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Police reporting a significant increase in bicycle thefts

By Staff

September 21st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON’

Halton Police are advising the public that there is an increase in bicycle thefts in the City of Burlington over the past few months.

Theft of bicycles continues to be a concern in Burlington and Halton Police would like to remind the public to ensure their bicycles are locked up when they are left unattended.

Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.

Locations that have been targeted by bike thieves:

• Burlington GO Stations
• Shopping Centers and Plazas

Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:

A video of what police believe was of a person suspected of stealing bicycles in Burlington at the YMCA

• Ensure your unattended bicycle is locked up to an immovable object.
• If possible, select a bike rack with at least two points of contact in order to lock both the frame and wheels..
• Consider removing a tire or seat to discourage would-be-thieves.
• U-locks provide a greater deterrence to theft when compared to cable locks. Consider using (2) locks.
• Lock the bicycle in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible.
• Ensure your garage door is closed when a bicycle is left inside.
• Document information of the bicycle (have serial number and photo of the bike) to provide to police if required.
• REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO POLICE IMMEDIATELY.

Halton Police have made a number of arrests after bicycles have been stolen in Burlington over the past few months and will continue to target these crimes of opportunity. Community safety is a shared responsibility. If you see suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, please report it immediately.

Anyone with information in regard to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Constable Matt Spina of the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2338.

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.

A Shoe Strike - a Silent Protest on what is not being done about Climate Change

By Staff

September 21st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

A Shoe Strike

What is a shoe strike.

First it is taking place on Friday September 25th.

Why?

WHAT: A unique youth organized climate strike inviting everyone in Burlington to join in demanding that all levels of government act immediately on the urgent climate crisis.

HOW: Due to social distancing, the climate strike will be held in a representational manner, with the community invited to share a pair of their SHOES to represent their participation. Shoe Strikes have been effective in several locations and countries around the world. Participants are invited to insert a note inside their shoes to convey their message about why urgent action on climate change is important to them. Youth organizers will summarize the notes and relay them to local political leaders.

NOTE: This will be a silent protest. There will be NO opportunity for speeches or public announcements or political leader photo ops.

Shoes can be dropped off in advance at: Rolling Horse Community Cycle (650 Plains Rd E #2) & 2466 Newport St. (a house near Headon Forest Dr.) beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 22nd & up until Thursday, Sept 24th. Shoes can also be placed at the shoe strike location (tent. scheduled at Civic Square, City Hall, Brant Street) between 10am and noon on Sept. 25.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 25 – Shoe drop off from 10am to noon. Silent Shoe Strike display from 12 noon to 2pm. After 2pm shoes will be collected and returned to hosts or donated to a local charity that will distribute them to those in need.

WHO: Similar Shoe Strikes will take place in Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills on the same day, approx. at the same time.

Fridays for Future will be co-ordinating similar Climate Strikes throughout Canada. Locally, organizers come from a cross-section of groups: Burlington Biodiversity Team, Students for Change Halton, BurlingtonGreen Youth Network, Burlington Citizens Concerned about Climate Change (BC4), and local residents.

Mayor's schedule for the week of September 21st to the 27th

Six books later author is still writing about the Expos

sportsred 100x100 By Staff

September 21st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

Released last month, Always Remembered, is the sixth book about the Expos to be written by Danny Gallagher, a former Sudbury Star sports reporter and Sudbury Shamrocks baseball player, who called the Nickel City home from the mid-1970s to the mid-‘80s.

“What I wanted to do was keep the Expos legacy alive with this book,” said Gallagher, reached at his residence in Oshawa, Ont.

“Writing about the past allows the fans to experience all of those feelings from the past in the present, now, and hopefully, it contributes in some way to bringing back baseball to Montreal.”

Gallagher book cover The 264-page volume is a collection of vignettes, some short and some longer, from throughout the team’s stay in La Metropole du Quebec. Gallagher zeroed in on some of the most well-known names and events in the history of the Expos, as well as part-timers who played significant roles in their own way.

Burlington Centre on the 26th – Gallagher will be on hand from 1:00 to 1:30.

Old Timers take to the ice - much different circumstances this season

By Pepper Parr

September 20th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

They are an 1100 member strong organization that lace up and play the “good old hockey game” on rented ice around the city.

Saturday night was the season opener – it was a lot different than it was last year.

To start – the season at this point is in place for up to Thanksgiving – the COVID infection rate is impacting everything.

Several of the eight divisions got ice time – on ice that wasn’t quite up to the standard most of the players wanted, at least at the Central

They laced up under street lights and entered the area through different doors – in for those starting – out for those who had played their game.

Arena where the players laced up in the dark on plastic chairs set out six feet apart.

A carpet was spread out and there was enough light to get the laces in place.

Many of the players arrived in pickup trucks, got into their shoulder pads, knee pads and jerseys along with the hockey pants and walked over to where the chairs were to lace up their skates.

Players going in to play hockey went in through one set of doors – those who had completed a game came out a different door.
In between the games everything gets wiped down.
The league make up has eight divisions with usually six teams in a division.

Those teams get balanced after 10 games – in a normal season.
COVID normality has changed everything in what is usually a 50 game season.

Scot Cameron who does media for the club, as well as play goalie for one of the teams, was waiting for the ice time his team had been allocated.

Larry Hallett, goalie for the Black Hawks in the Green Division rolls his equipment out to his vehicle after a 4-0 loss on ice he didn’t think was up to scratch.

Larry Hallet, who plays goalie for the Black Hawks in the Green Division, was rolling his pads out to his vehicle and commented on the ice, then ventured into comments on the game he had just played.

