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The City of Burlington’s online payment system for parking tickets and dog licenses is currently unavailable due to technical issues. We apologize for the disruption. We are working to restore the services as soon as possible. 
December 10th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON “I really have too many church hats” said Mary Carey, the woman at Port Nelson United Church who stood up at the public meeting held at the Mainway Recreation Centre held to share information about the refugees that were coming to Canada The Gazette wanted to follow up on what she learned and was trying to arrange an interview. “I will be out this evening working the sound system for our Women’s Christmas Communion. I might be able to speak with you tomorrow early afternoon if I have some time between my Acclaim Health palliative visit and going to the airport to meet the refugees.  An attentive Burlington audience listening to how they could help refugees wanting to come to Canada. A week before the public meeting the Gazette got a call from a regular reader who said she had a three bedroom house she was going to be moving out of and had planned on selling. “I think I want to make the house available to a refugee family but I’m not quite sure who to talk to – any ideas” she asked. The aircraft are on their way to Canada with more than 150 refugees who will land in Toronto this evening. Getting them through the process and into homes before the end of the day is going to be confusing, tiring and exhilarating. But come Friday morning – they will be among us and the beginning a new life. The refugee crisis became more real for Canadians when the picture of the boy on a beach, dead of drowning. At the time it didn’t look as if the Canadian government was going to be doing very much for those refugees. A federal election; a new government and then the decision to bring 25,000 refugees to this country and the mood of most Canadians changed.  The family may make it to Canada – this boy didn’t – the boat he was in capsized and he was drown as they fled their war torn country. One couple who are always seen at public events became part of a group of 18 that were going to sponsor a family. “We found a family” said the man “and they will be joining with people they know who happen to live in Hamilton. It didn’t matter to us where they lived – we just wanted to help some people.” Most of the people who are putting up the $30,000 that has to be in place before a private sponsorship is approved do not want their names published. “This isn’t about us” explained another sponsoring family, “this is about doing what Canadians are always doing – helping.” The public meting that started it all in this city.
December 10, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The only thing that will prevent the Christmas Collage from taking place will be consistent rain – and while there may not be any snow – there will be ice at the Rotary Pond at Spencer Smith Park and that is all we need explained Michaela DiMarcantonio The event is seen as the Kick off for the holiday season. Presented by Mercedes-Benz Burlington to support of the McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation.  The kind of talent you can expect at the ice show. This is the second annual Mercedes-Benz ice show that will bring performers together to share their passion for ice sports and the arts on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the Spencer Smith Park on the Rotary Centennial Pond in Burlington, Ont. “Youth performers are the stars of our show,” shared Joanne Corner, Producer and Director, Christmas Collage. “It is important to celebrate their talents while in the spirit of the Christmas season giving back to the McMaster Children’s Hospital.” The evening hosted by Clint “Bubba” O’Neil will incorporate seven ice sports into a choreographed performance including figure skating, synchronized skating, hockey, sledge hockey, ringette, curling and speed skating. Santa Claus will also be joining in on the fun.  Members of one of the ice skating teams taking part in the holiday season kick off event. Admission for the Christmas Collage is free and all guest of all ages are welcome to attend. Online donations to the McMaster Children’s Hospital are encouraged and can be made at the following link: www.hamiltonhealth.ca/ChristmasCollage The nonprofit organization began in 2014 with a vision to bring the Burlington and surrounding community together during the joyful time of Christmas. Christmas Collage is committed to raising funds to benefit local charities. 7:30 p.m. at the Rotary Centennial Pond in Spencer Smith Park, Burlington, Ont.
December 9, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Mental health is getting much more attention – the Regional Police are partnering with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton to develop a Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT). This new initiative adds a layer of additional police response to mental health calls and crisis intervention. Teams will consist of a registered Healthcare Professional coupled with a specially trained uniformed police officer. Two teams will join our rotating platoon shifts each day, and will be specifically available to respond to calls involving persons in crisis.
These Rapid Response Teams will be available and trained to defuse or deescalate crisis situations, advocate for the person and families in crisis, ensure mental health assessments are completed and will be better equipped to provide resources, help and support for everyone involved. “Front line officers are responding to mental health crisis calls on an increasing basis. Our new Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams will enhance our ability to deliver specialized services to people in those circumstances. Partnering with healthcare professionals is a progressive approach to providing timely and quality service to those struggling with mental health. “ Deputy Chief Duraiappah. The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams began patrols on Monday. As police officers are increasingly the first point of contact for persons in crisis, the deployment of highly trained officers with the support of expert mental health workers is a large step in improving the interaction and relationship between police and people living with mental health challenges.
