 September 16, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It was a decent event. The weather didn’t kill it; the organizers of the event did tell everyone to bring a chair and a blanket.
It was a respectable crowd.
 It was a respectable crowd. And they did like the idea of dancing to Robbie Lane and the Disciples. I missed the opportunity to spin Connie Smith around the dancing space – she twisted her ankle the day before and had it all bound up with tape – but being the trooper she is – she was on the stage sharing the MC task with Lane.
The Drifters took to the stage and – they were OK. There is this “best before date” thing and, well, they were beyond that date but the sound was still there and for many of us in the audience, we were at our best before date as well.
What was interesting was watching The Drifters as they sat at the table autographing their CD. They were excited to be there. There was none of that cool, we are celebrities stuff about them. If there had been a red carpet they would have been embarrassed to use it. They were having fun and seemed delighted to be remembered and appreciated.
 The things we did in the back seats of those cars. Did the event raise funds for the Halton Heros? The stage, the sound system and the support needed for an event like this doesn’t come cheap. The tickets were decently priced – not sure there is going to be much left over when all the expenses were added up.
Did we hear a well-known group at their best? No, but that’s not what most people came for – they came to see, hear and remember. Rick Shepherd wasn’t shy in saying that he was 74 years old and there he was up on the stage belting it out – feeding us songs we spent some of our youth on.
What many of us assumed was that Shepherd was an Afro-American. Turns out his blood lines are native American – Cherokee on one side.
 It was dark but he sound was distinct. The Love Train was the tune that sent us all home. The audience actually set up two trains – it was a fun event.  Big Sound that covered a lot of the bases. Fine dancing music. Pauley and the Goodfellas were a different act. Their music was louder, the tempo was quicker and they played what many others had played before them. People wanted to dance to the Goodfellas – much of the crowd wanted to listen to The Drifters.
Burlington’s MP, Mike Wallace danced to everything – and the man does a mean dance step.
 September 16, 2013
By Staff
The Burlington Terry Fox Run took in over $72,000 which slightly ahead of last year. The final tally, won’t be known for several weeks but there were more than 1000 participants and 140 volunteer.
 Casey Cosgrove talks with Deb Tymstra about the crowd he brought with him to the 2013 Terry Fox Run. 
 Run Warriors – it is this age group that shows up year after year.  When they burn up the energy – the need to refill those tanks. Hot dog stand was where most people ended up.  when you cross that finish line – a cup of water is real welcome. The Terry Fox organization in Burlington covers all the bases.  The Run done – this family re-groups and gets ready to head home – a good job done and some lessons learned.  The Remembering Board tells a large part of what the Terry Fox Run is all about.  A really special team – Casey Cosgrove and his supporters. Don Carmichael, chair of the 2013 Run said he thought the atmosphere was great and operations were smooth.
The changes to the course and parking seemed to have worked well. “We disappointed a few people” said Carmichael, “when we eliminated bikes but the big crowd just makes it impossible to have them.” The organization is already thinking about how to keep growing and improving the Run Day experience. We are looking forward to next year as we build toward the 35th anniversary in 2015.
The organization added a feature this year that many found touching. Deb Tymstra did live interviews with people on the Beachway Park grounds giving them an opportunity to tell their story; why they were taking part in the Run and what it meant to them.
In July 1980 Terry Fox ran through Burlington. He left deep foot prints and every year, for a little while, we get to follow those foot prints and run with him again. Sunday morning more than 1000 Burlingtonians followed those footsteps and raised more than $72,000 for Cancer Research, slightly ahead of last year.
 September 16, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. It boiled down to a battle for third place and BurlingtonGreen did everything they could to hold that position.
The Jamieson Vitamins Call for the Wild was a race between five organizations for a share of the $100,000 prize.
 Early in the contest the Vancouver team was racing ahead but Burlington and Calgary caught up and battled for third place while Nova Scotia and Quebec went on to take the top two spots. Burlington Green looked at the competition and at first thought the Vancouver Aquarium was going to be the stiffest group to go up against but as it turned out Nova Scotia’s Hope for Wild Life, and McGill Universities Bird Sanctuary began to show as the clear leaders about a third of the way into the month-long contest.
 It was a stiff battle between Burlington and Calgary for the third spot in the $100,000 contest. The last week was a back and forth between Burlington and Calgary’s Wildlife Rehabilitation for that third spot.
Burlington put their membership out into the Terry Fox Run on Sunday where they were able to collect the name and email addresses of about 100 people who they then entered into the contest Facebook page and that basically did it for Burlington who racked up 11,042 votes to pull in $12, 576.
Calgary had 10,980 votes and took $12,505
Michelle Bennett of Burlington Green called it an amazing last day response from a very supportive community and we are so thankful to them.”
BurlingtonGreen added a local incentive and put a bicycle from Mountain Equipment Coop into the draw. Anyone who voted was able to slide over to the Burlington Green website and enter their name into the draw for the bike. The winner of that draw will be announced later this week.
 September 15, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. He will stand there quietly, chat with some of his many friends as he looks over the crowd. Many lined up at the registration table while others do their stretching exercises to get ready for the Run – The Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research.
It was 33 years ago when Greg Pace organized the first run. “I was all gung-ho at the time – everyone was. Terry Fox had run his Marathon of Hope and had to give up – but what a lot of people didn’t fully realize was the kid was running the equivalent of a 26 mile marathon every day. That was a phenomenal achievement and he did it with just the one good leg.”
There isn’t a Canadian alive today who saw that young man work his way from the east coast and through hundreds of Ontario cities, who will ever forget that little hop Terry Fox used to propel himself forward.
 Greg Pace with one of the Iron Maidens. And for Greg Pace, who lost his wife Kim to cancer, that is what it is all about – propelling ourselves forward. The Terry Fox Run started out at Sherwood Forest Park back in the 80’s where all we could set up was a 10k run” explained Pace. “We moved the event downtown but that didn’t work out – the priests at the downtown churches asked us to try and keep it quiet and not use the megaphones – they wanted to be able to finish their church services.”
“I started out by calling the Canadian Cancer Society but they didn’t seem to have their act together so we just organized the event and it took place. It was a really small committee; Fran Agnew who was working with Rob MacIsaac at the time and Chuck Dooley who is now teaching Phys Ed at Notre dame High school.
We ran the event for seven or eight years until others were able to take it over – and we now watch as young people grow the event. It`s great to see it continue.
Pace who has been around fitness all his life spent a couple of years at the Cedar Spring Health Club, was the man who opened up the Goodlife Health Club at Burlington Mall. Worked for a while at the Fitness Institute – one of the first operations totally committed to fitness improvement when it wasn’t seen as a business opportunity.
After working for others Greg decided to strike out on his own and formed Pace Performance where he has settled into working with people who want to prepare for endurance events – Triathlons and Iron Man events. He formed the Iron Maids that his wife was part of when she was an active athlete.
