 By Pepper Parr
May 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a scene in the movie ET where the lost alien says “Home” – he just wanted to go home.
That’s the reason Brian McCurdy tendered his resignation earlier this week to the Board of the Performing Arts Centre. McCurdy’s wife remained in Kingston when McCurdy took on the job – he commuted on weekends but it go to be more than he wanted to continue doing – he will leave his office in October.
He said he has enjoyed his time in Burlington but now he wants to retire and spend more time with his wife in Kingston.
 Retiring Executive Director leaves the Burlington Performing Arts Centre in better shape than he got it it. He will be missed. McCurdy seemed prepared to stay on a little longer if that is what was needed to find and break in whoever is hired to replace him – but he will not celebrate Christmas in this city.
McCurdy has offered to serve as a talent scout for the Hiring committee the board will establish. He seems to be leaving on the best of terms
In his almost two years as the Executive Director of the Performing Arts Centre he has improved the program and gotten most of the past financial difficulties behind him.
He is proud of the three local production groups that are now making significant use of the facilities. The Todering Biped, the Koogle Theatre and Nortsur productions have each mounted performances. Some were better than others – but at least community groups are using the space.
“It takes time” said McCurdy “to build an audience for new artistic endeavours. It took time for the public to get used to the size of the subsidy the BPAC needs and will probably always need.
The Performing Arts Centre now has a solid reputation and draws audiences from Toronto – they advertise regularly in the Globe and Mail
Asked which performance was he most proud of bringing to Burlington: the Pat Metheny Unity Group.
If the Board has the good sense to involve McCurdy in the hiring process we will be well served.
The disturbing part of all this is that we had first class talent at BPAC – now we have to go looking all over again.
Home – that summed it up
 By Pepper Parr
May 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
First time authors are usually given some room from reviewers. That initial title is looked at for possible potential – maybe this is an author that has more than one story to tell.
 Janet Turpin Meyers, local author launches her first title at the end of the month. Janet Turpin Meyers published “Nightswimming” in 2013 – it was a good read; there was promise and it turned out to be a book that you would both recommend to people and give as a gift to your more discerning friends.
Then book two arrives and it is picked up with both interest and some wondering – what has she had to say this time?
“The Last Year of Confusion” is not “Nightswimming” her first title – it wasn’t supposed to be but for those who so enjoyed Meyers’ first novel there was the hope that this second book would be as pleasurable.
There aren’t as many things to identify with in this second title, at least not for this reader. I was able to identify with many of the “Nightswimming” characters and as I read through that title there was a sense of dread when I began to realize how it was going to end.
No sense of dread with Last Year of Confusion and fewer characters that I identified with – which doesn’t for a moment take away from the book.
When you find yourself with a cast of characters that includes Jesus, John Lennon, Ghandi and Elvis impersonators you know this is going to be different. There are actually two Elvis’s – but I don’t want to give the story away.
When the lead characters have names that are not exactly memorable and bring their own baggage and history to the table – it takes a little adjusting.
 Add in the aboriginal police officer with Bigcanoe as a surname and some difficulty fully comprehending the police policies and procedures and this reader settled into what was going to be a different read.
Add in the Easter Island moai and a character who both counts his blessings and write them up in scribblers he has scrounged and while writing up Blessing # 13,890 easily refers to Blessing # 232
A Time Portal and a “blue suede shoe” plus the television crew from a reality TV show – and you’ve begun to get a sense of where Meyers is going to take you.
This second title is a different read – worth the time if only because it gives you a chance to follow a growing author who is clearly going to be writing for some time.
While not yet recognized there are more books coming from Janet Turpin Meyers.
A reception celebrating the launch of The Last Year of Confusion will be held at Cedar Springs on Sunday May 24th
 By Pepper Parr
May 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The notice that the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) s looking for a new Executive Director was brought to our attention by an observant reader.
The several hundred word notice published on the BPAC web site mentions the building and the amount of space and who the designer was and then gets to the meat of the media release.
The position of Executive Director is open
 Brian McCurdy improved the quality of the performances brought to Burlington and made a huge dent in the losses that were being incurred. His position as Executive Director of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre is being advertised as open. The release doesn’t say if Brian McCurdy resigned or if he was asked to leave or if he is suffering from poor health and has to slow down.
No one was available at this early hour – 8:00 am, to comment. The last media release on the BPAC web site was September 19, 2014.
The event to announce the fall line-up is scheduled for later this month – will McCurdy be on hand?
Did he resign, was he asked to move on? Nothing in the way of information.
McCurdy has done a fabulous job of getting the BPAC out of the financial slump it was in – the place was bleeding deficits and costing the public very close to $1 million in subsidy
He made big improvements in involving community groups – BPAC was a healthier place because of McCurdy.
McCurdy took over at BPAC in August of 2013
Losing Brian McCurdy is not good news for Burlington.
Anyone interested in the job has to get their application in no later than Friday, June 26th in confidence to: bpacjobs@burlington.ca
More when there is more to tell
By Pepper Parr
May 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
He was up early, got himself cleaned up and into his uniform and headed off to meet the Queen.
 Ron Foxcroft outside his hotel in London preparing to drive to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. Ron Foxcroft, Burlington’s most famous high school dropout, packed a bunch of his Fox40 whistles, which had been worked into a presentation he was giving the Queen and, along with his wife Marie, headed for Buckingham Palace.
 Cpl Nathan Cirillo 1989 -2014 Foxcroft is in London with Colonel Kennedy and Colonel Hatfield of the Argyll’s. The three are there representing the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), the Canadian Army Reserve infantry battalion with a storied past, a proud present, and a bright future. The battalion lost one of its own when Nathan Cirillo who was shot to death while standing sentry duty at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on October 22nd, 2014.
Home for the Argyl’s is the Major John Weir Foote VC Armouries, Hamilton, Ontario where they have been since raised in 1903.
The Regiment fought with distinction in Canada’s major 20th Century wars, earning 34 Battle Honours. Since the 1990s, over 130 Argyll’s served overseas on Canadian military operations, including Cyprus, Bosnia and other parts of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
In 2013, the Regiment received its 35th Battle Honour, Afghanistan, in recognition of its contribution to that campaign.
The Queen is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyles. Ron Foxcroft is the Honorary Colonel of the regiment.
 A presentation piece made out of Fox 40 whistles and shaped as a Canadian poppy will become part of the collection of gifts given to the Queen. Foxcroft arrived in London a few days ago and went through the process of being told how to address the Queen by Commander Andrew Canale, who is Equerry to the Queen.
