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May 27th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
The BPL Book Sale was a great day, with 910 eager shoppers visiting Central Branch on Saturday, May 24. While they didn’t have an exact count of the number of items available, thye were able to say that “we sold 185 boxfuls of books, DVDs, CDs, and magazines, which generated net proceeds of $3,600. The funds raised will support Library initiatives and building the collection.  Books, DVDs, CDs, and magazines ready for the annual BPL Book Sale.
May 28th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Let’s get straight to the point: online slots are legal in Ontario. However, that doesn’t mean you can just log into any flashy gambling site and start spinning. There’s a legal framework in place; if you’re not following it, you’re gambling in the dark, and that’s precisely where bad things happen. In 2022, Ontario overhauled its online gambling laws. Now in 2025, it’s one of North America’s most tightly regulated iGaming markets. Still, with offshore sites still accessible, knowing the rules matters more than ever. The Law
However, this didn’t appear overnight. For years, online gambling in Canada operated in a legal grey zone. Before 2022, Ontarians could access offshore sites without regulation, oversight, or protection. The Canadian Criminal Code technically restricted gambling to government-run entities, but enforcement was loose, and foreign operators flooded the market. That changed in April 2022, when Ontario became the first Canadian province to launch a fully regulated, competitive online gambling market. AGCO created a framework, and iGaming Ontario was set up to manage it. This model allowed private companies to enter the market under strict conditions. If you’re playing online slots legally in Ontario, the operator signed a contract with iGO and follows AGCO’s playbook. That means independent testing, data protection, responsible gambling features, and real accountability. Offshore casinos? None of that. It’s the Wild West, and that’s being generous. Age MattersThe first rule is clear. If you’re under 19, you cannot play online slots in Canada. That’s the law. It doesn’t matter if you find a site that doesn’t verify IDs. If you’re underage and gambling, it’s illegal. Ontario enforces this hard. Licensed platforms will allow you to go through identity verification: ID, address, the whole thing. It’s a bit of a hassle, but that’s what legal compliance looks like. Underage gambling is a gateway to addiction, and that’s not some overblown moral concept. Every major study on the subject backs it. That’s why the rules are strict. Spotting a Legal Platform
Licensed platforms are upfront about these things because they’re required to be. If a site hides this info, doesn’t verify your ID, or pushes you to deposit with sketchy payment methods? It’s offshore, and you’re gambling without a safety net. No protections. No guarantees. And when things go sideways, no one’s coming to help. This Isn’t Just About Rules, It’s About RiskThis system exists for two reasons: player safety and money. Let’s start with safety. Unregulated sites are a breeding ground for scams. Payouts can vanish. Odds can be rigged. Customer support? Don’t count on it. And if these sites shut down overnight, which happens more than you think, you’re out of luck and probably out of cash. Regulated sites in Ontario play by the book. Their games are audited. Their RNGs (random number generators) are tested. And if you hit a snag, there’s a formal complaints process through iGaming Ontario that doesn’t vanish into thin air. Then there’s the money. Part of that revenue goes to Ontario’s public budget every time you play on a licensed platform. We’re talking hundreds of millions that fund healthcare, infrastructure, and public education. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Ontario’s regulated iGaming market brought in $3.2 billion in gross revenue. Offshore sites? They take your money and run it through tax havens. The Blueprint of Legal iGamingNow that we’ve gone through the basics, let’s talk about legal online gambling. BetMGM is one of Ontario’s flagship licensed operators. It’s reputable, fast, and secure. It offers hundreds of online slot titles from big-name developers. More importantly, it runs on AGCO-approved software. If you win, you get paid. You can set your limits. You can take a timeout. You can self-exclude entirely. Every move you make is logged and protected. BetMGM isn’t your back-alley corner bookie. It’s a transparent, regulated online gambling platform built for people who want to play responsibly without getting burned. Play Smart, Play Legal
May 26th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Every time I get something from the city’s communications people that has the word “vibrant” in it – my knees begin to wobble and I reach for my dictionary. Vibrant: lively, energetic, and full of life.  This is what it’s all about. People sitting outside and enjoying the Sound of Music. Vibrant? Naw! I’m not buying it. Sound of Music isn’t vibrant – it is a wonderful, laid-back occasion when you get to listen to music you’d never heard before. Nevertheless, the city is going to craft a new Culture Plan to guide the next decade (2026–2036) of arts and culture growth. This plan will help shape the future of Burlington’s arts and culture programs, services and investments. The Culture Plan will contribute to a future that is vibrant, inclusive and rooted in Burlington’s community. The City is inviting residents and artists to get involved in the creation of its new Culture Plan. Public Engagement The City will be offering many ways for residents and the Arts and Culture community to share their ideas for Burlington’s arts and culture future. Over the next six months, staff will be connecting with residents, artists, cultural professionals, organizations and communities across Burlington. Tuesday, June 24, 2025 In-person sessions – Art Gallery of Burlington Tuesday, June 24, 2025 or  Tents set up in Civic Square during a cultural event. Wednesday, June 25, 2025 RSVP to participate in a Culture Jam Workshop Event booths and pop-up Over the summer, staff will be visiting busy parks, festivals and events to hear directly from residents. There will also be self-directed activities in public spaces such as libraries and community centres. Residents can subscribe for updates at getinvolvedburlington.ca/cultureplan to get updates as information is added to the page.
