 By Pepper Parr
November 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Earlier this month we published a story on how the version of the Official Plan that was debated at a Standing Committee meeting on September 30th and passed at a Special Meeting of Council on October 6th.
The document then had to be sent to the Regional government.
What the Gazette wondered was: How does the city get the document to the Regional government where it has to be approved?
 The document fills a five inch binder. Do they drop it in the mail or get whoever is going to be driving to the Region next take it along with them and get a receipt.
We sent a note along to Heather MacDonald who is the Director of Planning, asking her the following:
It is a job well done – the operative word being done.
Congratulations to you and your team?
What now?
You send it to the Region – how do you do that?
Do you have someone deliver the document in a thick binder – and if so – could we get a photograph or a graphic of that binder.
How long do you expect the document to be in the hands of the Region?
Do they send it back to you and YOU take it to Council?
Am I correct in saying that when council passes the approved OP there is a period of time (20 day – 30 days ?) for people to appeal the decision of Council.
In the past Heather MacDonald has responded to our questions.
She didn’t answer us this time.
We instead got a note from Kwab Ako-Adjei, Director, Corporate Communications & Government Relations for the city who said: “Hi Pepper – We’ll get you some info on this shortly”, which he did.
 Kwab Ako-Adjei, Director, Corporate Communications & Government Relations. Other than a few casual words at city events I have never had a person to person conversation with Kwab. He runs a department that has 18 people including the Director.
There is a Director, a manager, 1 Supervisor of Creative Services, 7 other staff in this area responsible for web and graphic design and the digital copy centre (print shop). There is Corporate Public Involvement Consultant (engagement), 1 other staff in this area providing engagement and volunteer management support.
There is also 1 Government Relations Specialist leading advocacy to other levels of government and 1 Communications Manager, plus 5 other staff in this area responsible for communications and social media.
The department releases somewhere between 150 to 170 media releases each year.
Corporate Communications & Government Relations has a budget of $1.6 million.
The response from the Communications Director is part of a pattern the Gazette has experienced for some time. The grip the Director is placing on the flow of information was becoming a concern.
In the world of journalism reporters put calls out to people asking for a chance to talk to them. Sometime they ask what it is we want to talk about. There was a time when there was absolutely no difficulty getting an interview.
Now, the rule in place seems to be we ask a question of a senior staff person and get answers from the Director of Communications.
 The Burlington Gazette is a member of the National Newsmedia Council. It was the first on-line newspaper to be accepted into membership. That means there is no opportunity to ask follow up questions – and there are always follow up questions asking for clarifications.
The more responsible senior staff understand that the public wants to know what is being done and the better ones are quite good at being helpful.
There is more to this story. Stick around.
 By Ray Rivers
November 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario government released its latest budget last week, though you might have missed it given all the attention in the media about the US election. And you’d be excused for not reading it, given that it’s such a voluminous manuscript. Though if you like fiction there was a good amount of unashamedly creative writing about how quickly and effectively the Ford government sprang into action to tackle the coronavirus last spring.
 The Extendicare facility in HAlton Hills has received numerous notices from the government – but has been allowed to remain operational. But there were no apologies for how poorly the province actually responded to the crisis in long term care (LTC) homes, in failing to stock adequate supplies of PPE (personal protection equipment) or how it is failing to protect all the students being sent into crowded classrooms this year. And there was no thanks given to the federal government for having to send in the army to save our LTC residents. And let’s not forget the federal cash subsidies which have kept us afloat.
 Provincial budget being presented in the Legislature. There are a lot of numbers which add up to give us Ontario’s largest deficit ever. Big business gets another huge break on electricity thanks to the taxpayers. And there is something novel, a staycation, to encourage people to travel around the province in 2021. How can that make sense when Mr. Ford keeps telling us to stay home, rather than go about spreading the virus?
So that may be great news if you own and rent out your lakefront cottage. For renters, if you can afford the two or three thousand for a week, you’ll be entitled to 20% of the rental price back with your income taxes. Rent is a consumable why not just drop the PST? And why provide an incentive at all, given that cottage rentals sold out like hot cakes last year in the midst of the pandemic?
Back to the US election, America’s four year bad dream is finally coming to an end as Joe Biden prepares to replace Donald Trump as America’s next commander-in-chief But the nightmare continues, at least for the majority of Americans who voted to change the channel. They are tired of watching the COVID death toll continue to rise coincident with ever increasing infection rates, and no end in sight despite vague optimistic promises from Trump about a vaccine supposedly just around the corner.
 Testing and tracing to control the spread of the virus can’t effectively be done at this stage of the contagion, even in most of Canada. One can only hope that the pandemic can bring Americans together in more ways than it has divided them. Still with over 100,000 new cases a day and an exponential contagion which can accelerate by a factor of two or three, that will require hard medicine. Testing and tracing to control the spread of the virus can’t effectively be done at this stage of the contagion, even in most of Canada.
Hard medicine is what China and New Zealand and some other nations used to virtually eliminate their viral transmission. It’s called a lockdown. Keeping people from spreading the virus to each other worked because the contagion’s preferred transmission route is close personal contact and hanging out in closed areas where the viral load can concentrate.
The lockdown also was working for a while in Canada and even the USA. New York, once the hardest hit with graphic images of bodies being stored in refrigeration trucks, got the contagion under control and flattened the curve of infections. And so did Ontario and Alberta and even Quebec.
 Convincing people to stay at home just isn’t working. But then we got impatient. Lobbied by those who had been shut down, our leaders bowed to the bar, restaurant and gym owners’ demands. And to appear even-handed the advisories allowed larger public gatherings – weddings, funerals and church services. So the epidemic naturally came back with a vengeance. Call it a second wave, it is really just a revival of the contagion our leaders did not allow to die off the first time.
There is no question that Ontario’s hospitality and entertainment industries have been hurt. But collectively they make up about 3% of the provincial GDP – 6% if we generously count the upstream and downstream economy. If the choice is between keeping the gyms and bars closed or filling the emergency rooms and morgues which should we choose?
Our numbers have yet to reach the levels we see in the USA, but wait for it. On Sunday Ontario reported over 1300 new cases. There have been 150 outbreaks in long-term care homes, nearly 1000 cases per day (7 day average) and the largest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day. And Doug Ford has just loosened restrictions to the delight of the virus. Once our numbers parallel those in the USA does keeping the border closed even make sense?