 Doing better than you expected with children there – every step of the way. When asked what he thinks now as he watches people doing the Run, Pace said it was hard to pin that thought down. “There is nothing better than watching someone do something that is better than they thought they could do” and “nobody thinks the run was a bad idea when they are doing that last 50 metres” he said. “Everyone comes away with a sense of accomplishment”, he added.
“In the beginning some people thought the Run was part of a wave; something that would peter out over time but today it is bigger and better than it ever was – it certainly has staying power – but then that’s what Terry Fox brought to the Run that he did wasn’t it, said Pace.
The Mayor of a city has the privilege of selecting individuals for special recognition. Rick Goldring recently presented Greg Pace with The Civic Recognition Award.
Greg, said the Mayor, “has been involved and donating his skills and time for various charitable and fitness organizations for over 30 years. Most notably, the Moon in June Road Race which in the last 20 years has raised over $450,000 for local charities and brings thousands of participants and spectators to the Burlington downtown core.”
“For the past four years the Halton Trauma Centre has received the proceeds from this race, raising over $100,000 to help provide assessment and treatment to children and adolescents who have suffered from abuse or neglect.”
Add the Terry Fox Run to that and you have quite a set of accomplishments. Think about that as you take part in the Terry Fox Run later today.
 September 12, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. After years of struggle. After battling a civic administration that really didn’t want the thing saved and working around a city council that couldn’t come up with a solution even though they had federal funding to pay for a move – the Friends of Freeman station watched the structure move a couple of hundred yards from beside the fire station on plains Road to a spot in a field where they can begin the renovation and restoration work.
It was a very satisfying day for a small bunch of people.
 Leaving a place that was not very nice – station begins one of the shortest trips it has ever made.  The station is eased into a large excavation. She wasn’t being buried – just put into a location where a foundation can be put beneath the structure.  Construction equipment gets out of the excavation and the crews prepare the ground for the station to be eased down the slope.  The station is eased into a space where its foundation will be built.  All settled in. The tractor will unhitch and drive away. Those huge yellow beams will get pulled out once the station is lowered onto a set of cribs that will hold it in place while the foundation is built.  These are what are known as “Happy Campers” or Friends of Freeman Station. They are, from the left:John Mellow (Chair, Restoration & Relocation) , Alan Harrington (Treasurer), Bev Jacobs (Board Member) Brian Aasgaard (Vice President), Jacquie Gardner (Publicity), Reg Cooke (Secretary), and James Smith. President.
Now, as they put it, the real work can begin. There is some settling of the building to be done but that is just a detail.
It is in place, temporarily if the Friends of Freeman have their way, and over the next three to five years the work will get done.
During the lengthy debate over how the city wants to see the Beachway Park develop, city staff provided some pictures and layout on how the place would look when it is more like a park than it is now – there wasn’t a hint of a place for the Freeman Station. Unfortunate. That will get changed.
 September 13, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Put on a sweater, pick up the portable lawn chair and head out for Nelson Park and on the way remind the woman with you that these are going to be Magic Moments as you listen to the sounds of the bands you danced to when you were able to dance all night long.
 Now this is some mighty fine steppin – wouldn’t you say? This Magic Moment is an event that is part of the Halton Heros initiative which has set out to raise funds that can be used to support police officers who have been injured or fallen in the line of duty.
The idea came out of the minds of Walter Brown and Scott Robinson who took it along to Keith Strong who had put together the Halton Heros initiative. But that’s all about local politics and supporting the people who protect us – the evening is about music and a good time.
This is an occasion when the parents take over the high school grounds and dance the night away. Because this is Burlington the event will end at 10:00 pm.
 Those suits – we didn’t wear suits like that – did we? The audience will hear Pauley and the Goodfellas doing music from the 50’s and 60’s.
Robbie Lane and the Disciples will take to the stage; Robbie will do a piece or two with budding Burlington singer Charissa Pavlou.
 The Drifters – they were our kind of music back then – and they’re still going strong. The main event will be The Drifters who will do their signature song – This Magic Moment, as well as other hits from that period those of us collecting pension cheques grew up in.
Starts at 2:30 with all kinds of things to do in the afternoon and early evening. There is a food booth and a refreshment stand. And a place where you can dance the night away.
 Perhaps hula hoops are for the younger set. Connie Smith, far right, does her best to keep the hoops closer to her hips – she did get therm there – eventually. Connie Smith, who has by now learned how to wiggle a hula hoop around her hips, will share Master of Ceremonies with Robbie Lane as the evening works its way through the play list.
It should be a great evening. And it is being done without a dime of public money.
Tickets have been available on-line – and will be available at the gate – $35.
 September 13, 2013
By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. Over a decade ago, Newfoundland and Quebec, the most Catholic provinces in Canada, moved to a single public education system and eliminated separate school funding, leaving only Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Ontario in the dark ages.
The UN human rights commission has weighed-in, as well, determining that Ontario is discriminating against other religions and demanding either an end to separate school funding or that the province publicly fund all other religious schools. We may recall from the election of 2007 how Ontario voters overwhelmingly rejected the full-funding option advanced by Tory leader John Tory.
It’s true that there are constitutional guaranties for separate schools in Canada, a legacy of provincial deal-making in the days leading to the formation of the nation. But the provinces have absolute authority over education and Ontario could reduce its sprawling systems of education, 73 in total, with the stroke of pen, as Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland have done. There are 29 English Catholic, 8 French Catholic, one Protestant, (Penetanguishene) 31 English public and 4 French public school boards that operate in Ontario, more than twice as many as would be needed for a secular-only public school system.
The Manitoba Act creating that province in 1870, included a provision for a separate school system. Manitoba’s history is intensely complicated but this issue, became one of the biggest in the province’s history and one which nearly tore the new nation apart. However, Manitoba persisted in its efforts to eliminate funding for separate schools and two years after Manitoba the North-West Territories essentially followed suit. More people in Quebec (over 80%) identify as Catholic than in any other province, yet the province also decided to abandon public funding for the Catholic education system and received constitutional authority to proceed in in the late 1990’s.
 Solid Catholic classrooms were once a part of Newfoundland educational system. That province is now totally integrated. I have been visiting the Rock this week. It’s earliest residents included the Beothuk aboriginal people (now extinct), and the Vikings. Newfoundland was accidentally discovered by a Portuguese fisherman, landing some twenty years ahead of Columbus. The Rock was later re-discovered and its modern history started with John Cabot and English and French settlers before being invaded by Irish immigrants seeking relief from their potato famine and English oppression. By 1840 Irish Catholics made up half the population of the Island, but it was closer to the turn of that century that formal education was initiated with the Anglicans, Methodists and Catholics each running their own religious schools.
As Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, the protestant schools evolved into a secular public school system but under terms of joining the confederation, Catholic schools had also been given funding. It took a half-century and two referenda for Liberal Premier Brian Tobin to eliminate funding for all but the secular public system. So only the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario still fund Catholic schools.