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May 25th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
This is an early notice. A Drawn from Clay: A Ceramic Collage Workshop is being offered Saturday, June 21, 1–4 pm at the Lee-Chin Family Gallery $50 | $45 FOR MEMBERS  Breanna Shanahan. Here is how the Gallery describes the event. Let the AGB’s collection inspire you in this hands-on drawing and collage workshop in the Lee-Chin Family Gallery. Participants are invited to draw in response to the many unique ceramics on view in A Curve, Not a Line, then learn how to cut and combine their drawings to tell new stories through collage under the guidance of artist and educator Breanna Shanahan. Register today–spaces are limited. Register HERE
May 19th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Are photo ops the bread and butter of political life in Burlington?
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns has made the photo op both an art and a science. She frequently outdoes the Mayor and THAT is saying something One that caught our attention recently was Kearns and a bingo card – a huge bingo card. What was all that we wondered – so we asked. The Bingo games that take place at the Polish Hall donate a portion of their revenue to local charities. Excited? Lisa Kearns was – did any of her cards win? She didn’t say
 These are the organizations that benefit from the Bingo Games played regularly at the Polish Hall.
May 19th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
It was a great idea – and it looks as if it is actually going to get off the ground.  St. Luke’s Anglican church, built on land that the British gave to Joseph Brant for his service. If you stand on Elgin Avenue and look to the north you will see St. Luke’s Anglican church. Turn around and look south to the lake – and there is a clear path (well almost clear) pathway to the lake. The church and the land were part of the Brant land grant that was deeded by the Brant family. Over time, developments took place and the strip of land to the lake got crowded by residential development. The people at St. Likes decided that it was time to make that pathway more accessible to the public and they took their thought to ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. She loved the idea, took it to the planning department – they quickly pointed out that there was a problem with clear public access – there was a roadway cutting across the possible path that led to a city-owned parking lot.  Done properly it will be a really nice addition to a strip of land that has never been used. Kudos to St. Luke’s for the initiative. They came up with a solution that City Council agreed with – approved it – and it goes to Council later this week Authorize the Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services to collaborate with St. Luke’s Church on the feasibility of a new publicly accessible walkway from Elgin Street to Lakeshore. St. Luke’s Anglican Church is located on the north side of Elgin Street between Nelson Avenue and Burlington Street in downtown Burlington. Directly across from the church, is a long narrow stretch of land that is owned in part by the City and the Church. Since the original construction of the church in 1834, this long stretch of land that extends from the south side of Elgin Street to Lakeshore Road has provided an uninterrupted view to Lake Ontario The Church has approached the ward Councillor and City staff to see if there is an interest in working together to build an accessible public walkway from Elgin to Lakeshore, which would span across lands owned by both the City and the Church. The lands owned by the Church are referred to as “Church Avenue”. The concept was sound; however, one of the biggest challenges with this idea is that the city-owned lands to the north currently support the parking lot driveway entrance into Lot #10. The driveway is a physical barrier to safe pedestrian movement through Church Avenue.  Joseph Brant will be very pleased. Since the City owns the lands in the former Hydro/Rail Corridor between Church Avenue and Nelson Avenue, it is possible to relocate the parking lot #10 driveway entrance to Nelson Avenue and eliminate all vehicular traffic on Church Avenue. This would free up the landscape for pedestrian-only movement and use of the space. After some initial meetings, staff feel that this is a great opportunity to explore and would like Council’s support and direction to proceed further with the proposal. Council did just that last week. Later this week, we can expect Council to approve it – and in the fullness of time, there will be a pleasant pathway from Elgin to the lake. Joseph Brant will be pleased.