So who is advising the Premier on this calamitous policy. He claims he is listening to his scientists. But they must not be talking to the medical experts on the front line like Dr. Irfan Dhalla, vice-president of physician quality at Unity Health in Toronto, who is also an associate professor at the University of Toronto and sits on provincial and federal committees related to the COVID-19 response. “It wouldn’t take much to put us on a path towards the kinds of outcomes we’re seeing in Belgium, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, many American states.”
 If this graph isn’t evidence enough – then we are in for a very hard winter. It sure looks like all that pain we went through getting that curve flattened last spring was for nothing. Deja vu, again. And while it is up to all of us – we’re all in this together – we do expect leadership to navigate us all to safety. But at least we’ll get a tax break when we rent that summer cottage next year.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Ontario Budget – More Budget – Even More –
Biggest Mistake – Ford – Virus Spread –
Cottages – School Infections –
By Pepper Parr
November 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 “Let’s just ban them completely” It was well into the meeting when Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman said he wanted to amend the motion that was on the floor related to the use of fireworks in the city.
“Let’s just ban them completely” he said.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward scurried to get a different message out – pleading with any media that might have tuned into the web cast to not say that the city was thinking of banning fireworks.
 With the survey response as split as it was the Mayor had to make sure that she wasn’t offside by too much. Little wonder that she took that position.
In a Staff report from the Fire department reference was made to a survey done by corporate communications that was said to be limited, we learned that fireworks was a big deal for a lot of people.
More than 50,000 people logged into the Get Involved portal to take part in a survey.
The City’s Corporate Communications and clerks, used the online engagement portal (Get Involved Burlington) to gauge public interest related to fireworks and more specifically around permitted discharge dates for family fireworks.
The poll options were:
 Gathered on the Promenade in Spencer Smith Park hundreds watch the display – and that’s the way the city wants to keep it. a. Victoria Day and Canada Day (currently permitted as per By-law 125-1992)
b. No family fireworks
c. Canada Day only, and
d. Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali, Chinese New Year and any other day for which a permit has been issued by the Fire Department.
It was clear early on, that the public’s interest level was high. The level of engagement exceeded staff expectations (over 50,000 visits to the site and approximately 46,000 votes).
• Victoria Day and Canada Day (904 votes or 2.0%)
• No family fireworks (23,838 votes or 52.5%)
• Canada Day only (109 votes or 0.2%), and
• Victoria Day, Canada Day, Diwali, Chinese New Year and any other day for which a permit has been issued by the FD (20,585 votes or 45.3%)
The poll indicated that individuals either enjoy fireworks and wouldn’t mind additional discharge dates (45.3%) or they disliked them and would prefer they weren’t allowed at all (52.5%). While the poll is not being used as a deciding factor for the recommendation provided, staff have a better understanding of the amount of interest around the subject of fireworks in the community.
The city had a hot one on its hands and none of the Councilors, with the exception of Paul Sharman, wanted to ruffle feathers.
They settled on permitting family fireworks on Canada Day and Victoria Day.
 Councillor Kearns pointed out that Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy and that Queen Victoria’s birthday should be recognized – she got her way. Councillor Kearns argued that Canada was a constitutional monarchy and that Victoria Day matters. The Good Queen got to remain on the list of occasions when you could set off fireworks in a family setting.
Staff had recommended that family fireworks only be allowed during Canada Day celebrations.
This Council didn’t have much in the way of an appetite for fireworks but they could read the data.
They did want to take a hard look at the sale of fireworks – the current bylaws allow them to ban the sale.
In addition, the Fire Chief is authorized to immediately grant exceptions to the discharge dates listed in the fireworks bylaw on a case-by-case basis, which was done specifically for the “festival of lights” (Diwali) on October 29, 2019.
The review of by-laws included the following:
• 125-1992 – Regulating the Sale and Use of Fireworks (Fire)
• 49-2008 – Nuisance and Noise Control (Building/By-law)
• 42-2008 – Business Licensing (Building/By-Law)
All that came out of the Standing Committee was a recommendation – it all goes to City Council on the 23rd.
 By Pepper Parr
November 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Politics is not what it used to be.
The city is working towards a meeting with Hamilton to figure out a way to continue the lease of the chunk of land in the west end that is actually owned by the City of Hamilton but used by Burlington.
LaSalle Park has been leased from Hamilton for the past 38 years; that lease is up in two years. Burlington wanted to buy the land – Hamilton apparently didn’t want to sell it.
The lease we have now was negotiated by then Councillor Walter Mulkewich and Councillor Brechin.
Mulkewich went on to become Mayor.
The story he tells goes like this:
The Park has never been within the boundaries of the City of Hamilton; it is just a piece of property they own.
 LaSalle Park boundary Also, Hamilton Harbour Commissioners have a significant voice in what happens on the shoreline and adjacent water, and the dock, and area where the boaters winter store their boats.
And, technically the dock is in Hamilton as are all the boats that are docked there.
And, I believe the Pavilion is designated as a building of historical significance by Burlington, with Hamilton’s approval.
Burlington maintains the parkland, the walkway, the dock, and the shoreline walkway as per agreement.
And, the LaSalle Marina Association of boaters is a powerful entity and will be involved.
It will be interesting to see how the elected people in Hamilton and Burlington deal with the lease when the lease ends in 2023, only two years from now.
I bet they will renew the lease and live happily ever after, as they should.
 Walter Mulkewich, former Burlington Mayor Maybe the two Councils will have a friendly ball game to celebrate as we did in the eighties – but Burlington does not have enough Councillors to make a ball team of nine.
In Mulkewich’s time the Burlington City Council consisted of 17 people.
Related news story:
What it costs to run LaSalle Park.
 By Pepper Parr
November 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a bit of a rumbling and part of the earth that we know as Burlington may have moved just a bit.
The Clerk’s office released a report that will be discussed on Tuesday – changes to the Procedural Bylaw – the document that sets out the rule on how Council has to act.
Some good changes.
We have set out the report and added some editorial comment beneath many of the changes to give just what is being done some context.
In response to the committee review, the Clerk’s department has been working on expanding tools which enable residents to better interact with Council and in the Council process. The proposed amendments stem from an analysis of the committee review survey feedback, conducted in 2019. The survey comments indicated that the processes for communicating with Council were not apparent and that not having that information was a barrier to participation. Staff anticipate that these amendments will help to enhance communication for residents and Council, in creating rules and standards for Council correspondence, and petitions.
Additional amendments are proposed to align the By-law with legislation, and to create a timeline for when the public can reasonably expect when additional information is provided to Council and made available to public.