 Text on the plaque that Foxcroft will present to the queen on behalf of the regiment. When you meet the Queen Foxcroft was told, you address her as Your Majesty. After that call her Mam.
Colonel Kennedy and Colonel Hatfield were told to be relaxed and discuss Argyll Business. Later in the meeting the Queen will then buzz and our wives come in and meet the Queen. Foxcroft said the meeting is expected to last about 90 minutes.
They expect to talk at length about the murder of Corporal Cirillo and the impact that event had on the battalion.
The question everyone is asking is: Will Foxcroft get the Queen to blow one of his whistles.
By Pepper Parr
May 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It used to be that Lakeshore Road was the place to be if you wanted to enjoy an outdoor patio.
Joe Dogs was further up Brant Street and there were a few places that had a couple of tables – but there was nothing that had any style or pizzaz.
 The Test Kitchen had to pay full freight for the two parking space the Pop Up Patio took up. 21 tables in that space – it’s hoot and a fun place to be. Alex Mickalow opened his Test Kitchen on Brant Street and offered a lunch that included a glass of beer or wine for $10 – the place became THE place to be seen.
There was a buzz to the place with a menu that was different for this city. Finally something that said one can do better than just a burger and beer.
Alex decided he could ratchet his operation up a notch and talked to people at city hall to see what they thought of what were being called Pop Up Patios.
 It’s not the Brant Street you are used to seeing – expect to see servers scooting back and forth across the street. It took a lot of talking – and city hall wasn’t exactly reasonable with the deal the Test Kitchen got but it did get approved much to the delight of the Burlington Downtown Business Association and Jodie Wellings, Special Business Area Coordinator responsible for making the Downtown Core Commitment real.
She unfortunately wasn’t in town for the opening.
The patio is now constructed and open – there are 21 tables in the space that used to hold two parked cars – tight but friendly.
 The Test Kitchen Pop Up Patio on Brant Street is open – and appears to work. Your menu is on an iPad which allows for instant menu upgrades and is kind of cool to use. Staff is great – they are kept busy.
City Council took to the idea and hoped there would be more applications for this type of operation. They seemed prepared to let Brant Street become one row of restaurant after restaurant – with room for other innovative commercial ideas. The street could eventually become car free – with just bicycles and people strolling along.
Does it have to be Brant Street? John Street has significant potential – the Organic Farmer’s market is now into its third year.
The Brant Street Test kitchen has proven that something upbeat, different and with some hip style to it will work. Mickalow knows he is on to something and is in the process of opening up a second Test Kitchen on Appleby Line.
Getting a table at Brant Street – make a reservation. (289) 245-1999
 By Staff
May 18, 2015
Burlington, ON
We are at that time of year when the outdoor art shows begin to take place. Burlington managed to miss out on a show that was proposed and would have taken place on the Old Lakeshore Road part of town but that got tied up in red tape and some faux pas on the part of the organizer – for some reason that sort of thing seems to happen to Burlington a little too often.
We lost the opportunity to host the pre-Olympic cycling trials a few years ago – even though the parks and recreation people did everything they could to make it happen. The policing costs were a killer and an organizer who didn’t have the depth or all that much in the way of organizational talent blew that opportunity.
 Several of the well known smaller breweries will be part of the 2015 Burlington Beer Festival Burlington’s Beer Festival, now in its second summer season is branching out and adding the arts to its event.
Wayne Brown, brought the Magic Moments to Burlington in 2013 and that was a success artistically if not financially.
Last year Brown hosted both a winter and a summer Beer Fest that went quite well. This year he is gearing up for his third Beer Fest event and is going up market and adding an art element to the three day occasion.
Brown traveled to Calgary and took in the large Beer Fest held in that city. He found it had a Hooters tinge to it and that wasn’t what he wanted.
Adding some of the arts to the event appealed to Brown and he met recently with the seven Guilds at the Art Gallery of Burlington who have agreed to take part.
 The smaller craft breweries bring character and their own interpretation of what a good beer should taste like. A pleasant way to spend a summer afternoon learning what you like and don’t like.  Wonder what this beer will taste like? Returning this year is a beer brand from Thailand which gives the event a bit of an International flavour. Beer Fests in Canada trend to focus on the local craft breweries – which is good for local business and helps them continue to make something more than just a dent in the Beer Store monopoly that exists in Ontario. That is changing but it has a long way to go before we can buy almost every craft beer made in the province.
The 2015 Summer Festival takes place from Friday the 17th through to Sunday the 19th of July: Hours are: Friday 4-11 pm; Saturday noon-11 pm and Sunday noon to 8 pm.
 By Pepper Parr
May 15, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a smart move, it brought to the public forum a concern that is very real and was done in a way that the concerns came from the people who had them and not from the people who thought they had a solution.
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward held a public meeting, the first of four, to learn from people and developers what they wanted. Her focus was the downtown core but the approach could be applied to any ward in the city.
 It was a full active room with citizens and planners exchanging views – citizen participation at its very best. The city needs more of this kind of meeting. “What if…developers, businesses and residents could work together to build our downtown – finding common ground instead of fighting? asked Meed Ward.
 Meed Ward works from the premise that people have a right to determine what gets built in their neighbourhood and that the views of the public are as important as the views of the developer who owns the property and the planners that determine if a property meets the Official Plan and the zoning – and more importantly if an application for a change to the Official Plan or the zoning is beneficial to the community.
Many Burlingtonians don’t understand why an Official Plan can be changed – they want the Plan cast in stone. Burlington’s Director of Planning explains again and again that there isn’t an Official Plan in existence that can foresee all the ideas and opportunities that innovative developers can come up with.
About 125 people showed up for the Workshop including the following developers. A few who said they would attend didn’t show up. It was an impressive list.
Robert Molinaro, The Molinaro Group – attended
Sam DiSanto, The Molinaro Group – attended
Matt Jaecklein, Mayrose-Tycon Group – attended
Albert Faccenda, Coral Gable Homes – attended
Andrew and Donna Haid, Welwyn Interests – attended along with their architect Jonathan King and planner David Capper.
Dr. Michael Shih, Emshih Developments – attended
Ken Dakin on behalf of Vrankor Group (Darko Vranich) – attended
Nick Carnicelli, Carriage Gate Homes – attended
Jeff Paikin, New Horizon Homes – did not make it
Saud & Tariq Adi, Adi Developments – did not make it.
