By Pepper Parr
April 13, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington high schools have always been strong competitors in the field of robotics.
Six robotics teams from the Halton District School Board (HDSB) will be competing at the FIRST Ontario Provincial Championship in Mississauga Thursday through Saturday (April 14-16).
The robot was taught how to throw that basketball. It was not drafted by the Raptors
Schools participating include Burlington Central School, M.M. Robinson High School, Garth Webb Secondary School and Georgetown District High School, each with one team, and Oakville Trafalgar High School with two teams.
Each HDSB team qualified for the provincial competition based on their results from taking part in regional competitions including those held at Humber College, Waterloo and York universities. This provincial competition is a qualifier for the World FIRST Robotic Championship held April 20-23 in Houston, Texas.
“Our Halton FIRST robotics teams worked extra hard this season coming out of lockdown, with tight timelines to build their robot in time to compete in their first qualifier at the beginning of March,” says Veronica Kleinsmith, Lead for the Specialist High Skills Major andPathways programs with the HDSB.
“All HDSB teams built impressive robots this year and three of our schools are ranked in the Top 6 in Ontario going into this provincial competition. Each team raises funds from community and business sponsors, designs a brand for their team, hones their teamwork skills, builds and finally programs their robots for a difficult field-game challenge.”
The students who take part in the robotics courses are amongst the smartest in the HDSB system.
Established in 2001, FIRST Robotics inspires young people to be leaders and innovators in science and technology by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills to inspire innovation and foster self-confidence, communication and leadership.
By Staff
April 12th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The City, Burlington Hydro, BurlingtonGreen and Plug’n Drive are hosting Earth Day activities in the parking lot at Central Arena on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Register for Tree Giveaway
The City of Burlington is giving away 200 trees. To receive a free four-to-five-foot tree, you must register in advance and have a vehicle able to safely transport the tree.
Registration opens April 13.
To register for a tree, go to Get Involved Burlington. Quantities and tree species are limited.
Meet Electric Vehicle Experts
The City and Burlington Hydro are sponsoring Plug’n Drive’s Mobile EV Education Trailer for four weeks at the arena starting April 23 until May 20, 2022.
Talk with experts and owners about driving an electric vehicle (EV).
Book an EV test drive in advance at plugndrive.ca/meet-burlington/. Test drive appointments are available Thursdays to Sundays starting April 23 until May 20, 2022.
Check Out BurlingtonGreen’s 12th Annual Clean Up Green Up
Learn about spring eco-opportunities. Giveaways at BurlingtonGreen’s tent will include free clean-up kits and free pollinator seed packets for the first 100 visitors.
More information about the Clean Up Green Up event can be found at burlingtongreen.org
By Staff
April 12th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Tables waiting for customers
City services and facilities will be closed for Good Friday, on Friday, April 15, and Easter Monday, on Monday, April 18.
A list of which City services and facilities are available on the Easter holiday weekend is set out below.
If you are out and about and in places where there are a lot of people – wear your mask.
The weather reports look good – a chance to get out and enjoy the city – restaurants are looking forward to welcoming their customers.
By Pepper Parr
April 11th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 3 of a 3 part interview.
As we prepared to bring the interview to an end we asked ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte what she would do differently if she were to serve a second term; what did she get right and what did she get wrong. She was surprisingly direct in answering the question.
The debate that ended a 24 year career in municipal politics; Jack Dennison on the left with Shawna Stolte on the right during a debate at Nelson High School.
“I think I focused on what I ran on. I ran on the tree canopy protection, on affordable housing. I ran on engagement and a voice at City Hall. I ran on improving public transport and I ran on services for seniors. A lot of other issues have come up in the meantime, but I feel like I have stuck by what people chose to vote on me on.
“This is what I didn’t do right and this is a mistake I’m not going to make again. I did not learn how to use my system.
“It took me till halfway through the term to understand how to work well with my assistant and how to be a 10.