Addendum Timelines
At present, there is no timeline for how additional information is provided to Council or made available to the public. Staff are proposing to create a timeline for the release of additional meeting materials to ensure that both the Council and public have a reasonable expectation of when they will receive additional information. Staff will ensure that the addendum is posted not less than 24 hours before the hour for holding the meeting.
Finally – all too often addendum items have been added to the agenda at the last minute.
Should Council approve the proposed amendments, the additional items package will be renamed the revised addendum and that it be posted to the website for the public. Staff will ensure that the updated revised addendum is distributed to Council and posted to the City’s website not less than 12 hours before the meeting, to ensure that information is provided to the public.
Special Meetings
Current practice affords the Mayor or the City Manager to call a special meeting, the Clerk is then directed to petition Council to determine if there will be a quorum of Council present at the meeting. In review of the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c. 25 (the Act) section 240 the current procedure by-law provisions are incongruent with the Act.
Incongruent is putting it mildly
 A majority of Council members could Call a Special meeting of Council. Good move – hobbles the Mayor who has been calling Special Council meetings at the drop of a hat. The staff are recommending that the Procedure By-law be amended to align with the provisions outlined in the Act. This would allow the Mayor to call a special meeting, and they may be requested by a Council resolution to call a special meeting. In advance staff will poll Council to ensure that a quorum of Council is available before the meeting is called.
In addition, a proposed second clause to the special meeting section aligns with section 240 (b) of the Act. This would allow for the majority of members of Council to request a special meeting by petition. Upon receipt of the petition, the Clerk shall call the special Council meeting. This would allow for a majority of members of Council to request a special meeting.
We were not aware that the City Manager could call a Special Meeting of Council. The Mayor has used the calling of Special meetings in a manner that this reporter has never seen before in 40 years of covering councils – they were being held at the rate of one a month.
Correspondence and Petitions
Currently, there are no provisions in the Procedure By-law that address how official correspondence, or a civic petition is received. According to the By-law, the only way to participate at a Council or at a standing committee is to do so as a delegation, this is echoed on the City’s website. The Clerk’s department currently allows for correspondence and has a provisional process in place for petitions but there are no resources that are publicly available. The proposed amendments set forth a detailed process and timelines which have been included in the accompanying amending by-law
In drafting the new sections, 42. Correspondence and 43. Petitions, staff have reviewed other procedural by-laws to better understand how other jurisdictions process these documents. Both correspondence and petitions will be handled in a similar fashion, with aligning deadlines. Staff have proposed that only petitions will be received at Council, as they will be ceremonially read into the record. If there are no additional motions regarding a petition or a piece of correspondence it will be received and filed.
It would be nice to see provision for one of the people behind a decision to be at the podium and able to answer questions from Council members.
Correspondence providing commentary on a matter that has been dealt with by Council will be received, circulated to members of Council, and filed, but will not appear on a minute record.
Correspondence that does not correspond to an agenda item, that is addressed to Council and received by the Clerk will be circulated. Petitions that do not correspond with an agenda item will be directed by the website to be sent to a member of Council, as it will require a sponsor. The member of Council who sponsors an item must submit a Municipal Officer’s report, outlining why the item was sponsored and the remedy sought. These items must abide by the deadlines regarding adding items of business on the agenda, the Wednesday, the week the agenda is published.
The requirement that a Petition be sponsored limits this tool. If Council doesn’t want to hear what Petitioners have to say they could just be mute and ignore the Petition. The Mayor should be appointed as the Sponsor of last resort or the Chair of the Standing Committee that will hear the petition
Administrative Changes
Staff are recommending the following administrative/housekeeping changes to the by- law.
Section Change
1.2 Italicize Name of Act
14.1 (c) Delete reference to “Citizen” in connection with citizen advisory committees
20.2 Capitalize the word Chair
27.3 Italicize Act name
41 Addition of Header – Public Participation
41.7 Deletion of incorrect references in Planning Act and correction
41.13 Deletion of incorrect section for delegations and correction
Strategy/process
The proposed amendments realign the Procedure By-law closer to legislation and with common meeting practices.
Options Considered
There are other areas in the current Procedure By-law that need review, these will be done over time and be brought back through subsequent amendment packages.
It would have been nice if these “other areas” were set out so that people could think about them and make comments to the Clerk.
Engagement Matters:
A public survey, hosted on the GetInvolvedBurlington.ca webpage open from April 30, 2019, through to June 7, 2019 received 385 respondents. The public survey posed questions to determine barriers to participation, advisory committee experience, and asked for suggestions to improve the system. This information was helpful in determining what services needed to be approved to enhance the overall experience for residents working with Council.
Kudos to the Clerk’s office for determining what services were needed to be approved to enhance the overall experience for residents
Should Council approve the procedure by-law amendments, supplemental materials will be created to help individuals navigate processes such as webpages and tip sheets.
Staff will work with Corporate Communications to ensure that public materials are reviewed to ensure that they are in plain language.
Conclusion:
Creating rules with respect to correspondence and petitions will help residents to understand what is involved and what they can expect. Rules and additional information will also work towards breaking down barriers, which will allow residents to more freely communicate and comment on agenda items that are before Council.
By Staff
November 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington’s revamped loose-leaf collection program started today – Monday, November 9th.
 Clearing the leaves along New Street. Residents are encouraged to check the leaf collection schedule and rake leaves to the curb or edge of pavement if there are no curbs before their pickup date.
Each collection zone will have only one pick-up.
 Leaf collection zones for 2020 Residents planning on using the service are reminded that this program is weather dependent. Freezing rain or snow can cause delays or even cancel the program. Always be prepared to bag your leaves for Halton Region’s Yard Waste Pick-up or mulch them to help your lawns and gardens grow.
New for this year is the Leaf Collection Hotline. As of October 15th, residents can call 905-335-7600, ext. 6129 for updates. If the collection is delayed or cancelled, the hotline will be updated and messages will be posted on burlington.ca/leafcollection as well as the City’s social media channels.
To ensure the safety of collection crews and avoid damaging equipment, please keep the loose-leaf piles free of debris and sticks. Leaves mixed with debris and waste will not be collected. Please help prevent flooding by keeping catch basins and ditches clear of leaves.
To ensure a successful pick-up, residents can:
• Rake leaves to the edge of the curb or roadway in a loose pile
• Remove basketball nets, cars and other obstructions from the road during pick-up dates
• Clear leaves from sidewalks and walkways
• Avoid placing garbage bags, bins, blue boxes or green carts on top of loose-leaf piles
• Give crews room to remove the leaves when driving
After the collection program is complete, any remaining leaves should be placed in yard-waste bags for curbside collection by Halton Region.