December 9, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON It was a very good response to a staff report that they liked but didn’t like – the decision to do something about the Nelson swimming pool in the eastern part of the city. The Gazette will report in more detail later today – we can say now that city council decided they would re-build the pool and that it would be a 50 metre pool.
prudent and that 2017 was the more likely with 2018 a possible date as well. You can imagine how that went down. More later.
Brant Street Burlington, ON L7R 4B6
Week of Friday, December 11, 2015 through Thursday, December 17, 2015 Secret in Their Eyes (14A) Love the Coopers () Miss You Already (PG) Steve Jobs (14A) Suffragette () Bridge of Spies (PG) Goosebumps () Hotel Transylvania 2 (G) The Intern (PG)
 People just kept giving her money – she collected $410 at the public meeting and went on to raise $1300 to buy toys for Syrian children expected in Canada next week.
December 8, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON So what happened people ask – with that ten year old who was buying toys for Syrian children that are due to arrive in Canada sometime next week? Young Elleeza raised $1300 in just 10 days – this worked out to over 300 Beanie Boos which will be given to Syrian Children. Eleeza’s mother in an email said: “We are waiting to hear a final decision if we will be going to Pearson to distribute the toys or if we will be distributing them to different organizations to give directly to Syrian families.  300 toys on display – to be given to Syrian children when they arrive in Canada. “The generosity of the Burlington community has been amazing. Not only was everyone willing and happy to donate, many community members turned this into a learning and teaching opportunity for their families and children. “One family told us that part of the children’s holiday money was being donated to this cause. Other parents took their children to the stores to actually purchase the Beanie Boos and explain to their kids who the toys were going to. So many wonderful people contributed in many ways. Some would give Eleeza high fives as they dropped off their donations, others would offer such motivational words that Eleeza is already thinking about the next cause that she can be involved in. So that’s what has happened – so far. Their might just be more to this story.
December 7, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON A sign of the times? It is certainly news- Halton Crime Stoppers received more than 1,000 tips so far this calendar year – and it isn’t over yet. The 1,000 mark was reached in mid-November and more than 100 additional tips have been received since then on a variety of unsolved crimes in the area. From 2012 to 2014 Halton Crime Stoppers recorded roughly 900 tips per year.
“Statistics show an increased number of tips almost every month from last year’s figures with a record161 tips received in June,” Proteau said. “People obviously have confidence in the Crime Stoppers program and it is through information they provide anonymously that an increasing number of crimes are being solved.” Because of the confidential nature of Crime Stoppers, he said it’s impossible to be specific, but the program has received calls related to homicides, drugs, sexual assaults, fraud, impaired driving, and thefts, just to name a few. Crime Stoppers also takes non-criminal information on driving offences, cruelty to animals, contraband tobacco and mental health. Proteau said the program’s full year-end statistics will be released at the official launch of Crime Stoppers Month scheduled for January 11 at the Halton Region Centre. At that time Halton Crime Stoppers will also highlight some of the partners from the police, media and community who have worked closely to ensure the success of the program to assist in keeping communities safe and secure.
 Crime Stoppers get out into the community to meet the public and talk about the role they play. Crime stoppers is just one of a number of media channels that are effective. The Crime Stoppers use of advertisements in theatres was a great idea – kudos to them for that one. The Burlington Fugitive Friday feature is working so well that some of the people the police are looking for are calling in to surrender before they get featured in a media release. Very recently – one fugitive’s lawyer asked if the media release in the gazette could be pulled – the lawyer was in the process of arranging for his client to meet with the police. Even more recently there were two cell phone calls to police advising them of people driving in an erratic manner – police caught up with the drivers and arrests were made for driving while under the influence. It is observant and vigilant citizens that make police work effective. Keep it up.