 Nick Carnacelli, the developer of the Bentley getting closer to the point of putting a shovel in the ground makes a point at the Workshop  Maurice Desrochers and Dr. Michael Shie look as if they are putting together a deal – it was more an exchange of views. Note that Paletta International, the largest landowner in the city, didn’t plan on attending and didn’t have anyone in the room. The Reimer’s were not in the room nor was there anyone from Hopewell, the people who own the land on the North Service Road that IKEA had hoped to build on.
The first event ran for a full two hours and if the conversations at the different tables are any indication – there were a lot of opinions floating around.
Before the participants got down to what Meed Ward called the “table work” Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research for Burlington set out the policy framework within which development in the downtown core takes place.
The working premise for the evening was:
How we got here
Existing policies
Scope of OP/Zoning review
What do we want to achieve
Meed Ward set the current situation which she defined as the city wanting to keep the existing farm land- which is basically everything north of Dundas Highway 407.
She said cutting back on the infrastructure that has to be built will reduce taxes but to do that the city needs to get better use out of the infrastructure it already has in place
Meed Ward talks of a more walkable city with much more mixed use – which is an attempt to do something other than repeat the urban sprawl that is expensive to maintain and doesn’t do much for really healthy communities.
There are always personal agendas when politicians meet with the public. Meed Ward was letting the city see the kind of leadership she would provide were she to get to wear the Chain of Office that Mayors’ wear.
 Andrea smith, Manager Police and Research and the planner shepherding the Official Plan review Andrea Smith, Manager of Policy and Research – the person heading up the review of the existing Official Plan, put a graphic up on the screen that showed where development is currently taking place. Few had seen this document before.
 There is a lot more development approved in Burlington than most people realize. There are three big project at different stages of development: Paradigm, Bridgewater and the Bentley – all approved and at different stages of development.
While there are few construction cranes on the Burlington horizon now these three project will keep the construction trades busy for the next five years.
Does the market have the capacity to absorb the number of units that will be built? The developers have those number in closely guarded reports – what do the planners know about what market demand for accommodation in the city?
During a Committee of the Whole meeting recently, Director of Planning Bruce Krushelnicki pointed out that the city doesn’t have any demographic talent at city hall – without it he suggested there is some flying in the dark being done.
The three projects that are in various stages of development cater to radically different markets. The people who buy into the Paradigm are not the same people who will be buying into Bridgewater.
 Matt Jaecklein, Mayrose-Tycon Group listens quietly to a city planner. Jaecklein was a patient developer who first got approval for what is now the Bridgewater development back in 1985. As for the hotel that will be part of the Bridgewater development on the south side of Lakeshore – well that was going to be open for the Pan AM Games which kick off in the middle of June.
Planner Smith then put up a graphic of the parking lots the city owns – they want to unlock the value of that land and get buildings up. Where will cars park? The city is hoping there will be fewer cars in a future Burlington. Does it make economic sense to put up large structures and dig down for parking spaces?
 The city has parking lots throughout the downtown core. They will do more for the city’s finances if there were buildings on the land rather than cars. Getting to the point where something can be gotten to the point where there are shovels in the ground is WHAT Is it possible to grow the residential community in the downtown core and create the jobs in the community that people can walk to or use public transit as the prime mode of transportation?
Planner Smith set out the provincial and regional policy initiatives that Burlington has to comply with and just where the city has wiggle room and where it can do very little.
There are also individual property rights that have to be respected – look at the battle taking place in the Beachway to get a sense of how those situations make for complex problems and then there are infrastructure realities that have to be dealt with.
There are pipelines that run underground through the city that limit what can be done with some properties – the pipeline that runs alongside the Performing Arts Centre and cross two of the city owned parking lots – can’t dig too close to those pipes.
City Council approved what is called an Urban Growth Centre – this was where the growth was going to take place and the rules for that growth were established.
 The Urban growth center is where city council, through its official plan has determined where the city’s commercial development will take place  The Planners created precincts which are boundaries that define parts of the city and then applied zoning for each precinct. All these issues have to get dealt with within the boundaries the Official Plan has created. In the last Official Plan review the city created a number of what they called “precincts” and applied very specific zoning to those parts of the city to protect what was already in place and to allow for any ideas that a developer might come along with.
 Tom Muir, tends to focus more on Aldershot issues – seldom fails to have an opinion on how the city can grow itself in a reasonable manner and still retain its core values. As the graphics shows there are a number of precincts – names given to different parts of the city with zoning attached to each, Burlington has two residential precincts on either side of Brant Street; the St. Luke’s precinct on the west and the Emerald precinct on the east. The residents of each fight just as fiercely as those in Roseland to ensure that their neighbourhood does not undergo radical change.
The idea of a 28 storey tower on the edge of a residential neighbourhood that has some commercial and professional space in the area has some people frothing at the mouth and also feeling helpless now that the development has gone to the Ontario Municipal Board because the city faield to do anything in the 180 day window they had to respond to the application. Quite why city council didn’t get a chance to pronounce on the application is another story.
The Wellington precinct south of the downtown core has a number of high rise buildings stuffed into the neighbourhood. When they were approved the thinking was that the residents would spend and there would be decent commercial development – maybe even a super market.
 Robert Molinaro explains a point to people participating in the Workshop. The Molinaro’s built several of the condominium high rise buildings along Lakeshore Road and are now developing along Maple Avenue. The residents in those towers saw life differently – they head south in the winter.
Does anyone know how well the butcher at the corner of Brant and |Lakeshore Road is doing?
The Old Lakeshore precinct is a bit of a mess and a major lost opportunity for the city. It has three sub-sections within the precinct that isn’t much more than a couple of blocks in size.
Two groups were formed and asked to think along the lines of a number of themes:
Parking; heritage; office/retail; compatibility; design; trees; benches; affordability; transit & traffic; height; density; public art; sustainable buildings; jobs and festivals and events.
 This is the Burlington we have. what do we want t do with what we have – and who gets to make that decision anyway? The conversation was at times electric and the room at the Lions Hall certainly had a real buzz to it most of the evening.
Too early to tell what came out of the event. All we know at this point is that there will be another; don’t miss the next one.
The second meeting will take place at the Performing Arts Centre on May 27th where Meed Ward hopes to apply the principles in place to two specific sites:
Brant/Ghent
Lakeshore/Burlington
The third community Workshop will take place June 10, 2015, at the Burlington Lion’s Club Hall where Meed Ward hopes she will be able to present areas where there is a consensus and possible draft recommendations.
 By Staff
May 15, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A 61-year-old Burlington woman was defrauded $37,500 in an increasingly common romance scam targeting individuals who frequent online dating sites.