“It was 4-0 for the other guys” he said, “the puck seldom left our end of the ice.

“The game was basically over ten minutes after it started – almost every power play resulted in a goal for the other team.”

Larry seemed OK with that. The challenge for these guys was the shape they were in and the length of time since they were last on the ice.

And there is always another game.

Grandfather wants more invested in the education of his grandchildren

By Ray Rivers

September 18th, 2020

MOUNTSBERG, ON

These are scary times especially if you are grandparents. When it comes to educating our youth, no one should doubt that school boards, teachers and maintenance staff are doing the best they can in the circumstances. But then nobody can say the schools are as safe as they could be – or used to be before the pandemic hit us. The circumstances have changed.

Seven months have passed since the schools were shut down as part of the provincial COVID-19 lock-down. The Premier warned us that this was not going away, that we’d have to change how we do things if we are to avoid getting infected. So what about the children? Aside from some widening of the aisles between students’ desks very little seems to have changed.

Yes, there are the masks and the single cohorts and the managed crowd control, coming and going. But the students, for the most part, are still captive and crowded within their inadequately ventilated classroom environment for most of their day – another petrie dish for the virus and another opportunity for viral transmission.

Leo taking part in a class exercise

So when my wife and I had heard that school would be returning pretty much business-as-usual, we reached out to the parents of our youngest grandchildren and offered to help with their children’s grade 2 and 4 French immersion schooling. There are in excess of 20,000 children who receive homeschooling every year in Ontario, so we’d be in good company, we thought.

Fortunately the education ministry had announced that parents could opt out of sending their children back to the classroom and engage in their program of online or distance learning instead. Students would pretty much get their regular course load but learn at home rather than trucking off to school. The Halton Board sent out requests to parents asking them to opt for the option of their choice.

Teachers, apparently some also teaching regular classes, would appear online through the application of Google online conferencing tools, mainly Google Meet and Google Classroom. Teachers use various media to assist in their online teaching and students are even invited to submit contributions, such as, photos.

There are three teaching blocks of 100 minutes each covering the 8:45 am to 3:05 pm day, and duplicating the essence of what would be learned in a regular classroom. Students may even be given homework assignments. And the online platform allows students to see their teacher as well a number of fellow students, making the experience feel a little less remote.

When we undertook to invite the children to our house we expected that we would be heavily involved in preparing classes. Both of us do have some pedagogical training. As it turns out our role is little more than supervision and coaching as the teachers do the heavy lifting of bringing the curriculum to life on the small screen.

How is it going? Well there was some minor stumbling at the beginning, something one should expect with the introduction of this new way of conducting regular classroom instruction. But the students appear to be excited about what they are doing. And the teachers, in our experience, have been wonderful, clearly competent, enthusiastic and responsive to the needs of the students and their coaches.

While being able to conduct regular classes online sounds pretty amazing, the truth is the technology is still not as user friendly as it could be. But the biggest problem is the size of the online classes. There are close to thirty students in each of the children’s classes.

Bea doing math.

It is impossible to practically see all of one’s classmates on a computer screen. And so it is a difficult for the teacher to stay on top of what everyone is doing. And that makes it a huge challenge for effective immersion language training, for example.

Going through the roster of students can take an inordinate amount of time and that can be really boring to those waiting their turn. Students can lose interest and drift off, even with the best of teachers. And that is the big fear – that students will lose interest, shut down, and their performance will reflect that failing.

This is the same problem one sees in over overcrowded regular classrooms only magnified by the remote learning complication. The solution is obvious – hire more teachers for distance learning. In a country where the unemployment rate is currently above 10% and governments are spilling money like rain water, you’d think this was more than possible.

Of course teachers need some training and a program to follow but this is not rocket science – unless they actually are teaching rocket science. And of course experience counts. But our children are the future, why wouldn’t we want to invest more in their education?

Distance Learning –

Online Learning –

Ray Rivers usually writes about politics and the environment. His grandchildren are doing elementary school as distant learners.

Has council had an impressive peek at its next city manager?

By Pepper Parr

September 17th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

About once a month – there is this tour de force that takes place at a Standing Committee.

Sheila Jones, the former City Auditor, found herself going toe to toe with a member of Council. The Councillor lost.

Sheila Jones: Executive Director of Strategy, Risk and Accountability.

The difference of opinion had to do with just how much information Jones was prepared to release when all hell was breaking loose over the Customer Relation Management software that had gone off the tracks and was badly in need of some resuscitation.

That occasion was the first time we saw the feistiness that is very much a part of the Jones persona. It wasn’t something we saw in her as a shy auditor.

City Manager Tim Commisso was in the process of redesigning his senior management team; every city manager seems to need to do a re-ordering of the Colonels in his army. Jones got chosen in a competition for an Executive Director of Strategy, Risk and Accountability.

Several months before her appointment Jones led Council and Staff in a workshop session on risk and strategy. She acted like a cheerleader – pushing the importance of risk when creating a strategy. That kind of positive push is seldom seen at city hall.

When COVID-19 hit the world Commisso wisely put Jones in a command role. She pulls together the data she needs from throughout the departments – she knows their role, the department strengths and weakness – she used to audit them.

Earlier today she took council through a review of where things stood given the COVID environment – financially, and the status of the work being done by each department.

On occasion she refers (not defers) to Commisso for a comment.

Sheila Jones, second from the right – went to to toe with a council member – we saw real leadership.

In the past couple of months we hear less and less from Commisso. The pace for him has been brutal – it certainly wasn’t what he thought he was taking on when he was asked to serve as the interim city manager when James Ridge was shown the door.

