 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 2, 2012 Is this Friday? Then Mike Wallace, Burlington’s member of parliament is in town and he is either running a workshop, meeting a group of constituents or handing out cheques and getting his picture taken.
This Friday Wallace was hitting a triple base hit. While he didn’t have the cheque in his pocket he did make the cheque for the new gas fired kiln at the Burlington Art centre possible and he was on hand to look at the equipment purchased and learn more than he ever wanted to know about pottery and gas fired kilns.
 Ever the politician and a very solid constituency man at that – Mike Wallace chats with Helen, a member of the Pottery Guild who once delegated to city council when Wallace was a city Councillor. “I was able to solve a small problem for her” said Wallace. That was the base hit part of the day. He moved to second base when he bumped into a constituent he has known for some time and was able to take a moment to catch up on some of the local happenings. Then he was taken on a short tour of the Art Centre and got to look at some art that he understood, but didn’t understand what the value of the collection was to the Art Centre. “Where’s the value” was the question he had for the Ceramics Curator Jonathan Smith. Smith was explaining that the Art centre buys a full place setting for eight people from Canadian ceramic artists that become part of the permanent collection. The BAC has the most extensive collection in the country of Canadian ceramic art .
 Wallace didn’t quite believe what he was looking at was a photograph and took his glasses off to get an even closer look. He was certainly impressed with what he saw. Wallace also got to look at some art that amazed him – he asked several times if what he was looking at was a painting or a photograph. He was quite impressed with what he was looking at.
The third base drive for Wallace though was the television crew that followed him around. CPAC , the cable channel owned by the six of the cable television companies in Canada is doing a program on Burlington’s MP – not sure when they will broadcast the program – we will tell you when we know. They spent a full day following him around filming what an MP does when they are in the constituency for a day.
Much to Wallace’s chagrin – all that is likely to make it to air is about five minutes of tape. Turns out CPAC does these profiles of MP’s; keeps them on file and when they have a program that doesn’t fill in the hour or half hour allotted – they fall back to the film library and drag up whatever they have on hand that fits the slot. As Wallace put it: “It’s basically filler” but he’s going to ask for a copy of whatever they have and he’ll put it up on his web site.
Creepers – we thought federal bureaucrats could waste time and money – all day with an MP for a possible miserable five minutes. Yikes, but the spending is being done by the cable television companies, not the government.
The federal governments Cultural Spaces Canada program donated $31,900 for the purchase of the new kiln. That donation covered close to half of the total cost.
 $30,000 + of taxpayers money – and the folks at the Burlington Art centre are delighted. Burlington MP Mike Wallace was touring the Centre and getting a look at the gas fired kiln that will glaze all the bowls being used for the annual Soup Bowl event – always a BAC sold out event.  George Wale, Director of Programs at the Art Centre, on the right, thanks Burlington MP Mike Wallace for the funding from the federal government. The acquisition of the kiln was the culmination of 10 years of work that started when Frank Friedman began advocating for the piece of equipment that has allowed potters at the Art Centre to do much more sophisticated work.
 Burlington MP Mike Wallace has a piece of art explained to him by BAC Curator of Education Leslie Page The Burlington Art Centre is renowned in Canada for its collection that is the largest of Canadian ceramic work consisting of more than 2000 objects that have been collected during the last 30 years. Jonathan Smith, Curator of the ceramic collection, explained that there are artists from Vancouver to Halifax in the collection.
The BAC collection also has some late 18th century and 19th century porcelain in its collection. “People who know porcelain travel to Burlington to see what we have while others just stumble upon the collection while they are here.
The bowls that will be sold as part of the annual Soup Bowl event – November 15 to 18 – usually a sold out event were in the kiln while Wallace was being told how the thing works and why it was so appreciated by the Art Centre.
 Mike Wallace, Burlington’s MP looks at a place setting that is part of the BAC collection. Photo was taken through a glass display stand where Wallace wondered where the value was for the Centre in having place settings for eight people in the collection. When a politician does a tour and works to get funding for an organization there is often a small token of appreciation given by the group that got the funding. Ian Ross knows the game well and he made sure there was a small gift for Wallace who gratefully accepted the box with the bowl and a vase and said “he now had a Christmas gift for his wife”. It’s a nice gift Caroline – but Mike didn’t pay for it, so look under that Christmas tree again.
Wallace has been very supportive of the arts in Burlington. He helps where he can and when he can. The Ireland Farm has been given financial support and if Wallace could he would see a plaque in Burlington noting that the Burlington Races took place somewhere off the shore of the city in 1813 – turns out that’s a provincial thing and the federal people never meddle in provincial stuff.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 30, 2012 They opened the place 35 years ago – times does fly.
When did that orange piece of metal work outside the building go up? That long ago eh? Maybe I’m actually getting used to it.
 Placed outside the Art Centre in 1978 the aluminum structure has drawn attention to the Centre. The structure is A Space Composition for Rebecca by artist Haydn Llewellyn Davies, who died in 2008. It is orange aluminum and has been a fixture outside the building since 1978.
The Burlington Art Centre Foundation is going to hold a three part auction with thirty five items in each part to highlight and focus public attention on their 35th year of existence.
Applications to be considered for the Art Auction in 2013 close November 23, at 5:00 pm.