The female met an unknown individual in February 2015 on a popular dating website and began an online relationship with them. The individual persuaded the female to wire transfer funds overseas to DUBAI, United Arab Emirates to assist with the purchase of horses and then several days later continued to convince her to send more money for the care of the horses.
When staff at the wire transfer business suspected the activity was fraudulent, the female continued to send additional money through her own bank. The female victim was devastated to learn that the relationship was deceitful and she had been victim to this scheme.
Halton Regional Police are reminding residents to be vigilant when communicating with anyone online, especially using online dating sites.
Please be cognizant of romance scam relationships and be suspicious of the following scenarios;
• Anyone you are not familiar with wanting you to send them money via wire transfer or through your bank.
• Asking to communicate with you outside the dating service or email.
• Requesting your address to send you flowers or gifts. Never give out your address or personal information.
• Claims they live in Canada or the U.S., but they are currently travelling, living or working abroad.
• Refers to your relationship as “destiny” or “fate.”
• Soon after initiating the relationship, outlines an emergency situation pleading you to assist them financially.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
May 15, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington just may have witnessed the beginning of a tradition last night at the BEST awards occasion where seven of our citizens were recognized for their contributions to the betterment of the city.
 Dwight Ryan claims he got the white sports coat at Variety Village – on sale – he couldn’t pass up a bargain For the second year in a row Dwight Ryan served as Master of Ceremonies where he brought a self-deprecating dry wit to the evening.
Ryan will never be known for his sartorial flair – he claimed the jacket he was wearing was bought at Variety Village where he got it “on sale”. He then added that the white sports coat he wore the previous year was also bought on sale.
At that point Burlington’s MP Mike Wallace slipped onto the stage and pulled that white sports coat out of a plastic bag and of course Dwight Ryan put it on. A prank that was consistent with the way Wallace enjoys life. It was heard later that Wallace actually wanted the purple stripped jacket Ryan had been wearing.
Expect both Dwight Ryan and that white sports coat to show up next year; it is going to become the tie that gets given year after year at Christmas.
The presenting of awards to seven of Burlington’s BEST was a fast paced event that had everyone on their way out the door by nine. Ryan hung around for a while – he apparently wanted people to see him in all his splendour.
The nominees for 2014 BEST awards were:
Citizen of the Year – Angelo Bentivegna, Ron Foxcroft, Maibritt Bergman
Senior Citizen of the Year – Esperanza Peacock, Helen Deadder, Bonnie Purkis
Junior Citizen of the Year – Kevin Han, Caitlyn Kay, Connor Fraser
Environmental Award – Susan Fraser, Monte Dennis
Heritage Person of the Year – Alan Harrington, Mary Jane Pilling, the late Dave Morris
Arts Person of the Year – Chris Giroux, John Kemp, Leslie Gray, Tomy Bewick
Community Service Award – IronDames Group, Mary Nichol, Bob Vandenberg, Christine Karczmarczyk
 From left to right: Mary Nicol, Tomy Bewick. Bonnie Purkis, Ron Foxcroft, Kevin Ham, wife of the late Dave Morris and Susan Fraser. The winners were:
Artsperson: Tomy Bewick
Heritage Person of the Year: the late Dave Morris
Community Service Award: Mary Nichol
Environmental Award: Susan Fraser
Junior Citizen of the Year: Kevin Han
Senior Citizen of the Year: Bonnie Purkis
Citizen of the Year: Ron Foxcroft
Both the nominees and the city of Burlington were all winners
 By Pepper Parr
May 14 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
We asked staff at MPP Eleanor McMahon’s office to provide us with some background material on the Health and Physical Education curriculum – referred by many as the “sex ed” course and were given and referred to the following material that clarifies some common misconceptions about what the curriculum will be teaching our children – including addressing concerns about the age-appropriateness of the content.
It also serves to explain that many parts of the curriculum are currently being taught as part of the 1998 curriculum.
 McMahon comes from a family with strong core values and social convictions – she believes government has a role to play in ensuring our young are given the information they need to make informed decisions. The safety and wellbeing of Ontario’s students is our government’s top priority, and we believe that students need to have the best information possible so they can make informed decisions.
The revised curriculum documents for Health and Physical Education, Grades 1 to 8, 2015 and Health and Physical Education, Grades 9 to 12, 2015, are available on the Ministry of Education website and can be accessed by the public (www.edu.gov.on.ca)
Most parents don’t have the time or the inclination to spend hours wading through at times turgid government reports. They want to know, in simple language they can understand and easily grasp – ‘what are teachers telling my children’.
Well-being is a core component of the government’s renewed vision for education and we are committed to the success, safety and well-being of every student and child. The Health and Physical Education curriculum that is currently being used has not been updated since 1998 – this is over 15 years old – and the world has changed. Technology concepts such as Smartphones, “Snapchat” and sexting were not familiar to anyone, let alone children and teenagers.
In our increasingly interconnected world, students often get information from unreliable and inaccurate sources. The classroom is a safe place for children to learn, and Ontario teachers are professional trained to teach sensitive material. Our students deserve a curriculum that is current, relevant and age-appropriate to give them the best information possible to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
 McMahon: a capacity to listen. The revision of these curriculum documents is the result of work done through an extensive review process. This process was guided by research on current instructional approaches specific to this discipline, expert advice from academics, benchmarking and comparisons of the curriculum with that of other national and international jurisdictions.
It involved extensive consultation with parents, students, teachers, faculties of education, universities, colleges and numerous stakeholder groups including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Ontario Public Health Association and the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition. More than 70 health-related organizations submitted reports for consideration, and thousands of parents provided their input.
That means a parent in every elementary school across Ontario, representing all four publically funded school boards, was provided with an opportunity to provide input.
Parents and educators play critical and complementary roles to support student safety and well-being. Recognizing this, our government has begun developing a series of resources for parents, which provide information on the Health and Physical Education curriculum and ideas for supporting learning at home.
 McMahon is in the community and of the community where she has to stick handle some awkward issues – how is she doing so far? Eleanor McMahon believes that parents should still have their own conversations about sexual health with their children, particularly when it comes to personal values. Nothing can replace the love, care and concern of a parent. But she also believes the best way to ensure our children are getting the most accurate, fact-based, up-to-date and age-appropriate information is through a Health and Physical Education curriculum that has been informed by experts, research, educators and parents together.
 By Pepper Parr
May 14, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The only thing they didn’t have at the Art Gallery of Burlington Annual General Meeting last night was a hat check person – and they needed one.
Anne Swarbrick, changed hats so often that it was difficult to tell just what her title was at any one point in time.
