Snow Update: Jan.13,2016 4:00pm
Road plowing is complete.
Local road sanding is ongoing.
Primary and secondary sidewalks have been completed.
Local sidewalk plowing is ongoing.
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January 13th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Gazette has written about the 100 Women Who Care Burlington. It is a simple concept whose impact is very powerful. The goal is to raise $40,000 (or more) annually for local registered charities or their charitable programs that help Burlington residents live their lives to the fullest. This is done by gathering 100 women (or more) who commit to donating $100 (or more), four times per year. At each of their one hour meetings, nominations for charities and/or their programs are submitted by members for consideration of the group. To expedite the process, of the nominations submitted, three are selected at random and of those, the nominators have an opportunity to pitch their cause to the members, after which a vote is taken, ballots counted and cheques written to the organization that receives the most votes.
– Burlington Humane Society
Craig Kowalchuk and the team at Emmas Back Porch has a long history of giving back to the community and 100 Women Who Care Burlington are appreciative of their support in hosting our quarterly meetings this year. Dermetics, a Burlington based business is sponsoring 10 of their staff as members. It’s been a fabulous way for their business to give back to the community, while involving their team as they contribute to the decisions on where the funds will be directed. Dermetics has also provided numerous door prizes and incentives to grow our membership.
January 13th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON City Council will meet next week for two days to thrash out the 2016 budget which, at this point, looks like it will increase 3.85% over what they asked for last year. For some reason Burlington’s city council feels it has to spend more in 2016 than it did in 2015 (3.85% is the most recent budget increase projection) which has the people at Bfast (Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit) upset because they don’t see any increase in the amount being sent on transit. “Despite commitments in the City’s Strategic Plan, transit users in Burlington are again being shortchanged by the municipality‘s 2016 budget,” says a spokesperson for Burlington For Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST). Council is set to approve a budget for the system that provides no funding increase for 2016.  Doug Brown, chair of Bfast says the city is short changing transit users. “When inflation is considered, the 2016 transit budget is actually less than the budget in 2015,” commented BFAST spokesperson Doug Brown. “Funding and service cuts, schedule changes and fare increases over the past four years have resulted in a 17% decline in ridership for Burlington’s chronically underfunded transit system. This is despite the requirement of the Ontario Municipal Board that the city increase transit ridership to 11% of all city trips by 2030. “In contrast,” he ads ” Oakville has seen large increases in transit use as a result of higher funding and better service levels.” “Burlington’s politicians like to point to the survey by MoneySense magazine that rates our community as the most livable mid-size city in Canada,” Brown said. “But that same magazine notes Burlington is well down the list when it comes to walkability and transit.” Brown said adequate transit service is an investment, not an expense.  Bus drivers got a pay increase, some new buses arrived – but transit advocates say the city is still not spending enough on transit. “How much does it end up costing us when people without cars can’t get to their jobs? What’s the real cost of students not being able to take advantage of educational opportunities because Burlington Transit can’t get them to school on time? How much does it cost every taxpayer to own a second or even third car because they can’t rely on the transit system?” Council is set to vote on the 2016 budget on Jan. 25.. BFAST is a citizen’s group formed in 2012 to advocate for better transit in Burlington.
Ciné-Starz Upper Canada Place,
Week of Friday, January 15, 2016 through Thursday, January 21, 2016 Point Break (14A) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (G) In the Heart of the Sea (PG) Creed (14A) The Good Dinosaur (G) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (PG) Spotlight (—) The Peanuts Movie (G) Spectre () The Martian (PG) Snowtime! (La Guerre des Tuques) (G)
January 12, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON There were hundreds of them. The kept streaming into the room and immediately headed for the table that had hundreds of donuts of every imaginable flavour laid out.  Tough to make a donut choice from a table like this. Later in the day when this small hoard of young people had to be fed the pizza was brought into the rooms on small trolleys. How did the Board of Education manage to get more than 500 young people out early on a Saturday morning? They were there to get the details on the robotics competition that Burlington students have been part of for 19 years. It is one of the city’s best kept secrets – the crime is that it is a secret – the event gets next to no media coverage.  They were an attentive audience – they were there to get the instructions they needed for the competition they were going to engage in. This was serious stuff. The daylong event took place at the Gary Allan High school and had participants from throughout the Region. The starting point was the broadcast of a video that was shown across North America to students in auditoriums who wanted to get the fundamentals of the robotics challenge.  Dave Hammel from MM Robinson and Director of Education Stewart Miller exchange a laugh during the first phase of the North American robotics competition. Under strict rules, limited resources, and the guidance of volunteer mentors including engineers, teachers, business professionals, parents, alumni and more, teams of 25+ students have just six weeks to build and program robots to perform challenging tasks against a field of competitors. They must also raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and perform community outreach. In addition to learning valuable STEM and life skills, participants are eligible to apply for $25+ million in college scholarships.  The challenge in the 2016 First robotics competition was to breach the castle stronghold of the other team – using robots to do the breaching. FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff. The new game and playing field are unveiled and teams receive a Kickoff Kit made up of donated items and components worth tens of thousands of dollars – and only limited instructions. Working with adult Mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge. Once these young inventors build a robot, their teams will participate in one or more of the Regional and District events that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students. The Gazette intends to follow the robotics team from Burlington Central High school and M M Robinson high school. Our first look at these two groups was an amazing time – we saw some of the brightest young people we have come across in this city. Stay tuned.
