 By Staff
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Identity theft operators are at it 24/7. They just churn out phony email messages and send them to lists of names that they buy For pennies apiece or use names they have hacked from some insecure web site or server.
And how many insecure web sites are there out there? Listen to this:
The July 14, 2015, deadline for which Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2003 is final and will not be extended. And with fewer than 100 days to go, the software vendor is intensifying its efforts to encourage to move to its latest version of the platform, Windows Server 2012 R2.
 Gartner, a respected services consulting company reckons there are eight million Windows Server 2003 OS instances in operation. Others reckons that of those instances, a full 20 per cent – 1.6 million – will blow past the 14 July end-of-support date.
What happens six months from now, on 14 July? That’s the date Microsoft issues its last security fix ever for Window Server 2003 – the end of extended support from the server operating system’s maker.
That means any new hacks built or vulnerabilities discovered in Windows Server 2003 and those running the legacy server OS will be facing them on their own.
It’s a problem if your server systems hold data of any kind – which they will – and could be accessed directly or indirectly from the internet.
Server systems are generally thought isolated from external attackers, but last year’s attack on Sony Pictures put an end to that illusion.
 For a company that might be using this security service it would seem like a reasonable request – but the receiver of this email didn’t use the service. For those stealing data – all they have to do is catch one person who doesn’t realize it is a false request. The following came across our computer screen. First we are not an ADP Security clients – and if you look closely at the email address they claim to have sent from it isn’t difficult to spot the error.
A bookkeeper who is handling your payables might not catch this kind of thing – drill into them the need to be careful and cautious – the down side when these identity thieves get a grip on your web site are very expensive.
 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir has been a consistent critique of many city council decisions and an advocate for his community – Aldershot.
Greg Woodruff, a generation or two behind Muir, has also been a critic and an advocate for Aldershot.
 Both had comments on some of the ideas that were floated by the Planning department at a recent community meeting in the community.
The proposed revision” revision said Muir in a note to one of the city planners, “has long been, historically, one of the biggest fears of Aldershot people – policy and wording revisions that can lead to wholesale block-busting and creeping destruction of a prime section of Aldershot character, heritage and history.
While this is technical, Muir sites a section of the Official Plan policy:
Part III. 2.2.3. h) Notwithstanding the policies of Part III, Subsection 2.2.2 d) of this Plan, the lands designated “Residential Medium Density” on the south side of Plains Road, between Cooke Boulevard and Filmandale Road, shall be subject to site-specific zoning regulations designed to protect the existing character of this portion of Plains Road and provide compatibility with the abutting neighbourhood to the south. Any exterior alteration or addition to the property shall maintain the residential appearance and character of the property.
 Recently completed retirement home improves the look of the intersection but brings nothing to the community in terms of a place to go – no public amenities “Changing this wording, and supporting zoning bylaws, so as to remove the requirements for site-specific zoning requirements – “shall” – to protect the existing character, provide compatibility with the abutting neighborhood to the south, and maintain the residential appearance and character of the property, is a sure recipe for just such a future. This is what a majority Aldershot residents have consistently expressed objections to. I live on Townsend Ave., immediately south of these lands.
“If these protections were desirable, warranted, and defensible in the present OP” asks Muir, “then what has changed that makes such protections not so in the present. These lands are certainly not realistically needed to meet any other superseding goals that I can think of. All I can see is that such revisions reward speculation and profiteering.”
“Such wholesale changes I cannot support. Notwithstanding that not all of the properties are equal, how does one choose which to protect and will that be defensible, among many judgemental factors? This is a very slippery slope.
“I think that in short order, given other redevelopments that are already underway on Plains Rd in general, this is exactly what appears will happen following such revisions. I already see signs of this, such as development/real estate companies speculating in properties in the subject section. I don’t want to see a replication of that recent redevelopment form in the subject area.
 Planters along Plains Road have given what used to be a provincial highway a much more suburban look. Hasn’t slowed traffic down enough for most people – except for those who drive through the community. “It will destroy what is left of the low density residential, with some employment or commercial uses mixed in, and with green spaces and mostly attractive streetscapes. It will be replaced by concrete, brick and asphalt right to the street.
This is not an Aldershot Village Vision, but rather a Nightmare looming. This seems to me a critical juncture in the process.
Greg Woodruff, who ran against Gary Carr for the office of Regional Chair – more to have a platform that to win the office asks the politicians to “Stop saving the greenbelt and start saving us.”
Woodruff says he is “in favour of development and smart growth – that is not what is under way in Burlington. We are embarked in the stupidest type of growth seen yet. Let’s review the last several years in Aldershot.
Does the street look slightly nicer with newer buildings – yes.
Trees – less.
Businesses that are open at 7:00 pm – less.
Places for people to work and shop – less.
Dependency on cars – more.
Congestion – more.
 Councillor Craven described the sign that was set up at the western end of his ward as “beautiful”. The result is a kind of “bimbo” street that looks slightly nicer, but is devoid of actual value to residents. This trend is growing and accelerating across Burlington.
In the past developers chewed up cheap farmland and converted it into housing. Now that farm land is off limits they are just doing the same with commercial space. The city has just identified areas that can be redeveloped at the most profit – not areas where intensification makes any sense.
Previously the suburbs spread everything out and made the car king. Now we are moving to large swaths of apartment blocks completely devoid of any local services and placed around roads that were never designed to service so many. This is a far worse situation.
 Greg Woodruff describes much of the development as giving a “kind of “bimbo” look – slightly nicer, but devoid of actual value to residents. This trend is growing and accelerating across Burlington. City planners seem to have settled on religious devotion to a single formula imposed by their provincial masters; more density is better. Seemingly now freed from servicing the wishes of actual residents and backed up with “saving the green belt”; the agenda is to slow boil residents like frogs in water.
Chipping away local greenery tree by tree. Blocking out the sun building by building. Increasing congestion day by day. This is the only future offered to existing residents – endless and perpetual construction, greying and densification. Welcome to the intensification zone.
A better end game is to end up with a much greener and localized city than we started with; that is the point of density. We want larger parks, more restaurants and things to walk to – you can’t make things greener by chopping down trees or get more businesses by putting houses where stores were. Yet that seems what city planners are pitching.
Population density doesn’t solve problems in your community if your community is merrily downgraded into endless apartment blocks. Sorry “Saving the green belt” cannot justify ever worsening living conditions for the rest of us.
Here is how we start turning the current direction around. “Smart growth” is when the increased density brings amenities into the community for the benefit of all – including existing residents.
1) Modify the zoning rules so that when redevelopment occurs the zoning stipulates that amenities come in with the development. In most areas this means high quality commercial space. 45% maximum lot coverage, 45% high quality parking, 10% green. Must have commercial venting and transport truck accesses.
2) A percentage of development fees must go into a fund for new park land – local to the area of development. This will enforce localized services and new localized greenery as redevelopment occurs.
 The only way to secure the “green belt” is to make sure that most people would prefer to live inside the “intensification zone”. This requires a focus on improving the liveability of the areas under intensification. Every development which brings in people without an obvious improvement to the community is negative.
“Dispense will the endless rationalizations presented by the city” suggests Woodruff. “If a development results in less trees, less shops, more people and more congestion – then the city is developing your area into a grey high density mess.”
The Planning department is in the process of testing ideas and listening to the residents in different communities. The Mayor is gearing up for a talk on intensification – his stab at helping people understand what is taking place.
If what Muir and Woodruff have to say is any indication on how the intensification debate is going to go – we are in for some feisty debate.
Neither of these man could be referred to as uninformed slouches.
 By Pepper Parr
April 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Ronnie is having quite a run.