Editor’s note: The following two paragraphs are highlighted – they are very relevant to the decision Mayor Meed Ward made revise a Council meeting agenda
“There is no fault in how things worked out in assigning me an administrative assistant. (City staff choose who a Council members assistant is going to be – there is no input from the Council member.) During my first week on the job my assistant was very open and said she didn’t want to be here. She said she had a one year contract. She said she wanted to work in the Clerk’s office doing election work. She said “that’s where I want to be. I don’t want to be an assistant but I was sent up here because it’s my home job and I plan to get out of here as soon as I can.”
“I appreciated the honesty, it was better than finding out all of a sudden. So within six months she was gone. I went through June, July, August, September and October, four months of not having an assistant . I was bounced around . I did appreciate all the other assistants taking a turn helping me out but it left me with no ability to fully understand the practices or procedures on my end. I then had a contract assistant for about five months before I got Nancy. She came in three weeks before the pandemic. It was a rough.
“Something else I didn’t know. I assumed work in the city was done in a collaborative way.
“The learning curve, the confidence in being able to handle that learning curve and being able to handle the level of responsibility and expectation of the role and expectation on myself in the role was immense.
“And things were coming at us at a fierce pace; all five of the newly elected were struggling.
“I really wanted to dive into the issues and into the best practices of the city. I think that’s a piece of work that has surprised me the most.
“Naively, I discovered how much work needed to be done on policies, practices and procedures.
“Especially with council – so much of my work had to be focused much more internally than I was expecting.
“Going into a second term I would like to do things on two levels: the personal things, the things that you aspire to – I think I can get this done.
“And then the bigger picture, the things that I really think are critical fundamental for the way the city grows, because we have huge changes..
Seven new towers will be built in three phases with a projected population of about 2500 people.
“The growth at the GO stations where we are going to build this city and add 25 to 30% in the way of new population. The growth is real.
“This community is in transition; it is growing and evolving so quickly. I do think council should be bigger. I would love to see some consideration given to a council that’s made up of Ward councillors and councillors at large. I had a meeting with the city manager and councillors from Thunder Bay where they have that model.
“I think a model of having councillors doing constituent work and having votes on major city issues is important but I also really believe strongly in the model of councillors at large who do not have a ward to oversee they more have a portfolio – perhaps two councillors at large one who has for an example of a portfolio of environment, public transportation, and planning, where they kind of focus like they’re the higher focus on bigger issues that are city wide.
“Because I do think, having worked with the other councillors there still this protectionism around a lot of little things.
“Regional representation can stay the way it is just add two City Councillors at large. I think that would take Council up to nine. I think whenever you have a group dynamics, the smaller the group, the more opportunity there is for stronger personalities to have a bigger impact on a smaller group. And I think that that is part of the challenge for the City Council. I think if there would be less opportunity for strong dynamics if there were two more councillors added in. And I think when you look at our fellow regional councils, they’re all 11 to 13 members. I think going up to nine is reasonable.
“There’s a bigger picture that has stunned all of us. The challenge for all of us is immense.
The proposal is for 40 storeys – it will be less than that – begging the question- is Brant and Lakeshore the place for this kind of building.
“The size of the developments that were coming forward; the determination as to what was going to happen at the intersection of Brant and Lakeshore where two huge towers were being proposed.
“The Planning department was overwhelmed – how were we to fully understand the long term implications?”
I once asked a council member I was having a conversation with about the vision for the city in the Strategic Plan.
What vision was the response. There is no vision. When I put this response to Stolte she responded:
“I think anytime you’ve got a new council coming in with a new city manager, that vision is going to be preliminary and will need a lot of tweaking. I think this next term hopefully with some returning members, – oh my gosh, a whole new council again, would not be very helpful for the community. I don’t start the learning curve all over again.”
“I would like to improve public transportation, though from an environmental perspective, hopefully get more environmentally friendly transit, to get people out of cars. We need to tackle the environmental issues as well as the traffic issues that we’re dealing with.
