 April 12, 2015
By Justin Lethbridge
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite giving London everything they could handle, the Bandits were unable to complete the comeback and were eliminated from the playoffs after a 5-3 loss. After two straight wins and a rain delay, Burlington and London met at Labatt Park for game seven on Tuesday night where the Majors punched their ticket to the semifinals.
 Coach Kyle grew the team to the point where they put up a solid fight against a team they were not able to beat all season – pushed them to a seven game playoff series. Burlington put up a good fight thanks to another RBI by leageue leader CF Shaun Cooper and runs by SS Keith Kandel, DH Adam Odd and C Kevin Hussey. Bandits pitchers Dylan Perego, Blake Weston and Brandon Catena allowed a combined nine hits and five runs while earning two strikeouts through eight innings.
London only needed eight at bats to come away with the victory thanks to another strong performance from pitcher Luis Pina who had six strikeouts while only allowing six hits and three runs through 7.2 innings of work.
Offensively CF Chris McQueen led the way with two runs and one RBI.
 Bandits owner Scott Richardson saw his team make the London Majors work for the quarter finals win. The Bandits didn’t make the finals last year – progress. Despite entering the playoffs 0-5 against London, Burlington came within a win from semifinals.
Burlington’s success came off of CF Shaun Cooper’s league leading four home runs and 12 RBI’s.
Unfortunately for the Bandits, London’s pitching was just too good with Luis Pina and Oscar Perez combined for 33 SO’s.
The Bandits proved to be a plucky team when they got into the playoff rounds – they battled back again and again; pretty good for a team that wasn’t in the playoffs at all last year.
London plays the Kitchener Panthers in the semifinals starting Thursday in Kitchener.
The other semifinal got started with the Barrie Baycats etching out a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Cine Starz Upper Canada Place
460 Brant Street
WWW CINESTARZ.CA
SHOWTIMES August 14 to 20 , 2015
IRRATIONAL MAN 14A
Fri to Thur 11:15 3:30 5:30 7:40 9:30
PAPER TOWNS PG
Fri to Thur 1:00 3:10 5:15 7:20 9:20
INSIDE OUT G
Fri to Thur 11:10 1:05 3:00 5:20 7:20
MAGIC MIKE XXL 14A
Fri to Thur 11:15 7:40 9:45
TERMINATOR GENISYS 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 3:00 5:00 7:20 9:35
SPY 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 1:10 3:20 5:30 7:20 9:20
AMY 14A
Fri to Thur 1:10 1:20 5:20 9:30
I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS PG
Fri to Thur 11:10 1:15 3:40
By Staff
August 11, 2015
BURLINGTON,
 The seventh game in the first round best out of seven games series between the Burlington Bandits and the London Majors was cancelled due to weather.
The game will be played Tuesday in London, Ontario.
 By Staff
August 10, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Leslie Gray over at KooGle Theatre Company is still looking for strong jazz style dancers in their 20’s, 30’s for the Culture Days event on Sept 27 at 1pm.
 Rehearsals begin Sunday August 23; they want to get the team in place as soon as possible.
These are usually fun events – email Leslie at info@koogletheatre.com
By Pepper Parr
August 10, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Performing Arts Centre has a new executive director.
Suzanne Haines will assume her new role effective September 1st replacing Brian McCurdy who has held the position since August 2013.
 The Executive Director is charged with developing an effective economic operating model for the performing arts centre, balancing between community-based arts groups, the Centre’s presenting series of programs and other community and corporate usage.
Haines will be the third person to hold down the job since the Performing Arts Centre opened in the fall of 2011.
“We received great interest in this position from across the country and beyond, and feel we have chosen an individual whose experience and qualifications are best suited to lead us into our 5th Season and beyond,” said Theatre Board chair Ilene Elkaim.
Haines was previously employed as General Manager of the Gateway Theatre, a $2.4 million operation in Richmond, B.C. As the only professional performing arts organization in that community, which has a large east Asian population, Gateway produced and presented theatre, acts as a cultural venue for the community through rentals and year-round youth educational and outreach programming.
As CEO of the organization, Suzanne was the community builder, and the face of the organization to the community. She is credited as being successful in converting the Gateway Theatre into a highly engaged community centre.
 Brenda Heatherington had a great pedigree on the content side – many felt she didn’t get the support she needed on the finance and administration side.  McCurdy ran a tight ship took moderate risks that paid off. He is going to be missed – not only because he was a decent guy but because he had the chops to do the job right. “This is an important leadership role and while we are disappointed to see Brian leave us, we are grateful for his contribution and dedication. We wish him all the best and hope he will return to visit soon, as a patron and to witness first-hand the impact he has had here in Burlington and on this wonderful facility”, said Theatre Board chair Ilene Elkaim.
“Brian provided great leadership and direction and guided us forward with a strategic focus for the next three years”.
 The opening night for the Performing Arts Centre was a glamorous affair – the place has yet to live up to its original billing. Indeed, McCurdy steadied the ship and brought some financial discipline to an operation that was bleeding more red ink than city council could stomach.
Haines ran the Gateway for 12 years. She announced in April that she would be leaving the theatre. Brian McCurdy announced his plans to retire the second half of May.
The Gateway switchboard said they did not think they should be saying anything about Ms Haines other than that she left in April.
The Gateway has two theatres: a 540 seat Main Stage and a 100 seat Studio B. They also offered year-round acting, musical theatre, and technical training classes for youth aged 6 – 18; adults classes were also available.
The current Performing Arts Board is working from a Strategic Plan that McCurdy’s thumb prints are all over – that’s the good news. If the board can stay on that course and the marketing team continues to do the job they’ve done in the past – we could be OK – I think
 By Pepper Parr
August 10th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Cupcakes from Burlington being sold in Dubai. Wow – could that actually happen?
 Erinn Weatherbie and her Mon Kelly Child look over the schedule for the day – their marketing mantra is set out on the white board behind them Well the actual cupcake may not get made in Dubai but the recipe and the concept will have come from the agile mind of Kelly Child who has operated Kellys Bake Shop with her daughter on Brant Street for the past two years.