Burlington Green comments on Strategic Plan - will they be listened to? The comments are very valid.
January 12, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON BurlingtonGreen put its two cents on the table and gave city council and senior staff its views on the Strategic Plan that is currently out for public review. They made several significant points: One being that there wasn’t enough focus climate change and they wondered why there was a long term vision but not much in the way of a four year, single term of office document. Burlington Green isn’t the only group asking that question. Burlington Green’s Executive Director Amy Schnurr points to “the extensive community feedback” they received through their Greenprint for the Future outreach program where they learned what the citizens of Burlington had to say about a variety of local environmental issues.  Ice birgs are melting. “Both globally and locally, the health of the environment and need for effective, results-oriented action to ensure a sustainable future has never been more important. Municipalities have an essential role to play in combating climate change and must prioritize and integrate associated action strategies into short and long-term planning. Additionally, with Burlington currently facing the conflicting challenges of build-out and population growth, the associated issues of intensification, infill practices, habitat destruction, local food security, waste management and effective transportation, combine to make sustainable planning a top priority.” BurlingtonGreen strongly believes that climate change and the environment must be central to Burlington’s vision and planning going forward and respectfully offers the following input to aid the City in improving the draft Strategic Plan for 2015 to 2040. Issue: Strategic Plan versus Long Term Vision: we feel the current document represents a strategic vision, rather than a plan which requires specific, measurable time-bound strategies. Recommendation: Re position the document as “Burlington’s Vision for 2015 to 2040”and develop a five year Strategic Plan in consultation with the community, to implement the short and long term elements of the vision. Issue: The Vision Statement “Where people, nature, and business thrive” is missing the element of community context. Recommendation: Include the word “community”, so that the vision statement reads: “Where people, nature, business, and community thrive”.  Smoke stacks are killing us. Issue: Climate Change: the document makes no reference to this, the most important environmental and social issue of our times, and though some elements, such as the City’s carbon-neutral proposal, address it in part, there is no cohesive or strongly-stated strategy articulated. Cities must be on the front line of action in dealing with climate change, and Burlington needs to demonstrate clear leadership here. Recommendation: Add a fifth section to the plan dedicated to climate change because strategies dealing with climate change must include or involve all sections of the plan: not just health and environment, but also transportation and economic development and the type of growth we want to have and can sustain in the next twenty five years. If it is deemed that an additional section cannot be added then all document sections should be strengthened significantly to integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation planning strategies. Issue: A City that Grows: we support the thrust towards intensification and smart growth; however, there is insufficient recognition of the need to develop and preserve a livable and environmentally sustainable community, while promoting economic growth. Smart growth must advance strategic plans that respect nature’s biodiversity and our irreplaceable green spaces that Burlington is fortunate to have. This additional point is not only important for Burlington citizens, but is fundamental to promoting economic growth in a postmodern information economy. Reccomendation: Strengthen this section to clearly indicate that the vision is to absorb growth in the currently defined urban areas to support an economically strong, livable and environmentally sustainable community. Issue: A City that Moves: we strongly believe that a much greater focus on public transit and active transportation is required in the draft plan.  Do we have enough buses and are they the right size to meet the changing demand? Recommendation: Make Public Transit and Active Transportation priorities by creating a dedicated section specifically dealing with “public transit” and “active transportation options”, in coordination with the Region of Halton’s recently published Active Transportation Master Plan, and where necessary, work proactively with the Region to suggest any improvements to the Plan that are needed to meet Burlington’s specific requirements. Issue: A Healthy and Greener City: we find this section represents a fairly traditional approach to environment and more innovative and integrative thinking and strategies, with a strong focus on Climate Change are required.  Tree canopies like this take decades to mature – is there a plan in place to replace these trees when they begin to fail? It is streets like this that give Burlington much of its character and value. Recommendation: Review this section approaching urban and growth issues from an environmental point of view, and ensure the inclusion of important issues such as: Issue: A Healthy and Greener City: we find this section represents a fairly traditional approach to environment and more innovative and integrative thinking and strategies, with a strong focus on Climate Change are required.  Do we have a rural farmland policy? Recommendation: Review this section approaching urban and growth issues from an environmental point of view, and ensure the inclusion of important issues such as:  A rapt audience listens to an overview of a budget – did they have any real input ? Issue: Recommendation: Advance plans to stimulate meaningful citizen engagement with respect to growth and environmental issues. Burlington Green has been consistent with its plea that the public be listened to and heard. They argue that the City’s Strategic Plan for 2015-2040 “must reflect this commitment; they hope the constructive input and recommendations provided make it into the final document.