 The three parts are 35 Live, 35 Onsite and 35 Online auctions for objects from visual artists working in all medium. Entries for the three auctions will be selected by a jury of experts to ensure quality and an offering of unique and original pieces.
Each category will include a range of art forms and values. Category selection will be made, in part, by a determination of which pieces will be best suited to which audience, thereby increasing the opportunities for a successful sale.
Artists must submit a completed Art Auction 2013 Submission Form, along with a digital image of the artwork, by Friday, November 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m.
This call is:
Open to all artists who are residents of Canada
Members of the BACF Art Auction Committee are not eligible
Works submitted must be original works of art or fine craft, created within the past two years
New Media/Digital & Photographic artwork must be signed, limited editions, with a maximum of 10 prints of that image, in any size
Two dimensional artwork must be mounted or framed, wired and ready for hanging Archival quality materials must be used.
Each artist may submit a maximum of two pieces through the Call for Entry process, but no more that one piece from each artist can be accepted for the auction.
For complete details and a submission form please go to www.theBAC.ca/call
Please review the information on the Call For Entry Pamphlet and send a completed Submission Form, along with all required information and a digital image of your artwork, by Friday, November 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m., for consideration by the jury.
We prefer that you use the Art Auction 2013 Submission Form that can be completed and saved in Word. However, if this is not possible, you may print out a form or the pamphlet and complete the information by hand. Please help us by printing legibly.
Label your images with your last name, first initial, 2013, and the title of your piece. (e.g. smithj2013sunrise.jpg)
Email submissions to auction@theBAC.ca (preferred), or deliver, in person or by mail, to:
Burlington Art Centre, Art Auction. 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A9
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 29, 2012 They are doing this for the 10th time – the Art in Action, an artist’s collective that organizes studio tours in the city with up to ten homes opened to the public where the work of various artists is on display.
Along with showing the work of the artists in the city, Art in Action sponsors scholarships and are generally promoting the health of artists.
Each year new artists are added to the list of about 35 people who show their work. Among those being added to the list this year are Kyle Brook, Donna Grandin and Monica Bell.
For Donna Grandin “making art brings beauty and pleasure into our everyday lives”.
 The richness, almost exotic colour we see in the Caribbean is reflected in Grandin’s art. Her artistic inspiration comes from living plants interacting with their environment, sun shining through the leaves, wind blowing the petals, other plants in the background adding variety and contrast. “I try to express the atmosphere, the memory of a specific moment in time, and my feelings about the place. In my current series of acrylic paintings, I focus on tropical flowers, foliage and fruit, drawing on my experience growing up on a lush Caribbean island”.
While her art is “representational” Grandin sets out to “communicate the abstract rhythms of nature,”. “I play with the organic shapes and vibrant colours to create uplifting and engaging images” and that she does.
Donna Grandin is a Caribbean artist, born Donna Gomez in St. Lucia in 1974. At the age of 17, Donna went to school in Canada, and in 1997 she graduated with an Honours B.A. in Art from McMaster University. She has been represented by galleries in St. Lucia for a number of years, while living and travelling in Europe with her husband before returning to live and paint in Burlington, Ontario.
 Red seldom gets as luscious as this. Donna’s paintings have been in both solo and group exhibitions in Ontario and St. Lucia, and are in private collections in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean. Honours include the gold award in visual arts in the M&C Fine Arts Awards competition in St. Lucia in 2001, and a mural commission by the City of Toronto in 2009. Donna exhibited at Toronto Art Expo in 2011. This is her first participation in the Art in Action Studio Tour. She is exhibiting at Sparling Cr., in the east end of the city.
The Art in Action Studio tour takes place on Saturday November 3rd and on Sunday the 4th. The location of the ten studios is shown on the map below. Hours are: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can do the full tour in a day and have time for a leisurely lunch as well.
 Monica Bell working on a piece of fabric. One of 36 artists on the Art in Action Studio Tour. New this year to the Art in Action Studio Tour is fabric artist Monica Bell who took her first quilting class when working as a recreation therapist for a retirement and long term care facility. The first quilt she made was an Irish Chain which was raffled off during a fund raiser for the recreation department. The second quilt didn’t come for some time and that was followed by an invitation to a quilting retreat by a cousin. “ I have never laughed and learned so much as I did that first retreat,” said Monica – she was hooked and since 2008 quilting has become an obsession for her. “I easily lose track of time and become engrossed in my project as it relaxes me and energizes me at the same time. My work started with traditional patchwork techniques and through the years I have started leaning toward the more contemporary designs.”
 This quilt is quite a bit jazzier than the traditional Mennonite quilt – but then this quilter isn’t a Mennonite. “Daring to be Bold is my first original design. I love to work with printed cottons and Batiks but have started to experiment with the use of other textiles. I use many techniques including hand embroidery, hand and machine appliqué, beading, use of wool fibers, and machine quilting using both my domestic sewing machine and a long arm quilting machine.” Clearly a growing fabric artist – you will enjoy her work.
The Studio Tour is new for Kyle Brooke who grew up in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado at the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Raised by a family of fine artists, craftspeople and musicians, Kyle’s childhood was filled with gallery visits, art fairs and a deep appreciation and passion for the arts. As a result, Kyle has always striven to learn new techniques and has developed an exceptionally broad background in the arts and crafts.
