BURLINGTON, ON. March 1, 2013 What does the budget Burlington’s city council, sitting in committee, tell us?
Well, it looks as if we are now in show business and that transit is getting a boost. Those are the immediate impacts. Longer term we have at least done something to bring a new focus and hopefully some hustle to the economic development side of the way this city is going to grow.
The show business part of the spend the city did, relates to the amount of money being put into the Performing Arts Centre and the Burlington Art Centre. Neither of these in themselves are going to produce any revenue – both will be a constant draw on the public purse.
What the city has to do is ensure that both are vibrant enough to draw the audiences they need and that the spin-off from each provides the economic activity that will result in a more robust downtown.
While that might seem obvious on the surface – it hasn’t been clear to the Performing Arts management team, who, knowing they were going hat in hand to city council weren’t able to get useful data into their hands until Monday morning of this week. The Performing Arts Board made its pitch on the Tuesday – which gave council members and the public less than 48 hours to pour over the 16 pages of very useful data.
Transit Director Mike Spicer, in the yellow shirt, shows Mayor Goldring what he wants in the way of new buses. The Mayor and council obliged and gave Spicer the go ahead to buy smaller buses.
When Mike Spicer, Director of Transit appeared before a Community Development Committee on Wednesday evening to delegate on the acquisition of new buses he was asked if he could merge two documents and get them to council members for the budget meeting the next morning. Spicer went home and started work, his key staff members went home and started work and advised General Manager Scott Stewart what they were doing and where they were going.
They all gathered early Thursday morning, went over their numbers and passed along the document council needed. Dedicated professionals doing what they do well. They have the confidence of senior management and council – and as a result they got their funding and then some.
It’s hard to fathom why it took so long for the PAC people to get their data into the hands of the people who have to pay the bills that the PAC racks up. Time for an attitude adjustment over there.
The data isn’t bad but some of the rationale in the report they produced sounded like a bunch of people feeling sorry for themselves and sounding like they felt they were being put upon.
The document starts with:
We have been required to deliver higher numbers:
Increase our revenues
Increase attendance
Increase opportunities for local NFP clients (NFP is not for profit)
This industry demands a high commitment and dedication of staff resources to operate a 6-7 days per week operation where days can start at 7:00 am and end after midnight.
Every word of that is true – except that the PAC operation hasn’t been anywhere near 6-7 days a week. In 2012 they were operational 209 days.
The PAC management argued for and were given the funding to hire a sales associate. It was put in place for two years.
While several council members didn’t really buy the argument that an additional technical person was needed they went along with that funding request as well.
In asking for the sales associates funding PAC management explained the sales associate would: Engage the community to generate new business which will increase attendance and revenues.
Develop and nurture relationships with new and existing rental partners
Promote group ticket sales
Implement initiatives by working directly with the community to break down barriers to access and make sure we’ve made them aware of our services and available opportunities.
BPAC Executive director Brenda Heatherington talks up her operation with a supporter.
There isn’t a person in this city who doesn’t know all about the Performing Arts Centre – the problem is with what they know – management over there hasn’t gotten it’s message out. In a fondly remembered movie Paul Newman said to a sheriff who was standing there with a shot-gun in his hands as Newman called out: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” That kind of sums up where things stand with the PAC and the city. They need a more effective spokesperson.
In their report they trotted out a couple of equations. Try these on for size:
I suspect that both Councillors Dennison and Sharman sputtered a bit when they saw those equations.
What PAC management was trying to say was that projected revenue for 2013 is $368,675, with ancillary revenue projected at $320,810
Actual revenue for 2012 was $275,813 and actual ancillary revenue came in at $273,783
Cost of the sales associate was set at $63,600.
PAC management seems to see a 120% return as acceptable. All they are bringing in is 20% more than their cost. There isn’t a sales manager in this city that would accept a sales representative bringing in just 20% more than the cost of hiring the person.
Councillor Taylor got it right when he said the funding approved in the budget was conditional on the review of a new business plan from the PAC – “and I don’t mean a 10 minute delegation” added Taylor. This one is going to be a getting into the mud with management and cleaning this mess up.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 27, 2013. The social side of this city seems to go through cycles – last year it was the Torsney ‘s with Brian Torsney deep into the Hospital Foundation fund-raising events to raise the $60 million they were tasked to come up with while his sister, a former Burlington Member of Parliament, Paddy Torsney headed up the United Way drive.
Angelo Paletta on the left standing proudly with his father Pasquale (Pat) Paletta
This year it looks as if the Paletta`s are going to take up the headlines in the social sector. Pat Paletta got himself nominated as the Entrepreneur of the year – that event will take place on June 6, 2013, and now son Angelo has been appointed as the honorary chair of the Masquerade Ball – the lead fund-raising event for the (BCF) Burlington Community Foundation. The Ball will take place October 26th at the Burlington Convention Centre. Tickets began to get scarce last year – so slip over to their website and book your appointment with the hair dresser.
Angelo, according to the Foundation, has played a number of key philanthropic and community support roles in Burlington. Besides being the honourary chair the family corporation has joined BCF as its first Proud Supporter of our Vital Signs report, a community check-up we will share with Burlington residents on October 1st.
Last year the BCF published their first ever Vital Signs report,which, while not quite what many in the social development sector had hoped for, it was their first effort. Everyone is looking for something quite a bit deeper and more relevant to the community this year. Their report is announced for release on October 1st.
Colleen Mulholland, Executive Director, Burlington Community Foundation is as pleased as punch that Angelo is “sharing his time and leadership with us, in support of our largest fundraising event.”
Jazz – New Orleans style at the Burlington Community Foundation Masquerade Ball.
In their media release the BCF announces they will continue with the alluring feel of a masked gala, featuring the swinging streets of the French Quarter. “I am honoured to have been asked to be the gala’s honourary chair this year,” says Angelo, who will dance up a storm. “ I love the excitement of New Orleans, jazz and Bourbon Street, and my family and I have always had a terrific time at the Masquerade Ball. I hope the community will join us in this great celebration.”
In 2007, Angelo was formally installed as a Knight of Malta under the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, a religious order founded by Pope Pascal II in 1113. Devoted for 900 years to caring for the sick and the poor for more than 900 years, today this philanthropic Order operates accredited diplomatic and humanitarian missions in more than 100 countries.
Closer to home, Angelo is also the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the Carpenter Hospice.
The Paletta’s are also in an early stage ‘kiss and make up’ with the city. There are a number of issues related to the development of land owned by the Paletta’s that some feel are hindering the economic development of Burlington. As the largest holder of what the city has classified as “economic development lands” the city wants to be able to see those properties marketed and developed to bring some much-needed development to the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional part of the city tax assessment base.
City manager Jeff Fielding has brought a much different approach to developing relationships with the major stakeholders in the city.
Part of this process is a significant shake up in the way the Economic Development Corporation manages the growth of the city. In the past much of their focus has been on raising funds to keep the operation alive. Fielding thinks that isn’t the smartest business model if Burlington is to prosper and has asked the BEDC to come back with a better business case. That case has been presented to the Budget and Corporate Services Committee where it didn’t seem to generate a lot of enthusiasm on the part of either council members or staff. Expect to hear more on this one.
Paletta International is a Canadian owned and family managed company, started by Pasquale Paletta (Burlington’s 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year) in 1951. With its humble beginnings in beef processing, the company grew through vertical integration into raising cattle with feedlots in Burlington, Alberta and Colorado. The company also is involved in real estate, construction, media and entertainment. The company is managed by Pasquale’s four sons: Angelo, Paul, Michael, and Remi Paletta, from its Paletta Court facility in Burlington.
The BCF was established in 1999 by a group of local volunteers and philanthropists to improve the quality of life in Burlington. The Foundation collaborates with donors to build endowments, gives grantsand connects community leadership. For Masquerade Ball tables, tickets or information on becoming a Proud Supporter, contact Sandra Baker, sbaker@burlingtonfoundation.org, 905 639 0744 x 223
BURLINGTON, ON. February 23, 2013 Artists use their paint brushes to present their interpretation of a person or a scene. There are traditionalists, modernists, post modernists and some artists whose work look as much like a photograph at it does a painting.
Where is the line between photography and art? There are photographers who have found ways to use light, filters and the angle they shoot from to “interpret a scene much the way an artist uses brush strokes and colour to interpret what their eyes capture.