January 8th 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Strategic plans are by seldom an easy read. They are however important – they set out where the politicians you elected want to see growth take place. There was a time when Burlington had acres of farm land that was developed over time – the two malls we have were once very productive farmland at a time when Burlington was known around the word for the quality of its produce.  The city – then a town – was once a produce garden known around the world. We grew and we now need a strategy to guide the growth, We shipped so much fresh fruit and vegetables that the railway had two tracks coming into what was then a town. That was then – developers bought that farmland and put up a parking lot and added some stores along the edges. The old Burlington began to change and the downtown core that once was a place where people did gather began to wither.  Strategic Plan is based on four strategic directions. The city believes it needs a Strategic Plan and spends a considerable amount of time and significant financial resources putting a document together and looking for public comment. This report takes material from the draft report and adds comments to put what the draft Strategic Plan is saying in context. See the draft plan as a piece of sales literature with one side of the story. The Gazette has added comment based on its five years of covering this council and attendance at all the meetings for the 2011 Strategic Plan and most of the meetings for the plan that is ready for public comment. The commentary is set out in bold italic. Everything your city council wants to have happen in Burlington as it grows – and the city has to grow because the province says we must – is pinned to the four strategic directions. There was no public input on the choice of those four strategic directions. They came out of discussion and debate and wordsmithed by the consultants. Each of these has a list of strategic initiatives the city will undertake and then a list of progress indicators telling us what real progress has been made. Council wants to promote economic growth. Local incomes have risen and Burlington continues to be a prosperous city due to the co-ordinated action of the city, region, province, educational institutions and industry. The very significant increases in the selling prices of housing has made a difference as well; a recent report had the increase at the 9.2% year over year level. More people who live in Burlington, work in Burlington and targets for employment lands have been met (15,000 new knowledge-based jobs by 2025) through the creation of an employment lands vision to unite the community, developers and industry.  An empty lot on the North Service Road at Walkers Line was to be the home of a new IKEA – that didn’t work out but a six storey office building got built a couple of hundred yards away. The development community has been banging away at council to let quite a bit of the land set aside for employment be converted and used instead for housing – which is a lot more profitable. The draft report claims that employment lands are connected to the community and region and include transportation links and options that are easy to access and contribute to a sustainable and walk able community. That statement is more than a bit of a stretch. A report earlier this week in the Spectator said that those who attended the Pan Am games didn’t make much use of public transit – and there is nothing wrong with the GO service. Burlington hasn’t taken to the idea of public transit yet. When a significant number of seniors find that they can’t drive or find the traffic too congested to drive – they will make their concerns known to council and then watch how quickly city council comes onside and starts spending the gas tax rebates on transit – which is what they were intended for. Small businesses contributes to the creation of complete neighbourhoods. Commerce aligns with land-use planning goals so that residents are close to goods and services. Innovative, entrepreneurial businesses have settled or developed in Burlington. The city has helped create the technological support, business supports, infrastructure and educational environment to attract start-ups and growing businesses. The people who write these reports keep saying things that are just not true – they seem to feel that if they say something often enough it will become true.  This just isn’t a vibrant downtown – the site has been sold with yet another condominium being planned for the site – right opposite city hall. Two statements that need to be dealt with honestly – Burlington’s downtown is vibrant and thriving with greater intensification. The downtown isn’t vibrant – hasn’t been vibrant for a long, long time. Better minds than mine may know how to make it vibrant – but we aren’t there yet. Much of the rural property is in the hands of speculators who limit what can be done with the land. There are farmers north of Dundas that would like to grow different crops but the owners of the property limit what they can grow. The City of Burlington’s rural areas will be economically and socially vibrant, producing commodities and providing unique recreational activities for the city. How will Burlington make the growth wanted actually happen? These are some examples of actions and measures of success: Create an employment lands vision that drives investment and growth in the Prosperity Corridors.
Develop and put in place a redevelopment and intensification strategy for the Prosperity Corridors Build one economic development brand for the City of Burlington that reflects the city’s economic development vision Develop a holistic strategy for Burlington’s rural area. This strategy will consider economic, social and environmental factors in support of the rural community, agricultural industry, natural heritage and water resources Develop a post-secondary attraction strategy.  Something along these lines was planned for Burlington’s downtown core – but McMaster stifed the city when a nicer deal came along. There was a time when the DeGroote campus now on the South Service Road was going to be downtown on land that is currently the Elizabeth Street parking lot. That on got away on us. There has been some rumbling about perhaps getting some of the Mohawk College courses delivered in Burlington. Mohawk president Ron McKerlie says that isn’t going to happen. The one post-secondary institution we did have pulled up their stakes and moved on.