 The translucence of these two pieces almost lifts them off the table. Kyle spent two years studying graphic design and then began experimenting with various art forms, from water-color paintings and photography to ceramics and jewellery making. From an early age, Kyle has been intrigued by the medium and art form of glass and made the decision to travel to Canada to focus her undergraduate college education on glass art.
When Kyle arrived at Sheridan College, she began her education in the Art Fundamentals program to develop a solid skill base. After successfully completing the course, she entered into the Sheridan College Crafts and Design Glass Studio.
 Almost as if the earth has opened up. Kyle Brooke has certainly lifted this art to a new level. Upon graduation Kyle spent over a year traveling across Canada and the United States attending various art conferences and exhibits. She settled in Oregon and worked for the Bullseye Glass Company and the Eugene Glass School. This experience helped to enhance her knowledge, contacts and techniques. As well as keeping her current on important industry trends, events, artists and opportunities.
In early 2009 Kyle took that experience and resettled in Canada where she became a part of a movement in contemporary art. Kyle continues her journey creating, teaching and promoting glass art in her community. She has honed her skills as a professional well-rounded glass artist while energetically promoting glass as a contemporary art form
In the past 3 years, Kyle has been a resident artist at the Living Arts Centre on Ontario Canada and continues her education by attending courses and conferences all across North America. Her work ranges from bold sand castings and blown forms to elegant jewellery. She is an ambitious self-motivated individual who is passionate and dedicated to furthering her growth and development as a glass artist.
In 2011 Kyle Brooke and her partner Matt Robertson opened their own studio/gallery, The Edy Roy Glass Gallery in Burlington, Ontario, where she creates, teaches and showcases both functional and non-functional glass art.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 28, 2012 It sometimes takes a while for the rewards and the recognition to come in. On November 18th, Cam Jackson will be recognized for his 35 years of public service to the city, when the walkway between the public parking garage and the Performance Arts Centre is named – the Cam Jackson Accessibility Walkway.
The initiative for the event came from Mayor Goldring but the event is not being run out of the Mayor’s office. Rick Goldring said he felt it was time to recognize Jackson’s 35 years of community service and was in touch with a group of loyal Jackson supporters.
The invitations are coming from members of that circle. It is not a dinner but rather a reception taking place at the Performing Arts Centre. There is no ticket price.
There is no explanation for the timing of the event other than it was something the Mayor felt should be done. Burlington doesn’t have a tradition of current Mayor’s choosing to recognize a past Mayor.
 Roly Bird Park is located almost across the road from Costco. Former MPP George Kerr was never recognized by the city. The only time the city formally recognized a former Mayor was when a park was named after Mayor Roly Bird.
 The Roly Bird park is substantial in size; much bigger than it would appear to be from the road if you are driving by. Goldring and Jackson have not had a cozy relationship. Jackson told Goldring the unfinished Burlington pier should just be torn down. Goldring ignored the advice and has trudged forward dealing with just as many problems as Jackson had in his day.
The reception being held to recognize Jackson’s 35 years of service appears to be a private event. If you got an invitation it was not from the City or the Performing Arts Centre. You sent your RSVP to an email address: tribute2camjackson@gmail.com or you called 905-681-7884 which is a phone registered to a private residence. The envelope in which the invitation was mailed has a return address of 125 Birett Drive.
Jackson was born in Hamilton, Ontario. His mother was Ukrainian Canadian. He was educated at McMaster University, although he left before graduating to take a job with the Ontario Conservative Party. Before entering politics, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Hamilton Real Estate Board, and also worked for the Halton Housing Authority from 1975 to 1980. In 1996, he was named “Officer Brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem” by Canada’s Governor-General. He also served as a trustee on the Halton Public School Board for ten years.
Jackson was elected for the riding of Burlington South in the provincial election of 1985, defeating Liberal candidate Doug Redfearn by about 4,500 votes. He was a backbench supporter of the government of Frank Miller, which was defeated in the legislature shortly after the election. In late 1985, Jackson supported Alan Pope’s unsuccessful bid to replace Miller as party leader.
Jackson was nearly defeated in the provincial election of 1987, defeating Liberal Bill Priestner by 605 votes. He won by a much greater margin in the 1990 election. The Tories finished in third place in both instances, behind the Liberals and the New Democratic Party.
The Progressive Conservatives returned to power in the 1995 provincial election, and Jackson was re-elected in Burlington South with over 70% of the popular vote. He was made a Minister without Portfolio in the government of Mike Harris on June 26, 1995, with responsibility for the Workers Compensation Board. After a shuffle on August 16, 1996, he was given ministerial responsibility for Seniors. He was given a full portfolio on July 27, 1998, being made Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care and Seniors. Jackson was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election for the redistributed riding of Burlington.
On June 17, 1999, he was named Minister of Tourism. He was named Minister of Citizenship with responsibility for Seniors on February 8, 2001, but returned to the Tourism portfolio (now retitled Tourism and Recreation) when Ernie Eves succeeded Mike Harris as Premier on April 15, 2002. He was forced to resign on October 2, 2002 due to a controversy over his practice of billing the government for meals and hotel stays. Jackson did not appear in public for weeks and there was speculation that he would not run for re-election. Jackson was fully exonerated of all allegations before the next election, and did retain his riding in the 2003 election (albeit with a greatly reduced majority) while dozens of other Tory MPPs lost their seats.
There had been speculation that Jackson would run to succeed Eves in the 2004 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election but in July, Jackson endorsed John Tory’s candidacy for the position of party leader.