Things began to heat up for Ron Foxcroft when he got a call from the Mayor asking him to head up the fund raising that had to be done for the August 2014 flood victims
 Then there was the tragic murder of Cpl Nathan Cirillo in front of the national war memorial in Ottawa in October.
 Seldom at a loss for words – Foxcroft can be more pensive and thoughtful than expected. While supporting the troops in the regiment Foxcroft was also stick handling the problem the city was having with the reluctance the province was showing on coming through with an ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program) for the city to aid the flood victims.
Burlington had done everything it was required to do – but the province was reluctant to announce a program for the city – they had actually decided not to offer a program: – that’s when Foxcroft and others began to work the phones.
 We’re #1 – don’t forget that. The province eventually found a way to create an ODRAP program for Burlington – funds from that program have already begun to work their way into the hands of people whose homes were flooded.
Foxcroft headed up a campaign that raised just under $1 million in 100 days. There isn’t a bank in the country that didn’t experience the squeeze – well there was one – but let’s not embarrass them.
Then the media began to take a new interest in Foxcroft and his now world famous whistle. He made the New York Times as well as a decent feature on CBC.
 On top of every possible market niche – the Foxcroft whistle is fashion conscious as well – pink whistles. Foxcroft got to tell how many country he exports his famous whistle to – 140. He got to tell that his product is made in Canada and that he has expanded from being the Official whistle for several sports and has expanded his product line to include the outdoor market and personal safety.
What does a high school dropout do after that?
How about having tea with the Queen?
Foxcroft and his wife will be presented to Queen Elizabeth next May at a Buckingham Palace event.
 The Foxcroft look – there are thousands of basketball players who will tell you just what it means. Foxcroft is the Honorary Colonel of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, the Regiment Nathan Cirello belonged to when he was standing guard duty at the War Memorial in Ottawa.
Turns out the Queen is the Honorary Commanding Officer of the Regiment. Foxcroft will meet with the Queen to accept her official condolences on the death of a member of the Regiment.
The communication between the Foxcroft household and the officials at Buckingham Palace is, in Foxcroft’s words, – “different”.
Foxcroft deals with the Queen’s equiry – Foxcroft didn’t know what that meant – he will understand fully when he meets the man.
Before he can fly to London Foxcroft has to complete the work he does with the NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association. A former basketball referee, Foxcroft now serves as an advisor and prepares post game reports on how well the referees do their job. Foxcroft has been following the NCAA March Madness Final 4 – he gets to watch every game and prepares a report on how well the referees did. He calls this a job – which does on occasion keep him away from home. He missed spending Easter with his family.
 Somewhere in that building Ron Foxcroft is settling in to take notes on referee performance during the game Monday night he was preparing to oversee the Wisconsin Badgers play the Duke Blue Devils in Indianapolis – then the long drive home, probably memorizing what he will say to the Queen.
The man who is seldom at a loss for words might just pause as he is introduced to the Queen.
By Staff
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It isn’t the kind of graphic you can miss.
We wanted it big and bright to draw your attention to the Gazette’s newest reader feature.
 While the words What’s On! aren’t unique – the concept was to create a place where whatever is going on in this city is posted.
In a recent survey we asked readers what else they wanted to see – more than 87% of the respondents said they wanted more information on what is happening in the city.
Our editorial staff will be putting in some of the information – anyone else can also add an event.
The feature is moderated – which means we see whatever is suggested and moderate it to ensure that it is “appropriate” and that the information is correct.
It will take a bit of time for people to get used to the feature and to follow the steps needed to complete an entry.
The feature will be useful for people who want to plan an event in the future but don’t want to conflict with some other event. All they have to do is scroll forward and see if there is a conflict.
There are some 400 events in the list – not all have been posted yet.
While this is a free service it is not meant for commercial operations too abuse.
In the very near future you will see information that is sponsored – which gives advertisers an opportunity to support an organization that is commercial in nature.
Services like this work if people comment on what is and what isn’t working. Please – comment and don’t be shy. We dish it out – we can take it.
Just don’t sue us – OK!
 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Our interview with Dave McPhail took a little longer than we expected – McPhail was hunched over his keyboard “developing his relationship” with Cisco in a conference call.
 Dave McPhail walking past some of his commercial peers as he prepares to show off the technology his firm markets. Throughout the conversation phrases like “tribal knowledge” and “the “embedded data dictionary” were tossed around. McPhail talked about “product aggregation” and how he was taking data and information from the shop floor and putting it in front of senior management in real time – when there was a problem, management knew about the problem when it was happening.
Instead of the engineering department in a large manufacturing operation having to wait until reports that got to them the following day or at the end of the shift – they were now able to head out to the shop floor and fix the problem immediately.
Memex, a company that McPhail bought out of receivership and brought in John Rattray as an operating partner along with two silent partners who have since been bought out. They set out to first create a product that didn’t exist before and then market it by establishing partnerships with corporations that had clout and brand recognition which would give Memex a lead that would be hard to catch up to.
Memex isn’t disrupting an existing market – they are creating something that didn’t exist before
McPhail isn’t giving his clients all that much in the way product – what he is doing is giving them tools that allow them to capture data in real time and put it to use immediately.
This says McPhail is a significant cultural shift in manufacturing. McPhail claims to be able to give his clients a return on capital in three to four months – a time frame that astounds many and they don’t take the time to listen to us. The hope for McPhail and the rest of the Memex team is that there are enough early adopters to keep them alive. At some point we will become the standard.
McPhail doesn’t have an MBA, isn’t a university graduate. He earned a diploma from Humber College and set out to do what every entrepreneur does – create wealth.
 Memmex president Dave McPhail explains what Merlin, an electronic device can do for manufacturing operations. The Gazette first met McPhail when he was playing host to MP Mike Wallace who was announcing an $800,000 loan to the company as part of the federal government program.
Memex is a public company traded on the Venture side of the Toronto stock Exchange. Senior management recently issued 1.25 million options to its five member senior management team.
The company refers to the M2M (machine to machine) productivity software they provide as Merlin; it is used by a number of leading manufacturers. The market we are creating is worldwide said McPhail
One of the pleasures for McPhail is the McMaster University DeGroote campus on the south Service Road – a five minute drive from McPhail’s operation on Harvester Road. The plans to create a technological hub on campus where products can be shown to clients is a real plus for McPhail.
We have all kinds of case studies but when someone can see in real time what we do – that’s a big plus and if McMaster can make this idea of theirs work – we are with them.
Memmex announced half a million in sales during the first quarter of 2015 – they have a stock price that ranges between five to twenty cents a share – always well above a dime a share.
 Dave McPhail with a version of Merlin in his hands – the device that captures data real time and delivers it to senior management who can make instant decisions. Memex was founded in 1992 with a vision to improve the way automated machine tools work and connect on the factory floor. McPhail bought it out of receivership and has brought it to the point where they are at least contenders in the market they are working.
The company started manufacturing electronic circuit boards for memory and connectivity and evolved into Memex Automation. The vision has expanded to include the networking of all machine tools so that they can communicate with the computers in the administration office. At some point the network may be extended to the Internet, allowing productivity and other statistics to be emailed to a device, or computer anywhere in the world.
 Getting to the point where they can issues stock options to the senior management team was not easy. McPhail gives the Niagara One Angel Investors group a huge thanks for their early support and tells you what every entrepreneur says: Canadians don’t take out their cheque books as easily as Americans – we are a risk adverse country and McPhail thinks we are paying a price for our complacency.
Meanwhile McPhail plugs away at what he loves doing – improving the way manufacturing operations can access and use the data that is sitting out there on the shop floor and put in the hands of people who know what to do with that information.
Machine learning: taking the data that is collected from a machine and running it through an algorithm is the next step in the manufacturing learning curve that McPhail sees as part of the Memex product service offering.
