 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON January 8, 21013 Terry Reardon, historian and former Director of The International Churchill Society of Canada, introduces his bracing chronicle of the collaboration of two celebrated and very complex heads of state. Winston Churchill and McKenzie King.
For Churchillians – this is a must not miss event.
 While Canada is still not appreciated as the major player it was in conferences and on the battle fields of WWII – research is bringing to light the role we did play. Prime Minister McKenzie King was a part of two very significant conferences involving US president Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Terry Reardon will talk about the personalities of Churchill and King at the Central Library. With scholarly rigour and insight, Terry Reardon traces the intriguing similarities and the startling divergences in the background and prior achievements of both men, examining their alliance in riveting detail through the war years and after.
Terry Reardon speaks at the next Engaging Ideas lecture and discussion event, presented by A Different Drummer Books in partnership with Burlington Public Library, on Monday, January 21 at 7pm in Centennial Hall, Burlington Central Library.
Tickets are $10, available at the bookstore and at the third floor Information Desk at the Library. This should prove to be a very popular event; To reserve seats, please contact us at (905) 639 0925 or diffdrum@mac.com.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON January 7, 2012 You see him on the street from time to time; easel before him, fingerless gloves on his hands in the colder weather. Scott Thomas Anderson, a graduate of Central High in Burlington; graduate of Sheridan College and the Ontario College of Art and Design. Anderson added to that a Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Waterloo.
 Anderson uses what is known as a plein-air approach to his art. Years of study and hundreds of art shows later Anderson can now make the time to walk the streets of the city and record what he sees in oil. Anderson has done a dozen Juried Shows and came away with the Best of Show Award at two of them. We first saw Anderson while he was doing a painting of the Riviera Motel as the claws of an excavator were tearing down the walls of the building.
We next saw Anderson in front of the Queen’s Head where we were able to photograph him. So who is this young man who says he is “compelled to paint the landscape as it stands on the brink of change.”
 Where will this piece of art go? Whose wall will it hang on and what story will it tell 25-50 years from now. With art – one just never knows – that’s why people collect it. “Souvenirs” explains Anderson, “ represent dying values. My paintings are an attempt to collect the views overlooked by the majority, who prefer the topography of the future. Using the plein-air tradition that affords me an autonomous immediacy, in order to better experience the spatial relationships which the landscape reveals to my senses.”
“The architectural loose ends I depict are the ruins of a society, or the remains of the canon, which have been lost to the bustle of life without integrity.”
That’s a point of view – well thought out. What impressed me was the painting. Perhaps we will see Anderson in an exhibit at the Burlington Art Centre and hopefully as part of the Art in Action tour next fall. Anderson is an artist worth keeping an eye on.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON January 6, 2013 You live in Burlington; you shopped and therefore you shopped at the malls. I didn’t know Burlington had that many cars until I went looking for a place to park at Mapleview Mall Christmas Eve day – but I found a spot and, as is my habit, did all my shopping in less than an hour – knew what I wanted to buy and where it was being sold. Then I strolled along the different levels and saw a few things I had not thought of and that was my Christmas Shopping – done.
 You didn’t pick up much Christmas spirit along this stretch of Brant Street if you walked along it during the holiday. Earlier in the week I had occasion to be on lower Brant Street and wondered what had happened. There was nothing to suggest that it was Christmas – well yes, there were those pitiful little lights on the street lamp poles. Even Civic Square had a lackluster look to it – until the lights were on and then it looked decent enough.
I thought perhaps it was just the bottom of Brant Street that had been ignored – so walked north to Caroline and then on up to Prospect – and it was even more grim.
So what’s with this phrase we use about having a “vibrant” downtown core that is a pleasant place to shop and meet with friends?
 Once the location for one of the better “hotels” in town this Emshih property doesn’t have even a Christmas twig on it. The pictures that accompany this article show precious little in the way of Seasonal decoration – with the exception being the works who showed some creativity.
Last year the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) held a contest for the best displays – several of which were very innovative, Especially the one done up by the condo sales agency on Lakeshore. Did that competition get cancelled this year?
Even with the contest last year, lower Brant didn’t look all that well then either. Emshih Developments owns a number of the properties along Brant; one would have hoped they would put some of the profits back into the community. They found it useful to financially support the Mayor’s One Dream that we are told we will hear more about sometime in January.
 The opportunity to do something really spectacular with this storefront was lost to one of the reputedly better marketers in the city. This was embarrassing.  The Works, a new franchise in town that created a buzz on their opening day by offering a free burger. They have the most innovative storefront look of the Season. Is that because they are new and don’t know any better – Burlington doesn’t appear to “do” Christmas.  It didn’t get any better when you got off Brant Street. One would have thought that a pub with the name Dickens would have taken the spirit of the season in its teeth and done the place up really nice. They opted to spend twenty bucks on stuff from the dollar store. Can you feel the vibrancy?  The Downtown Business Association used to support this effort financially – they had to cut back – Burlington Hydro took up the slack. So what is it that BDBA does for their members? The BDBA had to tell the Festival of Lights people that the $5000 donation they traditionally made to that organization, which sets up the lights that are dotted throughout Spencer Smith Park and along Lakeshore Road would not be forthcoming in 2012. Fortunately Burlington Hydro came to the rescue.
During the Car Free Sunday last summer that saw Brant Street closed to traffic so that people could stroll the streets and ride bicycles in complete safety and shop if they wished – there were stores that didn’t bother to open. There were people at the Caroline – Brant Street intersection close to spitting nickels because of the traffic delays – had they known this was all to aid the objective of getting people out of their cars – and that some stores didn’t open; one wonders how they would have applied the word vibrant to that situation?
There seems to be a mis-alignment here. Is the BDBA an organization that has lost its drive or purpose? Anyone within the BDBA boundary pays a tax levy whether they like it or not. Are they getting value for what they are paying?
Those retailers also pay into a parking levy which in lieu of providing on site parking. That parking levy was used by the Bridgewater development on Lakeshore as the plank on which they built their argument about not having to provide parking space – instead they would pay into the levy just the way other downtown core business people do. With 150 + hotel rooms and two condo’s – there is going to be a parking need. A problem brewing there that someone at Planning hasn’t thought through.
The restaurants were doing a very brisk business on the Thursday and Friday leading up to the start of the seasonal holiday for city hall. Impossible to get a parking spot in the lot off Elizabeth Street.
In the fall the city held a Downtown Workshop that filled the Art Centre as people listened to a consultants report and took part in exercises where they got to trot out their ideas and visions. All good stuff – we suppose but one can`t see any new ideas on our main downtown streets.
Is it even possible to grow our downtown to the point where it is a busy, vibrant, profitable place for retail and serviced people to locate?
Sheila Bottin, the Deloitte consultant the city has hired to advise on what kind of commercial office space can be built on the John Street and Elizabeth Street parking lots has told the city to “forgetaboutit” – developers can’t get the rents they need to cover the cost of providing those underground parking places. And no one is going to take a bus downtown – they would rather take the GO into Toronto.
 Brian Dean, Executive Director of the BDBA works his tail off for his association. Is he beating a dead horse The Village Square is up for sale with much gnashing of teeth on the part of the public, or so we are told, but the location no longer works for many retailers. There was a time when it was THE hot spot in the city but some less than wise management practices resulted in many restaurants fleeing to Brant Street where rents were more manageable. Brian Dean, president of the BDBA, will tell you the biggest favour Jack Friedman, owner of Village Square, did for him was when he revised the rental agreements: “those people moved to Brant Street suddenly the downtown core had a future.