 Dalton McGuinty’s government transformed Ontario’s education system from one of the worst to the very best in Canada over his time in office, but was somehow uninterested in further cutting costs by reducing duplication among school boards. Even as he charged the Drummond Commission to explore ways of reducing duplication and eliminating the deficit, he and they left the secular public schooling option on the table.
After health, education is the largest expenditure for the provincial government, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Drummond’s report can be found mostly on a shelf gathering dust. Now Dalton has left the room leaving a new Ontario premier to chart a new course, including doing something serious about the province’s expenditures and deficit. And what could be easier than eliminating this remaining anachronistic vestige of post colonial rule, amalgamating the various school boards and shutting down those redundant to the educational needs of the province?
When I lived in rural Ottawa, years ago, I used to watch four half-empty buses from four different school boards parade one after each other, and wonder. I haven’t seen the math on this, don’t have the numbers, but moving to a single school system should be a win-win for the people of Ontario just as it has been for Newfoundland, and Quebec. And speaking of Quebec, the irony of it all is that funding for separate schools was only ever put in the constitution because of the insistence of Quebec. And that province has now eliminated it’s own separate school system.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012. Rivers is active in his community. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 September 11, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The cultural scene in Burlington gets busy right after Labour Day – everyone wants you to come to their event.
There is a poetry slam that would love you to show up and there is a dance production that is on for two nights at the Toddering Biped Theatre in Burlington.
We will do our best to publish a small piece on as many as we can. What we have found, ever since the creation of the Arts and Cultural Collective of Burlington, is that there are dozens of artists doing very interesting work. Is it all great? That’s something you will have to decide. Is it worth going to? A sense of adventure is helpful when you embark on something you’ve not done before. Take a chance, call up one of your friends and move out of your comfort zone and see what happens.
Each November the Art in Action group holds a Studio Tour and gather’s between three to five artists in one home with eight to ten homes in the tour. That event is a chance to make a day of it and get a cultural dunking. The Studio Tour is something you have to do at least once.
 It runs for just four hours – tickets available on-line. An event taking place September 19th intrigued us. Dream State is being hosted by No Vacancy; the arts initiative Selina Jane Eckersall created to bring more focus to art and culture in Burlington. Dream State is a multi-artist installation being held at The Waterfront Hotel and featuring the work of ten artists from a variety of disciplines.
The theme of the event is “dreams and dreaming”. All ten artists are somewhat local, all hail from Oakville, Hamilton and Burlington with two taking the GO train from Toronto.
The ten artists are free to interpret the theme in whatever way they wish and each have their own room to create a unique installation.
Selina Jane Eckersall sits on the Board of Directors for The Halton Women’s Centre and wanted to help them raise awareness and do some fundraising – so proceeds from the Dream State silent auction will be divided between the artists who place their work for auction and the Women’s Centre. Additionally, any ticket sale proceeds (after all of the hard venue and catering costs are paid) will be divided equally between the artists and The Women’s Centre.
 Jim Riley does some of the most amazing video work. “Why am I doing this?” asks Eckersall: “Because our city needs more of a thriving art scene with more players. The more the merrier – the grander our culture. Our neighbours (both to the East and West) have much more in the way of funding, events, opportunities, and culture when it comes to art. I really want to see that happen here in Burlington, and I believe it can. I am a fan of all things Burlington and all things community too, so I am always looking for ways to both be of service and to promote the wonderful people, businesses, causes, and places that we have here in our city.”
The event is on September 19th, 2013. It runs from 6pm to 10 pm. The rooms are on the lower level of the Waterfront Hotel.
This kind of event would have been great in the now demolished Riviera Motel. Eckersall wanted to hold the event at the Ascot Motel but there was a complication with a long-term tenant. Going from motel room to motel room would have been a hoot. But the Waterfront Hotel it is – where each artist will have a room to interpret their dream.
There are some exceptionally good artists taking part in this event. You will remember many of these artists and tell your friends about what you saw for some time.
Here’s the run down.
 Xiaojing Yan Xiaojing Yan creates mixed media installations, which express personal ideas of identity, history and communication from the perspective of an immigrant working between cultures. Yan employs traditional Chinese materials and techniques and reinvents them within a Western aesthetic and presentation. In several of her series, Yan uses the reeds and fibre papers of Chinese lantern making to mold the fragile cocoons of an immigrant life – where staying safe and protected within an unfamiliar, often intimidating cultural environment is essential to emerging and adapting with a reincarnated identity.
 Yan mixes western aestheticism and Chinese materials – these are not just Chinese lanterns. Xiaojing Yan is an artist who has migrated from China to North America, both her identity and work pass through the complex filters of different countries, languages, and cultural expectations. Making art is a transmigration of Xiaojing’s ideas, and physical presence. Xiaojing has education from both the eastern and western worlds, with a B.F.A in decorative art, Nanjing Art Institute, Jiangsu, China, as well as a M.F.A in sculpture from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
 Faisal Anwar Faisal Anwar is a digital media artist/ interactive producer / UI/UX expert (Toronto/ Pakistan). He is founder of an interactive art studio, DigitalDip and Co-founder Me A Monster Inc. His project series, Oddspaces, brings together art, culture and technology in an odd configuration to explore our perceptions towards architectural space, private or public spaces and social interactivity in modern urban cultures. He has shown at the Winter Olympics 2010, and performed nationally and internationally.
 The “art” of war. A closer inspection of Anwar’s work and the word horror follows. His project Odd spaces was part of Vancouver Olympics 2010 Code live exhibition. In October 2011 Oddspaces was also shown at Nuit-Blache Toronto and created a real-time installation between Karachi, New York and Toronto. Odd spaces was presented at the exhibition ‘Six Degrees of Separation: Chaos, Congruence & Collaboration’ 2008, curated by KHOJ, International Artists’ Association in Delhi, India and was presented in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in September 2008.
 Daniel Anaka Daniel Anaka was born in 1978 in Brampton Ontario and currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. Daniel Anaka’s career as an artist has been as controversial as it has been brilliant. He works in the age of nonrepresentational art, much of his work having the look and feel of a Rembrandt, style of a Klimpt, narrative of a Rockwell, and sensuality of fashion photography. Other than attending artist material workshops, he is largely self-taught by studying the works of the masters, examining contemporary works, and working alongside other artists. Daniel now consults artists in materials and process, conservation, and frequently instructs artist workshops in representational and abstract acrylic and oil painting.
 Anaka classic work and classic form – to be appreciated. Anaka is principally known for his monumental, sensual, and emotionally raw depictions of women in his figurative and portrait work.
 Jim Riley Jim Riley is a Burlington, ON, based artist and independent curator. His art practice is a blend of documentary evidence, personal ideology, social commentary and artistic explorations. Riley’s present aesthetic investigations explore time and perceptual memory.
 Riley captures a thought and then holds you to that thought – riveting. His recent art practice has involved public and gallery video installations. He has a BA from Brock University. Currently, he is on the Media Arts Team of the Burlington Art Centre and is the Chair of Exhibitions and Programming Committee at Centre3 for Print and Media Arts (Hamilton). He has exhibited his art for more than twenty-five years in Canada and the US.
