 By Pepper Parr
November 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The dates and Zoom participation information is at the end of this article.
What began as the core and defining issue during the 2018 municipal election has become a review of the Region’s Official Plan.
The people that supported candidate Marianne Meed Ward were not in favour of the kind of development they were seeing take place in the city.
In the 20 months since winning the election the Mayor has worked to bring about two important objectives.
 Marianne Meed Ward was always crystal clear on what she wanted to achieve. She did not believe that the John Street bus terminal was an MTSA -Major Transit Station Area and she did not believe the boundary in place for the Urban Growth Centre was the right boundary for the city.
The bus terminal situation was almost funny. Most kitchens in decent sized homes are bigger than the bus terminal – how it got the label of an MTSA attached to it was never really clear.
 The Nautique – a condominium under construction at the intersection of Lakeshore Road and Martha Street. That terminal and its labeling as an MTSA is basically the reason the Nautique is now under construction at Martha and Lakeshore Road.
There is a sad tale to be told about how all that came about. There are still planners out there arguing that the existence of the bus terminal, with its designation, is justification for building more than 20 storey’s in height.
The Mayor worked every angle she could find to rid the city of the John Street bus terminal designation and to get the Urban Growth Boundary moved.
She is close to getting what is the biggest part of her election platform
Curt Benson, the Director of Planning for the Region delegated to Council last week explaining what the Region is doing and the role the public can play in helping to arrive at a decision.
He covered a lot of ground and answered a lot of questions. Surprisingly three Councillors didn’t say a word: Councillors Bentivegna, Nisan and Stolte didn’t ask questions. Stolte was chair of the meeting but that has never stopped her from asking questions in the past.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman Councillor Sharman was very pointed with many of his questions.
The Mayor was as supportive as she could be but made a point of asking the kind of question that supported her long term political objective.
If what Meed Ward set out to do when running for the office of Mayor is achieved it will become a significant part of the development history in the city and result in a major shift in how the city grows and where the growth takes place.
 We tend to see elected and administrative people on video screens. See here are Mayor Meed Ward on the left with Regional Director of Planning Curt Benson and Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan What Curt Benson had to say to Council will be covered in a separate article.
What he said that is important to people who follow this kind of municipal stuff is the two Public Information Centres (whoever came up with that name) that are taking place.
One is on the 19th of November and the other on the 25th.
Both are virtual.
The information you need to take part in these virtual events is as follows:
November 19, 2020
Time: 1 p.m.
Call 1-855-703-8985 (Toll Free) or 647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588 to listen or join via Zoom
Meeting ID: 965 8371 6047
Passcode: 930488
For Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Time: 7 p.m.
Call 1-855-703-8985 (Toll Free) or 647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588 to listen by telephone or join via Zoom
Meeting ID: 980 8592 6459
Passcode: 930488
The same material will be covered in each event.
This is important stuff and Curt Benson is a good presenter.
 By Staff
November 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington is in the running of a significant award by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries
The Gender Conspiracy, ran from August 31st to December 31st 2019. The event, curated by Suzanne Carte, senior curator at the Art Gallery of Burlington
 Suzanne Carte, senior curator at the Art Gallery of Burlington AGB was listed as one of three in the Exhibition of the Year Budget under $20,000 category.
Hosted by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, the annual OAAG/AOGA awards celebrates outstanding achievement, artistic merit, and excellence in arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery sector.
The OAAG/AOGO Awards recognize new exhibitions, publications, programs and community engagements that have been produced and commissioned by Ontario’s public galleries.
 The event was something Burlington had never experienced before. It was very well attended. The Gender Conspiracy is an Open Letter to the Trans and Gender Diverse communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to express allyship in furthering the discourse on gender fluidity and identity, sexual orientation, same-sex relationships, and consent to promote the mental health and safety of all LGBTQI2S* communities.
The AGB is determined to be vigilant and visible in our support of LGBTQI2S people by placing critical conversations on gender diversity back into the public education sphere.
The exhibition hosted a significant public programming stream in collaboration with community partners; The Positive Space Network, EGALE Canada Human Rights Trust, JAYU Human Rights Film Festival, Burlington Public Library, McMaster University Department of Gender Studies and Feminist Research, Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School Position Space (GSA), and Oakville Galleries.
 By Pepper Parr
November 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
On a CBC radio program earlier today Melissa Lastman, a strategist with Enterprise Canada said: She added later that many people feel “Nobody is telling us why”.
We are getting a lot in the way of numbers – nothing comforting in any of them.
1487 new cases in Ontario
538 for Toronto
88 active cases in Halton – 16 deaths in the Region.
 And we are now in a “red” code which the Mayor seems to be comfortable with as she struggles to breath some life into the hospitality sector.
She is pushing a big stone up a hill.
The virus is in the community – that is a fact. How far it gets to go is up to us.
We have a Premier who is loath to shut things down – it isn’t in the way he thinks or acts. He is a business person – the doors don’t get closed.