 Anne Swarbrick, back to being chair of the Art Gallery Burlington Foundation During the past year the AGB has gone through significant changes along with the realization that the balance sheet was a little lop sided with the revenue part of that document nowhere near as high as it needed to be.
Swarbrick who was the Chair of the AGB Foundation had to be brought in as the interim Executive Director to run the AGB on a day to day basis while the chair of the AGB itself Sandra Edrupt kept things on an even keel.
Former Executive Director Ian Ross left the organization and Treasurer Paul MacDiarmid worked with the gallery staff to re-align some of those numbers.
 Sandra Edrupt, Chair of the Art Gallery Burlington Swarbrick and Edrupt worked as one of the most effective tag teams this city has seen in some time and convinced city council to make available the funds needed to cover the short fall for the next couple of years.
Council literally poured funds – more than $100,000 a year for two years into the bucket Swarbrick and Edrupt had brought with them. It was an impressive performance.
Newly anointed Executive Director Robert Steven learned that the woodworking guild was in the process of building him a new desk.
 Robert Steven, newly appointed Executive Director Art Gallery Burlington The meeting was one of the best run the Gazette has seen – the procedures they followed covered all the bases.
We will report further on just where the Art |Gallery needs and wants to go in the next three to five years.
Is there anything the Board or the city wants to say about the city owned property the art gallery sits on?
By Staff
May 13, 2015
BURLINGTON,ON
North America will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope on July 13, 2015. Terry Fox visited Burlington during that first event.
 The Terry Fox Run to Cure Cancer has been a Burlington event from the beginning 35 years ago. Last year the organizers of the event set up a booth in the Car Free Sunday in Alton. The city has been approached by the Burlington Terry Fox organization requesting a plaque or monument be installed along the waterfront, on the border between Wards 1 and 2, to mark the 35th anniversary.
Terry Fox ran along Spencer Smith Park during his cross Canada run, and the annual race takes place in Spencer Smith/Beachway Parks.
The city is exploring the idea further, and will be presented the following staff direction at the May 12, 2015 Community & Corporate Services Committee meeting:
Direct the Manager of Arts and Culture to consult with the Burlington Terry Fox Foundation in the design of a monument to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run with funding provided by the Terry Fox Foundation for implementation;
Direct the Executive Director of Capital Works to consult with Halton Region on a location of the monument in alignment with the Beach Master Plan; and
Direct the City Clerk to write a letter of support for the project to the Burlington Terry Fox Foundation.
 The tension between Councillors Meed Ward and Craven is close to measurable at times. It will be interesting to see how they manage to cooperate at the unveiling of the plaque the city is considering. , It will be interesting to see how the Councillors for wards 1 and 2 manage to co=operate on this event. They are not known for the conviviality of their relationship.
The plaque itself is a wonderful idea – Burlington has been a consistent supporter of the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope since its earliest days.
By Pepper Parr
May 13, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Large parts of this article were first published in a blog Mayor Goldring contributes to from time to time
The group that spent close to a week in Holland representing Burlington in one of the most politically and historically significant events for the western world are all back in town.
 Burlington and Apeldoorn residents touring the Kasteel Cannenburch in Vaassen. Mayor Rick Goldring and Councillor Blair Lancaster represented the city officially. Staff members Scott Stewart and Rob Peachy took part in the trip along with members of Burlington’s Dutch Community and the Burlington Teen Tour Band.
The event was the 70th year celebration of the end of the Second World War. The remaining members of the armed forces who fought that war are in their 90’s – the chances of them taking part in the next celebration ten years from now is remote.
 Brian Bourne, Mayors John Berends and Rick Goldring, Scott Stewart, Councillor Blair Lancaster, Ed Dorr, Jan Koorenhof and Charles Minken come together with the Burlington Teen Tour Band and visiting Burlington residents for the preview of Burlington Park in Apeldoorn. The occasion was an opportunity for Burlington to further cement its relationship with Apeldoorn, the city was twinned with ten years ago.
Mayor Goldring called the trip “the experience of a lifetime”.
The celebrations were multi-faceted. In April, 21 Burlington students from participating high schools travelled to Apeldoorn for a week-long exchange. There was also an art exchange and pen pal program between participating Grade 4 and 5 students.
 Cycling is a key mode of transportation in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Ideas for encouraging cycling in Burlington were shared. Apeldoorn is a city of approximately 150,000, while Burlington has about 180,000 residents. We have many similarities despite our physical distance.
The Burlington delegation met with municipal officials on several occasions to share ideas and best practices, with discussions around infrastructure, sustainability, fleet, efficiencies, greenspace management and council procedure, among others.
There were also discussions about possible economic development opportunities. Economic development is a priority for both Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and myself.
The close ties between the Canadian and Dutch people date back 70 years when the Canadian Forces liberated Apledoorn in April 1945 and the rest of the country by May 5, 1945.
Today, both Canada and the Netherlands are highly regarded in the international community for our strong open democracies with enduring traditions of tolerance and respect for human rights and the rule of law. We are natural friends and partners in so many ways.
 Mayors Rick Goldring and John Berends lay a wreath at Loenen, the Netherlands. Mayor Goldring said the visit to Holten Cemetery to honour our Canadian soldiers “touched my heart, as did the veteran’s parades in Apeldoorn and Wageningen.” Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and Mayor Goldring laid a wreath at Loenen.
“I have always been proud to be Canadian” said Mayor Golddring. “This past week, observing thousands of Dutch citizens waving Canadian flags and seeing young Dutch children run up and hand our veterans homemade cards and fresh flowers during the parade deepened my patriotism.”
 Canadian veteran and Burlington resident Mr. Jim Warford meets with Councillor Blair Lancaster and Mayor Rick Goldring.  Councillor Blair Lancaster and Mayor Rick Goldring with Canadian veteran and Burlington resident Mr. Stan Egerton. “Last week”, while in Holland, “ I also had the opportunity to connect with Burlington veterans Mr. Jim Warford and Mr. Stan Egerton in Apeldoorn. Words are not enough to describe the honour of shaking their hands.”
“It is so very important to teach our young people about the importance of freedom and the relationship between Canada and the Netherlands. Everywhere I went, people spoke about the talent, precision and dedication of our young people in the band. They truly are the pride of Burlington and Canada’s Musical Ambassadors.”
 Princess Margriet of the Netherlands meets members of the City of Burlington delegation in Apeldoorn. Goldring reminded us that: “It is special to note that during the Second World War, the Dutch Flag was flown over the Parliament Buildings and Peace Tower in Ottawa when Princess Margriet was born in Canada. She is a beloved daughter of Canada.”