But that future is stymied. Management mistakes by others are not what one builds a business plan on. Dean is tireless in his work for his association – it would be nice to see his association members doing as much for themselves as he does for them. Perhaps Dean has done all he can do and someone else should take the helm? Something isn’t working.
Jody Wellings has toiled tirelessly at city hall on the city’s core commitment and never fails to bring a positive attitude to the job – but there don’t appear to be any solutions that are gaining traction. What is it we’re missing here?
Brant Street is a great place to be during the Sound of Music but RibFest and the Children’s Festival don’t do much for the retailers.
It might be too early to tell if the Performing Arts Centre has had the hoped for impact on the restaurant business. Melodia Mediteranean Cuisine and Bar opened and is getting decent reviews but Prime Rib announced a move from Brant around the corner to Locust, a stone throw from the Performing Arts Centre close to a year ago and it has yet to open its doors.
We’ve not seen solid attendance and audited numbers from the PAC people yet, so we don’t know what the attendance has been. The line-up has been impressive but everyone knew, or should have known, that it was going to be a long painful labour getting the place to the point where it had created a market for live entertainment and a following for specific kinds of entertainment.
 For a retailer that sells poinsettias by the truck load this is just not a Christmas look. The feel of Brant Street is in the hands of the retailers; they decide what they want to do to their store fronts. If they are bare and uninviting – people stay away. Yes, parking is a problem but it doesn’t take long to get a parking spot, just some patience. But one needs a reason to go downtown – and if the storefronts are as dowdy as they were in the photographs we took – heck I’ll drive to Oakville, which by the way got written up in a Toronto electronic magazine as the place with the nicest Christmas feel to it on the main street.
Mayor Goldring’s former Chief of Staff, Frank McKeown, may have figured out the solution when he said “Forever Elvis” will work. If all else fails – perhaps?
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON December 30, 2012 Some years ago I attended an Outward Bound Leadership program on Hurricane Island, 75 miles off the coast of Maine, in May. To this day a bitter-sweet memory reverberates to the core of my bones of our daily 2.5 mile run around the island. The daybreak run ended with a sense-defying leap from a 20 foot high wood platform into the swirling chilling seawater below. If you weren’t awake by the end of that brutal cross-island sprint, that early May plunge sure did open your peepers.
There’s a lot to be said for ‘group think’ … Not one person from our group of 20 ever refused to go on that run or take that jump. Even Madge, a retired postal worker from Boston, who had never learned how to swim, leaped. She was always the last to go over. As we ran past, she would put on a bulky life-preserver, stand jittering at the edge, and then jump, arms and legs akimbo. Up she’d bounce sputtering and thrashing, gasping for air.
It quickly became a point of honor to be the last one to leap just before she did. The last jumper would stay in the water to accompany her dog paddle back to shore. Her fearlessness and her determination to ‘JUST DO IT’ certainly did inspire many of us lesser mortals. That’s the sweet part of the memory.
The bitter part? That ocean sure was friggin’ FREEZING. It’s lucky none of us had a heart-attack on impact. No joke. (Seriously, what person in their right mind would shock their body systems in this way???)
 Brave souls – I guess.
Photo credit: Polarbear.ca So, it with a mixture of both admiration and incredulous disbelief I am pleased to report that Polar Bear Dips on the first day of the New Year are alive and well at several points around Lake Ontario. New Years Day events are planned at Port Dover, Toronto, Port Hope, Kingston and Newcastle. Many crazy Canucks are gathering lakeside to gingerly run over the snow, break through the ice, and dive in. (Nuts eh?)
 Is our columnist expecting to see a crowd on Burlington Beach New Year’s Day? Nuts is right. No Polar Bear Dip ‘officially’ planned as of yet … Probably the best known, and certainly the best promoted, is the Polar Bear Dip at Coronation Park, just outside of our Burlington city limits, off Lakeshore Blvd, going east towards Toronto. Founded (appropriately) by brothers Todd and Trent COURAGE, these hardy gents have been leading the charge for 27 years. To date, they have raised nearly 1 million dollars to support World Vision’s water works in both Tanzania and Rwanda. (Not too shabby for a bunch of NUTS!!) Courage Polar Bear Dip 2012 video.
Their event has turned into quite a hyped media event. Today, you can also follow twitter hashtags: #milliondollardip, #polarbeardip or follow the events from a web site Or watch archival video on YouTube.
This year there will be a judged costume event, a hot tub soak after-the-fact, live music by Whaling. and a post-plunge bash at the Tin Cup in Oakville. Pledges and registration continue up until approximately 1:30 pm on the day of the event, with the ‘dip’ occurring – en masse – at 2pm. Expected ‘dippers’ this year? 500 to 800. (Nuts, eh? ) So, if you can’t quite buck up the courage to dive headlong into crashing stone-cold waves, you can always congratulate and financially support these fun-loving and foolhardy types who do.
As an afterthought, this Christmas card sort of sums up the blind faith and courage that veteran Polar Bears routinely exhibit. Makes wonderful nonsensical sense, don’t it?
Mark your calendars now for next year’s dip: January 1st, New Years Day. Volunteer from terra firma. Or just sit back and watch REAL Polar Bears do their thing LIVE from the warm comfort of your home –
Happy New Year.
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.
Editor’s note: One must observe that our columnist doesn’t say if her “admiration and incredulous disbelief” applies to her personal plans for New Year’s Day.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. December 24, 2012 There will be two new structures in this city of ours in the first half of this year. One will be a full four stories tall and will alter the skyline seen from Spencer Smith Park and put the Skyway Bridge into a different perspective. Burlington will have its own structure.
The other will be a piece of public art outside the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The pier will have cost us a small fortune and when the true price and the full story of how the pier got built is known, some of the pride we deserve will slip away – but the pier will be there for the next hundred years and will shed the “mistake on the lake” moniker it was given during its darkest days.
 DetailosWe have a view of Hamilton on our skyline – once the pier is completed and the four storey node is in place there will be a different view of Burlington from Hamilton. when the Bridgewater 22 storey condominium is completed in 2015 Hamilton will see a much different Burlington. Sometime in, perhaps late March, a truck will glide into the city with what amount to a four story structure tightly strapped into place. That structure will be the “node” that will be set out on the pier. The “node” (it does need a better name doesn’t it?) was to have a wind turbine on top but that got thrown under the bus by a city council that plainly did not completely understand how the turbine was going to supply the power that would light up the pier at night. Director of Engineering Tom Eichenbaum dropped the ball on that one and had his city manager apologizing for a less than expected performance.
Cancelling the wind turbine part of the pier allowed numerous other costs to get hidden – we tell you how city hall pulled that one off below.
This part is a good news story. The steel beams are now all in place; the concrete deck will have been poured. Given the kind of winter we appear to be having the construction team can get more work done than they expected.
 When in place the “node” will rise four storeys above the deck of the pier. There will be a set of stairs up the side of the node to get people to an observation deck. Rising out of the observation deck will be a decorative tower that will have LED lights on it. The original plan called for a turbine to be atop the tower but that got cut – mostly because city council didn’t under just how the turbine was going actually save money; long story. The node, which will be circular, will have a stairway going up the side that will allow the public to get up a little higher and see further out into the lake and more of the southern edge of the city. The observation deck won’t be very big and once wedding parties become aware of it you may never get a chance to get on the stairs – they will be used all the time to photograph brides with their grooms. It is going to be quite spectacular.
Soaring above the observation deck will be an long oval shape that was to contain the shaft that would have transmitted power from the wind turbine down to the electrical room that is built into the pier on the east side. That by the way is the room that had – maybe it is still has – the meters that were to measure the amount of electricity the wind turbine. That oval part of the structure is now purely decorative. The failure to deliver on the turbine left a black mark on the city, it’s mayor and his environmental aspirations – he apparently chose not to walk his talk on this porject.