May 16th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Gotta SING, Gotta DANCE! is an exciting tribute to the art of staying young, showcasing music, comedy and dance. It’s a lavish production featuring a brand new lineup of upbeat and fast-paced entertainment presented by the inspiring talents of the Burlington Footnotes.
Tue Jun 17, 2025 at 2pm & 7pm Tickets HERE
May 16th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
ATTENTION Parents! Guardians! Grandparents! Caregivers! Aunts! Uncles! Elders! Teachers! Principals! Students! Mentors! Youth Workers! Educational Support Staff! School Trustees! Lifelong Learners and Allies in Education!
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has announced its BPAC ONSTAGE offering, their new season of exceptional performances for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Their team has selected 16 performances and workshops designed to inspire a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts while bringing the Ontario Arts Curriculum to life. You are invited to share news of our 25/26 BPAC ONSTAGE Season with the educators and learners in your life! For only $10 per student ticket, the 25/26 BPAC ONSTAGE Education Series is exclusive to schools and offers students a window into the dynamic world of dance, theatre and music.  An in-depth backstage tour and hands-on demonstration led by BPAC’s talented technical team New for the 25/26 Season, BPAC Backstage is an in-depth backstage tour and hands-on demonstration led by BPAC’s talented technical team, designed for high school-aged students considering a career in the technical performing arts!  Golden Ticket Program provides FREE tickets to performances from our Education Series BPAC’s Golden Ticket Program provides FREE tickets to performances from the Education Series to students who would otherwise not be able to access these events. This program would not be possible without the generous support and donations from our community members like you! Help us continue to enrich the lives of Burlington youth by donating to our Golden Ticket Program. You will receive a full tax receipt for donations of $25 or more. For more information and how to donate, please visit: burlingtonpac.ca/golden-ticket
May 15th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Ottawa’s tulip festival can trace its roots back to World War II. After the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, Princess Juliana took refuge in Ottawa along with her two young daughters. While in Ottawa, a third daughter, Princess Margriet, was born. For the birth, the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared Dutch soil.
Along with Princess Margriet, the “Tulip Legacy” was born. After returning to the Netherlands, the Dutch Royal Family began sending tulip bulbs to Ottawa and has been doing so ever since. This gift has inspired the Canadian Tulip Festival, now the largest of its kind in the world. Providing a safe haven for the Dutch Royal Family is one small part of the friendship between the two countries. Canada played a crucial role in the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II.
The Parliament Buildings, visible in the background, are undergoing a massive renovation and restoration project.
May 15th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
The event drops May 18th, at Hola Café & Market: Latin beats, specialty brews, and the city’s best vibes, turning your Sunday plans into something unforgettable. —one Sunday only.
In collaboration with Montañeros Coffee Corp and DJ collective MXJ, the first-ever coffee party in Burlington taking place Sunday, May 18th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Hola Café, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, this RSVP-only event is free to the public (with limited capacity) and promises an afternoon full of soul, sabor, and seriously good coffee. Here’s the brew:
First 15 – unlimited coffee Next 15 – one free cup PLUS – we’ll be announcing the winner of our online giveaway live at the party. To enter, follow us on Instagram and join the celebration: @holacafemarket, @musicbymxj, @montaneroscoffee
This promises to be a new tradition for Burlington—an intimate, music-infused coffee party that blends community, culture, and curated vibes. It’s free, but once we hit capacity, doors close. Be early, be ready, be part of the story. Location: Hola Café & Market, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, Burlington, ON Date & Time: Sunday, May 18th, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
May 14th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
What is open and what isn’t open. Fireworks are permitted to be set off on Victoria Day only (May 19). Please continue to use our valued outdoor spaces responsibly – community cooperation is essential to helping keep everyone safe during Victoria Day. The City’s bylaw regulates where and when residents can set off family (low hazard) fireworks. For more information about who to contact if you have a concern, visit burlington.ca/fireworks. Will Toronto have won the Stanley Cup by Monday?