The differences between art and photography are vast and the similarities at times almost eerie. In the photo essay that follow Frank Myers, captures glimpses of the past
By Frank Myers.
Since my earliest days as a photographer, I’ve been fascinated by the exploration of forgotten places. There is a certain resonance there – a palpable sense of lives lived and the passage of time. There is more to it though; I also see much beauty in the old and decrepit and this combination is what makes abandoned places irresistible to me.
The passage of time also interests me. One useful aspect of photography is its ability to interrupt that process by capturing a moment in time. Although the rate of decay differs from one site to the next, it’s interesting to me that I’m capturing a unique moment in this process.
And it is a process; I have been able to return to some of these sites over the years and observed how, in many cases, nature reclaims the space once occupied by mankind.
These remnants of the past are crumbling and disappearing daily. I believe it’s a worthy pursuit to interrupt that process and capture some of the resonance and beauty they contain through photography.
Frank Myers is a member of the Latow Photographers Guild. The photographs in this essay are the property of Frank Myers and cannot be used without his express permission. Myers can be reached rs4@gmail.com You can see more of Frank’s work at https://frankmyersphoto.ca/
In Northern Ontario, many mining towns are threatened once the ore runs out. This abandoned gas station is located in a town that has been deserted since the late 1960s. Aside from a few homes salvaged as cottages, this town has mostly been reclaimed by nature.
This image is from the cemetery at a silver mining village near Thunder Bay. The mine operated on a tiny island in Lake Superior for only 16 years, closing in 1884 when it was irretrievably flooded. Now lost in the woods, the cemetery holds many graves, perhaps a testament to the dangerous working conditions and harsh life on the shore of Lake Superior.
Farmland is abandoned or given over to other uses every day in Canada. Much of what passes for farmland in Canada is marginal, but that hasn’t stopped enterprising souls from attempting to farm the land in many rugged areas. All over Canada, derelict farm houses hold the stories of those hard-working families.This farm house near Blind River is covered with graffiti and the upper floor is collapsing. To me, it still remains beautiful and it’s easy to imagine the family living within its rooms or relaxing on the verandah in the evenings.
This house on the outskirts of Burlington has been abandoned for years. Although heavily vandalized and near collapse, it contains many signs of the lives lived within its walls. Notice the jars that appear to hold dried beans or peas on the kitchen counter.
I often take time while travelling to search out abandoned spaces that I’ve learned about on-line or from other photographers. This is a cell block at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. When it opened in 1829, its architecture was revolutionary, as was the theory that strict isolation was the key to reform. This soon became a model for prison design. It finally closed in 1971 and is now operated as a historic site.
Unlike the penitentiary, few derelict institutional and industrial spaces are public. For that reason, this one will be unnamed. It’s an abandoned railway freight terminal somewhere in the United States. Inside, one can easily feel reminders of the years when untold tons of freight were handled by several generations of workers.
Across Canada, particularly along the Trans-Canada Highway, we pass many remnants of a vanished way of life. These are the derelict gas stations, motels and restaurants where often-independent operators made their living serving the travelling public. Situated on Highway 69 north of Parry Sound, this must have once been a busy operation, with its gas pumps, service bays and restaurant.
At one time motels like this one, a motel and campground operation, were popular with travellers. Although they were rustic by current standards, their remains show a variety and individuality missing in today’s operations.
BURLINGTON, ON February 19, 2013 Part of what makes Burlington a great city is its community involvement. This summer, 54 community-minded Burlingtonians were named recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. They are among 2,000 recipients from Ontario and 60,000 from across Canada. Four more citizens were added to the list Tuesday evening.
The Jubilee medal, worn on those occasions set out in a protocol manual that comes with the medal.
The recipients receive a medal, a certificate and a lapel pin. The medal, designed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority at Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, will be given out to all recipients by February 28, 2013.
Here, in alphabetical order, are Burlington’s 54 Diamond Jubilee Award Winners.
Bogdan Adamczak: President of the Polish National Union of Canada Branch 17, helped to build a vibrant and active Polish community in Burlington.
Catherine Allen: Works with Girl Guides of Canada to provide a positive environment and help build self-confidence in young girls.
Don Allen Has been the musical director of the Burlington Teen Tour Band for many decades and is now the director of Burlington Concert Band.
Derek Baranowski: For dedicating his time to promote charity work put on by firefighters in the area.
Dorothy Borovich: For her role in developing, organization and delivering Youthfest, a program connecting youth to a life of volunteerism.
Rev. William Bond: Serves the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 as padre, and worked for many years to help veterans and their families.
Kevin Brady: Received Burlington’s Philanthropist of the Year award and has helped more than 40 local charities, as well as taken the leadership role in fundraising for the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital redevelopment project.
David Anthony Brennan: Mr. Brennan is an Officer Cadet with the Burlington Army Cadets. He is noted for his work with youth and with the Royal Canadian Legion
Rick Burgess: For the work he has done in Burlington’s arts and culture sector in addition to his work with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce.
Teresa Cascioli: Credited for turning Lakeport Brewery into the third largest brewery in Ontario. She is also a philanthropist and supporter of St. Joseph’s Healthcare who now works as an adviser for KPMG.
Commissioner Dudley Coles: Attended the Queen’s inauguration as a representative of Canada while working for Canada House 60 years ago. As an Officer of the Salvation Army, he has worked around the world to help the less fortunate. This year he attended the Jubilee in June 2012.
Julie Davey: Provided grief support to parents, more than 25 years of being a volunteer, as well as the director of Bereaved Families of Ontario, Hamilton-Burlington.
Thomas Dykes: Mr. Dykes is honoured the positive impact he has had working with youth at the local, regional, national and international level and for his efforts promoting awareness of Canada’s Naval History.
David Estok: The former editor-in-chief of the Hamilton Spectator, he now works as vice president of communications at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Ron Foxcroft: Was inducted into the Burlington Business Hall of Fame in 2011 and is famous for the Fox 40 Pealess Whistle. He is chairman of the Foxcroft Group of Companies, Fluke Transportation Ltd., Fox 40 International and Foxcroft Capital Corp.
Andy Frame:Worked behind the scenes for Drury Lane Theater, president of the Canadian Club of Burlington.
Barbara Frensch: Member of BurlingtonGreen, was a key element in expanding the group’s role in the local environment.
Joanne Gardiner: Is an active volunteer with Halton Food for Thought. As well as holding a leadership role in the organization, she helps to provide breakfasts and lunch programs in elementary and high schools throughout the Halton region.
Joelle Goddard-Cooling: Key role in revitalization of Burlington Downtown as a member of the Board of Directors for Downtown Burlington.
Elizabeth Grandbois: For battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, for the past 15 years and more importantly been a champion at raising funds to find a cure for ALS.
Wendy Hagar: Began Sew on Fire Ministries over 12 years ago, and has sent over 300,000 gift bags and items to humanitarian aid groups and the disadvantaged in Canada and 92 other countries around the world.
Jim Holmes: Driving force behind the “We Remember” project that is helping to bring veterans and youth together.
Ancilla Ho-Young: A volunteer with Caribbean Connection, also helping to add to the multicultural mosaic of the city.
Jane Irwin: A lead authority and researcher of Burlington’s Built Heritage who has preserved and enhanced public knowledge of Burlington’s history.
Cam Jackson: A former city mayor, who was appreciated for his work during his term as well as his activity in the community before and after serving in office.
Bev Jacobs: Volunteers for a multitude of groups, most specifically for breast cancer events and organizations.
Doug Leggat: An auto dealer chosen as Burlington’s philanthropist of the year in 2011. He has a history of personal and corporate giving to many corporations, including the YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford and Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital.
Bill Line: A business man, appreciated for giving to hundreds of charitable causes each year.
Matt MacPherson: President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 is credited for his significant impact on the sustainability and initiated change within the branch.
Rosemary Marsh: Credited for her co-owner of Business Insurance Services, and chair of Banyon Community Service. She also lives in Burlington.
Jim Matz: Worked to connect Burlington Youth with partner cities in the United States, and has played a crucial role as the Leader of the Burlington International Games (BIG). For many years, he led in the relationship with Burlington’s sister city Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Rosemarie Maurice: Founded the Burlington Footnotes Seniors Dance Troup, more than 15 years ago and built its membership from six to more than 100 people.