In 2006 Jackson decided to run for Mayor of Burlington and took the top spot on the ballot when he eased ahead of local lawyer Rick Burgess and one time Ward 2 council member Joan Lougheed to take 34.9% of the votes.
 Cam Jackson: Election night 2010 His term of office was not a successful one and in 2006 Jackson was soundly defeated by current Mayor Rick Goldring.
During his term Jackson struggled to manage the construction of a pier at the foot of Brant Street that seemed plagued with problems that were beyond the skill set of the city’s engineering department at that time. Jackson had to manage problem after problem on a project he didn’t initiate. That pier is still not completed two years into the mandate of the council that followed Jackson.
A report Jackson commissioned on the nature of the role between his council and the citizens, the Shape Burlington report, had a significant impact on the way citizens saw their city. That report brought about a number of changes at city hall that included a more focused response on customer service and an attempt to create a “charter” that would engage citizens more deeply in the affairs of the city.
The Shape report was written by the late John Boich and former Mayor Walter Mulkewich. Boich ran Jackson’s attempt to be re-elected Mayor of the city.
There was a suggestion that Jackson would run for the leadership of the provincial progressive conservatives. There will be more suggestions on what Cam Jackson is going to do next. He has been a political force in the city since his days as a student at Nelson High School where he was politically active.
 It doesn’t appear to be much of a structure and it gets used for the most part by those who choose to leave their cars in the Locust Street parking lot while attending an event at the Performing Arts Centre. Former Mayor Cam Jackson did the work that raised the funds to pay for the structure He has had some difficulty adjusting to life in the private sector; the name Cam Jackson and the word politics are joined at the hip.
In the world of politics a week can be a lifetime – it would be a mistake to think that Jackson’s nine lives have all been used.
The chattering political class will watch with some interest on who attends the reception on November the 18th and who doesn’t. Who gets invited and who doesn’t.
Will the guests all assemble in the Locust Street parking garage and troop across the newly named Cam Jackson Accessibility Walkway led by the Burlington Teen Tour Band or will people quietly assemble in the Family Room of the Performing Arts Centre and recognize a citizen who, in his own unique way, continues to serve.
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON October 26, 2012 Last Friday, a friend and I went in search of the mighty Chinook salmon that spawn in the upper reaches of Bronte Creek. After a solid trek through Bronte Provincial Park down to the creek edge we were quickly rewarded for our efforts. The shallows were teeming with mature salmon traveling up-stream towards Lowville to lay their eggs, and die. It was amazing to watch their progress, banging against rocks and shoals on route. Watching them engendered a kind of stupefying awe. It really was profound and time stopping in an ‘other-worldly’ kind of way. These primordial wild creatures operate on life cycles independent of our clock-watching species. They respond, instead, to the Earth’s position to the Sun.
I came away from this primal wildlife experience with a new found sense of the precarious and demanding aspects of hunting and fishing. The demarcation between ‘novice’ and ‘professional’ became acute. Fishing, when salmon are spawning, is not only irresponsible but stupid, as any pro will tell you. Yet novices and ‘weekend warriors’ were out in abundance on that balmy Friday – trolling, fly-casting and some were even baiting with mini-marshmallows. For these amateurs the thrill-of-the-catch far outweighed all other sensible considerations about the overall health of the species.
- Well-dressed fly-fisherman ignores the breeding basics of a successful spawning season. Picturesque: Yes. Responsible: No.
In today’s business world, the ‘catch’ is certainly different, but the fundamental rules of a responsible and successful hunt remain the same. First off, one must know the habits and habitats of one’s prey, including breeding cycles. Once that is appreciated, the hunter must carefully prepare for the hunt. During the hunt itself, the hunter has to become a cagey and attentive ‘stalker’. If these elements are all performed successfully, yes, you will eventually ‘harvest’ your trophy.
In our day and age, high above the banks of Bronte Creek, these ancient rituals of successful hunting are now applied to ‘harvest’ money. It helps to have a ‘mentor’.
Nick Bontis, business professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, and one of the judges for Hamilton’s entrepreneurial mentoring Lion’s Lair, affirmed to CBC Hamilton – “The skills of entrepreneurship don’t come naturally.” To get in the door, and to catch the eye of the Big Gamer, one needs a viable ‘pitch’, or in hunting parlance, ‘good bait’. (… And we ain’t talking mini-marshmallows here …)
Donald Trump’s tried-and-true business mentoring program, ‘The Apprentice’, spawned similar mentoring programs, like CBC’s very popular Dragon’s Den. https://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/ These shows allow ‘unorthodox’ dreamers and schemers an opportunity to engage with those who have proven business acumen – as well as scads of investing capital. Novices can, will, and do learn a great deal from these Big Game hunters.
In Halton, the De Groote School of Business, the Royal Bank of Canada and the Rotary Clubs of Halton have recently set up a similar business mentoring forum, the Python Pit. https://pythonspit.ca/ Python Pit judges are offering inventive entrepreneurs (aka dreamers and schemers) a chance too to get a piece of the pie.
 What if you could turn your ideas into money? Graphic courtesy PythonPit.ca With $150,000 up for grabs, these Big Gamers have formed two groups: an open division for adults, and a high school division for aspiring youth. The open division competitors will receive investment capital from the Pythons in return for an equity stake in their business or product idea. (Remember, predator and prey is what it’s all about … ) High school students will receive cash prizes and be eligible for scholarships.