“I want to land this housing strategy complete with immediate short term, medium term and long term action items. I want it to be actionable, come heck or high water. I am not going to be okay letting this housing strategy become a policy that gets stuck on a shelf or not implemented.
The public hasn’t had much in the way of opportunity to watch what the Working Group has done. The need to do everything by Zoom has been a problem.
“The Working Group on Housing is sending out messages left, right and center to staff about the expectations that will go to council. There are some pretty high expectations for the implementation of the housing strategy.
“One of the things that I really want to continue to focus on is low rise residential construction guidelines. Right now it’s the Wild West out there. There are no rules. The contractors doing low rise, residential construction are not managed and it is the residents in these areas that are suffering.
“I have been working on this problem for two years trying to get some changes made. Cary Clark has been helping. He’s been the champion for it but has admitted to me that his authority to effect change is extremely limited, which I understand. There are parts of the city where there is a lot of this work taking place with no low rise residential construction management in place.
“There are places in my ward where you have three, four, sometimes five, infill properties, private residential properties being bought, torn down and rebuilt. There’s no guidelines – which results in construction vehicles and porta potties out on the street and piles of debris.
“There are construction management rules for the bigger developments, not for infill projects and it is awful for some of these residential streets.
“The problem is that there are six different bylaws that need to be amended. There is a report coming from the Legal department in April. I finally put my foot down and said I need a summary of these bylaws from the legal department to hear what’s getting in our way. And what strategies and solutions are we going to implement in these bylaws so that we can actually get some of these construction guidelines in place because it’s awful for some of these families who are trying to live their quiet life and they’re surrounded by construction. That’s worse for them. Because they have it literally outside their bedroom window. Literally.”
Nothing about the antics from this lady.
I said that would be the last question but not quite.
What was the funniest thing funniest thing that happened in the first four years ?
“I can’t tell you. Off the record I might tell you some of the antics that took p[lace on the seventh floor of City Hall. We’ll leave it at that. Okay.”
The first four years have been a real ride for the five elected for the first time. They were new and there was nothing in the way of a support system for them, no one to mentor them.
They had to rely on what they could learn from the city manager, the man they made the decision to hire.
Nothing from us on those antics.
Part 1
Part 2
By Staff
April 10th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Local artiest, Helen Griffith, took these pictures of a fox in her back yard and made the following comments on her Facebook page:
Last week we had this beautiful fox in our backyard. I think it’s pups may have been removed from a neighbour’s yard and the fox seemed to be calling and looking for them the night before as well as in the morning. Such a sad sound to hear, but probably safer for all the local small pets.
By Denis Gibbons
April 9th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The boys of summer were getting ready to play their season opener in a ballpark they had not played in for close to two years.
The crowd in the stadium was expected to top 50,000 people.
And the fans were pumped.
Anything less than a win, a big win was going to be seen as a bummer.
I interviewed nine Burlingtonians at the GO station to get their take on the game they were going to watch.
Interesting bit of information – a lot of the people I interviewed were from the Niagara region – I thought they would have boarded the GO train at Aldershot.
Nolan and Elliott Jackson
Nolan Jackson, 16, (left) and brother Elliott, 12, had tickets for Opening Day of 2021, but couldn’t make it because the Blue Jays had to open in Florida during the pandemic. They didn’t miss this one, though.
Nolan, a middle infielder with the Oakville-based Ontario Royals, said the Jays have a lot of young talent like Bo Bichette and Chapman. “But pitching could be their weakness,” he said. “They need to strengthen their bullpen.”
Barb Parsons
Attending her 10th Opening Day game, Barb Parsons said Toronto’s chances are very good this year, barring injuries. “They have a lot of talent and good chemistry,” she said. Although it was her 10th opener, it was her first Blue Jays game in 12 years. That was before her husband passed away.