Create and invest in a system that supports the start-up and growth of businesses and entrepreneurship. There are a lo of people who would love to know what such a system would look like. The role of government is to create the conditions needed for economic growth and then stay out of the way and let business people do what they do best. Keep the taxes low – provide services that people need fix the pot holes and keep the snow off the roads and sidewalks. Progress indicators: • Median household income will rise There is a bit of a problem with this list of data – the city does not have a demographer on staff and without one it will be very difficult to report on any of the above. There was no mention made of hiring a demographer during the strategic plan discussions. Intensification: Growth is being achieved in mixed-use nodes and corridors, including mobility hubs and urban centres.  The city defined four possible “mobility hubs” They appear to have settled on the Aldershot location. Mobility hubs are developed near each GO Station and in the downtown. Aging plazas are being redeveloped and transformed into mixed-use neighbourhood hubs. New/transitioning neighbourhoods are being designed to promote easy access to amenities, services and employment areas with more opportunities for walking, cycling and using public transit. Older neighbourhoods are important to the character of Burlington and intensification will be carefully managed to respect this character. Energy-efficient buildings and other onsite sustainable features are the norm, thereby improving Burlington’s environmental footprint. Existing buildings are being renovated to improve efficiency. Intensification is planned so that growth is financially sustainable and supported by appropriate funding and service delivery. Burlington has an urban core that has higher densities, green space and amenities, is culturally active and is home to a mix of residents and businesses. Architecture, sustainable buildings and urban design excellence are being achieved through a commitment to creating public spaces where people can live, work or gather. The city will create and implement an awards program to recognize and celebrate excellence in architecture, urban design and sustainability in all developments.  Waterdown Road was recently widened from Hwy 403 to Plains Road. As part of an intensification exercise the planners prepared visualizations of what that Road could look like if there were some commercial development. This is what they thought possible.  This is what Waterdown Road north of Plains Road looks like today. How will Burlington make this happen? Strategic Initiatives: Through policy, the city will influence the redevelopment of aging plazas and transform them into mixed-use neighbourhood hubs. The city will work with Halton Region and other partners to develop a servicing plan for intensification areas. The city will conduct and implement an intensification plan that will include a specific focus on the Urban Growth Centre, and will develop a strategy for the downtown core that will promote residential and appropriate niche/boutique office development The city will develop energy and sustainable site feature guidelines to require new/ renewed buildings to promote energy-efficient technologies. The city will complete a city-wide fiscal impact analysis of all forms of development The city will put in place the recommendations of Core Commitment in the downtown and extend, where possible, recommendations to other urban centres. The city will create an independent capacity study to understand and comment on real estate economics and trends. The city will create a design review panel and put in place an awards program to achieve excellence in architecture, urban design and sustainability. Progress Indicators: Percentage of aging commercial plazas that have redeveloped Percentage of mobility hubs that are developed Intensification (Jobs/people per hectare) for mobility hubs, urban centres, urban corridors, commercial plazas and urban employment areas. Smart Population Growth: How will Burlington make this happen? Strategic Initiatives:  Fairview was seen as a street with people walking and lanes for cyclists. That’s not what it is today. Future development will be higher density, walkable, accessible and transit- oriented. The city will become a leader in walkability scores in the province, and will be fully aligned with provincial strategy and goals. The city will prioritize one mobility hub, and will work with partners to ensure resources are available to allow the development to proceed in a timely way. The prioritized hub will be included in the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan. Stakeholders will be consulted to help gain consensus. Within two years, the city will develop a strategy in co-operation with other levels of government to support young families: Housing supply will allow young families and newcomers to locate in Burlington Within four years, the city will develop an economic migrant outreach and liaison office to attract investor/entrepreneur class immigrants, while remaining a destination of choice for all immigrants, including refugees. An Age Friendly strategy for seniors will be developed within three years to ensure sufficient seniors’ programming space is provided throughout the city. The city will improve its ability to monitor, track and understand Burlington’s demographic growth trends and profile. If you give them enough rope – they eventually hang themselves – what’s with all the “within” dates? Do your best and try not to set yourselves up for failure by attaching a specific date to something you may have little control over. Progress Indicators: More data is always nice – the capacity to make decisions is what taxpayers both look for and expect. The remaining three Strategic Directions will be detailed in a follow up article. There are three more public information sessions on the draft Strategic Plan; January 13 and January 18th.
January 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton Regional Police Service Human Trafficking and Vice Unit (HTVU) have arrested a Burlington male for trafficking a person under 18 years of age. On January 8th 2016, the HTVU arrested Troy Terrance TAYLOR (21 years of age) for several human trafficking offences. The investigation revealed that TAYLOR had been trafficking a female minor for the purposes of sexual exploitation for a prolonged period of time. Troy Terrance TAYLOR was charged with the following offences: • Forcible Confinement – Section 279(2) TAYLOR will appear in Milton Court on January 11th 2016. Investigators believe that TAYLOR is not involved with trafficking any unknown victims at this time.
January 12, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON An information release from the office of MP Karina Gould announces that Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees looking to hire full-time workers for summer 2016 can now apply for funding under the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program.  Summer employment has been the beginning of a lot of careers. CSJ creates summer job opportunities and valuable work experience specifically for youth aged 15 to 30 intending to return to their studies in the next school year. The program’s aim is also to help employers create summer job opportunities that focus on priorities important to their local communities, which could include special events such as sporting or cultural occasions. In Burlington, the priorities focus on local special events and festivals, advanced manufacturing, tourism, and organizations that provide programs and services for seniors or disadvantaged community groups, but all eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. It is hoped that a number of employers will come forward with applications which will also complement a number of national priorities, including support for: • employers who help welcome and settle Syrian refugees to Canada, as well as Syrian students; The application period runs from January 4, 2016, to February 26, 2016. Applicants approved for funding will be able to hire students as early as May 2016.  An education is part of getting a job – some experience helps. For further information and to apply, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/csj or visit a Service Canada Centre. Canada Summer Jobs is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, which is its commitment to help young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market.