The Burlington delegation to Holland had an opportunity to meet Princess Margriet during their visit. “She was gracious and very complimentary of Canada and the relationship with Burlington.” Said the Mayor.
Goldring spoke during the preview of the Burlington Garden in Apeldoorn and said:
“I would like to extend warm greetings to Mayor John Berends, Apeldoorn Burlington Committee Chair Jan Koorenhof, Burlington Apeldoorn Committee Chair Charles Minken, Burlington Mundialization Chair Ed Dorr, our citizens, the Burlington Teen Tour Band and our friends in attendance.
 A bench embossed with maple leaves in Burlington Garden in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The park was a mundialization initiative. “What a glorious occasion it is to be here today at the preview of Burlington Garden during the 10th anniversary of the official twinning of Burlington and Apeldoorn.
“The Burlington Garden is a meaningful initiative for both the City of Apeldoorn and the City of Burlington.
“Two years ago, Mayor Berends and I celebrated the ground-breaking for Apeldoorn Park in downtown Burlington. How quickly time has passed, my friend.
“Apeldoorn Park officially opened in Burlington in September 2014. It was a special occasion as Apeldoorn high school students were present at the opening.
“It has many Dutch features, with orange play equipment, benches engraved with tulips, and hundreds of Apeldoorn tulips.
 Burlington Teen Tour Band members line a street in Apeldoorn for the walk of silence on the Day of Remembrance on Monday, May 4. “Every time I drive or walk by Apeldoorn Park, I see children playing or seniors sitting enjoying the scenery. Apeldoorn Park is a park that holds a special place in the hearts of our residents. It is an honour to be here today at the opening of Burlington Garden.
“This garden embodies the friendship and close bond between the people of Burlington and Apeldoorn. It is also symbolic of city council’s dedication to the welfare of the people of Apeldoorn, as the garden will be maintained by area citizens and residents of Heeren Loo.
“It is beautiful to think that children will be playing in Burlington Garden at the same time as children in Apeldoorn Park. Although we are separated by a vast ocean and hundreds of miles, we are family.
By Pepper Parr
May 13, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The route for the Pan Am Torch run has been determined. It will go through Burlington on Friday June 19 and start at Brant and Leighland and proceed south to Caroline where it will turn west along Caroline to Locust.
South on Locust to Elgin
West on Elgin to Maple and south on Maple into Spencer Smith Park.
The Torch Route will start at 17:40 (5:40 pm) arriving at the stage at Spencer Smith Park at 18:25. (6:25) pm These times need to finalized with TO2015, which we anticipate shortly.
 Pan Am Torch route – Friday June 19, The 19th of June is Sound of Music time of year – so the Torch run will somehow become part of the Sound of Music.
There are hordes of people involved in the Pan Am event. Corporations are being asked to think in terms of possible staggered hours for their employees or have them work from home.
Traffic is expected to be a bit of a mess for the whole of the Pan Am and the Para Am games.
 This is the torch Burlington’s representative will carry June 19th Burlington has what the bureaucrats are calling “non-event” status – which is a polite way of saying nothing is going to take place in Burlington other than the practice soccer games that will take place at City View park – but the public will not be allowed to watch those games.
All these decisions were made before Burlington was recognized as the best mid-sized city in Canada to live in.
 Dr. Ashley Worobec will carry the Pan Am Torch through Burlington and into Spencer Smith Park. Dr. Ashley Worobec will carry the Torch for the Burlington portion of the run into Hamilton.
Worobec is a Burlington based chiropractor at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic. She is also an avid Crossfit practitioner.
A mother of two young children, she is actively engaged in numerous community activities and blogs about her community, her practice, parenting and staying fit and healthy.
By Pepper Parr
May 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 5 of a multi part series
It is difficult to get a full sense of the size and scope of the Beachway Park that the designers have put together.
It amounts to five different parks all rolled into one – with more than enough to do for any family.
 Three kilometres in length from the |Pier to the Canal – a good healthy walk The distance from the Pier to the Canal is 3 km with all kinds of trails and places to rest. One of the problems with the park in its present form was the lack of food options – and restrooms. Slim pickings with both.
 Throughout much of the park’s environment there are dunes that are sensitive and need to be protected from any kind of vehicle and heavy pedestrian traffic. The west end of the park has space for bacchii ball, Beach Volley Ball, a soccer pitch. There was no mention of a horse shoe pitch – but that could get added.
 Those purple splotches are destinations; places to go to swim, play a sport, take part in a small festival; shop at a market garden or look at art that will be for sale. There are shelter areas for festivals and market and arts and craft sales.
 Beacons will be spread throughout the park telling you where you are. Each will have some form of illustration.  Parts of the park will have space to set up tents for short term events.
It will be difficult to get lost. The park designers have come up with a system of markers which they call beacons. They will have both names and number and as you can see from the graphic above – they will be spread throughout the park.
This is going to be a walking park – there will be paths galore that are well marked. What hasn’t been explained is how well lit the paths and trails will be. without lights at night the park would become a dangerous place.
When the plans for a park were first put out in 2012 the argument went that houses were going to be torn down to make space for parking lots. The design that is on the table today does have parking lots but they are not in places where houses exist.
The houses are being taken out so that park facilities can be built and Lakeshore Road re-aligned.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
By Pepper Parr
May 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Each term of office city council has some opinion research done on what the citizens think of the way their city is governed and how good or bad the delivery of services is.
The Gazette will report on that document in some detail – it is a little on the complex side.
Politicians being politicians they are interested in knowing how they are doing in their wards.
  The research provided an interesting glimpse at what you the public felt about how services were being delivered in your ward.
The chart, explained the researchers, presents top two box satisfaction ratings (excellent/good) for each service offered by the City of Burlington by Ward.
The data in the ward comparison table highlights the extent to whichthe differences between the wards on each service are statistically higher or lower than each other. The sample size for the opinions at the ward level was 125 people.
Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven showed that once again his residents see him as delivering for them – those in the Beachway take exception to that view but the people in Aldershot see their Councillor as coming through for them. Craven understands fully that you take care of your people and they will take care of you.
On the other extreme the folks in ward 5 where Paul Sharman is the council member have nothing they are happy with and a number of things they are unhappy about. The August 2014 flood impacted the opinions of people but that flood wasn’t in just ward 4; Councillor Dennison did much better in terms of the way his constituents saw him working for them.
Marianne Meed Ward, in ward 2. had two areas of concern: transit and the way the community is designed. Many tend to see Meed Ward as a very strong advocate on how the community is designed – the opinion poll suggests otherwise.