Link to the story about the Queen being celebrated
May 14th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON Part two of a two-part article on the Burlington Library CEO
“Our demographics.” There isn’t a lot of data, said Lita Barrie. We don’t do a lot of gender-based analysis when we do our annual customer satisfaction survey. Typically, we weren’t asking people for demographic information, but this past year we did, and it definitely skews to women. Who uses the library and how many people work there? Number of staff FTE – 140 Number of books on shelves – BPL’s Collection totals 345,352 items – 305,662 physical items on the shelves Number of videos on shelves – DVD’s comprise of 11% of BPL annual checkouts. How many people hold a library card – 93,322 Active Library Card holders (i.e used within the last 2 years)  Reading as a concept, whether as a social determinant of health, as a source of learning and growth, or even just for mental well-being is part of what libraries are in place to do. “Just be hazarding a guess to say how many, but it’s interesting, because definitely, for our author events, our book clubs, there tends to be a gender disparity between these and those just borrowing from the library. “I think we’re seeing, even though we’re in sort of an information age where we’re surrounded with information, there’s more research happening now around attention span, because I think one of the things that people really struggle with is the long form of a book and being able to hold your attention to read for a longer period of time, but reading as a as a concept, whether as a social determinant of health, as a source of learning and growth, or even just for mental well being as a dream stressor. I think that’s the part you know.  Books that were on hold and are now available are placed here for people to pick up. For those of us who are readers, we know all this. We know all of the things that reading brings us. But for people who haven’t had that; they haven’t discovered that, or they face challenges around that, convincing people of the value can be a bit of a hard sell.” How do libraries work with educators?. Do they influence each other? “Definitely, within the library sector, and this could be one of the things that we’ve seen in Canada over the last number of years, is a decline in school libraries. So definitely, kids aren’t having as much of a presence of the library in their elementary and secondary school experience, and that’s particularly true in Ontario. “We work with educators when we look to find partnerships. “Teachers have big jobs, particularly now with all the things happening in society; the types of partnerships that we used to have is less common now, just because the school boards and teachers just don’t have the time or capacity for those types of collaborative relationships, which I think is a detriment to our ability to really make an impact, but we try to recognize that and find ways that we can engage. I used to have working relationships with educators at the start of my career.  “The biggest factor in whether a child is a reader is their parent. “The biggest factor in whether a child is a reader is their parent. It’s not just being read to, it’s seeing literature at home, observing a parent. Those are some of the biggest determinants of whether someone is a reader.” Is there anything that your people can do to work on the disinformation side? “Very timely question. Definitely, that’s an area of focus we’re looking at. I was part of a podcast we worked on with the Privy Council on misinformation, disinformation, and trying to think about how we as librarians can play a more active role in that. “We have found that the more confident we feel about our position on something, the more susceptible we are to misinformation.”  Audience during the recording of the CBC Ideas program at the BPL.
“I share his belief that this is such a loss, because we librarians are on the front lines of providing the public with not just books – but a wide wide range of tools that educate, inform and entertain people.  Lita Barrie (CEO, Burlington Public Library), Sabreena Delhon (CEO, The Samara Centre for Democracy), Meg Uttangi Matsos (Director, Service Design & Innovation, BPL), Nahlah Ayed (Host, CBC’s IDEAS), and Ira Wells (Professor, University of Toronto, critic & author). “The books coming in have expanded exponentially. “The number and volume of reading material that is published on an annual basis, far exceeds our capacity from a budget standpoint, but I think our collection grows more as a partnership, because our team selects based on demand and what people are reading. We also try to balance that with making sure we have breadth and depth and scope, because we don’t want to be so driven by popular demand that you’re not walking into the library discovering something that you never imagined existed. It’s definitely a balance. “We curate to a certain extent, that’s more of a business driven from our leaders. Our team works with a vendor. People also want the book the moment it’s printed. So we have partnerships with our vendors, we have something called an automatic release plan based on a profile of the type of collection that we have in the library. “We get our copies of the book on the shelves quickly, that drives the bulk of our collection. Our team refines the selections that adds to the edges of what goes on our shelves; the process helps us build a very complete collection. Is there anybody on staff able to say to somebody they’re talking to: there’s a book I think you should read?  Lita Barrie: ‘It can be a bit of a nerve-wracking figuring out what people might want.’ “I have Pepper. I would hope that the majority of the people on our team would be able to do that, because that was one of the things that we’ve really focused because that can be a bit of a nerve-wracking figuring out what people might want. We’ve developed additional training for our team to ask questions: what does that look like, so that people can understand when they’re talking to someone about what they’ve read they can determine – is it the writing style, is it the content, is it the genre, and then being able to have a conversation with someone else. “What part of that book did you really like, let them be able to point them in directions, and definitely, technology helps hugely for that, in terms of, you know, the way our catalogue is able to pull like the crazy word that you’ve never heard of. Does Shakespeare matter we asked. “Yes – Shakespeare – on a daily basis, no, but it’s part of that breadth and that history of English literature that is the core of what it written and what is read.