 The construction of the pier ran into problem after problem; a crane that fell over and revealed that sub-standard steel was being used. Then the purchase of steel that failed to meet standards and finally steel from two suppliers that was acceptable. The city just didn’t want any more “mistakes” and so brought in some of the tightest “quality control” and “quality assurance” protocols the construction industry has seen. Above are the markings made by quality control people on one of the steel beams. Every weld on every beam was inspected. Because of all the past construction failures the city is spending a fortune on quality control and quality assurance and to some degree slowing down the work the construction team needs to get done – but that doesn’t matter one hoot – the city is not going to let anyone get sloppy and have another accident on their hands. Cost be damned – the tax payers are just going to have to suck it up and pay the bill – but the pier will get built and it will open to great fanfare.
The drawings for the hand rails that will line each side of the pier have been or are about to be approved; any last minute changes needed for the node are being done. Come the new year construction will begin and the rails will be shipped and then attached to the deck.
The guys that get things done at city hall have moved out of the “ready for the next crisis” stage they were in and are now talking about just how they can really make a “boffo” event of the Official opening.
There are a number of community service organizations getting ready to talk to the city about the role they can play in the opening. People in Burlington are clearly moving from wondering if we really should continue to try and complete the pier and are approaching the point where they are taking ownership of the structure. We should see less of those “this is an outrage” letters to the editor that get published.
There is a lot to be outraged about. Every couple of weeks the city published an Update on where things are with the pier construction. This document got created because the public was screaming mad over not being fully informed and there was no one focal point for news and information about the pier.
The document usually gets trotted out at the end of the Development and Infrastructure Committee meetings and there isn’t much discussion – unless there is a problem, which was certainly the case when the decision to not include the turbine in the project was made. There is a line in the most recent Update report that reads like this:
PMT is adhering to the Council approved process regarding approved change work orders. PMT is the Project Management Team.
When the decision was made not to include the wind turbine that meant there was a savings – right? Well, not really. The money saved is kept on the books as it were. Sort of like a credit that can be used to offset any debits that come along.
Thus, when there is a “change work order” the cost of that order is taken out of the credit that was created when the city decided not to proceed with the building of the wind turbine.
A change work order is created when the owner of the project – that’s you and I, wants to contractor to do something different – make a change. Contractors love change work orders – that means more revenue for them. ‘You want another thingy put in here – no problem, just give us a change work order and we will have that in there as fast as you can say Cam Jackson.’
The cancellation of the wind turbine created a pretty big credit that s slowly being used up. That credit is what allows the city to say in each update that the pier is on time and on budget – which technically it is.
Ya just gotta love the way these things get done don’t ya?
Look for some significant announcements, probably late in January on a community group that will play a large part in the opening of the pier.
If you happen to be in city hall, which is closed for the holidays, you will see a piece of art work with hand prints on a piece of canvas. Those hand prints were part of the Lasting Impressions event that took place a number of months ago when the city took the first step of a public process that was created to involve the citizens of the city more closely in the creation of the pier. It was time to have the public made a part of the structure and who better than the very young people – they are the ones who are going to bear the tax load that pays for the thing – and the costs aren’t all accounted for yet.
Set in a very prominent part of the pier will be a platform that has a couple of hand prints cast in metal along with part of the story of the pier. The city has to be given credit for taking an idea that was passed along to them and developing an event that was the beginning of the shift from looking at problems to beginning to see the pier as something that will significantly enhance the waterfront.
There is going to be another enhancement – the public art that is to be placed outside the Performing Arts Centre on Locust Street just to the west of city hall.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 24, 2012 There is going to be another enhancement to the city – the public art that is to be placed outside the Performing Arts Centre on Locust Street just to the west of city hall will be announced very soon. You probably won’t hear anything about this until city hall re-opens – the politicians will want to milk this announcement as much as they can. The last public art announcement fell kind of flat..
A committee was created to judge the submissions from artists from North American as well as at least one from Europe (we don’t want to be seen as at all provincial now do we?) and a decision has been made. The city is now getting the last of the drawings and preparing to negotiate the contract.
 The In the Round submission is far more complex, and intriguing, than evident in this picture. That globe graphic is made up of more than 15,000 small figurines. Interesting approach but the location and the height of the art will need some consideration.  The Spiral will be 16 feet tall and include in the bronze casting artifacts from the community that could well make this one of the most intriguing pieces of art in the city.  The Cooke-Sasseville submission is certainly the most colourfull of the three. How will the bright colours stand up to weather over the long haul?
Cobalt Connection, knows which side of its bread the butter is on, and do everything through the city hall. And city hall hasn’t been saying very much about this project recently.
While it is the city that is overseeing the project, the art is going to be part of the Performing Arts Centre and they’ve not said anything publicly recently either.
Much of the project is being funded by Dan Laurie, a local insurance broker, who just wants to see the art work put in place – he’s the guy paying for much of the thing and last we heard he wasn’t all that happy about the way he was being treated.
Clearly there is more to be learned about who the artist is going to be and when the art will actually be in place. We thought the art was going to be placed on the plaza that is right outside the large glass eastern wall. Apparently the art is going to be quite a bit closer to the street, which happens to be directly above an oil pipeline that runs through the city. Art in front of the Performing Arts Centre is a great place. We thought the orchids could have gone here.
More when we know more.
 About two years ago Brenda Heatherington was hired to run the Performing Arts Centre which was under construction when she had her first business cards printed up.
One of her objectives was to introduce Burlington to performances it had not seen in the past. Quality programs were available in Hamilton and Toronto, which is where parents would go year after year with their children to see the Nutcracker.
Heatherington wanted to introduce Burlington to the classics and to bring in popular groups she would use to develop an audience in Burlington. How is she doing so far? Too early to tell – creating an audience is a slow process that requires an ability to read the interests of the community and at the same time know when you can push them a little and offer something they’ve not been exposed to before. That takes time, it means taking some risks and hoping you get it right more often than you get it wrong. The public tends to remember just the clunkers – not the productions that do close to sold out business.
Heatherington is going to need three full years before the city is convinced she got it right. During that time funding requests will be higher than city council is prepared to swallow and that’s when the tension between city hall and the Performing Arts Centre becomes measurable.
Heatherington relies on box office sales and feedback from the public. She never has any difficulty with the naysayers, who describe the building as a “nice to have”. She doesn’t get too many occasions to hear from the people who try something for the first time and leave the building pleasantly pleased.
A few weeks ago Walter Byj wrote us and asked if he could review the Nutcrakcer that was coming to the city. BAJ had absolutely no experience reviewing and knew nothing about ballet – all that became evident when he submitted his review which appears below with very little editing.
Byj’s efforts reflects the growth of different audiences in Burlington for artistic productions that have not been available until the Centre opened October 1, 2011 when Royal Wood took to the stage for the first “tickets for sale event. Prior to the first performance, Denise Walker, the first person to appear on the stage thanked the public during two “Thank you Very Much events when the public got a chance to tour the building, have a drink and chat with friends at tables set out in the Family Room. It was the first part of the soft launch the theatre board decided to use to introduce the public to the place.
By Walter Byj
BURLINGTON, ON December 19, 2012 How does a sports fan prepare when planning to attend his first ballet? Being open minded would be the first step followed by some preparation. The initial step would be to know exactly what a ballet is. You would not ask a novice to watch a sporting event without first describing a brief overview of the sporting event. The same can be said when attending an artistic event. So, it is time to learn something about ballet.
