City Hall wants to know how you want to engage with them.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

January 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

City Hall wants to hear from residents about how they would like to participate in engagements lead by the City and what topics they are interested in engaging on.

Grpw Bold - community engagement

The city looks for every avenue available to let the taxpayers know that they want them to be involved in the decision making process. The screen shown was in a Tim Hortons

Since the pandemic started, the City has offered virtual engagement opportunities as well as telephone and online town halls. The City wants to know from residents what their virtual meeting comfort-ability level is – and how likely they are to attend in-person meetings once it is safe to do so.

The engagement survey is now open and will close on Feb. 5, 2021. Residents can fill out the short survey right HERE

We have been down this road before.

Engagement Quick Facts
• In 2013, the Burlington Community Engagement Charter was approved and represents a partnership between the city and its citizens. The Charter is an agreement between and among Burlington City Council and the citizens of Burlington concerning citizen engagement with city government that establishes the commitment, responsibilities, and fundamental concepts of this relationship.

• In 2018, the City launched the online engagement site called getinvolvedburlington.ca that allows people to contribute their ideas and feedback on municipal issues and projects important to them.

• Residents can subscribe to the GetInvolved Burlington calendar to receive the latest City meetings and event information. Residents can also submit a community calendar event that meets the criteria and can visit calendar.burlington.ca for submission information.

• Engagement is an important part of the City’s regular operations and is one of the four strategic directions of the City’s 25-year strategic plan. Part of focus area 4 in the City’s 2018-2022 Plan: From Vision to Focus is also building more citizen engagement.

 

 

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Virtual Boat Show - see it as a break from NetFlix

eventsblue 100x100By Staff

January 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

If you’ve had your fill of Netflix and want to slide over to the world of dreams – you might want to check into the Toronto Boat Show – it’s a virtual event this year taking place on line from:

Boat show logoMonday – Friday 11am – 7pm
Saturday & Sunday 9am – 5pm

The show launches online as thousands of boats and marine accessories get ready to hit the market at the first boating event of year.

It has been scientifically proven that getting out on the water or on a boat promotes a restful, positive state of mind, along with social, physiological and psychological benefits. So although it may be “Blue Monday,” Canadians can start to look forward to better days on the water.

Boat show - sled

Looks like fun – wonder what they cost?

From video content that will educate and inspire, to virtual showrooms, live chats, and seminars, the Virtual Toronto Boat Show is a whole new way to get ready for the boating season.

Register HERE. They want far too much information from you when you register – part of the price for getting your information on-line. Worth playing around with though – we need something to get through a gray dull dismal day.

 

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Housing Strategy will go to Council to approve a $300,000 spend that could be the rock that the next municipal election will rest on

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

January 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It is a bold proposal.

Create a housing strategy for a city that is one of the more expensive places in the province to live – save Toronto.

And get the policy in place before the end of the current term of this council.

The timeline suggests this is going to be THE platform the Mayor creates for her re-election in October of 2022. If she does it right the rest of Council might ride back into office on her coat tails.

The principal objective of the project is to develop an innovative Housing Strategy for the City of Burlington that sets out policies, tools and actions to address housing needs now and in the future.

Continuim graphic

The Housing Strategy will build on and support the Region’s Housing Strategy through the development of local solutions to housing issues in the City of Burlington.

The key outcomes of the City’s Housing Strategy include:

• Understanding the key players and their respective roles in housing;
• Understanding the current state of housing in Burlington and identifying current and future housing needs;
• Establishing a toolbox of best practices in housing, focusing on innovative practices and new, pioneering ideas;
• Developing of a set of action-oriented housing objectives and an associated implementation plan;
• Establishing where the City wants to focus or prioritize efforts to address housing issues in the City.

The creating of a strategy will provide an opportunity to look for creative and innovative solutions to address local housing issues through the consideration of a variety of planning policy and financial tools, partnership, collaboration and advocacy opportunities, strategies and initiatives.

The players

Big picture housing policies

The federal government has a finger in the pie – they create a national strategy, provide some funding and let the provinces work it out. Each province develops its plan, sometimes with funding. Burlington is part of the Halton Region – the Region creates the policy and for the most part, runs the plans. Burlington appears to want to break that pattern and do something unique on its own.

Just about everyone is in the housing game.

The federal government has been chipping away at a federal program with CMHC (Central Mortgage and Housing) playing an innovative leadership role.

The province’s Ministry of Housing has their fingers in the mix and, depending on the stripe and colour of the government, it can be developer-driven or something a little more liberal and progressive.

Toronto has always been a leader.

The Regional governments have played a role but in Halton’s case it was never very driven or creative.

The Region produces an annual report on what exists, what it costs and where the shortfall is.

That shortfall is always on the lower end of the economic scale.