The federal loan is going to allow Memex to hire an additional 16 people. We have very good working relationships with Mohawk College and the University of Waterloo – we bring in students from their co-op program said McPhail – most of them work out very well.
85% of the market Memex is outside Canadian borders – and not just south of the border – this is a worldwide manufacturing opportunity. We intend to own the market before others realize just what we are doing” said McPhail. The words of a committed serial entrepreneur.
By Pepper Parr
April 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It will not be a quiet meeting.
City planners will be showing the public what they think a Beachway Park should look like on Tuesday evening at the Art Gallery of Burlington – 6:30 pm
The showing of the plans that will make the Beachway much more of a park than it is now is the result of a decision to create a park and buy up the 25+ homes in the community on a willing seller – willing buyer basis.
 A Regional Comprehensive Report identified two clusters of homes in the Beachway Park – some want everyone of them bull-dozed into the ground and make available for parking spaces. The problem with that approach is that there is just the one buyer and many sellers that are not in the least willing. Most of those who own property in the Beachway don’t want to sell – they see the location as a great place to live and would like to see additional housing built on the lots that are currently vacant.
There are several owners that hold property and have been described as speculators by the ward council member.
Burlington has some remarkably talented landscape planners who are sensitive to geography and the needs of a public. They are well trained and good at what they do. The City View Park on Dundas at Kerns Road is the most recent example of very good work.
What landscape planners can’t deal with is the politics of the development of a park – but the planners have been dumped right into one of the hottest political issues in the city.
 Sold to the Region for well in excess of $600,000 – with the right to rent for two years. One of the owners was a Regional employee – no pressure though. While the Region and its agents quietly work away on the existing owners – dangling tempting offers in front of them: the most recent sale was for a handsome price and the opportunity to rent for two years, the city planners have to figure out how to create a park with those 25 homes.
The Region recently sent a “package” to each of the homeowners and followed up with phone calls to make appointments to talk about a homeowners “options”.
One of the couple that owned a house recently sold was a Regional employee – you can imagine how those conversations went.
Will the homes be there forever? Probably not.
 How does a landscape planner create a park without knowing how many of the 30 homes are going to be in place. Many of the homeowners do not want to sell to anyone. Regional government has planned individual meetings with all the property owners. How then does a landscape planner design around the homes and respect the privacy of the homeowners? And what does the plan that has no homes on it look like – because there has to be such a plan in a file somewhere?
The land that is not privately owned is owned by the Region and managed by the city. When the Region met in 2013 they decided they would not expropriate but would buy up homes when they became available.
That has now changed and the Region has an active campaign of calling on people to have a discussion.
There are those at city hall who want the Region to offer much higher prices if necessary to get possession of the homes or expropriate them.
The people in the Beachway also want to protect and maintain the value of their property. Their justified fear is that they will get out manouvered by the Region who will buy up the homes one at a time and then expropriate the last few.
 An attractive.ell maintained home in the Beachway – what will raising the road as much as a metre do to this property? While hanging in and resisting the offers the residents stand to hang together and lose much of the value of their homes. There are few individuals who will buy a home in that community now – there isn’t a bank or a private mortgage lender who will give a mortgage.
Every other part of Burlington is experiencing property value increases of 5% to 6% annually. Anyone in the Beachway who might have to renew a mortgage is in a very tight spot.
There is a level of unfairness taking place – people are being exploited by their government. The residents aren’t getting much in the way of sympathy from city council and next to nothing from there council member.
This experience is stressing relationships within homes; much anguish and many tears in a number of kitchens in Beachway households.
Much the same happened when the railway line was abandoned and the leased land that homes were built on were ended and all of the houses on the lakeside of the railway tracks were torn down.
 There was a time when there were several hundreds homes on the lakeside of a railway line that ran along the edge of the lake. That community was bulldozed – the cottage shown was torn down in 1994. Change does take place – communities evolve – sometimes peacefully and to the benefit of everyone. That does not appear to be happening this time.
During a recent transit meeting at the Library ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven was approached by a resident who wanted to give him a piece of his mind on the Beachway situation. You are not properly informed said the Council member. Were one to sift through the Councillors Newsletters it is difficult to find a detailed explanation as to just what is happening and how he is supporting his residents who are having their lives turned upside – down.
While the residents of the Beachway wait to see what the city has planned the city engineering department released its plans for a rebuild of Lakeshore Road from the intersection of Maple Avenue and the North Service Road to Lakeshore Road Court.
The road, which is in terrible shape, due in no small measure to the construction of a vastly upgraded water sewage treatment plant, also suffers from serious flooding from time to time.
 The first step to re-developing the Beachway community has been released to the public – Lakeshore Road will be rebuilt from the Maple Avenue, North Service Road intersection to its termination at Lakeshore Court in the west next to the canal. The road will be raised as much as a metre in many places; especially around the part that passes in front of the Joseph Brant Museum and what will be the front of the new hospital that is expected to be ready for the public sometime in 2018.
The reconstruction will be partial – in that it will not go beyond the sewage treatment plant until there is clarification as to just what is going to happen to the houses that are at the western end of Lakeshore Road.
The Tuesday meeting will be the first step in getting that clarification – unless of course the decision has already been made.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The report before the Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee was a summary of the issues that have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed since the last Airpark Update Report to Council on November 20, 2014.
There hadn’t been much progress – but lawyer Ian Blue was in the Council Chamber and there was a notation on the agenda that Council would be going into a CLOSED session – so you knew something was up.
 Properly and collaboratively developed the \Air Park could become an economic jewel – it is currently mired in disputes that are taking up time and chewing up tax dollars for legal fees. With Blue now back in harness a number of things were going to happen. The legal departments spending was going to increase – we don’t know yet how much the city has spent on this file – but we do know how much the city has recovered from the Burlington Air Park Inc., in legal costs. The cit was awarded $40,000 in costs after the Superior court case and an additional $22,000 after the Air Park lost its appeal.
And we know that the city is working through what its next step is going to be. About time too, according to the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) which in a note it sent to Council set out what they felt was not being done.
It would seem, said the RBGC that based on the report released on Friday very little has changed since our last delegation on February 23rd; except that it has now been nine months since your legal victory with still no remediation on site or to neighbouring properties.
The Coalition went on to point out that:
 These people are not drilling for oil – they have sunk a drill to test the make up of the landfill dumped on the property. 1) A highly controversial, and in our opinion woefully inadequate testing program has been approved and carried out. Terrapex has stated that the small number of samples is adequate because the fill is ‘contaminated’. However, all public indications from the Airpark, including a message from the owner on the Airpark website, continue to state that the fill is ‘clean’.
2) Three Burlington citizens continue to spend countless hours and dollars on a defamation suit based on the fact that we’ve quoted the Terrapex reports and called the fill contaminated.
 The Air Park corporation 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. She is also terrified about what the hill is doing to the value of her property and what the leaching out of the landfill is going to do to her well water. 3) There is still no adequate storm water management in place to control spring runoff onto already damaged neighbouring properties.
4) There is still no resolution regarding the Conservation Halton regulated lands.
5) There has been no staff or Council response to our email regarding the new Aeronautics Regulations surrounding a public consultation process for expansion plans (comments due April 8th), nor was this important development mentioned in the current update.
6) The current Airpark report still lists Ward 6 as the only Affected Ward. The Burlington Airpark and its proposed expansion on contaminated fill is a City-wide concern.
When a council committee comes out of a CLOSED session they seldom say anything other than they are no longer CLOSED but now in a public session.
In the Staff report to city council they did advise that:
On November 14, 2014. A submission package was received that included:
A completed Site Alteration Permit Application form; a Proposed Development Concept Plan and grading plans.