 A classic Christmas performance that has introduced millions of children to the world of ballet. The word ballet originated with the Greek word ballizo which means to dance, to jump about. Ballet originated in the 15thcentury in Italy during the renaissance. The style then spread to France and Russia and evolved into a performance or concert dance which is intended for an audience. There is much more background, but this is a good start. Next, you would need to pick a ballet. Well, being the Christmas season, there is a ballet that is synonymous with the Christmas season, The Nutcracker. The name is familiar as it is advertised annually in the entertainment pages and some of the music has become a Christmas standard. Also, the music was written by a musician that we have all heard about, P. Tchaikovsky. Now that I have determined the title of my first ballet, I then need to pick a location. Although it is playing in Toronto during the Christmas holidays, I opted to attend the performance at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre which featured the State Ballet of Russia performance of the Nutcracker. It was close to home, 15 minutes away, and the parking was free.
 The soldiers were smartly dressed in the uniforms strutting about the stage. I am now sitting in the theatre which by the way is quite pleasant. An intimate theatre with 718 comfortable seats, it offers everyone good sightlines. The curtain is now rising and the first act is to begin.
Having read the program prior to the beginning of the show, I am aware of the story that envelopes the ballet. That is a good thing as there is no speaking during the performance and you need interpret what is happening via the dance moves. This is like watching a live silent movie in colour. And speaking of colour, there is plenty of that both in the sets and the costumes. I could go into great detail as to the story in the first act, but I prefer a quick overview. It takes place in a rich man’s house with a bunch of kids being entertained by a magician. He brings to life a number of mechanical dolls who dance for a bit until their mechanism is exhausted. He then presents another toy, an ugly nutcracker that only the resident girl (Masha) seems to enjoy. After the frivolity has ended and everyone goes home, the little girl of the house, Masha falls asleep and has a very strange dream. Her mansion is attacked by a horde of mice that are lead by the Mouse King.
 The drama, the melancholy – somehow we never tire of the performances – and when we see enough of them we get to the point where we can be critical and compare. The Performing Arts Centre is growing just that kind of audiences. But do not fear, the mice are eventually driven away by the Nutcracker and his army of tin soldiers although it was a great thrown shoe by Masha at the Mouse King that helped the Nutcracker claim victory. In fact, he was so happy and grateful that he turned into a handsome prince and Masha changed from a young girl into a beautiful lady. Shortly thereafter, the first act ended.
The second act is comprised of celebratory dancing which encompasses Spanish, Chinese and Russian dancers. It is here where the Sugar Plum Fairy appears.
However, as daylight approaches, Masha awakens and is now a little girl again and her prince has vanished. The ballet is over.
 A tug of war over someone’s affections? Did I enjoy The Nutcracker? I did. Was it worth attending? It was. The music was entertaining in a peaceful sort of way. There is no doubt why the music of Tchaikovsky has lasted for over 100 years and will continue so for the next 100 years. It is easier to comment on the quality of the music as I hear various types of music on a constant basis and am able to discern what I believe to be good music. As to the actual performance of the dancers, it is much more difficult to comment as this is the only ballet that I have seen. Is this troupe as good as the Bolshoi Ballet? I don’t know. I am not sophisticated enough at this moment to observe intelligently. Did they put on a show that I enjoyed? Yes they did. Did the rest of the audience enjoy the performance? It appears that they did although one member of the audience was spending a certain amount of time on her smart phone. Was she bored or was she texting everyone as to how great the show is?
 Millions of little girls around the world dreamed of being a Sugar Plum Fairy – and then there they were on the stage of the Performing Arts Centre. Would I go to another ballet? It is hard to say, maybe Swan Lake, another Tchaikovsky ballet.
This production was slightly less than two hours including intermission although I have read that some performances can be up to two and half hours. This performance timeline is appropriate for a novice as any much longer might start to be monotonous. If the Nutcracker comes around again next year, by all means do attend. It is a unique event and any new experience is an experience worth having.
Brenda Heatherington has a new customer. How many more Walter’s does she have? She knows and in time the rest of us will know if Heatherington and her staff have managed to develop the several audiences that exist in the city but may not know what it means to have a professional, high quality performing arts centre in their city. Walter Byj knows.
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON December 18, 2012 The internet is changing us. It permeates nearly every aspect of our conscious lives. It is altering not only the way we think, but the way we perceive the world: past, present, future and dream-time too. Cumulatively, this is both a good and a bad thing.
But now is not the time to digress on a strident polemic ‘pro’ or ‘con’. Rather, in the short term, (and since you’re here anyway), consider these viral internet Christmas ‘treats’. To be sure, none would have the success they have had without our perpetual ‘clicks’ or ‘hits’. — Ho Ho. Surf’s up. (Remember to adjust your audio as you skip the adverts … )
 Author Margaret Lindsay Holton spent hour upon hour finding the gems that are set out below. I’m not sure why she included those terrible chipmunks in her selection but there are others that are superb. Enjoy Christmas Lights: GANGNAM style. 2 million hits, and counting. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)
Amazing Grace: Christmas Lights. Another festive folly at 23 million hits.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: an adapted Pachabel’s Canon. Visuals include a few cheesy velvet paintings, but hey, who cares, it has near 4 million hits.
Again, Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Nutcracker Suite (like you’ve NEVER seen or heard it.) Not as well known, but still pretty impressive at 250,000+ hits and climbing.
‘Santa Baby’ by The Good Lovelies (audio only) from Kingston Ontario. Obscure, with 4,000 hits, but delightful just to listen to their lovely harmonies.
Chipmunks Christmas: Jingle Bell Rock (audio only.) Ok, ok, it’s a stationary cartoon, but it’s still had 3 million hits. (Clearly many miss these delightful little animated high-pitched rascals…. )
 The internet certainly lets you get all the Ho!, Ho! Ho! you could ever want. Is there more? Christmas Carols by the Westminster Abbey Choir. Lovely choral arrangement with 118,000 hits. Not much of a visual, but again, this majestic music does impress, even on the web.
‘O Holy Night’ by Carrie Underwood. Guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, with the added bonus of sing-a-long script (… pity about the ‘devine/divine’ typos though.) The poor script and visual design may explain the surprisingly meager 124,000 hits.
A ten minute cosy wood-crackling fire with 2.5 million hits. (Time now for you to supply the Hot Rum Toddies or spiked egg nog.)
 Let us not give Santa all the credit for the Season. There was someone amongst us long before the sales people invented Santa Claus. There is a real reason for the Season Why all this ‘feel-good’ webby Christmas fuss? Well, seriously, there was this child born approximately 2012 years ago. The Story of Jesus Christ: Full Length Movie (2 hours). With a paltry 214 hits.
Draw your own conclusions …
Merry Christmas One and All.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 16, 2012 The event doesn’t take place until January but you need to reserve your space BEFORE Christmas – and the event has nothing to do with the Season. But the event will be of great interest to many parents.
The opportunity comes from the Halton Red Cross’ Youth Action Council. Peter Hodgson, Chair, Halton Area Branch Council, Canadian Red Cross asks: “If you are a young person, are related to a young person, was once a young person, wish you are a young person or once saw a young person” , then this invitation is for you! Sign up now and join us on January 12th. And spread the word to your friends and family.
 Red Cross Halton Youth Action council presentation. “Many of us have either been directly or indirectly affected by bullying:, said Hodgson. The Canadian Red Cross RespectED Program aims to prevent abuse, bullying, violence and sexual exploitation.
We are the Canadian Red Cross Halton Youth Action Council. We support RespectED and we would like to invite you to our event to raise funds for this program. How can YOU help? Come to our Movie Matinee!
The movie: Ice Age: Continental Drift, which will be shown at the Silvercity Oakville Cinemas; 3531 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, Ontario – Saturday January 12, 2012 – 9 am – 12 pm
If you’re interested please email Andrew.little@redross.ca to confirm attendance, or for more information
This is a Youth inspired and organized initiative. Please support us, as we support RespectED, which supports us all.
