Have you ever marvelled at that guy in front of that big orchestra and the way he waves his arms around and gets everybody to play just the way he wants?
Symphony on the Bay has been performing in Burlington for the past 4 years at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.(www.symphonyonthebay.com)
They were the orchestra playing the concert with the fireworks on Canada Day in Spencer Smith Park.
The orchestra will be taking part in Culture Days and is looking for people, ages 6 and up, who would like to conduct the orchestra in a” pass the baton” relay at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, September 27.
Anyone interested can contact Andrea Battista at abattista1@cogeco.ca.
Koogle Theatre Company will be holding auditions on Sunday August 9 for local dancers!
A Koogle Theatre event that took place in Central Park – they will be taking part in Culture Days in September
They are looking for dancers of all ages for the Culture Days event on Sept 27,
Contact info@koogletheatre.com if interested.
Rehearsals will be on Sundays in August and Sept.
Culture Days, which take place in late September have grown to become almost the major growth event that involves people in the city and the thousands that visit Burlington.
Words tumble out of him – he has so much he wants to say and the passion behind his words is palpable – so it was no surprise that the launch of the Lowville Festival was going to be – well extensive.
Lowville? Sure – everyone wants to be in Spencer Smith Park where the crowds have lots of room.
They live life differently in Lowville – here the citizens celebrate an equinox.
Missen calls Lowville a hamlet – could be, it is certainly a community with its own identity that it does not appreciate people trifling with. They do things differently up there.
Bronte Creek runs through the community and God help anyone foolish enough tio dump trash into the part of the creek that runs through Lowville.
Missen tells the story of the launch this way: “The hills and dales of north Burlington’s beautiful Escarpment country will be alive this summer with the sounds of music, theatre, dance and spoken word.; Told ya – he gushes.
And he has a lot to gush about – check the lineup- Gordie Tapp will perform, Stuart Laughton will perform (you don’t know who Laughton is? you will once you hear him)
The inaugural Lowville Festival will feature many of Lowville and Burlington’s finest performers, as well as a number of the country’s most superb artists.
The school house hasn’t seen a student for some time – the Jazz group should give the rafters a wake up call.
The Festival will begin on Thursday July 16th with an open-air performance of Shakespeare’s HAMLET, presented by Toronto’s Driftwood Theatre. A special free workshop takes place that afternoon.
On Friday July 17th, the festival will kick into high gear with a gala benefit concert called SWINGIN’ ON A STAR at St. George’s Anglican Hall.
The first half of the concert will celebrate a wide variety of Burlington performers, including Stuart Laughton, this year’s Burlington Hall of Fame Award winner, and Charles Cozens, one of the country’s finest conductor/arrangers.
The second half is a salute to the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra, the 20th century’s finest pop singer. The concert also marks the launch of the Lowville Festival Choir under the direction of Wayne Strongman, former conductor of Hamilton’s Bach Elgar Choir.
Saturday’s activities will take place in Lowville’s Victorian schoolhouse, located right in the centre of the hamlet of Lowville. Both concerts will be curated by Burlington singer-songwriter Andy Griffiths.
The festival concludes on Sunday with three unique events.
In the morning, Kilbride’s Anna Schantz, a specialist teacher in Nia Dance, will lead a special free dance fitness experience in Music, Movement, and Magic .
The legendary Burlington entertainer Gordie Tapp headlines FOR LOVE OF LOWVILLE, a celebration of the history and environment in and around Lowville, to be held in Lowville United Church on Sunday afternoon. He will be joined by local novelist Janet Turpin Myers and blues singer Melissa Bel, among other performers.
The festival finale, SUMMER SERENADE, also at St. George’s Hall, will feature a range of classical and musical theatre artists, including Rebecca Caine, star of Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, and virtuoso Oakville cellist Rachel Mercer. The festival will conclude with a special tribute to The Sound of Music.
Gordie Tapp, a one time Lowville resident, will make an appearance at the festival. Hee haw!
The Lowville Festival is the vision of two Burlington performing artists, Lorretta Bailey, a Lowville resident, who has performed in musical theatre productions across Canada, including the original Toronto production of Les Miserables, and Robert Missen, proprietor of the Bobolink Agency,
These days everyone collaborates or has partners – the festival has partnered with Thinkspot, Ticketpro and Robert Lowrey, Piano Experts – these are the Official Festival Sponsors.
The city of Burlington gets a nod for its support under its Love My Hood initiative. The proters have a very special thanks for both Lowville United Church and St. George’s Anglican Church Lowville, whose support for the festival has been invaluable.
The Lowville Festival has a unique mandate- A festival of all the arts for the artist in all of us.
For more information contact Robert Missen at 905-632-6047 or rmissen@sympatico.ca
The events break out this way:
DRIFTWOOD THEATRE WORKSHOP THURSDAY JULY 16 2:30 pm 6210 LOWVILLE PARK ROAD
Driftwood Theatre offers a free workshop and opportunity to perform in the evening’s performance of HAMLET. Contact www.thinkspot.ca to sign up.
DRIFTWOOD THEATRE’S HAMLET THURSDAY JULY 16TH 6 pm Doors Open. 7:30 Show commences. 6210 LOWVILLE PARK ROAD
Shakespeare’s royal murder mystery featuring some of the most famous lines in theatre unfolds for audiences outdoors in beautiful Lowville Park. Driftwood Theatre. Toronto’s professional touring company, is offering this classic play for a Suggested Ticket Price of $20 or Pay What You Can.
Sponsored by THINKSPOT
Local musician to play the Queen’s Head Thursday night.
SWINGIN’ ON A STAR FRIDAY JULY 17, 2015 7:30 PM ST. GEORGE’S PARISH HALL
Loretta Bailey and Robert Missen, hosts.
Artists include Stuart Laughton, Renee Barabash, Andy Griffiths, Dacid Warrack, Lorraine Foreman, Michael Mulrooney, Jude Johnson, Charles Cozens, Wayne Strongman and the Lowville Festival Choir,
The first Lowville Festival with a Gala Concert featuring a wide range of superlative performers, most of whom hail from Burlington.
Classical, pop, jazz, blues, folk, musical theatre. The second half of the concert will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Frank Sinatra. Proceeds from this benefit concert will be dedicated to the establishment of the festival.
$25 ADVANCE/$30 AT THE DOOR
MY CAT FLASH’S SOPHISTICATED SONGS FOR KIDS SATURDAY JULY 18TH 2 PM LOWVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE
ANDY GRIFFITHS and FRANK KOREN
Burlington singer-songwriter Andy Griffiths launches his new kids’ show, which will also entertain the kid in all of us.
$10
ROOTS N’ ROLL: ACOUSTIC ROOTS IN THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE SATURDAY JULY 18TH 8 PM LOWVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE
Andy Griffiths and Frank Koren and Kim
Join Andy and his Burlington musical friends for an intimate evening with local songwriters in the Victorian stone schoolhouse in the centre of Lowville.
$20
SUNDAY JULY 19TH 11 AM LOWVILLE PARK, between the playground and the creek, under the trees ADMISSION FREE
NIA is a joyful, mindful, and expressive physical conditioning practice, incorporating moves from dance, martial arts, yoga and other alignment arts, as well as individualized, free form movement. NIA offers fun and fitness to men and women of all ages and fitness abilities. Join Nia Black Belt teacher Anna Schantz for a NIA dance fitness experience in Music, Movement, and Magic. Theme: Psychedelic Sunday. Bare feet, hippie attire, and flowers most welcome. Suitable for everybody. www.nianow.com
Janet Turpin Meyers, local author will appear at the Lowville Jazz festival.
