamilton, Bronko Jazvac, Director, Health & Safety and World Class Continuous Improvement, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Member, Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Taskforce on Workforce Development, Louie DiPalma, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Director of SME Programs Magnet, Kelly Hoey, Executive Director, Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC), Shari St. Peter, Executive Director, Niagara Peninsula Aboriginal Management Board
IBM and its development plans in Canada: Dino Trevisani, President, IBM Canada spoke a little longer than he might have wanted but he did thank Premier Wynne profusely for the province’s cooperation.
 Attendees at the Second Bay Area Summit were well fed. Keanin Loomis and Keith Hooey, from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Burlington Chamber of Commerce worked together seamlessly. The digs were between the two Mayors – the business guys stuck to their knitting and made it a solid day.
The RGB setting was great – there was plenty of food and snack tables on the go all day.
Will there be a third summit? You can bet on that. The task now is to build on what has been achieved so far and set out some deliverables for the next couple of years.
 By Pepper Parr
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
BurlingtonGreen advised us this morning that the City is hosting an open house this Thursday, June 23rd between 7:00 and 9:00 pm about a possible private property tree bylaw for the Roseland Community.
 The informal ‘drop in’ open house event will be held at Central Park Arena Auditorium, 519 Drury Lane The Greens are encouraging people to attend and speak up for the rights of the trees.
Burlington Green said they understood the City distributed invitations to the open house to residents of the Roseland Community.
Mayor Rick Goldring has tip-toed around a private tree bylaw – the Greens want him to be more direct. They are advocating for a practical, effective private property tree protection bylaw and supports the implementation of a pilot tree by-law project in Roseland as a key first step to potentially advance a city-wide bylaw, joining 16 other Ontario municipalities that already have private tree by-laws in place.
From producing clean air and adding beauty and property value, to protecting watersheds and mitigating flood damage, trees are an integral part of our community.
 Belvenia on the east side of Burlington. “A tree is a very modest investment in a community and as it grows it is the only asset in the entire city infrastructure that increases in value as it grows”
The Mayor does face a determined group that feel a tree on their property is their property and they can do whatever they wish with that tree. It takes political courage and a will to lead to overcome this kind of thinking.
 By Staff
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Team Bullock and the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG), are excited to present to you, the first annual Cruise Night.
 Bring your Kool Ride to show off. Or simply show up and have a look at other Kool Rides.
Set up will begin at 4:30pm in the East part of the parking lot at 680 Plains Road West (at Spring Gardens Road).
A BBQ is available for you to purchase a meal and refreshments, in the parking lot. Draws and prizes available (let us know if you have something you’d like to donate, to add to this mix of gifts).
We ask that you bring a canned good to donate to the Burlington Food Bank (their shelves are really low this time of year).
RBG Staff will be on hand to introduce you to all that RBG has to offer.
June 28 is the first evening of the Country and Roots Music Nights in the Hendrie Gardens.
Wednesdays will be Red Hot Jazz and Cool Blues.
Access to the music nights is free with your membership, or your daily admission.
Please spread the word. We’ve got some wonderful vintage vehicles lined up to view.
 By Jim Riley
June 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington is presenting a visual discussion on the duality of the urban and rural aspects of Burlington. Chief Curator Denis Longchamps, along with the Burlington Fine Arts Association, developed the theme to celebrate the BFAA’s fiftieth anniversary.
There was also a Call for Proposals on this theme, broadening it to a multidisciplinary exhibition. Sixty-six art works were selected, with a very wide range of sizes.
This is a more cohesive exhibition than the All Guilds’ group show in 2015, but it still has challenges to overcome. With this curatorial theme, it has improved the unity of presentation. This exhibit presents an uneven quality of artworks.
This theme gave opportunities for the artists to express their opinions about how the urban and rural co-exist in our city. One of the roles of artists is to raise issues within the culture they inhabit. There are few cities that (philosophically and culturally) declare protection of a rural culture, geopolitically combined with an urban culture the way Burlington has – it was actually the province that imposed that requirement on us.. Many artworks spoke of romantic places, with a varying degree of success.
Longchamps hung the Urban Rural exhibit capably, by tying together themes of content, aesthetics and scale.