The operation was recently voted 3rd (and only Vegan bakery) on BuzzFeed’s list of top 25 cupcake shops in the world. It’s an amazing story for a Burlington based business.
What is BuzzFeed? If you are into social media – and isn’t everyone – you will know who they are. For those who don’t know, BuzzFeed labels itself as the “Most Important News Organization in the World,”
BuzzFeed seems to have found a business model that allows it to enjoy “true journalistic independence.” (That model is “sponsored content”—copy that is produced jointly by BuzzFeed and an advertiser to blend in with editorial copy, with a small, inconspicuous identifier of the sponsor.)
After the Boston marathon bombing sent a surge of traffic to the site, BuzzFeed brought over Lisa Tozzi from The New York Times to build a breaking-news team. It also hired Miriam Elder, a correspondent for The Guardian in Moscow, to create a world desk; it now has a dozen reporters and editors stretching from Mexico City to Nairobi. In 2013 BuzzFeed formed an investigative unit as well.
So BuzzFeed would appear to have clout and worldwide reach – which explains why Kelly and her daughter and their publicist are all a twitter over the thousands of people who walk through their doors.
 Delicious – without the guilt – or so they say. Childs wants to become the Martha Stewart of the vegan food world. This all got started with the opening of a restaurant in March of 2010 called Kindfoods, a new restaurant concept conceived from a deep inspiration of healthy vegan (plant-based), and gluten-free eating and ultimately living in harmony with Mother Nature.
KindFoods got renamed and is now known as “Lettuce Love Café” ; their food is 100% authentic vegan, gluten-free, peanut-free – the healthier choice is the way Kelly and Erinn put it and add that their business is not just a food choice but a lifestyle choice as well.
The restaurant proved there was a market for vegan food in Burlington – the cupcakes were an extension into a product that had become very very popular.
 Pink prevails in a spotless kitchen where cupcakes get produced by the thousands. Their publicist says their cupcakes are delicious, stand head to head with the fat and sugar laden varieties, but these are guilt-free – vegan, gluten-free, peanut-free – the healthier choice
Kelly has a rapidly growing on-line following; #kellystribe who follow not just for food advice but also for inspiration and to be part of a community of life minded, health conscious eaters.
Childs adds that “It’s good for the soul when we know it’s local, fair-trade and organic and kind to living things and the planet.” She adds that great food does make a difference.
Kelly and Erinn are both very savvy and walk the talk about their insights and food philosophies. All of their food is 100% authentically Vegan – not just by way of ingredients, but also in the way they think about the planet and being socially conscious – kind food.
Kelly is a “marketer” – the product happens to be something she is passionate about but the strength is that of a big picture marketer. Erinn has a degree in political science that she earned at McMaster. Her Mom lived in Toronto at the time and followed Erinn to Burlington where they are in the process of building an empire on cupcakes that are vegan.
They are working on their first cookbook which will be published by Random House in 2016. There are literally thousands of cook books out there – to have Random House pick up your book is a big big deal
To have investors in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates express a financial interest in what you are doing is also a big deal. Are there dollars on the table – not yet but Kelly and her daughter Erinn are looking far beyond the borders of Burlington.
 Exceptional marketing savvy are creating a brand that is becoming known around the world. When a small shop on Brant Street draws several thousand people on a weekend and gets written up in one of the hottest news sources you know something is happening.
The underlying product will be cupcakes but that appears to be just the beginning.
Kelly Childs, who is exceptionally fit, does yoga and appears to have tapped into all the progressive approaches to running a retail operation, is clearly on a roll.
Where does she see all this going? She wants to become the Martha Stewart of healthy food choices and the cookbook is going to be the launching pad for that world reach effort.
The Martha Stewart of vegan food eh!, from Burlington you say. Keep an eye on this one
 By Pepper Parr
August 10, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting an award from Google is a big deal.
For a Canadian to get an award from Google is a pretty big deal.
For a Canadian to get the same award two years running is a really big deal
For the recipient of the award to be the co-founder of a company based in Burlington is awesome. The Mayor will be out to his office for a photo op for sure.
 Direct Access Digital, a company that helps it clients figure out where they want to place their advertising to draw the clientele that want, is part advertising agency, part techies and strategic thinkers for their clients.
Co-Founder, Eric Rodgers, is one of 12 people in all of North America to be awarded Google’s prestigious Search Excellence Award. He is the only Canadian to have won the award twice. Rodgers is a pioneer of the digital marketing and paid search space.
The award, described by Google as recognizing the top search marketing talent across all of their partner agencies in North America, involves an elaborate selection scrutiny that uses detailed scoring and expert analysis to select the winner.
 The wall with the ornaments is the “trophy” wall; beer prevails. Google gives the award to recognize those who use the Google platforms best. Nominations come from within the Google organization and starts with recommendations by Google staff that are then filtered by a panel to get a short list and then judged by people who basically invented to placement of advertising on web sites.
Rodgers was surprised to find out he was a repeat winner, “While we aren’t privy to the precise reasons we won Google’s award, we do know that our numbers and our conversion metrics speak for themselves. It’s truly an honour to have our work recognized, like this.”
 Orange is the corporate colour – the requisite pool table is done up in orange felt. An open space concept. He and team are the digital agency of record for several Fortune 500 companies and other mid-to-large sized businesses.
Digital advertising has outpaced traditional media channels dramatically in recent years. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has forecasted internet ad revenues at 11% growth by the end of 2015, to $4.29 billion in Canada.
While traditional large-scale agencies are struggling to understand and keep up with growing commercial interest in digital advertising and performance metrics, this boutique firm has outshone and proven yet again that this specialized channel is best served by math men (and women) not mad men.
Direct Access Digital is a rapidly growing, full-service digital marketing firm. DAD’s team members are true experts in all digital marketing channels and platforms, as well as heavy analytics and project management. Rodgers says, “We’re very lucky to have such an engaged and brilliant team of digital marketers and the demand for our services is increasing day by day. We exist to help make sense of a complex marketplace, and assisting our clients with achieving and exceeding business goals. That’s what makes us the best at what we do.”