Halton has a policy of buying units in high rise developments and renting those out. The co-op movement, including Habitat for Humanity, builds housing that puts homes in place.

During her first term as Councillor for Ward 2 Marianne Meed Ward was instrumental in convincing the Molinaro Group to work with the Region.  The result was 15 units being sold to the Region which became part of their inventory.

And then there is the individual investor who might own a small apartment complex or a couple of triplexes.

In Burlington the development community has found the high end condominium market to be their sweet spot.

Continuim with data

There is a clear division on what the governments will subsidize and what they leave to the private sector.

Burlington is a lower tier municipality within the Region of Halton; social housing is a Regional responsibility.

This current city council has decided they want to do better than the Regional policy partly for ideological reasons and partly to create housing for people in the local labour force.

Many people at the Fearman’s plant can’t afford to live in the city.  Same with the hospital – Burlington is an expensive city.

There really isn’t anyone committed to building housing for the lower, affordable market.  These are not houses for people on welfare; these are homes for people who want to get into the market and live in the city.

What exactly is this to phase of the project setting out to do within the next 18 months?

Project time line

The City of Burlington’s new Official Plan recognizes that housing is fundamental to the social, economic and physical well-being of the city’s residents, and promotes a land use pattern that supports a full range and mix of housing options across the city. The identification of an urban structure and the establishment of a growth framework in the new Official Plan identifies areas in the city where growth and transition is expected.

These areas identified as the most appropriate locations for intensification will support the provision of a wider range of housing options in addition to jobs and more mobility choices. Other housing policies within the new Official Plan relate to housing supply, including the use of surplus lands; housing tenure including rental conversion policies, as well as policies to support the development of affordable, assisted and special needs housing.

The new Official Plan also contains an updated policy framework for additional residential units and provides direction for the development of a city-wide housing strategy that will consider a number of elements, including strategies, financial incentives and tools such as an Inclusionary Zoning by-law program.

City policy baseBurlington works from the policies set out in the Strategic Plan, which is a document with a 25-year time frame.  Every term of Council (4 years) has a Vision to Focus (V2F) which sets out what city council hopes to achieve while they are in office.

Each year the city creates two budgets: One for Capital Expenses and a second for Operations expenses.

The Housing Strategy is something this council wants to have in place for the next municipal election.  They will pay for the work out of the current budget which is expected to be a whopper, due  in large measure to expenses due to Covid and revenue losses as a result of Covid.

The City’s Housing Strategy project has been divided into two phases.

Phase 1 time line - then ph 2 implementPhase 1 of the project will be consultant led and will deliver the necessary background information, data, analysis of needs and trends, and insight on best practices and more broadly new ideas to address local housing issues.

The Phase 1 deliverable will be the development of a made in Burlington innovative Housing Strategy, which will include a set of city-wide housing objectives supported by recommended action items, each with an associated implementation and monitoring plan.

The project consultant will also provide a recommended approach for phased implementation of the action items (short, medium and long term) for Council’s consideration.

Phase 2 of the project involves the implementation of the recommended actions contained within the Housing Strategy developed through the Phase 1 work and approved by Council.

Community engagement.
Council will always find time to talk about engaging the community.

The challenge is, when coming up with an engagement plan that actually engages, something falls between the cracks.

The Engagement Plan is a key deliverable to support the development of the Housing Strategy. The Plan is a strategic public document that will be developed and led by City staff and informed by feedback from Council, ChAT, the project Steering Committee, the Housing Strategy working group and other key stakeholders as outlined in the recommendation above. Additional resources may be required to deliver the Engagement Plan. Those additional resources will be identified at the time of the preparation of the Engagement Plan.

Engagement graphicA Housing Strategy working group will be established with a maximum membership of 20 people with volunteers from a variety of sectors including government, not for profit, co- op, the business community, as well as residents working together to support the development of the Housing Strategy.

Additionally, the working group will include the Mayor and at least one additional member of Council designated through an expression of interest brought forward by the City Clerk.

The working group will advise on local issues, be champions for the project, provide key insights given their diverse backgrounds, and will contribute to the refinement and implementation of the engagement plan.

An internal Housing Strategy Steering Committee comprised of city Staff will be established to give strategic advice on matters related to this project. The work of the Steering Committee will be guided by a Committee Terms of Reference to be developed at the time of the preparation of the Engagement Plan.

The Engagement Plan will identify opportunities for all interested parties to engage throughout the entirety of the process.
Although the details of the Engagement Plan will emerge in 2021, Staff have prepared a draft decision statement that guides engagement and communication strategies and tactics:

2022 objective statementIn 2022, Burlington City Council will vote to endorse a City of Burlington Housing Strategy to increase options for housing across the city.

The tab for this one will be $300,000 that will go to Council on Januaryclsua 19th, which is the day that the book with the Operational budget gets placed in the hands of council.