 Dennison seemed pleased with how his residents ranked the delivery of services in his ward. Councillor Dennison seemed both surprised and pleased wit the rankings he got; a private tree bylaw still isn’t a go for his ward. Given his views on spending on the arts his ranking there was a bit of a surprise. Ward 4 seems to have decided to live with how Dennison has decided which of the city’s bylaws and zoning provisions apply to him. The public is waiting for the Ontario Municipal Board decision of his appeal against a Committee of Adjustment decision to nor permit the severing of his Lakeshore Road property.
 Blair Lancaster’s constituents seemed happy with what they are getting. Everything is coming up roses for the Council member who now wants to ride off to Ottawa to continue serving the people. The responses Blair Lancaster got for the work she does in ward 6 will serve her well in her quest for the federal Conservative nomination in the newly created riding of Oakville North Burlington.
Quite why the people in ward 3, where John Taylor reigns, are unhappy about cemetery service is something he might want to explain.
Interesting data. They all did get re-elected.
By Pepper Parr
May 11, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 4 of a multi-part series
The Beachway Park could turn out to be a stunning addition to the city. All they have to do to get to that point is get the funding needed – there isn’t even a guestimate as to what it will cost and the resolve the issue of the houses that are within the park boundary.
The draft plan the public was shown at a meeting early in April, where less than 100 people got to actually look at the plans, didn’t reveal a lot of the detail.
The Beachway Park Plan is close to mammoth in scale. The Gazette was able to obtain a document with more detail which we have been sharing through this multi-part series on the plans for the park.
Spencer Smith Park will have some features added to the west end. Once the redevelopment of the hospital is close to completion Lakeshore Road is to be raised as much as a metre where is curves towards the Waterfront Trail and slopes westward towards the Water Sewage Treatment plant at which point it will turn 90 degrees towards the QEW and the proceed west again.
 The plan is for six distinct park areas – each with its own character and serving different needs of a larger population. There are basically five parks all rolled into one with different themes and activities. The Living Shoreline, which will probably be the first part to be developed, will include a boardwalk MORE HERE
To the west of the Shoreline park there will be a park that has been named The Strand which is where most of the aquatic activity will take place. Further west will be The Wind Park area and just to the north of that The Commons.
 The Skyway/Federal Pier part of the Beachway Park plan pulls in parts of the western end of the city most people know very little about. Then there will be what is being called Skyway/Federal Pier which is a part of the Beachway that few people ever see. It is getting into what many see as Hamilton territory and indeed it is just a couple of yards to the bridge that crosses the canal.
The early drawings call for a meadow area along the edge of the canal that is inside Hamilton Harbour.
There is some very rich Burlington history tied to the canal. At one point there were two bridges – one just for the railway line.
There was once an accident that had a ship colliding with a bridge – that was a problem that had to be dealt with.
Touring ships used to tie up at the canal pier where crowds would gather when important shipping events took place.
The canal today is a pretty lonely place – that just might change if the plans for the Beachway Park get past the draft stage.
 A close up view of the 30 homes that are currently located in the Beachway. There are a number of hurdles to overcome – gaining possession of the 29 homes that are still in private hands – a significant number of the people living in the Beachway don’t want to be bought out; others might be waiting until the price is right.
The current plan isn’t the first for the park area that has been trotted out for the public.
What is driving the plan at this point is the need to provide public space for the significant increases in population that Burlington is going to see between now and 2041.
The city knows now how much it is expected to accommodate in terms of additional population. The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 500,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville.
That number is going to grow substantially by 2041. The Regional government already knows how many people it is going to have to absorb – what it hasn’t worked out yet is how much of the growth is going to be sent to Burlington.
Milton has seen phenomenal growth in the past decade – Halton Hills has not seen as much.
 There will be changes to a trail used by thousands of people every week – for the better – probably. Some long range planning has to be done now in order to be ready for the population growth. Anyone who thinks Burlington is going to remain the way it has been for the past 10 years is smoking stuff that is not yet legal.
In the meantime – there is a park to be built and if the plans shown to the public are an example of what to look forward to – this could be something very interesting and attractive.
There are several phases set out in the development plan. Don’t expect to see anything started in the near future.
There is an Environmental management and restoration plan that informs the Master Plan and provides direction for:
RESTORATION AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL HERITAGE
INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL
LONG-TERM MONITORING
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
Then there is an Implementation and phasing Strategies plan that will focus on
CONTINUED PROPERTY ACQUISITION
FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
PROGRAMMING AND MAINTENANCE
FUTURE REPORTS AND STUDIES
PLAN REVIEW
The phasing at this point is:
PHASE 1
SPENCER SMITH PARK + THE LIVING SHORELINE + THE STRAND + THE WIND BEACH
PHASE 2
PRIORITY PROPERTIES; + ADDITIONAL ACQUISITIONS.
PHASE 3
THE COMMONS + THE SKYWAY + THE FEDERAL PIER
Part 1 of a multi part series
Part 2 of a multi part series
Part 3 of a multi part series
 By Staff
May 11, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Ouch – 10 to 1 – for the other guys.
The Burlington Bandits, this city’s entry into the Inter County Baseball League held took part in a game on Saturday and took a drubbing.
 The Majors just hit too many of the balls Perego was throwing. The London Majors pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of five Burlington errors in a season-opening 10-1 win over the Bandits Saturday aMajors third baseman Alex Martinez went 3-for-5 with a run scored, as five London batters had multi-hit games.
Cody Mombourquette, Larry Gonzalez, Brett Sabourin and Argenis Vargas each had two hits.
Majors leadoff hitter Humberto Ruiz had a double and scored three runs.
London starter Oscar Perez went five innings, giving up one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out three.
For Burlington, starting pitcher Dylan Perego was tagged for four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings.
He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.
Adam Odd had the lone RBI, a sacrifice fly that scored Brad Bedford in the bottom of the first.
London (1-0) will host Hamilton May 15 at 7:35 p.m. at Labatt Park, while Burlington (0-1) hosts Brantford May 16 at 1 p.m. as it opens the season with four games at Nelson Park.
By Pepper Parr
May 9, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was described as a Role Call – a standard armed forces event when they check to ensure everyone is accounted for.
Saturday morning at Civic square there was a different Role Call – it was for the men and women who served in a war that ended seventy years ago.
