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June 3rd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident early in March was not identified in two police reports. Police appear to have had second thoughts – release the name of the up to now unidentified driver. The driver David Dren (21 years) of Burlington was charged with one count of Impaired Operation of a motor vehicle and one count of Over 80 Contrary to the Criminal Code. Report of charges being laid 90 days later 
June 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON You remember Jennifer don’t you? The lady with the Fish and Chip Shop on Guelph Line – the one who got busted for putting a sign out by the road side to attract traffic?
Jennifer Soukup told the Gazette earlier this week that she was told by someone in the bylaw office that she would get a chance to talk about the by law when it is next reviewed – in 18 months – that’s what she was told. She wasn’t going to wait. She had been fined $180 for putting the sign out – but she didn’t have to pay it – next time they would enforce the penalty. She then did her homework and learned that she was allowed to put a sign out but only for a very specific amount of time – 45 days in each year and never for more than two weeks at a time. It will cost her $250 to rent the sign – and no one is going to miss that sign. There is a $90 fee to put the sign out – that’s included in the in the $250 What we are seeing is a young, energetic innovative entrepreneur who wants to run a successful and profitable business. As I watched her serve her customers I notices that the price for the take out came in at around the $20 range. When I have lunch, which I do often, the bill comes in at around $12.  $750 to keep this sign up for 45 days – is it worth it? Jennifer has to sell a lot of meals – assuming average price of $15 dollars – she is going to have to sell 50 meals and give every penny to the sign company to pay for the sign that she can put up for a total of 45 days. Does this mean every retailer should be able to put out whatever they want in the way of signs? No, the public isn’t going to put up with that. But there has to be an easier way to let merchants advertise and let their clients know where they are – for more than 45 days of the year. Meanwhile Soukup is doing fine – she just wants to ensure that the money she spends promote her business and doesn’t line the city’s coffers.
June 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Member of Parliament for Burlington rose to speak on the House of Commons about the matter of electoral reform – changes to be made in the way Canadians elect their Members of Parliament. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to participate in this important and historic debate on the establishment of a special all-party committee on electoral reform. This is an issue that affects all Canadians, and I am glad to see such strong principles proposed in the amended motion to guide this committee’s study. I wish to spend my time today discussing some of the changes to our electoral system that have been introduced over the past century; changes that at the time were seen as rather dramatic alterations to our system. Many of these reforms, however, are now looked back upon by Canadians as moments of true progress in the history of our great democracy.  Boundary for the constituency of Burlington The electoral system we have today is the product of almost 150 years of evolution. The election we saw in October was quite different from elections upon Confederation, when only a fraction of Canadians, namely land-owning men, had a say in our democratic institution. Our government’s pledge to replace the first past the post system is just another step in this historical evolution to a more inclusive, efficient, and stronger electoral system for all Canadians. Allow me to begin in 1920, over a half century after Confederation. After 50 years of elections in this country, Parliament established the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. It was not until 1927 that the Chief Electoral Officer was appointed by the House and not the government. These were seen as quite major changes at the time, but they are ones we can all look back on, knowing they have helped lead to nearly a century of trusted and independent electoral administration in this country. It was not until 1964, nearly a full century after Confederation, that Parliament introduced independent electoral district boundary commissions to draw riding boundaries, bringing an end to gerrymandering. Prior to this, the government could simply decide who got to vote where, with little recourse for individuals, communities, or opposition parties. This is another instance of what was once proclaimed to be a fundamental change to our electoral system. In hindsight, we see that this reform has helped build trust among Canadians that our electoral system has integrity, that it is fair, and that all communities have a voice.  