A Risk Assessment was also requested by the city and this was not included. As a result, the submission was deemed incomplete. It was understood that the Airpark’s environmental consultant was reviewing the existing site data and preparing a Scope of Work for the additional site investigation work required for the preparation of a Risk Assessment.
 Vince Rossi, president of Burlington Air park Inc., at a meeting with members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition that took place in a barn a couple of hundred yards from the end of his largest runway. A letter was sent to Mr. Rossi on December 17, 2014 requesting the submission of the Scope of Work required for a Risk Assessment by January 9, 2015. The submission was not made by this date.
Subsequently, the Airpark submitted a report entitled “Proposal for Limited Phase II Environmental Site Assessment”, dated January 22, 2015. This report provided Pinchin Environmental’s proposed recommendations for additional site investigation work.
In summary, the recommendations include the proposal for 20 additional boreholes to be spread evenly across the area where fill has been placed on the Airpark property. Two soil samples are to be taken at each borehole location. Of these 20 boreholes, 2 will be utilized as additional ground water monitoring (GWM) wells. These 2 GWM wells are proposed to be located on the west perimeter of the property.
Terrapex Environmental has completed their review of the proposal. The following comments were provided:
Pinchin has proposed 20 additional borehole locations with two samples from each location (various depths) submitted for analysis of a wide range of Contaminants of Concern (COC). This equates to essentially 40 sampling locations which should provide a good data-set for this purpose. It is important to understand that the focus of the “Environmental Site Assessment” (ESA) is NOT to fully characterize the vast amount of material in order to prove that the site is impacted or not. We already know that it is. It is important for stakeholders to understand that the focus of the ESA is to provide a statistically valid data-set on which the modelling for the Risk Assessment can be based.
With respect to the proposed placement of two new monitoring wells for groundwater sampling, Pinchin has proposed two well locations that appear to supplement the western perimeter well network that already exists. While we have no objection to this, we suggest that additional monitoring wells be installed and groundwater analyses be conducted in the interior of the fill areas in order to assess risks of impacts in groundwater which may migrate from the interior of the site to the perimeter (and off-site) in the future.
The city forwarded these comments to the Airpark and requested a response by February 6, 2015. Updated status will be provided at committee on February 9.
The city expects the work schedule to proceed as follows:
Finalized scope of work for additional site investigation work – Feb 2015; Additional site investigation work – March 2015; Phase II ESA and submission of Risk Assessment – April/May 2015.
Given that few if any of the target dates have ever been met – it isn’t difficult to arrive at the conclusion that someone is giving someone a royal run around here.
Getting the Site Alteration Plan from the Air Park (Justice Murphy in his Superior Court decision said the city had the right to demand a site Plan – that decision was upheld on appeal) is not the only Air Park related issues the city is stick handling.
There is the matter of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and the Freedom of Information Request (FOI) Request; there is the Groundwater Monitoring Program and City’s Peer Review; there is the Runway Construction, then there is the Drainage and Siltation Control Measures. Add to that the Region of Halton and the Conservation Halton issues and one is looking at a very full and complex agenda.
The municipal world runs at a pace only it understands but reading that at this point there are “no options being presented for consideration” is both disappointing and frustrating.
The issue for most people is the damage that can be done to the water table if the fill that has been dumped on the Air Park property is “toxic”, as one north Burlington resident has stated: for which she, along with the Gazette are being sued for making public.
The weather is getting warmer, those heavy winter snows are melting; that melting is working its way down through the tonnes of fill and into the water table – if it is toxic – we may get to drink that water at some point. And that is a concern for every citizen in the city.
 Were it not for the strong delegations Vanessa Warren made to both city and Regional Council there would probably be trucks running along Appleby Line with loads of landfill from who knows where with who knows what in the fill. That libel case is working its way through the judicial system. It is at that point where lawyers are haggling over what is going to be permitted at the Discovery stage. The defendants; Vanessa Warren, Monte Dennis and Pepper Parr along with the Burlington Gazette want to know the following
1. Financial statements for plaintiff from 2008 to time of trial,
2. All records relating to any testing, or other evidence of quality, of material used for landfill on Burlington Airpark site (the “Landfill”),
3. All records relating to quantities, sources and/or quality of material used for the Landfill,
4. All records relating to charges and revenue for the Landfill,
5. Any records relating to the management and record-keeping of the Landfill operations,
6. All records relating to the Landfill operations from or to Conservation Halton, Region of Halton or other governmental authorities,
7. All records relating to any inspections, studies or tests conducted on Burlington Airpark site relating to the Landfill operations or their related effects,
8. All test reports and results regarding the effects, if any, of the Landfill on the groundwater, streams, fish, amphibians, reptiles and soil in or near the Burlington Airpark site,
 Monte Dennis – delegating at city council on an Air Park matter. 9. All correspondence from and to members of the community, including political representatives, concerning the Landfill operations, and
10. All communications to the public made by Vince Rossi or anyone else on behalf of Burlington Airpark concerning the Landfill operations.
There are some interesting times ahead – the questions the defendants in the libel case are asking are questions the city is interested in having answered as well.
 Former city manager Jeff Fielding, on the left, giving a lawyer who tried to convince city council that they had no jurisdiction on air park matters gets a bit of a lecture from Fielding while city legal staff on the left look on.
Just under two months ago the Air Park file was on a committee agenda – staff asked that it be moved back to the next cycle of Standing Committee reports so the incoming city manager James Ridge could be fully briefed and take part in the next step planning. Ridge didn’t say very much during the delivery of the report – we hope he is now fully briefed and turns out to be as aggressive as former city manager Jeff Fielding was when he suggested to the Mayor that a delegation explaining the law to Council be dismissed and sent on his way. Council is going to have to be tough on this file – the water table and the citizens of the city are depending on them.
 By Staff
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have made an arrest in the April 3rd robbery at “Conspiracy Comics” on Fairview St. in Burlington.
Last Friday a suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street, and after completing a small purchase, took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot. She was subsequently found and arrested.
Charged with one count of Robbery is:
Mary Margaret ROSS (30 years)
The accused is being held for bail and will be appearing in WASH court on April 5th. WASH stands for Weekends and Statutory Holidays – which means that Ms Moore just might get sprung from the slammer Easter Sunday.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a little complicated but for Russ Weegar it was pretty simple. We paid the taxes, we are entitled to a rebate and we would like that rebate if you don’t mind
 Russ Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm delegating before a Standing Committee. Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm were delegating on behalf of Lighthouse Church International requesting a grant.
Lighthouse is a non-profit, non-denominationalchurch with charitable status that has in the past provided funding to various Burlington community programs (West Plains Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity) as well as pastoral advocacy services to indigenous groups, locally and internationally.
They used to lease space on Fairview Street. Property taxes were included in their rent. They have been leasing their current location since October 1, 2012.
Where a charity leases space in a taxable building, the charity is eligible for a rebate equal to 40% of the taxes paid by the charity. A charity rebate application was submitted in November 2014 for the years 2012 (part year), 2013 and 2014.
And this is where the problems for the Lighthouse Church began. Only the 2014 tax year rebate was processed because they did not get their application for the rebate in on time.
Weegar pointed out that they didn’t even know they were entitled to a charitable rebate.
When the city collects taxes – they don’t get to keep all the money. City hall collects taxes for the Region and for the school boards.
Of each dollar collected in taxes 28.2% goes to the city; they send 24.6 % to the Region and 47.2% to the province on behalf of the school boards.