Jo Savelli
A public health nurse in Hamilton, Burlington’s Jo Savelli set an excellent example by wearing her Blue Jays mask as she waited for the GO train. As a 14-year-old, Savelli watched the team’s major league debut in the snow on TV in 1977.
Later that year she was a member of a Burlington team that won the Provincial Women’s Softball Association championship in its age group. What did she pay for her ticket? “$145, but I’m right behind home plate, five rows up. And it pays for all the vacations I’m not taking!” she said.
Ian and Liam MacRae
Eleven-year-old Liam McRae, a second basemen with the Burlington Bulls minor peewee team, attended his first Opening Day with his father Ian, who has his own construction company Your Life Outside.
The father-son duo have been to spring training games in Dunedin, Florida, but were looking forward to seeing a healthy George Springer leading off for the Blue Jays. What impresses the Central elementary school student about Springer? “He’s really good at his position and he smiles a lot!”
Tyler Maskell
A last-minute ticket worth $140 landed Tyler Maskell, 26, in a seat a field level near home plate. On his first Opening Day ever, Maskell was anxious for his first peek at the Blue Jays newly acquired third baseman Matt Chapman.
“He should put us over the top,” said Maskell, who also was lucky enough to be a spectator at the Blue Jays first game back in Toronto last July when they took the field at Rogers Centre for the first time in 670 days storming out of a tunnel, smoke shooting into the air behind them as the home crowd roared. They ran as a team towards the infield, their path lined on each side by 100 healthcare workers waving Blue Jays flags.
The Jesus Family
It was the second Opening Day visit for Burlington’s Trish Jesus, who made the trip with her husband Josh and sons Jeffrey, 10, and Darryl, 7. The family created these colorful signs at home.
“We’re in the nosebleeds,” Trish said. But that afforded the boys a perfect view of their favorite player George Springer in centre field. Josh, who has taken in three or four openers, said the best was the year the family had free tickets in a private box. “That’s when Bautista and Encarnacion were playing,” he said.
John Droughan
A condo superintendent, 33-year-old John Droughan -paid $60 for 200 Level seats in the outfield on his first Opening Day. “It’s exciting,” Droughan said. “With Vladdy and Bo, it’s going to be an electric offence. As long as our pitching holds up, we’ll have a good year. Droughan’s fondest memory was attending a playoff game against Texas during the Blue Jays long playoff run in 2015, which ended with Toronto losing to the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the American League championship series.
Dayna Naim
A student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Dayna Nairn has a huge affection for Bo Bichette and she’s not afraid to show it, as the photo indicates. “He’s my age and he’s a shortstop like I was when I played,” Nairn said.
Nairn bought a ticket online for her initial Opening Day. “The Jays spent a lot of money during the off-season, I think their chances are very good.”
Doug McKillop and his daughter Ashleigh
Doug McKillop’s father Lionel was in the stands at Exhibition Stadium in April of 1977 when the Blue Jays made their major league debut in the snow. He still has the ticket stub. Friday he took in his 15th Opening Day with daughter Ashleigh, who has been to seven or eight herself.
“There’s no excuse why they can’t get to the World Series,” Doug said. “They just have to stay healthy.
The first three innings were not good for the Jay – from that point on they took control of the game and ended up winning the season opener against the Texas Rangers 10-8. The fans on the GO trains going home were happy campers.
Every seat in the ball park had a team cap on the seat. Keep sake for sure.
By Pepper Parr
April 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Most people are aware of the financial hit the hospitality sector has taken as a result of the pandemic.
The deep thinkers at the Economic Development Corporation and the leadership at the Burlington Restaurant Association believe it is going to take between 18 and 24 months for some to recover.
Those that had to take on a load of debt are going to need as much as three to five years to fully recover.
Craig Kowalchuk – on the way to a come-back?
One restaurant operate appears to be positioning himself for a new launch.
Craig Kowalchuk who operated Emmas Back Porch – very successfully for years has a new brand name on his T shirt.
Kowalchuk took the position that the pandemic was going to last a long time and renting space that he could not use due to closures was just not good business.