 Grace Loney Grace Loney is an active visual artist living in Southern Ontario. Grace’s work is enjoyed in private collections throughout North America, Britain and Japan. Her paintings are intuitive and alive with colour and rhythm. She uses acrylic, oil pastel, water-colour, and painterly mixed media to create depth in abstract expression.
 A maze? Art to be experienced? Loney seem to push the limits. “As an artist, I have journeyed down many paths to explore different ways of creating and making. My goal is to contribute to human experience by making art for art’s sake and currently I paint compositions. I also love to play with clay. Along the way, I’ve learned to work with new and found wood, fibre glass, cement, soil, and garden growth. I’ve had to learn to represent myself digitally and make acquaintance with cyberspace.”
 Sanjay B Patel Sanjay B Patel is a Canadian of Indian descent, residing in between Hamilton and Toronto. This talented artist is carving a path with his one-of-a-kind commissioned work; a unique experience that offers the client a custom abstract representation of their energy, tastes and personality, while taking into consideration the current colour, lighting, and space in the room.
 Patel bursts with colour – what will he do with a single room. Sanjay Patel is a refreshing artist who perfectly balances himself between classic, fine art fundamentals and modern couture design.
 Reg Moore Reg Moore is a projection and light artist holding unique events under the name Realtime Activities. Realtime turns the clock back and forth with shout-outs to eclectic moments and personalities in motion picture, photography, animation, music and popular culture.
 When Reg Moore adds sound to these visuals – “cool” and “awesome” are the only reasonable responses. Using an existing site and manipulating it, Realtime creates installations that are a visual feast for the average individual and a delight to the more seasoned viewer who recognizes Realtime’s incorporation of such ground-breaking works as “Moth Light”, “Rhythmus 21”, “Dog Star Man”, and “Matrix III”, to name a few. A Realtime installation is both a fabulous live event and a compelling expression of art.
 Kyle Tonkens Kyle Tonkens is a Canadian artist who lives and works in Oakville, Ontario. In addition to completing a Bachelor degree in Sociology at the University of Western Ontario, Kyle has studied Visual Arts and Art History at both the Ontario College of Art and Design and the University of Toronto [Mississauga].
 Tonkens uses colour to create abstract masterpieces. Kyle’s current project 100 Billion Sons&Daughters is an ongoing series of paintings created to celebrate each and every person who has ever lived, and their inherent beauty. Kyle uses colour choices provided by the ‘subject’ of each painting to create abstract masterpieces named in their honour.
 Keith Busher Keith Busher of Precious Mutations is an emerging artist from the Hamilton area who became famous in 2012 for his zombified nutcrackers and mutated thrift store finds. What began as a lesson to his two daughters about what could be accomplished when you are not sitting in front of the TV has turned into the work that he has become best known for.
 Busher’s zombified nutcrackers and mutated thrift store finds. Keith began purchasing thrift store/garage sale ceramic figurines and ‘mutating’ them into humorous, sinister and sometimes downright macabre creatures. His zombified nutcrackers were shipped all over the world to countries like Japan, Australia and the Netherlands. Keith’s work was recently featured at an installation at MANTA Contemporary during the Hamilton Art Crawl. The exhibit was entitled Re-Visions and featured his work alongside the work of award-winning artist David Irvine.
 Lana Kamarić Lana Kamarić is a contemporary surrealist artist. Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, she began painting at a very young age. In 1994 Lana moved to Canada with her family, and made a home in Burlington, ON. She graduated York University with a degree in Art History in 2011, and currently works at the Burlington Art Centre.
 Kamarić’s windows into another world, an escape from the anxieties of reality. Drawing inspiration from various mythologies, folklore and fairy tales, her work often incorporates classical narratives to represent themes of time and identity. The goal of her paintings is to create windows into another world, an escape from the anxieties of reality.
The art we have shown here is not what you will see at the Dream State event. It is, we hope, representative of what these artists have done. We certainly had our favourites.
This will probably rank as the best the city is going to see this year – make the time to see it.
Cost of a ticket is $20 plus a small fee. Go on-line.
 September 11, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. On Saturday, September 14, Halton Region will host the annual Fall Compost Give Away from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton. During the one-day event, Halton Region encourages residents to pick up compost free of charge.
“Through participation in waste diversion programs like the yard waste collection program, Halton households continue to divert 60% of waste away from the landfill, up from 40% in 2007,” said Gary Carr, Regional Chair. “These efforts help to conserve our landfill, a savings of $15 million to taxpayers.”
 Composting – best way to get a garden to really produce – and this time it is free. Through the participation of Halton residents, approximately 31,000 tonnes of yard waste (e.g. leaves, garden trimmings and brush) was collected in 2012 and turned into rich, garden-friendly compost at HWMS. The resulting compost is now ready for residents to use in their own gardens and landscaping projects.
Bring their own bags or useable containers (e.g. garbage bags, yard waste bags, trailer) and shovel. A maximum of seven bags (or equivalent) of compost may be collected during the event.
You are responsible for shoveling and bagging their compost.
You are encouraged to bring a cash donation or non-perishable food items.
In 2012, 4,600 residents came to compost give away events at HWMS and picked up approximately 2,000 tonnes of compost. Residents also donated 6,000 kilograms of food and $10,650 for local food banks.
 September 6, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. If the weather we are having today holds for the weekend there won’t be too many people in the waters of Lake Ontario at the foot of the city – and that’s probably a good thing because the Regional Health people tell us the water is not all that safe to swim in.
 Swimming in this city isn’t the smartest idea this weekend.
 September 6, 2013
By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. Pierre Trudeau was the father of multiculturalism, and in 1971 Canada became the first nation in the world to adopt that policy. Coming off the October 1970 FLQ crisis, Trudeau needed something to bridge the two solitudes, which Canada had become, and which made fertile ground for the separatists to argue for independence. Inclusion of Canadians regardless of their origins, respect for their cultural heritage and the richness that comes with diverse cultural backgrounds helped change the focus of minority rights in Canada and Quebec.
Multiculturalism is fundamentally a liberal philosophy – the right of individuals to freely express themselves and pursue their conceptions of the good life. The Liberal Party subscribes to it, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that Justin Trudeau immediately rejected Marois’ proposed charter. But conservatives also subscribe to this philosophy, particularly the more libertarian wing, though they are conflicted by their desire for control. For that and other reasons the PM is mostly staying out of the discussion at this time – but he’ll have to find his tongue if, and when, the Charter sees the light of day.
 The night Rene Levesque lost the first referendum in Quebec. The province would try a second time to leave the country in 1995. The NDP are socialists and have little time for religion or religious symbols, although Mulcair appears to be siding with Trudeau – but then he used to be a Liberal. The Parti Québécois (PQ) is also a socialist party and favours secularism. They still remember the Duplessis years and how the Church helped to oppress Quebecers – je me souviens. And, of course, the PQ prefer any policy which would enable them to reach their end-goal of independence.