Rob McIsaac: Awarded for his activity in the community before and after he was in office as a former city mayor.
Don McMillan: A local voice at TVCogeco for 43 years. He worked as a volunteer commentator providing an outlook on all aspects of life in the area.
Walter Mulkewich: A former city mayor, appreciated for activity in community before and after serving in office as well as his political career.
Rainer Noack: Founder and visionary of the Burlington Student Theatre and K.W. Irmisch Art Person of the Year.
Sandra O’Reilly: Run director of CIBC Run for the Cure and sits on a variety of charitable boards.
Angelo Paletta: Angelo and the Paletta family were honoured with contributing to such facilities as the Tansley Woods Community Centre and Habitat for Humanity Halton.
Karen Phelps: Chair of Warwick Surrey Community Association and volunteered for many years. She has a vast understanding of the unique aspects of a high-density neighbourhood.
Reg Pollard: Owner of Pollard Windows, he has had a long career in the family business. He was enshrined in the Burlington Business Hall of Fame in 2012 and has provided funds to the Juravinski Cancer Centre.
Dr. William Procter: Dr. Procter has been a family physician in Burlington for 50 years, and was instrumental in the founding of the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital.
Mark Runciman: The chief executive officer of the Royal Botanical Gardens, one of Canada’s largest plant sanctuaries.
Joyce Savoline: Served as Halton Regional chair and Burlington MPP, as well as being an advocate for the people of Burlington and region.
Constable Drew Scott: A constable of the Halton Regional Police has been awarded for his service to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. The program teaches more than 6,000 youth in Halton each year about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and how to make positive choices.
Don Smith: Worked on health care and other issues affecting seniors.
Winnifred Stewart: Focused on Burlington’s history for 35 years as a volunteer with the Museums of Burlington.
Keith Strong: Sought challenging projects, and played an important role in the development of Youthfest and the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Margie Swire: Volunteered for the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital since its opening in 1961 by doing a number of important jobs.
John Tait: Served many years leading the Burlington Eagles Rep Hockey program and performing endless hours of volunteer work.
John Taylor: Mr. Taylor is Burlington’s longest-serving councillor, representing Ward 3 since December 1988. Serving Brant Hills, Mountainside, Kilbride and rural communities west of Walker’s Line, he is now in his eighth term on City Council.
Joan Tomblin: For leadership in planning and implementing the annual MS walk, helping raise more than $1 million for research and support of those with MS.
Jack Van der Laan: Developed the successful Netherland-Burlington Friendship Days.
Joe Veitch: Initiated “Breakfast at the Bistro” at the Burlington Seniors Centre and worked with seniors for many years.
Mike Vencel: Has helped with the veteran community by ensuring the veterans’ events are put on in a dignified and respectful manor.
Priscilla de Villiers, M.S.M.: For her leadership in helping victims of crime, and for her research on restorative justice in Ontario.
Mina Wahidi: Founded the Compassion Society, touching lives of more than 5,000 people who need her caring and generous spirit.
Ryan Wheatley: Chair of the Firefighters Benevolent Committee.
Fred Whiskin: With Scouts Canada since 1930, a place where he continues to give support.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 19, 2013 Three new recipients of the Jubilee medal will be recognized at city Council this evening. The commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada.
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
The following will receive their medals this evening:
Officer Cadet David Anthony Brennan
Officer Cadet David Brennan was nominated for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by Captain Philip Harris, Commanding Officer at the Burlington Army Cadets for his exemplary record as a volunteer and dedication to Canada as an active member of the Burlington Army Cadets.
Officer Cadet Brennan is a tireless volunteer within the Cadet program and has inspired and motivated both his peers and subordinates within the program. For over five years he has volunteered his time towards the Royal Canadian Army Cadet program, serving as captain on five local cadet teams, including flag party, shooting team, rifle drill team, orienting team and the drill team.
Officer Cadet Brennan has given many hours to working alongside younger cadets to help them overcome a number of issues that young people often struggle with such as bullying, stage fright, and academic challenges.
In addition, Officer Cadet Brennan has volunteered hundreds of hours towards our local Legion, assisting in selling poppies, hosting diners for the veterans, and working on a number of fundraising activities.
Officer Cadet Brennan is a natural leader who also demonstrates his pride and commitment to community and Country. He has recently been sworn into the military with the rank of Officer Cadet and is planning a military career with the Canadian Armed Forces. This past September, Officer Cadet Brennan was selected to participate as one of a limited number of Canadians in an international paratrooper exchange program, representing the Canadian Forces Airborne and the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, after completing his Canadian Forces basic Parachutist course in 2011.
Officer Cadet Brennan also recently earned his Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. He is a student at McMaster University, studying history.
Mr. Thomas Dykes
Thomas Dykes was nominated for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by Andrew Irwin, former president of the Toronto Branch of the Naval Officers Association of Canada for the positive impact he has had working with youth at the local, regional, national and international level and for his efforts promoting awareness of Canada’s Naval History.
Thomas Dykes is a retired history teacher and now an Educational Assistant at T.A. Blakelock High School
Mr. Dykes developed and designed a unique multi-discipline teacher resource on the Royal Canadian Navy’s role in World War II. This initiative involved coordinating the direct input of the Canadian, British and German naval veterans, with active support from the history departments in four high schools, both in Canada and England. Through this work, The Battle of the Atlantic initiative became inter-disciplinary, cross-graded, multi-generational, national and international.
Recently, an electronic version of this resource has been placed on The Historica-Dominion Institute, making it available to thousands of educators around the world. This project has been so well received that Mr. Dykes has been invited to present it to the prestigious Naval History Conference to be held in England this spring.
Mr. Dykes also developed the Canadian Navy Centennial National Essay Contest with a great team of Blakelock teachers and he has been providing Burlington students the opportunity to write and be published in The Burlington Post’s Youth column since 1983. In additional, Mr. Dykes designed the Police Ethnic And Cultural Education Youth Leadership Program (PEACE).
Dr. William Procter
Dr. William Procter was nominated for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by his daughter, Susan Procter for his dedication to the practice of medicine, his commitment to his patients, and his leadership in the community.
Dr. Procter, has been a family physician in Burlington for 50 years. Dr. Procter was practicing medicine in Burlington before the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital was built and was instrumental in having the hospital constructed for the city. Dr. Procter was one of the first members of the medical staff.
During his lifetime, Dr. Procter has made and continues to make significant contributions to his profession as a mentor to medical students, a respected peer to his colleagues, and as a trusted doctor to both his patients and his community.
Dr. Procter has received the Certificate of Recognition for his ‘exemplary contribution to family medicine’ from the Ontario College of Family Physicians and has also been honoured with the Physicians Care Award by the Ontario Medical Association.
Dr. Procter has been active in hospital leadership, participating in and chairing many committees and heading the Department of Family Medicine.
Dr. Procter has been involved in a number of community activities including the role of ‘clown’ in the Burlington Santa Clause Parade, the role of sponsor for one of our local t-ball teams, the role of patron for Opera Hamilton, and is also an elder and long-standing member of Knox Presbyterian.
Dr. Procter has been described as kind, compassionate, dedicated, thoughtful, knowledgeable, general, reassuring and supportive. A friend and mentor, and a much-loved father.
BURLINGTON, On. February 18th, 2013. Finding the right balance in the news business is not easy. When your publication is on the internet there are a lot of analytics that tell you how many people have read a story and what people are looking for when they are searching the site.
We were stunned this morning to see how many people went looking for what is going on for Family Day in Burlington. We had not published anything. Based on last year’s response, which was limited, we decided to forgo doing anything on what was open in the city. THAT was a mistake.
Hundreds of people went to Our Burlingtonto find out what was open and what wasn’t. When they searched using the words Family day they got a very detailed story that was about events in 2012.
We may have misled people who did not see the date line – and for that we apologize.
It is clearer now that you are looking for more in the way of Family Activities and we will do our best to deliver for you.
One item we do want to bring to your attention is the Jamie Adkins Circus Incognitustaking place at the Performing Arts Centre March 14th. The man is an absolute delight and the younger kids will roll in the aisles laughing. Tickets are very fairly priced – $16 for a youth and $25 for an adult.
We will make amends with our reporting on Spring Break.