 Chinook salmon caught in Bronte Creek, 2012. ‘Novice’ hunter needs to know the basics. Better to leave the salmon in the Creek so it can lay eggs further up-stream to revitalize the species. Responsible hunting IS successful hunting. Consider that old Chinese proverb, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ For budding entrepreneurs – “Don’t swim upstream, you’ll die there. Swim downstream, where awaits the ocean … ” Finally, here is some practical and sound advice from that all-round Big Gamer – Sir Richard Branson:
 They are pythons – this is what they do. Do you have what it takes to move from a ‘novice’ or ‘weekend warrior’ to a full-time ‘professional’? Aspiring entrepreneurs have until December 1st to submit their applications to the Python Pit.
Remember, the key is ‘fresh bait’.
In today’s terms, that means a GOOD IDEA.
Now, go get ‘em …
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 Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2012 Burlington could begin to see commemorative plaques all over the place.
Heritage Burlington, the city’s advisory committee on heritage matters, has had a request that it look into a plaque to recognize the people who originally owned the property that is now Sherwood Park.
Rick Wilson, a member of the Heritage Advisory committee has been wanting a plaque in Burlington that tells the story about the Burlington Races, a name used to tell part of the War of 1812 story. Wilson believes there is ample evidence to show that events took place right off the shores of this city in 1813 that were pivotal to the outcome of the War of 1812.
 Rick Wilson, a member of the Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee, points out what he believes is a glaring error on a historical plaque, located in Hamilton overlooking Burlington Bay. Wilson hopes there can eventually be a plaque in Burlington correcting the error. There is a plaque over in Hamilton that Wilson claims is just completely wrong but he hasn’t been able to get that plaque changed. Those plaques we see in parks and other public places are put up by both the federal and provincial governments. The one that Wilson claims is wrong was put up by the province. Wilson claims Jane McKenna, Burlington’s MPP is just “blowing me away” and that Mike Wallace, our MP has tried to get something done but the sign is a provincial jurisdiction and there is nothing he could do. Wallace was able to get Wilson into the Fort York event in Toronto last summer at which the Prince of Wales was the feature attraction. Wilson is eternally grateful; that’s another Wallace forever vote.
Councillor Meed Ward suggested to the advisory committee that they pull together all the documentation they have and send it to the appropriate people within the provincial government; “if you make your case clearly enough you will be heard” was Meed Ward’s advice. Heritage Burlington just might take this one on. Turns out Jim Clemens, chair of the Advisory Committee has a strong contact within the arm of the provincial government that over sees the erection of those plaques all over the province.
Burlington has a very strong waterfront history but we aren’t particularly good at telling our story. That might be part of the difficulty behind all the problems we have with wanting to highlight our local history. One is very hard pressed to find any reference to the canning factory that was once the biggest commercial operation in the city. It was located on the property that now houses the Waterfront Hotel.
We have a Historical Society that does a good job of collecting data on our history; but we don’t do a very good job of getting those stories out of the archives and in front of today’s public.
The city does have a system for listing any property that has even a hint of historical significance and that really upsets many people. A property along Lakeshore Road owned by the Morrison’s was said to have historical significance, which the Morrison’s claim is totally bogus, and they want their house taken off any list the city has.
There are lists, some of them are of little use, but there are other lists that are vital if Burlington is to have any hope of maintaining some of the historical properties.
 The Navy Memorial on the Waterfront is close to the best piece of historical recognition in the city. It is a truly remarkable statue that pays tribute to the merchant marine and naval activity in WW II. This memorial was created by community groups and put up in a city that really doesn’t have a marine or naval tradition. It does however go to show that there is a deep interest in telling our story. Wilson is pointing to a part of Burlington Bay where he believes the Burlington Races probably took place. One of the problems is that in this city the real estate community has convinced the public that any kind of a historical reference to a piece of property lessens the value of the property. In other cities a historical reference adds significant value to a property. There is still a lot of educating to be done in this city. While there is some leadership on this at city council there is none from the real estate community. Their bread and butter comes from the sale of homes – and homes with a demonstrable historical significance are more valuable in many cities – look at Niagara-on-the-Lake if you want an example.
This designating of property for historical purposes has been a very contentious issue in Burlington for some time. It has torn different communities apart and created much ill will between otherwise very decent people.
The Advisory committee has been given the task of changing the approach taken to how we recognize what is and what isn’t historical – it is not going to be an easy task.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 19, 2012 I spend far too much of my time at city hall. If you spend enough time in a building you get to know the security guard – which in Burlington’s case is Bob Kerr, a grizzly old coot who knows where everything and everybody is in that building at night.
He and I chew the fat. He comments on the Our Burlington web site – caustically at times I might add. Kerr used to work for Midnight Security, the company that had the contract to provide security services at city hall. The contract came up for renewal, purchasing put out a call for tenders and they took the lowest price. For reasons that are not clear Midnight didn’t submit a bid – so Star Security got the job – on a one year contract.
Kerr had a new employer and a new pay grade and it wasn’t what he was getting before. It gets worse – he has to chase the company for his paycheck.