Quebec has always been opposed to multiculturalism. Half a century after it became national policy, Quebec’s minority government is proposing a ‘Charter of Quebec Values’, a racist, at least in the broadest sense of the word, attempt at shutting multiculturalism down. Much like the French Language Charter, Bill 101, introduced in 1977 by René Lévesque, the proposed charter Pauline Marois is proposing discriminates against those who are different – those who threaten the notion of a distinct society in the nation of Quebec.
It is just another brick in the wall for the separatists – a wall to further divide Quebec from the rest of Canada. Former premier Jacques Parizeau blamed the ethnic minority in Quebec for the narrow defeat of his 1995 referendum on sovereignty. Premier Marois claims her goal is to unite Quebecers, a euphemism for stripping them of their individuality and re-engineering Quebec to deal with Parizeau’s complaint.
Pierre Trudeau discovered multiculturalism in the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963). And Ms. Marois has a commission of her own, The Bouchard-Taylor Report on Cultural and Religious Accommodation. If we thought multiculturalism was a complex topic, Taylor and Bouchard promote an even more complicated hybrid called ‘interculturalism‘.
A nation with diverse cultures is not one that rallies predictably for a common cause, such as Quebec sovereignty. So Premier Marois wants to instill Quebecers with a set of common values before the next referendum. If she needed a model, she might have looked to the Japan of the shogun era. For over 200 years the Japanese people were isolated from foreign influences; foreigners were expelled and their religions banned; trade and contact with the outside world was restricted; and a common language and social mores were forced on the people. The results of that unification process were impressive as we saw in the Second World War.
Europe, like Canada, once embraced multiculturalism, so much that chicken tikka masala has replaced fish and chips Chips as England’s most popular dish. However, Europeans, like some folks in Quebec, are concerned about the impending clash they envision with their traditional cultures. France is in the forefront of the fight against religious symbols, though the French government is perhaps more worried about ethnic ghettos, where streets and even suburbs have become enclaves and no-go zones.
Of course that isn’t the case for Quebec which has less ethnic diversity than B.C. or even Ontario. Toronto is now the most ethnically diverse city in the world. Quebecers are a minority within Canada and the downward spiral of discrimination is a human characteristic. So Quebec treats minority groups in the province less kindly than they themselves expect to be treated in Canada. The many freedoms Quebecers enjoy, being a part of Canada, they withhold from the cultural minorities they govern.
 The referendum in 1995 was a battle to keep Quebec in Canada but also to keep Canada a multicultural country. Finally and most importantly, Bill 101 and the emerging Charter of Values are just foundation blocks for the next sovereignty vote. Only a third of Quebecers have ever wanted to create a separate nation out of the province. But they recently elected a minority separatist government with that unwavering agenda as an end goal. Marois may appear to be pandering to a handful of intolerant voters with her charter, preying on their worst emotions. But she is just setting the stage for the bigger battle to come. She needs to deal with Parizeau’s complaint – even if that makes her look like a racist.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012. Rivers is active in his community. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 September 5, 2013
By Gordana Liddell
BURLINGTON, ON. Where should I go? Good Question. Actually, while this is one of the most common travel inquiries I get, it’s a terrible question. It’s far too general and can’t possibly be answered until you answer some questions yourself:
Let’s use the W5 approach, shall we?
 The world is your stage – what part of that stage do you want to walk on? WHO are you? Are you the type of traveller that wants to go to a popular destination; one that is deemed to be the most current and hip – where you are most likely to spot celebrities who go to the most fashionable spots in order to be spotted? Or do you want to travel to a place a little more out of the ordinary? Do you enjoy telling people where you have been in order to get the reaction…”where”? Would you prefer to see a destination in its genuine form or would you prefer to hit the parties and the crowds? You get my drift, I’m sure.
Your budget is also a tremendous factor in determining exactly where you will be able to go. Are you a prince? Or are you a pauper? The amount you wish to spend will not only help to determine your destination, it can also limit how you get there as well as the time of year you can afford to go. But there is usually a solution for everyone, as long as the limits are reasonable and the minds are open. Everyone should be able to get a way – your budget will help to define your parameters.
WHAT do you want to do when you get there? Lie down and not get up for a week, apart from getting yourself a fresh drink? Do you prefer to be active and, oh I don’t know…climb a mountain, or go horseback riding, or climb a mountain on horseback? Are you interested in history and architecture? Or is an endless coastline just about all you need to study?
WHERE do you see this all taking place? Before you choose the country you need to choose the setting. Beach? City? Ranch? Countryside? A combination of the above? There are many destinations that are blessed with more than one attribute. Would you like to focus on your favourite or do you like a little variety?
 Nature travel is always interesting and can be quite adventuresome as well. Is it expensive? WHEN do you plan to go? If you have decided that you wish to go on a beach vacation in the South of India and you have time off work in the beginning of July…I would advise you that it is monsoon season and it may dampen your experience. Time of year is very often a factor with regards to destination. It is also a huge factor in the price of tickets; these go hand in hand. Understandably so, higher fares are often directly related to the more “desirable” time of year.
WHY are you traveling? Because it’s awesome! Still, there are many reasons that people plan to take that plane/train/bus/boat/car out-of-town. Business, family vacation, girls’ getaway, some much-needed r&r, a-soul-searching-just-like-in-the-movies-journey, etc. ( I would never advise that last one to pack her bags and head to Vegas. ) Determine your motives and you are another step closer to nailing down that perfect location.
If you can answer at least some of the above questions I’m sure I can help you figure out some good options as to where you should go on your next trip.
 Venice has always been a favourite – do you go direct or as part of a tour? There are truly endless possibilities for travel in the world; there is always someplace we have not been and a unique way for us to experience it. Ask a million people who have gone to New York City and you will get a million different variations of how they experienced it. This is part of what makes traveling so wonderful and why we can never be “finished”.
There are countless questions related to travel; questions about the planning, booking, the journey and the destination. Have you got one? I would love to help make your next trip a little simpler, a little more enjoyable and perhaps even a little less stressful. Please send your questions to JustAsk@bgzt.ca and I will be happy to help.
Gordana Liddell is our resident travel writer and Art Centre guru. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, a travel industry veteran of nearly two decades, freelance writer, and most recently book editor. She is fortunate enough to live right here in Burlington with her family.
 September 4, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The whole idea of a farm – that place where the food is grown and the livestock cared for is something many of today’s young people just don’t get.
For today’s kids – food comes from the supermarket or more basically – it’s in the fridge isn’t it?
There was a time when Burlington was the fruit basket for the city. All of what we know today as Maple Avenue was fruit farms; there is a reason for calling part of Burlington The Orchard and Pepper Drive wasn’t after me – it was a place where peppers, red, green and yellow were grown.
Burlington Mall was farm land where fruit was grown.
All those farms were in time bought up by developers and either commercial operations or housing was constructed. The “old money” in Burlington is in the pockets of those farmers who suddenly found themselves wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings when the developers came calling.