“I think I’m okay with where I’m going and what I’m doing with the library; it’s as much about who you are and the institution you’re in and where you’re going to take that institution at this point. When we celebrated our 150th a few years ago we recognized we are part of a profession that has such a legacy to it; there are people you will never know, who led the waves or created the opportunity for you to be here in that moment and then to hold that responsibility and think, okay, 150 years from now when BPL celebrates its 300th anniversary; what will we have we done in this moment to secure that future and make sure that the institution still has value and meaning.  New Appleby Library at the Bateman Community Centre will have 10,000 square feet of space. Lita needed me to know that the Appleby Library at the Bateman Community Centre is going to give them an additional 10,000 square feet. “I don’t think most people realize just how big an operation it is going to be. We have dates for when the book shelves and those things will be moving in over the summer. Early fall is the date penciled in at this point. We’ve spent so much time looking at the drawings. We’ve been working with the planning people going on five years for this project; it was a renovation of the school, which complicated things. It’s going to be really bright. The library board decided not to call the branch the Bateman branch. Currently it’s called New Appleby and that name will be used when we open at the Bateman Center.  Lita Barrie: “I’m still having a lot of fun in Burlington.” What’s next? “ “Well, I’m still having a lot of fun in Burlington, so I have no I have no plans beyond, the work we are currently doing. “I have the ability to work with the board, to really guide where the library is going; it’s just such a phenomenal time.” Links: Part 1 of this 2-part article.
May 2nd, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Every community has groups of people who perform: singers, musicians, choirs – they practice for hours and take great joy from what they do.  Alexander Cappellazzo Tenor Soloist On Saturday, May 10th. The Burlington Civic Chorale will perform at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church. Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming from the late Baroque era.
May 9th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Please register HERE  If it is alive, how do we deal with it? Or – how does it deal with us? Renowned the world over for his vivid investigations of the natural world and our connection to it, award-winning author and scholar Robert Macfarlane visits on publication of his enthralling new book Is a River Alive? “…a beautiful, wild exploration of an ancient idea: that rivers are living participants in a living world. Robert Macfarlane’s astonishing telling of the lives of three rivers reveals how these vital flow forms have the power not only to shape and reshape the planet, but also our thoughts, feelings, and worldviews. Is a River Alive? is a breathtaking work that speaks powerfully to this moment of crisis and transformation.” –Merlin Sheldrake Jason Allen, esteemed broadcaster, publisher, and fellow environmental advocate will lead the conversation.
May 7th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
This is a news article that has to be read ‘tongue in cheek’ City wants to amend a bylaw related to the governing of adult entertainment establishment licensing in the City of Burlington, in order to clarify powers of inspection related to enforcement. The existing ‘Adult Entertainment’ By-Law does not allow officers to enter and inspect businesses that have never applied for or held a City of Burlington business licence. Inspections are limited only to those businesses who hold or have applied for a business licence with the City of Burlington. The City’s inability to enforce the “Adult Entertainment” By-Law against illegal businesses increases risks to public safety, health, and limiting consumer protection. While enforcing the Adult Entertainment regulations, officers discovered that provisions under the current bylaw prevented them from enforcing and prosecuting illegal activity, which prompted the update.  The location of the business troubled many of the Aldershot residents. It is expected to be demolished in the not-too-distant future. This has allowed unlicensed businesses to operate illegally, which contradicts the intent of the bylaw to safeguard health, ensure public safety, and protect consumers. We will listen carefully to what each Councillor has to say. The only adult entertainment location we are aware of in Burlington is Solid Gold – that site has been approved for a multi-story development.