 Robert Bateman, Progress, 2015, acrylic Robert Bateman was invited to exhibit. I found it noteworthy that Bateman and Donna Fratesi’s themes dealt with destruction of Burlington’s historic architecture.
 Donna Fratesi’s they paved paradise , 2015 acrylic Fratesi
Both are accomplished technical painters. Bateman was clearer in his thesis than Fratesi’s “They Paved Paradise”. Fratesi seems timid about her message, but evokes a warm memory of the intersection of Pine and Pearl streets. It is a romantic reminiscence of downtown Burlington. Although Bateman relies on text, he creates a clear criticism of Burlington’s treatment of its historic buildings. He focuses on the United Empire Loyalist Fisher house being replaced by a parking lot. Both artists explore their connections to the urban downtown environment, but Bateman’s “Progress” is more directly critical of how we handle it.
 Lorraine Roy, “The Balance”, textile, 2015 Lorraine Roy’s “The Balance” is one of the stronger works in this exhibition. Her textile work not only functions well on a compositional level but demonstrates the “pull and push” between urban and rural ecosystems. The wrapped, uprooted tree balances precariously be-tween the two worlds as it searches for a transplant space. Will it survive? Roy’s imagery is strong with rich tones suggesting a Tim Burton-style nightmare quality. It is intriguingly executed, done with textile rather than paint.
 Helen Griffiths, after a day in (the country), oil, 2015 Similarly, Helen Griffiths’ “After a Day in (the country)” uses her well-developed painterly skills, but also teases the viewer to ponder why she is showing a wild skunk sniffing at a beautiful bundle of roses. The artist statement refers to wild animals invading her neighbourhood. Like Griffiths’ reference to wildlife,
 Victoria Pearce, Lost Between acrylic 2016 Victoria Pearce’s “Lost Between” uses images of Monarch butterflies, and the surrealistic imagery of an urban-rural coyote. The coyote is nestled in grasses as it floats over a grid of urban streets. This may be suggesting that a clash between natural and urban worlds is imminent. Certainly, the coyote making itself comfortable in the urban environment is a new reality for Burlington. All three artists successfully combine content and painterly aspects in their art practice.
 Vanessa Cres Lokos, Moving Forward, 2016, mixed media  Dawn-Hackett-Burns & Michelle Lynn, “Home Grown”, ceramic. Vanessa Cres Lokos, “Moving Forward” and Dawn-Hackett-Burns & Michelle Lynn, “Home Grown” were hung one over the other. Cres Lokos’ expresses her viewpoint on rural and urban issues by placing cows marching along the Burlington pier with a forewarning, overcast sky. Hacket-Burns’ and Lynn’s ceramic artwork explores residential homes overwhelming rural buildings and cattle.
The artwork is placed on a low plinth so that the viewer can hover and oversee the battle.
 Jan Kendrick, Rossana Dewey, Grace Afonso group image Jan Kendrick’s, Rossana Dewey’s, and Grace Afonso’s paintings were hung side by side. All three artists are skilled painters. They use a similar colour palette and their paintings are emotive and sensually compatible. Their artist statements refer to issues: mining the escarpment, the Greenbelt Plan, the mid-peninsula highway and the vanishing rural landscape. Their images speak of a vast rural environment, but do not deal clearly with the issues expressed in their artist statements.
 Kathy Marlene Bailey, Sanctuary Between, oil, 2016 Kathy Marlene Bailey, “Sanctuary Between” uses curving movement in a watery world of reflections that suggests a more rural, natural aspect of the theme. Her artist statement refers to city planners facilitating a residential invasion of natural sanctuaries. There is beauty and mystery in Bailey’s painting. There is a hint of the escarpment and a house, but the focus is on water. The painting’s message is some-what ambiguous, in comparison to her artist statement.
The Lee-Chin Family Gallery is a large space. Area around the art-works, and the scale of the various artworks, present a challenge. Petit artworks in such a large space are difficult to notice, given the works nearby that are ten feet high. Longchamps creates space and separation for the intimate works.
There may be too many works in the exhibition for a viewer to comprehend, beyond surface aesthetics. I think this is a group exhibition in which less would actually be much more. However, there are many artworks not mentioned here that you should view, to decide on your own.
The exhibition runs until September 5, 2016
Lee-Chin Family Gallery at Art Gallery of Burlington
1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington.