As a greener alternative, residents can mulch their leaves with their lawnmower to help feed the soil for the spring.
 Mary Battaglia, Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry Mary Battaglia, Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry explains that: “This year’s collection program is a little different. We’re hoping that by starting the collection one week later, that more leaves will have fallen and by ending one week earlier, we’ll avoid winter weather. We can’t control the weather so if we get an early storm or if the trees hold onto their leaves, residents should be prepared to bag or mulch their leaves.”
 By Pepper Parr
November 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Hopefully, there are some hard questions being asked within the groups of people who track the new COVID-19 infections.
Saturday the number was 1132, this morning, Monday, the number was 1328.
The province had decided to open things up; created a new template that would advise the public what people could do and what they could not do.
Burlington’s city council has gone along with an idea that would let restaurants remain open during the winter months using outdoor tents
Deciding who would be allowed to open would be determined by an Outdoor Patio Task Force that would make decisions on a case by case basis. The Regional Medical Officer of Health is reported to be part of the Task Force.
All the numbers are moving in the wrong direction.
It has come down to “Lives verses livelihoods” was the way Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie put it.
Indeed that does appear to be what we are doing. Why?
 By Staff
November 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
LaSalle Park is back in the news.
The land is owned by the city of Hamilton.
Burlington has a 40 year ($1 a year) lease that ends in December 2022.
Someone is going to have to make a decision – soon. The people who have the agreement with the city to host private events at the Pavilion want to be able to take reservations into 2022
 When it came to negotiating a deal for the sale or long term lease renewal Neither James Ridge of Hamilton city manager Chris Murray were able to settle on anything. In 2017 Burlington’s then City Manager James Ridge met with the then Hamilton city manager Chris Murray to talk about purchasing the land. An agreement couldn’t be reached. There wasn’t much in the way of public information at the time other than that Hamilton wanted more than Burlington was prepared to or able to pay.
The park is a wonderful place that gets well used. There is a joint venture and licensing agreement with the Burlington Boating and Sailing Club and LaSalle Park Marina Association.
The city recently pumped more than $4 million to upgrading the wave breaks at the marina.
The report that goes to Council on Thursday is one of those Receive and File that no action is taken on. It will be interesting to hear where Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith stands on this one. His predecessor Rick Craven was a very strong advocate for the park.
 The 51.5 acre park has kilometers of trail both inland and along the shore, picnic areas, bocce courts, an accessible playground, a wading pool, 2 baseball diamonds, a boat launch, a marina, toboggan hill and public washrooms.
The park was built in 1915 by the Hamilton Parks Board and the pavilion was built shortly after in 1917 at a time when Aldershot was part of Hamilton. The park name commemorates prominent French explorer Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sir de LaSalle who is believed to have landed on this site in 1669.
The location served as an amusement park and entertainment venue. In its heyday and there was swimming on the shore. Hamilton residents would take a ferry boat to enjoy a day in the park. The LaSalle Pavilion had a restaurant on the main floor and ballroom on the second floor that would accommodate many elegant dinners, dances and musical performances.
 The Pavilion was structurally restored in 1995 only to be destroyed by a fire in the same year. The entire building was reconstructed in 1997 to its original heritage design.
Running the park is not cheap – the cost of replacing what is here now and the cost of operating the site are set out below.
 The 2019 replacement value of park assets is $19.59 million.  The 2019 replacement value of assets associated with these two organizations, totaling $8.48 million. $4 million of that was the result of a raid on a Hydro Reserve fund used to pay for the replacement of the wave break without which the Marina may not have been able to survive. It is going to take some astute negotiating to get a new arrangement in place by December of 2022. It will perhaps be a different city on that date.
Former Mayor Walter Mulkewich explains the role he played. “My recollection is that Council authorized myself and Councillor Brechin to negotiate with the Parks Committee of Hamilton re LaSalle. I then knew many of the Hamilton Councillors.. We were able to negotiate a 40 year lease which both Hamilton and Burlington Councils endorsed. ”
City hall might want to give him a call.
 By Pepper Parr
November 8th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We wrote last week asking where have all the good delegators gone – those men and women who pay attention to what is taking place at city council and then make the time to put their thoughts and observations on paper and speak to Council.
We wondered aloud if the issue was the limitations put in place by Covid19 or was there something else?
The something else is a change in the way the Clerk’s office handles requests for delegations.
You have to let the Clerk know that you wish to delegate – which isn’t unreasonable; the Clerk has to know how many delegations there are going to be in order to get a sense as to just how long a meeting might last.
What is new is the requirement that a delegate submit a copy of the delegation before they are told they can actually delegate.
The Chair of the meeting explains that this is done so that members of Council can think about what they are going to hear and be able to ask questions of the delegation.
On those occasions when there are no questions from council, the Chair of the meeting will tell the delegate that there point was so clear there was no reason for any questions.
 Jim Young That is so slick as to be just a little sickening.
It is the open sharing of ideas and the willingness to not only listen but to hear what is being said that keep a society stable.
Jim Young, a frequent delegator in the past, put it so well when he told council during a delegation: “the power they have was given to them by the electorate “in trust” and that they were expected to use the power they were given wisely.”
Council seems to have tired of listening to the people that elected them.
Related article.
When was the last time …
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 Pepper Parr
November 6th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a Special meeting of City Council.
 Mayor has the right to call a Special meeting of Council any time she wishes. The Mayor has the right to call a Special meeting of Council.
The meeting had several items on the agenda.
Amendments to the Temporary Use By-law and By-law Regulating Temporary Outdoor Patios In All Seasons
The focus of this news report is the Outdoor Patio issue.
Council met on November 2nd at 1:00 pm.
There were a number of procedural matters, including the singing of the National Anthem and the Roll Call to ensure that every member of Council was attending virtually.
There was one delegation that pertained to the Amendments to the Temporary Use By-Law.
Brian Dean and the owner of Gator Teds spoke and explained how desperate things were for the restaurant sector.
 Brian Dean represents the interests of the downtown business community. Dean spoke on behalf of those restaurateurs who were interested in tenting some outdoor space adjacent to the premises
At 1:48 pm Council went into a Closed Session.