Commisso had worked for the city for a number of years earlier in his municipal career – he knew where all the bones were buried. This was going to be a another layer of income for his retirement years.

Commisso raising his hand – not something we see very often. He tends to be quiet, laid back and delegates much of the time.

Then COVID hit the fan – and his world changed. And he really didn’t have that great a team in place. There was some baggage that he had to pack and ship out. And some of his stronger people had to leave their jobs – behavioral issues.

In his re-design Commisso found this gem – did he know how well Jones would serve?

Hard to tell but there is no denying that she has a firm grip on the wheel and is determining the course much of the time.

Hard to find a negative word about the woman.

The question that comes to mind is this: what is the city going to do when the Commisso contract comes to an end. It won’t (shouldn’t) be extended.

Some much needed energy and positivity from Sheila Jones.

Is Sheila Jones a possible next city manager?

Why not – Hamilton has a woman doing the job – and based on what we have seen so far Sheila Jones could (and should) lead.

Would she be able to work with Mayor Meed Ward? Not that many woman find they can work with this Mayor; her very competitive nature and habit of using up all the oxygen in a room makes it difficult at times.

Mayor Meed Ward has other political mountains to climb – Jones could make her look very good allowing the Mayor claim she made it all possible as she moves on to the provincial level.

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.

A possible tax increase of 4.9% did get put on the table - the treasurer said that if there was no room to cut - that's wat the city was looking at.tax

By Pepper Parr

September 17th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

The number was put on the table.

Wait for it.

4.95 % as a “possible” tax increase.

A tax increase of 4.5% just did not taste all that good. But when the numbers were added up – it was at least in the wind.

Mayor Meed Ward wanted to make sure that the number was not something council was signing off on – that was not the kind of tax increase that she wanted to be known for.

Treasurer Joan Ford made it clear that she wasn’t chiseling that number in stone.

She did say that: ”If there is no room to cut anywhere we don’t want you to be surprised – and think we didn’t tell you.”

The Mayor also said that she didn’t want to even think in terms of reducing service levels – she wanted to be able to increase service levels.

That would be called sucking and blowing on the same water hose.

Looks like the city is going to scrape through financially this year - next year is where it could really begin to hurt

By Pepper Parr

September 17th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

The city will be short about $2.9 million with its 2019-20 budget but there is enough money in various reserve funds to get us through.

The concern is with the 2020-21 budget – assuming we are still dealing with COVID-19 – which the Mayor is certain we will be dealing with into 2022.

Director of Finance Joan Ford

City Treasurer Joan Ford laid out the numbers.

This is the money the city didn’t get.

Where the city was able to save; normal expenses that were lower and funding available from other levels of government.

There was a fair amount of good news. Tax collections for the period ending in April were at 97%.

There is adequate tax revenue to meet the day-to-day costs.

On the down side, the revenue loss was $18.5 million

Money that didn’t have to be spent was $9.5 million leaving a balance of $9 million as the shortfall.

There was some federal money – from the Safe Start Funds – $6.1 million which got the shortfall to that $2.9 million level.

Treasurer Ford and City Manager Tim Commisso both made mention of additional funding from the federal government.

Some interesting questions were asked. Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna wondered aloud what would happen to the malls when some (perhaps many) of the tenants turned in their keys.

Treasurer Ford explained that it is the mall corporation that is taxed – they collect from their tenants – but it is the mall that is responsible for paying the taxes.

Tax collections are holding.

The biggest hits to the city on the revenue side were Parks and Recreation fees that couldn’t be collected – programs had to be cancelled. Transit had a serious shortfall – ridership fell badly.

The city collects all the taxes – including the Regional tax levy and the Board of Education levy.

The city was able to hang on to those funds for a period of time. The money collected for the Boards of Education has to be paid in December. No word yet on just how much has to be paid.

Final meeting at which the public could review and ask questions on the document that will go before Council in October to be adopted

By Pepper Parr

September 17th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

It was to be the last of the meetings where the public could learn more about the Scoped Review of the Revisions to the approved but not yet adopted Official Plan.

This is the plan that was voted on during the closing days of the 2014 – 18 city council that was then turned back by the Region where it has to be approved.

When the document was returned to the city the new council had an opportunity to make additional changes that were more in line with the new agenda.

The document that was being prepared now has 21 appendices, the latest of which was released shortly before the meeting.

The document will go to a meeting of Council where it will be heavily debated. That meeting is on September 30th.

On the 6th of October it goes to city council again and will be voted upon.

This is a map of the Growth Framework with the Neighbourhood centres shown.

This is the map with the Urban Growth Centre boundaries in place and each of the precincts colour coded. This map has gone through numerous revisions. .

The public was introduced to where the neighbourhood centres are to be located. There are eight of them.

It will be passed at city council. Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman might vote against it.

It then goes to the Region where it has to be approved.

Then back to Burlington city council where any last minute touch ups get done – it then becomes the law of the land.

Unless of course it is appealed to the Local Planning Act Tribunal.

Last night the public got to see some new maps.

Aldershot gets another development proposal - the ADI's want to add to their project next to the Aldershot GO station

By Pepper Parr

September 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

Another one.

The Adi brothers – probably the largest developer in this city – certainly the most aggressive.

This one is planned for the Aldershot community – part of the now underway Station West – developer is the ADI Group.

Billed as a Pre-application Consultation Virtual Meeting the ADI Development Group is exploring the opportunity to transform 1120 Cooke Boulevard into a transit oriented community.

Station West is to the east of this latest proposal; ADI has always planned additional structures on the site.

If ADI Development Group chooses to pursue this redevelopment, it would require an amendment to the City of Burlington Official Plan and Zoning By-law.