So here is what this is about. The kids came up with the idea; they chose a movie that is popular, a little out of the ordinary, certainly not one of those action packed – how many people got killed? – films that are box office smashes. Instead the kids picked an exceptionally well done animated film about something interesting, highly entertaining and at the same times reflects on just where are we going with global warming and how did the continents get formed anyway?
If you’ve got a kid in the house that has gained the capacity to be thoughtful about others – let that young person meet with other young people who hold similar interests.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 11, 2012 The United Way keeps coming up with ways to raise the $7.1 million they need to meet the needs of those who can’t get by on what they earn. For some it is that simple – they can’t afford to live.
While the poor struggle or those experiencing a difficult time struggle most of the rest of us are out there spending; buying Christmas gifts and getting ready for that time of year merchants depend on to meet their revenue targets.
Many of us will be at the Burlington Mall this weekend buying something for someone else. We might be getting a special gift for someone we seldom see and would like to make it just that much nicer. Wrapping up a gift real fancy takes time – so get someone else to do it for you.
On Thursday, the 13th, local celebrities will be at the Burlington Mall wrapping gifts for you. They smile at you, you smile back at them. You might even ask for an autograph if you’re so inclined.
When the gift is wrapped someone will ask you for some money, you give it to them it goes to the United Way and they give it to someone else.
Pretty simple business model.
So there you are – you can be part of a process that distributes the wealth and at the same time give a gift that will make someone happy.
At the Burlington Mall on Thursday the 13th of December from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – not all at the same time, but certainly during the day the following “celebrities” will be on hand to wrap your gift.
Burlington Mall
• Local media celebrities confirmed to date:
o Connie Smith, Always Good News
o Melissa Forsyth, KX 94.7 fm
o Sunni Genesco, K-Lite fm
o Lesley Stewart, CH Morning Live
o Hamilton Tiger-Cat Player(s)
o Annette Hamm, CH Morning Live
o Nicola Jones, CH Morning Live
o Nick Dixon, CHC News
o Shawn Cowan, CHCH News
o Linda Rourke, Cable 14
o Kate Lane, Cable 14
o Diana Matheson, Olympic Bronze Medalist
Thursday the 13th of December from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – keep it in mind.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 8, 2012 You will have missed the event this year but you will not want to miss it next year when Ireland House, part of the Museums Burlington operation puts on their Taste of Christmas Past event.
The event was as close to sold out as you are going to get and when those who were at Ireland House last Friday evening tell their friends, Barb Teatero, Executive Director of the Museum’s operation, is going to want to schedule the event for at least two evenings next year.
 All the food was made on the premises using recipes from the period of time the Ireland Farm house was built. It was an evening to sample different Christmas foods as you strolled from room to room. There was not only food but period beverages as well. The Figgy Pudding was delightful and you are not going to get to taste Parsnip Soup this good anywhere in this city.
Later in the week we will publish the recipes; the smarter restaurants in town will be snapping those up.
As soon as you entered the 1840”s farm house you were served a glass of wine and then guided to either the Interpretive Room where Michelle Gatien told you more than you ever wanted to know about a Christmas Dinner.
When you got to the farm house you were treated to Cayenne Cheese Crackers, Sugar cookies, Hot Rum Toddies and Mince Tarts. Scones with a carrot jam that was very interesting.
There was sherry, brandy, Festive Wassail and Mulled Cider. The place was packed yet it was still relatively easy to get around.
 A group of young people played Christmas Carols in the basement kitchen; one couple used the occasion to dance to the music, it was that kind of an evening. All the food items were from recipes researched by Brianne Crites, Brant Museum curatorial assistant and from the period during which Ireland House was built. Several of the recipes came from Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management 1861.
 The gowns were absolutely gorgeous; the music on a period instrument was very different and pleasant as well. The singing was as good as it gets. There were several youths in the basement kitchen playing their violins as well as a superb group upstairs, the Pearls of Time who sang and played period instruments. The two woman, Judy Morphet and Susan Snelley, will be at the Different Drummer Bookstore on December 16th – 3:00 pm. Call the bookstore to reserve a ticket.
 Father Christmas was on the farm house porch inviting guests to reach into his gift bag. The Tasting event is the best thing Ireland House has done this year. The staff have every reason to be extremely pleased with how well it went.
This is going to be a “premium event” next year.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 6, 2012 There is only one William Shatner! He will be live on Stage at Hamilton Place this Saturday. Two presentations; one at 2:00 pm and one at 8:00 pm. If you`re a true, true fan you might want to do both.
 If you’re a United Way supporter there is $10 off the ticket price for you. Shatner is supporting the United Way with this event.
He`s one of a kind, a funny man with a stage presence you don`t see all that often any more.
While the United Way has passed the 50% level – that second half is seldom easy. This is the time of year we are all in spending mode – think UW as you dole out those dollars.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 The city has plans to help you keep your kids active, engaged and entertained this winter break with camps and programs for children and teens.
The programs run from December 27, 2012 to Jan. 4, 2013.
There are many activities to choose from:
 If we get some snow – the kids just might be able to enjoy a Canadian winter – before Christmas? Holiday Drop-In Family Gym – Drop by the gym and enjoy active time with your child
Festive Fun – Four days of seasonal crafts, songs and activities for your preschooler to enjoy
Holiday Mini Blast – Let your child use their imagination – games, crafts and much more!
Holiday Junior Blast Daily swimming, gym time, outdoor activities, crafts and more
 No snow? There are always swimming pools. Check out the available programs and register for a spot. Holiday Junior Blast – Special guests, daily swimming, active gym time and more
Holiday Outdoor Opportunity Blast – Creative and fun program for teens with disabilities – special guests, daily swimming, active gym time and much more
Extended Care Holiday Blast – Extended Care is available for all Tansley Woods Holiday Blast programs
Youth, eight to 16 years, old looking for programs offered in the city can choose between:
Holiday Tripper Blast – Trips every day: laser tag, movies, rock climbing and an indoor water park
Home Alone – Prepares children to stay home alone or with a sibling for a short period of time
Babysitters’ Training – Youth will be trained in childcare, child development, safety, their rights and responsibilities and more
To register, call 905-335-3131 or visit www.burlington.ca/recexpress.
The full list of the City of Burlington’s activities during the Winter Break.
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON December 6, 2012 When we were young, my father built-up a landscaped train set on a ping pong table in the basement for my brother and me (and him) to play with. We tinkered away at it for several years: adding scenes, rail cars, quaint little buildings and funny little critters (my speciality!). There is something intoxicating about crafting miniature anything that suits all imaginations.
Unhappily, all came to a rather untimely end when one exuberant younger member of our family decided to pull out all the wires from the switching box when no-one was looking. These were ceremoniously given to dad with an enthusiastic ‘Choo! Goo! Choo!’ Dad never did get around to re-wiring the set, and that was that. Nonetheless, I have always had a fond attraction for the intricacy and sophistication of ‘toy’ model trains. It is an enthusiasm shared by many, included most of those of the Burlington Model Railway Club.
 “Our intent is to create the illusion of a REAL train, not a TOY one!” huffed one gray-haired veteran of the Burlington Model Railway Club. These dedicated elders, in conjunction with the Central Ontario Garden Railway Association
And the RBG, have invited Paul Busse, principal ‘tinkerer’ of Applied Imagination
from Alexandria Kentucky, to their annual Model Train exhibit at the Royal Botantical Gardens. In opposition to their more conventional exacting efforts, there is nothing very ‘real’ about Paul’s ‘toy’ trains. Rather, his fanciful sets appeal to all ages. In a word, they delight.