 Cadets salute as the Colour Party marches into the Civic square for the beginning of the Roll call The event took place in Burlington while the Mayor and city Councillor Blair Lancaster were in Apeldoorn, one of our twin cities, representing the citizens of Burlington and most particular the veterans of that war who are still alive
There was a healthy contingent of Burlington Dutch citizens in Apeldoorn as well; we have a very strong Dutch community that had played a large part in making Burlington the city it is today.
The event at Civic Square was for those who wanted to remember members of their family that served.
It was an incredibly moving event; some of the speakers didn’t make it through their remarks. Other told Burlingtonians stories we had no heard before.
 Citizens line the Civic Square to both witness and participate in the Roll Call of those who served. Councillor Rick Craven, in very moving comments told of a relative who lied about his age and joined up at the age of 15.
In his remarks Craven talked of standing on the beach at Dieppe and wondering how those men managed to race across what was then a stony beach and remain alive while German gunners in the bluffs above them were raking the grounds with machine gun fire.
There was hardly an army regiment, or an air force wing that didn’t get mentioned or a naval squadron that wasn’t mentioned.
Individuals walked to the podium holding pictures of their relative and talked about the way they served. Some, too many, spoke of people who did not return.
Mention was made of the Murmansk run through the frigid Atlantic and into northern Russia with badly needed supplies.
 More than 100 Burlingtonians stood quietly waiting for their turn to remember their relatives during the incredibly moving Roll call that took place in Civic Square. The Desert Rats – nick name for the British 8th Army, were heard of as well as the the VanDooz – Royal 22nd Regiment out of Montreal.
Mention was made of a man who was killed at the Somme and awarded the Victoria Cross; a Davey who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for missions in the 405th and the 408th squadrons.
Another spoke of a unit that raced the Russians into Berlin during the closing months of the war; another who was killed in France on Black Friday.
The Queen’s Own Rifles, the Princess Pats, and the Black Watch – there were so many of them – too many.
We sent tens of thousands of our young people away, many to not return.
 Five veterans who served in the Second World War stand during the prayer that was read at the closing of the Role Call Today more than 100 people in Burlington got to stand before their fellow citizens and speak proudly of the sacrifices while five veterans sat and listened quietly while their minds floated back to those times.
In his remarks Craven talked of standing on the beach at Dieppe and wondering how those men managed to race across what was then a stony beach and remain alive while German gunners in the bluffs above them were raking the grounds with machine guns.
The organizers of the Roll call had no idea how many people were going to show up. We got five time the number that RSVP’d said one Legion member.
The individuals walked quietly to the podium, there was no applause, they just held their picture before them and spoke for a few moments and then left as quietly as they came – proud that they had had that moment.
By Pepper Parr
May 8, 2015
BURLINGTON ON
Part 3 of a multi-part series
The west end of the Beachway Park does not get a lot of pedestrian traffic. Lakeshore Road ends and curves into Eastport; Lakeshore Court is home to a dismal looking cinder block building and a house that was once a grand structure. Times have changed for both structures which are now defined as priority properties that have to be acquired if the park plan is ever to proceed.
The planned park is five different parks rolled into one and if the financial hurdles and finding a way to acquire the homes that are in the way can be found – construction on the park will begin sometime in 2018 – once the re-development of the Joseph Brant Hospital is complete.
The people who did the draft version of the park that was presented to slightly less than 100 people at a public meeting in April have changed much of the west end and turned it into a very active part of the planned park.
They created a section they call the Commons and another section they call Skyway/Federal pier. Both parts border on the Burlington canal which itself is rich in local history. While the canal is not Regional property nor does it belong to the city – it’s federal government property with all kinds of rules and regulations surrounding a vital waterway for Hamilton – the park planners have included it
The Commons and the Skyway/Federal Pier are part of a much bigger picture.
The Beachway Park- from the Canal to the west end of Spencer Smith Park The plan is very large in scope and while there are no times lines announced yet and there is no budget allocated, the development of the park is seen by the Region as a major development for their parks program.
The plan calls for some changes to the west end of Spencer Smith Park as it merges into the new park at the point where the Joseph Brant Museum is located and Lakeshore curves and leads towards what will be the new entrance to the Joseph Brant Hospital will be located.
Lakeshore Road will be raised as much as one metre at this point and taper down to a new height of half a metre at about where the water treatment plant is today. At this point Lakeshore Road will be realigned and take a 90 degree turn to the right and run closer to the QEW.
There are five distinct areas within the Beachway Park – each will have its own theme. These are the draft plans – the properties needed to make the part happen have yet to be acquired by the Regional government – residents say they have no plans to sell. There are essentially five parks, each with different purposes and orientations. The upgrades to the western end of Spencer Smith make it six parks.
The Living Shoreline will be much different than what people see now – today it is just something people walk past. The Strand will continue to be the aquatic area where the Pump House stands.
The Wind Beach will see quite a bit of change.
The Commons is a completely new idea and represents the biggest changes to both the landscape and the homes that are in place now.
 The Commons is at the extreme west end of the park and will undergo the most significant change in terms of the number of activities brought to the area. The jetty on the Burlington side of the canal will be incorporated into the park and there will be both shipping and naval interpetation stations.
 These homes are on the lakeside of Lakeshore Road and are considered priority homes by the park planners. The portion of Lakeshore Road in the picture will be moved to the left and align with the QEW. Lakeshore Road, which currently runs down the middle of the land – will be shifted closer to the QEW so that what is now road will become recreational area.
That recreation will include volley ball courts, lawn courts and Food Trucks.
There is some very environmentally sensitive dunes in this area – they will be protected.
 This is a cinder block garage at the end of Lakeshore Court steps from the canal There will be a couple of shaded areas with a structure that will have benches. There will be a few very small parking lots: 30 space size, along with a number of landscape enhancements to keep any traffic noise the Eastport Road from filtering in.
There will be a lot of activity: an artisan/market; washrooms and a play area along with 28 spaces of on street parking.
There will be a festival park – small in size.
There will be a pond park, additional interpretive stations as well as a Storm Water management pond with a open edge.
There will be a Pond Pavilion as well.
This is the part of the park that has many, perhaps most of the “priority homes” that the park designers have said must be torn down if the design of the park as they see it is to be completed.
 Definitely the most magnificent looking house in the Beachway; it backs onto what was once the railway line which suggests that it was built before the rail line was put in. It too is amongst the “priority homes” that the planners want taken out. This home could be moved and restored. The current residents fall into several categories: those who say they will fight to the bitter end and are never going to move; those that are resigned to having to move eventually and hope that eventuality can be pushed well off into the future. There are a few angling for the best price they can get from the Region. So far just three properties have been sold; two of those were an Estate sale.
Part 1
Part 2
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