The day after the public will get a chance to take part in a virtual Town Hall on the Budget.

A housing Strategy is a good idea.  $300,000 is a lot of money to spend at a time when the budget the public will see later this week is going to have a lot of surprises.

Much more to learn about this latest idea from the mind of the Mayor and her Council.

 

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Four Arrested in Burlington Drug Trafficking Investigation

Crime 100By Staff

January 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

HRPS crestA one month drug investigation by the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) – 3 District Street Crime Unit has resulted in the arrest of two males.

With the assistance of area residents, investigators were able to identify a group of individuals who were trafficking drugs in the area of Marley Crescent and Francis Road in Burlington.

The following individuals have been arrested and charged:

Scott Ross (27) of Burlington
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (6 counts) – Cocaine, Fentanyl , Xanax, Codeine, Nabilone, Buprenorphine
• Trafficking – Cocaine
• Trafficking – Xanax
• Weapons Dangerous

Crystal McMullen (37) of Burlington
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (6 Counts) – Cocaine, Fentanyl , Xanax, Codeine, Nabilone, Buprenorphine

Braeden Bonhomme (28) of Burlington
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (2 counts) – Cocaine and Xanax
• Breach Probation

Jordan Hughes (27) of Burlington
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (2 counts) – Cocaine and Xanax

All accused were released on a Promise to Appear.

As a result of the investigation, the following items were seized:

• 5.6 grams Cocaine
• 2.4 grams Fentanyl
• 107 Xanax bars
• 404 Nabilone pills
• 720 ml Codeine
• 8 Buprenorphine pills
• $2040 cash

The estimated value of the drugs seized is $3700.

The HRPS were particularly pleased with the vigilance and support of area residents for their  assistance in this investigation; an example of residents coming together to make their community safer.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Sgt. Scott Heyerman of the 3 District Street Crime Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 2342.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

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Notice to Public Regarding Provincial Offences Act Matters

News 100 redBy Staff

January 18th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Notice to Public Regarding Provincial Offences Act Matters:

All Provincial Offences Act in-person matters scheduled from Monday, March 16, 2020 to, and including, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a later date. If you have a matter scheduled during this time, do not attend court. This applies to all POA courts in Ontario.

Court House

A notice of your new court date will be sent to you by mail to the address on file with the court. For more information, please contact your local Provincial Offences court.

Halton POA administration counter services are currently closed due to the Emergency Order in effect in Ontario. Please conduct business online or by phone, where possible. Telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Many online services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or by visiting www.haltoncourtservices.ca

Contact information for all municipal courts is available here: https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/courts/Court_Addresses/poa/

Updated information about court proceedings at the Ontario Court of Justice can be found on the Court’s website at https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/.

Please also be advised that the Government of Ontario made an order pursuant to s. 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA), suspending any limitation periods in statutes and regulations for the duration of the State of Emergency.

This will impact timelines under the Provincial Offences Act and related proceedings.

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Major housing development south of the Burlington GO to be discussed at Council on Thursday - 2400 plus units

News 100 blueBy Staff

January 14th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It is a huge development by Burlington standards.

It is what the current council used as the basic plank of their individual election campaigns back in 2018 and what the Mayor wanted to see when she took on the task of producing an Official Plan that moved the focus of development from the downtown – east and west of Brant Street and south of Prospect.

CLV size of property

The development, which could be as much as a decade to complete, will create a whole new community around the GO station – adding to the Molinaro development which is more than half done.

The development which will be discussed at the Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Committee meeting on Thursday is to consist of:

Seven (7) residential towers on top of four (4) mixed use podiums.

Overall heights ranging between 29 and 37 storeys.

Podium heights ranging from 2, 5 and 6 storeys.

A total of 2,494 residential units of mixed type and tenure.

3993 m2 of commercial space.

41, 821 m2 of shared amenity space.

Five (5) levels of underground parking and a four (4) storey parking structure which will be integrated with the residential units.

Pedestrian connections to the surrounding neighbourhood and Burlington GO Station.

A Site Plan Application offers information to use existing zoning and gives you the chance to learn and be informed about the applicant’s plans.

CLV Fairview Jan 21

A drawing showing where the buildings will be located on the property.

For this application, formal engagement and public comments were received by the City of Burlington as part of the adoption of the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw policies and regulations that apply to this site.

The application was circulated with various internal staff and external agencies for review and comment.

The applicant recently responded with a re-submission which is currently under review.

A neighbourhood meeting will be planned in early 2021.

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Name change: From Burlington Economic Development Corporation to Burlington Economic Development - go figure

News 100 redBy Staff

January 13th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Breaking news?