AGB Hours
Monday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday – Thursday 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12 noon – 5:00 pm
Jim Riley is a Burlington, ON, based arts writer, independent curator and a visual and media artist. His recent art practice involves public art and gallery video installations. Riley has a BA from Brock Uni-versity. He has exhibited his art for thirty years in Canada and the United States. Some of Riley’s video art is represented by V tape Distributions, Toronto. Website: www.jimriley.ca
By Pepper Parr
June 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A colleague mentioned article he had read in Urbanicity, a newspaper (in print) published in Hamilton that had an article by Burlington’s Ward councillor Marianne Meed Ward.
“She nailed it” said the colleague. What you think?
Meed Ward wrote about Intensification and Green space.
Intensification’s war on greenspace – and what we can do about it.
You’ve probably heard the word “intensification.” Likely in the context of defending a massive new residential over development. Possibly as a fatalistic response to the legitimate desire to protect farmland.
In simple terms, the word means putting more people into less space.
Intensification is supposed to usher in a utopian era of urbanism, saving communities from suburban, car-dependent sprawl while protecting green-space at the same time.
The problem is, intensification has become a war on urban greenspace that threatens to degrade the very communities it creates.
“Intensification” is being used as a bludgeon to justify every new development of any scale in any area, while removing almost every tree, shrub or blade of grass in the way.
This must stop.
For starters, let’s rid ourselves of the word “intensification.” Intensification is a plastic word that means whatever people want it to mean. Instead, we need to talk about the kind of neighbourhoods people want to live in, as our city grows and changes.
It turns out people want to live in traditional neighbourhoods, built before the supremacy of the car: places like downtown Burlington. New communities aim to mimic these historic neighbourhoods. Planners call it “traditional town planning” or the “new urbanism.”
 Residents in this community, west of Brant street didn’t like the level o intensification the developer had in mind and they were able to beat back the proposal. The key feature is walkability. But walking has to be pleasant (that’s one reason urban greenspace is important.) And walkability has to mean more than getting a bag of milk, picking up your dry cleaning, or visiting a “parkette” with a bench and a toddler slide.
If you have to get in your car to visit a park large enough to play a game of pick up football, or drive to a big-box store surrounded by parking to get groceries or hardware, or drive to another city to work, or get on a yellow bus to go to school, we haven’t achieved walkability.
All we’ve done is add more traffic.
Trouble is, the intensification we’re getting is almost exclusively residential, with token retail (if at all) that doesn’t come close to satisfying daily shopping needs.
 Is this the only solution we have to placing stores in our communities? We won’t build truly walkable communities until we address the commercial side of urban development, and wean ourselves off of the big boxification of shopping, schools and employment. Resi¬dential and commercial uses are still very much separated, with big box retail, office and employment sequestered on barren, clogged and treeless roads surrounded by seas of parking, far from neighbourhoods.
We won’t build walkable communities until people can work and go to school close by. I hear regularly from resi¬dents who’d gladly take a pay cut (and some have) to walk to a job in Burlington. At a recent proposed school clo¬sure meeting, a father spoke movingly about the impor¬tance of walking his kids to school – it was their time to connect. Other parents said they’d gladly keep their small, old school within walking distance, than go to a big, brand new school far away.
Finally, we won’t build truly walkable communities until we make walking pleasant. That means beautifying our city, and adding urban greenspace. Trouble is, new developments sprawl all over their sites taking up greenspace; the taller the building, the more sprawl, with development virtually covering lot line to lot line, especially in downtown areas where land is at a premium. We end up with the equivalent of a vertical suburb, with no greens¬pace. “Amenity areas” are counted as balconies and party rooms.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward with her daughter Miranda. The Councillor is expected to challenge the current mayor Rick Goldring for the chain of office in the 2018 municipal election, Even in our newer “smart growth” neighbourhoods that were supposed to be the antidote to suburban sprawl, there’s almost no greenspace around homes, virtually no room to plant a backyard tree or the space to grow the root system for a large boulevard tree. New townhouse developments have even more asphalt and less greenspace. To compensate for the lack of land to absorb stormwater runoff, we build underground cisterns.
We must do better. Here are just a few steps we can take to fight intensification’s war on urban greenspace:
• Value urban greenspace as much as rural. The province has protected rural Burlington via Greenbelt legislation; our job is to protect and add to urban greenspace. We shouldn’t trade off one for the other. City folk need greenspace every bit as much as rural folk.