FOR LOVE OF LOWVILLE SUNDAY JULY 19TH 2 PM LOWVILLE UNITED CHURCH
Lorretta Bailey and Robert Misen, hosts
Artists include Melissa Bel, Janet Turpin Myers, Loraine Foreman, Jude Johnson, Lorreta Bailey, Robert Missen and Daryl Webber.
Special Guest: GORDIE TAPP
Celebrating the rich historical and Escarpment heritage of the hamlet of Lowville in a concert that combines music and the spoken word. Local musicians Melissa Bel and Lorretta Bailey are joined by novelist Janet Turpin Myers. Legendary Burlington entertainer Gordie Tapp, formerly of Lowville, will be reunited with Lorraine Foreman, his colleague on Country Hoedown, one of the most popular Canadian television shows of the fifties.
$20 ADVANCE/$25 AT THE DOOR
SUMMER SERENADE SUNDAY JULY 19TH 7:30 PM ST. GEORGE’S PARISH HALL
Rebecca Caine of Les Miserables fame will be part of the Lowville festival
ROBERT MISSEN is hosting this event.
Artists include Rebecca Caine, soprano; Robert Kortgaard , piano; Rachel Mercer, cello; Stuart Laughton, trumpet; Renee Barabash, piano; Michael Mulrooney, piano
Missen says rhey will be bringing the inaugural festival to a glorious conclusion (I did say he gushs) with a concert featuring some of the country’s finest classical and musical theatre artists. Rebecca Caine, the original Cosette in Les Miserables and star of the Toronto production of Phantom of the Opera; Oakville-born cellist Rachel Mercer; and virtuoso trumpeter Stuart Laughton will present a concert featuring Bach, Chopin and Schafer as well as a special tribute to The Sound of Music.
$25 ADVANCE/$30 AT THE DOOR
Lowville doesn’t see this much action even during the Winter Carnival. Getting around Lowville is easy once you know where you are going.
The United Church is at the corner of Guelph Line and Britannia Road with a decent parking lot behind the church.
St. Georges isn’t actually in Lowville, it isn’t even in Burlington. It is on Guelph Line just above Derry Road – can’t miss the place – it is a beautiful stone building built in 1896
Kind of tough when you can’t be sure that the things you left in your car while it was parked in the driveway overnight are going to be there when you get in the car the next morning. But that is what it has come to.
Halton Police constantly remind the public to lock their vehicles parked in the driveway and more importantly, to hide and secure valuables such as electronics from sight.
Sure – throw a blanket over the dash board – that will just encourage the thieves to beak the window. In their media release their police said: “Dash mounted GPS devices left in plain view resulted in vehicle windows being smashed to gain entry.”
This is a scene far too many car owners are seeing when they walk out of the house to get into the car they had parked in the driveway.
Overnight, between June 30 and July 1, 2015, several vehicle entries occurred in the Region with Oakville being hit the hardest. Thieves were checking for unlocked car doors looking for cash, GPS devices and other electronics.
The police continue to investigate vehicle entries and ask the public to make extra efforts to keep valuables safe and hidden from sight. If possible, take any valuable electronics into the home at night so not to attract wandering thieves.
Catching these thieves is not always easy – the police usually don’t have much to go on. It was that fact that brought about SCRAM.
Halton Regional Police have a Security Camera Registration and Monitoring program, ( S.C.R.A.M) a community based crime prevention opportunity and investigative tool that enlists the help of Halton residents.
S.C.R.A.M. enables community members to voluntarily identify and register their residential video surveillance equipment through a simple, secure, confidential, online form located on the Halton Regional Police Service website. https://bit.ly/11B4FNE
One camera is usually enough for decent home surveillance.
A number of people wonder just what giving police access to your home security means. You are not giving the police any access when you register – what you are doing in letting the police know that you have an electronic security system. If there is a crime near your home the police will know that you have a security camera and may ask if they can look at what was captured by your camera.
You are under no obligation to hand over anything.
When investigating a crime the police usually end up going door to door hoping that someone may have seen something – if they knew where the security cameras were they could narrow down the search area.
Door to door can be a time-consuming endeavour as it may include a 360 radius around the crime scene. Armed with the knowledge of locations of security cameras, police can better focus their investigation. This has proven helpful in many investigations where suspect vehicles or suspects themselves have been picked up on third-party camera systems. Knowing a “direction” enables investigators to focus their attention on that particular path, even at considerable distances, where perhaps another camera may be located.
Investigators have been surprised by the number of residents choosing to protect their homes and property with security cameras. Canvassing a neighbourhood is a time-consuming endeavour and the program will only be as good as the data inputted. That’s why the police want your help.
The objective of the program is primarily to build a database of camera locations in our community. Adding a security camera to your property is an excellent crime prevention tool, and is a way for you to protect your OWN property. Allowing the police quick access to potential recordings of crimes in progress is a way for citizens to help make our communities safer for everyone.
The police are No. We are asking the public to take an active part in helping make your community safer. Neighbourhood Watch was a recognized crime prevention initiative many years ago; police asked neighbours to look out for neighbours. This is the technological extension of that.
If you think this might be something you want to take part in – click on this link.
On June 15, 2015, the owners of a Tim Hortons franchise in the City of Burlington learned there was a lot of money that didn’t make it to the bank. The police describe the situation this way: “extensive amount of deposits remained outstanding” as the the company attempted to complete the year-end financial statements.
The calculated loss from these outstanding balances between January 2014 until May 2015 was just over $200,000.00.
There was a big hole in the deposit donut at a Tim Hortons franchise in Burlington
An employee, responsible for the Tim Hortons bank deposits was identified and the owners reported the theft to Halton Police on June 29, 2015.
On June 30, 2015, the accused was arrested.
Accused:
Mariel ABEJERO, 42 years, from Hamilton has been charged with:
Theft Over $5000
The accused is schedule to attend court on July 29, 2015.
Guilds were a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power that determined the rules for the practice of a trade. The name stuck and is now applied to groups of people who get together to do a particular form of art.
Burlington has had six guilds working out of the Art Gallery of Burlington; Arts Burlington recently announced a seventh guild that will focus on Fibre Arts
Apiece by Claudette Losier that was included in an Art Gallery exhibition. Losier has gone on to be invited to take part in an exhibition in New York city.
In truth, this is not a new guild. The fibre artists have been a guild of Arts Burlington in the past but were smaller at that time and were unable to provide support to the activities of Arts Burlington at that time.
However today, to our benefit, the Fibre Arts Guild has grown and is able to rejoin us in this exciting new stage of activity of the Arts at the AGB.
There are more than 400 paintings in the Art Rental inventory; just some pf the work done by Burlington artists,
There is a renewal of activities, a spirit of adventure as new things emerge from the Guilds.
The new Juried Show format for 2015 was a resounding success. Arts Burlington looks forward to more great things in the coming years and are happy to have the Fibre Arts Guild join us in the adventure!
The current guilds are:
Fibre Arts Handweavers and Spinners Hooking Craft Latow (Photography) Potters Sculptors and Woodcarvers
Fine Arts
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Guilds can be found at Arts Burlington
When it is in their best interests, city hall knows how to move.
CUPE Local 44 (outside and arena/outdoor pool operators) completed their ratification vote at 3:00 pm on Thursday July 2nd – at 3:48 pm the city issued a media release saying they were pleased to announce that both the members of CUPE Local 44 (outside and arena/outdoor pool operators) and City Council have ratified a three-year collective agreement, which runs from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017.