He put the corporation into bankruptcy and gave the landlord the keys.
The landlord gussied up the place a bit and does some private rentals.
When the conditions are right – look for Kowalchuk to appear in a new location- unless of course the owner of the property sees wisdom in welcoming back his former tenant.
It was the best spot for a brew and a decent meal – out on the patio overlooking the lake.. It will re-open at some point – under whose operation – no one is certain at this point.
By Pepper Parr
April 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
How does change come about?
What makes people decide they want to change something that they think could be better.
Olivia Netto
Olivia Netto and Inman Nemar were both students at Nelson high school out riding their bikes and a situation arose that had them talking about those occasions when you really need a product there is nothing at hand.
The product in this instance was feminine personal hygiene products – a taboo for many people and something that young men just don’t know all that much about and are not comfortable asking questions either. But for Olivia Netto and Inman Nemar it was a serious subject and they decided they wanted to try and bring about a change: Getting free mental products in as many public locations as possible.
“Over the course of the past few years, we’ve noticed a lack of accessibility to feminine hygiene products both within the community and at schools. Our mission is to create a donation-based drive to cater to those in need. At school, in the workplace and in Burlington”, said Inman.
They took the view that offering free menstrual hygiene products in public washrooms is now considered as essential to the community as offering toilet paper, soap and paper towels.
Inman Nemar
Providing menstrual hygiene products in each of the public washrooms in the facility also provides a more inclusive approach to support the needs of transgender and non-binary individuals.
When they decided to try and involve the city they got a very good response.
Their focus was on Burlington – given the success they have had – they have their eyes on the Region, then the province and – why not the whole country.
They researched, they asked questions and they put together a presentation that went before city council.
They wanted the city to consider a pilot program
Olivia is studying Industrial design at Carlton University and Inman is studying Life Sciences at McMaster.
Asked how they can monitor the distribution and the take up Oliva said: “We have scouts out there.”
Why the apple? That’s something they will have to tell you. What they really want to talk about is their Pink Project.
There initiative is called the Pink Project; it was enthusiastically taken up by council – they approved the project as a pilot that will be in place until the end of the year.
Public response so far has been positive
By Staff
April 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington’s Love My Neighbourhood grant program is back.
The city is prepared to fund people that organize events for their neighbours.
Residents or community groups can now apply for up to $500 to create a community event that promotes connections, strengthens relationships and builds support systems for neighbourhoods.
Community members can plan a one-time or weekly event. The events must be free and inclusive to the entire community within the specified area.
The Love My Neighbourhood program will also work with the applicants for road closure permits, park permits, indoor facility rentals and insurance.
To apply for a grant and to learn about what is eligible for funding, go to burlington.ca/neighbourhood. Applications are open now.
Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture
Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture points out that as we recover from the pandemic “we need to build our sense of community and connections with our neighbours. This program is designed to help remove some barriers and build stronger connections among neighbours and communities by putting people together and having fun.”
Links and Resources
www.burlington.ca/neighbourhood
By Staff
April 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Blue Jays season will start on Friday night, April 8, at the Rogers Centre.
Metrolinx advises that both GO Transit and UP Express recently added more service. Though fans planning to take the Lakeshore West line to Sunday’s game (April 10) should be aware of construction that will limit train service. Metrolinx News has the latest guidance for getting to the game.
Opening night is always a big occasion for baseball fans and Friday’s game (April 8) will be even more special. The Rogers Centre will be open to full capacity for the first time
Been a while since we say those stands full. Photo by Mike Winterburn,
Improvements, which have been in place since Saturday, include 30-minute service or better – evenings and weekends too – on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore
Going UP from Union Station
Additional UP Express trips have riders prepared for extra innings, with the last westbound trip of the night now departing Union Station at 11p.m. Departure times have changed, so riders should check the UP website for the latest schedule information.