BURLINGTON, ON February 18, 2013 In the spring of 1973, Bill Warren joined a new camera club being started in Burlington. The group, named the Latow Camera Club, met once a month in the general meeting room on the second floor of the Burlington Mall. Latow was understood to be a native word meaning ‘beam of light’.
Latow Photographers Guild President Tom Stephens congratulates Bill Warren on 40 years of continuous and outstanding service.
That was forty years ago and Bill Warren is still an active member – 40 years of continuous membership is quite an accomplishment. However, Bill has not just been a passive member of the club; he has been a very active and key member of the Latow Photographers Guild for that whole time.
Over the years, Bill has mentored many Latow members. He has served in executive and committee positions and was President for two separate terms. Due to his love of black and white printing, the darkroom has been one of Bill’s favourites. He has either obtained donations or built much of the equipment in those facilities and he has looked after its maintenance for years.
It was Bill’s idea to hold an annual photography seminar, an event that has made the Latow Photographers Guild known not only in Ontario but in New York and Quebec. He has served as its Chairman and did practically everything from obtaining speakers to almost single-handedly managing the event for many years.
It is this annual event that continues to fund much of the photographic equipment enjoyed at Latow today.
Bill was recognized a few years ago for some of his service to the community and participation in photography by being voted as Burlington’s Art Person of the Year. However, Latow had never really officially honoured Bill to the extent he deserves, so it was felt that Bill’s fortieth year of continuous participation and service in the club was the right time.
In the back row from left to right: David Craig – President 1976 – 79, Bill Shotton – President 1996 – 97, Johan Wigt – President 1985 – 86, Peter Young – President 2001 – 02, Joh Friedrich – President – 2005 – 07, Tom Stephens – President 2011 – 13, David Gruggen – President 1986 – 88, Arnold Koopman – President 1973 – 74, Jim Hamilton – President 1988 – 90, Toni Browning – President 2002 – 04 & 2009 – 11, Brian Hickey (never has been President but “old-time” member). In the front row middle: Bill Warren – President 1979 – 81 & 1992 – 94
At Latow’s monthly general meeting recently , the club made a presentation to Bill and announced the naming of the Burlington Art Centre’s darkroom and finishing room area “The W.J. (Bill) Warren Darkroom and Finishing Room”. Fifteen former Presidents attended to share in the occasion to honour Bill’s contributions.
Latow President Tom Stephens says, “There is no one who has been more giving of his time or has promoted Latow to a greater extent over the years than Bill Warren. We’re very pleased that he continues to volunteer for many duties in service of Latow, even today.” In typically modest fashion, Bill replies that he feels he is the one who benefits from volunteering because he derives so much pleasure from it.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 15th, 2013. The theory is that if you invite a celebrity to your event more people will show up – and that would apply in Burlington if you invited Walk off the Earth. Inviting the Mayor of the city to open an event – don’t think that is going to pull the crowd James Burchill, wants for his Spring into Business event – nevertheless the Mayor is going to deliver the opening remarks at the “Spring Into Business” Networking & Trade Show Event to be held at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre March 21st.
If you are an independent business operator mark that date on your calendar – actually you probably don’t have to – Burchill has the best list of smaller business operations in the city. The one thing Burchill does exceptionally well is promote himself and his ventures.
The BiB – Burlington in Business crowd at the Waterfront Hotel where they meet once a month. Founder James Burchill has moved his gig to the Performing Arts Centre for a March event. Great bar over there – can they handle 500 + thirsty people?
He held a mini-trade show at the Beaver and the Bulldog a couple of months ago – the room was packed which led Burchill to believe he could move to a larger, brighter venue and put on a bigger event. He might be right – it was certainly worth the risk.
The event is a joint venture between all the Social Fusion Networking groups and hosted by the beautiful Burlington Performing Arts Centre, this event will cater to approximately 500 people and showcase 25 local business vendors from 5pm through to 7pm. Admission is free and has already attracted over 350 businesses from far-afield as Niagara through to Toronto.
Social Fusion Networking is the creation of James Burchill who launched the first event in January of 2012. To date these networks have attracted many thousands of local businesses seeking a new way of networking. “It is my understanding that SFN is the largest independent B2B group in Halton because it exceeds 2500 members.” said James Burchill
With consistently high turnouts each month, SFN events integrate the best of modern social media and combine it with classical face-to-face networking. The results and feedback has been nothing short of amazing with James’ efforts being publicly acknowledged by Meetup.com as a “Top 10% Network.”
James Burchill, on the right, announcing the winner of a door prize – a session with a hypnotist. Interesting.
Social Fusion Networking ™ was developed by James Burchill after he noted a series of problems with current B2B networking approaches. The punitive clauses that restricted members to one or few groups, the punishments for failing to attend, the caps and limits on how many people could participate encouraged Burchill to create a new way of networking with No Fees, No Pressure and No restrictions. Meeting monthly at local venues and available always online, SFN integrates a mixture of channels allowing people to connect and communicate in a manner and fashion that suits them best. SFN events are sponsored and advertising supported in lieu of membership dues.
The group has an interesting web presence and has in the past met on Wednesday’s at the Waterfront Hotel where they take up all the space at the best watering hole in the hotel. The Mayor made an appearance there once – that didn’t do anything to attendance.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 15, 2013 Four Burlington residents will be awarded Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee medals at a city council meeting on Tuesday, February 19th.
City Councillor John Taylor along with Thomas Dykes, Dr. William Charles Procter and Officer Cadet David Brennan will be given the medals by Mayor Rick Goldring who learned recently that as Mayor he could recommend people for the medal.
The front and back of the Jubilee medal that will be awarded to four Burlington residents at a city council meeting next Tuesday.
A new commemorative medal has been created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II accession to the Throne. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal will be a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it will serve to honour contributions and achievements made by Canadians, who represent the full breadth of our society.
During the year of celebrations, 60,000 deserving Canadians will be recognized. The inaugural presentation ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee Medal will take place in 2012.
The Chancellery of Honours, as part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, will administer the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal program.
Eligibility criteria
Eligible candidates must have met the following criteria: · have made significant contributions to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community within Canada, or for an outstanding achievement abroad that has brought great credit to Canada; be citizens or permanent residents of Canada; be alive on February 6, 2012. The award can be made posthumously, as long as the candidate was alive on that date.
Burlington’s 58 winners are among 2,000 recipients from Ontario and 60,000 from across Canada.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 12, 2013 The art centre with at least the second best collection of contemporary Canadian ceramics in this country has announced an exhibition that will survey the work of the most promising emerging artists working with ceramics in Canada today.
Works will be selected by senior Canadian artists and curators in five regions across the country. Submissions are due by March 15.
The exhibit: Hot Mud: A National Survey of Contemporary Canadian Emerging Ceramic Artists, which will run at the Burlington Art Centre from September 7 to November 4.
Burlington Art Centre plans an exhibit to show the work of emerging ceramic artists.
“This exhibition will be a valuable showcase for artists at an early stage in their careers who have completed their basic training and created a modest independent body of work,” says George Wale, Director of Programs at the Burlington Art Centre (BAC).
In order to be eligible for Hot Mud, artists must have developed skills through training and practice in the field (though not necessarily in academic institutions) and be recognized by other artists working in the same artistic tradition.
A minimum of three years to a maximum of ten years in independent private professional practice prior to application is required, as is a history of professional public presentations and publications, payment for work, and active practice of their art within their region and beyond.
Submissions by individual artists, groups, collectives and collaborations will be considered.
Entry requirements include a cover letter containing a one-paragraph biography, a current resume and artist’s statement, and up to 15 labelled and numbered images. Detailed submission requirements. Web site for the BAC is: www.thebac.ca
The Burlington Art Centre is a not-for-profit organization celebrating 35 years of inspiring imaginations and enriching lives in Burlington and beyond. They champion the role and value of visual art and fine craft in life by mentoring and showcasing visual artists at all levels; engaging the community through diverse exhibitions and education programs; building and promoting the world’s largest and most significant collection of contemporary Canadian ceramic art; being a home to art and fine crafts guilds; and working with our members, corporate partners and volunteers to be an active and vital component of our community.
Traditionally when an artist does their first solo exhibit someone with talent and a background in the genre the artist has chosen writes a review. We didn’t know anyone with art review experience so we asked Don Graves to tell us who he is and why he does what he does. We will let the art speak for itself, it is on display at the Fireside Gallery at the Burlington Art Centre and is there until the end of the month. There were a lot of those little red stickers on a number of the paintings – one had two little red stickers – not sure what Graves is up to with that one.