 This is what Burlington was once all about. All the farmers put their produce on wagons and, before they all had tractors, the fruit and some vegetables were taken by horse-drawn equipment to what we today call Freeman Station but what was then the Burlington Junction station located right beside the large Freeman property.
How do you teach people what farming was all about? It was hard work and the crop you took in depended totally on the weather, which didn’t always cooperate.
The Region has saved a couple of locations that were once very prosperous farms. The Regional Museum is built into what was once a barn.
The Alexander Family Farm takes place each year just after school goes back. Takes place Sunday, September 8, 2013 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Halton Region Museum.
 There was a time when much of Burlington was orchards or fields of vegetables. The orchard is on the north side of Dundas, west of Guelph Line. Admission: Children – Free; Adults (18 & older) $5.00
What will they do when they get there? Create – Play – Explore – Dance
There will be a “Nose-to-Beak” Birds of Prey show. Kids will get a chance to help create the Museum’s piece of the Quilt Trail. There will be a Geocache Challenge, a Discovery Hunt, a Farm Game challenges.
 What was once a family farm is now the location of the Regional Museum and where Halton’s annual farm day takes place. A chance to do some “Pioneer Chores” – no live stock at the museum so there won’t be any mucking out of stalls and there are no chickens so hen houses don’t have to be cleaned out.
A chance to do some farm crafts and a visit to the Blacksmith Shop – and if they don’t know what that is – explain that it has nothing to do with face painting.
And finally there will be a Pond Study
Food and beverages are being provided by the Rotary Club of Milton. Food & beverage subject to additional charges/fees.
There will be dancing and singing along to tunes of: Groovin’ Toons, original & familiar kid’s tunes with a groove and Turkey Rhubarb.
If you’re one of those that gets to events like this early in the day you will see the start of the a mass-participation cycling event that is expected to bring 3,000 recreational cyclists to Halton Region for its inaugural event.
 September 4, 2012
By James Burchill.
BURLINGTON, ON. Ever wonder what the most controversial topics on Wikipedia are? The crowd-sourced and edited online encyclopedia is home to a lot of contention. Entries on the site can change in seconds, especially in the more controversial subjects, while others may be horribly written and stay that way for months because it’s not a topic of interest to most editors on the site.
So what are the subjects most likely to be controversial and see the most changes by the most editors? What are the topics that suffer the most revision as points of view clash?
 Controversial? Worth getting more information on? Well, I wasn’t the only one to wonder that. Some students and faculty at the University of Oxford (yes, that Oxford) wondered too. Lead by Taha Yasseri, the team decided to analyze Wikipedia to find out which topics were most controversial based on the intensity of their “editing wars.”
Not as easy as it sounds, though. Wikipedia is home to about 22 million articles in 285 languages with about 77,000 contributors working on it on any given day. Not happy with just the four million English version articles, though, Yasseri and his team decided to break down the controversies by language as well, looking at all 22 million articles to do it.
First, they had to define “controversial” as it applies to Wikipedia. Going by edits alone wouldn’t indicate contention as it could also mean that it’s a “live” subject that is rapidly changing or evolving, such as a current news event (e.g. a current television series or a current legal trial). So they focused on “reverts” instead, which are edits which are made by one person and then undone or removed by another. These are relatively common, though, but “mutual reverts” where an editor restores an earlier edition and then another editor (often the one who made the new changes that got reverted) changes it back to the new version again. These “edit wars” can go on for days in a back-and-forth struggle as editors duke it out over how things on the site are worded.
That definition works well for what the Oxford team wanted to measure. Using that, they were able to analyze Wikipedia and, after separating articles by language, create a “Top 10” list for them. The ten most controversial topics in English are:
1. George W. Bush
2. Anarchism
3. Muhammad
4. List of World Wrestling Entertainment
5. Global Warming
6. Circumcision
7. United States
8. Jesus
9. Race and intelligence
10. Christianity
 At least people are asking questions: still far too many people saying it’s bunk. Some of those are not surprising, of course, but others come out of nowhere. The top entry is a real surprise, since Bush has been out of office for over five years and is now relatively ignored by the news media. The second is a contentious but not often considered political philosophy that most of us might not even know exists. The third makes sense, as does the fifth, but who would have known that the WWE was so controversial?
 Go figure on this one: wrestlers? Indeed, this is a very interesting list. The team says that in every language, topics of religion are nearly always represented in the top five, as are topics like Israel, Adolf Hitler, and God. For the most part, though, these commonalities are overshadowed by the vast differences in what’s controversial in one language versus another. This often involves controversial war topics or native cultural topics, but can also be celebrity topics specific to the region the language is most commonly associated with.
You can read Yasseri et al’s work on Wikipedia measurements here.
 James Burchill creates communities and helps businesses convert conversations into cash. He’s also an author, speaker, trainer and creator of the Social Fusion Network™ an evolutionary free b2b networking group with chapters across southern Ontario. He blogs at JamesBurchill.com and can be found at the SocialFusionNetwork.com or behind the wheel of his recently acquired SMART car.
 September 4, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. They’re back in school, and the whole tempo of the city changes. All those people with community wide programs are holding their committee meetings and timetables with task assignments are being handed out.
One of the signature events for Burlington is the Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research. The number of people who run is well over 1000 – 1200 last year. They raised over $80,000 Each year the number grows and each year more people find personal meaning in the run – many choose to walk and use the occasion to think about and appreciate someone they lost to cancer.
The event takes place this year on Sunday, September 15th.
Burlington has been doing this for 33 years and in that time has collected more than $1.5 million for cancer research.
 Part of the crew that did the door to door distribution of flyers to promote the Terry Fox Run.
Kevin Slovacek, Katherine, Kevin and Jack
The Gazette did some joint promotional work with the Terry Fox Run people and distributed more than 5000 flyers door to door in the city announcing the run and introducing people to the Gazette.
We certainly saw a significant bump in readership and assume there will be a corresponding bump in the number of people who take part in the Run.
 Daughter Kate, who now wants to be called XXX, on the lft with wife Bryana centre and Casey on the right figuring out which streets in Alton were covered. That distribution effort got done by Casey Cosgrove and his family. They were out on the streets, of Alton Village for the most part, because this is a new community with people from Mississauga and Milton moving in.
The people organizing the run wanted to include this community and tell them about this signature event that comes close to defining Burlington.– we will see how many of them decide to take part.
Cancer is a large part of the Cosgrove household. Casey has been battling this disease for a number of years and has taken part in a number of trial medication programs. He went as far as he could at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and is now on a program at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.
Casey doesn’t know what the outcome is going to be. He lives each day being who he is: expecting the best and prepared for the worst.
Last year there was a Cosgrove contingent in the Terry Fox Run and this year Casey took on the task of getting more people out.
A former candidate for public office (Ward 5), Cosgrove will tell you that had he won in 2006 Rick Goldring wouldn’t be Mayor today. The Mayor doesn’t see it quite that way.