There were no mention of the details of the settlement agreement.
What the Gazette found a little confusing was how the city could accept an agreement without it being ratified by the union.
Access to meetings and critical documents is not what the public thinks it is.
That was easy – the city held a special council meeting – it didn’t advise the media of the Special Council meeting at which they were briefed on the tentative agreement that was awaiting ratification. They apparently said that if the union ratified the agreement that was tentative at that point – then it was understood that the city had agreed.
That sounded a little slick but Roy Male, the Executive Director or Human Resources emailed the Gazette saying: “We did this to be proactive to speed up the approval process to remove any uncertainty in the public’s mind about the services which may have been affected.”
Fine – but the city didn’t issue a statement after that June 30th meeting which media didn’t attend because they were not advised.
To be fair the city does put a notice of meetings in the mail slot each media has however most of us don’t trot over to city hall to see if there is any mail every couple of hours.
When the Mayor wants to call a Special Meeting of Council there is a rigid procedure he has to follow. That procedure should include an electronic noticed to the media. Given that the Mayor has a full time media person in his office he can’t say he isn’t aware of how media works.
The Mayor doesn’t talk to the Gazette anymore. A number of months the Mayor decided he didn’t like what we were saying about him and decided he wasn’t going to return our phone calls. We didn’t know this was the position the Mayor had taken until we asked why phone calls were not being returned.
That is when he told the Gazette we were not fair or balanced.
We have never had the Mayor tell us precisely what it is we were saying that was not fair and balanced.
Milton Mayor Krantz explains to Conservation Halton how the media works.
A few weeks ago the Gazette was in Milton covering a Conservation Halton awards event and met with Gord Krantz, Mayor of Milton, who commented to John Vice, chair of the Conservation Board that he never worried about what the media said about him – he worried when the media stopped saying anything about him. Krantz has been Mayor of Milton for 25 years. Burlington’s Mayor should spend a little more time with Gord Krantz when they cross paths at Regional Council.
Burlington is not a media friendly town. City managers tend to set the tone on what comes out of city hall; each council members decides what they want in the way of a relationship with media. Some council members have particularly thin skins and don’t handle criticism all that well.
But we digress.
According to union negotiators the pressing issue for them was benefits for those workers who were over the age of 65. While the collective agreement that was in place called for the city to pay the same benefits to all employees the union was not aware that they weren’t being paid because there were no members over the age of 65.
The Outside workers ratified their agreement – union negotiators will not say if the benefits issue was resolved; they added that they do not have any workers over the age of 65.
The transit union does have workers over the age of 65 who are not getting the same benefit package as those who are under 65.
The union maintains that they were not aware that union members were being treated differently – it wasn’t until they began getting complaints from union members over 65 that the problem came to their attention.
Apparently the city instructed their benefits provider not to give the same benefits to everyone.
It is clear that there isn’t a collaborative working arrangement between the union and the city’s human resources department.
It will be interesting to see if the transit works ratify the agreement.
Another confusing point; both unions are CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) members. Why would one union – Local 44 ratify the agreement before the Local 2723 – the transit union if the matter of benefits mattered to both?
We thought solidarity was the glue that gave the union its clout.
Splash pads are guaranteed to be open for the summer – gives the kids a place to play and keep the heat off the members of council
In its media release the city said: “ Thanks to the co-operation of CUPE and our employees, it is business as usual for city services that include outdoor pools, summer ice use, all sports fields and all outdoor maintenance services.”
At the closed council meeting of June 30th the city passed a Bylaw # 71-2015 to confirm the proceedings of Special Council at its meeting held Tuesday, June 30, 2015, being read a first, second and third time.
Fine – what did the Bylaw say: Can’t tell you – it wasn’t published and you can’t get it instantly online. Here is what the city says about Access to Bylaws
“The City of Burlington provides online versions of bylaws for information and reference purposes only. Posted documents are not consolidated with all possible amending and repealing bylaws: users refer to these online documents at their own risk. For the greatest level of accuracy and reliability, please obtain a certified copy of a bylaw and its applicable amending bylaws from the Clerks department: contact Service Burlington at 905-335-7600, or email records@burlington.ca.”
This is not the mark of an open, transparent government.
Maybe I slept in a little longer than I should have this morning, after a long, fun filled Canada Day. Whatever, I wasn’t functioning all that well when putting together the pice on the newest Performing Arts Centre Community Initiative.
Performing Arts Centre comes out with an interesting Community Initiative. You’ll have to hustle to meet that deadline.
By the way the Performing Arts people are doing a better job than the city is so far in the community initiative field – but that’s another story.
We got some information on a new idea the Centre was doing and were putting the story together when we came across a part that wasn’t clear to us. Several back and forths via email (have you noticed that you never get the full answer to the question the first time?) and what was not clear was now clear and we published the piece.
The error in the headline was glaring – we got a polite email asking that we fix it – we did.
Got another call saying it wasn’t fixed – it was. I had changed the date.
Then I was told it wasn’t the date that was wrong – it was both the month and the date in the headline that was wrong.
With two corrections – both tweeted – we realized that anyone following the story would be completely confused.
So – here it is again.
The Performing Arts Centre has a really neat community initiative for growing artists called the Lobby Showcase.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has created a new feature: the Lobby Showcase. Auditions are being held on September 19 and 20, from 10 am to 5 pm, for the Centre’s Lobby Showcase Project which will take place during the professional presenting season that starts in September/October 2015.
This is part of the Performing Arts Centre Community Engagement initiative that is intended to find new amateur talent in Burlington and surrounding areas to showcase local artists or acts that are in the process of developing their material and need some experience before a live audience.
These performances will take place on a particular night to introduce these artists to our patrons and a wider audience.
The groups selected will perform in the theatre’s Family Room, that really grand space that a performer can do almost anything with. In the past there have been some superb events put on in that space.
The artists chosen for the Lobby Showcase will perform in the lobby before the main event starts.
Room enough for the Burlington Teen Tour Band to perform – what do you have in the way of an entertainment event for this space?
The intention is to assist local artists or groups on their way to becoming better known in the community. The hope is that some will eventually become professional.
There is no remuneration for the Lobby Showcases but artists will get an opportunity to market their brand at that time, while reaching a new audience. The artists may also be added to the City of Burlington’s Artists database, with their permission.
The selected performers will get one of eight available Lobby Showcase spots available throughout the 2015-2016 Presenting Season and they, as well as others selected, may also get a chance to be featured in the Culture Days celebrations, September 25 to 27, 2015.
The Performing Arts Centre Community initiative is opening up some space for local amateur talent that will take place in the theatre lobby before a main production takes place. Their hope is that these events might be an early step towards an event that will get them to the Main Stage.
We are looking for singer/songwriters, dancers, singers (pop, jazz, blues, folk, classical), bands or combos, instrumentalists and soloists (classical, jazz, etc.), performance art, and comedy; show us what you have.
Please submit your idea by email to: BPACAuditions@burlington.ca
Include a couple of photos, a short bio and some background information and a short description of the act or performer, include any links to YouTube videos, if you have them; don’t forget your contact information.
Dateline for submissions is July 24, 2015.
There are a limited number of spots available; only the acts or artists selected will be contacted with an audition date and time.
Right up until the last hit of the game, it looked like the Burlington Bandits were going to steal a game from their rivals in Hamilton.
Those stands weren’t exactly full were they? Hamilton took the baseball game in a close one – 2-1 for the other guys.
It was two errors committed by Burlington that allowed Hamilton to bring in two runs in the bottom of the ninth for their seventh win of the season.