• Aim higher than green roofs, low flow toilets, geothermal heating and the like for sustainable urban development. As important as these are, they don’t replace the need for actual trees and urban greenspace.
• Revise zoning to require more setbacks, trees, permeable land, low impact development, and onsite passive greenspace in urban redevelopments.
• Take parkland dedication on redevelopments as land, rather than fees as we do now. That would instantly add urban greenspace.
By shifting the conversation from “intensification” to community, we create neighbourhoods where people want to live. I hear regularly from residents who’d gladly take a pay cut (and some have) to walk to a job in Burlington
By Pepper Parr
June 21st , 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Well, this could be awkward.
Burlington now has two Cabinet Ministers – a week ago we didn’t have one.
Eleanor McMahon (Burlington) was made Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Indira Naidoo-Harris, (Halton) Associate Minister of Finance, whose task it was to shepherd the planned Ontario Pension Plan into being.
 Yesterday the Ontario Minister of Finance announced that the province would abandon their plans for Ontario Retirement Pension Plan – what then does the Ms Naidoo-Harris have in the way of a job?
There is considerable controversy around whether or not pension plans actually need radical changes – the Conservatives certainly don’t think so.
Milton MP Lisa Raitt was very vocal last week with her views on pension changes.
Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister of Finance said in a statement: “There is an emerging retirement income challenge in Canada, and in Ontario. Workplace pensions are becoming less common and less adequate. Two-thirds of Ontario workers don’t have access to a workplace pension plan, and only one in four younger workers — aged 25 to 34 — participate in a workplace pension plan. Too many Ontarians are starting to approach retirement without the pension and savings they need.
“Our government ran on and won a majority mandate on a promise to enhance retirement income security for the people of Ontario. Today has seen a national agreement in principle to enhance the CPP that meets our commitment to hard-working Ontarians.
“Ontario has always favoured a national solution to strengthening retirement security. Since 2013, we have been calling on the federal government to enhance CPP because a national solution provides many benefits to Ontarians, including portability and cost effectiveness, while providing coverage to more people.
 Federal and provincial politicians meet in Vancouver – they decided to create a more beneficial pension plan. “In the absence of a willing or collaborative federal partner at that time, Ontario began establishing the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP).
“Ontario’s extensive consultations in developing the ORPP determined that to meet Ontarians’ retirement needs, CPP enhancement would have to be timely and provide a level of adequacy and coverage that reflects the design of the ORPP.
The federal government and enough of the provinces appear to have reached an agreement in principle to expand the Canada Pension Plan today.
So what does Indira Naidoo-Harris do now? Hopefully she didn’t print up to many business cards.
Naidoo-Harris is the member for NAME which includes large parts of rural Burlington.
By Pepper Parr
June 21, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
They are meeting and they are talking but that band of artists, musicians and actors that created ACCOB (Arts and Culture Collective of Burlington) and began to call themselves the “collective” are ready to make an announcement about what they feel is a significant step forward. Just when is not certain.
 Angela Papariza currently handles the cultural file at city hall – she has few resources to work with. One of her strongest allies is Trevor Copp who lit the flame that is keeping the water boiling within the arts community. As yet however, the arts community doesn’t yet have the ear of the civic administration and without a serious commitment by city council to fund the arts – little is going to happen.
The relationship between the arts crowd and the city manager is not good – one artist has said the city manage lies to them.
Inflammatory for sure – but that is where things appear to be with the artists.
Back in 2013 Trevor Copp, a dancer you want to see perform at least once in your lifetime, raised the profile of the arts community when he delegated to city council and got all the usual platitudes.
 Teresa Seaton, organizer of the Art in Action Tour, thinks through a response at one of the Cultural Action Plan sessions. She is one of 250 people organized as an Arts and Culture Collective in Burlington. While the elected officials did little – the arts community began to organize themselves and are pressing city hall staff – to little effect so far.
There is in this city, a significant number of people who want to see a more vibrant culture – something that is above and beyond the Sound of Music and the Teen Tour Band. They have their place, an important one – but there is more than that to culture.