Two Lakeshore West trains each way for Sunday’s game
While train service is generally increasing on Lakeshore West, construction on Sunday, April 10 will result in GO buses replacing most trains.
Two trips in each direction will be provided for Jays fans and others headed towards downtown Toronto on Sunday around game time.
Trains headed for Union Station will leave from West Harbour at 10:13 a.m. and Aldershot at 10:55 a.m. – making all stops in between – arriving at 11:30 a.m. and noon respectively.
Afterwards, trains will depart Union Station at 4:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., reaching West Harbour at 6:03 p.m. and 6:33 p.m. (again, making all stops).
Burlington fans waiting to board a GO train on the way to a Jays game.
Lakeshore West customers planning to travel on Sunday at other times can find information about replacement buses here.
For those who haven’t been on GO Transit for a while, here are a few quick updates:
A weekend day pass for unlimited travel is available for only $10. The weekend pass is just $5 more.
At Union Station, the revitalized Bay Concourse offers more eating and retail options.
The new Union Station Bus Terminal is open, just south of the old terminal.
You will see seat belts on the newest GO buses. Please buckle up when seat belts are available – it’s the law.
By Staff
April 4th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
We don’t have a picture of the day section.
But we do get really heart-warming pictures pretty regularly.
This one had to be shared.
The picture was taken by Scot Cameron – an Old timer as well as a photographer.
It is of the Grey division Champions of the Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club
Share it widely.
By Staff
April 4th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Plains Road at Waterdown Road
The public art program is once again opening submissions for its annual Local Artist Program. The program commissions local artists to create a variety of small to medium scale artworks throughout the community. The City is inviting local artists to submit their design ideas that will be installed on traffic control signal boxes throughout the city later this year. Six artists will be commissioned to create a unique design that will be used to produce the utility box vinyl wraps.
This is a design only commission as the City of Burlington will be responsible for the fabrication and installation of the vinyl wraps. Burlington artists may create a new artwork concept for this project or reformat an existing artwork. Successful artists will be required to submit a high-resolution digital file of their artwork concept (assistance is available upon request).
Applicants must be a resident of Burlington, Ont.
For deadlines and more information on how to get application help and/or apply, please visit www.burlington.ca/publicart.
Timeline:
Deadline |
Activity |
April 4 to 29 |
Application assistance available upon request |
May 13 |
Application deadline |
By June 3 |
Successful artists selected; enter into a contract with the City of Burlington. |
June through July |
Project development: Artists work with Public Art staff to refine designs, finalize artwork concept and create digital artwork file. |
August |
Installation and online project launch (date TBD) |
Regal Road Bridge
Artwork Locations
Location |
Nearby Landmarks |
New Street & Shoreacres Road |
Nelson Recreation Centre |
New Street & Appleby Line |
Appleby Square |
Lakeshore Road |
Joseph Brant Hospital (parking garage entrance) |
Prospect Street & Pearson Street |
Tom Thomson Public School |
Upper Middle Road & Cavendish Drive |
Near Kingsbridge Court |
Walkers Line & Thomas Alton Boulevard |
Alton Village |
By Staff
April 3rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Nelson Youth Centres (NYC) and ROCK Reach Out Centre for Kids are now one agency – the merger was effective April 1st.
The merger will improve mental health service efficiencies for children, youth, and families in Halton Region.
ROCK will maintain the Nelson Youth Centres’ name for continued programming and ensure the legacy lives on. We honor all those that have been a part of this journey with Nelson Youth Centres over the past 44 years.
All services for both ROCK and NYC will continue to be accessed through our Halton Child and Youth Mental Health Access and System Navigation.
A lot more to this story – we will follow up.
By Staff
April 1st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Trouble in paradise.
Those $10,00 Rainbow crosswalks are not faring very well.
Take a look.
Drury Lane
Plains Road
Wonder if there is a warranty on the work. Wonder too if we can get our money back.
By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
All kinds of activity on the waterfront.
The Waterfront Hotel Planning Study released their Preferred Concept for the site.