The city did save some money on the security contract and Kerr took a hit right in the pocket book. His colleague at the time took a $7000 annual haircut as well. Both Kerr and the other security guard who has since left the company with the contract to provide security services, ended up with less – much less. This happened because Council, wisely, changed the purchasing procedure that allowed the purchasing department to spend up to $100,000 without having to go to Council.
We were seeing one of those “unintended consequences” that happens when we look for ways to reduce our costs.
Purchasing saw a way to save some money and they gave the security contract to a new company. One that both Kerr and his colleague found they had to chase more than once to get their paycheques. It was a one year contract – the city might want to give the previous security firm a call.
The current firm adds no value to what the city is getting. The two guards who were doing the job were still going to be in place – they would just get less money. One of the guards couldn’t handle the cut and found work with the parking people. He was one of the most polite security people I ever met. We lost a very good security guard. We’ve still got Bob Kerr – who now works for less. That’s what they mean by an unintended consequence.
City staff wouldn’t be asked to take a pay cut the size of the one Kerr and his colleague had to swallow. Time to make amends.
What has all this got to do with the Beachway and the art community?
 Women are great fans of the whimsical, flighty work that Cora does. It has a light fun feel to it. It is very serious art. Turns out that Kerr has relatives who are artists and they are holding a viewing at their house which is right on the lake – but on the Hamilton side of the canal. Bob asked if we could do a little write up on the event. Our name, Our Burlington, tells what we are about – and I explained to Kerr that it isn’t a Burlington event. “Is there a Burlington angle to this” I asked Kerr. “Eric got a parking ticket in Burlington once” Kerr responded. That was enough for us – we decided to do a little write up and use the occasion to tell how Kerr got stiffed when the city moved to a new security firm.
I checked to see where the studio was located in Hamilton – it’s on Sierra Lane which is a hop, skip and a jump from where our columnist Margaret Lindsay Holton lives. Two artists in the same part of town? Looks like the start of a cluster to me.
Burlington is struggling with what it wants to do with its Beachway community; that close to desolate bit of land where the Pump House sits empty waiting for a new tenant. The railway embankment is a serene walk almost any time of day for thousands of people each week. Is this the place to develop an arts community? Could Burlington create the conditions that would see this kind of community grow? When the Freeman Station is eventually renovated, there isn’t a person of sound mind in the city that doesn’t want to see it somewhere in the Beachway alongside the old railway tracks.
 Eric Brittan’s style is a little more formal, less whimsical. There is a spartan feel to some of his work, you might call it minimalist. The beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. They’ve done it on the Hamilton side – all kinds of life over there. Might be a lesson for us.
The art show that Bob Kerr got me to promote is on October 27th and 28th, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Wine and cheese is being served. The stdio is located at 5 Sierra Lane north off Beach Blvd. If you get lost: 905-545-7034 will get you some help.
Eric and Cora Brittan have been holding these open house art sales for 14 years – this is the 15th event for them. Both Cora and Eric run in house small group classes and occasional special workshops in calligraphy, drawing and painting. They also regularly take part in workshops offered at the Burlington Art Centre and the summer program at the Southampton School of Art in Southampton, ON.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 16, 2012 It might set a record for the longest slowest train the city has ever seen but it looks as if it is going to have a station to pull into. City Council last night agreed to sign a Joint Venture with the Friends of Freeman Station that is now an incorporated entity.
The Friends have charitable status and can raise funds and issue tax receipts which will allow them to get on with the task of totally rehabilitating the station that currently sits on blocks next to the fire station on Plans Road.
It has been a long arduous citizens battle and while the struggle isn’t over the opponent now is not city council or city staff but a Canadian winter.
 Sign announces the new home for the Freeman Station – made possible by a $1 a year lease for the next three years from Ashland Canada. The wording of the Joint Venture between the city and the Friends isn’t totally known but James Smith, President of the Friends of Freeman Station believes he will have the document in hand very soon after which they can begin the process of moving station the 100 yards or so onto the property where it will sit for the next couple of years while the renovation takes place.
In the past year we have seen the city involve community groups in the creation of policy and in the development of projects that can best be done by citizens on their own. Heritage Burlington came up with proposals for the management of the way heritage buildings are identified and protected; they did such a good job that the city now has the Advisory group reporting directly to a council committee.
For the life of them, this city council and the one before them could not find a suitable location for the Freeman Station – they actually got to the point where the city placed advertisements in the papers asking if anyone would just haul the thing away. It wasn’t just city council that wore the veil of shame – some city staff plainly didn’t want the station to exist and they didn’t exactly tell the whole story when they described the structure to a council committee.
 They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building. shown are:John Mello, James Smith, Reg Cooke, Councillor Meed Ward, George Curran, Councillor Blair Lancaster and Brian Aasgaard
At what was the turning point for the survival of the station, Councillor Meed Ward along with Councillor Blair Lancaster, proposed that the city allow some time for the creation of a citizens committee that would take on the task of finding a home for the station and then raising the funds to refurbish the structure.
There weren’t a lot of supportive voices at that council meeting but Mead Ward persevered and council agreed to give them some time. Councillor Sharman was pretty insistent at that time that if the group could not find a home or raise the funds – then they would go along with getting rid of the building. It certainly wasn’t his best day as a council member or civic leader.
The Friends of Freeman Station did it – they found a home, they raised some money and they went through the arduous process of getting a Joint Venture agreement with the city in place.