Karina Gould accepting congratulations from former MP Mike Wallace the night of the last federal election. In our ever-evolving system, parties only began registering with Elections Canada in 1970, and they only became subject to election spending limits in 1974. After a century of elections, Parliament significantly altered our politics by removing the role of big money in our elections. I truly believe our democracy is stronger because of that, but once again, it was an area of contentious debate at the time. Today, the idea of unlimited spending in an election would be quickly dismissed by Canadians as a barrier to the level playing field we hold dear for free and fair elections. We are proud that our elections are based on ideas and debate, and not simply dollars. I have spoken briefly of some reforms to the electoral system itself, but I would like to turn now to the increasing franchise over the years; a clear example of how far our electoral system has progressed since Confederation. In the 1920s, the federal legislation deferred to the provinces in allowing disqualifications on the right to vote for “reasons of race”. This provision worked to disqualify many Canadians, including those of Chinese, Japanese, and Ukrainian descent, among others. However, it was not until 1948 that Parliament deleted references to disqualification on the basis of race. It was not until 1950 that Parliament allowed the Inuit the right to vote, and it was not until 1960 that Parliament allowed first nation people the right to vote without forcing them to give up their status or home on a reserve. Expanding the franchise was divisive at the time. Today, however, we look back and simply wonder what took Parliament so long to recognize the rights of all Canadians in exercising their vote.  Karina Gould listening to a constituent. Women were not able to vote until legislative changes were enacted in 1918. Those individuals living in poor houses or the homeless were not able to vote until 1929. War objectors were not able to vote between 1938 and 1955. It was only in 1970 that the voting age was lowered to 18 from 21. What I am trying to get at is that, when we reflect on these developments without the partisan frames in which they were originally debated, we see reforms that uphold and correspond to our values as Canadians; we see reforms that uphold the rights of all Canadians; and we see reforms that strengthen the bond between the people and the government and that instill trust that the government is formed by the true democratic will of all Canadians. It is almost incomprehensible that we could ever exclude a full 50% of society from the franchise, that we could exclude indigenous peoples, ethnocultural minority groups, and those who dared to express different beliefs from those of the government of the day. While I am certainly not proud of the history of disenfranchisement in Canada’s electoral history, I am truly proud of how far our democracy has evolved into a more inclusive system for all Canadians. Electoral reform is the next step in this evolution toward a more inclusive system. We can build a better system that provides a stronger link between the democratic will of Canadians and the election results, one that motivates Canadians to take part, one that reflects our collective values of fairness, inclusiveness, gender equity, openness, and mutual respect. To get there, the process leading to reform must also embody these values. Parliamentarians will need to set aside partisan interests and engage in a thoughtful and substantive dialogue with each other and with citizens.  Karina Gould during the federal election debates in Burlington. I strongly believe that stepping away from the first past the post system and embracing a new system that can reflect these values and the values articulated in this amended motion would be another milestone in the history of Canada’s elections. I suspect future generations will look back at the reforms proposed in this motion and reflect on them, as I have done today with past reforms. I suspect they will note this is yet another example of how our electoral system has evolved to further increase the inclusion of all peoples, to better reflect the will of voters and the representation of the House, and to work toward a system that produces a House that looks more and more like the faces of Canadians. I hope all members will join me and support the creation of this committee.
June 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Burlington Bandits tried to shake off last week’s heartbreaking extra inning loss. At least, that was the hope. The reality was a 12-1 blowout delivered by Guelph, sending the Bandits (1-6) back to the drawing board on a three-game losing streak.  Bandits owner Scott Robertson – in full array, wonders if taking a bat in his hands will help the team. The highlights were few and far between for the Bandits; the Royals dominated with a five run inning in the second that included a grand slam by Chandler McLaren. Burlington starter Liam Munshi (0-1) struggled, giving up seven runs in 1.1 innings of work. The right hander gave up home runs to Guelph’s Keegan Marsden. The Bandits collected just four hits in the game. The Guelph Royals pounded out 10 base knocks – five of them for extra bases. Guelph’s starter Richard Gill took home the win for the Royals going 7.0 innings only allowing four hits and one earned run. The Bandits are now 1-6 UPCOMING GAMES Friday, June 3rd Saturday, June 4th
June 3, 2017 BURLINGTON, ON Doug Mays, award winning artist, will be demonstrating his watercolour techniques at Gallery [2] on June 8th from 7pm to 9pm.