 The Collective has done their homework – they know what they want – now to actually get it – that’s their challenge. Expect to see the arts community beginning to network and make connections with some of the people who wrote the large cheques that paid for the construction of the Performing Arts Centre and work with them for more quality and substance that can be put before the public.
It might get a little messy – but the world of arts and culture has seldom been a smooth one.
It is the performance that counts – not all the petty politicking that we are seeing now.
 By Staff
June 20th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Cabinet Minister Eleanor McMahon wants you to understand that she believes fervently that young people play a vital role in building our community.
 “To better understand issues impacting youth across the province and right here in our city, I organized a group of engaging Burlington high school youth to gain their perspectives”, said McMahon in a media release
“One of the issues the group is passionate about is making Syrian refugees feel at home when they arrive in Canada. As part of their effort to welcome these families, they’ve created a video that tells their story about coming to Burlington.”
A year in the making, this video explores the idea of what “home” means and highlights the emotional challenges faced when leaving behind the home you know and having to build a new one in an unfamiliar community.
The video will be screened at Burlington central Library June 28th, 7:00 to 8:30 pm
By Staff
June 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Liberal MP Karina Gould released details today on a federal government program that will empower seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experience with others and support communities by increasing their capacity to address local issues.
Organizations are being invited to apply for funding for projects that address one or more of the program’s five objectives:
1. promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
2. engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others;
3. expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
4. supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors; and
5. providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors.
 Karina Gould, Liberal MP, listening to a senior. Eligible applicants include: not-for-profit organizations; coalitions, networks and ad hoc committees; municipal governments; research organizations and institutes; educational institutions, public health and social service institutions; aboriginal organizations; and for-profit enterprises.
Projects that received funding during the 2015-2016 proposal call year included the Burlington Baptist Church’s Circle of Friends and Community Development Halton’s Senior Connector Program.
More information on how to apply is available at Canada.ca/Seniors or contact MP Gould’s office directly at 905-639-5757.
 By Staff
June 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was rock-em, sock-em baseball with a thrilling nine inning that went into a tenth and ended giving the Hamilton Cardinals a dramatic 12-11 win over the Burlington Bandits Sunday afternoon.
The game had Hamilton’s David Vanderby walked with one out in extra innings, then advanced to third after a pair of wild pitches. He scored the winning run on Jake Osborne’s one-out single. Osborne finished with two hits, three RBI and a pair of runs.
Dre Celestijn had five hits, but the biggest was a single with the bases loaded in the ninth that scored two runs and tied the game. Tyler Hardie and Jake Foden each had two hits and two RBI, Chris Beer drove in a run, and TJ Baked added three singles and a run.
Russ Burroughs (1-0) picked up the win, throwing 4.2 innings of relief while allowing four runs (one earned). Burroughs scattered five hits, walked three and struck out two.
Starter Rhys Tapper went 5.1 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits, walking four and striking out one.
 Adam Odd had a solo home run and drove in two for Burlington. Adam Odd had a solo home run and drove in two for Burlington. Justin Gideon had two hits and two RBI, and John Whaley added two RBI. Nolan Pettipiece had two hits, an RBI and run, while Canice Ejoh, Kevin Hussey and pinch-hitter Julian Johnson had an RBI apiece. Grant Okawa singled twice.
On the mound, Liam Munshi (0-2) gave up a hit and walked two in relief of starter Jack Dennis, who allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over five innings.
Sixth-place Hamilton improved to 6-13, while seventh-place Burlington slid to 4-13.
Surging Majors beat Red Sox
Elsewhere the surging London majors beat the Brantford Red Sox 8-2 Sunday afternoon to increase their win streak to six.
Cleveland Brownlee went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, while Kyle Gormandy had three hits, three RBI and scored once. Taylor Carr and Carlos Arteaga both drove in a run on one hit.
Pitcher Oscar Perez went seven innings and struck out five for the win. He scattered 10 hits and two runs and walked one.
For Brantford, Nic Burdett singled, doubled and drove in both Red Sox runs. Lee Delfino, Wayne Forman and Jeff Hunt all had two hits apiece.
Nate Forer took the loss, though only one of the seven runs he allowed was earned thanks to a pair of Brantford errors. Forer lasted 4.1 innings and struck out three and walked three.
London improved to 14-4 and continues to battle with Kitchener for first place. Fourth-place Brantford dropped to 10-8.