By Don Graves
BURLINGTON, ON. February 11, 2013 So, what does a deaf singer/conductor become when he’s lost his baton? Answer: a painter of landscapes in Muskoka, Algonquin, Ottawa Valley and Gatineau with designs on Gananoque, The Rideau Canal and maybe this year a sketching trip to discover the lost, fictional village of Three Pines of Canadian mystery author, Louise Penny’s vivid imagination.
Ian Ross, Executive Director of the Burlington Art Centre joins Don Graves, on the right, at his first solo exhibit. Graves’s work can be seen in the background.
So, how did I get from hearing loss to painter? I’m a singer/conductor, trained at McGill’s Faculty of Music with time spent in their wonderful English department with people like Louis Dudek and Hugh McLennan. Met my wife, also a graduate from the Faculty of Music, and together we directed productions in Montreal, and I free-lanced for CBC, Theatre de la Poudiere and we became smoked meat and bagel aficionados.
After moving to Toronto, I spent almost 30 years at Sheridan College, first co-founding their renowned Musical Theatre School and being a part of what has become a very successful Theatre Sheridan.
The winter scenes were done in locations in and around Burlington. Strong, bold strokes with almost a touch of rawness to them. At the Burlington Art centre until February 27th.
I kept ignoring the growing feeling that something wasn’t quite right with part of my head and finally learned that I had a steadily growing hearing loss. Pick up a phone with my left hand, hear nothing, flip it to my right and all was well. Never occurred to me that the problem might have been me…or maybe I did. In the end, a friend pointed out that there was a limited market for deaf conductors and it was time to move on.
The opportunity arose to become the Dean of Arts, a large amalgamation of theatre, film, fashion, media, visual art, crafts and animation. I took it and had a great time. Wonderful to escape the politics on a Friday afternoon in a certain craft studio whose second claim to fame with a well-stocked supply of good malt. It was also a place for many thoughts and passions to merge and age: I’d studied voice in Montreal with an English tenor who connected colour with voices. His favourite line: “what colour is a soprano in a country village church choir with a top C in the dusk with a light behind her?” (with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, but understandable as he had been a principal tenor there for almost 20 years). Colour and sound became an integral part of my musical process.
This collection of four paintings includes vineyards, scenes from Algonquin Park and the Gatineau Hills in Quebec.
I left Sheridan for a five-year stint as the Dean of Art and Business…yes, you read that right…at George Brown College…which was interesting for the almost 3 years it lasted. The combination isn’t as strange as it appears. Art is very much a small, independent business in Ontario, one that combines business acumen, marketing smarts and artistic skill. A bunch of advertising students, who had been finishing near the bottom of an annual competition, learned that after working with an acting coach before they competed and came in third. The Toronto scene was complex, very different from Sheridan and included a daily GO train ride where I indulged myself in writing three mystery novels.
The hearing loss gained company with some other health issues which resulted in early retirement in my mid 50’s, two major surgeries, a condition called chronic pain syndrome mixed with osteoarthritis and a fast trip from type A to type D with no fuel stops at B and C on the way down.
And there I sat, and even now I find it hard to say or write the word, depression. To this day I’m not sure which is worse, the physical or emotional impact. I lucked out in finding a frank and caring specialist at the Chedoke Rehabilitation Clinic, now at the Hamilton General.
Graves is not only an artist and a music director – he is also a raconteur of some renown. He is in full emoting mode.
From there to now has been a trip blessed with a new beginning in painting: following a childhood dream of losing myself in the northern nature where I fished, picked blueberries and was casting bait for my father’s trolling. I studied with two Burlington artists, later at the Dundas Valley School of Art, joined a studio in Hamilton where I met and paint with artist, John Stirling and planned for that moment I was working toward.
In teaching and learning, I believe in the convergence of the right teacher appearing when the student is ready to receive what is on offer. My passion lies in colour, texture, French Canadian artists like the late Bruno Cote and Gordon Harrison, a Canadian landscape artist living and working in Ottawa. My goal was to be ready and that happened in June of 2012 and will again, I hope, this year. I found the final link between music and painting; the colour of voices, how my baton became my brush, how the canvas is a theatrical set that tells a story, a different story for each viewer. You find your way into a painting as you do a story. And like a theatrical production where you sit down and have your inner space moved, I want my paintings to do the same.
I have two shows on the go, one in Burlington and one in Toronto. And while it’s good to sell my work, it’s quite something else to meet people and watch them looking at my work and wonder how the story is unfolding for them. (Graves has also taken part in the Art in Action Studio Tour)
No artist works entirely alone. My wife, family, fellow artists and friends have become a team I rely upon. And in my spare time I read mysteries and write book reviews.
BURLINGTON, ON February 9, 2013 She’s gone. A little lady, short, who stood with a bit of a bend to her upper body but stood tall nevertheless. You would see her in the same green pant suit with her running shoes. The hair style never changed, her glasses were functional, not fashionable. Fashion and being au courant were not things that mattered to her. There was always that strong gaze in her eye and if you’ve made a mistake about the history of Burlington, a city she adopted, she was quick to let you know.
She was the strongest supporter of the city’s historic homes and its cultural heritage. She and her husband Richard ran the Different Drummer bookstore from 1986 and grew it into one of the best in the country.
Jane Irwin telling city council that the city’s heritage properties were being hollowed out – that the city was bland and known as “Borington” It was her last delegation; she died two days later.
Jane Irwin died Thursday evening. She had experienced a stroke last year.
Whenever she spoke at city council you sat up a little straighter and listened carefully. She delivered some of the most pointed and cogent commentary this council, and all of those before it, had occasion to hear.
When she finished her delegation last Monday evening there were no questions. Council just sat there except for Councillor Craven, chair of the Development and Infrastructure meeting that was hearing the delegation. He summed it all up when he said: “I guess she said it all.”
Before starting her delegation Jane Irwin pointed out to Council members that they were all sitting there in comfortable chairs while older people who used a walker and a cane had to stand for extended period of time. “That is something you might want to note and do something about at some time” she admonished them.
As a young lady she once told us, she used to travel to Burlington to take in an event at the Burlington Inn. She knew everything there was to know about heritage properties in the city and understood fully the importance of keeping as many of those buildings as possible.
There were occasions when we at OurBurlington didn’t get it right – and it seldom took Jane Irwin very long to write and give us a good sharp rap in the knuckles. If you were going to talk about heritage homes – then do it right, was the way she treated us.
She was often talking into the wind – and she knew it; but the importance of what she was saying was what mattered and she just kept on doing what she did best.
At one of her many delegations she told council she was going to give them “five scotches” in five minutes and then proceeded to lecture then – and that is what she really did. She laid it all out for them in simple easy to understand language, which many of them still didn’t get. That was a classic Jane Irwin performance.
When a house in Kilbride with some historical significance was about to be removed from one of the lists that protects heritage properties, Irwin drove to the Courthouse in Milton and pulled up the document that gave the full provenance of the building. Jane Irwin was the kind of person who believed that the facts mattered and on more than one occasion during the many years she lived in this city – she was the one who dug out and brought forward the facts.
Jane Irwin’s husband Richard giving her a pat of affection as she prepares to delegate to city council three days before she died.
There is no one on the horizon that can replace what she was and what she gave to this city. There will be no funeral but we are advised that there will be a celebration/wake.
She will be missed by her husband, her children and those who worked with her at the Burlington Historical Society and the Friends of Freeman Station. A stalwart if there ever was one. She will be missed not only for her graciousness and her intellectual integrity but for her constant efforts to help Burlington help itself.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 6th, 2013 So what do we think of ourselves and the way we are served by the different levels of government we pay taxes to? Is asking these questions a good way to spend tax dollars? Those are questions you get to ask when you vote next.
This is a listing of what Burlingtonians see as the most appealing aspects of their city. How much do you agree with these findings?
What are the most important issues for Burlington? They are listed here and shown how what is important to us – relates to how important it is to others. We get to see how we are different. Do you agree with what the charts are telling you?
Quality of life: In Burlington the polling sample said they put us at 95% if you include Excellent and Good. Other large and small communities don’t see themselves quite the same way. You just KNOW that this bit of information will replace the very tired and worn – Second best city in the country to live in.