At a Standing Committee Council was focused on getting a little closer to normal and beginning to open up a little. There were some really good ideas and the mood of council was upbeat.
Then the move into a Red Control Zone. Council and Staff didn’t seem to be fully aware of just what the numbers were really telling us.
 The province today announced significant changes in the way PPE is sourced. There is a bigger picture and a bigger responsibility that no one seems to fully understand or prepared to do all that much about.
At Council next week they will decide if the second round of $125,000 funding for PPE is to go forward.
There is now a very vigorous debate within the medical community. The province appears to be prepared with new infections just as long as there aren’t too many.
There is a new group of medical professionals who urge that a 0 growth rate be put in place and that we shut down as much as possible until that level is reached.
We need to do more to get this virus under control is the sentiment that is being heard.
 A reported 29 deaths at this Long Term Care residence No one at the political level is prepared to say that Christmas will be different – just how much is the big question.
The Canadian Medical Association has said that “we are very close to a tipping point”. This is a voice that needs to be heard.
Something that has to be said as well: We should be ashamed of what we have let happen in the long term care homes.
There is a report of one home in which 80% of the residents are infected.
 By Staff
November 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The average price of a property in Burlington during the month of October rose to $1,095,813, up 16.7% as compared to October 2019.
56% sold for the asking price or more and properties sold for 101.34% of the asking price and in 13 days, on average during the month of October.
Sales were up just under 36% as compared to October 2019. Inventory levels at the end of October were down 46% as compared to the end of October 2019. YTD, sale prices are up 14.4%, sales are up 9.3% and days on market are down 35.5% as compared to the same period in 2019.
A couple of truly astonishing sales during the month of October: a two-storey family home in original condition (circa 1988) on Simon Drive in south Burlington was listed for $1,299,900 and sold for $1,650,000 in 5 days!
Another 2 storey family home in original condition (circa 1981) on Appleford Lane in Tyandaga was listed for $999,900 and sold for $1,225,000 in 2 days.
Our Team listed a fully updated bungalow in Pinedale for $1,099,000 and 12 offers later, sold it for $1,270,000!
A look at the numbers:
 Residential sales for October 2020
By Staff
November 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have re-opened our Burlington Collision Reporting Centre, and modified the hours of operation for our Oakville Collision Reporting Centre.
 Effective immediately, the Collision Reporting Centre located at 3800 Constable Henshaw Blvd. in Burlington has re-opened. It will be accessible to the public seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Collision Reporting Centre located at 95 Oak Walk Drive in Oakville remains open Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. To report a collision on a Saturday or Sunday, please visit the Burlington Collision Reporting Centre.
There will be strict adherence to public health directives while in police facilities, including sanitizing your hands on entry, maintaining adequate physical distancing, and wearing a mask or face covering.
 By Andrew Drummond
November 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
On Nov 13, the Ford government announced that Halton region will be added to the list of regions in the “red” zone, effective Nov 16. After a Toronto Star story exposed that the government ignored health experts’ recommendations and amplified the requirements for inclusion to red restrictions by 4x, they announced a new set of guidelines that will include Halton into the most restrictive conditions that currently exist in Ontario.
Unfortunately, even these restrictions are too little to seriously impact the spread of COVID-19 within our community given the explosive increase in cases and positivity ratings during the last month. The best course of action would be for the government to fund a complete two week shut down of all non-essential businesses so that Halton and other communities have a chance to fight the spread of COVID-19. Without decisive action now, we will be forced into a second, lengthy lockdown that will threaten the economic recovery that our region has worked so hard to build.
 Regional Public Health data for November 11th Over the week of Nov 5-11 Halton region had a rate of 54.9 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. The Region also has a positivity rate of 4.4%. These are alarming stats, and indicators that the current efforts in the Region are not sufficient to contain the spread of the virus. There is reason for concern however that the new measures to be implemented on Nov 16 will also be insufficient in stopping the spread. As an example, Peel region is currently under even more restrictive measures than what the “red” zone mandates and yet has seen its cases increase exponentially. People are fatigued with social gathering restrictions and will only follow guidelines if stringently enforced, not if they are merely recommendations.
Controlling the spread of COVID is essential to the health of our community. Beyond spread within the Burlington community, there is also a localized outbreak at Tansley Woods Retirement Home. To date 35 residents and 11 staff members have been infected with the virus. As of Nov 13, 7 of these residents have died. This is too terrible an impact within our community to ignore. Without quickly imposed strong measures in place, we risk further institutional outbreaks that will endanger our most vulnerable populations.
 Andrew Drummond talking to Jane McKenna at an all candidates meeting during the last provincial election. On October 24, Burlington MPP Jane McKenna co-authored a public letter to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health referring to the minimal restrictions in place at that time. “These measures are working.” she said. This was completely untrue. We now know that holding back on necessary restrictions then allowed the virus to spread virtually unchecked within our community. It is critical that those mistakes not be repeated again. We need a stronger set of restrictions with rigid enforcement or we risk our region suffering the same fate as Peel with more than 400 cases every day.