December 7, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON
The province passed legislation last week giving residents a greater say in how their communities grow and to provide municipalities with more opportunities to fund community services like transit and recycling. The Smart Growth for Our Communities Act, 2015, which reforms the Development Charges Act and the Planning Act, will: Help municipalities recover more money to pay for transit services and waste diversion.  Is putting a 26 storey structure on this piddling little piece of land a “smart” decision? The city may find that it is powerless to stop it from happening – how did that happen? How will meaningful be defined and how will it be enforced? Burlington doesn’t have much in the way of a solid track record when it comes to listening to its citizens. The city’s treasurer announced at a Standing committee meeting recently that the public would be “informed” about the budget but that they would not be “engaged”. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward was the only Council member to pick up on that comment. Informing instead of engaging is not likely to go down all that well with people who pay attention to what happens at city hall. Being concerned about how opinions are heard on the Smart Growth initiative is then a concern. The provincial report adds that the legislation will: Promote and protect green spaces by encouraging more municipalities to develop plans that help determine the need for parkland in the municipality.  Half the city is rural – can we keep it that way – and for how long? Close to 50% of the city’s land mass is above Dundas and Hwy 407 – a no go area for significant development. We have plenty of parkland and our system of trails is to be envied. It goes further: It will Help municipalities resolve potential planning disputes earlier at the local level, such as through alternative dispute resolution, to reduce the involvement of the Ontario Municipal Board in local disputes . Where was this when we needed it? Could it be made retroactive and apply to the current dispute with the ADI development Group who are currently tearing the heart of out the Official Plan and putting the zoning bylaws through a ringer – and we seem powerless to stop them. The Act will: Make the planning and appeals process more predictable by extending the review of new municipal official plans – plans that lay out how municipalities will grow and develop – to 10 years, instead of five. It is probably going to take Burlington more than five years to complete the plan currently being reviewed. The Act will: Make the development charges system – a system for municipalities to help cover the costs necessary for growth from developers – more predictable, transparent and accountable by creating clearer reporting requirements for capital projects that municipalities are financing through development charges Make the collection and use of money paid by developers for higher and denser developments, as well as for parkland, more transparent and accountable Ted McMeekin, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and one of the best friends Burlington has at Queen’s Park said: “We want to grow Ontario’s communities in a way that creates vibrant towns, cities and regions. The Smart Growth for Our Communities Act provides the people of Ontario with a transparent and predictable system for planning and managing growth within their communities.”  Newly appointed city planner Mary Lou Tanner – has a thick file to work from – moving things forward is going to keep her busy, busy. Municipalities use official plans and zoning bylaws to plan for and control development. The new act is based on input from across Ontario including more than 20 public workshops and stakeholder meetings as well as more than 1,200 submissions on the land use planning and appeal system and the development charges system. There will be a lot more to say about this piece of legislation once we have had an opportunity and hear what MPP Eleanor McMahon and newly minted city planner Mary Lou Tanner have to say.
December 7, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Expect to see Food Trucks operating in the city next year. A city Standing Committee will debate the two options that will be before Council this evening. The different vested interests will be there with their arguments – might be an awkward meeting for the Burlington Downtown Buisiness Association (BDBA) – they will want to support the restaurant association but at the same time look at the Food Trucks as a possible addition to their membership.  TEN Food Trucks set up shop at LaSalle |Park last year for the Joseph Brant event. Food Trucks were a large part of the Joseph Brant Day last year – there was a whole row of them with offerings seldom seen in this city. Option 1 Option 2 Staff is recommending the second option. The success of some events in Burlington like the Curb Your Appetite food truck festival, benefitting Food 4 Life, indicates there is a desire among Burlington residents to take part in the food truck phenomenon in their city. The Food Truck operators have been at the city since May 2012 inquiring about opportunities to operate in the city. Staff from across the corporation have been working with stakeholders to brainstorm solutions to accommodate these requests. Location and operating requirements are the most complex issue. There are two components to a food truck’s location: whether it is for fixed or mobile, and whether it is operating on public or private property. Zoning approval is also generally a condition of location approval. Food trucks are generally permitted in commercial or industrial zones, and are often subject to additional restrictions if they intend to operate in a BIA. Some cities have further restricted the food truck through the zoning by-law. For example, in Waterloo, food trucks are only permitted to operate in zones which have “restaurant (take out)” as a permitted use. Food trucks are generally not permitted in residential zones, although there are some exceptions to this in some municipalities. The Staff report is recommending an amendment to the Business Licence By-law 42-2008 that will focus only on private and public property such as parks and school board property. The expansion of food trucks onto roads and streets with specific rules and regulations will be part of a report to the Development and Infrastructrure Committee in the second quarter of 2016. There has been a lot of public consultation including a Burlington Downtown Meeting on Food Trucks and Food Truck Policy Review initiated by the BDBA. What was learned? Downtown area: Yes to food trucks, but with setbacks from restaurants; The city did a public opinion survey – they didn’t say how many people responded but the results are interesting. IF YOU CLICK ON THE IMAGE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A LARGER VERSION.