Rodgers will tell clients all they have to do is tell Direct what they want and they will get it done and at a better ROI (Return on Investment) than any other organization they are likely to find.
The bravado is typical of the high tech sector – but that Google award two years in a row isn’t the result of a popularity contest. You get recommended for the award if you are seen as a company that is consistently creative and deliver measurable results.
The work is exceptionally complex and calls for a mathematical bent of mind.
The staff of 28 – with four to six being added by years end is located in 4100 square feet of space on the South Service Road.
They will be moving into new digs at the entrance to Sherwood Forest Park where they will take up 6,000 square feet AND keep the 4200 they already have.
 Strategy conversations with clients take place in a sound proof room. Hiring the kind of people we want is a challenge but we are fortunate in that we draw from a labour pool that runs from Toronto, to Guelph and Kitchener Waterloo. “We draw talent from Toronto who find the opposite direction commute convenient, ” said Rodgers.
The “shop” is a pretty even balance between the genders with a very healthy diverse look to it.
Canadian marketers have been a little slower than Americans to adapt to what digital marketing can do for them – but the trend is now irreversible. The rate at which change in the technology takes place is equalled only by the speed with which Direct can change direction for its clients.
They gather information and apply what comes out of their analysis to the instant needs of their clients – and the do it in minutes.
They are in constant communication with their clients.
The company describes itself as an award-winning digital-performance marketing agency based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2011, they have evolved into one of Canada’s leading boutique agencies, and now serve mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
Known for their expertise in all digital marketing verticals, from search engine marketing (SEM) to search engine optimization (SEO), local search, social media marketing and more, their true hallmark is building strong partnerships with their clients and working diligently to deliver the tools, data and strategies that drive customer conversions and sales while aiding brand awareness.
Rodgers has found that people are better users of advertising mediums than the advertisers – those who are on line know how to find and take advantage of what advertisers are offering.
It is an exciting time.
The company describes itself as an award-winning digital-performance marketing agency based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2011, they have evolved into one of Canada’s leading boutique agencies, and now serve mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
Known for their expertise in all digital marketing verticals, from search engine marketing (SEM) to search engine optimization (SEO), local search, social media marketing and more, their true hallmark is building strong partnerships with their clients and working diligently to deliver the tools, data and strategies that drive customer conversions and sales while aiding brand awareness.
By Justin Lethbridge
August 9th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A tremendous effort by Pitcher Steven Dressler, earned the Bandits a 9-4 win to even their series against the London Majors and force a game seven. Dressler pitched 7.2 innings allowing seven hits and four runs, while earning five strikeouts.
After a scoreless first inning, Burlington exploded for six runs in the 2nd led by a three run blast from Centerfielder Shaun Cooper.
 Pitcher Steven Dressler, earned the Bandits a 9-4 win After a back-and-forth 5th inning, Cooper would add two run shot for his fifth run of the series. Cooper leads the IBL with 11 RBI so far in the playoffs.
While London would score two runs in the eighth, Burlington had the game in hand.
Brandon Catena came in for the save and through 1.1 innings allowed no hits while earning one strikeout. Despite being down 3-1 to the higher seeded Majors, the Bandits have rattled off two straight wins in convincing fashion to force a seventh game in London.
Since losing the first game of the series, Burlington has dominated the Majors in London, outscoring them 15-3 in the last two games at Labatt Park.
 Burlington is one strong performance away from a birth in the semifinals. The final game of the series goes at 7:35pm Monday night, in London.
The Bandits were not able to win a single game against London during the regular season – now they are one win away from taking the quarter finals.
The winner of the Burlington – London series series will play the 2nd seeded Kitchener Panthers in the semifinals.
The other semifinal series will be the Barrie Baycats vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
By Justin Lethbridge
August 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A tight defensive game resulted in the Burlington Bandits shutting out the London Majors 3-0 to force a game six in Burlington.
 The bats were big enough on Friday night to keep the team alive in what was a very tight defensive game. It was a much needed win for Burlington, not only to stay alive in the best-of-seven series, but to shutout a Majors team that has scored well against the Bandits so far this series.
It was the Bandits first win this season against London pitcher Oscar Perez who earned 10 strikeouts while allowing nine hits and three runs through nine innings of work.
Burlington’s Dylan Perego earned his second win of the series. Through eight innings he allowed six hits and no runs with three strikeouts.
Leftfielder Justin Gideon got a run in the first as well as bringing in third baseman Levi Larmour for a run in the ninth.
Centerfielder Cooper got his second home run of the series in the seventh inning.
The two teams get back at it at 1pm Sunday afternoon, at Nelson Park.
A Burlington win would force a seventh game back in London on Monday night.
 The Bandits had every reason to celebrate Friday evening – it was a remarkable win against London – and the first shut out as well – 3 -0 Marvelous! There are many that didn’t think the team was going to make it out of London Friday night – there is spunk in them yet.
 By Clinton Dixon
August 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
After a poor outing in game 1 against London,
Bandits starting pitcher Matthew St. Kitts could only manage to pitch one inning in Burlington’s Thursday night 9-2 loss to London at a Nelson Park. He gave up one run on four hits Thursday night before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury.
 The bullpen didn’t really deliver for the team Thursday night. Exactly what the Bandits had hoped wouldn’t happen, as their bullpen had been shaky the last few games, especially in middle relief.
Immediately after the pitching change the London Majors loaded the bases with no outs. Luckily for Burlington the damage was limited to just one run scored thanks to outfielder Justin Gideon. Gideon was able to record an outfield assist when he unleashed an absolute laser of a throw to gun down London’s Argenis Vargas at home; a call the Majors debated vehemently.
Bandit Coach Kyle was expecting more from the team in the quarter finals – they aren’t out yet – but they are real close, Every one of the Majors’ coaches came out to argue with Home-plate Umpire, Chris Walters, claiming that Burlington’s Catcher, Kevin Hussey, blocked the plate. London’s arguments didn’t amount to anything and Burlington was able to escape the inning down only two runs.
Unfortunately in the next few innings Burlington wasn’t able keep hold of that momentum, as London kept chipping away at the Bandits poor pitching. The inning would later come to an end thanks to some terrible base running by London’s Cleveland Brownlee.