In Toronto, Sean Mattson blasted a home run and drove in six to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to an 11-8 win over the Guelph Royals Sunday afternoon at Dominico Field at Christie Pits.
Mattson hit a bases-loaded double in the first inning, singled home a run in the second and hit a two-run home run in the fourth.
Jonathan Solazzo had two hits, two runs and two RBI, Justin Marra, Dan Marra and Damon Topolie each had one RBI, Jon Waltenbury singled twice and scored three times, Connor Lewis had two hits and scored a run, and Grant Tamane had a single and scored twice. Ryan White collected two hits at the bottom of the order.
Dillon Mulholland (2-2) went seven innings for the win, giving up a run on six hits. Mulholland struck out six and walked one.
Richard Gill (2-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits over four innings, striking out two and walking one.
Kingsley Alarcon and Trevor Nyp each had two RBI in the loss. Patrick Coughlin had two hits and drove in a run, and Adam Rossit picked up three hits and an RBI.
Aaron Loder drove in a run, and Keegan Marsden had two hits and scored once.
Fifth-place Toronto (8-8) moved back to .500, while the last-place Royals dropped their sixth straight despite scoring six runs in the ninth inning to make it close.
 In Kitchener, the Panthers kept pace with the London Majors and put some distance between themselves and Barrie with a 10-7 win over the Baycats Sunday afternoon.
Kitchener (13-4) remains a half game back of first place and now leads third-place Barrie (11-7) by 2.5 games.
Sean Reilly had two hits, including a solo home run, and scored three times for the Panthers. Tanner Nivins, Mike Glinka and Justin Interisano all drove in a pair. Frank Camilo Morejon and Mike Andrulis each had an RBI.
Matt McGovern (3-0) earned the win after going five innings and allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking two. Iannick Remillard picked up his first save after throwing two scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out two without walking a batter.
For Barrie, Kyle DeGrace, Kevin Atkinson and Jordan Castaldo all hit home runs. The trio combined for five hits, five RBI and four runs. Conner Morro had three hits and scored twice, and Zach Sardelletti had an RBI.
Jevon Jacobs went five innings in the loss, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits, while striking out three and walking one.
Future games
Tuesday, June 21
Kitchener at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Hamilton at London, 7:35 p.m.
 By Staff
June 20, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Is it part of a public relations offensive?
 LaSalle Park Marina. The LaSalle Park Marina / Burlington Sailing & Boating Club announced a public open house for Sunday June 26, 2016 – 10am – 5pm at LaSalle Park Pier
The public will be able to tour the City’s Open Public Marina; Boat Club; & Sailing School.
As part of the daylong event the Blue Flag, which is significant in sailing circles, will be presented to the LPMA Environmental Defence Canada.
There will be comments made on different initiatives related to the bay area and sailing.
 Trumpeter swan – magnificent creatures that many think need the marina space at LaSalle Park to survive the winters. Nonsense according the Marina Association. The LPMA has been in an ongoing battle with the Trumpeter Swan Coalition that is committed to ensuring that no harm comes to this species that has made Burlington their home. This struggle has been going on for some time.
There will be speakers talking about how the bay and the fish stock are being restored. Kelly Pike of the Bay Area Restoration Council will talk about advances in Remedial Action Plan to clean Up of the Harbour.
Dr. Christine Boston will talk about the Walleye/Pickerel Restoration Program.
The Sea Cadets will be on hand, the Hamilton Beach Rescue Boat – Coast Guard Auxiliary will be there to show the public wat they do.
Halton Regional Police Marine Unit will be cruising about – and – the Burlington Fire Department will have one of their fire trucks on display.
 The option the LaSalle Park Marina Association wants this design for the re-configuration of the boat facilities. John Birch, title, has pulled out all the stops on this one – the struggle to get all the funding in place for a marina that will allow the boaters to safely tie up there craft.
The Burlington Sailing & Boating Club (BS&BC) was established in 1975; the LaSalle Park Marina (LPMA) was completed in 1981.
Able Sail, a separate charitable organization was established in 2000
BS&BC and LPMA are self-help, volunteer, not-for-profit organizations.
Both organizations are committed to providing family-oriented, quality yet lower cost recreational boating activities, together they form Burlington’s only boating and water-access facility.
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