The COVID pandemic has to date caused a massive amount of damage to the Burlington economy. Countless small and medium businesses in Burlington have struggled. Many have closed and many more have been forced to move. And throughout, there has been very little support from the provincial government. The federal government has offered a significant amount of support towards businesses and employees affected by the economic downturn. But the province has been hesitant to provide even meager additional supports. That has to end.
According to the Ontario government, 97% of direct support for COVID impacted people and businesses has come from the federal government with only 3% coming from Ontario itself (https://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/fed-prov-response-2020). Ontario needs to step up and have a plan for the long term health of our economy. Preventing shutdowns now risking future COVID outbreaks is short-sighted. We need the government to actually support our businesses through the short term so they can rebound through what is to come.
Burlington, Halton, and Ontario need to beat this wave of COVID-19. Our community cannot afford another week or month of the indecisive wait and see approach from our leaders. But our small and medium businesses cannot afford to take this hit by themselves. The Ontario government must finally step up and give our business community the support that it needs to shut down in a controlled manner, before we are forced to do so in a panic.
Burlington is currently in the red zone – Control The current measures do not go far enough. It is a continuation of the conflicting direction and expectation that most people will take additional measures on their own initiative. That is not good enough, we need better. Even the “red” zone guidelines are conflicting in their expectations. The strong recommendation is that no one leave their homes except for essential travel (work, school, etc.). However, there are guidelines set as to how house league sports are to conduct themselves (no games, practices only). Is house league sports really an essential activity worth risking our community’s health?
Why have guidelines for it if everyone is supposed to stay home except for essentials? Mall food courts are restricted to 10 seated guests. The food court at Mapleview almost certainly has to close under those restrictions. So where is the support for those businesses? Every recommendation from the government in the last three months has been politicized and constantly modified to the point that neither citizens nor businesses are sure what the exact advice is anymore.
These conflicts are only examples of the conflicted, unclear, and indecisive leadership shown by the government during this crisis. They are so invested in protecting businesses in the immediate short term that they can’t or won’t plan for what is necessary in the medium term. Burlington needs a decisive shut down in order to protect our community and to ensure that all of our efforts in the past six months were not in vain. Burlington has worked too hard for too long to suffer through more indecision and half measures. The time is now for decisive action to ensure that our community has a chance to build the recovery we need.
Andrew Drummond is a Burlington resident. He was the NDP candidate during the last provincial election.
By Pepper Parr
November 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The guy who was tasked with running the 2020 Terry Fox Run felt he was in great shape at the beginning of the year.
Come the end of March he thought he was looking at a disaster.
But Craig Gardner pulled the rabbit out of the hat and raised more in the year of the pandemic than ever before.
He gave the Gazette a call and said he had an idea.
“Things are going to be slow around Christmas – there won’t be many places we can go and there might not be all that much for people to do?, he suggested
 Craig Garner delegating to city council. wants to give people a way to drive around the city to take in the Christmas decorations. “What do you think of the idea of encouraging people to put up imaginative Christmas decorations outside their homes and then create a map showing where the homes are so that people can drive by with the kids in the car and at least get a sense that there is still a Christmas?”
With the city now in a red zone and the possibility of a lock down facing us, Gardner may have come up with a good idea.
How to make it happen was our question.
“Won’t that result in dozens upon dozens of people showing up in the cars?” I asked.
“I don’t think so” said Craig. “ I think people will be out for a drive and will want to move from location to location.”
We thought the idea had merit – anything Craig Gardner takes on usually works out.
The plan is to create an email address that people can use to say “I’m in” and send us their address.
 St. Catharines, ON has parts of that city that go all out on decorating. The Gazette will put the address locations on a map and people can decide where they want to drive around. It was suggested that people who are long term care facilities would love to be driven around to see all the trees and decorations..
The map will be published in the Gazette.
Because we expect a significant number of locations the city broken out by ward. You click on your ward and you get a map with all the locations in that ward.
You can tour as many wards as you like. We felt there might be far too many locations to place on a city wide map.
Gardner will be posting the idea on the Burlington Together Facebook page as well as the Burlington Dad’s Facebook page.
Craig and I are getting ready to visit a large retailer with an idea and an interesting way to promote the event and serve the community as well.
We will let you know how that works out.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested and want to be part of the tours just send us an email to:
lights@bgzt.ca
Provide your street address and the ward you live in (if you happen to know it).
We hope to have the maps in place before the end of the week. Note that “hope” is underlined.
By Pepper Parr
November 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
City Council has a cycle of meetings for each month.
They hold Standing Committee meetings at which there is usually vigorous debate on Staff Reports.
Then a Council meeting at which the results of the debate get approved (or not approved) which results in a bylaw that governs what we can and can’t do.