Now the real work begins and if you’d like to be part of that real work – take in the Strategy meeting [planned for Saturday, October the 27th at city hall.
That’s when the nuts and bolts of moving the station from its blocks next to the fire station on Plains Road to the site they have for the next three years for certain and six years if they need it. A foundation will be put in and the station moved,. Ideally before winter. Then they will cover up the structure to protect it from further deterioration and plan for the Spring and Summer of 2013 when a lot of work will be done.
 Make a fashion statement and support the renovation of the Freeman Station. The next big step for the Friends of Freeman Station is a fund raising drive. If you care to donate you can double the value of your donation by sending the funds to the Friends of Freeman via the Historical Society who have agreed to match every donation dollar for dollar up to a total of $5000.
Send you donations to: Friends of Freeman Station, 3023 New Street, P.O. Box 91536, Roseland Plaza, Burlington ON, L7R 4L6
Get used to the idea of seeing Freeman Station sitting out there on the north side of Plains Road next to the fire station but don’t see it as the permanent location for this structure.
It belongs on the railway embankment down on the Beachway and it will eventually end up there. The public will that saved the station will eventually get translated into political will.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 17, 2012 One of the fun things you can do in November is take in the Art in Action Studio Tour.
You get to drive around the city, spend time in ten different locations looking at all kinds of art from some very, very nice wood turning, to iron work, or stained glass if that works for you.
 Thirty six artists – ten locations – you will see much that you like and some you may want to buy. The event is put on by Art in Action – an artist’s collective that puts on the event each year on a Saturday and a Sunday – this year it will take place November 3rd and 4th – from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
You get to meet the artists and talk about the work they do – which ranges all over the map. Sort of like going to ten different art galleries.
There are ten studio stops where 36 artists will have their work set out.
 Paintings, jewellery, glassware, weaving – this city has a rich artistic community that you can experience in a single day. You might even get to know many of them personally. We did this tour last year for the first time – it went so well that we invited friends to join us this year.
What will you see? Well there is a brochure but it’s more fun just to dive from location to location and be surprised when you walk in the door.
Don’t be shy about walking into someone’s home. They want you to come in. As you make the rounds you will find that you bump into people you saw earlier in the day and you get to exchange ideas and comment on what you saw.
Last year we watched Don Graves sell a piece of art to a young woman who had not bought art before. She didn’t really see herself as an art collector but the paining appealed to he and the price was right – so she bought it.
At another location there was an almost party atmosphere. I swear that if we had had a bottle of wine in the trunk of the car the party would have begun right then. I’ve learned that the same group will be opening up their home again this year – and we will put a bottle of wine in the trunk of the car – you never know. Where did this happen last year? That would be telling but it was in the western part of the city – in a valley.
 All 10 locations can be done in a day. You’ll see parts of the city you’ve not seen before as well. How do you buy art? There is usually a price sticker on the piece but you’re not in a supermarket, this isn’t a commodity you’re buying. The object you buy is something the artist has spent many hours on and they put a lot of themselves into the piece you’re looking at.
What if you think you like it – but you’re not sure. Many of the artists will rent a piece of their work. Each artist will have their own approach to rentals – but if you’re interested in a rental – talk to them. What if the piece is more than you want to spend at that moment – but you really like the piece? Many artists are quite happy to take a couple of postdated cheques from you. They can’t be dated too far into the future – the artist would like to be alive when they are deposited.
Artists are people you can work with – they want good homes for their art and they want to sell what they make to people they like. So – if you’re not an art buyer – but you think you’d like to be an art buyer – pick either the Saturday or the Sunday and drive around. You’ll enjoy yourself.
Meet some really interesting artists as well as Burlingtonians who will be doing what you’re doing – looking around.
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON October 12, 2012 When I was seventeen I was in a car accident and broke my back. I was in a body brace for eight months and it took me two full years to walk properly again. During my final examination, the specialist told me that I had been very lucky. He said I could have been paralyzed for life. He strongly advised that I never ride a motorbike, water-ski or horseback ride ever again. As he said, “It would be tempting Fate.” Somber words, yet, even so, as a teenager, I needed to KNOW my real physical limitations. So, within another two years, I got my motorcycle license, went on a marathon water-skiing weekend in Northern Ontario, and, in the Brecon Beacon National Park of Wales, went horse-back riding – for the very last time.
While passing through the quaint farming village of Crickhowell situated on the River Usk below Table Mountain, I decided I wanted to give it a try. Yes, I wanted to ride in that breath-taking Welsh countryside. I found a local farm that offered a ‘trail ride’ on top of the overshadowing Brecon Beacons.
Soon I was mounted up on a lovely tempered 15 hand chestnut mare named ‘Jewel’. Jack, the stable owner, and myself trotted up into the wind-swept barren splendor of those magnificent rolling hills. The landscape was riveting. It was a fabulous, and memorable ride, but not just because of the views.
Jack had offered a word of caution when we had set out from the barn, “Watch out for the wild ponies. Look, but whatever you do, Do Not Engage.” Sure enough, while cantering along an upper ridge, we saw a small herd grazing in the gulley below. We dutifully steered clear, but, it appears we were ‘up wind’ because within a matter of minutes the feisty black stallion from this wild pony herd appeared beside us on the ridge. Jack tried to spook him off but he was not deterred. The stallion watched and paced along beside us for several minutes.