 When this many people line up for a lunch you know there is a market – expect city council to approve Food Trucks – where and how often will be the issue. Gayle Kabbash-Cruikshank, a Food Truck Event Coordinator said the food truck events bring neighbours together and raise much needed funds for charity; Part of Burlington’s strategic plan ‘Vibrant neighbourhoods’ people engaging with each other. Schools are an ideal setting as they are in residential areas so would promote the walking and biking aspect. Downtown is another area that would be ideal as the food trucks would bring crowds to boost the downtown economy. In the short term City of Burlington staff has been able to work within two processes to accommodate the need and demand for food trucks through the Transient trader licence and Special Event Team (SET) process. Transient trader licences can be issued for a variety of time periods, from one (1) day to one (1) year, at different rates, which require the following conditions to be met: • Property owner’s permission. Under the current zoning by-law 2020, a Transient Trader/Food truck would only be permitted on lands that allow any type of restaurant use and are only permitted on lands with a principal building-not a vacant lot. For example, if a local business were to have an ‘event’ and wanted a food truck for one day – they would obtain a Transient Trader Business Licence which will also require zoning clearance and property owner’s permission along with other items in order to submit for a business license. They also must apply to the Halton Region Health Dept for their approvals. The very nature of the food truck business means that they travel around the province looking for events in which they can set up and sell their gourmet food to the general public, usually for just one day. The longer period transient trader licence would still require zoning clearance and the property owner’s permission for any new locations proposed. This information would all have to be provided at the time of application. Currently, all festivals and events in Burlington occurring on municipal property are subject to review and compliance by an interoperational team of City and Region staff, the Special Event Team or S.E.T. Parks & Recreation staff is assigned to each event and present the event application to SET for their public safety and regulatory review. Parks & Recreation staff works through the event management process with permits issued once all conditions have been met. After numerous requests and applications that were not approved because of the zoning restrictions, staff realized it was time to look at allowing food trucks into areas that have thus far been prohibited. Examples of requests for the use of food trucks that were not approved have included: 1. School board property- zoning restrictions would not permit the use of food trucks (zoned residential for the most part); The Proposed Amendment to Business Licence will permt Food Trucks on private property in commercial, industrial and employment zones. Food trucks will be permitted in parks, (subject to approval from the parks and recreation team, who have their own set of regulations and will also determine which parks are capable of hosting a food truck event), on school board properties, places of worship properties and vacant lands in commercial, industrial and employment zones only. No food truck will be permitted to operate within 50 metres of a restaurant or within 50 metres of a licenced hot dog cart.  The Food Truck set up in a parking lot was a great fund raiser for the United Way a few years ago – one vendor was sold out in less than half an hour Fees from the Food Truck operators are not going to result in a reduction of the tax rate. In a review of the fees for a food truck licence in surrounding municipalities, it appears that Burlington is on the lower end of fees. A modest increase is justified to offset the increase in administration and enforcement costs. The recommended increase is as follows; 1 to 3 days $85 per day; monthly $350; three months $700; annual $1300. There seems to be an agreed upon time of a four hour time limit for a food truck event, whether it is on park property or private property. One can just imagine the lobbying that has been done on the members of Council – they are the people that are going to have to decide this one – and this council doesn’t like having to make tough decisions. Let’s see what happens Monday evening.
December 5th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The city is indeed filled with many superb people, groups and organizations. Well organized communities create ways to recognize the contributions they make. The way in which a city does this is important – the event has to be done with dignity and not lavishly. The recognition of those people who make this city what it is has had its share of ups and downs. The choice of MC has been uneven – last year a very solid choice was made. If you attend this year – and it is worth attending – look for the man in the white sports coat. He was great last year. The event will take place in May at the Burlington Convention Centre. The ticket price is moderate – it should be less – the event shouldn’t be expected to make a profit. The food served has been a little on the skimpy side in the past; the program at times seemed rushed –a sort of how quickly can we get them out of here. In the past mother’s has nominated a son, a husband could nominate a wife – it wasn’t a healthy approach to really recognizing the best we have. While the rules don’t specifically say that you can’t nominate a relative – city staff have said that they will suggest to nominators that they might want to choose someone else. The rule should be crystal clear – you cannot nominate a relative. In the past some have gamed the system and the committee that makes the decisions seemed to have forgotten why they were on the committee; it wasn’t to take care of old friends. The Selection Committee has stronger leadership in place; expect to see a different event this year. BEST Awards Committee is made up of 10 voting members, including: six citizens from the community, and four representatives from media and information agencies. The purpose is to nominate someone deserving of civic recognition for their hard work, compassion and dedication. Nominations will be accepted until Feb. 19, 2016. Last year the nomination closing date was extended – suggesting that there may not have been all that many nominations which would lead to one asking: Is this a relevant event? It certainly should be – the strength of a community is the willingness on the part of individuals to pitch in and make a difference and a look at last year’s recipients makes it clear that we have some fine people in the city. There are seven award categories of Burlington’s Best: Junior Citizen of the year Senior Person of the year Environmental Award Arts Person of the Year Community Service Award Heritage Award Nomination forms can be completed online at www.burlington.ca/best or by picking up a nomination form at the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant St. What to consider when you want to nominate someone: The preparation of a good nomination should not require lots of work, especially if you are very familiar with the candidate and his/her work. A well written nomination should not be long. The best ones are short and clearly show the impact of the work of the nominee(s). The most time consuming activity is to select people who will support the award with a letter of recommendation and the follow-up to remind these authors to submit their letters on schedule. Match the nominee with the award As the nominator, your most important responsibility is to nominate a person who has made an important impact to the field of interest covered by the award. Nominators should always take two simple steps:
Be specific Provide a specific, meaningful description of the candidate’s contributions. Don’t say something like, “He/she has done good work.” Rather, be specific. This is the most important information that you can give in the nomination. Also, be specific in describing the impact of the contribution. In addition, make sure that your nomination is brief and contains a specific description of the candidate’s contribution. Meaningful support letters Sometimes selecting people to write meaningful supporting letters can be the most challenging part of the preparation of a good nomination. Make sure that these people are familiar with the contributions of your candidate and that they support your nomination. Get supporting letters from people who have used the contribution of the candidate. Also, ask the authors of supporting letters to avoid just copying what you wrote in the nomination. The selection committee treats these letters very seriously and expects the author of the letter to provide his/her personal views on the specific contributions of the candidate. The 2014 choices were just fine; they reflected what had taken place in the community.  The 2014 winners pose with their awards. From left to right: Mary Nichol, Tomy Bewick, Bonnie Purkis, Ron Foxcroft, Kevin Han, Jan Morris, accepting on behalf of her late husband Dave Morris, Susan Fraser.