Casey Cosgrove is showing this city what it means to give back – when you barely have enough to get by on yourself. His being out on the street in blazing sunshine, walking briskly from door to door while his wife and their daughter Kate, who has advised the world that she now wants to be known as Katherine, were doing the same thing a couple of streets, over is what Casey believes he has to do.
He believes fervently that there s a cure for cancer but knows all too well that it costs a fortune to pay the scientists and the researchers to find that cure.
We have made huge progress but the battle is not over.
Be part of that battle – show up on the 15th – at the Pavilion on the Beachway. Starts at: 11:00.
 September 2, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Local boards and committees, the place where many political careers have started, is a vital part of the way Burlington works.
The city looks for volunteers to sit on a number of Boards and committees that range from the Accessibility Advisory Committee to the Burlington Museums Board.
Mayor Goldring maintains “The volunteers who serve on a board or committee help to create a vibrant community,” and some of those boards are certainly “vibrant”; noisy and disorganized might be a better way of describing the way some have operated.
Others have had a profound and lasting impact on how the city has developed. The Heritage Advisory Committee did such a good job of resolving the mess the city had on its hands with the historical designation of properties that they got close to a standing ovation from Council when they turned in a report and have gone on to basically create and them implement the policies that determine how recognizing and preserving historical properties is going to be done in Burlington.
Heritage was given a substantial budget to carry out their work and operate, to a considerable degree, as an extension of city hall.
The Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee did not fare as well and was sunset by the city before they managed to get very much done.
The city wants to fill positions on the following:
 Museum Board has plans for a major upgrade to the Brant Museum – is this a place for you and your skill set? Burlington Museums Board
These people oversee the operation of the Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House. With the Brant Museum moving towards a point where they fund raise to make very significant changes this will be a busy board.
Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee
Accessibility has always been strong in Burlington.
Burlington Cycling Committee
This committee needs some fresh blood; they did their best but were not able to get the city to go along with bike lanes on lakeshore road. They did their best – but it wasn’t enough. Some pretty disappointed people who need new energy and new ideas.
Burlington Mundialization Committee
This Committee manages our relationship with sister cities in Japan and Holland. Might be time for some people who do not come from those countries to be on this committee.
 Is transit important? Do we spend enough on transit? Do people really want to pay for a transit service that is not all that well used? Have you experience with transit and could you contribute to the Transit Advisory Committee. Burlington Transit Advisory Committee
There is a new regime at transit now and their advisory committee is a lot more civil. Lots of work to be done here to make transit useful to more people.
Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee.
Probably the best Advisory Committee the city has.
Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee
With a growing seniors population this committee can play a very significant role in how best to be aware of the concerns, understand them and provide Council with some direction.
Sustainable Development Committee
New leadership on this committee will see some changes. Former chair served a full term and has left a strong team in place. Good place to be if the environment and matters of sustainability matter to you.
 Every year the Civic Recognition Committee goes through nominations for the Best Burlington has in the way of volunteer service. Is this something you could be part of? Burlington’s Best (Civic Recognition Committee)
This is the committee that handles recommendations for citizens that have excelled in their community contribution and deserve special recognition. The recognition evening could do with some improvement and getting the word out on what the city means by Burlington’s Best should bring in more nominations. These aren’t popularity contests –the city wants to recognize the truly deserving
2014 Doors Open Burlington Organizing Committee.
This committee needs new energy and a stronger sense of direction. If you’ve a passion fo helping the city tells its story – and it has a great story to tell – this might be a good place to dig in.
Terms vary from one to four years, with meetings held monthly. The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 13, 2013. Applications are also available in person from the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant St, first floor.
“Volunteering on a board or committee is a great way to share your talents and develop your skills,” said Danielle Pitoscia, the city’s acting manager of committee services. “It’s a great way to really dig deeply into your area of interest.” Comments like that from one of the best committee clerks this city has, gives you some sense of the energy the city wants to put behind its boards and committee. There is staff who are there to help; each committee has a Clerk assigned to it. The good ones are very good. Count Pitoscia among the good ones.
The comments we’ve made are the result of our experience with several of the committee and our observations of the others.
In the past the city has recognized a number of people who have made major contributions. John Boich, Jane Irwin, Amy Schnurr, Trevor Copp are just a few of the recipients that come to mind.
Go one line and download the application forms. Might be something that interests you and that you can make a difference on.
For more information on a specific committee, or to apply online.
 September 1, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Premiers don’t just pop into town any time. Visits are calculated and timed and carefully planned. Sometimes media are alerted, sometimes not.
 Part of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s on -the-job training as she learns to flip a rack of ribs at Ribfest. For this half day trip through part of south-west Ontario the Premier chose to start in Burlington at the Ribfest, do two events in Hamilton and on to Paris, Ontario to end her day.
These are casual summer walk abouts; no speeches – just shaking hands and posing for pictures. Premier Kathleen Wynne spent fifteen minutes in the Rotary VIP tent and then strolled the grounds – flipped a couple of racks of ribs, said a few words to the CHCH news camera and assured the Gazette that she liked ribs but was not a frequent eater, and that yes she had worn an apron recently, in fact she baked a pie at home just a week or so ago and that the smoke from the ribs grill was something she was used to – having recently advised the public that she had in fact had an experience with smoke in her distant past.
 Mayor Rick Goldring explains to these lads who the lady with the apron on is. The Ribfest was doing just fine the day we were wandering around. Decent crowds, good music and line ups at the more popular rib stations.
Interesting why the public lines up before one seller but not another. All the ribs from Fearman’s –the difference between sellers is in the sauce that each uses. Rising high above each stand are signs that tell of the awards the seller earned with their “bling” set out on a stand for all to see.
 The length of the line-up told which ribs were most popular. Which ribs you buy is based on the price: – a rack is $22 at every station.
 Chow down time – this was finger ‘lickin’ food. Getting into Spencer Smith Park for Ribfest is a lot different from getting there for the Sound of Music. There is fencing around every foot of the park except for entry points at each end. People are literally funneled into the park and have to sort of run a gauntlet of commercial enterprises that want you to take the Pepsi test, or look at the Sun Life insurance product or check out something to do with getting better use out of your car tires.
 These are the kind of pictures that you look at to see who you know – and are they making a funny face. There is a videographer in there who knows what a good lunch is all about. Once you get through that “gauntlet” you are into the open area with those huge signs either side of the park. You don’t get to see much of the lake from the park. When you do get out of the park and choose to walk out onto the pier – always nice – there is a cluster of commercial vendors with their food trucks lined up. I got the feeling there was a little more hucksterism than I was comfortable with.
 Ed Eves, President of the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore squires the Premier of the province around Ribfest Saturday afternoon. There didn’t seem to be a quiet place to sit in the shade and chat with a friend. The tables where you sat to eat reminded me of something out of men’s university dining hall where you felt the tables were going to be tipped on their side for a food fight. They were jammed in so tight that it was difficult to get to a seat.
One thing we did notice was how quickly the tables were cleared. There were more than a dozen stations to chuck the paper plates and a finger washing stand close by.