Light refreshments will be served. Tickets: $15. Contact Gallery 2 on their website at www.gallery2burlington.com  Doug Mays Gallery 2 is one of a couple of galleries that have taken space yards away from the Royal Botanical Gardens on Spring Garden Road. They are almost a bit of an outpost –away from the downtown core – not part of the Village Square that was once the home, the equicentre for local artists, in Burlington They are part of the Art in Action crowd, a group that found and felt that the Art Gallery of Burlington, formerly the Burlington Art Centre, was not meeting their needs. The Seaton Gallery – stained glass – is right next door.
June 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Late last night the police released a follow up report on a motor vehicle accident that took place early in March. Basically a car went off the road at the intersection of Kerns Road and North Service Road. The collision left one man with serious head injuries while a second male escaped with bruises and concussion. There was also a significant amount of damage caused to a roadside guide rail that resulted in a lengthy road closure.  It was around 4:00 am in the morning. Someone overshot the stop sign, crashed into the barrier at the intersection and ended up in a patch of land. A stupid accident which police at the time said speed and alcohol were suspected. Charges laid – no names released – why? Following a protracted investigation, a 22-year old Burlington male has now been charged with two offences – Impaired Operation and Over 80 contrary to the Criminal Code. No further details regarding the charged individual will be released. In the March media release the following information was given: Halton Regional Police Service is investigating a serious single motor vehicle collision that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning leaving a Burlington man in critical condition. Shortly before 4:00am Saturday March 12th a black VW Golf was travelling south on Kerns Road in the City of Burlington. At the intersection with North Service Road, the vehicle failed to stop or to negotiate the turn and continued through the guard rail at the south edge of North Service Road, coming to rest in the sunken area between North Service Road and Highway 403. The male driver of the Golf, a 22-year old Burlington male, sustained serious injuries and was transported to Hamilton general Hospital where his condition is described as critical. His male passenger escaped with minor injuries. Due to the serious nature of the incident, the Collision Reconstruction Unit attended and assumed responsibility for the investigation. At this stage speed and alcohol are being considered as factors. Details of the vehicle occupants are not being released. It’s pretty clear someone doesn’t want their name in the paper – must be some heavy legal talent leaning on someone.
June 2, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton Regional Police Service, in conjunction with Halton Women’s Place report a very successful “Dress for Success” Campaign. Last April members of the Halton Regional Police Domestic Violence Investigative Unit launched a clothing drive to gather new and gently used professional attire to donate to Halton Women’s Place. The goal was provide clients of the shelter with attire suitable to allow the women to feel confident and to thrive in a professional environment. The campaign concluded May 31 and was incredibly successful with over 122 large size bags of new and gently used items donated.  Staff from Halton Women’ Place and the Halton Police Service Domestic violence unit [pose with some of the clothing that was donated. Detective Donna Whittaker from the Domestic Violence Investigative Unit proposed and managed the clothing drive. She noted that the campaign was a huge success and a positive experience for her and members of the unit. “Halton is an amazing community full of kind, generous people and the response to this campaign has been absolutely exceptional. We are all so appreciative of the community’s generosity and support of this worthwhile initiative. I am confident the donations received from this campaign will have a positive impact on many, many women who can now “Dress for Success”. Thank you to everyone who donated or were otherwise involved in this campaign. “