The game got off to quick start as Burlington’s Shaun Cooper caught a fortuitous bounce in the top of the first, when the ball hit his helmet as he rounded third and allowed him to score.
That was the games sole hit until into the third inning in what was a pitching showcase. Hamilton’s Tim Black pitched all nine innings, giving up only three hits and one run while Burlington’s Dylan Perego threw all but three pitches through nine innings giving up three hits and two runs.
The win keeps the Cardinals in sixth place with as they prepare to greet the London Majors at home.
The Bandits are now mired in a four game losing streak as they head to Guelph for a battle between the bottom two teams in the league.
The Burlington Community Foundation got a call on the 5th of August from the Mayor – saying “the city needs your help. We want you to form a Flood Disaster Relief Committee (DRC).” Collen Mulholland, president of the Community Foundation had no idea what the Mayor was talking about but she was fully aware of the serious situation several thousand Burlingtonians were facing with flooded basements. The Mayor was one of that several thousand people.
Community groups, corporations, individuals – they came forward in the hundreds with money that allowed the city to collect just under $1 million in 100 days and get that matched on a 2 for 1 basis from the province.
Mulholland literally put her shoulder to the wheel and pulled together a group that would do what needed to be done.
At some point in the not too distant future the Gazette will tell the full story but today we can tell you that all 272 approved claims totalling $2.7 million have been finalized. Claimants can expect final financial assistance payment to be delivered in the next few weeks.
It was a challenge getting the paper work through an office that was run by less than four people – the |Community Foundation had to being in a van full of part timers to handle the phone calls and the paper work.
Data had to be collected for the insurance adjuster who gave the right nod and the claim got sent to the committee that made sure all the information needed was in the reports and the claim was a fair claim
Many people didn’t understand that the ODRAP (Ontario |Disaster Relief Assistance Program) program was to help cover the cost of replacing necessary furniture and fixtures. The high definition TV was not necessary but the furnace and washer dryer were.
Ron Foxcroft telling his story – there wasn’t a bank that he didn’t succeed in squeezing significant dollars out of – well there was one.
“The entire flood relief experience has demonstrated what a strong, giving and resilient city Burlington is,” said Ron Foxcroft, Chair, BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee. “I would like to thank the flood victims for their patience, the volunteers for their tireless efforts, the financial donors for their generous gifts, and the Ontario government for its disaster relief financial support.”
After 10 months of dedicated work the DRC has officially completed its mandate. During that time the Committee has reviewed, assessed and processed 310 claims and spent numerous hours providing support and guidance to flood victims. Thirty eight of the claims were denied.
Flood victims continue to share their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all those who helped in the flood relief efforts. “On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee. We will now be able repair our home’s flood damage and once again enjoy it with our children and grandchildren as we have done since 1973. ‘Thank You’ again, and please know that we are incredibly grateful,” said one family whose claim was processed
Catch basins couldn’t handle the volume and got plugged frequently.
Unfortunately with many other regions in the world experiencing severe weather there will often be reminders of last year’s historic rainfall. “Whenever we experience a severe rain storm in this city many of us will think back to August 4th and the devastating weather that changed the lives of many,” said Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Community Foundation. “We hope to also remember the goodness that prevailed in this City. It has been a remarkable experience working with so many devoted Burlingtonians throughout this process.”
The Community is working with the city on a celebration date for early September,
What no one has made clear yet is the “hold back” of 10% that the province has put in place on ODRAP monies. It was described as “risk management” – we will pursue that one a little further.
We understand that the province holds back 10% of the money they provided – the province put up $2 for every dollars the people of Burlington raised.
The fact is the province didn’t put up $2 – they kept 20 cents and gave the Disaster Relief Fund $1.80
What does $50 million worth of red tape look like?
If you’ve ever had to fill informs for any government agency – city hall for that matter – you know what I’m talking about.
In a self-serving media release the province announces that it has streamlined services to help businesses succeed and grow and that this has led to $50 million in savings and 2.4 million saved hours for businesses across the province in the last four years.
Business people and citizens drown in red tape while the bureaucrats keep making more of it. They have forms you need to order forms
The idea is to reduce unnecessary regulatory and administrative processes that cost businesses time and money. The report features 28 initiatives across government that are modernizing services and making it easier for businesses to succeed, including:
• Creating a new online system for processing payments for the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Assistive Devices Program — reducing wait times for payments and saving registered vendors $16.7 million and an estimated 500,000 hours over four years.
• A new, convenient online compliance check tool available to businesses with a good track record, as an alternative to full inspections under the Employment Standards Act,- saving these businesses an estimated $725,000 and 36,500 hours over two years.
• Streamlining regulations and processes with the Ministry of Transportation’s simplified testing requirements for senior commercial drivers to renew their licences — saving drivers $1.87 million and an estimated 57,000 hours over a year.
This could be the logo that could be printed on T-shirts that bureaucrats could wear – that way we would know who they are.
Ontario has set a target of reducing burdens to save business $100 million by the end of 2017. With $50 million of savings so far, our province is halfway to reaching its target. This is part of our government’s broader strategy, aimed at reducing unnecessary burdens to businesses across Ontario. Since 2008, our government has eliminated more than one in six regulatory requirements – or 80,000 regulatory burdens, leading to more efficient, streamlined processes.
And if you believe all this – there is a nice parcel of land in Florida I would love to sell you.
What I want to know is – how many civil servants did the counting of all those hours that were saved?
With the shooting death of an 18 year old in London Ontario over a cell phone – the theft of cell phones take on a heightened interest.
On Monday June 29th 2015 two street robberies occurred 2½ hours apart in southeast Burlington where cell phones were taken forcefully from their owners.
At approximately 7:15 PM, two youths were walking north on Burloak Drive, south of Spruce Avenue when they were confronted by a male who demanded a cell phone be turned over of they would be shot. The suspect was given a cell phone and fled the area on foot.
Cell phones are now seen as choice items for thieves – be careful
At approximately 9:45 PM, another youth was walking south on Hampton Heath Road near Lakeshore Road when a black vehicle with three males stopped alongside the youth. Two of the males got out of the vehicle and asked to use the youths’ cell phone. After being told no, the two males began to forcefully search the youth’s pockets, taking an I-Phone, returned to the vehicle and fled the area.
In the first incident, the suspect is described as a black male in his early 20’s, 6’0 tall, medium build, corn row style hair wearing a black hoodie and long cream coloured pants.
In the second incident, the suspects are all described as black males 18-20 years of age wearing dark clothing.
Anyone who may have witnessed these incidents or have information that will assist investigators in identifying these suspects are asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2315 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com; or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
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Jack Dennison had his hearing before the Ontario Municipal Board earlier this week where he is appealing a decision of the Committee of Adjustment that turned down his request to sever his property on Lakeshore Road,
The Gazette was not able to attend the two day hearing but has interviewed a number of people who did attend.
A designated home, bought under a power of sale on a lot which owner Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots. The Committee of adjustment said no – an appeal was made to the Ontario Municipal Board – a decision is expected in a few months.
“There were body blows given by both sides” said one well informed observer. Did Dennison have a case we asked?
“Yes Dennison had a case – did he make it is a different question and did the OMB Commissioner buy the Dennison argument.” Our informant wasn’t prepared to say, however he did say that Dennison as the appellant was the first to speak and his people took up the best part of the two day hearing. “They took all the oxygen out of the room” was the way the proceedings were described.
By the time the city got to make its argument things were getting a little rushed and people didn’t have the opportunity to be as fulsome as they may have wanted to be.