December 6th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Two north Burlington residents who have been sued by the Burlington Air Park have turned to the community with a fund raising drive that wants to raise $100,000 to cover their legal costs. Monte Dennis and Vanessa Warren have been sued for libeling Vince Rossi, president of the Air Park. Pepper Parr and the online Burlington Gazette were also sued but neither Parr nor the Gazette are part of the fund raising efforts. There are a number of online fund raising operations that are referred to as “crowd-sourcing – that let anyone appeal to a public for financial support. The legal battle between the Burlington residents and the Air Park began in April of 2014. There was a court case and then an appeal of that decision. There is now a second court case that is awaiting a decision. These court cases were between the city and the Air Park. Other than a lot of paper between the lawyers – the libel suits involving Par, Dennis and Warren have gone no further than the Examination for Discovery stage. The wheels of justice move slowly – but they do move. At some point this charade will come to an end.  Fund raising site: residents being sued for speaking out against the illegal dumping of land fill that is believed to be impacting the water table are asking the public to help out with the legal costs. When asked why $100,000 was being raised one of the defendants said: “We are going by past costs to defend SLAPP suits and that is what these things typically cost. These things drag on – we think the $100,000 is a reasonable figure. Warren and Dennis refer to SLAPP suits (SLAPP is an acronym for Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) in their appeal for funds. A SLAPP suit is a legal action taken by someone who basically wants to shut someone up. Having someone appear at your front door with a document saying they are going to ask a Judge to award them $100,000 because they don’t like what you wrote or said publicly about them does make you think twice before you speak – which of course is exactly what the person suing you wants – it is a tactic that bought about provincial legislation designed to stop this kind of lawsuit. The problem for Dennis and Warren is that the SLAPP legislation did not exist when they wrote or spoke. Their continued reference to SLAPP suits muddies the water. Dennis is being sued because of a Letter to the Editor published in the Hamilton Spectator. Here is what  Trucks carting land fill onto the air park. The owners of the air park did not file a site plan with the city – which a Judge later said they were required to do – the land fill is still in place. If the letter was libelous, and few believe it is, then why wasn’t the Hamilton Spectator included in the lawsuit? That would call for Air Park president Vince Rossi to take on the TorStar, the public company that owns the Toronto Star, the Hamilton Spectator and almost every other significant newspaper in Ontario. The defendant suggested “we look at what Rossi has already cost the city: John Taylor, ward 3 city Councillor is reported to have said at a town hall meeting the other evening that the Air Park issue has cost the city, in legal fees alone, about $800,000 to date and his case is not over yet. Vanessa and Monte were sued because they spoke out against the Burlington Airpark dumping of millions of cubic feet of construction fill, some of which they believe is contaminated, onto Ontario Greenbelt lands. The courts have ordered a stop to the dumping of more fill, but the damage has been done, negatively impacting the neighbours and potentially the environment. Dennis and Warren believe our democracy is based on freedom of speech, public dialogue and social fairness. While Dennis and Warren look ask the public to support them financially Vince Rossi awaits a decision on the most recent court case; one in which the city of Burlington asked a Judge to compel the Air Park to remove the fill that was put on the land and to also compel them to file a site plan. A decision is expected in the New Year – whichever side wins the Superior Court case – it will, in all probability be appealed.  Airpark dumped more than 30 feet of landfill without a Site Plan. Owner of the adjacent property stands on her property line and wonders why anyone can build a “small mountain” next to her property without getting approval. This battle has been going on since April of 2014 when the first law suits were issued. They are expensive but defending them is essential if the public is to continue to have the right to speak its mind. Earlier this year the Gazette published a short article in which we reported on an Examination for Discovery that took place. Days later there was a letter from the Air Park lawyers demanding that we retract the article or they will sue. That is how people who don’t want information in the hands of the public operate. If you want people who care about your community to be able to speak freely and openly, support Dennis and Warren. The link to the site is HERE.