June 2nd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Municipalities across Ontario are asking the province to reform the Ontario Municipal Board, and severely limit its power over local planning decisions. More than 80 municipal councils have passed resolutions seeking OMB reform, including Toronto, Markham, Guelph, Newmarket, York Region, and Oakville.  Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward thinks the Ontario Municipal Board should be abolished – it was put in place years ago for good reasons – do those reasons no longer matter? Burlington is not one of them. The resolution began in Aurora and asks the province to “limit the jurisdiction of the OMB to questions of law or process” and to “require the OMB to uphold any planning decisions of Municipal Councils unless they are contrary to the processes and rules set out in legislation.” Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward supports this kind of change A resolution passed by Oakville council asks the province to: exclude the board from hearing appeals of applications for amendments to provincially approved official plans; require the OMB to show deference to the decisions of local councils subject only to the test of reasonableness; and require the board, as an appellate body, to implement the concept of precedent in its decisions. The province has said it will look into OMB reform this year. In May, Meed Ward joined over 100 municipal representatives (the only one from Burlington) at a Municipal Summit on OMB Reform. The consensus from the Summit was to request that the province forbid any appeals to the OMB of local Official Plans that have already been approved by the Province. This would dramatically reduce the number of appeals, save time and money, and free up time for the OMB to deal with other matters within its jurisdiction in a timely fashion.  Councillor Jack Dennison appealed a Committee of Adjustment decision that went against his request to sever his property. The Ontario Municipal Board sided with Dennison and allowed him to sever. Another recommendation arising from the Summit was to remove appeals to the OMB for Committee of Adjustment decisions on minor variances, and instead direct local councils to create an appeal body or let the local city council be the final appeal body (which would be more time and cost effective). These and other recommendations from the Summit will be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the province. A representative from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario attended the summit, and AMO will discuss OMB reform at its annual conference in August. Meed Ward said she “whole heartedly supports reform, and wouldn’t miss the OMB if it were abolished. The OMB has become, in effect, the local planning departments for municipalities, creating duplication of services, overriding decisions of locally elected councils by an unelected tribunal, and costing hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars to defend Official Plans that have already been approved by the province and conform to growth requirements. These costs, borne both by municipalities and the development industry, are built into taxes and into the cost of housing. OMB-driven municipal planning is expensive, wasteful, time-consuming and unaccountable, and must change.”  The ADI development group is before the OMB not because they didn’t like the decision the city made but because the city did not make a decision within the required time frame. Meed Ward wants Burlington to join the call for a change and plans to introduce a moption at Council. When? She isn’t sure. “Hard to say anything about timing at this point. Would either be July or September. Introducing this kind of motion in July just before the August break when a lot of people are away might not be the best time to go public with something like this. Whichever, we will be hearing from Meed Ward on the role the Ontario Municipal Board should play in the affairs of the city in the not too distant future.
June 1, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON A local green house has announced the Great Tomato Race – where contestants can grow their biggest tomato and enter it into the race to win a grand prize $5,000 TERRA gift card!
Way back in the 1930’s, when times were tough, tough – The Mortgage Lifter Tomato was developed by a gardener who planted the four biggest tomato varieties he knew and crossed one with pollen from the other three. He did this for six seasons and created a variety that produced immense, tasty fruit. He sold the plants for $1 apiece and paid off his $6000 mortgage in 6 years.  Will the winner of the contest bring in a tomato this big? TERRA ran this kind of a promotion 20 years ago and felt that it was time to let people get used to the idea of growing some of their own fruit and vegetables. Climate change is going to have an even bigger impact on the way we live our lives. TERRA believes Ontario can expect to see much more of its produce gown locally. Contestants can sign up for the Great Tomato Race which started May 14th and ends July 15th – One Grand Prize of a $5,000 TERRA Gift Card TERRA decided to run this contest to kick start the excitement around growing your own food this summer with hopes it will lead to increased healthy lifestyles and will generate new interest for contestants and families to get out in the garden and grow your own!  This is one big tomato! Contestants can visit their local TERRA to sign up for the Great Tomato Race TERRA has locations in: Burlington, Hamilton, Milton and Waterdown. There is also a location in Vaughan.