The city denied the applications for 2012 (part year) and 2013 because they had missed the deadlines – which Weegar continually pointed out they weren’t aware of – had the 2012 and 2013 applications been submitted before the respective deadlines, the rebates would have been shared as follows:
2012 2013 Total
City 605.70 2,476.64 3,082.34
Region 571.09 2,237.16 2,808.25
School Boards 1,095.02 4,312.98 5,408.00
Total $2,271.81 $9,026.78 $11,298.59
Filing deadlines are legislated under the Municipal Act and must be made after January 1 of the year and no later than the last day of February of the following year.
The municipality may accept applications after that deadline if, in the opinion of the municipality, extenuating circumstances justify the applicant being unable to make the application by the deadline.
“Extenuating circumstances” generally means an event that is unusual or beyond the control of the parties. In this case, Lighthouse Church explained that they did not know about the rebate until 2014. Not knowing about a rebate or deadline is not considered an extenuating circumstance.
The Municipal Act does give a municipality with the general power to make grants if Council considers to be in the interests of the municipality.
If council chooses to provide a grant to Lighthouse Church, there is the risk that other charitable and non-profit organizations, which have missed application deadlines, may seek similar funding in the future.
 Rosalie Schwarm – Pastor at the Lighthouse church City Council has made grants to other charitable organizations in the past – The Humane Society had taxes written of – the circumstances were deemed to be extenuating.
There hasn’t been a single grant application since the Humane Society was given a helping hand.
The Lighthouse Church at this point does not have a home. Their congregation of about 85 people has dwindled as a result but they continue to do what they believe they were sent here to do – help people. In the meantime they meet in people’s homes and hold their services.
In the past the church has sent people to Cuba. Yemen, Bulgaria and the Congo.
At one point they had a home in Waterdown where they rented from another church that decided they wanted to sell the property. Lighthouse could not afford to buy it at the time.
When it came to making a decision it took several votes to arrive at a decision that would get sent to the Council meeting on April 20th.
Councillor Meed Ward wanted the city to give Lighthouse a grant for the full amount they were asking for $11, 298.50 That got just three votes – they needed four
Give Lighthouse a portion of their ask including part that is educational and let them go to the Region and ask for a rebate at that level – that too lost
The final vote was to give the church the city portion – $3,082.30 – that passed.
Now that the Lighthouse church people understand the rules – expect them to mount a stronger argument at Council on the 20th.
In the meantime their Easter Sunday service will be in the home of one of the parishioners.
 By Staff
April 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
At about 8:00 pm on Friday evening, a lone female suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street in Burlington.
After completing a small purchase, the suspect took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot.
The employee was not injured.
The police report does not say if the suspect was actually given any money.
Suspect is described as:
Female, white, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’5″-5’6″ with a slender build. She had a stud piercing under her lower lip (labret piercing).
Clothing: grey hooded sweater (hood worn up), light blue jeans, dark touque, black knap sack, dark coloured skater shoes low cut sneakers
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2316, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is the official story:
“Ontario is investing up to $371.3 million to support the construction of a new seven-storey tower at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital and to significantly renovate other areas of the hospital to give patients faster access to the right care.
Through this expansion, patients in Burlington will benefit from:
Space for 172 additional beds in the new tower
Additional beds in the Intensive Care Unit
A modern emergency department and a new main entrance
Expanded diagnostic imaging services, which will provide capacity for an additional 23,745 exams per year
Nine modern operating rooms and a post-anaesthetic care unit with capacity for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgery cases
An expanded cancer clinic that can serve an additional 2,876 patient visits
Expanded ambulatory care programs, such as: comprehensive women’s health, children’s health, seniors health/geriatric assessment, nutrition counselling, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart function, ophthalmology, neurology, general medicine, fracture clinic, orthopaedic assessment, stroke assessment, medical day care and sexual assault clinic
An expanded and modernized laboratory to help accurately assess patients faster
A renovated Special Care Nursery for babies who need additional specialized care such as intravenous therapy or respiratory support
 City hall is apparently leaning on the hospital administration to ensure that the Tim Horton coffee shop is on the south side of the building so that the public walking along the Lakeshore and the old railway track can slip in for a double-double and a maple donut. The original plan was to have the coffee shop on the north side. Suspect that discussion isn’t over yet. Construction at Joseph Brant Hospital is now underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2018.”
But there is more to this story than what the provincial government’s media release said
The building is going to be much higher than expected.
It will be well built – Ellis-Don, the company heading up the construction project has consistently done very good work. Erik Vandewall, president of the hospital is as good as they get at getting hospitals built.
He will make sure things are on time and on budget.
The budget is going to be a problem.
The $371 million dollar project will get funds from three sources: the provincial government, which is using an innovative approach to getting its share of the cost.
The city of Burlington has had to burden its tax payers with a $60 million special tax levy that threatens to become permanent – but that’s another story.
The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has undertaken to raise an additional $60 million.
They recently announced that they had reached the 60% level – which is very good news.
BUT – there is $10 million of that publicly raised money that might be in doubt.
Last weekend the Globe & Mail published a report on a significant shortfall in the fund raising for the Royal Ontario Museum. Burlington’s Michael Lee Chin made a generous donation – it was a pledge actually that he has not been able to honour yet.
His gift to the Joseph Brant Hospital, announced in February by the hospital foundation said:
“Together, as a community, we raised an incredible $2 million from September – December 2014, in response to the Michael Lee-Chin & Family Community Matching Challenge. As a result the Lee-Chin Family added a matching million dollars.
In September of 2014 the Foundation announced: The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has announced that Michael Lee-Chin and his family have made a $10 million dollar donation at its 14th annual Crystal Ball Gala.
The donation is the largest ever made in the City of Burlington and the largest made to the Joseph Brant Hospital. This gift brings the total raised for Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s Our New Era campaign to $37M – more than 60% of campaign goal.
In light of the Globe & Mail story – we don’t know what Lee Chin has done or has not done in terms of meeting his pledge.
Meanwhile construction plans for a rebuild of Lakeshore Road are released.
The road will have three lanes plus a bike path on the south side and will be between a metre and 3/4 of a metre higher than it is now. It will extend in phase one to just about the water treatment plant. The road is going to be raised between a metre and three quarters of a metre higher when the work is completed in 2018. There will be no work done on the road rebuild while hospital construction is taking place.
The Lakeshore Road re-build will not be complete. Scott Hamilton, Manager of Design Construction for the city said the final design of the Lakeshore extension cannot be completed until we know what is going to happen to the houses in the Beachway.
The new road will be three lanes wide with a bike path as well. Some of the houses are quite close to the existing road.
While the Region has said the situation with the property on the Beachway will be bought on a willing seller/willing buyer basis – the truth is that there is only one buyer and the sellers are being squeezed out.
The real estate agents for the Region are meeting with home owner on a one-to-one basis to – as they say – point out the options the home owners have.
The city will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday to display their thinking of a park design – with and without the homes that are in place now.
It could be a very noisy building.
In the meantime Eric J. Vandewall President & CEO of the hospital has to determine just where the money to pay the bills is going to come from.
The city has been quietly collecting tax money to pay for its $60 million share. City Director of Finance Joan Ford advises that there is a tight agreement between the hospital and the city as to when city funds get handed over.
One can assume that a similar agreement exists between the hospital and the hospital foundation.
Vandewall must wonder – is the $10 million plus that Lee Chin pledged going to be available?
By Pepper Parr
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the third in a series of transit meetings – this time it was the riders who were going to do the talking – and talk they did. They packed the Centennial room at the library and told each other what worked and what didn’t work for them.
 Six breakout groups took part in animated discussions on what works and what doesn’t work. What was not surprising was the number of positive things the public had to say about the men and women who drive the buses – and the number of drivers who give students a break when the coins in their pockets don’t equal; the demand of the fare box.