The pre-application consultation is scheduled to seek community feedback that will assist in shaping the future proposal. The current design options will require an amendment to the City of Burlington’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw. The current Official Plan designation of the site is Mixed Use Corridor, and the current Zoning is Mixed Use Corridor.

No development applications have been submitted to the City of Burlington at this time, and the City has not made any decisions on this proposal.

A Pre-application Community meeting has been scheduled to discuss this potential redevelopment, so that public can provide feedback to Adi Development Group at this early stage.

The Pre-Application Community Meeting will take place:

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.
Participate Online via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91873809076

Webinar ID: 918 7380 9076

(Internet connection required – Zoom User Guide available at www.burlington.ca/1120cooke)

Participate by Telephone- (audio only) 647-374-4685

During the meeting, City planning staff will provide an overview of the development application review process and opportunities for public participation in the process. Adi Development Group will provide an overview of their redevelopment plans.

This proposed development consists of two different design options for community feedback. The first of which consists of three towers with heights ranging from 29 to 39 storeys, and the second option consists of four towers with heights ranging from 18 to 39 storeys. Both options yield the same approximate number of units, 1,258.

Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith standing on the spot where the proposed development would be built. Cranes in the background are putting up Station West.

There will be a question and answer session to share your thoughts about the proposal with Adi Development Group. Councillor Kelvin Galbraith and the Mayor will also be in attendance to hear your input.

Nautique – the legal fight over this tower revealed just how creative lawyers for developers can be. It was the existence of a bus terminal, smaller than most kitchens that made it possible. Planning blew the OMB hearing – the developer got everything they wanted.

Residents can subscribe to the proposed development’s webpage at Burlington.ca/ development projects to receive any updates about this proposal.

The meeting is not going to result in any decisions; it is an opportunity for the developer to hear what the public thinks and for the public to see what the developer has in mind.

These meetings are now required by the city before a development application can be submitted. Comments made at the meeting are recorded and become part of the application when it is filed.

ADI is a major development in Burlington. The Nautique at the intersection of Martha and Lakeshore Road is now underway.

Station West is well underway – this most recent proposed development is really a part of the very large Station West plan.

Early site plan for Station West that is now under construction. The Cooke Street towers would be to the left of this project.

Molinaro Group announces plans for a four structure development on Plains Road East at Fairview

By Pepper Parr

September 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

This one will come as a bit of a shock.

Earlier today Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith are reported to have taken part in or just announced that there was to be a Pre-Application public meeting on October 1st at 7 pm related to a new development at 1134-1167 Plains Road planned by the Molinaro Group.

The city approved a new protocol for the announcement and public engagement in new developments.

Four structures with heights of 37 and 25 storeys.

While yet to be approved by Council – that comes later in the month – this development proposal is an example of what city council wants to see in the way developments are presented to the public.

At this stage the development is an idea – nothing has been taken to the Planning department.

It’s a big development. Will it result in a supermarket in the west end?

Site location.

Scam that had been reported is back - amazing that automotive dealerships get taken

By Staff

September 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

The auto theft scam is back. They go after high end used vehicles.

This one is really dumb – the automotive sector have only themselves to blame for this kind of thing happening.

The Gazette reported on this a number of weeks ago. Do the people in the automotive sector not talk to each other?

The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in a recent string of vehicle thefts from dealerships in Oakville and Georgetown.

The police have pictures of a suspect this time.

Police are investigating four similar style thefts with the same suspect involved. The first theft took place on September 8, 2020, and the most recent took place today (September 16) in Oakville (three of the thefts have taken place in Oakville and one in Georgetown).

Typically, the suspect will visit a dealership and state that they would like to purchase a vehicle and request a test drive. Due to COVID-19 policies, on three occasions the suspect has been allowed to test drive the vehicle alone, and leaves the dealership without returning.

On one occasion when the suspect was accompanied on the test drive by an employee, a secondary vehicle became involved and police believe a collision was intentionally initiated. Once the employee exited the vehicle to inspect the damage, both vehicles fled the scene.
Investigation has shown the phone number and identification provided to dealerships to be fraudulent.

All the dealerships targeted sell used Mercedes vehicles.

Surveillance photos of a suspect in these thefts is attached to this release.

He is described as male, brown skin, approximately 5’10”, 160 lbs with a thin build, short black hair. He has been seen wearing a white face mask.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Omar Nadim of the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2278.

What You Can Do

We are actively encouraging dealerships to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activity in/around their facilities to police. If you witness a crime in progress, or if the above-referenced suspect attends your dealership, you are asked to call 911.

If an individual requests a test drive, charge a security deposit to their credit card before they leave the lot; and

If an individual provides you with a contact phone number, call it before they leave the lot to verify that it is valid;

If an individual requests a test drive, charge a security deposit to their credit card before they leave the lot.

Related news story:

Brazen indeed.

Government puts out an interactive self-assessment application - will it make a difference?

By Pepper Parr

September 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

The province is doing everything they can to get people to use the preventative measure they know work to slow down the spread of the Covid19.

Premier does a media event almost daily – begging – beseeching the public to observe the social distancing rules. But the number of new infections is climbing – daily.

The Premier is his now almost daily web cast where he brings people up to data on what is happening; what they province is doing and putting critical data into the public realm.

He often beseeches, beg the public to be careful and cautious.

A significant part of the public isn’t listening all that well.

Today the province announced a new interactive self-screening tool. It is direct and the province wants people to use it every day.

CLICK HERE to access the app.

That isn’t likely to happen – the questions asked are pretty fundamental and we suspect that after a few days the people that need to hear the message and pay attention will be the first to get bored and stop doing the self-assessment.