The Motion to go into Closed Session which read:
Move into closed session in accordance with the following provisions under the Municipal Act, sections 239 (2)(f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose, with respect to Community Planning Department report PL-60-20 regarding Amendments to Temporary Use By-law and By-law Regulating Temporary Outdoor Patios In All Seasons (PL-60-20)
Closed Session End time: 3:02 pm
When they came out of that Closed Session they passed a motion to:
Authorize Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility, working in consultation with Director of Transportation, to approve extension of temporary restaurant patios and/or temporary retail space permissions on public property in connection with COVID-19 recovery to October 31, 2021, subject to such criteria and conditions staff deem appropriate; and
Authorize the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility, working in consultation with the Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry and the Director of Transportation to undertake a case by case consideration of winter patios on public property and/or rights of way in downtown Burlington and to permit winter patios on public property and rights of way, where feasible, having regard to relevant operational considerations including winter control and winter maintenance of sidewalks and roads and general public safety;
There was quite bit more to the motion. We have set that out at the end of this article.
I could not see anything in the motion that was passed that related to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose, with respect to Community Planning Department report unless the city’s counsel was there to tell the Planning people where they might be offside.
This is really very bad politics – a city council debating internally about which streets might be made impassable because a restaurant wanted to edge out into public space.
There are a reported seven restaurants who want to talk to the city about being able to have exclusive use of public space. I could live with that – just make the decision in a public setting
I have no problem with the restaurants getting a break – they certainly need all the help we can give them.
Every restaurant will have to meet with a Winter Patio Task Force that will meet with the restaurateur and go through all the details to protect the public interest. The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Hamidah Meghani, will be involved.
The issue seemed to be about snow removal and the problems the city would have removing snow. Brian Dean, speaking for the restaurateurs, said they would be prepared to take on the task of removing the snow by hand. That was nice of them wasn’t it?
Both Dean and the restaurateurs wanted clarity on the amount of insurance that had to be provided
What this amounted to was a debate about letting some restaurants take up public space and preventing you from using that space (sidewalks are an example) that the public was not permitted to listen to.
Lisa Kearns was bleating away about how good this is for the restaurants adding that “this is a dedicated and committed Council” adding that Council knows how to work fast. The Mayor went her one better. “This is the Help and Solutions Council”.
The public has no idea what individual Council members had to say during the hour and 14 minutes. Was it appropriate for the discussion to be in cl0sed session in the first place? And that should be a concern.
The balance of the motion the city passed is set out below.
Authorize the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility, working in consultation with the Director of Transportation, to approve extension of temporary outdoor patios and/or temporary retail space on private property to October 31, 2021 subject to such criteria and conditions as staff deem appropriate; and
Authorize the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility to grant or revoke such approvals, consents, agreements or other authorizations and take such other steps as may be required to give effect to the recommendations herein; and
Authorize the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility to execute any documents and agreements necessary to implement the recommendations herein; and
Amend By-law 2020.422, a By-law to amend Zoning By-law 2020 of the City of Burlington to permit temporary outdoor patios as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts until October 31, 2021, attached as Appendix “A” to Report PL-60-20; and
Amend By-law 39-2020, a By-law to delegate authority to temporarily restrict the common law right of passage in connection with on-street restaurant patios and other on-street retail uses in Downtown Burlington to allow for temporary outdoor patios in Burlington until October 31, 2021, attached as Appendix “B” to Report PL-60-20; and
That the Director of Government Relations and Corporate Communications be directed to develop a landing site on the City of Burlington’s webpage as a resource for Operators to support consumer confidence in outdoor patios that are in compliance with municipal by-laws (SD-21-20); and
That the Mayor be directed to communicate to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), and local MPPs to request a review of provincial regulations requiring 3m setback from buildings for patio tents, and other aspects of the building code that may be an impediment to business during COVID19 (SD-22-20); and
That the City of Burlington implement a grant program to reimburse the costs of Building permit fees in the estimated amount of $5,000 from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund for outdoor patio’s and tent structures when a building permit is required, with an expiry date of October 31, 2021 (SD-23-20)
 By Staff
November 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s New Official Plan is sailing through the Regional government bureaucracy at quite a clip
After being endorsed by Burlington City Council on October 26th, the Official Plan was bundled up in a bright new binder and sent to the Regional government.
As the approval authority, Halton Region is reviewing the City’s adopted Official Plan (2018).
City staff have collaborated extensively with Regional staff to:
• address issues of Regional and Provincial conformity,
• respond to Provincial policy updates occurring post-plan adoption,
• identify opportunities to enhance structure and readability, and
• incorporate housekeeping changes.
City staff have also requested that the Region consider the proposed modifications endorsed by City Council through the Scoped Re-examination of the adopted Official Plan in its decision.
The staff report and draft Notice of Decision will be posted to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility agenda on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
The draft Notice of Decision is the Region’s way of telling Burlington what they plan to do – Burlington gets a chance to review the draft and comment.
Assuming all the ducks line up the right way the city will be well on its way to being bale to give the final approval to the Official Plan that has been in the works for some time.
As soon as it is made final the developers can file their appeals
Progress
 By Pepper Parr
November 6th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The sun had yet to set but the dogs were barking loudly and whimpering from time to time.
Jan glanced out the window and called out to me to come quickly.
We stepped onto the back deck and watched the dogs jumping up and down and running back and forth.
There in the sky above and in front of them was this magnificent orange hot air balloon sailing by without making a sound.
 The dogs were going crazy – they had never seen anything like this before. I thought it was going to land and dashed inside to grab a bottle of wine and welcome them.
 It floated away – the wine was not enticement enough for them to land in our field. Then there was that sound when air is heated and the balloon began to rise.
Perhaps the wine we were offering wasn’t to their taste.
It sailed away.
What a great way to end a wonderful late summer day.
The dogs stopped barking – they sat there with their ears pricked up wondering what had happened.
 By Staff
November 6th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Local entertainment producer Robert Missen has teamed up with Trevor Copp and Valerie Tryon to put on a new multidisciplinary family attraction at Port Nelson United Church on November 21st.
 Trevor Copp miming to Saint-Saens’ delightful classic, Carnival of the Animals is not to be missed Mirth & Music is a one-hour celebration of music, poetry and mime featuring Trevor Copp, Burlington’s award-winning theatre and mime performer, playwright and producer, and the world-renowned concert pianist Valerie Tryon. The program will include a new version of French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ delightful classic, Carnival of the Animals. Trevor will impersonate the various animals that Saint-Saens’ has set to music, many of them very amusing.
This work has been staged by Robin Patterson, a Founding Member of Theatre Beyond Words, the acclaimed mime company which resided in Niagara on the Lake for many years. Robert Missen, a long-time Burlington resident and producer of the concert, will narrate the new verses that Trevor has created to introduce the various segments.