However – it wasn’t all good news.
 Joey Edwardth, on the left isn’t sure the Mayor has it figured out. A newly converted transit advocate Mayor Goldring may have an issue he can run with. Routes don’t work the way they need to work and the service is spotty much of the time.
When Bfast (Burlington friends for accessible transit) put out a challenge to the members of city council to use the bus one day a week for a month – Mayor Goldring took up the challenge and made a media event out of it. He has continued to use the bus since that kick off date for him
Councillor Marianne Meed Ward used the bus to get to a Regional Council meeting – she won’t be doing that again – close to three hours and $12+ in costs for what she says can be done in a fifteen minute car ride.
So far none of the other Councillors have taken the challenge – don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
James Smith, a consistent transit advocate said he wasn’t able to take transit to get to the meeting: “the bus schedule wouldn’t allow me to do the errands I needed to do and get to the meeting on time”.
 The public meeting for transit users broke out into different groups – these are the seniors talking about what the transit system does for them. Smith was originally concerned that the politicians would take over the meeting – that didn’t prove to be the case.
Councillors Sharman, Craven, Meed Ward and the Mayor were on hand. The Mayor has clearly gotten the message – he has a new understanding of just what the transit problems are.
Meed Ward isn’t that much of a transit user – but then she lives and works in the downtown core and can walk to almost everything she is involved in.
Councillor Sharman didn’t look like he was enjoying himself and Councillor Craven just worked the crowd.
There was no one from Burlington Transit at the event. “They were invited”: said James Smith.
 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward explains a point to one of the breakout groups. The much touted Presto pass can’t apparently be easily loaded – students found this a problem. The city had to spend a considerable amount of money to get the Presto pass service operational – it wasn’t an option and it wasn’t cheap.
The Burlington Transit system has 51 buses covering 31 routes. Coming up with a schedule that meets the needs of the ridership has been a challenge and synchronizing the bus schedule with the GO schedule has been close to impossible. GO trains come and go more frequently than the buses.
 A transit rider making a point. One of the Bfast organizers pointed out that there is apparently no one at the transit office with a long, deep background in transit – and it shows.
Signage was also described as a problem; especially when moving from the bus service to the GO service.
The biggest problem transit has is a lack of resources. The provincial gas tax rebate is devoted to transit in most municipalities – no so in Burlington. This city has a very significant infrastructure deficit and council has decided to repair the roads rather than improve the bus service.
And some of the roads are in close to desperate need of repair. The city’s namesake street – Burlington – is a mess. There are more people living on that street who drive cars and can complain than there are bus riders. And this city council knows how to listen to as few as a dozen complaints to make a change in a policy. They are certainly responsive – they need to work on being more responsible.
There is an announcement coming in May apparently on more changes to the schedule and in the not too distant future Burlington Transit will begin installing some technology that will provide them with real time information on how many people get on a bus and where they get off. It will cost millions – transit believes that with this data they can develop a schedule that will meet the needs of the bus riders.
 Everyone got an opportunity to tell their transit story – they weren’t all bad. Doug Brown, a retired engineer has most of the information the city needs in filing cabinets in his basement. A tireless transit advocate, Brown surprisingly is not used or appreciated by many members of council or the people who run the transit system.
Brown does have a style that is unique to him – but he knows what he is talking about. He is a resource that should be tapped into.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. The city no longer has a Transit Advisory committee. The one they did have consisted of had some people who should not have been at the table; they were uninformed, rude and interested only in advancing their personal agendas. There were a few that served well – just not enough of them.
Bfast is an organization the city might think of outsourcing the advisory role to – they have a wealth of talented, informed and committed people that can help make a difference.
 Councillor Craven on the right explains a point to a transit users meeting participant while James Smith on the right looks on. There should be a group of people who use the bus daily serving as a sounding board for the people who run the transit service.
Transit apparently doesn’t have a Twitter account – it does have a web site that more than does the job; it’s better than the city’s web site.
Burlington is reported to spend 50% less than comparable municipalities – and it shows.
 Bfast will produce a report once they’ve gone through the comments that came from the several breakout groups that were created. Expected to be completed by the end of April, it will be a solid, fact based report.
Getting the response it needs from city council is not a given – however, the Mayor now has a better understanding of the needs and the problem.
Can he swing the minds of his colleagues? Don’t expect to see Councillors Sharman, Lancaster Taylor or Dennison becoming transit advocates – their focus is on repairing the roads.
The public is going to have to howl louder to get what the city needs. The squeaky wheel does get the grease.
By Staff
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Police investigators have now obtained surveillance images of the a lone male suspect armed with a black handgun who entered the East Way Bake Shop located at 4047 New Street in Burlington.
 Robbery suspect looks directly into the camera – someone knows him. The suspect demanded money while pointing the handgun at an employee who then turned over an undisclosed amount of money.
The male suspect fled the store and was last seen running westbound along the plaza.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30’s, 5’9″ to 5’10” tall, wearing blue jeans, blue plaid shirt, red toque and black sunglasses.
 Robbery suspect wanders around the bakery shop. Anyone with information that will assist investigators identify him are asked to call Det. Phil Vandenbeukel – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2343 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).
 By Pepper Parr
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
City council last night had to go into a closed session before they could actually get their Standing Committee going.
They had been advised that the ADI Development group had taken the application to build a 28 storey building at the intersection of Lakeshore Road and Martha that had been hotly contested to the Ontario Municipal Board because the city had failed to do anything with their application.
Councilor Paul Sharman, chair of the committee, told the audience that a summary of a planning report would be read but the city would not be voting on the matter.
Many thought the situation was unbelievable – “was this deliberate” one woman asked as she was leaving the Council chamber.
By Pepper Parr
March 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a meeting that had the city planners meeting with some of the people in Aldershot to talk about possible changes that might take place along Plains Road between Cooke and Filmandale.
The city is in the process of doing the required five year review of its Official Plan. In Burlington the process is to go out into the community put some ideas up on a screen explain how the Official Plan is reviewed and then listen to questions and ideas from the community.
City planner Bruce Krushelnicki started the meeting by explaining there would be no decisions; no announcements and no surprises. We are here to listen to you.
 This is the part of Plains Road the community gathered to talk about – but it is just a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Citizens will have to figure out where their personal interests fit into the puzzle. The purpose was to talk about land use changes – to talk about how land use changes should be made or whether there should be any changes in the Official Plan and the zoning.
“People want to get the best possible value for their property when they sell and at the same time protect the character of their community” said Councillor Craven who took an active part in the meeting.
Guidelines for development along Plains Road were set out in 2006 which led to policy changes in the Official Plan. The official plan gets reviewed every five years and looks forward for 20 years.
The province set out an intensification strategy in 2008 and Burlington learned it was going to have to accommodate HOW MANY NEW PEOPLE
Burlington set out what they called intensification corridors to accommodate this growth – both residential and commercial– places where new growth or re-development would take place. Plains Road is on that map.
 There will be intensification and here is where is is going to be However, Plains Road isn’t a single stretch of land – it has been broken into segment for planning purposes. There are surprising differences between the segments.
The south side of the Cooke/Filmandale segment prohibits townhouses. Several in the audience wanted to know why.
The biggest issue for most was that there are no places to shop – there is just one bank.
The reason for the lack of retail choices is that the population isn’t large enough for retailers to come in.
Greg Woodruff, a candidate in the last municipal election said the small retail spaces that do exist are too small – “they don’t have delivery docks; they don’t have any venting if someone wanted to open up a small restaurant and there is no parking”.
The spaces are more suited to professional services and as one person said: People walking to see their tax accountant doesn’t create much in the way of foot traffic – which is what the people in Aldershot appear to want.