The city Planning department has announced that they are not approving the application that was submitted to the city.
Their report will be covered in a separate article.
Right now we want to show you want that Waterfront Study concept looks like.
In this concept the city did manage to get a 20 metre strip of land to add to Spencer Smith Park.
The structures as rendered are pretty brutal looking.
By Staff
March 31st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
It does look as if there is going to be a summer –
Museums of Burlington has set out their summer day camp program at Ireland House Museum and Joseph Brant Museum.
Camps are designed for children between the ages of 5-12 years old and run daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The cost is $250/week, or $55/day (Family Museum Members receive 10% off).
Week 1 | Medieval Times | July 4 to 8 at Ireland House Museum
Hear ye, hear ye… Calling all knights and princesses! While the Middle Ages may have been a dark period in history, we will be exploring the brighter side of things with fun crafts, foods and games. Our Medieval Times camp will include activities relating to castles, mythical creatures, fairs, and everything in between. Join us at Ireland House Museum from July 4 – 8 to begin the quest!
Week 2 | Extreme Planet | July 11 to 15 at Joseph Brant Museum
As hot as a volcano, and as cold as an iceberg! This week will explore all the extreme elements of Planet Earth. Join us as Joseph Brant Museum from July 11th- 15th as we explore Earth’s extreme temperatures, weather, sports, and animals. Campers will also get the chance to check out the newest travelling exhibit Beyond Human Limits LITE from Science North.
Week 3 | Holiday Extravaganza | July 18 to 22 at Joseph Brant Museum
Christmas in July?! Yes, you heard that right! This week will focus on 10 awesome holidays, each day filled with themed crafts and hands-on activities to help us celebrate. We will explore all the fun traditions that you know and love as part of your favourite holidays. Join us at Joseph Brant Museum from July 18 – 22 to participate in the festivities!
Week 4 | Ancient Civilizations | July 25 to 29 at Ireland House Museum
Take a step back in time as we explore ancient civilizations! Join us at Ireland House Museum from July 25 – 29 as we travel across the world from Ancient Egypt to the Inca civilization in South American. Learn to make and play some of the world’s oldest games, build ancient structures, and see what inventions have stood the test of time!
Week 5 | Movie Mayhem | August 8 to 12 at Joseph Brant Museum
Take 1, action! Join us at Joseph Brant Museum from August 8 – 12 to learn about how movies have become a treasured part of pop culture, and how they have advanced over the past 100 years. Explore how animators create movie magic in Disney, Pixar, and Marvel films through our daily crafts and activities. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the show!
Week 6 | Children’s Classics | August 15 to 19 at Ireland House Museum
Dive into the world of classic children’s stories! Each day we will explore the works of famous children’s author. Make your own candy creation from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and create rainbow Oobleck inspired by Dr. Seuss. Join us at Ireland House Museum from August 15-19, and don’t forget to bring your sense of adventure and imagination.
Week 7 | Culinary Kids | August 22 to 26 at Ireland House Museum
Do you love cooking and baking? Time to dig out your chef hat! This week will tickle your taste buds as we prepare a variety of treats from Canada and beyond. Sweet, salty, savoury
and sour, we have it all! Join us at Ireland House Museum from August 22 – 26 to show us your culinary creativity!
What To Bring
- Mask (optional)
- Lunch and 2 snacks (peanut-free)
- Sunscreen and sun hat
- Closed-toed shoes
- Water bottle
Please email museumeducation@burlington.ca for more information or if you have any questions.
You can register HERE
By Staff
March 30th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
This is not what I thought a Mom’s Night out was all about.
The event is to take place at the Joseph Brant Museum on May 6th.
Guests will enjoy an interactive and relaxing evening learning the art of mixology, cocktail creation, and the fascinating world of tea. Monarch Tea Co. owner and Certified Tea Sommelier, Katie Cyr will lead guests through creating three mocktails/cocktails.