December 5, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON
Odd how some things happen. Steve Howse was facilitating the public meeting on what the people of Burlington might want to do in sponsoring refugee’s from Syria Tuesday evening. The Mainway Recreation centre room was full and hands were going up with questions or comments – Howse had to dash from one side if the room to the other – there was just the one microphone.  Ten year old Eleeza was a little stunned when people kept giving her money to buy stuffed toys for refugee children expected to arrive in Canada next week Somehow a $5 bill ended up in Steve’s hand – he scooted to the other side of the room and gave it to 10 year old Eleeza who earlier had said she was raising funds to buy “stuffie’s that would be given to children who land in Canada from refugee camps next week. Eleeza didn’t ask for funds – she just said she was raising funds – but that seemed to be enough for Howse who gave her the $5 – and that got the ball rolling. Before the evening was out she had collected $410 Eleeza’s mother Sehr said her daughter had already purchased 36 of the toys and that there was several hundred dollars collected – the toys cost between $5 and $7 dollars – so it looks like a lot of refugee children will be given a toy when the walk on Canadian soil.  The packed public meeting made it clear that Burlington wanted to do something for the refugees coming to Canada next week. There were more questions than answers at first but little by little information was exchanged and connections were made. There were a lot of numbers flying around and the figure of a possible 120 people settling in Burlington got mentioned – with a less than 2% available housing rate no one was at all sure where these people would live – which didn’t seem to be a huge concern to the people at the meeting. Anyone wanting to add to the amount collected for toys can email Eleeza’s mother at: sehrwyne@yahoo.ca
December 5th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The people at the Joseph Brant Hospital re-build and re-development site are getting almost giddy – the last concrete pour is due to take place very soon. In 2017, there will be nine modern operating rooms on Level 2 of the new Joseph Brant Hospital with capacity for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgery cases. The design of each operating room accommodates innovative surgical technology and a modern ventilation and power infrastructure. Here is what has been done to date: Forming and pouring for the Level seven slab is underway and the vertical from Levels 7 to 8 is also being built. The Level eight slab will be done by mid-December.  Architectural model of the hospital site – opening of the new section scheduled for 2018 Six elevator shafts and 3 main stairways from Levels six to seven are done. Construction continues for elevator shafts and stairways from Levels seven to eight and eight to nine. In our existing hospital, demolition of the second section of the loading dock is almost complete. The construction of micro piles and excavation for footings will happen over the next couple of weeks. Loading dock construction will continue until the end of February.  Construction status on December 5th, 2015 Masonry work and most of the mechanical work is complete in our new Engineering Department. The department is now undergoing the finishing stages of construction, which includes painting, installation of fixtures and floor and ceiling. The department will be move-in ready for our Engineering team in January 2016. Excavation, forming and pouring for the last set of footings for the bridge that will connect the parking garage to the main hospital building is done! The first panels for our curtain wall (also known as building envelope) will be arriving in mid-December. With construction going so well – the team at the hospital have moved into what they call their “readiness stage”. You can view the construction site at any time – just CLICK HERE. Pouring concrete and having the structure reach up into the sky is apparently the easy part – now they have to begin preparing for what the hospital is being built to do – take care of people.  Lina Kiskunas coordinates operational readiness. Lina Kiskunas, is the Operational Readiness Coordinator. She works with a wide portfolio of programs in preparing for operations in our future hospital. Laboratory, Diagnostic Imaging, Pharmacy, Allied Health, Professional Practice, Rehab, Complex Care, Inpatient Medical Surgical and Maternal Child are things that keep her busy. Each member of the Operational Readiness team plays an important role in achieving the targeted Opening Day vision and outcomes as they transition to the new hospital. Lina Kiskunas is a nurse by background. “I spent time in many critical care roles” she said and comes to Burlington from Oakville where she did a very similar role in Operational Readiness for the new Oakville hospital “The work is a mix of project management and strategy and melding that into the medical environment. I gained a lot of interesting experiences from the project that I’m excited to bring here. “I moved to Burlington two years ago. Having worked on many redevelopment projects at different hospitals I think it’s nice to be part of such a big project at my own community hospital. This is where my family and I will receive care. Bringing Joseph Brant Hospital into their future is exciting.” “I think in trying to understand Operational Readiness the best way I can explain it is if you want a new home, the construction company builds it and operational readiness makes this house a home. We will bring patients and families a sense of home at the new Joseph Brant Hospital” she said. Lakeshore Road will be the new entrance to the hospital – and the setting will be be very nice. A concern has been expressed about the adequacy of Lakeshore Road as it cuts south to the lake. Lakeshore Road is going to be raised by as much as a metre which will impact the entrance to the Joseph Brant Museum.  Road leading to the new hospital entrance from the Maple Street intersection. Will there be just the one lane leading past the museum to the hospital as shown in the picture above ? Not much room for an ambulance rushing towards the emergency entrance. The plans for a massive expansion of the museum – the Museum Foundation has more than $2 million dedicated to making the museum more relevant to the community. Is it possible that too much is being crammed into too small a space?