Most important thing the government does for you? There are too many in the “Other” and “Don’t know” categories – suggests the people who pay for the government we have aren’t all that thrilled with what they are getting.
For now – look at the questions and the answers. A well-respected Canadian company that has been doing public opinion polling for some time did a poll of Ontario communities both large and small and medium too – asking the same questions of a sample that was just under 400 people.
Experience with city staff. Rankings in that “going the extra mile” could be a lot higher; other than that Burlington isn’t that different from the others.
Local government spending – this is where you want your tax dollars spent. Roads are what it is all about – with transit at least being recognized.
Use of government services: People are using the services government provides and they are talking to staff that don’t go the extra mile. What does that tell us?
Are we getting value for our tax dollars?
If push comes to shove; did you want the city to increase taxes to pay for the services you are getting or would you rather they cut the services. Mayor Goldring interprets this to mean that half of us would accept a tax increase and half us would not. Tough call.
If the city found it had to cut services – this is the list they are likely to work from – it suggests the arts would take the biggest hit.
They broke out the individual results for Burlington and for the princely sum of $10,000 you get to learn what we think of ourselves.
Burlington is where we live but the Region provides very essential services: Garbage pick up, water, sewage and police services as well as social services. The Niagara GTA highway would not have been stopped in its tracks – at least for the time being were it not for solid support from the Region
City Manager Jeff Fielding sees that data as an important part of the process of engaging the community.
The results are interesting.
This is YOUR Burlington – do you see it the way the public opinion poll gauges it to be?
BURLINGTON, ON February 6, 2013 They came to be part of the city’s history. They brought big items, small items, personal items and significant items. Everything they brought was photographed, recorded and then pressed into clay from which artist Peter Powning would make a casting out of bronze and place in the Spiral Stella that would sit outside the Performing Arts Centreat the intersection of Locust and Elgin Streets.
The fascinated eyes of children – these two are totally focused on what artist Peter Powning is doing with an artifact they brought in as part of the cultural mulch event held at the Burlington Art Centre. Artifacts were collected to become part of the Spiral Stella that will be erected in front of the Performing Arts centre in July.
Close to 250 people brought in their “stuff” . Don Graves, a local artist, who happened to be at the Burlington Art Centre last Saturday hosting his first solo exhibit had his wife take his walking cane to have a clay impression made.
Jonathan Smith, Curator of the Permanent Collection at the Burlington Arts centre, brought in a pocket watch with a fob engraved with the words St. Andrews College, 1929 in cursive type. That kind of craftsmanship isn’t seen anymore.
Melanie Booth on the left hands over her Olympic Bronze medal which she won as part of the Women’s soccer team. Jeremy Freiburger, on the right, chief cheese at CoBalt Connects, the company that manages Burlington’s public art program registers the medal which was later pressed into clay to make the impression from which a bronze casting will be made.
The stunner for some was Melanie Booth’s Olympic Bronze medal that brought out a very small faux pas from Powning, who to be fair was seeing a lot of artifacts and didn’t realize he had an Olympic medal in his hands.
He asked Ms Booth: “What’s the story behind this” as he arranged a slab of clay to make the impression. Powning hadn’t read the words on the medal, he was trying to figure out which side he would make the impression from but when Ms Booth said “it’s my Olympic bronze medal given to the Canadian woman’s soccer team” Powning’s head shot up when he replied – “really!”
This is an example, called a maquette, of the type of sculpture Peter Prowning will be doing for Burlington. Each sculpture he does is significantly different. The bands wrapped around the first nine feet of the 16 foot sculpture will hold the bronze casting being made from the clay impressions done this past week in Burlington. It will be a very impressive piece of public art
The way the gold medal for soccer was lost is something few Canadians think much about now. If it ends up as part of the Spiral Stella it will become part of the visual history of the city.
Powning was holding what he called ”a “cultural mulch. An event that had him looking at everything he was given, nothing was turned away if he could make an impression in clay, and at the same time thinking about how each piece might be used.
The bronze castings would be worked into the sculpture which will tell part of Burlington’s cultural past.
One man brought an old, rusted pair of roller skates, the kind you had to strap onto your shoes.
Dan Lawrie, the man who felt there should be some art outside the Performing Arts Centre put his money where his mind had gone and funded a portion of the cost of the sculpture. Lawrie who paints when he isn’t working had impressions made from some of his art implements.
With 240 impressions made into the slabs of clay Powning now takes everything back to his studio in New Brunswick and begins the process of casting the bronze pieces that will be part of the first nine feet of the 16 foot sculpture.
He will be doing all the forge work at his studio in New Brunswick and shipping the work to Burlington where it will be installed – which will get a little tricky. With art there are no firm time lines – not quite like making a pie and knowing that it needs 35 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees.
Some excavation work has to be done at the front of the Performing Arts centre to get the base in place. There is a pipeline right underneath that has to be dealt with. The pipeline people will be on hand to make sure someone doesn’t bite into that line.
And then there is a wedding scheduled to take place at the Performing Arts Centre at that time. The bride is not going to want to walk down the “aisle” to the sound of a jack hammer.
But it will all come together and sometime during the second half of July the sculpture will be in place and we can expect groups of people to gather at the site for years to come. One wonders what the Tourism people will do to promote the sculpture.
Johnathan Smith, Curator of the Permanent Collection at the Burlington Art Centre brings in a pocket watch with a fob that has a 1929 inscription on it. Peter Powning presses the fob into clay from which her will later make a bronze casting that will become part of the Spiral Stella that will be erected outside the Performing Arts Centre
Burlington has done some exceptionally good work with sculpture. There is the magnificent naval memorial at Spencer Smith Park where the bronze casting is more traditional. Then there are the orchids which are a delight – just in the wrong place – a point that Councillor Taylor commented on at a recent council meeting. At some point this city just might do the “orchids” justice and put them in a location where they can be both appreciated an enjoyed. Stuck at the entrance to a railway grade separation is close to the stupidest things the art people in this city have ever done. Why didn’t someone stand up when that decision was being made and ask: “Are you kidding?” But we didn’t – we will get there.
A local videographer, Bob Fleck, has been following Peter Powning around and we can expect to see a bit of film at some point.
CoBalt Connects, the organization that manages the city’s cultural plan has been talking to students at Mohawk and McMaster about the idea of doing a three-dimensional video on the sculpture that would allow people to look at the detail and spot artifacts that they contributed. Good idea.
We are seeing a different approach to how we create, display and promote the arts in this city. The long-term cultural plan will address some of the concerns local artists have about not being included or taken seriously. Progress.
BURLINGTON, ON. February 3, 2013 The provincial government encourages municipalities to promote and preserve both the Cultural and Built Heritage of the Province through the promotion, education and support of heritage conservation projects through public and private agencies and organizations.
This reenactor explained to a very attentive boys what it must have been like to have fought in the war of 1812 that the province will continue to celebrate in 2013.
Burlington, the city that has struggled for years on how it wanted to preserve its heritage housing got into the game with the decision to highlight, and recognize the work being done by different groups to further education and promotion of Heritage by way of displays, seminars and presentations to promote Heritage both Cultural and Built Heritage in Burlington.
With bullets flying all over the place during battle, medical services were desperately needed. This reenactor delighted in telling his audience how teeth were pulled and legs cut off.
They got off on the right foot on Saturday at the Burlington Central Public Library by hosting the Heritage Fair, a free day of seminars, interactive displays for children, poster contest and exhibits by local heritage organizations.
As we wind our way through the month of February there will be a Burlington Built Heritage Award that will recognize property owners who contributed to the preservation of our built heritage for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Unfortunately, one of the very best “built heritage” examples is a home owned by a member of Heritage Burlington, the city’s Citizens Advisory Committee on matters of heritage, and that may disqualify her from receiving an award. The Advisort committee report to city Council through the Development and Infrastructure Committee and are the best example the city has of a well-organized and focused Advisory Committee. Burlington has had problems with some of its advisory committees in the past. City council decided to sunset one and another asked to be sunset.
The Transit Advisory committee has undergone a significant re-organization and it doing very well.
Period costume always brings out a story. A woman here explains part of the life lived by women during the province’s the war of 1812.