Ticket price includes admission to Joseph Brant Museum should guests wish to browse our exhibitions. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the workshop begins at 7:00pm, all supplies are included.
No mention if they are providing designated drivers.
Tickets are $55/person,
You can book an event HERE
By Staff
March 30th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Another good news story – something that should have been done years ago – the Government eliminating fees for police record checks for volunteers
The Ontario government is eliminating the cost of police record checks for volunteers of all ages looking to give their time and skills to the causes they care about. This includes Criminal Record Checks and Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks, which are commonly required by organizations that work with volunteers.
Beginning April 1, 2022, amendments to the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 will remove the fee for these two types of police record checks, making it easier for Ontarians to support animal shelters, food banks, emergency response initiatives, and many more organizations in their communities. Volunteers can also receive up to five copies of these types of police record checks for free, making it easier to apply to multiple volunteering positions.
This change will make it easier than ever to participate in initiatives like Volunteer Corps Ontario, which is currently recruiting and training volunteers to help their communities during emergencies like natural disasters.
Milton MPP Parm Gill
“Removing the cost of these essential police record checks is one way our government is making it easier for people across the province to embrace the Ontario Spirit and volunteer in their communities,” said Parm Gill , MPP for Milton and, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. “It is our hope that this initiative will make it easier for non-profit organizations to attract committed and talented people to help those who need it most.”
Quick Facts
• A police record check is a search of police database records about an individual and is often used as part of a screening process for employment, volunteering, education, professional licensing, rental housing, insurance, adoption, child custody, foster care and other purposes In Ontario. The Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 governs the types of record checks that can be conducted for screening purposes.
• These changes are intended to encourage volunteerism. They exclude people who perform a service in exchange for a form of credit, such as an academic credit. Students who have completed their full academic volunteer requirements and go on to additional non-credit volunteering will become eligible.
• Prospective volunteers will still need to pay any fees charged by police services for Vulnerable Sector Checks, which are considered the most thorough type of police record checks and require a comprehensive search of national and local police databases.
• These amendments expand the Lieutenant Governor in Council’s regulation-making authority to prescribe requirements for how police services conduct police record checks for volunteers, and how long a police record check for a volunteer for a
By Staff
March 30th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
This was a good decision – one of those “about time” things.
Olivia on the left and Iman on the right..
The credit for this belongs to the two woman who delegated so very well at city council.
The result of their delegation is:
Free menstrual product pilot project in Burlington’s public washrooms
The City of Burlington will begin offering free menstrual products in 90 public washrooms throughout 19 City recreational facilities, including City Hall as a pilot project for the remainder of 2022.
City staff will monitor usage and engage feedback from users and report back to City Council later this year.
Through extensive research, data collection, done by the Pink Project who collaborated with the city municipalities, school boards, local institutions will be providing free menstrual hygiene products in public washrooms.
These products are now considered as essential to the community as offering toilet paper, soap and paper towels.
Early in 2023 the data collected on the take up of the products will be evaluated and a decision will be made to make the service something that the city just does.
By Staff
March 28th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
It is probably the most storied location in the city. There is a bronze marker along the north edge of Spencer Smith Park that identifies the spot.
The Compas area, lower center, was where the Brant Inn was located with an open air deck where dining and dancing was a regular feature.
Every day hundreds of people walk by the compas spot on the Naval Promenade in Spencer Smith Park without realizing it was once on of the most jumping spots in town.
It was the place to be on a New Year’s Eve.
The Joseph Brant Museum is hosting a joyful glimpse into the past for an elegant night of hors d’oeuvres, drinks, dancing, and live musical entertainment.
Guests will also be able to admire a view of the lake while enjoying dessert from the “Sky Club” on Joseph Brant Museum’s rooftop terrace. Come dressed to the nines for An Evening at the Brant Inn!
Ticket are $78.00 per person(includes the taxes)
May 28th 7 – 11 pm
Reserve early – space is limited
Tickets HERE
Related news stories:
Remembering the Brant Inn
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