After a routine groundball produced an out at first base, Brownlee decided to try and take home, only to be thrown out at the plate by about ten feet. The poor decision got Burlington out of the inning, but not before falling behind 4 to 0.
After giving up another run Burlington was finally able to get on the scoreboard thanks to some atrocious fielding by London. First the Majors’ Center Fielder, Julio Guzman, saw a routine fly-ball bounce off his glove; Keith Kandel managed to take second on the error before scoring on the next play – another error, this time coming from London’s Shortstop Paul Lytwynec. London would go on to record a total of four errors in the inning before recording their first out; unfortunately Burlington wasn’t able to take advantage of the sloppy play, only managing to get one run across the plate.
Things settled down from there over the next few innings of play before London blew the lead open in the eighth. Even the co-owner of the Bandits, Scott Robinson, was forced to admit that it was “a very good inning for [London].”
The Majors’ plated four runs in the inning to take a 9 to 2 lead over the hometown Bandits. The score wouldn’t change from there as London would hold on for the victory.
 The kids had a great time running the bases after the fourth inning. The loss leaves the Bandits down 3 to 1 in the series heading back to London tomorrow night; but Justin Gideon, the Bandits Left Fielder, isn’t shy about how he and the rest of the team feel about their chances going forward in the series. “I think we’re better than London. We get base runners, we just need to cash them in and I think tomorrow’s the day.”
All in all it was a strong showing for the unlucky Bandits, who feel they’ve played well against London to this point. Coach Kyle MacKinnon knows that his team can win Friday night when they make the do-or-die trip down to London. “We go in with a game-seven mentality from here on out – you lose you go home. Hopefully these guys don’t want their summer to end yet and obviously I don’t either.”
Game 5 of the Quarterfinal Series will take place at 7:35 p.m. at Labatt Memorial Park in London.
If Burlington is able to stave off elimination Game 6 will be played Sunday afternoon at Nelson Park in Burlington.
By Staff
August 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
If you are of an artistic bent and you have something you would like to say about sports in Burlington there is a call for Expressions of Interest from artists for the creation of a series of permanent public artworks relating to the theme: ‘The Spirit of Sport.’
A series of three (3) small to medium-scale, exterior public artworks will be installed at three separate sports fields / facilities in the city of Burlington, Ont., Canada.
This competition is open to all Ontario-based, professional artists* and/or artist-led teams.
Click here to view the full Expression of Interest document (pdf)
You can submit your expression of interest on-line
 Burlington is currently spending on public art. This one is in the Alton community – there are to be three that are sports related installed and plans in place to put one mural in each ward. Burlington has a long history of sports excellence, on both and amateur and professional
level. The city boasts a wide variety of sports facilities, parks, fields and other infrastructure
that provide community-wide access to sport and active living. These opportunities range
from children’s programming to training for high performance athletes.
 Frank Hayden has a rich sports history – he represents what sport can be in a community. Burlington is also home to a number of notable sports figures including: Dr. Frank Hayden,founder of the International Special Olympics Movement; Melville Marks Robinson, founder of Commonwealth Games; Melanie Booth, Olympian-soccer; Angela Coughlan, Olympian-swimming and numerous professional and Olympic athletes and coaches.
 A masterful freestyle swimmer, Coughlan was 16 when she won an Olympic bronze medal in Mexico in 1968 as part of Canada’s 4×100-metre relay team. As such, sport is an important element of Burlington’s unique culture as it touches the lives of people young and old, of diverse cultures and geography.
Deadline:
Tuesday September 8, 2015
Budget:$100,000
CAD (maximum, all inclusive)
For more information:
Kim Selman: 905-548-0111 |
kim@cobaltconnects.ca
 By Staff
August 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The annual Sandcastles Festival that takes place in the Beachway Park Saturday August the 8th will get a big dollop of the city’s Pan Am spirit.
That Pan Am spirit is being poured onto and into almost everything going on in the city.
 Can you improve on this? Then get yourself down to the Sandcastle Festival in the Beachway Park. The city issued a media release that said: “Burlington is proud to be part of the TO2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games celebrations and felt that the Sandcastles Festival would make an ideal Panamania event,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “As the games come to a close, we encourage everyone to come out, see sand sculptures take shape and enjoy a day of Pan Am-themed activities on the beach.”
This year’s Sandcastles Festival will feature a Pan American theme. Saturday’s main attraction includes a sandcastles competition held at Beachway Park and Pavilion, 1100 Lakeshore Rd. Sculptors of all ages and abilities are encouraged to register in one of three categories:
Family, noon to 4 p.m.
Friends, ages 13 and older, 1 to 4 p.m.
Child, ages 4 to 12 years, 2 to 4 p.m.
Saturday also includes sand-sculpting demonstrations by sand-sculpting masters Sandi “Castle” Stirling and Nick Blandin (winners of several North American sand sculpting awards), Sharon Nesbitt, (2010 First Place Adult and People’s Choice award winner), Raymond Poirier and Dale Andrews (2014 First Place Adult and People’s Choice award winner). Their creations will incorporate the Pan Am theme of this year’s event.
The Sand Sculpting Competition will award first, second and third prizes in each category as determined by the master sand-sculptor judges. A People’s Choice Award is selected by festival attendees who fill out a ballot. Prizes include a custom sand-sculpture trophy for first prize for each category and great prizes provided by Canadian Tire Burlington stores for all prize levels.
A nominal fee is required to enter the competition. Entrants are strongly encouraged to preregister at any city facility or via RecExpress to guarantee a spot. On-site registration opens at 9 a.m. and is first-come, first-served, if any spots are still available.
 This has the look of a production line – serious stuff and a lot of fun as well. Imagine families from different parts of the city competing against one another. Saturday event attendees are encouraged to use active transportation and bike, walk or roll to the festival using the Waterfront Trail. There is also a free shuttle to Beachway Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Two shuttles will be running between the beach and two free parking locations: Inland Waters, located at 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington and the City of Burlington parking garage at 414 Locust St. This shuttle bus will be waiting in the bus lane at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (located north of the parking garage).