“The Burlington Economic Development Corporation, also known as BEDC, announced today that effective immediately it will be revising its name to Burlington Economic Development and will drop the use of an acronym. When needed, Burlington EcDev will be used as the abbreviated name. The revised name will allow Burlington Economic Development to better represent their value proposition and provide a stronger, more obvious connection to the city it represents.

bedc data“The acronym BEDC does not resonate with our audience because there is no explicit connection to Burlington. The change will also help minimize confusion with private-sector companies using similar acronyms, a challenge we have experienced in the past,” explained Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of Burlington Economic Development.

This comes across as much ado about nothing. Don’t they have better things to do?

“In November 2020, Burlington Economic Development launched the brand new InvestBurlington.ca website. With a focus on storytelling and user experience, the new website features dedicated pages for Burlington’s key sectors and easy to navigate tools and resources that provide all of the qualitative and quantitative information businesses and investors need to locate or grow a business in Burlington.

“The site also features a number of success stories and testimonials from businesses that call Burlington home. The evolution of the name is a natural next step in building awareness of Burlington Economic Development, and its role in attracting new investment to Burlington, as well as in supporting Burlington’s existing business community.”

Not to be picky – but in in orderto be identified as a separate legal entity does the organization not require either Inc., or Ltd., or Limited, or Corporation as part of its name?

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Political reputations and police careers badly damaged: resignations are required but be polite and call them retirements

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

January 13th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Halton Police Services Board will meet on Friday in a closed session.

The former Chair of the Board, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, gave up the Chair but is thought to still be a member of the Board.

Jeff Knoll, an Oakville Councillor and a member of the Police Services Board will serve as acting Chair during a meeting that will have legal counsel on hand to advise.

On December 21st, Premier Ford announced a lock-down to take effect Dec 26.

On December 22nd, Police Chief Stephen Tanner asked the then Chair Rob Burton for permission to leave the jurisdiction to travel to Florida on a private matter.

Burton gave permission and said at the time that he didn’t have a problem with the Chief being away.

On December 26th, Chief Tanner left for the United States.

On December 26th, the province invoked a shut down for 28 days.

There has been considerable demand for the Chief to be fired.

He asked for and was given permission to travel.

Can he be fired?

In order to lead a leader has to have the confidence and respect of the people  being led.

The rank and file of the Halton Police Service are said to be “outraged”.

Driving their feelings is the fact that the Chief was not on hand to meet with the family of a Detective Constable who died while on an observation assignment in Burlington.

One of the Deputy Chiefs met with the officer’s family.

Burton Rob - glancingf left

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton

Chief of Police Steve Tanner explains that Social Media is not the same as a 911 call

Chief of Police Steve Tanner

It is a messy situation created when a foolish decision was made by Burton.

Can the mess be cleaned up?

The retirement of the Chief and the former Chair will resolve the problems.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

 

 

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What does the data the Premier said was going to knock us off our chairs look like ?

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

January 13th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

table logoThe data in a visual format tells the story.

Stark evidence of what we have done to ourselves.

What happened to those in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities.

Key Findings•Growth in cases has accelerated and is over 7% on the worst days.•Almost 40% of long-term care homes have active COVID-19 outbreaks. Since January 1st198 LTC residents and 2 LTC staff have died of COVID-19. Forecasts suggest more deaths in wave 2 in long-term care than in wave 1.•COVID-19 ICU occupancy is now over 400 beds. Surgeries are being cancelled and the access to care deficit will continue to increase with real consequences for health.

LTC July 20

LTC Oct 20

LTC Jan 7 21

 

mortality

Untitled

Daily mortality is increasing under current restrictions, doubling from 50 to 100 deaths per day between now and end of February.

Projections: COVID-19 ICU occupancy around 500 beds in mid-January, potentially over 1,000 beds in February in more severe, but realistic scenarios. Graph below.

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Why are the anti-maskers gaining traction in Burlington?

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

January 11th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Why is the refusing to wear masks gaining traction in the city?

Fortino Appleby

Is there a policy at Fortinos that masks are not required by all customers

A report today came in that a small group of anti-maskers entered the Appleby Line Fortinos location.

People, not staff, asked them to put on masks or leave.

The police were called – not certain at this point who called them.

The manager was brought into the concern and he is reported to have said that those not wearing masks could and would be served.

Tamp coffee window

The coffee is good – the ambience used to be funky but pleasant in its own way.

Another report has been received about the Tamp Coffee Shop (best Espresso in town) where they are said to be very loose about masks and due to that a number of anti-maskers have chosen that as a destination.

Tamp screen shot

Not the kind of social message that you grow a business on.

The reports we get are from people we know; people who are reliable and trusted.

All this when the Health people report that there were more than 4000 new infections. The Premier tells us that the modelling data is scary and that he will reveal that data soon.