At the risk of being a cynic this Premier might have to announce on a Thursday morning that come Friday at noon all bars and places where people gather for non-essential purposes are closed until the following Monday.

Or perhaps a curfew to make the point. British Columbia put a curfew in place.

The number of new infections are still climbing. At some point these infections will work their way into the school system.

The public reaction will not be pretty.

Craig Gardner - from water boy to Chair of the annual Terry Fox Run to find a Cure for Cancer

By Burlington Terry Fox Run Committee

September 16th. 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

Back in February 2020, when Corona was just a beer and a virus in a faraway land, I had a face-to-face coffee with Craig Gardner to discuss a special project for the 40th Anniversary of the Terry Fox Run here in Burlington. The plan was to invite as many past Chairs to the run on September 20 as we could track down, and profile their stories in a book of some sort.

Obviously, none of that happened – at least not in the format we’d imagined back in early 2020. When the foundation officially announced that the event would be virtual, we knew we had to do something to keep the 40th anniversary top of mind in our community. This blog was born.

Rick Goldring as Mayor hoisted the Terry Fox flag – Crag Gardner and Greg Costa help out.

I recently sat down with Craig again, only this time via Zoom, and chatted about his involvement over the years, his role as chair, the 2020 dilemma and what he hopes for the future.

From Volunteer to Chair

Before joining the Burlington Terry Fox Committee, Craig was a volunteer.

He worked at a water station on run day, hydrating thirsty runners and walkers. His good friend, Donald Carmichael took over as chair from Duncan Alexander, and recruited Craig to join the committee in an official capacity.

Craig’s involvement came about at a time when his father had recently passed away from colon cancer. Though he’d known people with cancer before, the cause became more personal to him through this experience.

On the committee, Craig was in charge of the route layout and setup. This was back when the Burlington Terry Fox Run started and finished at Beachway Park on Lakeshore Road.

Craig Gardner, Ben Farias and Don Carmichael

When Don decided to step back as chair, Craig said he was willing to take over the role if everyone on the committee approved. We of course did, and he’s been doing the job since 2016.

The first year we ran from Spencer Smith Park, near the Brant Street Pier, coincided with Craig’s first year as chair. Though the decision was not his, as there was construction on our previous route, it was decided after that this new start/finish would become the norm.

Highlights

Every chair brings something new and different to the event, and for Craig that’s what he’s most proud of.

“Every year we try something different,” he said.

He believes this has contributed to our event’s growth – that we’ve been able to offer unique experiences for our participants year after year. “The variety of activities we’ve had resulted in more people and more money (for the cause).”

Craig really wanted to make The Terry Fox Run stand out, as we compete with many other road races and events. “My goal, since I took over, was to differentiate us from real runs” said Craig. “We’ll always have a run…but we’re looking for families to come out and do stuff with us.”

If you look back to the 1981 Terry Fox Run, chaired by Greg Pace, the focus was more on running than it is today. While it will forever and always be the Terry Fox Run, the family-friendly aspect of the event is what keeps it going, allowing generations of people to participate together. You can walk, run and do what you can.

Best Laid Plans

We knew in 2019 that the 40th Anniversary would be big for us, as all major anniversary years have been. Like I said, Craig had big ideas for this year to try to make it our most successful run yet in Burlington.

It was more effective as a fund raising tool than rattling a tin cup: Craig Gardner, Don Carmichael and John Alma.

“This year, because it’s the 40th and because last year we came so close to breaking our record for money raised, we were pulling out all the stops,” said Craig.

One of those initiatives involved a sub-committee focused solely on marketing and events outside of run-day activities. But with many businesses closed for months and others adhering to strict physical distancing rules, many of our promotional events had to be cancelled or re-imagined.

While the Foundation made the decision to go virtual in April with the slogan “One Day, Your Way,” Craig didn’t want to just focus on September 20th. Though many people are participating on the day, he wanted to get people going throughout the summer. The Burlington take on it was that it would be “Any Day, Any Way.”

Craig (Orange Shirt) with committee members Kirsten and Ben, and long-time volunteer, Liz.

Members of the committee were given lists of Team Captains from last year’s run to reach out to to let them know about the virtual event. The plan was to provide teams, families and individuals with a Terry Fox in a Box kit. This would include signs, posters, temporary tattoos, bubbles, colouring pages and shirts if they wanted to purchase them. This was our version of curbside delivery. Teams were encouraged to host small, physically distanced events in their backyards or do something active in their own communities while raising money for Terry Fox.

“I think our strategy was really successful,” said Craig. “Because, here we are, less than four weeks to the run, and as far as donations raised, we’re still the third largest of all of Canada.” (Note: I interviewed Craig on August 28, 2020)

Having Hope

While Craig is happy with our results so far in 2020, he is hoping to get back to Spencer Smith Park for September 2021.

But for now, we focus on making this year the best possible!

Thank you Craig, for guiding us all through this strange time. Your leadership and out-of-the-box thinking have helped us stay motivated to raise money for cancer research.

Not signed up yet? Register today and raise money for Terry!

Quarry operating looking for partners on turning the property into public space once the aggregate extraction has been completed.

By Staff

September 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

While the reviews of the many technical documents related to the application for an extraction license to expand the existing quarry and create a new one across #2 Side Road take place, the quarry operators are moving forward on their long term plans to turn all the land over to a public authority and create one of the largest parks the Region has ever seen.

Nelson Aggregates has put out a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking a partner to help with the detailed design, construction and operation of a nearly 1,000-acre park in North Burlington.

This RFEI is intended to gauge market interest before determining whether to proceed to a competitive bidding process.