May 30th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON Detectives from the Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault (CASA) Unit have charged a Burlington man, Joseph Robert Angel (25 years of age) in connection with two separate sexual assaults committed on May 24, 2016. The two incidents took place at the Longo’s grocery store located at 1225 Fairview Street in Burlington between 8:45pm and 9:30pm. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Matt Cunnington at 905-825-4747 ext. 8978 or Detective Constable Alanda Prescod at 905-825-4747 ext. 8977 of the of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 TIPS, or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)
June 1st, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Not quite sure what this means but the Mayors of Burlington, Ontario and Apeldoorn, Holland signed an Expression of Interest today at Burlington City Hall to promote economic development opportunities between the two cities. In a media release city hall said an Expression of Interest focuses on advancing potential partnerships in three specific areas, including: • Clean technology sector development; The word that matters here is “potential” for that is about all we have seen in terms of new development in the city. The Burlington Economic Development Corporation will lead discussions on behalf of the City of Burlington.  Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring “expressing an interest” in each other Mayor Goldring said: “Based on conversations during our visit to Apeldoorn last spring, as well as meetings this week, we have agreed on three specific areas of opportunity we are looking to pursue. Apeldoorn is a natural economic partner due to our twinning agreement, as well as its prominent clean technology sector as it relates to Burlington’s Community Energy Plan.” The Mayor went on to say that: “Today’s signing furthers the twinning agreement established between the cities of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands and Burlington, Canada on May 6, 2005. The twinning agreement states that the cities will explore economic development and new business opportunities.” And that is about all the two cities have been able to do “explore”. “Apeldoorn is interested in furthering business with Burlington,” said Mayor John Berends. “Several of our companies are interested in Canadian partnerships, especially in a city like Burlington where we have already established a good working relationship.” There has been some relationship development between Apeldoorn and Burlington but just at a mid-management staff level. Rob Peachey, Manager Parks & Open Space in the Capital Works Department, was part of the delegation that went to Holland to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland and he said at that time that he expected to exchange ideas and processes with his peers in Holland, particularly as it related to parks and recreation. Holland is a country where bicycles are a large part of the movement of people. Burlington is still struggling to get to the point where bicycles are more than a form of weekend recreation.  The Economic Development Corporation shows land that is vacant and for sale. New Regional Court House is to be built on part of the property. Burlington’s Economic Development Corporation hasn’t had much in the way of real economic development to report on – they list future conferences on their web site and, we stand to be corrected, but there hasn’t been a new business of any size or significance brought to the city since the BEDC was reorganized and new management out in place. Fresh Insights Consulting was created to do some market research for the local business community by MBA students from McMaster University and that operation appears to percolate nicely. If the objectives and targets in the much touted Strategic Plan are to be met there is going to have to be something significant happen in the next 25 years, which is the length of the dream contained in that document. Both the Economic Development Corporation and the city’s Strategic Plan appear to be pretty well reflected in the image on the BEC web site – lots of colour but pretty confusing looking.  Image on the Economic Development corporation web site, while colourful, is confusing – reflecting that state of economic development in the city. Has there been any? The development taking place in Burlington is residential – with million dollar condos on Lakeshore Road and small residential on Fairview next to the GO station – plus the ADI development on Dundas and Sutton. The ADI development on Lakeshore and Martha street is still being actively marketed and still working to get through the Ontario Municipal Board hearing that is due to come up for air sometime in June. Hard to see where those high-tech, high paying jobs are going to come from – if they do arrive – there should be a places for people to live.
May 31st, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON Bus stops within the road closure area will be bagged. For service, please proceed to the Appleby GO station or bus stops along New Street.
May 31st, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON Bus stops within the road closure area will be bagged. For service, please proceed to the Appleby GO station or bus stops along New Street.
May 31st, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON For access to stops serving these routes, please proceed to the John Street Bus Terminal or Brant Street north of Caroline Street.
May 31st, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON How does a large national organization with a brand that is instantly recognized and at one point had a currency that was unique to them work with community organization to help out?