The city is currently looking for volunteers to serve on several of its Advisory Committees. If you have experience and sincerely want to work collaboratively and can leave your personal agenda at home – this is something you might want to look into. You work hard, you have to do your homework as well but it is satisfying and personally rewarding work.
BURLINGTON, ON January 30th, 2013 The Burlington Art Centre (BAC) appears to be going all out to raise funds and promote the work of regional artists.
They are holding three different auctions that involve 105 Canadians artists.
A Yukon Indian fishing creel done by K. Crowder.
One of the auctions is a live event that takes place on February 8th at 8:30 pm. Reception before the bidding begins. A couple of glasses of wine should goose up some of the bids.
The second is a silent auction that runs from the 6th to the 8th of February.
And the third is an on-line auction. This is the first time the Art Centre has auctioned art on-line. We set out below some of the questions – with answers – you might have. It can be kind of fun to look for an item you like and watch the bidding climb.
Bless your wee cotton socks; a delightful folk art ceramic by S. Merritt.
Each auction will offer 35 pieces – tying into the 35th anniversary of the Art Centre.
The on-line auction has already begun and will continue to February 7th. Slip over to the BAC website, register and begin looking at what has been put up for auction.
Doors will close on the silent auction and live previews at 5 pm on February 8. The pre-auction reception open to anyone with a ticket starts at 6 pm and offers a final chance to bid on silent auction items, while mingling and enjoying a drink and hors d’oeuvres before the live auction.
You’ll need a $40 ticket that lets you take part in both the silent and live auctions. That ticket gets you into a reception prior to the live auction on February 8.
The online auction at theBAC.ca/35online is ongoing until February 7 and already has bidding wars. Register now and join in.
Tickets can be purchased online at theBAC.ca/auction, by calling 905-632-7796, ext. 326, or at the Art Centre , 1333 Lakeshore Road in Burlington.
The Art Auction is a fundraiser for the Burlington Art Centre Foundation, in support of BAC programs.
Photographs are courtesy of the Burlington Art Centre and copyright is held by the artist. Seek their permission before using please.
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The BAC has the best collection of Canadian ceramics in North America.This bowl by Scott Barnim comes out of that tradition.
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B Darcy is offering this painting: Harvest time
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Pension day – the funds are in the bank if you’re using automatic deposit. If you’re on a fixed income then every dime counts. Walter Byj, our newest correspondent has discovered that the theatre prices are better in Burlington on Seniors’ Tuesday.
By Walter Byj
BURLINGTON, ON. January 29, 2013 Want to see the latest blockbuster movie at a price that feels decent and leaves you a couple of coins for popcorn? And you don’t know which theatre offers the best deal? I’ve some helpful tips for you.
Believe it or not, Burlington has better theatre prices on Seniors’ Tuesday than Oakville.
Pricing is not uniform in the theatre offerings. If you want to go to your local (Burlington) Cineplex theatre, know that if you are 14 to 64, the price for a ticket at the Silver City in Burlington is $11.50 while the same ticket is $12.25 at the Silver City at Oakville, a difference of $.75 per ticket.
The pricing for children and seniors is lower, at $8.99, for both theatres. Those prices don’t apply to Imax or 3D movies.
Some of those first dates were a trip to the movies – for seniors there are deals in Burlington on Tuesday’s.
Perhaps you want to go on a Tuesday night when prices are discounted. The pricing at the Silver City in Burlington is $6.99 for everyone, while at the Silver City in Oakville the ticket price is $7.25.
If an evening outing is not your style – there are afternoon presentations. Burlington does not do afternoon screenings except in July and August, vacation periods and school breaks
There are two additional theatres nearby that offer seniors’ discounts. The Ancaster Silver City where the admission price is $6.99 or to the former AMC theatres located in Mississauga. They are now known as Cineplex Odeon Winston Churchill Cinemas and the admission price is $7.50.
If you’re taking in a movie at one of the Cineplex locations (we call them Silver City in Burlington and Oakville) and you’re over 14, be sure that you sign up for a Scene card. It is free and offers a number of benefits. You will get 250 points when you initially get your card and will earn 100 points each time you purchase a ticket. Note that if you purchase a ticket for a child, you will get an additional 50 points. However, if you purchase a ticket with an accompanying adult, you will not get points for their ticket. Get a separate card for your wife – that way you both get points. You also earn points on concession purchases along with 10% discounts on movie snacks and 10% discount on Tuesday tickets.
There is another theatre in the Burlington/Oakville area that offers good prices: the Encore theatre , in Oakville on Speers Road. General admission is $9.00 while children and seniors pay $6.50 on a regular basis. On Tuesdays, everyone pays $6.00.
Walter Byj has been a Burlington resident since 1975. Raised in Brantford, a job at Dofasco brought him to the city and he has been here ever since. Walter “took the package” after 31 years with a consumer products company where his last position was as Sales Operations and Planning Manager. He serves as a volunteer tutor with the Literacy Council. Married with two children and the one grandchild, Walter and his wife usually cannot be reached on Tuesday – they’re at the movies.
BURLINGTON, ON January 29, 2013 Did you know that CoBALT Connects is the managing partner of the City of Burlington’s public art program? They are! And they are going to be “on hand this Thursday and Sunday at various Burlington locations with New Brunswick artist Peter Powning as he makes “Cultural Mulch” with the community’s prized possessions, turning those objects’ outlines into the bronze cast that will form the facade of his piece.
Jeremy Freiburger, the media friendly maestro who sent us this information about the Cultural Mulch might be the only person in the room – along with the artist of course, who we are looking forward to meeting.
The city does not appear to have spent as much as a dime promoting this event.
The Spiral Stella sculpture that is going to be placed outside the Performing Arts Centre is going to be around for at least 100 years – if this world lasts that long. Tens of thousands of people will look at it and see what we thought was important to us as a community to tell the story of our past.
Powning wants to take artifacts the people of Burlington bring in – make a mold and then a casting that will be used in the sculpture.
There have to be hundreds of people who have “stuff” in the attics or their basements that artist Peter Powning would like to consider.
Touchstone was above all a collaborative community enterprise. My idea of asking the community to take part in creating it’s own narrative was the germ of the project. By providing me with objects and artifacts that had a part in defining Canmore for them personally, people gave me the source material for the bronze relief that is at the core of this sculpture. I wanted to encourage community involvement.
But if people don’t bring out their artifacts – there won’t be anything to make a casting of and nothing for the public of the future to see.
At some point in the future there will be a tourist standing in front of the sculpture and asking: “Is that all this city has to show us about their past?”
Burlington has this annoying habit of getting the Mayor out there to have his picture taken every time there is a donation or an award being given. Last night he was at a table signing the Freeman Station Joint Venture document – a project he really didn’t get behind. At least we didn’t hear him say very much when the Friends of Freeman Station (FOFS) were struggling to find a home for the structure.
Peter Powning on site in Canmore, Alberta where he installed touch stone, a sculpture along the same lines as the planned work for Burlington.
Powning will be in Burlington so dig through the keep-sakes trunk and bring an object that matters to you. It’s a great way to be a part of the artistic process and to either contribute an object, or simply watch the process in action. Objects will not be damaged in the process, and will be returned after the mold is cast (about five minutes).
Sessions are on:
Thursday, January 31st: Burlington Public Library, Central Branch, 10 am to 3 pm
Thursday, January 31st: Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 7 pm to 9 pm
Sunday, February 3rd: Burlington Art Centre, 2 pm to 4 pm
BURLINGTON, ON January 31st, 2013 Looking for something a bit different to do with the family or grand-parents on a cold Saturday morning this winter? Bundle up the gang and head over to the TERRA Greenhouse on the north side of Dundas Street between Guelph Line and Brant Street.
Perfectly situated on the dividing line between North and South Burlington, the downtown lake-side crowd will be pleased that they don’t have to venture too far up into the ‘unknown hinterland’ of the escarpment. North Burlington country folk will be pleased that they don’t have to ‘dress up’ to descend into the tony suburbia of Burlington. This well-placed winter market is casual, inviting, and tasteful. Literally.
Large & lush TERRA Greenhouse welcomes vendors and visitors on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.