16 Rendering of bowl Golf club or main quarry

Tonnes of aggregate were taken out of the quarry and used to build much of the Burlington we know today. In the future that hole in the ground could become a magnificent park.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to assemble a large piece of land in prime real estate for a public park,” said Nelson President Quinn Moyer. “We are inviting applications from any interested and qualified parties, be it a government, government agency, not-for-profit, conservation or other organization committed to public recreation.”

Interested parties have been invited to respond to this RFEI by October 15 by submitting a letter to Nelson that includes a brief statement of the nature of their interest in the park and any qualifications.

Organizations that submit will be notified in the event of an RFP to determine the winning candidate.

The shaded area to the left and to the south are the properties that are the xx of an extraction license. The large gray area in the middle is the current quarry that is reaching the end of its life cycle. Combined the plan is to turn all of it over to the public to be used as parkland.

“This park is a truly exciting project,” said Moyer, “one that will help Burlington and Halton grow sustainably over the next generation, and then give future generations the environmental and health benefits of a large urban park.”

The proposed park would be 5.7 times larger than Burlington’s City View Park, and would be donated to the public in stages following approval of an application to extend Nelson’s Burlington Quarry. The size and scale of the park would allow for abundant recreational opportunities, from biking and swimming to rock climbing and soccer.

Interested parties are asked to review the RFEI at merx.com.

MERX is Canada’s leading electronic tendering service

Terry LIVES here - the flag says so

By Staff

September 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

It happened yesterday in Burlington.

Mayor makes a fashion statement. A photo op well worth the time it took.

The Terry Fox Lives Here flag was raised by the Mayor and a small group of those that fight the good fight every year. We’ve been doing it for forty years.

Latest news on the fund raising front is:

We are now in all five Denningers for Terry Fox.

Selling image of Terry’s adidas orion shoe folks sign and is posted in windows or jars at cash Twooneys for Terry.

T Shirt sales going okay over ½ of original 120 sold and new order in certain sizes to arrive soon.

We have passed $52K in donations online with 30 teams and over 230 individuals registered online.

Council likes the idea of a Deep Energy Retrofit Program for the city - approved $182,000 for year 1

By Pepper Parr

September 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

This is a long article. If the Deep Energy Retrofit pilot project is a success – the results will be houses that are retrofitted and become low carbon generators which will add significant value to the property.

The recommendation to the Standing Committee was to approve a budget of $182,000 for year one of a project that has the potential to have 80% of the residential homes in the city retrofit by 2051.

The report presented was pretty dry – the conversation and debate was anything but dry – but it didn’t get unanimous support.

If the project gets approved at Council at the end of the month it will mean another raid on a Reserve Fund – this time it would be the Tax Rate Stabilization account.

What the Standing Committee on Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Committee (EICS) was doing was delivering on one of the election campaign promises.

Early in their term of office the Mayor led her council to declaring a Climate Change Emergency.

There was no stopping them once that declaration was cast in stone.

Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman said, after more than an hour of debate that this is “exactly the right approach. We need a guide – approve this plan – we will find the dollars.

“We will solve the Covid problem – climate change is what is going to kill us all.”

The City of Burlington has set a target for the community to be net carbon zero by 2050. The development and implementation of a deep energy efficiency retrofit program for homes is necessary to achieve the low carbon scenario described in the Climate Action Plan for Burlington.
On July 6th, 2020, staff reported to the EI&CS Committee with background information and options to deliver a residential deep energy retrofit program in Burlington.

The initial implementation of the Deep Energy Retrofit Program including but not limited to a scale-able home owner pilot project, research on resident take up and commitment, homeowner technical support to energy retrofit including the involvement of Burlington Enterprises Corp, and that staff report back with any financial implications of the pilot project.

Scale-able Pilot Project:
Staff recommend engaging the Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM) at Mohawk College and the Bay Area Climate Change Council (BACCC) to develop and implement a scale-able home owner pilot project.

The City has an existing partnership with the City of Hamilton and Mohawk College to accelerate action on climate change through the CCCM and BACCC. Both cities recently contributed financially to support the administration of BACCC.

The CCCM is embarking on the development of a business plan for a Low-Rise Home Energy Retrofit Delivery Program for the region of Hamilton-Burlington on behalf of BACCC, with the following objectives:

• identify the Centre’s core services to provide to homeowners
• develop a financially feasible business model for the program
• recommend a governance structure to promote transparency and accountability
• define program eligibility criteria, as well as monitoring and evaluations frameworks
• identify opportunities to scale and transfer solutions (e.g. integration with Brant or other adjacent regions, supporting multi-unit residential retrofits)
• investigate whether outreach and education services should be part of the Centre’s core mandate.

As city staff reviewed the CCCM’s proposal and objectives, it became clear that there is an opportunity and benefit to join forces with the CCCM to expand the scope of this work.

The CCCM can act as the project manager with financial investment from Burlington to develop and deliver a scale-able pilot program for a home energy efficiency retrofit project. The additional work to be managed for the City of Burlington will include:

What makes a home energy efficient?

additional home energy efficiency audits
market research
an initial survey of a scientific random sample of homeowners in Burlington to determine market readiness, barriers and demand for incentives
focus groups following the process to complete more in-depth analysis of homeowners’ experience following completion of a home energy audit and implementation of measures
education – engage organizations such as Humber College and the Clean Air Partnership to deliver workshops and online sessions to residents on deep home energy efficiency retrofits
marketing – promoting current opportunities and benefits to homeowners interested in completing home energy efficiency retrofits.

What can the city expect to get in a year for $182,000?