 While supported by good staff – these are the brains and executive capacity that keep the Emergency Coordinating Group ahead of major problems. We are currently in a mode of government where the real power is in the hands of the Emergency Control Group. (Council is involved, heavily involved, but the ECG does have the power to call the shots.)
The Emergency Control Group was the result of a decision made by the province that required every municipality to create an emergency control group.
Each month Council gets a “Service Re-design” report in which the ECG sets out program changes and modifications.
On Thursday Council heard a report from the Parks and Recreation Department on the Community Winter 2021 Opportunities for Recreation Services.
In the Executive Summary of the report, Staff said “…there is still a degree of uncertainty regarding the spread of COVID-19…”.
 There was no comment from the City Manager on just what that “degree of uncertainty” was; there was mention of the costs involved in the proposals that were put forward.
There were ideas and proposals for Outdoor Skating, Holiday Skates, Holiday Activation, and Winter Activation all with numbers attached setting out what it would cost and require in the way of staffing resources.
The Parks and Recreation people were asked to get more solid numbers on the costs. I suspect the Parks and Recreation people were a little taken aback at just how keen council seemed to be with most of their ideas.
That was Thursday.
On Friday the Province had taken a harder look at the numbers and moved all of Halton into a Red Zone, effective Monday (why the delay?) with a clear threat for a tough lock down later in the week.
It seemed as if Burlington City Council and the senior city administration people and the provincial leadership were singing from different hymn books.
City Manager Tim Commisso has some very smart people working with him – he frequently refers to his lead person on just what the province is doing and keeping him up to date on what is coming out of the Regional Public Health office saying that he couldn’t do his job without that person.
So here we were with Burlington sailing ahead with what sounded like good plan for giving the public things to do – the Santa traveling about the city on a fire truck was particularly neat –an innovative way to make up for the cancellation of the Santa Claus parade.
I couldn’t reconcile what Burlington was setting out to do with what the Province did on Friday.
I decided to look at the Regional Public Health data – something I now wish I had done much earlier.
Gazette resources are limited and I just didn’t keep a close eye on the data.
It was a shocker – there is a link below to the piece we published earlier today on what we learned.
The rolling average for the Region is 50 new infections each day with a positivity rate of 5: that is not a sustainable number. The hospital cannot manage those levels.
The concern is this: Did the city manager not know about the Regional data? Was that information not passed along to him?
 No mention of the Regional Health data from this bunch on Thursday Did members of Council stop looking at the Regional data? Not one of them made any mention of what the Region was telling anyone who took the time to visit their site.
Don’t expect anyone to say much about the eyes being taken off the ball – but hopefully we can expect a different tone at the meeting of City Council on the 23rd.
We could be in a total lock down by then.
Related news story
Regional data
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.
By Staff
November 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The details are always in the data.
 The blue line might be a little on the mis-leading side. On balance the Regional Public Health office has been doing a very good job testing and tracing COVID-19 infections. There are certainly instances of situations where things went off the rails – but the people doing this work have been working flat out. It is a seven days a week operation putting in the hours that it takes to test and trace.
 These are the numbers for the Region. How close are we to capacity in terms of what the hospitals can handle? Testing and tracing tells the Region what we are up against. When the data is rolled up to the province we get to see the bigger picture.
Local data explains the part we play in all this. The numbers are not good.
 The percent positivity is the critical number. We are now very close to be unable to control the spread of the virus.  These numbers are not sustainable. That Effective reproduction number is what we want – not what we have. The Region is currently at a reproduction number of 5
 With a seven-day moving average of 50+ cases a day it isn’t hard to see where we are headed.
The numbers on where we are with hospital capacity are approaching critical.
If the infections increase the number of people who enter hospitals and those who are in ICU and perhaps needing ventilation – bumps up against the number of ventilators available. As of Friday there were 8 classrooms in the Region closed with 11 people defined as infected.
The front line workers within the medical system are close to exhaustion – they have been at it since March with not much in the way of let up for them.
The Friday announcement that the four municipalities in the Region were now in a code Red status and the Premier suggesting that the province might well go into a second lock-down that will last longer than the first.
New Zealand chose to do a total lock down in August – winter time for them. Their lock down lasted more than 100 days. Canada is approaching its winter and our numbers are rising – because we did not heed what the data was telling us – the very mixed messaging didn’t help.
Is the writing on the wall?
By Staff
November 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Yesterday, the province announced Halton Region, including Burlington, will move into the Red (Control) Phase with additional restrictions to help control the spread of COVID-19. This takes effect on Monday, Nov. 16 and will be in place for a minimum of 28-days.
City of Burlington facilities and recreation programming can remain open with new restrictions in addition to ones already in place. Recreation Services staff are contacting user groups, renters and individuals affected by these changes.
New restrictions for City facilities and recreation as a result of moving in the Red (Control) Phase include:
• 10 people maximum for indoor programs such as ice pads, gymnasiums, pools, etc.