In recent years, Paul Busse has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,but that has not stopped his son and a crew of 15 crafting up another of his signature ‘mechanical botanicals’ train-scapes for the RBG. Imaginative landscapes and iconic provincial buildings have been built using an exotic array of native and non-native flora. This ‘Canadian’ set took 2500 hours to assemble using 7 tons of cedar slab, 3000 pounds of rock and 250 feet of 45 mm-wide track. Hand-hewn cedar, sliced berries, carved-out walnuts, peeled birch bark and hand-sculpted wooden bears adorn the site. Pungent narcissus and ruby red poinsettias punctuate the topography. Altogether, this Holiday set is a festive feast for the eyes, ears and nose.
 Detail of miniature throne made from sliced walnut husks and seed pods. Now up and running, you will find whimsical interpretations of the Parliament Buildings, a Saskatchewan grain elevator, Haida Gwaii totems, crafty igloos, the Canadian National Railway HQ, and some very fanciful interiors, like an illuminated ‘bee depot’ inside a honey comb, (with a wacky walnut husk throne and a mysterious miniature sword placed on that wacky throne…)
 CN Tower presides over all.
A majestic CN tower presides over it all. Below, an assortment of colourful G-trains swoosh continuously around the loops, tunnels and covered bridges.
This is Applied Imaginations’ first border crossing into Canada and, to be sure, it is an elaborate extravaganza To my mind, it is conceptually similar to Cirque de Soleil’s ‘over the top’ gymnastic inventions. Busse sure has taken ‘model TOY trains’ to a whole new level.
- Busse’s Railway Station. Will Freeman Station tart up as nicely?
Judging by the all age enthusiasts in attendance over the past weekend, the Freeman Station in Burlington, once restored, will easily become a solid Burlington attraction. It may not be a miniature, but it does embody the history of real trains rolling through the region. Busse’s Railway Station could well act as inspiration for the Friends of Freeman Station.
As a sidebar, it seems a pity that the Friends of Freeman Station, the RBG and the Burlington Model Railway Club didn’t coordinate a simple fund-raising effort to compliment the restoration of Freeman Station, a citizen-led initiative. ‘Tis the Season to Give and all that. It would have been a natural fit.
For those who are interested in supporting that restoration, go to the Friends website: Better yet, join the Friends of Freeman Station at their Annual General meeting 6:30pm, Thurs. Dec. 6, City Hall, Council Chambers. The meeting will feature: election of board members; progress updates on preserving the Freeman Station; and presentations from FOFS leadership.
And do go see Paul Busse’s marvelous ‘Choo! Choo!’ set at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Take in the simple joy and wonder of it all. Exhibit runs until January 6th, 2013. Entry fee: $12.
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.
____
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 The smell of the tree sitting in the room all lit up and decorated; you know its close to Christmas when you walk in the room. The small ornate bouquet or Christmas wreath set out is also a large part of the Christmas season. Who makes these wreaths and bouquets? And where do people learn to make them?
 Making Christmas bouquets at Ireland House.  Looks just about right and is going to look beautiful on a table or above a fireplace. Christmas bouquets made during a class at Ireland House. Lots of wreathes available at the garden centers but those small, almost delicate bouquets that get set out on a table are an art in themselves and last week a group of woman met at the Ireland House interpretative room and were taught how to make the bouquets. Elizabeth Crozier taught a small group of woman how to make a bouquet that includes silver Christmas candles. You will have missed the course this year but they do it every year – make a not for late November of next year.
Wreathes and bouquets are a small part of the season. Christmas cards are much more common; sent and received by almost everyone. They come in the mail; sometimes neighbours and friends drop them off and we use them to decorate our homes over the holidays. Christmas cards.
 Laura Robinson, acclaimed stamping expert will be at the Joseph Brant Museum. Perhaps in your household the children make up cards of their own. Laura Robinson, a nationally acclaimed stamping expert will be at the Discovery Room of the Joseph Brant Museum for a two hour stamping class that will have you creating six designer quality holiday cards while learning how easy and fun rubberstamping is. Bring tradition back into the holidays and give something handmade for those close to you. Everything is supplied, all you need to bring is your sense of humour and holiday spirit How were Christmas cards made When? December 9TH – 1pm – 3:30 pm
There is a fee of $25which includes all the material you will need to make six special cards. Refreshments will be served and a tour of the museum will be included. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CALL (905) 332-9888 or 634-3556
The first Christmas cards were illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on the 1st of May 1843. The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together, proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd. Two batches totaling 2,050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each and an industry was born.
Early English cards rarely showed winter or religious themes, instead favoring flowers, fairies and other fanciful designs that reminded the recipient of the approach of spring. Humorous and sentimental images of children and animals were popular, as were increasingly elaborate shapes, decorations and materials. In 1875 Louis Prang became the first printer to offer cards in America, though the popularity of his cards led to cheap imitations that eventually drove him from the market. The advent of the postcard spelled the end for elaborate Victorian-style cards, but by the 1920s, cards with envelopes had returned.
The production of Christmas cards was, throughout the 20th century, a profitable business for many stationery manufacturers, with the design of cards continually evolving with changing tastes and printing techniques. The World Wars brought cards with patriotic themes. Idiosyncratic “studio cards” with cartoon illustrations and sometimes risqué humor caught on in the 1950s.
Nostalgic, sentimental, and religious images have continued in popularity, and, in the 21st century, reproductions of Victorian and Edwardian cards are easy to obtain.
The estimated number of cards received by American households dropped from 29 in 1987 to 20 in 2004. Despite the decline, 1.9 billion cards were sent in the U.S. in 2005 alone. In the UK, Christmas cards account for almost half of the volume of greeting card sales, with over 668.9 million Christmas cards sold in the 2008 festive period.
“Official” Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family’s cards are generally portraits reflecting significant personal events of the year. In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card. The cards usually depict White House scenes as rendered by prominent American artists. The number of recipients has snowballed over the decades, from just 2,000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005.
Christmas cards have been avidly collected for years . Queen Mary amassed a large collection that is now housed in the British Museum. The University College of London’s Slade School of Fine Art houses a collection of handmade Christmas Cards from alumni such as Paula Rego and Richard Hamilton and are displayed at events over the Christmas season, when members of the public can make their own Christmas cards in the Strang Print Room.
Specimens from the “golden age” of printing (1840s–1890s) are especially prized and bring in large sums at auctions. In December 2005, one of Horsley’s original cards sold for nearly £9,000. Collectors may focus on particular images like Santa Claus, poets, or printing techniques.
The Christmas card that holds the world record as the most expensive ever sold was a card produced in 1843 by J. C. Horsley and commissioned by civil servant Sir Henry Cole. The card, one of the world’s first, was sold in 2001 by UK auctioneers Henry Aldridge to an anonymous bidder for a record breaking £22,250.
And that is far more than you ever wanted to know about Christmas cards. If you want to enjoy an afternoon learning a new craft – try this event.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 4, 2012 If you’ve ever wondered what meditation is; what a Yoga class is really like but you don’t want to join anything – you just want to sit in and see if there is something there for you – then an event this Saturday, December 8 from 3-5 pm at the Brant Hills Community Centre may be of interest.
If you do go – what are you in for?
 Here is what is on the agenda:
There will be a talk by two academics on the Restorative Effects of Sahaja Meditation techniques. There will be testimonials, some guided mediation, live music and Indian Kuchipudi dance
The group putting on the event has been doing this for more than seven years in Burlington.
Their Sahaja meditation classes take place Wednesday evenings at Brant Hills.
The event this Saturday will be tied into an event taking place in Paris, France.