January 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Transparency and accountability are words that flow out of city hall – every organization uses the words – it is often difficult to see any meat on those bones. There are also a number of organizations that get funding from various sources; grants and donations seem to be the biggest sources.  John Mello with one of the Whinstone stones that are a part of the history of the station – there is a work day coming up when the things have to be moved. The Friends of Freeman station have produced a report that sets out what they brought in in terms of funds and how they spent them. This level of transparency and accountability is a model for all the non-profits in the city – the public has a right to know what you are doing with the funds that you get. For Friends of Freeman – here is their story. Consolidated Financials: To date we have raised about $260,000 which represents about 50% of the estimated cost to restore the station and make it a viable asset to our community. Construction materials, including lumber, paint, hardware, tools….. 11%  John Aasgaard with some of the pictures that are in the Freeman Station collection.  Grill being fitted into the wicket of the Station Master’s office. Our organization is 100% unpaid volunteers. Things slow down a little in the winter – but donations and volunteers are always accepted – the xxx stones are going to get moved soon – strong backs needed for that task. Set out below are the chores that are waiting to get done along with some meetings. when the Missus wants you out of the house the Station is a pretty good place to scoot over to. January 13th – 7 PM – FOFS Board meeting – City Hall – all members welcome
January 11, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Revised with additional police information. It was cold out there last night – police report that a male was seen breaking into cars in the area of Walkers Line and Medland Drive, in the City of Burlington. Police responded and after a short foot pursuit an adult male was taken into custody. A quantity of property was recovered, but officers are unable to determine how many vehicles in the area may have been entered. The first call to the police was at 12:55 AM, when a resident of Medland Drive as woken by a sound outside and looked to see a male wearing a black hooded jacket rummaging through his vehicle which was parked in the driveway. The male then exited the vehicle and walked away in a southbound direction at which time police were called. As a result of a canine track, the male was located hiding behind a tree on Walkers Line where he attempted to run from police however he was quickly apprehended after a brief physical confrontation where he tried to resist being arrested. The male was found to have a significant amount of property in his possession that was believed to have been stolen from other vehicles. This property consisted of change, metal cigarette container, sunglasses, several bottles of cologne & aftershave, gift cards, blue headband, silver pendant and a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey puck. The owners of this property have yet to be identified. Anyone missing such items are encouraged to call the investigating officer. Arrested and held for bail is: Michael Kenneth MORSE (34 yrs) of Main Street West in Hamilton Charges: Anyone with information are asked to contact Det. Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2312 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The Halton Police are continuing their investigation – they may well be getting calls from drivers who have discovered their cars were broken into last night. If you have any information regarding this theft investigation, or you may be a possible victim, call us at 905-925-4747.
January 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
It was fine event – came off without a hitch and was different enough for people to perhaps return to next year. It was the New Year’s Levee sponsored by the MP and the MPP for Burlington and they basically ate the Mayor’s lunch.  It was a very respectable crowd – the public clearly wanted to take part in a New Year’s Levee. In Ontario the Levee has traditionally been a civic event. While MP Gould and MPP McMahon were doing their thing Oakville mayor Rob Burton was holding his levee. Burlington gave up on levees sometime ago. No one knows where Mayor Goldring was – we didn’t see him.  Levee participants were given the run of the Art Gallery and an opportunity to see how the politicians handled some of the equipment. MPP Eleanor McMahon tried her hand at one of the looms – she seemed surprised that she was able to make something. Gould and McMahon found a way to make the event more than just a bunch of speeches – they used the Art Gallery of Burlington as a backdrop and had tour guides to tell people what was done in the various Guild’s that were open. It worked very well and gave the Art Gallery of Burlington more visitors than they get normally. One of those win – win situations.  MP Karina Gould enjoying a moment with two new Canadians at the New Year’s Day Levee held on Sunday. And they found a few ways to include the ethnic communities by handing out the very attractive folder that new Canadians are given with their Citizenship certificates There were 109 of those certificates to be handed out – they didn’t all show up – but many of them did and they were made to feel very welcome.  Citizenship certificates for new Canadians – there were 109 of them on hand. It was a family event – there were art rooms for the kids to draw and paint. There were several food tables set up- strawberries dipped in chocolate, nibblies and coffee, tea and juices. There was no receiving line – and the two woman chose to be very casual. One of the Deputy Police chief’s was on hand – not in uniform. It was casual, easy going and an opportunity to network like crazy.  Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff is shown how wool is prepared for a spinning wheel. Pam Damoff, the MP for Oakville North Burlington wasn’t front and center – she got tied down at the Oakville Levee (held by the Mayor over there) – happens when your constituency bridges the two municipalities. There are in Burlington those old timers who remember the days when the New Year’s Levee took place at city hall. One such city stalwart got into his car with his wife and drove to the Art Gallery New Year’s Day at the appointed hour – found the parking lot empty and is reported to have said to his wife – what if you had a party and nobody came. Yesterday they did come – thanks to MP Karina Gould and MPP Eleanor McMahon for holding the event. Jazz it up and bit and keep it fresh.