As you stamp off the snow from your boots, your tootsies will soon warm up in this well-heated sun-lit huge glass greenhouse. You’ll be welcomed by tasty samples of a wide range of delectable consumables, like raspberry-saturated truffles or mouth-watering bacon-smoked fresh salmon. Taste testing is encouraged by most vendors, but careful what you nibble. I had one mouthful of the smoked salmon pate and promptly plunked down ten dollars for a critical winter’s supply …
Smokeville’s husband-and-wife team offer mouth-watering smoked rainbow trout and a variety of delicious smoked salmon products.
Exotic highly spiced teas compliment a wide variety of freshly baked ‘local’ pastries. Hardy rustic uncut sour-dough bread loaves beckon, as do delicately decorated orange-chocolate cup-cakes. Fresh meat pies can be had with a quart of well-scrubbed late-harvest turnips or beets. And don’t forget to get your quota of concentrated sour cherry juice: an excellent all-round good health elixir.
A familiar face from the Burlington Mall summer market, this mother-daughter team offer concentrated sour cherry juice, guaranteed to fix what ails you.
Artfully arranged around the greenhouse’s bubbling fountain, strategic floral arrangements by TERRA green the space. Tables are stacked high with local wares by food and craft artisans. There’s really something for every taste. Yes, a tad more expensive then your local super-market, but frankly, it’s such a pleasing mish-mash of enticing stuff, you’ll soon find yourself enthusiastically supporting these local mum-and-pop enterprses.
Tired of standing? Rest your bones in the convenient festive TERRA garden furniture displays. You never know, you just might decide to re-do your summer patio. TERRA attendants are on hand to assist with your purchase if you do. I found their service helpful and informative, not pushy.
The Little Truffle Maker offers her wares. Taste testing is obligatory!
If you’re not interested in the excellent food produce, you can always sniff exotic expensive hand-crafted soaps or hand-made packets of room freshening lavender. Or, try on a well-knitted toque and scarf combo in a wide variety of joyful colours. Grab a budding cactus or ruby red orchid on route.
It’s always great when a new venture hits pay dirt. Timing is everything. Would this IDEA have worked two years ago? Hard to say. But today, the TERRA greenhouse on Dundas Street has a ‘hit’ on its hands. So much so, there’s talk of opening another Winter Market up in Milton.
Nothing succeeds like success. Without a doubt, this is a win-win venture. The TERRA greenhouse could well have remained dormant over the winter months, but this resourceful interpretation of ‘space’ welcomes all who seek an enjoyable and novel Saturday sojourn. Local food vendors now have a warm and inviting place to sell their specialty items without incurring a crushing overhead. Visitors won’t be disappointed. It is a festive and welcoming event.
Pies ‘n Such offered great gift packages of 5 tasty items for five dollars.
Do head over earlier rather then later. Doors open at 10am on Saturday and close at 3pm. The place was packed last Saturday by 10:30am.
The Winter Market runs until the end of March. Free parking. Free entry.
And don’t forget to try those FREE lip-smacking taste-testing morsels.
Don’t miss the Winter Market on Saturdays @ TERRA Greenhouse in North Burlington.
Margaret Lindsay Holton is both an environmentalist and a community activist. She is an artist of some renown and the designer of a typeface. She is also a photographer and the holder of opinions, which are her own, that she will share with you in an instant. She appears as an Our Burlington columnist every two weeks. All photographs are by MLH unless otherwise indicated.
BURLINGTON, ON January 29, 2013 Finally, the document was signed and the Friends of Freeman Station (FOFS) could get on with the task of moving the structure from its storage site the couple of hundred yards from where it sits beside the Fire Station on Plains Road to its restoration home on property they have rented from Ashland Oil.
The City of Burlington and The Friends of Freeman Station have signed a joint venture agreement that outlines the shared responsibility for relocating Freeman Station, the city’s historic train station.
Much of the railway level thinking that is part of the FOFS task, was done by the John Mellow, shown here talking to the Mayor. On the far right Reg Cooke. In between is Ron Steiginga , ther man at city hall who stick handled all the paper work between the city and a multinational corporation located in Burlington that owns the land. The Mayor signed the agreement on behalf of the city.
It has been a grind – but it’s done and now the team moves on to the next step. And it didn’t take this crowd long to get a move on. They signed contracts to move the building onto the new site and they signed a contract with the company that is going to oversee the actual restoration less than two hours after the agreement with the city was signed.
The building will get moved onto its new location and will then have the basement dug and put on its new foundation. The idea is to get the structure moved – it’s been sitting in sort of storage for far too long.
FOFS station expect to have the move done late in April
Freeman Station, built in 1906 by the Grand Trunk Railway, is being moved from the Burlington Fire Department headquarters on Fairview Road to corporately-owned land nearby, thanks to an agreement between the city, the Friends of Freeman Station and manufacturer Ashland Inc.
Signing what is called the Joint Venture Agreement – a JV in city hall lingo – is the start and the document sets out who is to do what, and, when and where the chips fall if and when the wheels fall of the venture.
James Smith, President of Friends of Freeman Station, and Mayor Goldring signed the agreement, which includes moving details and costs for the move, expected to take place in April or May. Further agreements are being negotiated to cover the restoration and operation of the station as an educational facility and community space.
JV’s are relatively new to the city – each organization out there using a city owned building or a structure on city owned land will have a Joint Venture agreement with the city. This practice is one that was introduced by General Manager Scott Stewart. ‘There was a time when the city had all kinds of agreements, some done on not much more than a handshake, with no one at city hall really know what was really going on.” That practice has stopped.
The city recently passed an evaluation framework for all Joint Venture operations – it will be a sort of report card type report – council wants that document ready for sometime late this year.
Getting the Freeman Station stabilized and then moved is what is going to occupy the FOFS crowd for the immediate future; then the fund-raising that is going to be needed to make it all possible.
Oddly enough – the even bigger step is to determine what they want to do with the building once it has been restored. Saving the structure has been the focus – and it has not been an easy task. Much of the credit for giving the FOFS station the time they needed to find a home for the building goes to Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster. It was their effort that convinced city council to give them more time. The city had totally screwed up the Stimulus grant it had gotten from the federal government and it looked as if the building was going to end up as kindling for someone’s fireplace.
The city ran an advertisement trying to get someone to just haul it away – even with that there were no takers. There were some less than generous comments made by a number of councillors during the debates on what to do with the building. Councillor Sharman’s behaviour was not one he will put in his resume.
All that is behind us – isn’t it – or will we see everyone on this Council taking credit for “saving” the Freeman Station?
Despite a council that couldn’t figure out a way to save the building it has now been saved and while the ceremonial signing of the Joint venture was a quiet event – it is a significant one for Burlington. Citizens moved in and took over when their council was unable to do what needed to be done; something that needs to be remembered. Citizens are the last resort.
From the left John Mellow, James Smith, tucked in behind him is Less Armstrong, then Mayor Goldring, then Brian Aasgaard, Councillor Blair Lancaster, Reg Cooke, Councillor Meed Ward and FOFS member Jacqui Gardner. This picture would never had been taken were it not for the work of Meed Ward and Lancaster. The Mayor was never a strong supporter of the idea – he just went along with the rest of council when he was just a member.
Now what – building is saved; it will be restored, expect the guys doing the job to provide the city with an exceptional restoration. The bring passion, energy and enthusiasm to the task.
Les Armstrong on the left knows better than many people in the city what it was like when the railway line ran along the edge of the Lake west of Spencer Smith Park. Armstrong talks with James Smith, president of the FOFS and a former candidate for the ward 5 seat at the council table. Is he gearing up for another shot at that brass ring?
While it will sit on a site that is far from where the station will eventually rest – the longer term challenge is to get the station into Beachway Park alongside the old railway embankment where it truly belongs.
That will take some effort on the part of FOFS but they have shown this city council, and this city, that they can get things done.
Their fund-raising drive will start soon – be generous, it is your heritage you’re paying for. A city that has struggled with what it wants to keep and doesn’t want to keep in terms of buildings took a big step in the right direction last night.
For Burlington to have a Heritage Advisory Committee that is doing great work and to also have a citizens committee that stepped in when its city council couldn’t put one foot in front of the other without tripping – this is a good day for Burlington. Celebrate!
The Friends of Freeman Station will be at the Burlington Heritage Fair, on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Burlington Central Library, 2331 New Street. Visitors can see pictures of Freeman Station, get updates on the big move, and view train-related artifacts. Supporters can buy a T-shirt or print of the station, became a member and sign up for email updates.
By Pepper Parr