Parking is free on Saturdays in all downtown municipal parking lots (with the exception of the Waterfront east and west lots at Discovery Landing/Spencer’s Restaurant).
By Clinton Dixon and Justin Lethbridge
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A huge comeback victory by the Burlington Bandits has given this first round series a whole new complexion. While the Majors have outscored Burlington all year, the Bandits have stuck around in most games including in Game 2. Despite losing 7-4, Burlington went toe-to-toe with London up until an eighth inning collapse.
A Bandits win on Thursday would even the series but it won’t come easily. Especially if London turns to Oscar Perez to pitch. Perez was not only their season leader in Strikeouts with 49 and 2nd on the team in wins with six, both marks good for 3rd in the league, but is 3-0 with 17 Strikeouts against Burlington this year.
Will the Bandits be able to do the high fives Thursday night when the game is over. They have a solid chance of evening up the series. While London has outhit the Bandits so far this series, Burlington’s 12 runs in the 9th inning of game three gives them the momentum. The last two games have shown Burlington that they can hold their own and if the Bandits can get it an early lead in game four, it could give them the confidence they need to overcome the higher seeded Majors.
Two things are clear going into Thursday night’s game 4 between the London Majors and the Burlington Bandits in the Quarterfinals of the IBL Playoffs.
One is that there will be a lot of runs scored; the two teams have combined to score 40 runs in the first three games alone.
The other is that this series is a long way from over. After Tuesday night’s comeback in the ninth-inning by Burlington, the Bandits still find themselves trailing 2 games to 1, but with a revitalized team that will look to make some noise going forward.
“The Box Score doesn’t really show it, but we actually hit the ball hard all night,” said Coach Kyle MacKinnon, who admits that the team was starting to become frustrated after not being rewarded for their good approach at the plate. “Once it did happen, the floodgates kind of busted open. Hopefully we can carry that over into Thursday night.”
If the Bandits do want to make a serious run at this series on Thursday night, they’re going to have to slow down two of the leagues hottest hitters – Cody Mombourquette and Paul Lytwynec, who have a combined batting average of .538 so far this series. The man who is tasked with slowing them down is Matthew St. Kitts.
 Is it an offensive game or a defensive game: the Bandits need to get early runs and then keep the momentum – they have been 9th inning heroes in the past though St. Kitts gave up 8 hits and 6 runs before he was pulled in the middle of the fourth-inning when the two teams opened their series on July 31. Even though the numbers sound terrible, Coach MacKinnon isn’t worried. “I was talking with someone else in the league; they were saying that we’re probably in pretty good shape because they haven’t seen Matt St. Kitts have back-to-back bad starts. Now obviously you don’t want to bank on that, we’ve got to do our part as well, but it’s always good knowing that the rest of the league sees how good he is and hopefully he can bring it Thursday night.”
Giving St. Kitts that help will be Keith Kandel, Justin Gideon and Adam Odd, all three are new to the team this year. Gideon and Odd have been absolute superstars this season and this series especially. Adam Odd has hit 0.333 so far this series, while fellow IBL rookie Justin Gideon has hit an outstanding 0.571 with eight hits and three runs scored. Veteran Keith Kandel has been chipping in as well, batting 0.500 in the series so far, but it’s his leadership that’s helped the Bandits more than anything else so far.
“Keith Kandel, he’s our shortsop, he’s an import from the States. He’s played the last two years in Guelph and the year before that in Kitchener – so he knows what it’s like to be in the league and to go deep in the playoffs and make a run. He’s added a calming veteran influence to our team, which is nice.” Said Coach MacKinnon.
 This is about to become an exciting series – will the public fill the stands? All that’s left in Coack MacKinnon’s eyes is the bullpen. The Coach seems confident that the Bandits can win a close game if they take a lead into the eighth or ninth-inning, but is quick to point out that his middle-relievers need to step up and deliver on Thursday.
If they’re able to do their job, there is no reason that the Burlington Bandits couldn’t come from behind and shock the London Majors, but for now they’re going to take it one game at a time.
The game will get underway Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at Nelson Park.
By Staff
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a bit of an experiment – one that should produce excellent results for the Performing Arts Centre.
Free public Jazz concerts that will start at 6:30 pm on the plaza of the of the Centre
 Jude Johnson, a Burlington native, is a vocalist, songwriter and performer Jude Johnson, a Burlington native, is a vocalist, songwriter and performer and is Hamilton’s Special Music Ambassador. She was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction in 2009. She also received the Hamilton Arts award for Arts Education in 2011.
Jude has released nine recordings including her most recent Live on Pine (2013) with Mike Malone on horns and Carl Horton on piano.
“How can I keep from Singing” is a collection of vintage inspirational gospel/spirituals. Reaching Indie Gold is her CD, “This Heart of Mine” (2001) featuring Carl Horton on piano, guests Jackie Washington on vocals, Carlos del Junco on harmonica, Brian Lee Griffith on guitar and the string quartet “Panache”.
This classy, entertaining CD is a collection of classic jazz compositions performed with intimacy, grace and joy.
 Free Jazz on the plaza of the Performing Arts Centre – an opportunity for people to see the Spiral Stella and take in some fine music. Jude has also been the unseen voice on many radio and TV commercials, been featured on CBC radio and sung on over 50 albums with such diverse artists as Daniel Lanois, Raffi (more singable songs), Paul Langielle and Stan Rogers (Turnaround), and performed across Canada at countless festivals, schools, libraries and community events.
The performance takes place on our plaza from 6:30pm-8:30pm and our bar will be open!
In the event of rain, we will move from the plaza into the lobby.
 By Staff
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Dates for people who know how to handle a hammer or are comfortable just tidying up a small construction site and have some time to pitch in and take the Freeman Station to the next level are Saturdays August 8th 15th & 22nd from 8 am to 2pm
The volunteers will get a personally guided tour of the station and a close up view of some of the artifacts that have been donated.
Activities (no special skills required)
• Paint scraping and sanding
• Old wood floor boards restoration
• Site cleanup
• Rubbish and scrub removal
• And the list goes on
If you decide to show up – wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves and a hat. It could be hot! This is a construction site so please do NOT bring children under 14 and NO pets.