January 10, 2016 BURLINGTON,ON When it rains, many of the people in the east end of the city – especially if they live in the Tuck Creek – Regal Road part of town look up to the sky and at the level of water in the creek if they live close to one.  Tuck Creek has not gone over its banks – but we didn’t get that much rain – unsettling to the people who live along that creek. It will be a decade before they trust the banks of those creeks and whatever the city and the Region or the Conservation Authority have put in place to manage exceptionally high rain. It was a very small proportion of Burlington’s population that suffered from the rain that fell for a solid day and dumped 191 MM of rain in a single day.  Tuck Creek – fast running water – and not all that much rain. The provincial government did come through with funding and the community raised just shy of $1 million in a 100 day time frame to help with the devastation 272 family underwent. Recovering from that flood was a magnificent act on the part of the citizens and the commercial community. The pictures of Tuck Creek that accompany this article were taken by Carol Gottlob who gets passionate about the state of the creeks – especially Tuck creek. The water levels are high – and there wasn’t that much rain. Has Tuck Creek been upgraded, repaired, fixed – whatever it needs to prevent the flooding we experienced in 2014?  A full day of rain made this happen – have the fixes that were needed been put in place to prevent this kind of flooding? The flood experience changed many lives forever – the financial support helped – but those properties are not worth what they used to be. Background: A reader asked if we would provide a link to a more detailed report on the flood and how it happened.
January 9th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Respectfully, I must disagree with Premier Kathleen Wynne that the LCBO should control marijuana sales in Ontario. If the only issue associated with selling recreational drugs like tobacco, alcohol and marijuana was just keeping them out of reach of our youth during their formative years then I would agree. I would also add that the LCBO and Brewers Retail are models of environmentally friendly packaging and recycling. Bravo.
Recreation drug policy goals should include educating the public on the risks associated with recreational drug use, with a long term objective to decrease demand. I believe in a “least harm” approach to guide marijuana decriminalization. I believe that current marijuana laws are more harmful to society and the individual than marijuana use itself. I support marijuana legalization, provided marijuana consumption is regulated to reduce harm to the individual and society. We should not allow large powerful corporations in this business as they become too powerful and difficult to control. For example, because the LCBO is so powerful, we are currently stuck with a system which promotes and encourages alcohol consumption to the benefit of other large corporations and small producers cannot compete fairly with large corporations. We should not make the same mistakes with the emerging recreational marijuana industry as we already made with the recreational alcohol industry, that are now difficult to change.  Marijuana on sale $8 a gram – wide selection. The marijuana industry should be deliberately regulated as sole proprietorships and partnerships to maintain control and create the maximum number of small businesses and jobs. Corporations with limited liability and profit sharing should be kept out of the recreational marijuana industry. Only those directly involved should share the risk and reward of marijuana production, distribution and sales. No profit sharing with limited liability. Overt public advertising should be prohibited, respecting the rights of parents to control what their children know and people who don’t want to see, hear or know about it. A simple standardized symbol over the door of a discreet marijuana cafe is enough.
Corporate control of the marijuana industry, which promotes consumption could lead to marijuana becoming as big of a problem for the individual and society as alcohol is now. If we can’t implement this change in a way that reduces harm to the individual and society, then I would rather marijuana remained illegal with a punitive fine for possession.
January 8th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Is here a threat to the nascent growth that has been percolating in the cultural field in Burlington? Last year there were a number of events that took place which added to the health of local culture – one being the national Culture Days initiative that was developed to create a source of information on events taking place across the country and to promote those events. Local artists could post their event and communities were encouraged to work locally with artists from every discipline possible.  Donna Grandid, a noted Burlington artists was front and center during a recent Culture Days event. Burlington climbed aboard the Culture Days train last year and the year before that and the sense was that the city would continue to put resources into the event. Why not ? – the view appears to be that if artists want the event to happen – then let them make it happen. Burlington’s growth as a cultural destination is not yet at the point where it can fly on its own; it is going to need nurturing for a number of years. Burlington has a manager of culture events who has some support from a part time assistant. There are times when culture file gets very busy and additional support is needed.  Angela Paparizo and Trevor Copp – both strong advocates for a more robust Burlington with a higher cultural profile. Angela Paparizo is the manager of culture events and was reporting to the one general manager the city had. It isn’t clear yet who Paparizo will report to now that the city no longer has any general managers. The understanding is that city manager James Ridge now chairs the Cultural Action Plan implementation committee. There was some talk that the culture file will move back into Parks and Recreation where it languished for years. Culture and sports are two different animals and in Burlington they have not mixed very well in the past. Fortunately for the arts crowd, the city is in the process of finalizing its operations budget – this is the time for the arts community to delegate and ensure that the gains they have made do not get lost while the city manager figures out what he wants in the way of an organizational structure. Ridge is focused on getting a Strategic Plan in place; getting a budget approved and then getting back to the Official Plan review that sort of got put on hold. While there is a Cultural Action Plan along with a Committee to implement that plan, other than the city manager’s blessing it doesn’t appear to have much more propelling it. The Strategic Plan has cultural arms and legs sticking out all over the place – but as one commentator put it – is the city going to walk the talk? There is that old phrase that reporters use when they want to figure out what’s going on – follow the money. How much has been allocated to culture? And then where are the human resources to support what has to be done if culture is to get to the point where it has lift off. The city has an excellent Performing Arts Centre that has experienced several years of strong successes; the Art Gallery has new leadership – the Museums are still there with Ireland House is a sterling example of how local history can be made part of the cultural scene. Poor Joseph Brant is not getting the same treatment – but with different leadership that too might change.  Maureen Barry, CEO of the Burlington Public Library and a consummate professional has overseen the move deeper into electronic media yet keeping real books on shelves. There is a clear cluster of cultural nodes in this city – they need to be pulled together and given strong executive leadership. Who could do that – Maureen Barry – she will shoot me for saying this – but she is one of the best executives we have in the city with a better big picture of culture than anyone else on the horizon. That’s just an opinion.