Kate Flynn, Acting Director, Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk pitched the concept to Council.

The Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM) is an applied research arm of Mohawk College. Their role is to help the Hamilton-Burlington transition to a thriving low-carbon economy.

They do this by catalyzing multi-sector collaborations with industry, community and government.

They bring collaborators together to work on designing and implementing solutions that are often multi-faceted and require industry, community, and government support.

Their approach is to co-design human centered solutions that actually address the systemic issues of why something isn’t currently working.

In 2018 the Cities of Hamilton and Burlington commissioned a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. One of the main conclusions of that greenhouse gas inventory was that a home energy retrofit program would be one of the best opportunities for Hamilton and Burlington to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

Essentially, a HERO – Home Energy Renovation Opportunity is one the most important tools to help Burlington meet its 2050 goals to be a thriving carbon neutral community.

The CCCC works as an applied research arm, and as an incubator is that provides additional flexibility, capacity and expertise.

They want to co-design a project that meets Burlington residents’ needs. Through focus groups and home energy audits, we’d engage Burlington homeowners, providing them with the audit report, then asking them what works for them and their needs.

They conclude that given the number and diversity of homes in Burlington, one size will not fill all – the need is to design a program that supports a diversity of implementable solutions.

The hope is that one day, we could develop “turn key” solutions – package deals for certain kinds of homes that are cost effective and minimize disruption.

And finally, we know the battle will not be on establishing a program – the battle will be uptake.

Right now, doing a home energy retrofit is a very difficult thing for homeowners to navigate. We need to make it easy and accessible through the creation of a Home Delivery Retrofit Centre.

The goal at the CCCM is to create programs that effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the local economy, so we keep residents’ interests at the heart of what we do.

We also want to flow resources and support for community organizations that are already DOING some of this work like educating homeowners, talking to people in the streets, and engaging people – we know that’s an essential piece of this and we want to activate current networks and amplify the great work local organizations are doing to do that outreach and engagement.

We also want to design a truly scalable solution – so one that can support the growing market and changing consumer needs, but also can expand to support access, equity and heritage homes.

As part of our partnership with the Cities, we act as the administrative and physical home of the Council but they are an independent group.

Not everyone was onside for a program that would make major changes in the city’s carbon footprint and run by a community college in Hamilton.

Councillor Stolte was more interested in a “made in Burlington” solution and Councillor Bentivegna wanted more detail and what this pilot project was going to cost in its second year.

Councillor Nisan pointed out that “we all supported climate change – and now we are fussed about $300,000. There will be a reward.

The CCCM views this as an opportunity to expand the scope, where the experience and results of the partnership with Burlington will provide additional data and information to support the business plan for a Home Energy Retrofit Delivery Centre.

Project Deliverables
The CCCM proposes the following work to be completed within a year:

• Business plan for a Hamilton-Burlington Retrofits Delivery Centre for Hamilton- Burlington region
• Report on implementation plan
• Results on a study of home energy audits in Hamilton and Burlington, in which the project team identifies common consumer needs to verify delivery centre’s core services (additional energy audits will be completed in Burlington)
• Market research for Burlington – survey of homeowners and focus groups
• Outreach & education initiatives for Burlington residents

The goal is to incubate the Delivery Centre so that it can eventually grow to become its own organization or partner with another organization where synergies exist. The Centre will provide the support and knowledge needed by homeowners, ensuring the energy retrofit process can be convenient, easy to access and effective.

Project Management
The project will be managed by the CCCM, an applied research division of the College, aimed at supporting the Hamilton-Burlington Region’s transition to a low carbon economy.

Project Advisory Committee
For 2020-22, the Bay Area Climate Change Council has identified the acceleration of a home energy efficiency retrofit program as one of its priority areas of focus. As such, the Bay Area Climate Change Council’s Implementation Team on Home Energy Retrofits will act as a project advisory committee. The Implementation Team will meet monthly to provide project feedback and guidance. This group will comprise of 8-10 stakeholders from across the home energy retrofit ecosystem in Hamilton-Burlington.

Municipal Consortium in Ontario
The Clean Air Partnership is continuing discussions with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to develop a municipal consortium in Ontario to support home energy efficiency retrofits.

There is talk about a loan program that would be financed by the municipalities.
The collaboration could take many forms from assignment of project leadership for a set of tools or in other cases it may be advantageous to have group development. Common platform pieces could include:

Window upgrades are critical to achieving a low carbon foot print.

• One stop web site
• Program marketing materials
• Program outreach materials to key stakeholders (homeowners, realtors, contractors)
• Applications forms
• Client management system
• Client supports/resources
• Contractor supports/resources
• Better understanding how to handle and what are the differences in needs/capacity across municipalities with regards to these common platform pieces.

Staff will continue to monitor progress on this collaborative initiative and engage in discussions to determine the best approach for Burlington.

Options Considered
Staff assessed creating a scale-able home energy efficiency retrofit pilot program with in-house resources, however, the benefits of working with an external community-based organization outweighed that option. The CCCM can be flexible in managing the development of this program, has access to expertise within the college, has the ability to reach the community through its networks and, will receive additional guidance and support from the Bay Area Climate Change Council and

Implementation Team.
Mohawk College has a positive reputation for being a leader in applied research and skills training, an important element of scaling up the trades, skills and knowledge to support energy efficient building retrofits in the Burlington and Hamilton communities.

Total Financial Impact
Burlington’s total budget share for year one is $182,000 and year two $103,500. Year one includes one-time funding to develop the business plan and complete market research, including a survey and focus group.

The CCCM has applied to The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) for its share of funding of $32,800 for year one.