 This is the windows in the Station Master’s office which was also the ticket selling room. The space at the far end is where the mural will be done. What’s New and Exciting!
It has been a very busy winter and spring. Interior restoration went on throughout the winter months and both interior and exterior work resumed this spring. The Burlington Public Art Council has selected the Freeman Station for a mural that will be installed on the east end of the wall facing Fairview Street. It will depict a scene from the station, circa 1906. We are extremely honored to have been chosen and we are looking forward to a late fall unveiling.
 The ceiling in the waiting room is the kind of thing they don’t build anymore. It will be restored to what it looked like in 1906. We are delighted to announce that Darren Sanger-Smith of Structured Creations has volunteered his expertise to help us complete this project. He will assist in selecting the materials and finishes to replicate the original station to the best of our abilities.
Some of the highlights of our accomplishments to date are:
• the station now has new shingles; the roof and the entire roof deck have been repaired as well as the soffit and fascia. Roofing was installed by Desi’s Roofing
• electrical service has finally reached the station and we are currently installing the wiring under the guidance of L. Potvin Electrical with supplies from Gerrie Electric
• roughed in plumbing has been installed and the main floor handicapped accessible washroom has been framed. Plumbing was installed by KP&H Mechanical
• new entrance doors have been installed at both the north and south sides of the waiting room
But there is still a lot of work to be done – and work gets done by workers.
 The station sat on wooden pilings for the longest time – it wasn’t until Ashland, a company right next door stepped up and made space available. It took the Friends of Freeman station a couple of years to actually save the station – the city wasn’t able to use the federal funds they were given to move the building, the then Burlington Art Centre didn’t want it; an idea to set it up along Lakeshore Road in the downtown core wouldn’t fly.
The sense many people had was city council just didn’t want the thing. The engineering department staff said the thing was going to just fall over real soon.
It took joint efforts by Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster to convince council to give the volunteer committees a little more time to find a home.
 Ashland made the space available – then the company got bought by a large conglomerate – the deal is still in place – but it isn’t a twenty year lease. The Friends of Freeman will have to develop a really strong bond with the new owners. While the building really belongs in the Beachway Park that wasn’t on – but a home was found on a piece of property next to the fire station on Fairview.
The building was moved the coupled of hundred yards to its new location, a foundation was put under the building and work on the roof and the outside walls began.
What you see today – while far from complete – is some distance from what was in place two years ago when it was a pile of rotting wood sitting on wooden pilings.
 The grill for the ticket counter has been found – it wasn’t part of the original station but does come from the same period.  The floor for the basement will be poured very soon. The hope is that negotiations with a model railway club will work out and that there will something for people to watch. That would make the Freeman Station a very attractive destination Help to complete the restoration of this beautiful old 1906 Grand Trunk Railway Station is now needed. The vision is to develop an interactive railway display depicting the impact the railway had on the development of Burlington. The Station will also house a model railway and meeting room for public use.
The Friends of Freeman have raised about $250,000 dollars to date and will need about the same amount to complete the project. Over 1700 volunteer hours have been donated to the actual restoration. More than 2400 hours of administrative, planning, and fundraising have also been donated by our members.
We are looking for volunteers in the following areas and there are many opportunities to participate!
• Membership
• Fundraising
• Research
• Newsletter
• Artifact recording
• Audio Visual and Interactive display planning
• Artwork
• Copywriting and Advertising
• Finance
• Carpentry
• Painting
• General Help with both administration and on site.
Interested in Becoming a Member?
Annual Membership is $10.00, a Life Time Membership $100.00 Please contact us at:
info@freemanstation.ca Our website www.freemanstation.ca
You can send a cheque to; Friends of Freeman Station, P.O. Box 91536 Roseland Plaza, 3025 New Street, Burlington ON L7R 4L6
There are still naming rights opportunities. Wiser commercial WORDS will realize that the Friends of Freeman Station are actually going to pull this off – and when the place is officially opened – all the politicians that failed to help make it happen will be there to cut the ribbon.
 John Mello wants to see you one of those stones – and he will tell you why they are worth the $100 asking price. Naming Rights
Put your name, a relative, a friend’s on one of the many items available for sponsorship. Sponsor a Whinstone (What is a Whinstone? Drop by and you can touch one and find out where they came from).
Sponsorships start at $100.00 and you can go right on up to $15,000 for the waiting room. Please contact me for sponsorship opportunities. brianaasgaard@sympatico.ca
If you decide you want to show up on either the 8thj, the 15th or the 22nd – the address is 1285 Fairview Street – next to the fire station which is undergoing a major renovation. Use driveway on east side of the Burlington Fire Department Headquarters
 By Pepper Parr
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
What would Burlington look like with 100 Strata’s built around the city?
 This is what the Strata looks like. Councillor John Taylor thinks the city is going to need 100 of these in the next 25 years to meet the intensification target set by the province. What’s a Strata? That’s the condominium the Molinaro gropup built on Maple Avenue.
That was the potential ward 3 city Councillor John Taylor tossed on the table during a city council Committee of the whole recently.
 John Taylor, Councillor for ward 3 and the Dean of Burlington’s city council Taylor puts the city’s current population at 175,000 people – the signs as you enter the city say 176,000.
The Growing in Place program – that is a provincial government directive, calls for Burlington to have a population of 195,000 by 2031
That number is thought to rise to 210,000 by 2041. The projection for 2041 number is something that is still being worked out by the Region and the four municipalities in Halton.
We can quibble all we want but the bald fact is that between now and 2041 the city is expected to add 35,000 people to the population total.
And because there is no development north of the Hwy 5 – 407 line – all those people have to be tucked in south of that line
Taylor says his math works like this.
Assume the 35,000 number for 2041 is real – assume two people per unit that means we need 17,500 housing units.
The Strata has 175 units – add two 0’s to that number and you have what is needed
 Are 100 Strata’s really needed to reach the intensification target. Where would they get built> The Strategic Plan and the review of the Official Plan are the documents that will guide and inform these decisions – but they may not see the light of day in their final form until sometime next year. Therefore Taylor points out you are going to need 100 Strata’s to house those 35,000 people.