 Valerie Tryon will be at the keyboard while Copp animates. This work will be followed by a selection of classical piano works played by Miss Tryon, including music by Chopin, Ravel, Mozart and Bach. Hamilton-based Valerie Tryon has had a major international career as a concert pianist and chamber music player. She has performed frequently with both the Hamilton Philharmonic and Boris Brott Academy Orchestra, just to mention a couple of local presenters.
Mirth & Music will take place in the Sanctuary at Port Nelson United Church, 3132 South Drive at Spruce Avenue, at 7 pm on Saturday November 21, 2020. Tickets, which are limited to forty patrons, are free and are available through Robert Missen at 905-632-6047 or by writing to rmissen@sympatico.ca.
This event is made possible through a generous grant from the City of Burlington through its Community Support Fund, a special initiative to support local community and cultural organizations during the pandemic.
 By Nicole Ramberg
November 5th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
When the word “sustainability” is mentioned, what comes to mind? Maybe the battle that is climate change, or on a smaller scale, deciding to bring coffee to work in a reusable mug instead of buying one on the way. A connection that may not be as quickly drawn is how sustainability relates to business operations. This may be attributed to the fact that incorporating sustainability principles into business processes can be difficult and confusing for many reasons. A local organization, Sustainable Hamilton Burlington, recently launched their new Sustainability Leadership Program that helps businesses navigate the process, providing a clear path forward.
 The journey to becoming a more sustainable business is usually not an easy one. There are various challenges that can present themselves along the way, hindering or even halting the process. For businesses either thinking about, or just starting on their path to more sustainable practices, the process can seem daunting:
• Sustainability focuses on the triple bottom line, including economic, social and environmental sustainability – where do you even begin?
• How do you determine your performance indicators, and measure changes to identify when improvements occur?
• When you decide to take action, how can you ensure your actions are credible, and gain recognition for your efforts from your stakeholders and the public?
These challenges can be especially hard for smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “It really comes down to resources. SMEs often lack the human, technological, and financial resources to implement sustainable change, and quickly. It’s also higher risk because there needs to be obvious returns on their investments – financially and otherwise – to warrant these changes being made,” says Jordyn Divok, Program Manager. “Another challenge is recognizing these successes in a credible way, which is achieved through third-party recognition.”
With these challenges to becoming a sustainable business, it’s important to seek guidance, support and resources to help you on this journey. Sustainable Hamilton Burlington (SHB) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to inspiring sustainability leadership in business organizations for healthier environments and thriving communities. From retail to energy providers, from architectural firms to local airports – sustainability can be built into any business. Business Sustainability 101 is a course offered by SHB to introduce businesses to the vast benefits of sustainability, including increased profits, efficient operations and employee satisfaction – to name a few. This starting point allows for any business to better understand the potential that sustainability has to offer for their triple-bottom line.
When the organization is ready to take the first step on its sustainability journey, the Sustainability Leadership Program guides businesses towards becoming truly sustainable. The membership-based program helps businesses to identify and overcome challenges along the path to becoming a more sustainable operation, building brand recognition and business resiliency in doing so. The program consists of a sequential four-step approach, each of which accomplishes new objectives that help organizations address different aspects of sustainability, while developing the systems and support needed to drive these changes forward.
Outcomes from the steps involve learning about how to calculate the organization’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expanding the understanding of sustainability to include social and economic pillars, the use of globally recognized standards in sustainability reporting, and ultimately embedding sustainability into policies and work culture as a core value.
Sustainable Hamilton Burlington publishes an Annual Impact Report to highlight the impacts that members have made over the past calendar year. Conservation Halton recently won the Social Initiative Award 2019 presented by SHB for their initiative which positively impacted the Burlington community. Ash trees on Conservation Halton’s properties were removed. Rather than disposing of the wood, they decided to partner with Notre Dame High School to donate the lumber. The wood shop students used the material to create items like live-edge wood tables, in turn auctioning them off to fund raise for their school programs and activities. By incorporating a social sustainability guideline into their organization, and developing initiatives like this one, Conservation Halton was able to increase their brand value and recognition within the communities they serve.
Though this year has been a roller-coaster to say the least, excellent examples of sustainability in business have emerged, which have helped businesses become resilient and able to adapt in a changing economy. With sustainability as the guiding force, the future of business is about more than just the money they make; it’s about the impact they can leave behind.
 Nicole Ramberg is a graduate of McMaster University where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences. She is currently a student at Fleming College in Lindsay ON, where she is studying Ecosystem Management Technology.
By Pepper Parr
November 5th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Where have all the good ones gone?
Where are the dozen or so people who could be relied upon to delegate responsibly, to keep the members of Council on their toes?
Where is Gary Scobie, where is Tom Muir, where is Greg Woodruff, Blair Smith, Jim Young, Roland Tanner and Hunter Lawson?
 Jim Young  Roland Tanner  Gary Scobie  Lawson Hunter Dee Dee Davies always spoke in a measured deliberate tone abd had that ability to pause when she felt she wasn’t being listened to.
These are the people who did their homework and had the courage of their convictions to stand before council and speak on behalf of their communities.
Some say that people are going through burn-out.
Some say that the people who were always available to speak no longer believe that they were heard, worse they don’t believe they are being heard now.
Is the awkwardness of delegating under the conditions that the pandemic imposes what is keeping them away from Cit Hall?
Do delegators find they don’t feel there is any real connection with the members of council when they are speaking ?
 There is more than enough room for the members of Council to attend in person. Staff would have to take part virtually. Could this council find a way to have at least some of the Councillors in the Council Chamber? There is more than enough room in the Chamber for at least half of the Council members be in place with the delegator at the podium.
The Halton District School Board has 4 trustees in the room.
What we aren’t seeing is any effort to make the process of citizens speaking to the elected
When a delegator has finished there is, frequently, all too frequently, a statement read by the Chair that there were no questions because the delegator made their point very clear.
Balderdash – the Chair just blew the delegator off.
What City Council is doing now is not healthy for the democracy we are all so proud of – it actually stinks.
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 Andrew Walker
November 5th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Casino games are becoming increasingly popular in Canada – especially during the corona-crisis. They promise pure excitement and entertainment. For this reason it is no wonder that there are numerous casino streamers on the World Wide Web. The Casino Streamer Guide explains and shows all important information about casino streaming.
After all, live casino streaming requires more than just a camera that is held on the screen or on the slot. Successful casino streaming means above all that it is about good entertainment. Successful casino streamers are ultimately real entertainers.
 A Guide explains and shows all important information about casino streaming. How Casino Streaming works
The idea of casino streaming is to broadcast your gaming activities live on the Internet. Which game is shown here depends on the respective streamer. Mainly slot games are played. But there are also some streamers, which stream roulette and blackjack.