• 25 people maximum for outdoor programs
• Drop-in recreation programs will have a maximum capacity of 10 people. This includes Aquatic Fitness, recreational swimming and skating, lap swims, etc.
• Swimming lessons and indoor pickleball are cancelled
 A lot of no,no coming out of city hall. Expect more of this in the days and weeks ahead. • No spectators permitted at sports and recreational fitness facilities except for parent/guardian supervision of children
• All other program participants will receive targeted communication
These new restrictions will impact program providers in the following ways:
• For all team sport, indoor and outdoor game-play is no longer permitted
• Teams in City facilities and on City fields can adjust their programming to training and skill development with a maximum of 10 people indoor and 25 outdoor. Program participants are encouraged to reach out to their organization for additional information
• If you are a participant in a non-City program, please connect with your organization to understand how this may impact you
• No spectators permitted at sports and recreational fitness facilities except for parent/guardian supervision of children
• No contact permitted for team or individual sports
• Limit duration of stay to 90 minutes
• Require active screening, contact information and attendance for all patrons
• No live performances. Performing arts rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted
• Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or other impermeable barrier
Existing restrictions that will remain for City facilities and recreation include:
• Physical distancing
• Mandatory face coverings
• Mandatory health pre-screening, pre-registration and online payment
Virtual programming, Active at Home is still available at burlington.ca/activeathome and offers a wide variety of activities.
Anyone with questions should follow-up with their sport provider or user group or you can call Recreation Services’ Customer service at 905-335-7738.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward added her position to the provincial announcement.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward “Today, the Province revised the thresholds for movement in its new COVID-19 Framework and moved Region of Halton into the Red (Control) level with additional restrictions to help control the spread of COVID-19. The new level allows most businesses to remain open with additional protocols and restrictions.
I support this measure along with the new thresholds given the new and concerning modelling that was released this week. The Halton Mayors and Regional Chair had previously requested that any additional restrictions be based on transparent health indicators. The new data shows Halton meets the criteria for this change to a new level.
I continue to ask our residents to please follow the updated restrictions and guidelines from our Medical Officer of Health that include limiting social gatherings to household members, limiting outings to essential trips, and continuing to wear masks when social distancing is not possible.”
recommend everyone to check out the videos and stay active and safe.”
By Staff
November 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We asked the Regional Medical Officer of Health for some detail on masks.
What kind of mask works best and how do you care for the masks that you purchase. And what should one be looking for when they are buying masks on-line.
 Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Regional Medical Officer of Health We didn’t get quite the answers we were hoping but what we did get was certainly detailed enough,
This is what your taxes are paying for:
Masks are most effective when they are worn correctly.
Wear a mask made of three layers, including a middle, filter layer for improved protection. Masks should be made of tightly woven materials such as cotton or linen. Two layer masks do not need to be discarded, instead consider making or buying a three-layered mask when it is time to replace your two-layer non-medical mask.
Wear a mask that fits well around your nose and mouth, without gaps at the sides (for example, cloth mask, balaclava, bandana, or scarf).
Clean your hands before putting on, taking off or adjusting your mask.
Touch only the straps when putting on and taking off a mask.
Avoid touching your mask while wearing it to avoid contaminating your hands.
 Hold the mask by the strings If reusable, store in a clean place and wash regularly.
Discard non-reusable masks in a lined garbage bin if damp, soiled or damaged, and wash your hands afterwards.
Do not leave discarded masks on the ground or in shopping carts.
Masks or face coverings with an exhalation valve do not filter virus particles when you breathe out. In order to protect others nearby, wear a non-medical mask, balaclava, bandana, scarf, cloth or other similar item that covers the nose, mouth and chin without leaving a gap between the face and the mask.
 High end face mask Medical masks, such as N95 respirators, protect against respiratory droplets from others entering the nose or mouth. Medical masks are needed by healthcare workers for medical procedures and to care for individuals who have COVID-19.
Some employers (that do not provide health care services) may require staff wear medical grade masks in order to meet safety requirements.
 By Pepper Parr
November 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
People who take an interest in their community want information.
In the newspaper business that means listening to what city hall plans to do and reporting on what is learned accurately and in context.
Context is not always something the bureaucrats appreciate.
The style used by a newspaper is unique. The Gazette’s approach is to be a little edgy and to be as entertaining as possible.
Some of the stuff the bureaucrats do is funny – they call those things learning experiences.
The Gazette is a member of the National NewsMedia Council (NNC). We were the first on-line newspaper to be admitted into membership.
We pay dues to the NNC and agree to accept their decisions when someone files a complaint.
In a note to the membership the NNC said recently that:
“The NNC has received several complaints this year (none related to the Gazette – we behaved this year) about headlines. In two recent examples, both complainants were concerned that the headline of the story contained misleading or insufficient information. The NNC found no breach in either case, but instead identified relevant points for the purpose of reader education.