And that is going to put intolerable pressure on the city’s transportation network.
Those cold hard facts are also why the ADI Development Group bought up the land at Masonry Court in the west end – they will do exceptionally well with that project financially. And they will have little difficulty getting the approvals they need – if city council doesn’t approve the project – off ADI will go to the OMB. That is what they are doing with the 28 storey structure they want to build at Martha and Lakeshore Road.
 The ADI development planned for the corner of Martha and Lakeshore Road will help meet the intensification target – what would it do to traffic and the look and feel of the downtown core if the Ontario Municipal Board approves the project. The city is battling on two fronts – dancing with developers who point out that the housing has to be built and we have just the project for you.
While the transportation people point out that the infrastructure we have in place now cannot handle the traffic those 35,000 people will create.
It’s a tough one, especially for a city council that is one – not united on how to handle this problem and two; a council that has never been transit friendly.
Add to that a city that still doesn’t understand how to communicate with its citizens.
The Mayor is reported to be thinking in terms of a population growth of from 1% to 1.5% population growth. The Mayor hasn’t been available for comment on these number. He has been softening up the public for the intensification that is inevitable.
There is a lot for the public to think about – but before they can think through the issues and arrive at conclusions – they need facts from the city.
Seen any facts from the city on these problems lately?
By Staff
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
After two near death experiences the Burlington Bandits stuck it to the London Majors with a resounding 12 – 3 win in London last night.
 No one expected the Burlington Bandits to win against the London Majors in such a resounding way Tuesday evening The Bandits have struggled with the London team all season. The win last night was the first for the Bandits.
 Scott Robertson – in full array, is one of three Burlington Bandits owners. The two teams meet again in Burlington at Nelson Park for a 7:30 game. Expect to see a pumped up team.
Part owner Scott Robinson will be wearing one of his flashier pair of trousers for this game.
Schedule for the balance of the quarter finals for the Bandits and the Majors|:
(4) London Majors vs (5) Burlington Bandits
London Leads Series 2-1
Game 1: Friday, July 31 @ London – LON 12-2 – Boxscore
Game 2: Monday, August 3 @ Burlington – LON 7-4 – Boxscore
Game 3: Tuesday, August 4 @ London – BUR 12-3 – Boxscore
Game 4: Thursday, August 6 @ Burlington; 7:30pm
Game 5: Friday, August 7 @ London; 7:35pm
*Game 6: Sunday, August 9 @ Burlington; 1pm
*Game 7: Monday, August 10 @ London; 7:35pm
 By Pepper Parr
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Just after 6:30 on April 4th – yesterday, there was a short burst of close to torrential rain that sent shivers of fear through the hearts of hundreds of residents in Burlington
 What is normally a parking lot became a pond of water close to a foot deep – commercial operations were hard hit in some areas. It was exactly a year ago yesterday that the city experienced a rain storm that started at around 1:30 in the afternoon – seemed to be intermittent – but later evidence showed that it was actually three rain storms that were half to a quarter of an hour apart, that hovered over parts of the west end of the city and brought havoc into the lives of hundreds of households.
 Radar images later revealed that there were three storms that came into the city and hovered over the west end. The rest of |Burlington suffered very little compared to the south east sector where the damage was devastating. Downspouts that fed into the waste water system didn’t help either. MPP Eleanor McMahon describes the day as the unthinkable that happened. A powerful and localized rainstorm saw two months of rain fall in Burlington in just three hours.
McMahon said 205mm of rain fell – the record rainfall was 192 mm. The Burlington Community Foundation printed up 500 T shirts with 191mm – but let us not quibble.
They Mayors house was flooded; the home of the Member of Parliament home was flooded.
The home of the woman who was tasked with the job of overseeing the application for ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program) funding had her home flooded.
The storm sparred few.
 The accumulation of natural vegetation in the creek beds was thought to b good conservation – it proved to be what plugged up creeks forcing water over the banks and into the streets Creeks overflowed, parts of roads were washed out, and anxious residents saw their homes filled with water in a matter of minutes; many fleeing their homes with little time to escape the rising water.
“In the water’s destructive wake thousands of Burlington residents were impacted. Returning to devastated houses homeowners began the difficult task of cleaning up, securing what they could of years’ worth of treasured memories, and assessing the damage to critical infrastructure.
 MPP Eleanor McMahon taking part in a street festival held to raise funds and celebrate how well communities could gather together for a common cause. “The sudden nature of the storm left many in shock and disbelief at the power of the water that engulfed their homes and yards. For so many, the toughest days lay ahead as they struggled to discern how and when much-needed assistance would arrive” said McMahon in her newsletter.
The Mayor was out of the city, the city manager was also out of town. Hurried returns to the city and everyone asking questions. What do we do; what are the options and what are the first steps?
The Mayor asked the Burlington Community Foundation to lead the Disaster Relief program once the city had declared itself a disaster area.
McMahon and Regional Chair Gary Carr along with Mayor Goldring got out into the community and met with people.
“I wanted to know what role the province plays in these instances: said McMahon whose home was not impacted.
One of her first calls was to Dan VanderLelie, President of the Burlington Professional Firefighters Association whose home was fine. The two of them began to tour the community.
It was immediately clear to McMahon that a lot of help was going to be needed. Almost before the need for help became evident help began pouring in.
One resident was going door to door in the Regal Road area offering to take dirty clothing home and wash it for people.
 Not a day this man wants to remember. “A fundraising campaign, an opportunity to make a difference by donating to help neighbors became an emergent priority” said McMahon.
McMahon who at one time worked for the national office of the United Way put in a call to Jeff Valentin, the CEO of the United Way of Burlington & Greater Hamilton and he agreed to explore the possibility of the United Way stepping in, leveraging their website as a fundraising portal for community donations.