Mediation and Yoga are different, millions swear by it, but it isn’t for everybody – it’s a matter of personal taste and the way you feel life should be lived. If you’re curious – give it a try.
More on the agenda:
A video introduction to Self-Realization & R/Evolution (video)
Experience Spontaneous Meditation & ‘Yoga State’ on Live Indian Drum Music (Ahilan)
Kuchipudi Dance Performance (Hema)
Chakra Workshop & Joyful Indian Music Performance
Practitioners of meditation will talk about the benefits.
You get a chance to find your “Yogi Buddy”.
The event is free – these people are serious and committed about what they do.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 3, 2012 The weather certainly wasn’t promising. It has rained much of the morning but the people that make parades happen were determined and they apparently knew something most weren’t certain about – and that was that there wasn’t going to be any rain on the 2012 Santa Claus parade. And except for a drop or two – there was no rain.
 The trick was to find a place where all the chairs could be set up and have a clear line of sight. This family was working it out.  Burlington is just at the half way point with the United Way donations – short close to $1 million. Need to up our game. The crowds were much smaller and except for a couple of snow men in the parade and a fat little snow man on the Sound of Music float blow bits of snow into the air, there were no signs of winter either.
 Burlington Transit put their most festive bus into the parade. The language doesn’t matter – the message is still the same.  While the weather wasn’t great most people put up with it – these guys weren’t happy though – they were wet and they wanted to go home. Burlingtonians are a hardy lot and they were out on the street, wrapped in blankets with plastic rain slickers at the ready and an umbrella just in case there was a down pour.
The parade started at the Burlington Mall, worked its way down Guelph Line to New Street then west along to Brant and north to Caroline. Then home for hot chocolate.
 They fill the street and they are Magnificent to look at – Burlington’s Teen Tour Band  The Toronto Maple Leafs put their traveling dressing room into the parade. For those who were around in 1967 – the float had some meaning.  The Salvation Army is there for the good times and during the hard times. The parade was one of the Good Times.  The M M Robinson high school band, good form, great discipline and a habit of rushing a crowd.  Miss Magnolia danced up a storm every step of the way.  The wind was getting the best of this Christmas clown but he held on.
 - Not a snow flake in the air to keep Mr. Snowman company.
 They were young, they were energetic and they were all over the street – having a great time.  Saxophones added to the sound – it was jingle bells all the way!  You would want a glove on that right hand – the metal would be cold but the music was just fine.  McMaster University’s band wasn’t taking any chances – they all were plastic slickers. They’ve been through this kind of thing before.  We sometimes lose sight of what the Season is about. Did parents watching the floats pass by use the opportunity to spread the message?  Notre Dame Secondary Catholic school’s Fighting Irish were out in force with a festive look.
 - The Ho Ho Ho man himself. The commercial reason for the season.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 1, 2012 Well it took them long enough. The guy has been playing his instruments for more than 20 years; he’s played the Sound of Music a couple of times back in the 90’s – but better late than never.
Andy Griffiths is going to play the Queen’s Head Thursday December 6; 8 to midnight.
 Local musician to play the Queen’s Head Thursday night. Griffiths earns his bread and butter as an architectural designer – the fun for him is strumming his guitar and singing away – and just ‘havin’ a good time.
Griffith’s has lived in Burlington for more than 20 years, been playing music seriously for 20 years as well. Has done gigs all over the place but never got to do the Queen’s Head in Burlington, which is about as core as you can get in Burlington.
The music will be fine – and while you’re there order up a mess of sweet potato fries; they’re as good as you’re ever going to get.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 29, 2012 When Brenda Heatherington took on the task of leading the artistic side of the Performing Arts Centre the city knew they were getting a woman who knew how to create an audience; that they were getting a woman who knew how to find the talent that would grow an audience in the city.
 Brenda Heatherington, chatting up a Performing Arts centre supporter. They didn’t tell Heatherington that she would also have to juggle the financial side as well and make it work within a budget that was just short of what she felt she needed. The theatre is days away from the anniversary of its first production. Royal Oak appeared on December 9th and Denise Walker, the theater’s bag lady at the time, was the first Burlingtonians to step out on the stage and talk to an audience that had bought tickets – but I digress.
Sometime ago Heatherington sought out Melody Johnson who was at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, and booked her for an afternoon show at the Performing Arts centre. The date happened to be on the same day as the Santa Claus parade, but Melody Johnson didn’t see that as a problem. “Maybe I will draw more people than the parade” she said in her ‘always optimistic’ manner.
Burlington will get a chance to know this growing actress who writes and directs and comes out of the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto where she has done some excellent work.
Johnson will be performing Miss Caledonia, a one woman story about her Mother who was raised on a farm and wanted to become an entertainer. The one woman play is about the day dreams and the fantasies that young people have as they think about getting away from home and growing up and becoming something great.
 Melody Johnson, on stage during a Miss Caledonia performance. She appears in Burlington December 2nd. There is a wonderful scene that has Peggy, the name given to the Mother character, in a milk truck driving into the city. For anyone with any “Farm” experience you would see the reality of farm life in that scene. There weren’t regular bus service and often the milk truck was the best transportation service available. Peggy had decided, in her mind, that she could “magnetize: the milk truck driver and – well you have to see the play to fully appreciate the scene.
There is another where Peggy, gazing at the picture of Bing Crosby on her bedroom wall, slips into her fantasy world. If the name Bing Crosby doesn’t kindle an old memory then this play may not be for you but for those people who lived in rural setting, understood what it meant to “muck-out” stalls and know what the scent of new mown hay really is – this could be a production you would thoroughly enjoy.
It’s the kind of thing Heatherington brings to Burlington to build an audience and develop an appreciation for performing arts the city hasn’t been able to do without a fully functional building.
The trick is to put good productions on the stage, keep the people in the box office on the stage and let city council feel all warm and snugly as the enterprise grows. Heatherington might want to look into bringing a production of “I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can” to the city. She might think of playing the lead role.
Heatherington could go up against Jill Clayburgh any day of the week.
 Melody Johnson, does the one woman play Miss Caledonia, the true story of her Mother’s fantasy life as she did everything she could to get off the family farm. Miss Caledonia is completing its first season at the Tarragon in Toronto; the Burlington production will be the last show for 2012 after which the show goes on the road. Johnson, who was raised in Brantford said Burlington is a place she always drove through on her way to Brantford. “I don’t think I’ve ever really been there before”, she said.
Richard Ouzounian, a Toronto theatre critic delights in Melody Johnson’s giggle, which he maintains one of the happiest sounds in Canadian theatre, “caressing the ear even as it reveals characters so unhinged they perch halfway between Stephen King and Steve Martin with the spirit of Elaine May hovering just overhead”.
When this city has enough people who fully understand was Ouzounian, was saying Heatherington will have succeeded hugely – the task ahead is to keep the Performing Arts Centre alive and open until that day.
Miss Caledonia – at the Performing Arts Centre. Box office
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 26, 2012 That stuff about Christmas starting the day after Halloween is a little too rushed for me. I like to ease into Christmas reasonable early in December and like it when the store and supermarkets ease me into the Christmas Season.
While driving home earlier this week the wife burst into the house and said “you aren’t going to believe this but there is a house down the street that already has their Christmas tree up. I looked on my way out later and sure enough – there it was – a white plastic one to boot.
Christmas has a sense of season about it but that Christmas Spirit isn’t something we control nor is it something we can decide has to appear when we want it. Like all things spiritual – we are on the receiving end – it arrives when it is supposed to arrive.