 “In one case, an individual was concerned that the headline of a Globe and Mail article incorrectly attributed the statement that ‘Mi’gmaq students [were] no longer welcome’ in the province to the New Brunswick premier, or worse, to all New Brunswick residents. The individual felt that it was incorrect because no one had uttered the exact phrase.
“In this case, the Globe amended the headline shortly after publication to include a more detailed statement of fact, in particular, that Mi’gmaq students in Quebec could not ‘cross border for school.’ The NNC views that corrective action as appropriate.
“The NNC pointed out that it is common practice for news headlines to refer to governments or well-known groups in this short-hand manner. Readers generally understand the reference to be to the authorities, not each resident. It is also common practice to paraphrase the statements and perspectives of officials in headlines with the verb “says,” as was the case in this example.
“In another example, an operator of a local business was concerned that the headline of a Collingwood Today article was misleading because it did not name the pub where a staff member had tested positive for COVID. The complainant stated he had received numerous calls from curious patrons, and said the lack of specific detail in the headline left some readers to assume it referred to his establishment.
“In reviewing the complaint and article in question, the NNC noted that the first line of the article referenced the specific establishment.
“The NNC sympathizes with the challenges that businesses are facing during these times. We also recognize that journalism has the job of providing the community with important information, and that at times that mandate must be balanced against privacy concerns and perceived negative impact. The NNC found that balance was achieved in this case.
“Standard journalistic practice requires that headlines are accurate and reflect the focus of the article. However, headlines are also limited in that their function is to grab readers’ attention in a concise and sometimes clever way.
“In these cases, most of the concerns about the headlines were answered by information contained in the article that followed. While it is unfortunate that some readers may choose to read only the headline and miss out on important information in the article, that itself does not indicate a breach of standards.”
By Staff
November 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Bank of Nova Scotia on Brant Street north of Caroline was closed for a short period of time due to two staff contracting COVID-19.
 While difficult to read the sign sauntil November 30th The Bank has re-opened with slightly reduced staff and after a through cleaning done by an outside third party contractor.
The virus is now working its way through the city. It will not cease until stronger action is taken.
The province is expected to announce plans that came out of a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
 Brant Street, east side, north of Caroline.
 By Staff
November 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Foundation today announced $82,500 in Phase 3 grants from their COVID-19 Pandemic Response Fund. These new grant gifts will help charities rise to meet local challenges brought on by the global pandemic.
Previously, through Phases 1 and 2 granting, over $224,000 was awarded, with this announcement bringing the new funding total to over $307,000.
 To date, 39 grants have been made possible through the wonderful philanthropic giving of the Burlington community. The Foundation is grateful to several local donors as well as the following fundholders: The Paletta Family, Pioneer Energy, Randy & Denise Reeve Family Fund, Milne Family Foundation Fund, Pieczonka Family Foundation Fund, Dalton Timmis Group Fund, LKH Spirit Fund, BDO Burlington Community Fund, and the Ralph and Susan Sgro Family Fund.
“In this year of extraordinary adversity, we are humbled by the outpouring of financial gifts provided by community givers — everyday heroes who continue to rally together with us to deliver critical supports to our most vulnerable neighbours and charitable partners,” says Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO of Burlington Foundation.
“Today, as we celebrate National Philanthropy Day, we pay special tribute to the contributions that philanthropy has, and will continue to make, in our community. The future is brighter because of the generosity of these selfless givers.”
Phase 3 grants have been provided to charities in the Arts, Heritage and Environment sectors who are experiencing unforeseen challenges as a result of this pandemic. Here are a few of the charities receiving support in Phase 3:
• $8,000 to Burlington New Millennium Orchestra to deliver virtual and live parking lot performances
for isolated seniors
• $9,000 to Joseph Brant Museum to deliver dynamic educational opportunities through an interactive Travelling Exhibition Program
• $7,000 to BurlingtonGreen to support new Nature Friendly Burlington online resources that strengthen connections between community well-being and nature
Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) received a $10,000 grant in Phase 1 to support important mental health work
To see the complete list of Phase 3 grants visit
 By Staff
November 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) would like to warn citizens of a scam that has been occurring across the Region of Halton. The scam typically involves two suspects – one acting as taxi driver and the other acting as a customer.
 The suspects will engage in a loud, verbal argument, where the taxi driver refuses to accept cash from the customer for the fare (often citing COVID-19 as the reason).
The customer will then prey on unsuspecting individuals nearby, asking them to use their debit card to pay the fare in exchange for cash (which is given to the victim at the time).
The intent is to draw the victim to the taxi, where the driver presents a point of sale machine to the victim. The debit card is swiped/inserted into the machine and the PIN number covertly obtained by the suspect. The victim is then distracted by the original customer (suspect) at which point in time the driver switches the debit card, retaining the victims and giving them a different one back.
The debit card is then immediately used by the suspects to withdraw money or make purchases.