December 4th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Someone at the Halton District School Board is working overtime the board has been announcing tentative agreements with their unionized employees. This week the Halton Elementary Occasional Teachers Local, representing more than 900 occasional elementary teachers put their thumb print on a tentative deal that now must be ratified by both the Halton local members and the Halton District School Board. Terms of the tentative agreement remain confidential until the ratification process is completed.
December 4, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The provincial government has added new constituencies that will result in 122 Electoral Ridings after the next provincial election in 2018.  The illustration shows just the Burlington portion of the federal Oakville North Burlington electoral district. The Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015 will increase the number of provincial ridings in southern Ontario and make them consistent with the new federal electoral boundaries. As a result, there will be 15 new ridings in southern Ontario, mostly in areas that have seen significant population changes. The federal government re-shaped the riding of Burlington and created Oakville North Burlington (ONB). Liberals won both ridings in the 2015 election. An interesting twist – According to the Chief Electoral Officer, provisional registration could allow Elections Ontario to work with schools and the driver’s licensing program to encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register so they are ready to vote once they turn 18.
December 4th, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Performing Arts Centre has a robust program for the month of December that starts with the annual Christmas concert by the Burlington Concert Band doing the The Magic of Christmas. Cut and paste the link provided for each event for additional information and ticket purchases. December 4th, 8:00 PM Burlington Ballet Theatre – The Nutcracker Christmas Pops: Symphony on the Bay
Shine On – The Universe of John Lennon Elvis – The Wonderful World of Christmas Jesse Cook John Tom McDermott Brott Music Festival: Handel’s Messiah The Tribute The Celtic Tenors We are indebted to Jim Riley for this information.
December 3, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON City’s do not get opportunities to show their true colours that often. For Burlington the place to display their colours seems to be the Mainway Recreation Centre. In 2011 a public meeting was held over the plans the province had to push a highway right through the Escarpment from about Kilbride onto Hwy 407. Tuesday evening the people of Burlington were given another opportunity to show who they really are when close to 400 people took part in a public meeting to learn about what they could do to aid the refugees the federal government is bringing to Canada.  Not a single negative comment from the 400+ people who were at a public meeting to learn how they could help Syrian refugees, Mayor opened the meeting and quickly turned it over to the newly elected Member of Parliament, Karina Gould who pointed out that her grandparents were refugees.  MPP Eleanor McMahon and MP Karina Gould being interviewed for Cogeco television. Gould then explained what the federal government was doing and how the public could be involved. She explained that there are five components to the federal level involvement after which the province gets involved. The Regional government plays a role at the affordable housing and social services level. The 400 hands at Mainway Recreation could not get their hands high enough into the air when asked to signify they wanted to help. Gould gave some background: 200,000 people have died in attempting to flee Syria and other parts of the war torn Middle East; there are 11 million displaced people and four million flooding into Europe. This is the largest refugee problem since the Second World War, said Gould. She made a very interesting point when she told the audience that the Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said recently that if anyone could bring in tens of thousands of refugees – Canada could. We brought in refugees from Hungary when that country was going through a revolution; we brought in refugees when thousands of refugees were fleeing Vietnam and we brought in hundreds of refugees from Kosovo. Canada is the only country that allows private sponsorship of refugees. Burlington has several groups that are sponsoring families. One well known couple (they asked not to be named) are part of a group of 18 sponsoring a family. Another consistent Gazette reader who has a home that she was preparing to put on the market – it has three bedrooms and is centrally located – wanted to know how she would go about working with other people to get a refuges into the home. She was not looking for any kind of a financial return – she just wanted to make the house available to someone who was coming to Canada as a refugee. “The view these people have of Canada, indeed the view the world has of Canada” said this benefactor, “is being determined now by the way we behave. This is my kind of Canada” she added. The five phase federal government work begins with identifying people in refugee camps who are interested in coming to Canada These people then have to go through interviews and medical checkups – when that is done they are given the papers they need to come to Canada as Permanent Residents. One of the problems Canadians workers in the refugee camps have is getting exist Visas for the refugees to be able to leave the country. Then comes the task of transporting the refugees and setting them into some form of accommodation where, as one of the public meeting participants put it “they will sleep on a bed, with clean sheets and rest their head on a pillow – something many of them may not have done for years.”  