Jill Harrington a wacky, wired, single Mother run the Christmas For Seniors event. It’s an organization that keeps in touch with different seniors groups across the city and asks them what they would like for Christmas. These are people who are a bit on the being alone side; their family isn’t in the area, the spouses may no longer be with them. They have fond memories of Christmas past and don’t want for all that much.
Harrington collects the names and what they would like and then places tags on Christmas trees that are put up in stores, office buildings – wherever she can get a tree she can put tags on.
 A typical Children of Christmas Past tree set up in more than 30location in Burlington with trees also set up in Alberta and Nova Scotia. People see the tree, see the tags, look at what is being asked for and if they feel the gift is something they can give they buy the gift, get it to Harrington who then delivers it to the senior.
Yes, it is labour intensive and Harrington does the work while holding down a full time job and raising a delightful ten year old boy who is still on the shy side.
Harrington handles it all by multitasking. During one of our conversations Harrington appears to be talking to someone other than me – “not too much chocolate in the coffee please” which had nothing to do with the conversation we were having.
Harrington had sent me a note telling me of a huge surprise she got.
She had said to her seniors: “Wish with a big heart – what would you like, what do you need?”
To her surprise there were six requests for chairs that have the capacity to lift a person from the chair to a standing position. They are called “reclining lift chairs”.
Harrington had no idea where she was going to find the money to pay for these gift requests but she knew that if she did raise the money she would have to get some help delivering the chairs. They aren’t the kind of thing you tuck under your arm as you ring a doorbell to deliver a gift.
Harrington knows everyone you need to know to operate in Burlington. She got herself in front of the Bulldogs coach at the Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association and asked if they could lend her someone with a truck to deliver the chairs – assuming she could raise the money to buy them.
 In no particular order Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association coaches and staff with Burlington’s Mayor. Sheila Ramage, Kelly Meikle, Tim Wilson, Doug Rogers, Perry Lake, Scott Wright, Mike Milford and Rusty Reingruber. The coaches put up the funds to pay for the reclining lift chairs and said they would handle the delivery as well. The coaches listened politely and told Harrington they would get back to her. That was the best she could do, she thanked them for their time and moved on to the next challenge. In less than ten minutes she got a text on her smart phone BLOMHA:
Hi Jill,
The Bulldogs are going to purchase the 6 chairs you require for your Seniors. I pitched it to the group of Coaches and all 25 Bulldogs Teams are going to chip in and buy these chairs ($600 each) Congratulations!!!!!! Great cause.
Tim Wilson, a BLOMHA coach
BLOMHA would pay for all six chairs – and yes they would arrange for the delivery as well. The association is paying for two of the six with the coaches paying for the other four.
The Christmas Spirit had arrived a little earlier than Harrington expected and so did the tears that just flooded down her face.
The Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey association was formed in 1951 by members of the Burlington Central Lions Club and the Optimist Club of Burlington, making it one of the oldest, longest serving youth organizations in our city. Members of both clubs were once actively involved in the operation of the organization. BLOMHA is governed by Hockey Canada, Ontario Hockey Federation and Alliance Hockey.
They are a not for profit, non-share corporation and volunteer based organization with 2,250 players registered making them the largest minor hockey association in our city. Their aims and objectives are to foster, promote and teach amateur hockey within the City of Burlington and to provide the maximum opportunity for all eligible individuals to participate regardless of their ability.
There are close to 500 volunteers registered to assist in the running of the program, which includes the operation of about 135 teams. All coaches, team trainers and other volunteers are fully qualified, accredited and insured, in keeping with the guidelines issued by governing bodies of minor hockey in Canada.
 Cups. trophies, plaques and pictures – all the signs of hockey players as they move from one level to another; from one tournament to the next. BLOMHA’s 25 coaches take several thousand players through the training and the physical development every year. A key goal of BLOMHA is to provide programs that develop each player’s full potential, subject to talent, ability and enjoyment of the game. Hockey is a competitive game therefore we are organized into three progressively competitive levels. BLOMHA is the only minor hockey association in Burlington that offers a complete range of programs available to all players regardless of ability.
Harrington was grateful that BLOHMA came through and with “thank you’s” galore done, she adjusted to the great news and the extraordinary act of kindness and moved on to collecting the gift requests and making up the tags that would go on Christmas trees and then actually getting the tags to the trees they are going to go on.
It gets a little hectic for Harrington but the work is made so much easier when she gets a response like the one she got from the Bulldogs.
Christmas for Seniors is in its thirteenth year of operation. It grows year after year. Last year there were 3,230 requests; Harrington expects that to go to more than 4000 in 2012 .
There are 30 trees in Burlington locations.
Harrington does the work with no form of remuneration, she doesn’t even get gas money. Everything that comes in is donated and it goes out the door to a senior who might not otherwise get a Christmas gift.
The names of people asking for a gift are collected by people who work in retirement homes, nursing homes, long term care facilities and people who work one on one with seniors.
 Jill Harrington, Executive Director of the Christmas for Seniors charity works with her son Noah sorting tags that will be placed on Christmas trees where people can choose a gift they would like to give Each location is given a spread sheet file that Harrington sends them. The names and the gift they would like are entered on the spread sheets which are then aggregated to create a master list which Harrington then uses to create the tags that get placed on Christmas trees. People pick up a tag, purchase and wrap the gift and then deliver it to Harrington’s home. “There is a box on the porch – it’s the greatest honour system you can imagine. Elves come by several times a day and put the gift inside the box” adds Harrington. “I call them elves”.
The gifts are stored at Harrington’s house until the day before Christmas. “We used to deliver them on Christmas Day but there were just too many to get done in the one day so now they are delivered a day or so before Christmas and handed out Christmas day.
Harrington has what she calls “elves” – these are people that arrange for the collection of the gift. “There are a couple of dozen people who have a key to my house; the just come in put the gifts in a pile and we sort and get them ready for delivery.
A little unorganized? Labour intensive? Could a more efficient system be created? Probably; but right now Harrington is focused on getting the labels out on the trees and then getting the gifts back to her house and delivered to their Christmas Day destinations.
The request for the reclining lift chairs was a little on the “high” side. “It was totally unexpected” said Harrington but once I had the request I thought ‘what the heck’. Let me ask someone and see where it gets me.”
Could be if that’s the way you choose to see it. Harrington asked the seniors: what would you ‘wish’ for?
How plugged up does her house get? Well her son does have to give up a part of his room when Christmas is just a week or so away but they manage to find the space they need. “At some point” Harrington admits, “we are going to have to change the way we run this charity”. She is organized as a non profit but doesn’t have charitable status. “I don’t need it right now”, says Harrington.
If you want to help out – send Harrington an email. Visit the web site
The program is growing beyond Burlington . There are trees set up in Nova Scotia and Alberta. Not easy to administrate all that from Burlington and Harrington realizes it is time to move from her dining room table to an office and secure the funding to allow her to develop it into a national program. “We are going to have more seniors to care for – not fewer” explains Harrington and there will be many of them who don’t have family to both care for them and remember them.
 The poster identifies a tree that will have tags identifying a charity for Children of Christmas Past. Harrington has both compassion for seniors and empathy for their plight. She is currently working on a book on “elder abuse” and assuring that older people can live their lives with dignity. Once that has been turned over to her publisher’s Jill Harrington is going to become a regular columnist for Our Burlington and will write about seniors for seniors. Should be interesting.
This project has been a grind for Jill Harrington; 13 years of running around every day for the last quarter of every year and putting in five to six hours every night, usually with the help of her son Noah and an hour or so more once he is tucked into bed.
“You know” commented Harrington, after a talk about where this project can go, should go in the future, “in all the years I’ve been doing this – no one has asked me what I want for Christmas”. Telling isn’t it.
The gift from the hockey coaches though was gift enough for Jill Harrington.
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