Source of Funding
Staff recommend the use of the city’s Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund (TRSRF) for the one-time funding of $182,000 to partner with CCCM for development of a business plan, pilot project and associated market research costs.

As of June 30, 2020 the balance in the city’s tax rate $4.72 million net of commitments. It is important to note, that the city is projecting a year end shortfall as a result of Covid-19. Therefore, the TRSRF will not be replenished at year end with any retained savings, and furthermore, it is possible that the balance may be further drawn upon based on the year end forecasted shortfall.

Background links:

Burlington’s Climate Change Emergency declaration.

Green house gas emissions report

Public Health reports first case of West Nile virus in Burlington

By Staff

September 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

While Covid-19 issues keep the Public Health Unit very very busy, it also has to deal with other significant health issues.

A Burlington resident has tested positive for West Nile virus.

Halton Region Public Health has confirmed that a Burlington resident has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). This is Halton’s third human case of WNV this year; the first two positive test results were residents of Oakville.

“Halton Region Public Health continues to reduce the risk of West Nile virus in our community through education and preventative programs, such as larviciding. Until the fall frost, residents should keep using bug spray, remove standing water and avoid areas where mosquitoes are present,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health.

“While 80 per cent of people infected with West Nile virus will have no symptoms, others will have symptoms consisting of fever, headache, muscle ache and a rash. These symptoms are very similar to illnesses such as COVID-19, so it is important for residents seek medical assessment.”

Residents are encouraged to take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:

• Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home at least once a week by getting rid of water in containers and objects such as wheelbarrows, tires, plant pots, old toys, plastic pails and wading pools.
• Avoid areas where mosquitoes are known to be present such as wooded areas, golf courses or gardens, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• If you are going to areas where mosquitoes are active, cover up by wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly woven fabric.
• Use a mosquito repellent (bug spray) containing DEET or Icaridin.
• Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
• Change the water in bird baths at least once per week.

If residents see standing water on public property for longer than a week, they can report it to Halton Region by emailing accesshalton@halton.ca or calling 311.

As part of its ongoing West Nile virus surveillance and larviciding program, Halton Region Public Health staff continue to monitor areas of standing water, eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites and apply larvicide when mosquito larvae is found during Regional monitoring and surveillance. For more information on Halton Region’s West Nile virus program, visit halton.ca.

With a clear focus and limited resources Robin Bailey makes the Burlington Food Bank work

By Pepper Parr

September 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

Part 2 of a series

Robin Bailey has been running the Burlington Food Bank for three years.

When he got there it was known as Partnership West – an organization that struggled a bit with its role.

Food Banks have become a part of life in every community and university campus.

Volunteers are the life line that keeps the food bank running day in – day out.

During the interview with Robin Bailey a truck arrived with boxes of frozen chicken. Did we mind if the space we were in was used to get the meat into the freezer asked Dominique? She’s in there behind the boxes she emptied. They she cut up the cartons so they could be recycled,

In Burlington they became a life line for many when the 2008 recession hit the world.

Middle income households are now finding that they need to turn to food banks. The lock-down brought on by the Covid pandemic changed once again the role that food banks had to fill.

Bailey points out that now there are dozens of food banks popping up.

At the same time the larger food banks are creating an infrastructure through which they can share ideas and resources and act as a collective to bring pressure to bear on the various levels of government.

Food Ontario connects most of the food banks in the province and has a seat on Food Banks Canada. Bailey is the Ontario representative on that organization.

The Burlington Food Bank doesn’t get a nickel from the City of Burlington; doesn’t get a nickel from the Regional government even though that level of government handles social welfare issues.

There is no money from the province nor is there any money from the federal government.

It takes $330,000 a year to run the Burlington Food Bank. Much of that money is used to buy food when donations fall short.

While Bailey would like something in the way of financial support he has been around long enough to know that there are always strings attached to what comes from any level of government. They are very good at the grant game.

“We can be much more nimble and turn on a dime if we have to when we rely on the resources we create for ourselves.” said Bailey.

Like the commercial world there is some consolidation taking place in the food bank industry. Burlington’s Open Doors now has most of its food bank operation in the hands of the people at the Burlington Food Bank.

Industry prefers to work with the one organization and not have to work with half a dozen organizations who would like to access the food that supermarkets, commercial farm operations and produce organizations that are able to donate large amounts of food.

The Milk Marketing Board and the Egg Marketing Board people are two prime examples.

While there is a lot of consolidation taking place there are all kinds of small local groups that want to collect food from their membership. It gets a little confusing at times.

Bailey is one of those people who has solid experience, an attitude and set of values that are needed to do this kind of work.

It isn’t easy.

Scott Cameron getting ready to record the daily podcast Robin Bailey does each day of the week.

Bailey usually does a podcast each day of the week – telling people what his organization has been able to do and what he sees as the really high-need areas.

He has realized that food scarcity is just one part of the picture. Homelessness is another.

And then there are those situations that come out of nowhere – Covid was one of them.

The Food Bank found that they were getting calls from people who were quarantined and not able to get out and shop for food and didn’t have anyone within their circle who could do this job for them.

The Food Bank was suddenly serving groups of people that would not in their wildest imaginations see themselves as needing to go to a food bank. Actually they didn’t go to the food bank; Bailey’s team delivered the food to the doors of households that were not permitted to leave their homes.

The base on which the Burlington Food Bank operates is a team of volunteers that show up regularly to prepare the food they have on hand into packages that get delivered or are ready to be picked up. Add to that the drivers that deliver.

Bailey has grown an organization that is well run, seen as a leader in its field realizing that the need for food banks is going to be with us for sometime.

Part 1 of a series

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