There are seniors who want the community to stay just as it has been for the many years they have lived in the community. The problem is that the younger families that will move into the community eventually, would not accept the small bungalows with small bathrooms. Families want more space.
Redevelopment is a good sign explained planner Krushelniki – the motels are for the most well past their best before date – Plains Road is no longer the road you take to get somewhere; it is the road that leads to a rich diversity of homes.
The homes south of Plains are protected – however when the New Horizon’s had a development proposal for the Plains Road and Falcon area one would have believed the end of the world was upon us – property owners were bellowing that once those four stories went up it wouldn’t be long before that kind of development crept south. That is not going to happen.
The Solid Gold entertainment operation made its way into the conversation – and the planner agreed that there will come a time in the not too distant future when that land will be put to a different use.
The development that is being thought through around the Aldershot GO station – they are calling these mobility hubs even through there is no such thing in the Planning Act or the city’s Official Plan. But they are very real in the minds of the planners and in the minds of those who are responsible for the economic development of the city.
While no one in Aldershot wants to see 30 story high rise buildings along Plains Road there was more than a muttering of approval for that kind of structure in the land adjacent to the 403 and on the west side of Waterdown Road.
 The black dotted box is what the residents of Aldershot were to be talking about at a recent community meeting. The elephant in the room was that large pink area – that is where very significant development will take place; perhaps as many as 2000 new residents and loads of traffic coming south on Waterdown. And a look at the map shown below one can easily see what the potential is for the part of Plains Road that is under study – it butts up against Waterdown Road and is a very short distance from the 403 and the Aldershot GO station.
Mention was made of a 775 townhouse development on lands between the GO station and Waterdown south of the 403; that may be the rumoured ADI Development Group’s plan for the property is is reported to have purchased from Paletta International.
There won’t be anything much above four floors along the part of Plains Road that is being studied. The planning department is aware of some land assembly that is taking place
Aldershot is a world of its own. It is a quiet community that doesn’t feel it has the amenities it needs – there is no beer store, no liquor store and they would like much more in the way of supermarkets
The planners and the ward Councillor explained that the world has changed and small supermarkets aren’t the way the food delivery system works anymore.
When there was an A&P supermarket in Aldershot it was closed because the market wasn’t big enough for them. “They weren’t pushed out” explained city planner Bruce Krushelnicki – “they came to the planning department and said they were going to close down and wanted to know what could be done with the property the store was on?”
Business makes decisions based on their own self-interests – people in Aldershot like the small town feel of their community – but without growth and a decent sized market – they don’t stay.
You will get a supermarket explained Councillor Craven when there is enough population to support a store with xxx square feet.
He might have added that there will be a beer store and a liquor store when there are enough people in the community to justify such operations.
 Council Craven wasn’t quite ready for the energy that emanated from Sandra Pupatllo when she was in town looking for possible candidates to run with her as Liberals when she was going after the leadership of the province. That drive fizzled but we don’t think Councillor Craven has ever been the same. Councillor Craven pointed out that Aldershot has had the slowest growth in the city – a mere 3-4 % each year.
Plains Road was once the road to Niagara Falls before it was a rural road with large productive farms on both sides.
Today it’s almost a road with a split personality. It is a backbone through the community that is trying to be a road that has a number of destinations.
The residents want the commercial concentration to be made up of places they can walk to with sidewalks that can accommodate patios.
The reality is that both Waterdown and King Road have been widened or are in the process of being widened – wider roads = more traffic that will end up on Plains Road – so much for becoming a quiet, pleasant neighbourhood, community road.
 The white oval is the part of Plains Road that the community was talking to the planners about – what did they want and what didn’t they want in that stretch of Plains Road. What wasn’t talked about was the development that is going to take place at the Waterdown – 403 intersection and the GO station. Big stuff. And of course – no mention of the Eagle |Heights development. There are developers with big plans for Aldershot and while it would be untrue to say the ward Councillor is in bed with them – he is certainly on the best of speaking terms
Rick Craven wants development in Aldershot – he realizes that in the not too distant future those quiet, peaceable people who have been his political base will be moving on – perhaps into one of the several retirement homes that have popped up in Aldershot.
 Rick Craven is a big booster for Aldershot – he fights for his constituents every chance he gets – there are some he doesn’t get along with and he’s not known for his warm fuzzy personality but he is effective. He is fully aware of the very significant development potential and he works hard to make it happen – he just doesn’t tell his constituents about the very real changes that are going to take place. What Craven does not appear to be doing is letting his constituents know that change – big changes are coming to town. And their lives will be different. Those people vote and right now he needs those votes.
 By Staff
Marcvh 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The city proudly announces that Dr. Ashley Worobec will be the Burlington community torchbearer for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President’s Choice® and OLG.
 Dr. AshleyWorobec a Burlington chiropractor at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic, is an avid Crossfit practitioner at Crossfit Altitude in Burlington. The torch relay will visit Burlington on Friday, June 19, 2015 and will feature Dr. Worobec as the community torchbearer.
In December, residents were asked to help choose a local resident to carry the Pan Am flame on behalf of the city and voted on a short list of names selected by the committee.
The Burlington Pan Am Community Engagement Committee accepted applications and nominations until Dec. 14. To be considered, applicants or nominators submitted a photo and a letter of interest explaining the connection to Burlington and what being Burlington’s community torchbearer would mean to him or her. The finalist who received the most votes was Dr. Worobec.
Nominated by Marnie Post, Dr. Worobec is a Chiropractor at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic, an avid Crossfit practitioner at Crossfit Altitude in Burlington, and an avid runner, participating in numerous runs in and around the city. A mother of two young children, she is actively engaged in numerous community activities and blogs about her community, her practice, parenting and staying fit and healthy.
“Ashley Worobec will proudly carry the Pan Am flame as Burlington’s community torchbearer,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “Burlington is excited to be a part of this historic journey, and we look forward to showcasing our community to the world.”
During the 41-day torch relay, each of the 3,000 torchbearers will complete, on average, a 200-metre relay segment. The torch will be carried by more than 60 modes of transportation and exceed 5,000 kilometres on the road and 15,000 kilometres by air.
“The torch is a unique symbol of the Pan Am Games and carries a powerful energy that will unite Canadians,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer, TO2015. “The torchbearers will proudly carry the flame through more than 130 communities, igniting the Pan Am spirit as they go.”
Featured on the torch are the United We Play! pictograms — colourful depictions of people in motion —symbolizing the assembly of athletes through the celebration of sport and culture. The aluminum torch stands 65 centimetres high and weighs 1.2 kilograms (or roughly the same weight as a baseball bat). With a burn time of 10 to 12 minutes, the flame can withstand winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour and is visible in all kinds of weather conditions.
By Staff
March 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
 City Hall will be closed on both Good Friday and Easter Monday, March 30, 2015
Good Friday – April 3 2015
Easter Monday – April 6, 2015
Halton Court Services in Burlington are also closed.
By Staff
March 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Culture has taken on a deeper commitment from city council, due in large part from a delegation made by Trevor Copp, who asked city council why he had to travel to Toronto to ply his trade.
The Performing Arts Centre had opened and was going through a difficult phase but the public had become used to the place and had begun to understand that the city was going to have to continue to subsidize it forever.
In 2009 the federal government created and funded Culture Days which was to become a national network of cultural connections to provide Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of art and culture.
 Different artists were able to take a tent during Culture Days last September and paint or sculpt of make pottery in Civic Square Through a three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to discover their cultural spirit and passion.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington.
Burlington’s 2014 Culture Days was a resounding success due in large part to their being staff dedicated to managing the event.
The push from the cultural community and the creation of the No Vacancy event put new energy into culture at the street level.