People who don’t like the need to have to wear masks can read the tea leaves – you can get away with not wearing a mask.
Big shots fly south – they don’t get hammered. All the political buzz has the now fired Minister of Finance showing up in Cabinet again in a different portfolio – he’s ’described as a very smart guy.

They seem to think that they can take a pass on the rules – and should they be infected they are young and will probably not become all that ill.

However, there are 4250 people in the province who are now infected and just under 100 who died.

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Provincial Government Wants Your Thought on the Way the Condominium Corporation is Working For You.

News 100 blueBy Staff

January 11th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Given the number of condominiums that are either in the early stages of construction or in the planning approval process – it would follow that more people are going to live in condominiums.

The operation of a Condominium Corporation is not like running your ball team. It is complex.

The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services would like to invite you to participate in a written consultation on potential permanent changes to enable digital and virtual processes under the Condominium Act, 1998.

nautique-elevation-from-city-july-2016

Nautique – an ADI Development: When built it will operate as a Condominium Corporation. If you buy – you might want to know how that corporation is going to work

The Legislature passed the COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020 which, among other things, made temporary legislative amendments to the Condominium Act, 1998 related to virtual meetings and the deferral of annual meetings in some circumstances in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These temporary legislative amendments were further extended by regulation to permit corporations to call and hold meetings as applicable through electronic and telephonic means, notwithstanding certain requirements until May 31, 2021.

The Ministry is now seeking your input on whether further temporary or permanent amendments are required under the Condominium Act, 1998 in relation to virtual processes, as corporations adapt to new ways of doing business that are more digital/virtual allowing for broader participation. The Ministry has developed a Condominium Act, 1998 Feedback Form that consists of targeted questions intended to guide participants feedback regarding (1) virtual meetings, (2) electronic delivery of notices and documents, and (3) storage/examination of records through electronic means.

The Feedback Form is now posted on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry for public comment. If you wish to participate we encourage you to provide feedback on these topics at the following link by 5 p.m. on February 8th, 2021.
The link for comments is HERE

 

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City gets ready to do its part in the mass public vaccinations - might all be in play by the end of the month

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

January 11th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Vaccinations are taking place now and there is a plan to do the mass vaccinations that will be needed to bring this virus to heel.

Big picture 3 phases

The big picture: sets out the rate at which the city and the Region will get us all vaccinated.

The city administration created a Task Force that would work directly with the Regional Public Health Office which has asked the city to find a possible three locations at which vaccinations can be administered.

launching CIB task force

The make-up of the Task Force – city side

They asked that one of the three be the Haber Recreation Centre which has been used in the past for measles vaccinations.
The way this will roll out is to have the city providing the space with the required security, backup power supply and the on hand staffing that will be needed. Parking and transit access were also important.

The public will be given details on who is to show up when.

Council learned that it is going to be many months before everyone is vaccinated. Sheila Jones, one of the Executive Directors,  who guided the presentations made by staff said she thought it could be completed by August.

There are three phases to the plan. The time lines for each phase are not cast in stone. All the people who are working on this task are fully aware that everything is both fluid and dynamic.

Some people may be getting their vaccinations at a Doctor’s Office; some may get their vaccination at a pharmacy, assuming they are part of the picture.

Phase 2 roles and Resp COB

Who does what?

Karen Roche

Burlington Fire Chief Karen Rocke will work with City Staffer Amber Rushton to lead to Vaccination Task Force

Amber Rushton and Fire Chief Karen Roche are the staff members leading this Task Force. More on Ms Rushton in a separate article.

The Plan they are administering so that vaccinations can be given quickly and efficiently includes:

Having the needed equipment in place
Staffing
Site set up
Traffic control
Site security
Public safety and volume management.

Sites that are set up will have to stay in place until the public vaccination is complete – we are talking about many months.

There will be a military liaison person attached to the Task Force as well as someone from the Mayor’s office – that was defined as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Victoria Al Samadi.

The Task Force reports directly to the Emergency Control Group weekly.

One of the problems that has plagued this health crisis is the, at times, very poor messaging by the province.

The Regional Public Health Network hasn’t earned all that many gold stars for the way it has communicated with a worried public. However, they have been good at getting data out.

Dratf reporting structure (LAST)

Reporting structure is a work in progress at this point – but there are very good people in place to make it all happen.

This next phase is going to require very tight communication between the city – they are going to provide a location that is ready the moment the nurses walk through the door ready to put needles in arms – and the Region, that is going to bring the thousands of doses that will be needed to the location and ensure that there are enough nurses on hand to work from 8:30 am to about 5:30 pm seven days a week.

There are still a lot of questions to be answered. Things will be moving very quickly by the end of the month when the public vaccination takes place.