The requests can get out of hand – how do you say no? The daughter of the founder of the Canadian Tire operation, Martha Billies came up with an idea that would raise funds to help pay for sports equipment for children whose parents could not afford the price. She called it Jumpstart which is now in its 11th year. Brad Gordon, general manager at the Burlington Canadian Tire, explained how it works and some of the funny quirks that crop up when people work at helping each other.  While the focus was supposed to be on the fish in the pond – both boys kept looking at all those bicycles The store set up small play stations throughout the sprawling location and let people just bump into them. There was a free pop corn station, a fishing station and a BBQ stand. The BBQ station was manned by volunteers from the Ontario correctional service. “These guys have been coming to this event for the past three years – this is the way they volunteer and give back to their community” said Glenn Butt, owner of the franchise who explained that every penny raised goes into the Jumspart fund. All the administrative costs are paid for by the corporation. The distribution of the funds is done by local chapters that include organizations like the YM and YWCA, the Children’s Aid and Halton Woman’s Place. There are five intake organizations that determine where the needs are. Harry Bell chairs the chapter that takes care of needs in the Halton – Hamilton communities. Brad Gibson, store manager in Burlington, moves about the store on a Saturday afternoon seeing much more than most people see with his very practiced eye.  They look pretty tough – they should be – they are officers from the Ontario Correctional Service but last Saturday they were a couple of pussy cats serving burgers to people who were donating to the Jumpstart fund. He explained that within the Canadian Tire organization there is a high level of competition between the different stores to see who can raise the most at the store level. The Burlington store placed second last year in its market area. Commercial organizations like Canadian Tire are a focal point for the community – much of what people need to comfortably live their lives is found on their shelves. The company uses their brand to help groups raise funds and contributes in its own way to helping people who need help.  The growth of the Jumpstart fund has been impressive – every dollar collected in the Burlington community is spent in the Burlington community – and the administrative costs are picked up by the Canadian Tire corporation. During the annual drive for Christmas gifts – The Toys for Tots – frequently referred to as “Cram a cruiser” we had people coming into the store buying a dozen hockey sticks and putting them in the police cruiser and walking back to their car – they didn’t stop to talk – they just gave. A number of people walk to that police cruiser with their arms filled with stuffed toys.” “This is a very generous community”. All the results for the 2016 Jumpstart haven’t been tallied yet – the traffic looked pretty good on Saturday and those correctional officers said they were doing a brisk business.
May 31st, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON GIS mapping at Burlington city hall will be unavailable on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 from 1 to 3 p.m. The service and the system will be down for maintenance.
May 29, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Burlington Bandits (1-5) found themselves in tight this past weekend, with consecutive losses in heart breaking, extra inning fashion. On May 27 Burlington relinquished a 6-4 lead in the 9th inning, and ultimately fell 7-6 to the Brantford Red Sox (4-2) in a 4 hour and 19 minute game. Just over 12 hours later, the Bandits dropped another close matchup to the defending champion Barrie Baycats (4-2) by a score of 4-3. Despite the two tough losses against strong opponents, Bandits field manager Jeff Lounsbury felt confident with his team’s performance and execution in both games.