 If you looked around there was still some sitting room. The weather was close to perfect and the music was good – great way to bring a summer to a close. Burlington appears to be the biggest Ribfest in the province and it certainly drew the crowds. Rotary sponsors the event – and at $22 a rack – Rotary must do well financially allowing them to do what they do around the world. Be nice to learn more about what they actually do with that financial haul?
 August 30, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The province’s premier will be taking in Burlington’s Ribfest Saturday. Kathleen Wynne plans to spend an hour in the city, where no doubt she will be reminded that we are the safest city in the province, have the lowest crime rate and the slowest growing population – and anything else anyone said about us that was at all nice. The negative stuff – is there any?
 Mayor Goldring chats with then Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne. He wasn’t buying what she was selling then. Saturday the Mayor will squire the Premier around Ribfest. The visit is just one of those “popping in to say hello” things. Mayor Goldring had plans to be in Spencer Smith Park selling beverage tickets – he might just sell a handful to the Premier and perhaps talk about additional funding coming our way.
These casual get togethers can have interesting outcomes.
Wynne has been to Burlington a number of times in the past. She was in town during the last provincial election when everyone made sure she fully understood our views on any highway the province thought it was going to ram through the Escarpment. Wynne has been Minister of Transportation in the past and said during one of her visits that the problem with the transportation ministry bureaucrats was that they never got over being the Ministry of Highways when roads was what they were all about.
Now that Wynne is Premier she has to think about the bigger picture which certainly includes roads but also includes an economy that isn’t what it once was. She has an aging population that needs a different level of care, probably not what the current model of hospital can provide. She has parents who want the best education for their children that their tax money can buy and a population that is much more diverse than when she got into politics.
 Mayor with the Premier: best buddies? Wynne is certainly a different kind of politician. Her lifestyle choice and her willingness to say that yes, “she did puff”, gets us out a phony stage where everyone knew but no one ever said anything. There was a time in this province when you couldn’t get a picture of a politician with a glass of beer in their hands.
Wynne has taken to touring the province on the weekends and Spencer Smith Park is a decent place as any to get out of the car for a walk – a little side trip out along the pier will put some colour in her cheeks and give those escorting her around an opportunity to explain, perhaps, how city council overcame immense resentment on the part of taxpayers over the cost of the thing but that Council bit the bullet, persevered and now everyone loves the thing.
The Premier is expected to be out there taking orders for ribs between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.
 August 30, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON When the cooler weather sets in you will see Jim McNeil wearing his The Game Goes On jacket, the personal reward he got for heading up the drive to get Burlington Lions Optimists Minor Hockey Association – BLOMHA to vote for their team during the Kraft Foods contest that had $100,000 up for grabs. Burlington was amongst the finishers and saw a cheque for $20,000 come their way.
 The mention of the corporate sponsor doesn’t dominate the banner – why would city hall want to get a fee for letting it hang from the rafters at the Appleby Arena. There is a banner BLOMHA was given as well, which they hoped to see hanging from the rafter at the Appleby Arena but the sharper pencils at city hall want to know if hanging the banner was part of the deal with Kraft – and if it was then the city would like some coin for promoting a product. Who cares – if a local group was able to work their buns off over a weekend and get everyone they knew to click on that vote button – why should city hall care if the banner they were given has the name of a corporate sponsor on it?
City hall did the same thing to the Arts in Action people who hold an annual studio tour; the city wanted each location to take out a permit. The artists managed to talk some sense into the people at the permit counter.
 Kirsten Priestner, the woman who nominated John McNeil as a participant in the Kraft Game Goes On contest makes sure the jack he was given fits properly. The funds BLOMHA earned, and they certainly earned those dollars, will be spent over two seasons to pay for upgraded goalie equipment and to cover some of the costs for families that can’t handle the full BLOMHA fee which range between $375.00 to $575.00 depending on age. The fee for 4 and 5 year olds remains at $375.00 and never increases.
The coaches will begin gathering on the 14th and meet in groups to get the year started. There are 100 different teams broken into 12 divisions with anywhere from 4 to 12 teams in a division.
BLOMHA focuses on sport as a way to build character and values. If a player happens to make it to the NHL – that’s nice but BLOMHA isn’t there to develop talent for big time hockey teams. There are other commercially oriented organizations that do that – BLOMHA uses hockey to develop the men that will lead when they grow up. There are a few girls who play in the league.
Rick Dawson, a former police officer and current Executive Director of the league explains that they are there to “develop life skills and teach kids to become accountable for their behaviour”.
 This is how you put your volunteers to work. There may have been some pizza slices somewhere in the room as well. Getting the volunteer help that s needed is always a struggle. “We think we can attract some high school students who are looking for a place to do their 40 hours of community service” adds Dawson. Give BLOMHA a call if this is a place you think you can serve at
The teams take to the ice September 28th, 29th to start their season.
BLOMHA go all kinds of coverage last year, first because it is a good league and also because of the way they organized to earn that $20,000. The 2013-14 season might see some wins over those London rivals.
 August 30, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The water along the shore might be messed up with blue green algae and gas prices are said to be ready to touch $1.36 a litre but RibFest will start – so it can’t be all bad – can it?
Royal Botanical Gardens is going to hold the Teddy Bear Picnic, Royal Botanical Gardens between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to join the Teddy Bear Picnic. Don’t forget to bring your favourite furry friend.
 Ribfest Burlington – said to be the biggest in the province. Ribfest runs from Friday, August 3oth to Monday Sept. 2. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.
Weather: Saturday is expected to see a bit of rain, maybe a bit on Sunday as well but Monday is predicted to be sunny but a little cooler than the seasonal norm.
The nut cases will be on the highways – watch out for them. Stay off your Smart phone – it is smarter than you are but hasn’t yet figured out how to tell you that you can’t drive and work one of the things.
There are plenty of activities for all ages at city parks and recreation facilities including pools, arenas and community centres. Hours and program times vary over the long weekend. For information, get on over to the city website.
Burlington Transit will be operating a holiday service schedule on Monday, Sept. 2. The administration offices, including the downtown transit terminal will be closed.
Parking: Free parking is available in the downtown core at all meters, municipal lots and the parking garage on Monday, Sept. 2. The waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays.
What’s Closed: Holiday hours will be in effect for some city programs and services over the long weekend. City Hall: Burlington City Hall will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2 and will reopen on Tuesday, Sept.3.
The Burlington Art Centre is closed but the Art Etc Gallery Shop is open seven days a week. If Burlington plans on becoming culturally relevant – the Art Centre will want to think about being open on holidays.
Tourism office is open.
The Performing Arts Centre is, as they say in show business – dark for the weekend.
Provincial Offences Courts will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2.
 Teddy Bear Picnic at the RBG If you want to close out the month with a bang and make a really significant career change – Saturday is the last day to get your application in to become one of the people who will settle on Mars . I’m not kidding – so far 7000 Canadians have decided this earth is too much for them and they want to live in a colony on the red planet. Check it out.
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