The OMB Commissioner who heard the appeal said that he had never experienced a hearing on this kind of issue that ran for two solid days. The hearing was the result of an appeal Councillor Dennison made against a Committee of Adjustment decision not to allow the request for a severance of the Lakeshore Road property.
The committee of Adjustment that voted 3-2 to deny Councillor Jack Dennison the severance he wanted for his Lakeshore Road property.
That hearing was a long contentious one that did not produce a unanimous decision.
One person we interviewed suggested that the cost of the hearing will run at close to $200,000 – assume a little less than half that a cost the city will have to cover and we are looking at costs that amount to more than the city pays Dennison to serve as a Council member for a full year.
Heritage took a hit said our commentator, the character of the community was a significant part of the city’s case and while some thought that case was well made others didn’t see it quite the same way.
The city’s planning department is in the final stages of completing a “character study” of the community – many had hoped that study would have been completed and available as evidence at the hearing.
It is difficult to find very many people in the community who will speak openly in support of the severance Dennison sought. The community was so upset that at one point they denied his application for membership in a community association. However, in the 2014 election Jack Dennison won his seat again by a more than respectable majority – the voters did speak. In a few months to Ontario Municipal Board will speak and the development direction for the Roseland community will be set to some degree
The city and two of its unions have reached a tentative agreement which will, if ratified by the union membership, maintain the no strike in 20 years record.
The Outside Workers and Arena/Outdoor Pool Operators (CUPE Local 44) and Burlington Transit workers. CUPE 2723 were in a strike position
CUPE 44 will hold a ratification meeting on July 2, which was its tentative strike date. If the union fails to ratify the vote, the union has promised the city 72 hours notice before calling a strike.
That union had not yet begin to make up any picket signs.
The public will have to wait until the details of the tentative agreement are known before the size of the wallop to the wallet is known.
Hundreds of tree saplings were planted in the Beachway just a few weeks ago – details on the damage are not yet in.
BurlingtonGreen spent the best part of a day a few weeks ago planting hundreds of trees in the sand dunes in the Beachway – that work may have come to naught as a result of the wind and rain experienced over the weekend.
Residents in the Beachway report that during Saturday’s windstorm, the beach strip was completely underwater – “all the sand was underwater”.
Two boats were washed off their davits; one smashed to pieces on the seawall and the other appears to have just sunk intact.
These were believed to be an 18ft Seadoo jet boat and a (approx) 26 ft. fishing boat located between Brant and Guelph Line.
We talk about the jewels that make this city what it is – that Escarpment to the north of the city and that glistening lake that is there for us to watch and appreciate every day.
Those two magnificent geographic features were given to us- our task now is to enjoy that gift and serve as good stewards and ensure that what we have our grandchildren’s grandchildren will also be able to enjoy.
There are people who pay more attention to the environment that most of us – for them it is a passion and they spend countless hours just helping take care of what we have.
Turtle clan longhouse at Crawford Lake.
The Conservation Authority, formed after Hurricane Hazel did some very serious flooding in 1954 when more than 90 people in Toronto lost their lives as a result of the flooding. .
There are a number of Conservation Authorities across the problem – Conservation Halton looks after what we have. They are both a regulatory agency that comments on all development that relates to the lake and the creeks and the land on the Escarpment and the operators of a number of recreational and entertainment locations including Crawford Lake.
They play a critical role that is seldom seen and rarely appreciated. Each year they hold an awards night to recognize those who have done more – made an effort and made a difference. They held their 33rd annual Conservation Halton Awards on Tuesday at the Milton Centre for the Arts. The awards are presented to people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to conservation in the Halton watershed, which includes Halton, Peel, Hamilton and Puslinch.
Every person, group, or school, in the various awards categories (except for the Parks Volunteer Award) are nominated from the community. The 2015 award recipients are as follows:
Citizen:Bethlehem Sahlu; Citizen (Youth) Simone Mantel, Aldershot District High School; Community Toronto Bruce Trail Club; Education (Group or School) Trailhead – Bronte Creek Project; Education (Individual) Nick Bertrand and Kerry Sagar, Halton District School Board; Media / Blogger, Tourism Burlington; Parks Volunteer Kirsten Phillip, Mountsberg Raptor Centre and Chuck Sweet, Kelso / Glen Eden; Stewardship Andrew and Marites Lee, Milton Field and Stream Rescue Team; Ralph Sherwood Honour Roll Keith Bird, Oakville
More than 150 guests and dignitaries attended the awards ceremony. In addition to the award recipients, Watershed Stewards in the Halton Watershed Stewardship Program were recognized, as well as local schools and childcare centres that participated in the Stream of Dreams education program.
2015 Conservation Halton Awards Recipients
Bethlehem Sahlu – Citizen
Bethlehem Sahlu has led three local food initiatives in Oakville. She is the coordinator of two community gardens, Share Land Share Life Community Garden (which is on privately owned land, Owner Mr. Armin Gottschling) and Clear View Community Garden. She also led a Green Your Mind Green Your Plate Presentation Series.
Share Land Share Life Community Garden and Clear View Community Garden were started as joint initiatives between Conservation Halton and FutureWatch EDEP as part of the Natural Connections Program aimed at connecting new and diverse communities in Halton to their natural surroundings, promoting food sustainability, healthy eating and Community engagement. (ODEC) Oakville’s Diverse Environmental Club Program is also a partner on Clear View.
Green Your Mind Green Your Plate is an interactive presentation with the objective to give people who are new in the area an overview of the local food market, to emphasize the importance of eating healthy and locally, and introduce them to the basic concepts of food sustainability. Bethlehem enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge about food sustainability and she believes Environmental Education is the key to success in all the community initiative she has been involved in. Bethlehem has inspired people that change is possible and it starts from the community we live in!
Simone Mantel – an Aldershot residnent
Simone Mantel of Aldershot High School in Burlington – Citizen (Youth)
Simone has been a true Environmental Champion for Aldershot School and the City of Burlington. She has been actively involved in her four years as a high school student, serving as President of the Aldershot School Environment Club and is a Graduate of the ECO Studies Program. Simone organized a community environmental film screening to raise funds for a school habitat restoration project. She also participated and planned invasive species removals at Aldershot School and Royal Botanical Gardens, and also organized school clean-up events for Earth Day.
Simone is involved in the community as well. She is an active member of Burlington Green, and worked to save trumpeter swan habitat at LaSalle Park Marina. She is a Burlington Transit Youth Ambassador for Aldershot School and organized several transportation-related campaigns. She also facilitated the ECO Rangers Environmental Leadership Program at RBG (grade 6 and 7 students).
Due to Simone’s dedication and commitment to the environment, Aldershot school and community, as well as the City of Burlington, have seen significant improvements in the awareness of environmental issues and improvement and protection of natural areas.
Toronto Bruce Trail Club – Community
Members of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club undertook the cleanup of downed trees and branches following the ice storm in December 2013 to reopen the Bruce Trail for hikers. Their clean-up efforts on the Main Bruce Trail in Halton Region involved more than 150 volunteers, who contributed over 600 hours and the cleanup was so extensive it took two years to fully complete.
The Toronto Bruce Trail Club encompasses the northern section of the Bruce Trail in Conservation Halton’s Watershed, this includes Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Kelso and Rattlesnake Point Conservation Areas.
Toronto Bruce Trail Club work parties cleared approximately 70% of the Main Trail from January to June 2014. The Bruce Trail and Conservation Halton has been extremely fortunate to have so many dedicated and interested volunteers show up so many times to get cold and dirty, and work very hard to clean up and maintain the trail for others to enjoy.