One message to the public:  the City and the Region have a very firm grip on what has to be done.  The role for individuals is to be patient and to trust the civil servants to do their jobs.  The really do know what they are doing.

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Is it time for some good old fashioned police work?

News 100 blackBy Pepper Parr

January 9th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

Update: Since publishing this piece the following information from a source that can be considered reliable. “ If I have read the articles correctly, the chief left the country on December 26th as we went into full lock down and as of today, he has not returned. I would call that an extended vacation.

Is it time for some good old fashioned police work?

The Gazette reader reaction to the news that the Halton Region Chief of Police was out of the country for a period of time, albeit with the permission of the Chair of the Police Services Board, has been significant.

Most of those that commented want to see the Chief fired including a former police officer who has taken up politics as a new career option.

Rob Burton, Chair of the Police Services Board and Mayor of Oakville (I got it right this time) did say that with hindsight he might have made a different decision. Many don’t seem prepared to accept that explanation; the Mayor of Burlington certainly isn’t on side.

In a Statement released by Mayor Meed Ward yesterday she was both pointed and direct. The Chief had no business being out of the country.

It is not healthy for a part of society to have lost faith in the man who runs the police service.

So some questions:

When did the Chief of Police ask the Chair of the Police Services Board for permission to leave the jurisdiction and travel to Florida to take care of some personal business?

When did the Chief of Police leave for Florida, how long was he there and when did he return to Canada?

Once that information is made public we can lay that over it when the Premier announced there would be a lockdown.

With all that information we will know if Burton was irresponsible and the Police Services Board can decide if they want to take any action and if there should be any repercussions.

Overriding all this is the Advisory that has been in place from both the federal and provincial levels for some time advising the public not to travel outside the community.

The failure to follow those advisories has Quebec with a curfew in place; be off the streets at 8 pm and stay at home until 5 am.

Is this what we are going to see in Ontario?

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Police tells Mayor 'it was a poor decision and one he deeply regrets' and he walks - no penalty

News 100 redBy Staff

January 8th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Mayor issued the following statement a few minutes ago.

For full transparency and accountability, I have not travelled outside the country or province in more than a year and have not left the City of Burlington since before the Provincial shutdown.

Moment she became Mayor

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward being sworn in as Mayor

I am just as troubled and frustrated as the community about continued news of travel outside the country or province by elected representatives, health officials or community leaders. This erodes public trust at a time we need to work with the community to defeat COVID-19.

I immediately spoke to Halton Regional Police Services (HRPS) Chief Stephen Tanner, when I learned today (from the media) that he had travelled outside the country to attend to a property, with the permission of the Chair of the HRPS Board, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. I expressed my concern about the travel. I appreciate that Chief Tanner has now apologized and said it was a poor decision and one he deeply regrets.

I encourage those with properties outside the province to consider local property management companies and continue to avoid non-essential travel. I have heard from constituents who also have properties outside the province who are not travelling to those properties, and they expect the same from their community leaders.

Clearly, as community leaders, we need to hold ourselves not only to the same standards we expect from the public, but a higher standard of accountability, transparency and behaviour. We are in a public health emergency when all non-essential travel is being discouraged by our public health officials and provincial and federal governments.

Accountability starts in our own backyard. My expectations are that no senior City staff or Council members will be travelling outside the province for non-essential trips during the shutdown. I can confirm that no senior staff at Burlington City Hall has travelled outside the province since the province-wide shutdown. I also asked and have received confirmation from all City Council members that none of them have travelled outside of the province since the shutdown.

As a new measure during virtual City of Burlington Committee and Council meetings, and other public meetings, I will be voluntarily disclosing where I am calling in from. I have asked all of my City Council colleagues to do the same.
Additionally, I have put on the agenda of our upcoming Emergency Control Group a discussion of what further measures are warranted to ensure our staff and council walk the talk, lead by example and hold ourselves to the same and higher standard than we expect of the community.

We are in the worst of this pandemic. It is all hands on deck. We need to trust each other and work together. To do that, we all need to make the same commitments and sacrifices to beat this deadly virus.

We need to work to restore trust when it has been broken, as it has recently with many announcements of travel by health, elected and community leaders.

I have a question: Why does saying “it was a poor decision and one he deeply regrets” close the matter. That’s just not right.

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Burlington Scoops Senior Staffer from Oakville: Scalera to head up Roads, Parks and Forestry

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

January 8th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There is some chatter about the level of staff turnover at City Hall and there have been Staff Reports that reflect what is going on in city hall – it wasn’t a pretty picture.

That may be changing.

The Mayor recently used her Newsletter to welcome Enrico Scalera as the new Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry Department.

Enrico Scalera Director PArks and Roads

Enrico Scalera named Director Parks, Roads and Forestry

Scalera brings 30 years of private and public-sector experience in engineering and operations to the City of Burlington. For the past 10 years, he has served as Director of Roads and Works Operations with the Town of Oakville and was responsible for road infrastructure maintenance, fleet and operations facilities.