May 6th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
SPECIAL EXHIBITION | GAME CHANGERS Get your game on! In this upcoming special exhibition, visitors will discover how innovation has shaped the video game industry. Game Changers is a fascinating journey, exploring the past and examining how the intersection of audio, storytelling, graphics, and gameplay creates the immersive environment of current video gaming systems.  The exhibit was designed for people to react with. The video game evolution story is depicted from memorable Pong to the photorealistic, immersive games of today. Visitors can step inside a game and become a character or try operating a supersized Nintendo controller, play Tetris on a giant Game Boy, and test their knowledge of retro video game music.  The experience is immediate. The exhibition showcases original concept art, storyboards, level designs, and scripts of some of the most influential games ever created, including audio clips from industry experts explaining the game development of some of the most loved games. Guests can test their skills with games that have significantly changed the gaming experience, including Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Angry Birds, Space Invaders, Flower, and Adventure. “Playing through this exhibition brought back a lot of childhood memories. I think families and visitors of all ages will enjoy the nostalgia!”. – Lynna Nguyen, Acting Curator. Game Changers is a travelling exhibition created by the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The exhibition is on view at Joseph Brant Museum from May 10 – September 13, 2025. The Museum is open Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10am to 4pm.
May 4th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON  Saturday, May 10th from 1 – 5 pm The Art Gallery of Burlington will be holding a Block Party ( a first for them if memory is serving us correctly) on Saturday, May 10th from 1 – 5 pm They describe the event as an exciting celebration of art, culture, and community. There will be delicious treats or sip from featured food vendors, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the AGB! The Block Party is generously sponsored by SB Partners and Cintas Canada.
 Art by the students at St. Mark Catholic Elementary School on display at the AGB
April 28th, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
Members of the official Burlington delegation visiting Apeldoorn are:
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward  Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer  Rory Nisan, Ward 3 Councillor and Council Liaison on the Mundialization Committee
April 26th, 2024 BURLINGTON, ON
Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre is the title of a book written by Mark Bourrie and reviewed by Charlotte Gray for the Globe and Mail who points out that Ripper has one message: The Pierre Poilievre we see today is the same person as the teenager he was in Calgary’s Reform Party backrooms. Mark Bourrie describes that 1990s teenager as “the political equivalent of a hockey goon,” and argues that he hasn’t adjusted his behaviour or outlook since then.
“Poilievre’s adolescent views and tactics, typical of a ripper, didn’t need to evolve as he clambered up the greasy pole. He had the good fortune to be in tune with the times – times that have produced anxious, angry voters likely to embrace a right-wing ripper. Doors kept opening for him, and he scrambled straight through them until the Conservative Leader could almost taste victory in the coming federal election. “Bourrie’s portrait of Poilievre could hardly be more critical, describing him as the angriest person on Canada’s political stage and the nastiest leader of a major party in this country’s history. “I’ve got nothing against him as a person,” Bourrie insists, but adds that “he’s an angry teenager in the body of a grown man. That makes him a stellar opposition politician. It’s a bad combination in a prime minister.” “For 375 pages (plus a further 50 pages of eccentric end notes), Bourrie makes his case. He relied for evidence on a mountain of press clippings, a raft of political books and deep dives into the explosive growths of social media and fake news, which he explored in two previous books. He synthesized an enormous amount of information, wrote at an astonishing pace (150,000 words in nine months) and produced a narrative that mixes careful analysis, punchy prose, ironic quips and outrage at Poilievre’s success. “The result, although uneven, is a gripping read. But does Bourrie prove his point? “Much of the biographical material in Ripper is familiar, chronicled (with a positive spin) most recently in Andrew Lawton’s biography of Poilievre. Bourrie quickly provides the basic facts. Marlene Poilievre, a passionate Tory and devout Catholic, began taking her son to Conservative riding association meetings and anti-abortion rallies when he was only 14.