Trailhead – Bronte Creek Project – Education (Group or School)
Trailhead is a one semester environmental leadership program for 20 grade 10 students. The Trailhead class is made up of students selected from all Halton public and Catholic schools who have applied to be part of this unique and often transformative program.
Students spend every day at Sidrabene, which is located in a rural area, for the five-month high school semester. These facilities allow BCP students to have a mix of outdoor activities and indoor classroom lessons. Trailhead students teach grade 4 elementary students a one-day program called Novice Earthkeepers, where they practice and teach environmental stewardship. For the past three years, Trailhead students have participated at the Halton Forest Festival for Conservation Halton teaching grade 6 and 7 students about the importance of our local forests and the plants and animals that live within them.
Trailhead students explore current environmental issues and human impact, and discover their own relationship with nature. Hands-on learning is at the core of the program, allowing students to experience the curriculum while also learning about different career paths. The semester also involves an Adventure Trip canoeing in Algonquin Park. The program truly is a one of a kind experience for students, led by passionate and knowledgeable staff.
Nick Bertrand and Kelly Sager of the Halton District School Board couldn’t keep away from their cell phones as they tweeted their award to everyone they knew
Nick Bertrand and Kerry Sagar from HDSB – Education (Individual)
Kerry Sagar is an Instructional Program Leader with the School Programs Department at Halton District School Board. She has been involved in Environmental and Sustainability initiatives throughout her career with a special emphasis on Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives.
Kerry has been instrumental in developing invaluable resources, as well as developing and presenting countless professional learning experiences to elementary and secondary HDSB teachers, administrators, and superintendents. Her longstanding work with environmental leadership teams at the board level has included the development of inquiry-based learning projects which are directly connected to care and protection of the environment, and include a deeper understanding of the underlying social and equity issues.
Nick Bertrand is also an Instructional Program Leader with the School Programs Department at the Halton District School Board. After a teaching career at White Oaks Secondary School, He joined the School Programs Department three years ago.
Nick has had phenomenal success in working directly to support the Ontario EcoSchools program with secondary schools. Nick Co-chairs the system level Eco Team, HELP (Halton Eco Leadership Partners), and the multiple community partner Outdoor Experiential Education Advisory Team. One of his major accomplishments has been the successful implementation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education at both the elementary and secondary level; his connections with local First Nations and other community partners has enabled him to provide powerful support to schools in integrating First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education, Environmental Education, and Outdoor Experiential Education.
Linda Cvetanovic, blogger extraordinaire with Tourism Burlington was recognized
Tourism Burlington – Media / Blogger
Tourism Burlington consistently supports Conservation Halton’s recreational, educational, and environmental initiatives on their online account. They furiously share tweets about events at Halton Parks, like Maple Town or Endangered Species Weekend. By doing so, Tourism Burlington captivates the online community in regard to outdoor education and our environmental efforts. Not only does Tourism Burlington engage with Conservation Halton, but they also collaborate with other groups to promote and educate others about nature in Burlington. With over 8,000 followers on Twitter, Tourism Burlington is an industry leader in Tourism for online media.
Tourism Burlington tweets and retweets Conservation Halton’s content whether it is a blog about a baby barn owl, or a Facebook link about Endangered Species Weekend at Mountsberg.
Kirsten Phillip, Mountsberg Raptor Centre – Parks Volunteer
Kirsten volunteers at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre every Friday. She is always pleasant and excited to be at Mountsberg and is a joy for the staff to work with. She happily does whatever task is asked of her and has become a master at cleaning the flight cages. Staff don’t quite know how she does it, but Kirsten gets the Turkey Vulture flight cleaner than anyone – even the staff.
When asked to do a spring cleaning on a Wildlife Walkway pen, she remarked at the end of the day that it was her most fun day yet of volunteering! Kirsten has gone above and beyond the duties of a regular volunteer.
On her own time and with her own resources, she developed two matching card games to be used by visitors at the park and these games will be incorporated into the summer Raptor Camp activities this year. She has also started to join Mountsberg staff on offsite presentations and is a great representative of Conservation Halton both offsite and at the park. All of the Raptor Centre staff looks forward to Fridays, when they get to share their day with Kirsten.
Chuck Sweet – Parks Volunteer
During the winter months Chuck is a volunteer patroller at Glen Eden and during the summer months Chuck is a volunteer trail ambassador at Kelso.
Chuck performs at least 140 hours of volunteering per winter helping injured skiers and snowboarders. He is an inspiration to many of our volunteer patrollers through his attendance, commitment, and dedication.
Chuck is an exceptional communicator as a trail ambassador in regards to safety and offering direction. Chuck was seriously injured while on duty as a ski patroller during the 2013-14 season. He returned this season and fulfilled his responsibilities well beyond our expectations. His peers nominated Chuck as Patroller of the year at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Andrew and Marites Lee – Stewardship
Andrew and Marites were two stand-out participants of Conservation Halton’s 2014 Healthy Neighbourshed homeowner workshop program. At each week’s session, they were eager to learn and were inspired and motivated to implement a low impact landscaping project on their property.
Not only did they add to the community of the workshop series by asking questions and discussing topics with fellow participants, they took the projects they learned about home. Andrew and Marites completely revamped their backyard to incorporate low impact development principles. These include: a permeable walkway, native plants and a rain barrel.
Their efforts and enthusiasm are not only helping divert our watershed’s urban run-off, they are acting as environmental stewards to their children and their community by showing what can be done on a homeowner’s property can be both beautiful and environmentally friendly. Andrew and Marites have also demonstrated that even if you live in a suburban subdivision, you still can have a positive impact on your local environment.
David Hulsman of the Field and Stream Rescue
Jeff Stock – Field and Stream Rescuer
Field and Stream Rescue Team – Stewardship
The Field and Stream Rescue Team is a not for profit group that works in Hamilton and Halton. They are 100 per cent volunteer based with a board of eight members and a project planning team of about the same. Their mission is to “Revitalize urban areas by restoring and rehabilitating watercourses, forests and natural areas through community education and hands on activities.”
They accomplish their mission by leading 15 to 20 volunteer workdays per year. Workdays include a variety of projects types such as invasive plant management, garbage cleanups and tree, shrub and wildflower plantings.
A niche that they have filled in Conservation Halton’s area is to clean up the nearly impossible. They rig up a system of pullies and cart garbage out of deep forested ravines that has likely been there for fifty plus years. One of their greatest achievements of late was a two day cleanup of an old dumping site in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Tires, fridge, freezer and more were hauled out of the Bronte Creek floodplain and up a 150 foot ravine.
Keith Bird – Ralph Sherwood Honour Roll Award
Keith Bird recently served as Vice Chair of Conservation Halton and was a member of the Conservation Halton Foundation Board from 2011 to 2015. Keith served 37 years on the Conservation Halton Board, serving since 1974, except for two years when he was on the Conservation Halton Foundation Board.
During Keith’s time, the Foundation completed the Mountsberg Shrike Project breeding facility, the Deer Clan longhouse which was constructed at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, and the Foundation provided ongoing support for the Halton Children’s Water Festival and the Halton Forest Festival.
During Keith’s yeas on the Conservation Halton board there were a number of improvements at the conservation areas highlighted by the opening of the Crawford Lake Iroquoian Village and the building of the Kelly New Pavilion at Mountsberg. In addition there have been upgrades at Glen Eden to the chairlifts and snowmaking and a new pedestrian bridge built over the railway tracks to accommodate the growing demand. Another park improvement during Keith’s time was the opening of the Brock Harris Lookout at Mount Nemo.