There was a significant number of people from the Middle East who are now living in Canada taking down information and explaining what the refugees were dealing with. Then Canadians welcome the refugees – many of the members of the Syrian community are looking for ways to be at the airport to greet these people – they will be coming into the country at the rate of 400 every day starting next week until the end of the year – this is a mammoth logistics challenge. Some of these refugees will meet with their sponsors and move to the housing that has been arranged. The others will be part of the federal government compliment – they will be sent to different communities across the country. Settling these people into the community is not a simple task: there will be language issues, getting the children into schools, acquainting them with the neighbourhoods they are going to be living in, helping them with getting bank accounts opened and taking them to super markets. It is going to be very confusing to all of the refugees. Steve House, the facilitator explained that the public meeting was just the first part of the conversation with the people that Canada has opened its doors to. A central information clearing site is being set up – it looks as if it is going to come out of the Mayor’s office – Tuesday evening there was a lot that wasn’t clear – everyone was going to have a web site and everyone promised to help. The Muslim, Moms were in the room – they were going to help. The Halton Mosque on Fairview will be helping. Once housing is found for those who are part of the federal government part of the program – that is those who do not have private sponsors – they will need clothing. The weather has been very unseasonable – a bit of a break for everyone. MPP Eleanor McMahon will serve as the point person for problems that have to be resolved at the provincial level.  Mayor Rick Goldring talking to a member of the North Burlington Baptist Church. Mayor Goldring thought that Burlington could take in something in the order of 300 families – but at this stage all anyone has to go on is the interest and the willingness of the people of Burlington to help. MPP Eleanor McMahon explained the role the provincial government was playing – getting OHIP cards for these people promptly was major. Social welfare is handled by the Region. The school boards are preparing for newcomers – how many – they have no idea at this point. The logistics involved in this task are huge – it looks as if Canada is going to receive 450 refugees every day starting Thursday until the end of the year.  Exchanging information and contact points – Gillian Kearns of the Wesley Urban Ministries is on the right – a Hamilton based group that has the best on the ground information. Burlington’s role in all this became clear last night as the public heard from woman who lives out of her wheel chair, lives by herself and has a second bedroom she was willing to make available. “I live by myself and having a person living with me will do more for me than I do for them. “I can take care of their children if they have any and baby sit for them” she added. The room broke into instant applause – and that was the way the evening went. There wasn’t a single negative remark made during the two and a half hour meeting.  The police presence was much bigger than that seen at other public events – did they have public safety concerns? There was some concern – there were about half a dozen police officers at the back of the room; including one of the Deputy Chiefs and the Burlington Superintendent and a female Staff Sargeant. It is rare to see that level of police presence at any event in Burlington. They obviously had their concerns. Whatever the concerns were – they didn’t surface. This was a room full of people who wanted to learn how they could give – and give – and give. There were staff in the room from the Region explaining what the affordable housing policy is – the 1.6 % vacancy rate with waiting lists in the thousands is going to create some social strain.  Members of the North Burlington Baptist church explaining what they are doing and welcoming anyone who wants to partner with them. There were people from Port Nelson United Church; there were people from Burlington Baptist Church who were partnering with McNeil Baptist in Hamilton. The North Burlington Baptist Church was interested in anyone who wanted to talk to them Food Banks let people know they were on board, the Compassion society was heard. The evening closed with a close to middle aged man, Ahmed, who said he was a refugee from Iran and that he came to Canada when he was ten after experiencing eight years of war. He is an engineer, gainfully employed and involved in the community. “I am the investment you are making in these people coming from Syria” It was an excellent positive note on which to close a very successful community meeting.
December 2, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON This is big news – for someone with Karina Gould’s background, age and political experience to be be appointed Parliamentary Secretary to Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development by Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau is significant.  Karina Gould: Anyone who is a cat person has the “gravitas” to be a fine politician. A number of other people were made Parliamentary Secretary’s: Adam Vaughan, an MP in the former government and a city Councillor in Toronto with years of experience and former Metro Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair were appointed. Those two had experience and major connections that were easy to recognize. Gould has a great resume and some very significant experience in trade relations. Her work with the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. has served her well. This appointment matters – those who knew her and worked with her knew Gould had the “right stuff”: clearly other people figured that out as well. To get a sense as to just how hard this young woman works – listen up. Last Tuesday Gould flew in from Ottawa, took part in the public meeting on Syrian refugees and then returned to Ottawa that night. Maybe her husband drove her to the airport – giving the two of them some quality time.
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