January 7, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Getting traction with almost anything is usually a challenge. For those who are introducing a new product or an idea it is never easy – for those in the arts it can be close to pure hell.
FORM one of the most cutting edge dance groups in this province had a very small audience when they performed. Ralph & Lina was one of the funniest small plays put on at the Performing Arts Centre – 17 seats sold. The play wasn’t one of those avant guarde things that are hard to understand; it was funny, ribald and real. It stayed in ton for a number of days and the audience did improve but it was never near sold out. Trevor Copp, who doesn’t fully understand what stage fright is – he is confident with his art form and consistently pushes the edges – is getting a little queasy about his upcoming “Air” production which opens in 2 weeks. “Can I ask something?” “Please buy a ticket in advance. I get the last minute thing. But it’s killing me out here. I don’t know if people are coming – and shows may get cancelled if they don’t. So if you want to come – and it will be amazing, I devote my life to this.” Click will get you to the box office:
January 7, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The suspect vehicle in this matter has been located in the area of Woodland Avenue and New Street in Burlington. Halton Regional Police are seeking public assistance in locating a vehicle involved in a hit and run that occurred at 1225 Fairview Street in Burlington. On January 6th 2016 shortly after 3:10 PM, an unknown male operating a blue Chevrolet Silverado dually 4X4 with stolen licence plates, cut off another motorist which resulted in the motorist following the pickup truck to a mall parking lot where it came to a stop.
The pickup truck then fled the lot and was last seen travelling west on Fairview Street towards Maple Avenue. The suspect driver is described as a white male, 35 to 44 years of age, 190lbs, average build, scruffy brown hair, teeth are stained and possibly missing a tooth. He was wearing a black baseball hat, light and dark brown leather jacket. Anyone with information that would assist in locating the suspect vehicle or identifying the suspect are encouraged to contact Constable Phil Bibawi at 905 825-4747 extension 2305 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS (8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
January 7, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Walking onto a construction site before the sun is up is just a little eerie; the dump truck drivers standing in small groups, most of them smoking and shuffling their feet to keep warm, while they wait for the work day to begin. The sounds of all the heavy equipment aren’t hard yet. The sound of the GO trains in the background assures that there are people out there.  Dump trucks wait for the gates to open and the excavators to be loading soil into them. Work will begin soon – but nothing really starts until the crane operator and his rigger are on the site. The construction site Superintendent is checking on everything, shouting at a driver to get his dump truck off the road while watching out of the corner of his eye for the two men that will bring life to a large sprawling site that will eventually house five towers that range from 18 to 22 storeys. It is going to be another day on the Molinaro Paradigm on Fairview next to the Burlington GO line station. Right now, at what site Superintendent Rodger Parks calls Tower A of the project, they will be tearing down concrete forms, preparing new forms, overseeing the delivery of steel and making sure that the schedule is being met. “Just another normal day on the site” as far as Rodger is concerned. The weather has been particularly good and the top of the level two parking garage is close to completion.  When completed the Paradigm will consist of five towers that back onto the GO rail line. As Tower A slowly rises, excavation for Tower B and Tower C gets done. Tower A, which the marketing people call the West Tower is sold out – they are now selling Tower B. The project will have three towers at the back of the site and two towers close to Fairview where the entrance will be a large circular driveway with a ramp into the underground garage. The plan is for the project to be fully completed in six years.  The steps are still covered in frost on the cold days and are slippy to the touch – this is not a place where you want to lose your grip or your footing. Crane operator John Caronello gets his equipment together and prepares to walk into the underground garage that is still being built and climb on to the ladder that will take him 215 feet into the air where he will operate the crane that has a 230 foot boom for the next eight and a half hours. He doesn’t talk very much to his rigger Ryan Vandermeer as they get out of the car; they will be talking to each other every minute of the day. Both men live in Guelph and drive to work in the same car. A construction site where high rise buildings are going to be built doesn’t start work on any one day until the crane operator determines that he is going to be able to operate the crane – wind can at times can be too strong for the safe operation of the crane. “There have been occasions when the fog was too thick for me to see the ground and my rigger wasn’t able to help me all that much – so we shut down the construction site” said Caronello.  The cabin where the crane operator works for a full day while not spacious is air conditioned and heated. John has been in construction for 32 years – loves his job and has worked on buildings that reached 900 feet into the air. He did much of his work in Calgary where he was one of the crane operators on the Petro Canada building. “I’ve worked on pretty close to 200 buildings” said John “and I’ve never lost a load.” The tower that reaches 215 feet into the sky is anchored in 1.7 metres of concrete of concrete at the lowest level of the underground garage. The steel ladder steps are often covered with a thin film that is slippy to the hand and foot when it is cold. The crane operator moves very carefully as he climbs up that metal ladder. There is one rule on a construction – be careful, very careful and work safely. “In told that in the old days” said Caronello “that the rules were pretty lax – those days are over. I wear a harness up there that costs $1,100 Safety is an attitude that is put in place and enforced by the site Superintendent – and no one talks back to Roger Parks. Caronello went up the ladder to his crane cabin when the sun was still rising – he came down at just after four pm taking each step carefully, deliberately – did his paperwork and got ready to drive home. With the parking levels close to completion – the work on the levels that will house offices and residential units will soon begin. Caronello glances at the sky – gets a sense of what the weather might be tomorrow and heads home. The sun has yet to set but the construction site is strangely quiet as a supervisor slides the metal gate shut and clicks the lock in place.