The holding of the first No Vacancy event in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel was what appears to be the beginning of the community creating its own events. No Vacancy is a private initiative that gets peanuts from the city.
The sixth annual Culture Days weekend will take place from Sept. 25 to 27, 2015.
A workshop will be held on Friday, April 24 at the Burlington Art Gallery for Culture Days event organizers to learn about resources available from the city and Culture Days Ontario. Space is limited and registration is required. RSVP to Adam Belovari, culture coordinator at adam.belovari@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7335.
Local creative organizations, venues, professionals and businesses are again invited to host events during the Culture Days to promote free, hands-on and interactive activities. The public is invited to participate in behind-the-scenes activities to see how artists; creators; historians; architects; curators; designers; and other creative people work and contribute to culture in Burlington.
 Trevor Copp talks with Angela Pap during the unveiling of the Spiral Stella at the Performing Arts Centre earlier in the week. Paparizo is now the manager of Arts and Cultural for the city. Paparizo, manager of arts and culture,
Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture expects to repeat the 2014 success in 2015, offering three days featuring different types of events, working closely with Doors Open, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington Libraries, Burlington Museums, Tourism Burlington and Burlington artists to make this happen.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington. For more information, or to participate in Culture Days, visit www.burlington.ca/culturedays or contact Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture, at angela.paparizo@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7352.
The Sound of Music kicks off the festival season for the city. Rib Fest follows, then the third year of the No Vacancy offering which will take place on Old Lakeshore Road this year and then the three Cultural days in late September.
The city came very close to having an ArtFest on Old Lakeshore Road as well but the “adamant refusal’ by three business owners on the Old Lakeshore Road put the boots to that opportunity. Council wanted the event – the event planner wanted to hold it in Spencer smith Park but they couldn’t get together on a date.
 It would have been a major arts event – drawing several thousand people to the city and to a part of town that has significant potential as a location. No one is saying who the tree commercial establishments that said no way to the idea – they felt their business would suffer. The effort to bring a large art sales event to the city by an experienced and proven promoter started back in October of 2014 – everyone was involved in the effort but three business people apparently would not budge so the planned 100 tents spread out along Old Lakeshore Road housing the wares of different arts won’t happen this year.
Emma’s Back Porch was so keen on the idea that they agreed to turn over their parking lot for the event. They had gone so far as to plan an Artists Feast for the occasion.
Expect this event to come back for another try.
 By Ray Rivers
March 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Urban sprawl – it even sounds like a dirty word. Sprawl has gobbled up more potential farm and natural lands than any other form of development.
 Gas and land were cheap and it was the way people wanted top live. It will take several decades to unwind all this urban sprawl – perhaps Burlington could become a leader in the change. Because of the distances involved in servicing subdivisions and the inherent low population densities, sprawl is also the most costly form of development. And sprawl is dependent on the automobile as the primary (or sole) means of transportation, resulting in gridlock and the consequent lengthy commute times.
These downsides were recognized soon after this ‘California’ lifestyle became the dominant form of development in the fifties and sixties. But once adopted, going back was a tough call. There is so much more profit for developers in buying up cheap farm land and converting it to houses, than in expanding housing in existing built-up areas.
Back in the day, before immigration swelled our urban envelope, most of us hardly thought twice about the suite of problems associated with these ‘burbs’ popping out all around us. But Ontario’s Premier Bill Davis did. He, no doubt, had observed what had been happening to the US rust-belt cities, as suburban development swallowed up prime farm land and hollowed out the inner city core in the process, until nobody wanted to live downtown anymore.
So as early as the 70’s the Davis government sought to keep Ontario’s canvas painted more green than black. Putting an end to paving paradise and putting up more parking lots, as the folk singer Joni Mitchell had warned, was a timely ambition. So he undertook to create Ontario’s first greenbelt, setting out the Niagara Escarpment Commission to ensure protection from development.
 Bill Davis made decisions while he was Premier that made possible the protection of the environment that is being done now. And Davis didn’t stop there, he established the most advanced municipal planning system in North America. To help implement the system, he created new higher-tier regional governments to implement broad scale regional plans, which would permit stable and progressive development over a generation, while protecting farm and natural lands.
But it didn’t really work. The development industry is a powerful lobby and whether through their persistence at council meetings, campaign contributions for municipal candidates or sound arguments, they have been able to sway many development decisions in their favour – decisions that always involve more sprawl development.
And regional plans themselves became a catalyst for accelerated development. Once a land parcel was designated, developers pushed for early approvals in order to get their money out of the projects. And if that didn’t work there was always an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
The OMB is a quasi-judicial institution which is an anomaly in Canada. Composed of political appointees, this unaccountable body acts as both judge and jury, and frequently overrides the authority of our elected representatives, making a mockery of municipal democracy. The Canadian Senate comes to mind, except that the OMB has real power.
In the end Ontario, with its fancy planning system ended up with about as much urban sprawl as did the bordering US jurisdictions with their more basic laissez-faire systems of municipal planning. It turns out politics, not planning, was at the heart of the issue.
 The Greenbelt – in place as a boundary to protect natural space My Conservative friends would prefer to remember Dalton McGuinty for the unfortunate billion dollar gas plant fiasco of a few years ago. But history will record the creation of Ontario’s current Greenbelt as one of his greatest achievements. Following the visionary lead of Mr. Davis, three decades before him, this is the single most important instrument the province now has to hold back the forces of urban sprawl.
Of course, even this initiative could not quash those development plans already underway, such as the ones which have transformed Milton into the textbook case of what not to do. The recent orgy of development there has transformed the once quaint town such that it is now unrecognizable. And as anyone driving on the 401 will attest, this development has also made the roadways largely impassable.
Last week I attended a meeting in Milton, sponsored by the Friends of the Greenbelt. The topic was preserving prime agricultural land and the meeting was well attended by urban planners, farmers and other business people, keen on making their thoughts known.. Listed below are links to other sessions in which the public can have their say on the Greenbelt and its future in Ontario.
Whether you are a farmer concerned about city-folk moving next door and then complaining about your hog operation; a nature-lover craving more opportunity for environmental diversity; or a developer wanting to build more houses on a farm you have just purchased, this is your chance to have your say.
Of course I drove to the meeting, but I did take the backroads to avoid sitting on that parking lot we call the 401. And there you have it – this time using the automobile to fight against urban sprawl.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Premier Davis
State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference
Provincial Policy Statement
Greenbelt
The Greenbelt Review
Greenbelt Events
 By Staff
March 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The sisters are excited about the upcoming Sp’egg’tacular Easter Event being held at Ireland House to support The Museums of Burlington.
Rocca Sisters & Associates sponsor the event as a thank you to our incredible clients and community for all the support you have shown us throughout the year.
WHEN: Sunday, March 29, 2015
TIME: 11am to 4pm
WHERE: Ireland House at Oakridge Farm – 2168 Guelph Line, Burlington
Enjoy a day full of Easter fun that will include an exciting Easter egg hunt with free goody bags for children of all ages from 11am – 2pm!
 Sp’egg’tacular Easter Event is a Rocca Sisters Real Estate sponsored event with the Museums of Burlington taking place at |Ireland House. Additional activities to enjoy include Princesses Elsa and Anna from Frozen greeting children until 1pm, visits with the Easter Bunny, Easter crafts, carnival style games, face painting, vendors and helium balloons plus a take-away from the Horticultural Society. There is also a fantastic silent auction for adults, a prize bazaar and free raffle for children, live entertainment and more!
Visit the Ireland House Homestead and imagine life as it was over 175 years ago. There will be baking demonstrations and sampling, natural egg dying, costumed historic interpreters, traditional artisan demonstrators, and tours of the house.
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