This scam has been occurring across the province and eight such incidents have been reported in the Region of Halton since late October, 2020 (five incidents in Oakville and three in Burlington).
The HRPS would like to remind the public of the following tips:
• Taxi’s DO and WILL accept cash
• Never give your debit/credit card to someone else
• When making a purchase, always remember to cover your PIN when entering it
• Be mindful of the point of sale machine when making a purchase and if you suspect it has been tampered with, choose another payment method
• If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact police immediately
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to contact Detective Constable Mike Tidball of the Halton Regional Police Service – Fraud Unit at 905-825-747 ext. 8743.
 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.
 By David Burke
November 12, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Have You Heard of ‘Kid Poker’? What it Takes to Become a New Daniel Negreanu
Canadian poker sensation Daniel Negreanu is a phenomenon at the card table. Winning his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) golden bracelet at the tender age of 23 earned him the nickname ‘Kid Poker’ – and many more successes followed that early triumph. He is the third biggest money winner in tournament history, amassing an eye-watering $42,000,000 in winnings across the course of his career.
Early years
Daniel Negreanu was born in Toronto in 1974, the son of Romanian immigrants who moved to Canada to give their kids a better life. At a very young age he started to hustle in pool halls and play poker in his hometown, honing his skills. He found he was blessed with a way with numbers, and excellent probability skills, a crucial attribute for a budding poker star.
He left high school and immediately started playing cards full time, taking money from much older and more experienced players, building a tidy bankroll in the process.
He gravitated towards Las Vegas with his winnings, only to lose everything. After coming back to Toronto and rebuilding he tried his luck again and again, returning from the Vegas Strip empty-handed, until one day his luck changed.
Hours of Practice and Dedication
In 1998 he announced himself to the world stage by winning his first WSOP gold bracelet, the youngest ever to do it at 23 years old. Over the years five more bracelets would be won – including in a bumper 2004 where he made 11 final tables and won almost $4.5 million, becoming the WSOP player of the year. 2013 saw him named WSOP player of the year for the second time, the only player to achieve that feat.
Negreanu puts his success down to more than just luck. After his initial Vegas setbacks, he dedicated himself to the game, studying and playing for hours on end, working on his theory, tactics, gameplay and bluff technique.
Regarding the actual amount of practice and dedication you need to become a good poker player, he once mentioned in his blog – “Yes, you may become the best player in that game, but until you have proven you can be, let’s assume you are still in the learning phase and shouldn’t expect to jump out of the gate and be the best player at the table. Based on what I’ve heard, the best players in that game may make as much as $30 an hour.
Deduct 30% from that, if all goes well you can target $21 an hour. To make the math easier, let’s just make it $20 flat per hour. Since our goal is to make $100,000 a year, now we can have a rough idea of how many hours we actually need to spend at the table playing poker. That comes to 5000 hours a year playing. If we break down that further, that comes to 417 hours a month, which breaks down to over 100 hours a week!
This is before we even add all of the study hours required to be in line with our vision statement. For every 10 hours of play, you should add at least two hours of study time. Add on another 1000 hours a year of study, which boils down to 14 hours a week.”
Sounds like a lot, right? That was exactly what he did – made his time serve one goal – becoming the best out of best.
For anyone tempted by Negreanu’s success, this time commitment should be seriously thought through. However, if you have made the decision to follow in his footsteps, some professionals suggest practicing online. Websites like LegalBetting go into details on advantages of online poker versus the real-life version and give potential players a choice of online casinos renowned for their focus on poker. The beauty of hubs for online poker like this one, is that they let you practice different variations, for example on Legalbetting there is Texas Holde’m and Omaha, and even information on tournaments.
Following Negeanu’s advice, budding poker professionals should practice on as many poker variations as possible, and could even make use of the tactic and strategy needed or other games available online, such as Baccarat and Blackjack. Anything that serves brushing up your tactique. Negreanu even advises playing chess, as he once said: “Playing chess can make you a better poker player because it forces you to think several moves ahead. That kind of intense mental exercise develops a deeper level of thinking than is typically encountered when playing poker.”
It’s easy for players to practice chess online. There are plenty of spots out there, such as Chess.com, where, other than learning about the game of chess, fans can find Negreanu’s matches as well as watch others playing live.
By Staff
November 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Backhoe rips apart a building on the west side of John, just north of Lakeshore Road. More demolition in the downtown core.
The block bound by Brant Street, Lakeshore Road, John Street and Pine, believed to be owned by the Molinaro interests, and for which there are some significant development plans, is undergoing some demolition on the John Street side.
 A rendering that was prepared by the city of the block – Lakeshore Road at the bottom. The Molinaro’s were not impressed with what the city had in mind for the property. There are a number of two storey structures that housed restaurants which are no longer operational. One of them is having a close encounter with a large yellow back hoe.
The demolition should not lead to speculation that a hole is going to be dug and a structure start rising.