It took the Red Sox 12 innings to beat the Bandits on Friday night, with Brantford second baseman Benjamin Bostick singling in the winning run. After holding a 6-4 lead in the ninth inning, Brantford scored two runs on a triple by third baseman Ricky Murray to extend the game. Ryan Beckett (0-1) got the start for the Bandits, going five innings and surrendering four earned runs on six hits. Beckett also struck out two and walked two batters before giving way to the bullpen. Reliever Alex Nolan (0-1) ultimately took the loss, following three Red Sox hits in the 12th inning. Red Sox pitcher Tanner Guindon (2-0) notched his second victory against the Bandits this season, after pitching 2.2 innings and allowing just one hit. Although Burlington struck out a season-high 18 times on Friday, they also registered 13 hits. Bandits’ outfielder Justin Gideon led the way, going 5/6 with two runs scored and one RBI. Following Saturday’s game Lounsbury spoke highly of Gideon’s play as of late, specifically his approach at the plate. “He’s starting to make the adjustment that he needed to make. He made a correction and it looks like it’s showing already,” Lounsbury said. In their Saturday afternoon matchup with the Barrie Baycats, the Bandits got an early start, scoring two runs in the 1st inning on a triple by left fielder John Whaley. Burlington once again held a two run lead, until a 3-run homerun by Barrie third baseman Jordan Castaldo put the Baycats ahead 3-2 in the 6th inning. The Bandits rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th on an infield single by pinch hitter Brad McQuinn.  If attitude wins games and coaxing a better performance from the coach really works – the Bandits should break through any day now. We’re waiting. They are currently one place away from the bottom of the league. However, Barrie took a 4-3 lead the very next inning on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Conner Morro and didn’t look back. “Our starting pitching has been great and our bullpen has done a great job,” Lounsbury said. “You could tell we were a little tired today energy-wise, but that’s no excuse.” After Baycats starting pitcher Matthew St. Kitts (1-0) left the game with an injury in the 6th inning, three Baycats’ relievers combined to limit the Bandits to just four hits, with Chris Nagorski (1-0) getting the win. The Bandits once again struggled with their plate discipline, striking out 16 times on the day. “We’re continuing to work on it,” Lounsbury said of his team’s strikeout frequency. “We’re starting to barrel up the ball a little bit better.” Burlington will look to break back into the win column on Thursday, June 2 when they welcome the Guelph Royals (2-5) to town. First pitch will be at 7:30pm at Nelson Park. The Bandits are putting on a Youth Baseball Day Saturday June 4th starting at 9:00 am Pancake breakfast UPCOMING GAMES Tuesday, May 31 Wednesday, June 1 Thursday, June 2
May 30th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON When the history of Burlington and its relationship with the Freeman station is written one hopes it tells of the indefatigable efforts made by a group of about 10 – maybe twelve men. They fought the council of the city they live in to preserve the Freeman Station. They struggle with the bureaucracy to overcome some of the hurdles they have to get over – and yet – week by week one can see the Freeman station coming together – at some point it will be completed and officially opened and this group will take great pleasure in knowing that they made it happen.  A friend of the Freeman station lowers himself from the scaffolding at the front of the building. There is never enough money. “We need about $200,000 to complete the work – some of that can be in kind – but cash is the biggest need” said Brian Aasgaard who can be found on the site whenever the doors are open. Brian and John Mellow are two very very resourceful people; they come across artifacts and items that are part of the rail history and put it into storage.  A major coup for the Friends of Freeman station was the acquisition of this 1959 Chrysler that serves as both a rail car and a car that can drive along streets. A recent coup was the receipt of a rail car – a vehicle that has two sets of wheels: one put on the car when it is driving along the rail line and the other when it is driving along a road. Painted a yellow that you won’t miss with some orange trim and the letters TH&B painted on the side with the number 1 below on the door of the 1951 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe four door sedan with a set of specially-constructed steel wheels for rail travel, a six-cylinder in-line gasoline engine and an automatic transmission. It was in service from June 24, 1957 to June 24, 1977, after which it was sold to the Ontario Rail Foundation. Then eventually passed into the hands of Rod Wilson, who donated it to FOFS. The vehicle will eventually sit on a length of railway track that will run the length of the platform of the station. The car is said to have been used to drive the president of the railway to company meetings in Buffalo. The FoF hope to put the car on display at the Car Free street festival on Appleby Line in June – they need a flat bed to get it to that event.  