Burlington scooped a senior staffer from Oakville?  That is news.

During his time with Oakville Scalera oversaw the department implementation of many program improvements and enhancements including Asset Management and Work Order and AVL systems and implementation of customer service and response tracking systems.

Scalera is a graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science Program in civil engineering from the University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Ontario One Call, the Provincial agency advocating for best practices and communicating locate requests for underground infrastructure.

Something about Burlington attracted the man. Our City Manager appears to be in the process of putting together a different team.

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Burlington Man Proves Slots Can Be a Full-Time Job - Think YouTube

sportsgold 100x100By Mildred Austria

January 8th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

‘Who says you can’t have fun and earn a living at the same time? Brian Christopher from Burlington, Ontario, proves that it is possible to take gambling to a level that is more enviable than having a lucky streak. From classic to progressive slots, gambling has been more than enjoyable for the 39-year-old gambling enthusiast.

PAID Burl man at progressiveChristopher is not making money directly from winning at slot machines, although he occasionally earns some from them. He is having slots as his “full-time job” by being a YouTube who plays slots. He is now one of the leading YouTubers who specialize in videos about wagering.

Christopher did not plan any of his YouTube fame and money-making. It was in April 2016 when he posted his first ever video on the video sharing platform. He thought only his family and friends would consider giving his video the views. However, in around a month after posting his first video, he noticed his followers were growing rapidly. This led to him getting an invite to be part of YouTube’s partner program, allowing him to monetize the content he posts.

He said he decided he would record some of the instances he was enjoying slots after seeing others doing the same. It would be fun, he thought, and he was not seriously considering giving it a lot of effort. It was just about him filming for fun.

After seeing the growth of his channel and making money out of the videos he used to post without any thought of monetization, Christopher decided to make it his full-time job. He eventually planned trips to casinos where he can create his unique content. He also thought of posting videos daily since nobody playing slots was doing it at that pace.

Christopher thinks that his channel grew further because of the frequency he was posting videos. He was not doing something that is in a very narrow niche. It’s not the same as the content produced by many of the top YouTubers around. However, he managed to attract regular viewers of his videos because he was doing it daily, so he had something new to offer to his subscribers every time they visit his channel.

In an interview with The Star, the successful YouTuber expressed elation over doing something he enjoys. He said being a gaming-focused YouTuber is so much fun. He unapologetic ally professed his fondness for gambling and his desire to entertain people, two things he is able to do and make money from by being a YouTube video blogger.

On average, YouTuber content creators earn in the range of $3 to $5 for every 1,000 views their videos get. A single video with a million views in a month can already generate a hefty amount to pay for living expenses.

Christopher’s channel averages 207,000 views per day. Many of his videos are already above the 1 million view mark. As of January 6, 2021, his channel has already accumulated more than 201 million views and 314,000 subscribers.

Mildred Austria tracks and analyzes the any ways social media is used by several sectors.

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Demonstrators want the Fearman pork processing plant closed during the lockdown

News 100 greenBy Staff

January 8th. 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

A group of people who object to the slaughter of pigs at the Fearman plant in Burlington have shifted their focus just a bit and want to see the slaughterhouse shut down because they believe there are a number of people working in the plant who have become infected with the Covid19 virus.  They are demonstrating outside the plant

Their information, which could not be confirmed, was that 29 workers at the Fearman plant have become infected.

A 150 year old corporation that plays a significant role in the Burlington economy. Should a slughterhiuse be in this location?

A 150 year old corporation that plays a significant role in the Burlington economy is part of the Sofina Group that is close to the largest pork producer in Canada. 

The Public Health Unit reports on the number of new infections but they don’t break that data out with enough detail to know if there have been infections at the plant.

Fearman’s is a very large employer operating a plant that is said to process 10,000 pigs each day.

The torontopigsave group has organized a small demonst5ation at the plant that started at just after 9:30 am.

Trevor Miller told the Gazette that the small number of demonstrators (there are just five) was done for two reasons – they didn’t want their people to create a crowd that could spread the virus and they wanted to ensure that there was not a repeat of the Regan Russell tragedy.

Regan Russell save the pigs

Regan Russell, was run over by a truck transporting pigs into the Fearman plant last June

Ms Russell was run over by a transport truck that was getting ready to enter the plant  on June 19th, this year when the accident took place.

The demonstrators are asking why the business is continuing to operate during the lockdown while elsewhere in Canada and worldwide similar facilities are shut down to slow infections. Two days ago the City of Toronto released a report condemning the company for posing a significant risk to public health.

pigs - watered - girls

Save the pigs activist watering pigs in a transport truck while it was stopped at an intersection just before entering the slaughterhouse.