If a property isn’t bringing in revenue – better to demolish it and pay a lower tax rate.
By Staff
November 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It is almost as if the Canadian Air Force is putting up everything they have that can get off the ground as part of their contribution to remembering all that was lost in a terrible war.
 An Air Force fly past over Parliament Hill The tributes are taking place in every province. The following are the Ontario locations and the aircraft that will take part.
 130H Hercules  CF-18 Hornet  CH-147F Chinook  CH-146 Griffon Bancroft (CC-130H Hercules);
Barrie (CC-130H Hercules and CC-130J Hercules);
Belleville (four CF-18 Hornets and one CC-150T Polaris);
Canadian Forces Base Borden (CC-130H Hercules and CC-130J Hercules);
Campbellford (two CH-146 Griffons);
Clinton (CC-130J Hercules);
Deep River (three CH-147F Chinooks);
Foxboro (two CH-146 Griffons);
Frankford (two CH-146 Griffons);
Hamilton (CC-130H Hercules and CC-130J Hercules);
Havelock (two CH-146 Griffons);
Highway of Heroes (three CC-130J Hercules);
Kitchener-Waterloo (CC-130J Hercules);
London (CC-130J Hercules);
Madoc (CC-130H Hercules);
Marmora (two CH-146 Griffons);
Oshawa (three CH-147F Chinooks);
Ottawa (four CF-18 Hornets);
Pembroke (three CH-147F Chinooks);
Pickering (two CC-130J Hercules);
Renfrew (three CH-147F Chinooks);
Stirling (two CH-146 Griffons);
St. Catharines (CC-130J Hercules);
Strathroy (CC-130J Hercules);
Toronto (three CH-147F Chinooks and a CC-130H Hercules);
Trenton (two CH-146 Griffons, two CC-130J Hercules, four CF-18 Hornets and CC-150T Polaris) Wooler (two CH-146 Griffons).
By Staff
November 11th, 2020
Burlington, ON
It won’t be the same.
Brant Street filled with people who have gathered at the Cenotaph to remember.
The pandemic has changed almost everything – so this year the Remembrance Day ceremony will take place virtually. People are being asked not to attend at the Cenotaph but instead to watch on-line through a live stream arranged by the Legion.
 Past Remembrance Day ceremonies have drawn crowds that filled Brant Street
 By Staff
November 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
If money talks, and it usually does, the rural parts of Burlington and Milton are about to see significant improvements in the internet access service they have.
But – there seems to be money pouring in from all over the place. Town of Milton announced an internet access project that makes no mention of the federal funds.
Their money came from the province. Hard to keep up with all these people handing out cash hand over fist.
 In a prepared statement Adam van Koeverden, Member of Parliament for Milton (the riding includes large part of rural Burlington) said “Canada is facing the most serious public health crisis in our history. COVID-19 has altered everything about our way of life. It has exposed and compounded existing inequalities and vulnerabilities and has hit rural communities hard.
A significant part of van Koeverden’s riding includes parts of Northern rural Burlington. He wants to see better internet access for them
“For too many residents of our constituency, lack of access to reliable high-speed internet has a dramatic impact on quality of life. Now, more than ever, everyone needs reliable access to high-speed Internet as we work, learn and keep in touch with friends and family from home.
Our government has long recognized the need to connect every home, every business and every community to fast and dependable internet. That’s why we put forward the country’s first national strategy to achieve universal connectivity, backed up by billions of dollars in federal funding. We are already seeing results, having had approved projects and programs that will connect more than 1.7 million Canadian households to better, faster internet
Recognizing the need to accelerate that progress, today, MP Adam van Koeverden is announcing the launch of the enhanced and expanded Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), which will help improve high-speed Internet access and mobile connectivity across Canada. That includes underserved communities here in Milton. Originally designed as a $1 billion program, the Government has increased funding for UBF to $1.75 billion, recognizing the need to act swiftly to connect all Canadians.
The enhanced UBF also recognizes the need for urgency. Connectivity can’t wait and we will not allow government bureaucracy to stand in the way. That’s why the program now includes the Rapid Response Stream, an accelerated application process that will allow shovel-ready projects to get started right away. The application period is now open and community partners are encouraged to apply for funding.
And that is where the problem lies: Are there any “shovel ready “projects?
In our short conversation with the Member of Parliament for Milton we learned that there really isn’t anything the poor souls in Campbellville with lousy internet access can do. It is up to a sponsoring organization to take the first step and access some of the federal funds that are available. The federal government has said the money is there – now someone has to step forward and see if they qualify.
That doesn’t match the hype the federal government has wrapped this project in.
If money talks, and it usually does, the rural parts of Burlington and Milton are about to see significant improvements in the internet access service they have.
But – there seems to be money pouring in from all over the place. Town of Milton announced an internet access project that makes no mention of the federal funds.
Their money came from the province. Hard to keep up with all these people handing out cash hand over fist.
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