Brian Aasgaard displays the very first Canada 150 recognition banner given to anyone in Burlington Each week the Friends of Freeman Station advance their cause. They are the very first organization in Burlington to be recognized as part of the Canada 150 event – a federal government program that is getting the country ready for its sesquicentennial – the celebration of our 150th year as a country. The station now has gas coming into the building. Water and sewage are in the planning stage – working out where the water hook up is going to take place is still being worked out. A pressing need right now is an experienced stone mason. There is some concrete block that has to be put in place and then some xxx stones place atop the concrete blocks. These are part of the station platform that will run the 60 foot plus length of the platform that will reach out close to 12 feet from the station.  How many hands – eight of them – to cut special sheets o protective plastic. A length or rail line will stretch out in front of the building. There are dreamers at the FoF who hope someday they might manage to find, restore and install a steam locomotive in front of the station. Dreams are part of the Friends of Freeman DNA – don’t sell these guys short. If you’re as retired stone mason, an active stone mason or know someone who is a stone mason – get in touch with Brian – he will drive over and pick you up. Aasgaard mentioned that the floor will have original maple wood put in place. They are still looking for a sponsor for the Station waiting room – $15,000 will get a corporate name on the space, which when completed is going to be something to look at. The ceiling is all wood which when painted is going to be one of those things everyone will ooh and awe about.  The station Waiting Room is going to be quite stunning when it is complete. The oval window on the west side has been dedicated to the late Jane Irwin; one of the dozen or so people who fought against their city council to save the structure. Time for the city to provide some serious funding. The FoF see a significant part of the revenue stream coming from rental of the space. Few appreciate just how impressive this space is going to be. For those who once travelled by rail regularly you will immediately recognize the bench that is to sit directly beneath the oval window that has been dedicated to the late Jane Irwin – one of the handful of people who would not let city council abandon the Freeman station. The Mayor is said to be a solid champion of the place – perhaps he can rent it as his 2018 re-election campaign headquarters?
May 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON In Burlington, the Bandits forced extra innings with a ninth inning run before the Barrie Baycats scored in the 10th inning to take a 4-3 victory on Connor Morro’s sacrifice fly. The Baycats are now win 4-2 and in a four-way tie for second place while the Bandits sit seventh at 1-5.
John Whaley’s two run triple in the first gave Burlington a 2-0 lead. Jim Martin add three hits for the Bandits. Winning pitcher Chris Nagorski (1-0) pitched the final two six innings, giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts. Starter Matt St. Kitts went five innings, allowing only three hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Burlington starter Jack Dennis went 7.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Reliever Brandon Hillier (0-1) took the loss, pitching 2.1 innings allowing only one hit, one walk and two strikeouts. The Burlington Bandits are one above Hamilton in the InterCounty Baseball League.
May 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The annual Art Sale raises a lot of money. As an event is draws a piece of work from Robert Bateman – he has donated a piece of his art every year for the past 38 years. What do they do with the funds raised? Plenty! In 2015..  There was a time when art was taught in schools – not any more. If a child is to get an art education and the sense o accomplishment that goes with it – they head for the art gallery. 2,751 school’s children’s horizons were expanded Important initiatives: Over 20 regional, national and international exhibitions a year, as well as the world’s largest collection of Canadian contemporary ceramics.  Former Member of Parliament Mike Wallace on a tour of the kilns at the art gallery. Add to that the Annual Soup bowl event. And of course the Art Gallery is home to the Guilds that were the reason the place came into being. There are over 300 volunteers in a building that has had pieces added to it over time – it is quite easy to get a little lost.  Johnathan Smith, curator of the permanent ceramics collection watches artist Peter Powning making clay impressions of artifacts. The Art Galley was the place Peter Powning took clay impressions of objects brought in by citizen that were later cast in bronze and placed on the spiral Stella that stands outside the Performing Arts Centre The gallery is open seven days a week – and there is no admission. The city provides just under $1 million as a grant to the Art Gallery each year.
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The one who got a visit from the Mayor who dropped by asking how he could help and then never following up.
There will be a Q&A session.
This contest is open to gardeners of all skill levels.
Everyone knows about Canadian Tire and when groups in the community are looking for help and support they frequently ask Canadian Tire.
“We played well – we pitched well and we hit well against two tough teams. Unfortunately, I think our next curve is to learn how to win those games,” Lounsbury said.
Morro led the Baycats with four hits while Jordan Castaldo hit a three run homer in the sixth inning to give Barrie a 3-2 lead. Tony Hyrnkiw also added two hits.