Above all, however, the focus here is on the slot machines, because these games in particular are very fast and furious.
Table and card games are a bit different. Especially in Blackjack it is important to proceed with strategy and sophistication. For this reason, the losses are often pre-programmed when streaming at the same time. It is almost impossible to concentrate on your own game and at the same time entertain the audience on the Internet.
 Poker and Roulette – two very different games The casino streamers on the one hand show the image on the screen and on the other hand you can see them yourself while they explain the game. Of course, you can also experience the emotions live. The casino streamers are becoming more and more popular in Canada because the viewer can simply sit back and relax. Here it has tension, play, thrill and fun, and everything also only a cent to invest itself. This means that the casino streamers provide the perfect entertainment and you do not have to invest anything yourself.
Exciting events provide a lot of variety
It is certainly not boring to watch other players playing. Here the spectator is immediately seized by the game fever. Good casino streamers usually provide a lot of variety, for example via the “bonus hunt”. Here the slots are only played until the free play mode is reached. After that the streamer immediately changes the game. Then it tries to trigger the special rounds at another slot.
Later the free games are taken at all machines one after the other. Often this procedure results in huge winnings.
Especially in the free rounds the top profits are thrown out, that is well known. Often even additional bonus rounds are activated. This often results in an unbelievable winning run.
For the passive spectator this causes great enthusiasm.
Are there only live broadcasts of slot games?
As already mentioned, slots are predominant in the casino live streaming world. This is mainly because here profits and losses are very close together. How popular the online slots are, can also be seen in the views. Thousands of users follow the live streamings. The situation is different with the classics, where there is only a small fan community. Nevertheless, fans of roulette, poker or blackjack will also find a suitable streaming on YouTube or Twitch.
What equipment is necessary for live broadcasts?
For casino streamers the required equipment is not very special. What is needed here is the hardware, the PC. But it should already be a newer model. Above all, the PC should have a modern graphics card. Just as important is a fast Internet connection, otherwise it can come to breaks during the transfer.
Also the camera plays an important role, so that the casino streamer can interact with the audience. Casino streamers that are able to moderate a game with wit and good humor can be sure to soon have a large fan base.
These platforms are used for the casino streams
The number one in the World Wide Web in terms of streaming platforms is Twitch. This live streaming portal is specialized in video games. Twitch has been available since 2011. Over time, new features have been added. In the meantime it is possible to profit from the sales of the portal operator via the advertising. Twitch can be used without registration to try out the platform first. But if you want to stream yourself, you have to register first.
In order to benefit from the official affiliate program as a casino streamer at Twitch, there are a few requirements to be met:
● You must have a total of at least 500 broadcasted minutes in the last 30 days
● In addition, at least seven individual broadcast days in the last 30 days are required
● You must have an average of three simultaneous viewers or more in the last 30 days
● You must have at least 50 followers
 By Staff
November 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has completed its 2020 Project #Noisemaker strategic enforcement campaign. The region-wide project ran from June 10, 2020 to October 31, 2020.
The campaign resulted in more than 1400 charges being laid.
The HRPS launched this campaign in response to complaints from residents across the region about loud and unnecessary noise from vehicles which have been altered by removing mufflers, or modifying exhaust systems. Project #Noisemaker took aim at illegal modifications, unsafe motor vehicles, and aggressive driving.
 Police break up an illegal car rally in Wasaga Beach. Enforcement through Project #Noisemaker resulted in the following:
• More than 1420 charges laid region-wide
• 574 charges for no/improper muffler
• 396 charges for unnecessary noise
• 12 racing/stunt driving charges
The remaining charges were primarily vehicle defects, moving violations, licence violations, licence plate violations, violations of the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, and violations of the Environmental Protection Act (removal of vehicle emissions components).
During the project, more than 40 vehicles were removed from the roadway for various reasons including defects (causing the vehicle to be unfit), improper licences and stunt driving legislation.
Project #Noisemaker was also successful in interrupting an unsanctioned “Mega Meet” of an estimated 800 vehicles which was to occur on private property in the town of Oakville without approval of the landowner.
In addition to the previously mentioned region-wide efforts, project #Noisemaker also engaged in a partnership with the town of Oakville Municipal Enforcement Service (MES). HRPS and MES officers conducted enforcement on motorcycles creating unacceptable noise in contravention of Oakville’s motorcycle noise bylaws. In total, MES officers completed 56 motorcycle inspections and issued 17 provincial offence notices for motorcycles causing noise in excess of the town bylaws.
Illegal and unsafe vehicle modifications are a concern beyond the roadways of Halton. The HRPS would like to thank our policing and enforcement partners across the province that assisted in various #Noisemaker projects. These efforts contribute to safer roadways for us all.
While Project #Noisemaker has officially concluded for 2020, enforcement will not cease. HRPS officers will remain vigilant in addressing these issues on our roadways every day.
Residents are reminded that they can file driving complaints or request enforcement of a particular area online at www.haltonpolice.ca
 By Staff
November 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Hydro One will be conducting a maintenance project at Beachway Park and Hamilton Beach this fall.
 Ongoing maintenance will put hydro works atop the towers along the Beachway. The proposed project involves the replacement of glass/ceramic insulators on the tower arms which insulates the electricity from reaching the tower itself. This is considered to be standard maintenance with the following equipment necessary: pickup trucks, utility terrain vehicles, Bronto Skylift, crane and bucket truck.
 Great view for the people doing this work. Construction is scheduled to begin in early November with all works completed by mid-December 2020. All towers must be cleared to a 15m radius during this work for the setup of equipment and safety. Hydro One staff will block the areas required prior to the start of work to ensure no public access within the work zone.
For more information regarding the specifics of the project, please contact Mr. James Dalton – James.Dalton@HydroOne.com.
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By Staff
November 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Heather Rath. Ligonier Valley Writers began in 1986 as the Friends of Ligonier, who were searching for a way to enhance residents’ lives and generate income for local businesses. One of their first projects was a writers’ conference. It was so successful that the Friends became the Ligonier Valley Writers.
The Flash Fiction Contest began in 2005. Winning stories are performed at Halloween events, so the subjects are always scary. The first year called for ghost stories, the next year vampire stories, and later stories about everything from witches to dragons to haunted objects. Dozens of entries come in from all over the United States and Europe.
The first prize winner this year was Burlington resident Heather Rath.
This is the story she wrote.
I love reptiles.
My parents hate them.