 The T- shirt told the story about a community effort – and also raised a decent amount of cash. In one of the most moving moments in the aftermath of the flood, Elwood Road residents Glenn Nicholson and Kara Vanderkooy, their own home severely impacted by the flood, decided to host the “Up the Creek” fundraiser on their street. Working tirelessly with their neighbours, securing donations from local businesses this amazing and heartwarming event raised $20,000 for the flood relief fund. The Burlington Teen Tour Band’s arrival brought an emotional tone to the event as community pride was on full display.
 Catherine Brady put in an untold number of hours raising funds and distributing coin boxes, With the community’s annual RibFest a few weeks away, the local Rotary Clubs announced that they would lend their efforts and this hallmark event as an opportunity to fundraise for flood relief. Thanks to their efforts and leadership – and the generosity of those who attended, thousands of dollars were raised.
In Burlington City Hall, just three months later the dignitaries gathered and announced that the province would provide the City with up to $3 million for flood recover efforts through the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program, helping residents and businesses with much needed financial assistance.
It was a proud moment that had been preceded by some tough conversations when the province at first told the city that ODRAP support would not be available.
There was a lot of arm twisting going on that no one wants to talk about these days.
When it was eventually made available it was only for those who were under insured or could not buy insurance at any price.
In the weeks that followed the setting up pf the Disaster Relief Committee, Ron Foxcroft and Collen Mulholland, began the difficult task of reviewing hundreds of claims, assisting hundreds of Burlington residents in the process.
One hundred days after the rain stopped falling – there was$905,788 in the bank.
 There wasn’t an arm Ron Foxcroft didn’t twist. Even the Minister of Municipal Affairs and housing wasn’t immune to the Foxcroft treatment. Burlington had done a magnificent job.
On September 15th there will be a public dedication of a plaque naming those who donated more than $5000 and the screening of the video Cogeco television was filming throughout the flood.
The next step for Burlington’s MPP is to push the province to produce an ODRAP program that is less confining and more realistic to the real needs of the public
Unbeknownst to many is the 10% hold back the province applied to the funds they provided – that 10% was to cover “risk mitigation” – where was the risk?
By Pepper Parr
August 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When the draft of the Transportation Master Plan was put before city Council, which was meeting as a Committee of the Whole, Councillor Taylor commented that “it was a lot to take in at one sitting – and indeed it was.
The presentation itself took well over an hour with Interim Director of Transportation Vito Tolone working as a tag team with planner Kaylan Edgcumbe.
The gist of it all was that the intensification the city was going to have to undergo to absorb its share of the 1 million additional residents the Region of Halton was going to have to accommodate between now and 2031 meant a level of congestion “Burlington didn’t have much tolerance for”.
In surveys done by the Transportation department there were two almost diametrically opposed sets of comments – one from the over 55 set and another from high school students.
Using the dictum that a picture is worth a thousand words the two graphics below tell very different stories.
 Hundreds of students responded to the questionnaire that asked for comments on modes of transportation. The planners and the transportation experts needed to know how high school students looked at public transit. They knew that the older than 55 set thought – getting them out of their cars was going to require crow bars.
 The Senior set didn’t appear to be ready for much in the way of change. Transportation staff made the observation that “Burlington doesn’t have much tolerance for traffic congestion” Without a change in the use of transit – congestion is about all we have to look forward to. The transportation met with the principal at Charles Beaudoin school and asked if they would participate in a “bike” week program with the city. “The principal wasn’t all that keen on the idea at the beginning” explained Tolone “but he came around and we learned a lot – they also learned what they needed to know, which was that younger people weren’t married to the car to the same degree as their parents.
 Bike to school week at the Charles Beaudoin school saw a very strong uptake on bike use that held after the event. Can it be made an ongoing habit? The week before “bike week” there were 60 students at Beaudoin using their bikes to get to school. During bike week there were 260 using their bikes. After bike week more than 75% of that additional 200 were riding their bikes to school.
 This is the kind of congestion the transportation department wants to see. Tolone saw hope on the horizon. His research tells him that with intensification now an inevitability and no room to build additional road capacity – and no desire on the part of the city to do so either – other ways had to be found to move people around.
Expect to hear a lot of the phrase “complete streets” added to the “modal split” we are already hearing about.
Last week the province introduced that acronym HOT for high occupancy toll lanes – if you want to use those lanes intended for high occupancy vehicles with just one passenger in the car – you pay a toll.
The longer term objective is “behaviour change” we just don’t have the road capacity to handle the traffic that intensification will bring with it.
Councillor Taylor opined that the number of people the Region is going to set as the Burlington target will amount to 100 Stratas – a bit of an exaggeration perhaps but he made his point.
Councillor John Taylor said there would have to be an additional 100 towers the size of the strata on Maple Avenue – claims he has the data to back that up. Strata is the name given to the Molinaro condominium of Maple Avenue.
The Committee of the Whole meeting was short two of its members – Councillors Dennison and Meed Ward were not present. Meed Ward was recovering from the concision she suffered when her car was rear ended.
At the conclusion of what was a long meeting city general manager Scott Stewart made the comment that “this is a web cast we will be looking at more than once”. Indeed they will because there was no clear sense of direction from the five members of Council in the room.
Transportation and intensification are words that are now linked together and we are going to hear a lot more about both in the years ahead. In order for the needed changes to be made behaviour is going to have to be changed and in Burlington that is no small matter.
Cine Starz Upper Canada Place
460 Brant Street
WWW CINESTARZ.CA
SHOWTIMES August 7 to 13 , 2015
INSIDE OUT G
Fri to Thur 11:10 1:05 3:00 5:20 7:20 9:15
MAGIC MIKE XXL 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 5:15 7:40 9:45
TERMINATOR GENISYS 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 1:00 3:00 5:05 7:20 9:35
SPY 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 1:10 3:20 5:30 7:20 9:30
AMY 14A
Fri & Sat 1:10 5:00 7:20
Sun to Thur 1:10 5:00 7:20 9:15
I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS PG
Fri & Sat 11:10 1:15 3:30
Sat to Thur 11:10 1:15 3:30 7:30
SAN ANDREAS PG
Friday 1:00 3:15 5:10 9:40
Sat & Sun 1:00 9:40
Mon to Thur 1:00 3:20 5:30 9:40
WATER DIVINER 14A
Fri to Thur 11:00 3:00
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