January 7, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton District School Board has welcomed 12 Syrian students in Milton, Oakville and Burlington since December of 2015. The Board has been advised an additional 13 students are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. While Halton Region is not among the seven communities designated to receive federally-sponsored Syrian refugees, the Board anticipates more refugees will be arriving in the coming months as Halton is a location of choice for many privately sponsored refugees.  Syrian children at a refugee camp in Jordan learning something about Canada. Halton, and Ontario, are home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, where generations have come to build new lives. According to the Halton Multicultural Council (HMC Connections), approximately 100 refugees are welcomed to Halton on an annual basis. The current commitment to resettle Syrian refugees will increase the number of those settling in Halton in 2016. To date, the Halton District School Board has supported the settlement and inclusion of refugees into our elementary and secondary schools and communities through our Welcome Centre, located inside Gary Allan High School in Milton (the former E.C. Drury High School) at 215 Ontario St South. “We are pleased that in our own small way, we are contributing to the much needed aid of those who have lived through and continue to face great challenges in their homeland, says Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our Federal and Provincial governments in this humanitarian cause.”  City hall staff refugee fund very close to its target. The following actions are being taken by the Halton District School Board to ensure a successful transition for Syrian refugees: • With support from, and in consultation with, the Ministry of Education and the Federal government, the Halton District School Board will help settle Syrian refugees and integrate them into our communities, through our Welcome Centre, and into our elementary and secondary schools. • All students who are new to the Halton District School Board and who speak a language other than English as their first language visit the Welcome Centre as their point of entry to receive settlement supports and academic assessments. • The Halton District School Board’s School Programs department is developing English Literacy Development (ELD) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programming and instructional supports and resources for teachers. • ESL instructional program leaders, in coordination with the Welcome Centre and schools, will support classroom learning and co-curricular experiences in academically appropriate and culturally responsive and relevant approaches. Examples of some resources developed include Q&A scenario-based documents, lesson plans appropriate to English Proficiency Assessment levels and entry points within the grade and subject curriculum, Arabic specific teaching tools and lessons to include all students in literacy learning through Arabic/English translation. • A central resource teacher will be assigned to assist with the process of coordinating support for schools for ESL and ELD students. Based on volume and levels of language proficiency, schools may need assistance in integrating refugee students. • School administrators will attend professional learning sessions with their ESL/ELD teachers to learn about targeted and focused supports for welcoming students and families, engaging newcomer families into school life, and developing a support network to enhance and enrich the learning experiences and inclusion of all newcomers in their communities. • Ongoing support for all newcomers to the Halton District School Board includes orientation programs about the Ontario educational system and requirements. Newcomers are also provided information about the processes and programs specific to the Halton District School Board, the provision of interpretation services, as well as the translation of Board and school documents. Furthermore, information about parent and student engagement through Community Connects programming is available to promote academic success and social and emotional health. • Many schools are engaged in initiatives to support Syrian refugees as they arrive and continue to grow and learn and become members of our Halton communities. For example, Oodenawi Public School in Oakville has developed ‘play kits’ to provide to students when they arrive at the Welcome Centre. The Halton Learning Foundation provides donations to students in need, including Syrian refugees. The city of Burlington staff have created a fund to support a refugee family – they are very close to their objective.
January 6, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
George Burnett, Coach and General Manager of the Ontario Hockey League Hamilton Bulldogs, did what was rumoured he would do; deal Stephen Harper to the IceDogs along with Barrie Colts seventh-round pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Draft for forward Evan Krassey and four draft picks.
Harper is a product of the 2010-11 Burlington Eagles Minor Midget AAA squad. As a 20-year-old, his Junior hockey eligibility has virtually run out. According to OHL rules teams can only carry three 20-year-old players on a roster during a season. Harper previously played Junior hockey for the Erie Otters (2011-12 to 2013-14), and the Belleville Bulls (2013-14 to 2014-15) before moving with the team to Hamilton. In 36 games this season, he has 17 goals and 24 points for 41 points and 23 minutes in penalties. Krassey, 17, a Thunder Bay minor hockey product played 18 games this season for Niagara plus 11 more for the Fort Erie Meteors of the Greater Ontario Junior B Hockey League. In addition to Krassey, 17, the Bulldogs received Windsor Spitfires third-round draft selection in 2016, Windsor’s second-round pick in 2017, Niagara’s second-round choice in 2020, and Kitchener Rangers fifth-round selection in the 2018 OHL Priority Draft.
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