“There’s no reason to put the lives of slaughterhouse workers and their communities in harm’s way to produce non-essential products,” says Trevor Miller with Toronto Pig Save. “The 10,000 pigs who lose their lives there every day, along with the employees now contributing to overloaded hospitals and ICUs, deserve to be treated with the same privileges as granted to white-collar workers throughout this pandemic – the chance for healthy lives.

“Many employed in this industry are themselves members of vulnerable and marginalized populations and have found themselves forced into unsafe work spaces.”

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Festival Lights Might be on for a Bit Longer - Smart Idea

News 100 yellowBy Staff

January 7th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Will the lights be on forever?

Lights festival BTTBWell maybe not forever – but there are reported to be lighting the evening skies until the end of the month with a number of people wanting to see them on until March.

One of our sources said he “posted a mention on two Facebook pages and in less than 24 hours got 200 likes.”

The lights have been a festival season feature for more than 25 years.

Given the mood of the city and the oppressive feelings keeping the lights on would be nice.

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Body Positive - a Different Way of Looking at What Woman Look Like

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

January 6th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

At the beginning of a year people make resolutions.

Losing weight is one that is at the top of many resolution lists.

We care about the way we look.

Some people care much more than others and go to great lengths to change their natural appearance

Emily Lauren Dick, Burlington author, graduated from Wilfred Laurier University where her focus was on Women’s Studies. She began to learn about the intense focus on what women should look like.

The fashion world set the tone, the media picks it up and men were persuaded that THIS is what an attractive woman looks like.

Billions of dollars were poured into the marketing of what women had to look like – the pressure on young women – girls actually, is intense.

For many young people it was not a pretty picture.

Anorexia was prevalent as early as the middle years of school.

Body book cover Dyck

Interviews with 75 women about what they look like and what, if anything, they want to do about it.

Emily’s book, Body Positive,  is made up of a lot of pictures and interviews she did with more than 75 women who came in all shapes and sizes.

It’s not easy being a girl today. We live in a culture in which Average Girls feel bad about themselves for being unable to achieve society’s ideal standards of beauty. The media makes it nearly impossible for girls to develop a positive body image. Many of you may feel alone in your struggle with your body image. But you should know that your experience is . . . well, average.

Some of the quotes from the interviews actually hurt:

“The media pressures girls of all ages to be perfect and cool-looking, from having the newest Barbie when they’re young to having the perfect everything when they [are] elementary-school age and older. It’s ridiculous because people get teased . . . about their appearance— not even their personality, but their appearance—and it’s so hard not to get wrapped into it. People usually do. I know I do.”
—Madeleine

“The media is the biggest reason for my being anorexic.”
—Alli

“Perfect skin, long eyelashes, big eyes, pink lips . . . I don’t know, I just think it’s pretty. That’s always shown in films and in magazines and stuff. I just love the look I can’t do. I’m just ugly, and I can’t be [bothered] to do makeup—don’t have much money for makeup anyway.”

The book tends to focus on younger women – because Emily feels that is where the most help is needed. “This is the age most impacted by anorexia”, she said.

The objective is to teach people to be who they are and that who they really are is perfectly alright.

This is a book you work with – the pictures themselves say a lot about different sizes and shapes – it is the comments and the questions that are out to readers that makes it worth the time and effort for those who question what they look like and go to some length to change that look.

You can order online anywhere that sells books – specifically Amazon Canada, Chapters Indigo, Amazon US, Bookshop, Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Barnes and Noble, Workman!

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CondoGuide Available from Province - Best Information Source for Condo Buyers

News 100 blueBy Staff

January 6, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Buying a house is something most people know a little bit about.

The Baxter was a very successful condo development; seen as a prime location and an attractive building to boot. The proposed structure for Brock and Elgin is anything but attractive if the drawings are any indication of what they want to build.

The Baxter was a very successful condo development; seen as a prime location and an attractive building. 

Not the same with a condominium. The rules are a little different for the condo world.

The province has released a CondoGuide that sets out just what the buying process is and what you need to know. The Guide was developed by the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) and approved by the Minister as a helpful resource for the buyers of residential pre-construction/new condo units.

Realtors are required to give you a copy of that guide and to allow a ten day cooling off period once the paper work is completed.
The Condo Guide equips prospective buyers of residential pre-construction/new or resale condo units with information on condo ownership and the condo purchase process.

It also contains various topics including moving into a residential pre-construction/new condo unit, condo living, and how condo owners can resolve issues.

Although the Condo Guide is primarily written for condo buyers, if you have recently purchased a unit, or even if you are a long-time condo owner, the Condo Guide may also be of interest to you as it covers many topics relevant to condo ownership.

You can access a copy of the CondoGuide HERE

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