Proudly displayed on the gate of rural homes – some in urban areas as well.
Halton Watershed Stewardship (HWSP) Program Award Recipients
The Halton Watershed Stewardship Program award recipients are members of a group of more than 310 landowners voluntarily protecting over 12,800 acres of land, which includes over 7,800 acres of natural land, and over 160 kilometres of stream. It is important to remember that by simply enjoying these natural heritage features as they are, and conserving them for future generations, Watershed Stewards are making a significant contribution to the health of the environment, which leads to a healthy society.
Each year Watershed Stewardship Technicians assist landowners who are looking for advice and recommendations regarding activities they can undertake to restore woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and streams. The following landowners were recognized at this year’s award as Watershed Stewards:
• Alba DiCenso and Brian Hutchison in the Bronte Creek Watershed
• The City of Hamilton for Courtcliffe Park in the Bronte Creek Watershed
• Wayne Terryberry, who is the first recipient of the new Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System dedicated Stewardship award
These Streams of Dreams are hand painted by students and affixed to school yard fences – a graphic and fun way to teach young students about the environment.
Stream of Dreams 2015
The mission of the Stream of Dreams Program is to educate communities about their watersheds, rivers and streams, while dazzling them with the charm of community art. Since its launch in 2006, Conservation Halton staff has delivered the program to 32,422 participants at 83 schools, as well as many community events, installing these magnificent murals across the watershed.
The teachers and parent volunteers at the participating Stream of Dreams schools put countless hours of work into each project to prepare their fish to be painted by the children and then install their murals on a fence at the school. Conservation Halton staff deliver the program with the message of protecting the fish and other wildlife who live in our community streams. The following schools participated over the past year:
• Balaclava, Freelton
• Bruce T. Lindley, Burlington
• Glenburnie, Oakville
• Hawthorne Village, Milton
• Our Lady of Fatima, Milton
• Palermo, Oakville
• Pilgrim Wood, Oakville
• Pine Grove, Oakville
• P.L. Robertson, Milton
• St. Mildred’s Lightbourn, Oakville
Vince Fiorito teaches and instructs people in the arcane science of information technology. He knows all about Virtual Private Networks; how to set them up and how to keep them both running and safe from the cyber bandits.
He has been around information technology since its inception and while he hasn’t invented anything or become ridiculously rich he is content with what he is able to earn.
The Halton Hamilton Watershed Protection group and Conservation Authority issues these placards – they are prized possessions in the rural part of the region.
The passion for Fiorito is the environment – and here he has become an absolute bulldog. Fiorito will see a lush green lawn and know that it was treated with some chemical that is polluting the creeks and streams that run through Burlington and into the lake – our water supply. That makes the hair on the back of his neck bristle.
When Fiorito and his wife went looking for a home in Burlington he knew that he wanted a ravine property; it was his wife who found what they were looking for. His back yard is a slope that is landscaped with stones – not as much as a blade of grass to cut but a clear view directly into the flow of Sheldon Creek that runs from the watershed in the Escarpment through the city and into Lake Ontario.
This hunk of metal has obviously been in the creek since before the development surrounding the creek was constructed. A farmer or the developer that bought the farmland just left it; does the city not inspect the land at all during the construction phase. Getting it out is going to be a challenge.
Sheldon Creek is Vince Fiorito country – he has a sign into his back yard that declares he is the Friend of Sheldon Creek. His reputation has spread throughout the city. During one of his Inspire speeches Mayor Goldring was taking questions from the audience – Vince was on his feet and asking the Mayor what his position was on the cleaning of the creeks. Goldring recognized the name and said “you’re the guy that cleans the Sheldon Creek” – not bad in terms of recognition.
Fiorito has walked every foot of the creek from Upper Middle Road to the Lake – during the summer he expects to trace the path of the creek from Upper Middle Road to its headwaters in the Escarpment
During a delegation before a city Standing Committee Fiorito upbraided council for not keeping the creeks cleaner – pointing out that they were city property.
Councillor Craven took exception to that comment and said it wasn’t city property but the property of people whose property who bordered on the flood plain. Staff corrected the Council member – it was for the most part city property they said; the decent thing to do would have been for Craven to apologize to Fiorito and listen to what the man had to say but that isn’t the currency Craven deals in.
Fiorito can recite chapter and verse on how many tonnes of garbage have been removed from Sheldon Creek and had the photographic evidence to back up his point.
Not toxic but not the kind of thing you want adventurous boys coming across when they play in the creeks.
When Fiorito came across the two 40 gallon barrels and the cans of chemicals in Sheldon Creek his first instinct was to inform the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Easier said than done. There was no phone number; there was a form he could complete and did.
Fiorito didn’t understand why he couldn’t send a GPS marker to the Ministry so they would know exactly where to look.
The back up here is due to a fallen tree – there is no one culling the forestry – the result is small damn that get created and catch everything flowing through the creek.
There is more work to be done on the Sheldon Creek and while Fiorito gets quite cranked up about the environmental mess and isn’t the least bit shy about warning neighbours about the potential harm – the truth is Sheldon Creek is a mess and it is city property and while it will cost a pretty penny to clean it up from top to bottom there is the potential for flooding and the backing up of the spring runs offs – and there might be some junk in there that could be dangerous.
Burlington has 10 creeks that flow through the city and into the lake. They are for the most part abandoned with no one paying much in the way of attention to them. The city got a very rude awakening when the August 4th flood hit the city last summer. The practice before the flood was not to do all that much to the creeks; the natural approach, just leave everything that falls into the creek bed wherever it falls, was both cheaper and though to be environmentally sound.
That 191 mm of rain in a single day resulted in water roaring down those creeks and that harmless tree stump became a battering ram that lifted large pieces of concrete on New Street.
It was a backed up creek that brought the flood water over this bridge
Creeks got plugged and water began flowing into the streets and basements were flooded – the wonder is that some lawyer in town didn’t see the potential for a class action law suit and go after the city for tens of thousands in claims arguing that the city was negligent – which it has been.
Last week Conservation Halton held its annual awards night in Milton where it recognized those who had made significant contributions to the preservation of the environment
After the flooding brought on by Hurricane Hazel in 1954 that resulted in more than 90 deaths, flood control in Ontario and Canada as a whole became a more important issue.
Fiorito has nothing but positive words for the work BurlingtonGreen does each year when it spends the best part of a Saturday organizing thousands of people to help clean up the trash in the city – but makes this observation:
We have thousands of people helping clean up but we appear to have thousands who are littering our creeks – hundreds of vehicle tires have been pulled out the creek and they didn’t just fall of a passing car.
Vince Firoito thinks there might be some scrap metal revenue in the creeks – is is salvageable? Part of his mission is to clean the creeks and keep them clean.
Fiorito has a mission: he is the Friend of Sheldon Creek – now wants every creek in the city to have a friend and people who will serve as stewards of the creeks to oversee their environmental health.
In the fullness of time Fiorito hopes that the stewards of the city’s creeks will begin to have some influence on the city’s elected council and encourage them to put some resources into rehabilitating the creeks.
In some city’s the ravines are quiet laces for people to walk and just enjoy being outside. Burlington has been spoiled – most people are just vaguely aware that there are all those creeks running through the city. Vince Fiorito is setting out to change that perception.
Marshal McLuhan said, “We shape the tool, then the tool shapes us”. Don’t agree? If you’re reading this, an online newspaper, the very action of reading stuff online has, in fact, transformed you.
This is a piece about how choices of designers’ tools have shaped not only the practice of design, but more importantly how the results may shape our city.