“Poilievre was soon absorbing economic views shaped by Milton Friedman and attending seminars conducted by the right-wing Fraser Institute. “Enrolling at the University of Calgary in 1997, Poilievre polished his political skills as a debater who was soon giving short, pithy quotes to Calgary Herald reporters at Reform events. Lawton enthused about the sharp-elbowed rookie’s commitment, but Bourrie deplores Poilievre’s aggressive tone. The politician, he writes, was making “dire, overthe-top claims of a debilitating national problem” and using “harsh and cruel” language as he blamed opponents. “Bourrie embeds these glimpses of the young politician in the larger story of Alberta’s postwar history, and the way that Western Canadian alienation was disrupting the Progressive Conservative Party. “Similarly, when Bourrie tracks Poilievre’s shift to Ottawa in 1999, and his 2004 election (at 25, the youngest MP in the Commons) in the riding of Nepean-Carleton, the author enriches the Poilievre chronology with context, including the capital’s social culture and the Reform Party’s conquest of the Conservative Party.  Poilievre showed little interest in the intellectual challenge of policy development. “Poilievre pulled ahead of his peers – “strange, nerdy, socially isolated young conservatives” in Bourrie’s words – because he knew what the media wanted: “good quote and great footage.” While Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin led the country, Poilievre was one of the opposition’s most effective critics of Liberal corruption. “Increased media exposure fed on itself, as he went after daycare programs, gay marriage and bilingualism, and found catchy nicknames for his opponents (Martin was “the king of cronyism.”). “When the Conservatives formed the government in 2006, Poilievre became prime minister Steven Harper’s attack dog in Question Period. His strategy, Bourrie writes, was to “smear the person trying to do the embarrassing.” “Occasionally, he strayed from the Harper playbook. On the day that the prime minister issued an apology to Indigenous people for the residential-school system, Poilievre stole the headlines by publicly questioning whether Canadians were getting value for money from the $2-billion compensation paid to survivors. Harper made him apologize in the House. “During these years, Conservatives raced ahead of other parties in new political techniques of data gathering and analysis, which exponentially improved their voter identification and fundraising capacities. Poilievre’s quick hits and nifty slogans were tailormade, in our rushed digital age, to appeal to voters pinpointed by technology as open to his message. “He was finally rewarded with a cabinet role in 2013, as Canada’s first minister of democratic reform. His real job, according to Bourrie, was to “whack Elections Canada.” He introduced a Fair Elections Act that editorial writers at both the National Post and The Globe and Mail deplored as destructive. “During the nine years of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, Poilievre (now Conservative finance critic) was relentlessly on the attack. Trudeau’s Liberals provided him with plenty of targets. Poilievre labelled the prime minister “a corrupt tin-pot dictator” and accused finance minister Bill Morneau of losing the “moral authority to hold your office.” “When he finally ran for the leadership of his party, in 2022, his victory was decisive. Tellingly, Erin O’Toole, the man he replaced, warned, “This country needs a Conservative Party that is both an intellectual force and a governing force. … Seeking power without ideology is hubris.” “But Poilievre showed little interest in the intellectual challenge of policy development. Instead, he stayed in the headlines with slogans and sneers, bashing the “radical, woke coalition” of Liberals and NDP and reserving special venom for Trudeau. “His mastery of social media (he has one million followers on X), YouTube (more than half a million followers) and partisan Tory outlets has allowed him to create his own media environment. Instead of answering questions from the dwindling legacy media about his solutions to all the problems bedevilling this country.  Poilievre: a viciously brilliant critic who has shown no potential, as yet, to become a weaver who could bring the country together. “Bourrie demonstrates how deftly Poilievre ensured that his manipulation of facts and his insistence that “Canada is broken” never received much scrutiny. His standing in opinion polls rose and rose. “The author acknowledges that Poilievre has a more agreeable side, as an excellent constituency member and family man who has spoken up for children with autism. But Bourrie conclusively proves his point that the politician is an Olympic-class ripper, a viciously brilliant critic who has shown no potential, as yet, to become a weaver who could bring the country together. “Ripper does more than paint a dark picture of the Conservative Leader. The author gives serious attention to the question: How did we get here? How did Canada – a country once celebrated for civility and compromise – elevate a politician who has surfed on division and disrespect? “This past January, Poilievre’s expectations of an easy victory at the polls were shattered by the Liberal leadership race and Trump’s tariff threat. The skills that Poilievre has burnished over the past 30 years no longer seem to fit the moment. He is finally out of step with his times. “Bourrie has produced a searing but convincing critique of the Conservative Leader’s shortcomings that will give pause to anyone outside the diehard Poilievre base. The politician’s insistence that “Canada is broken” has been cast aside in a wave of nationalism. Voters may decide that an angry ripper may not be what Canada needs right now.”
April 23rd, 2025 BURLINGTON, ON
John T. Tuck and Sacred Heart of Jesus were the semi-finalists in the Junior teams St. Raphael and Ascension were the semi-finals in the Senior level. Sacred Heart of Jesus won the Junior level for the second year in a row.  Battle of the Books judges: from the left Deepti, Jamie and Sarah. It was not an easy task. More detail tomorrow with pictures of the winners. Great to watch the kids collaborating to come up with the answers to the questions.
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