They warned me—repeatedly—no snakes, frogs, or other reptiles in this house … ever!
If I brought one home, I’m sure my parents would kill me.
I’m allergic to fur. As a developing artist at 15, I need to study—and draw—real, live animals and people. Only it’s hard to find people to pose. They don’t like sitting or standing still for a long time.
Was hanging around a pet shop in our neighborhood. I spy this sign speaking directly to me: “Allergic to fur? We have the right pet for you!”
Donning my facemask against germs, I enter. Masked salesman quickly approaches. Toady- looking guy with a croaky throat. Waves me over to a small section of the shop by the fish.
Points out a large aquarium. Home to various scaly, creepy-looking creatures doing nothing much but hanging out on a hot rock.
Salamanders, bug-eyed red toads, fancy-bearded dragon, leopard gecko, veiled chameleon, Bahaman anole, Pacman frog, long-tailed lizard.
And then, this beauty. In an aquarium all by himself. Caught my eye with just the slightest move. A green iguana from some tropical forest.
Depending on where you looked, his green skin changed different shades. Awesome. You’d never find any magnificent creature like this in Ohio.
Fell in love immediately. Called him Drako. Stunning. With his long tail, he easily measured three feet. Flicked his tongue while I looked him over carefully.
“What’s he eat?” I ask the toady guy.
“He’s a vegetarian, kid. Likes to nibble on lettuce, grapes, even houseplant leaves … easy to feed him. Jist gotta watch he won’t escape. Fast like lightning.” He pauses. “Thinkin’ of getting’ him?”
“Ah, man, love to. Gotta check my finances first. Only have a part-time job at Food Basics.
Need an aquarium, too?”
“Yep. And them’s expensive, kid. Gotta get one large enough for the critter. And a hot rock, too. These fellas need heat. Specially here up north.”
I nod. “Expect to sell him fast?”
“Ya never know these days. What with this virus and all, people are doin’ strange things. We can’t keep puppies in stock. Gone as soon’s we get ‘em. But this here iguana? Somehow don’t think too many folks are lookin’ for this green guy. Can’t cuddle him. But he’s neat to watch.”
“And he’s beautiful,” I add. “Look at the different colours of green on his skin.” “Uh-huh,” says Toady-man. Not convinced, I can tell.
How much?”
“One hundred dollars. Plus his aquarium.”
“Look, man, I’ve been lookin’ all over for a pet like this. I can afford him. Take good care of him, too.”
“Ya want I should mark him sold?” “Uh-huh.” I nod.
Jog home. My two bros are on screens. Dad not home yet. Mom in kitchen. I’ll work on her first.
“Just found this neatest pet. A mini-dragon.”
No reaction. She’s watching the small countertop TV. Looking at ingredients for a Mexican recipe. Eating South of the Border for some reason lately.
“Hmmmm?” she says, pulling her head in my direction. Cigarette hangs out of her red lipstick mouth.
“Found a non-consequential pet for me. No trouble for you. He’s even vegetarian.” “Sounds good to me, Rory-kins. He big?” She turns back to the mini-TV.
“No. He fits in an aquarium, and I’ll clean it.” “Can’t be too big, then.”
“He’s not.”
“Uh-huh.” Still concentrating on the TV recipe.
I go through a similar conversation with my dad. When he comes home, he’s tired of wearing a mask all day, mixes a cocktail of some kind, sinks in a stupor into his favorite living room chair.
“What’s your mom say?” He squints through his glasses at his smartphone as he half listens to me.
“As long as I clean the aquarium, she says no problem.” “Okay, then. What is it? A fish?”
Just then his smartphone rings. I disappear.
Jog back to the pet shop. Tell Toadman. “Help me choose the right aquarium for him.”
That night I hop with excitement in my bedroom. Find a suitable place atop my desk and sit there thinking … wow! Tomorrow! Finally! A pet! Of my own choosing! Sooo excited.
Next day everyone’s busy doing whatever it is they do each day. No one’s paying attention to me. This time bike to the pet shop with my backpack and a carrier. Bike home again with the goods.
Haul the extra-large aquarium with the hot rock and the Drako container to my bedroom. Set up the tank. Plug in the hot rock. Close my bedroom door.
Carefully carry the Drako box to the tank. Coax him gently into the aquarium. Watch him flick his tongue. Explore.
Am ecstatic. He fascinates.
Sometime later, I decide to slowly remove the aquarium top. Touch his cool skin and marvel.
Like lightning, Drako leaps from the hot rock to the log in the aquarium to the top of the tank. He’s out!
I know he’s arboreal, so I look up.
Scan top of the curtained windows. He’s there! Thinks he’s hiding but his long tail hangs down. Already I love his personality.
He scurries along the wooden curtain rod. Sudden steps on the stairs. Panic!
Mom enters my room.
“Rory … what the hell?” she raises her voice. Sees the aquarium. Looks up. Sees Drako.
Screams.
Mom still screaming. Dad rushes in. “What the ….?”
Looks up. Spies Drako. Mouth opens wide. Grabs my baseball bat in the corner. Raises his arm and takes aim.
“No!” I yell.
He swings the bat with great force. Misses Drako. Hits me bull’s-eye on the head. More screaming.
Told you my parents would kill me.
Author Bio: An award-winning writer, Heather Rath edited a weekly newspaper and monthly business magazine before heading communications at a multinational company.
By Staff
November 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health released a statement yesterday afternoon.
To the Halton community,
On November 3, 2020, the provincial government announced the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework.
 Burlington is at the PROTECT level of the five level Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. The framework takes a graduated approach that allows for additional public health measures to be introduced and removed incrementally. Each public health unit is placed in one of five levels (Prevent, Protect, Restrict, Control, and Lockdown) based on defined criteria, including weekly incidence rate and % positivity. The framework outlines public health and workplace safety measures for businesses and organizations, for each level.
Halton Region is currently listed in the Protect level within the framework, based on data for the week of October 26, 2020.
Levels will be confirmed by the province on Friday, November 6, 2020 and become effective on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.
Halton residents and organizations will need to follow the public health measures outlined in the framework, effective November 7, 2020. Please note that the framework includes public health measures for fitness classes and team sports, and that the measures in the framework will replace the recommendations I provided on October 19, 2020 in my letter to the Halton community.
 Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health I continue to recommend:
• Limiting close contact to household members, and
• Limiting non-essential activities outside of the home.
Thank you again to everyone for taking public health measures seriously, and above all for being kind to one another. It is important to stay vigilant, and to consider the risks to yourself and your household as you plan your daily activities.
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