Burlington’s had its share of great plans but executing these plans may be why Burlington is a place where NIMBY is king and why Burlington as a city has never lived up to its potential. Perhaps with a better set of tools, designers can help citizens and politicians awaken Burlington to its potential.
As a designer, I’ve a fascination how the tools of the trade have changed the approach to our work and how these changes have modified our designs. Technological change is often at the heart of transformation; think of it this way: before movies, no movie stars, before Video Games, no 3D animators. Similarly, in architectural design, before Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD or CAD) the architect’s world was a very different place than it is today. A place where changes to a project, even in conceptual design were difficult to implement due in part because a huge commitment of resources was required to produce a building project’s design as everything was drawn by hand.
How much “cut and paste” was there to this design? Citizens who saw early drawings complained that there wasn’t much creativity to the project. Not very livable was another comment.
Why should we care? The development industry may be the impetus behind any building project, but the work of the urban planners, architects and other designers’ shape these projects. The city and its residents live with the results of their work. When tools allow a design firm to simply Copy and Paste a developer’s requests, a resulting project perhaps technically sound, is likely more of a commodity than handsome design. The city is poorer for this kind of design.
Intensification, for example, gets a bad reputation if produced as the result of a Copy and Paste process rather than employing more innovative design. As a city we need to demand better from our development community and the designers engaged. But good design takes time; and time is money so to better manage the process effectively, perhaps design firms need better tools.
Twenty-five years ago, most architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, and urban planners’ tool sets had not changed a great deal in a hundred years. Paper, pencils, ink and blueprints were still the stock-in-trade for most professionals. In part because the design of anything is very labour intensive with much proprietary information; plans tend to be closely guarded secrets between client and design firm. Even when these plans are for projects to be executed on behalf of the public. The process now is generally better, but improvements to the process need to be made.
Before electronic digital design tools were available everything was drawn by hand – and changes were minimal which meant less creativity.
Change may be coming if some of the architects and urban planners I spoke to recently have anything to say about the issue. I joined about 300 designers from many disciplines from around the world to talk shop about the tool they use to change their part of the world at the Vectorworks Design Summit in Philadelphia. (https://www.vectorworks.net/design-summit) Noted Landscape Architect and urban planner Adrian McGregor (https://is.gd/S6Dq0h ) of Sidney Australia claimed “Cities are the greatest cultural achievement of human kind”.
A pretty bold statement, especially when we look at the kind of car-centric city and region we live in. McGregor went on to qualify his statement by saying in executing city design and construction “… we’ve forgotten what was important to the foundations of cities”. Could this be due, in part to the technology used by designers? I would argue yes.
Vectorworks CAD software users are an interesting, and eclectic group of professional designers from a number of disciplines. Half a million very loyal users and 30 years later founder and Chairman Mr. Richard Diehl told me at lunch the other day, part of his inspiration in developing CAD software came in a university class. A professor wrote a formula on the blackboard and said to the class “you can make money and found a company with this algorithm”. Rich quickly wrote down that algorithm! Thirty years ago CAD on a Mac was a breakthrough; at the time CAD systems took up entire rooms and were only available to NASA, Boeing, GM or SNC/Lavalin. Products like Vectorworks (then called MiniCAD) and AutoCad have transformed the design industry as firms could produce and store documents required for building anything, in a mechanized way, even in very small practices. This had profound implications for design companies, as armies of people at drafting boards were no longer required to complete a project.
The Vectorworks CEO Sean Flaherty demands his company focus on a desire “to change the design process”. Vectorworks according to Flaherty has “never fit neatly into a slot” and he told me candidly the “why of the company” is rooted in asking, “what are the needs of designers” who use this tool. Somewhat refreshing to hear a CEO not hammer on some marketers’ tag line or so called mission statement. Mr. Flaherty seems genuinely committed not just to his company, but to the needs of the design community and wants Vectorworks to assist the Design community in addressing many challenges we face as a society.
The software available to day can be used to create images of project sites that give the public a view of what is planned and ideally give them an opportunity to comment.
Mr. Flaherty’s passion seemed evident when he said “.. we are currently teaching our kids that architecture is now a luxury good” and that this is “a trend I fear for the whole built world”. In an effort to move away from this trend of making design just for the 1% Flaherty, who thinks, “design really matters” wants to ensure “Vectorworks goal is usability and simplicity”.
Usability and simplicity are goals everyone wants but achieving it’s a difficult process. Sean Flaherty told me his company’s approach is “not to focus on technology but on the users goals” and that “moving data around is not the problem”. ” Telling the customer: You’re doing it wrong! ” is something his engineers need to avoid, and rather the user needs to be “an active participant” where the process of evolving software “needs to be a conversation, not to limit a designer’s choices, but rather you (the user) should be able to choose your own tool and mix and match to get desired result”.
Realistic renderings of proposed building developments lets a public see what a building is going to look like.
In the old days of pencil and paper world, designers used many tools to achieve their desired effect, and the tension to be told to do something one way tends to irk a creative mind. Many CAD software products limit user’s choices on how to produce construction documents. Sean Flaherty suggests with Vectorworks a “multi discipline approach” to architectural design “could change the way architecture is practiced”.
While there are dozens of pieces of CAD software in the world and designers have been using them for years now. If Vectorworks, as a tool, has at its core an interface and a structure more collaborative this may open the door to a more collaborative city building process. Time will tell.
The software available today allows designers to provide a very large scale view of the expected result. It also allows all the contractors involved in the construction to interact with the various levels of the software.
What is about to have the most transformative change to CAD, and in turn to city building is something called Building Information Modeling, or BIM. Much of this conference was devoted to the future of BIM, how it works, and how to collaborate with other disciplines using Vectorworks.
So what is BIM? Dr. Biplab Sakar, chief technology officer of Nemetschek Vectorworks told me “BIM is not a piece of software or a thing, but a process”. This process allows all experts who contribute drawings and specification to a building project to share these components back and forth. Most significantly BIM also allows for each component to be shared as a 3D object.
Building Information Management allows designers to drill down to a specific part a part of a large building – the pipes that will carry water and electrical conduit and steam for heating for example to be looked at closely when they want that level of detail.
Think of BIM as the rules of a giant LEGO set on a computer where each consultant sends the Architect his or her pieces of LEGO. BIM would be the rules allowing all pieces conform to so regardless of shape size colour or use the parts will work with other pieces of LEGO. BIM allows pipes, beams, shafts, walls doors or windows from, whatever software, to be shared.
Had Building Information Management software been used on the construction of the pier would we have had a different, less expensive pier?
In a BIM model a building is constructed as a 3D model on a computer so potential conflicts are resolved in planning stages rather than on a construction site. One has to wonder if Vectorworks and BIM might have ensured the Burlington Pier might have been built in less time, with fewer mistakes and in a more cost effective manner.
BIM has potential not just for building science, but also for large development projects to improve community engagement at the start of a project, and further improve communication of the designer’s intention of a project with the community.
The tools we use can and usually does determine a large part of the quality of the project that is being built.
By Staff
Symphony on the Bay has been performing in Burlington for the past 4 years at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.(www.symphonyonthebay.com)
The police are No. We are asking the public to take an active part in helping make your community safer. Neighbourhood Watch was a recognized crime prevention initiative many years ago; police asked neighbours to look out for neighbours. This is the technological extension of that.
The union maintains that they were not aware that union members were being treated differently – it wasn’t until they began getting complaints from union members over 65 that the problem came to their attention.
These performances will take place on a particular night to introduce these artists to our patrons and a wider audience.