Our horses became very restless and my mare began an intense head bounce that pulled the reins from my hands. Within seconds, she bolted. Mayhem ensued. As she galloped off I held onto her mane for dear life. The pony stallion fell into pursuit and came thundering up beside us. The mare began dodging and weaving. All I could think of was staying on. My legs were clenched tight around her body.
The stallion roughly body-slammed us and reared up, stallion like. I was ABSOLUTELY terrified. Meanwhile, Jack had been in hot pursuit and with his much larger horse body-slammed, shouting, into the rearing and kicking pony stallion. I fell off the back end of the mare onto the ground. The startled stallion abruptly turned on its heel and ran back to his herd. Jack jumped off his steed and ran over. Luckily, I was badly shaken up, but otherwise, fine, nothing broken. Jack helped me back up onto the now jittery (but also fine) ‘Jewel’ and we slowly walked back down to the farm. The gods, in their infinite wisdom, had sent a clear ‘WARNING’. And I haven’t ridden since.
 Horses have as much personality as your favourite dog or cat. I think every child, especially those born in the country, go through a ‘horsey’ stage. One of my first memories of ‘riding’ was ‘cantering’ around the neighbour’s field as an infant, barefoot, neighing, with my friend’s fuzzy head bopping along in front of me. Then began the ferocious reading of various children’s horse stories . followed by the obsessive collecting of porcelain horse figurines and finally, I was fixated on horse films, like National Velvet, , (starring an unknown child actress, Elizabeth Taylor). My friends and I, at the age of 10, were absolutely horse mad.
Over the years, I was taught to ride ‘English’, even though our neighbours rode ‘Western’. I had always wanted to ride ‘bareback’ but never had the nerve. Trust me, it really does take some nerve. My friend would run up then catapult herself onto the back of one of their burr encrusted field ponies and just take off, gleeful. I never had the guts to do that.
After an assortment of riding academies from Freelton to Kilbride, I finally found my favourite ride, Geronimo, a palomino blend with a frisky spirit to match. Those were fun years. Several hours of every Saturday were devoted to the barn: sweeping and hosing down the stalls, grooming the beast, followed by long joy-filled rides back country, blissful under the autumn sun. But, during the mid-teen years, my equine interest began to wane. I discovered the joy – and freedom – of driving a car, and soon, I quietly left all things horsey behind …
 Back to the barn. Except, every fall, when the autumn colours turn vibrant, and the air turns crisp and clear again, I find I still long for a gentle canter with Geronimo along those dusty trails through the hidden back fields of Halton County.
Yet, to do so now, would, methinks, severely test Fate …
 Back fields of Burlington, on top of the Escarpment, Region of Halton. In Burlington, experienced and inexperienced riders can saddle up at the following stables:
Bayview Equestrian Centre –
Bertin Stables
Parish Ridge Stables
Reschburl Equestrian Centre
Readers are advised to familiarize themselves with individual horse farms to find the horse or pony that best suits their own level of expertise and character. Horses have as much personality as your favourite dog or cat. Judge, and ride, accordingly.
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. Unless otherwise stated all photography was done by MLH.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 10, 2012 Under the circumstances it was the best they could do.
Later this month seven names will be drawn from those who enter the draw to have an impression of their hands made out of plaster that will later be poured into concrete and become a part of the decoration for the pier when it open – which we note is now set for the “summer” of 2013. The draw location is HERE. You have until October 16th to submit your name. Children must have the permission of a parent or guardian and must provide name, age and contact information.
 Seven elementary students will have plaster molds made of their hands which will later be turned into concrete castings that will be used to decorate the pier when it is open to the public – date set for summer of 2013 “This is an exciting opportunity for children to interact with Burlington’s newest landmark,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “I encourage all Burlington elementary school-aged children to enter to have your name drawn to leave a lasting impression on the Brant Street Pier.”
The selected children’s hand print impressions will be taken during a celebration event on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. in Spencer Smith Park, just east of the pier. Prior to the event, Mayor Goldring and each of the city’s six ward Councillors will draw one name from each ward and one extra name for a total of seven. The children will be asked to place a nut and bolt into one of the pier’s connecting plates for one of the final steel girders.
“Everyone is invited to witness this milestone, sip a hot cider and enjoy this celebration at the pier,” said Scott Stewart, General Manager of Development and Infrastructure. “Having children become part of the pier construction connects the Burlington community with the pier they will enjoy for many years to come.”
It’s a good idea – but it could have been better. The contractor sort of got in the way of an idea that would have given everyone and anyone in Burlington a chance to leave their mark on the pier.
A couple of months ago we took a trip to Kitchener to look around one of the companies that was doing the welding of those beams that created so much difficulty for both the city and the contractor.
On the way back from that tour an idea got put out and everyone in the car liked the idea and people that can make things happen at city hall began to look into it.
The idea was to have one of the girders that is to be installed on the pier set out on the promenade in front of the construction site. The girder would be mounted on a platform where everyone and anyone could sign their names to the 40 foot length of steel.
The hope was that thousands would show up and take advantage of the opportunity to be part of the history of the city. People in Burlington would be telling their grandchildren that their signature was on one of the steel beams out on that pier.
But alas – it wasn’t to be. The construction company owns the site and they get to decide on what gets done with the steel and all the other parts of the pier. And they weren’t able or prepared to loan the city a steel girder for part of a Saturday afternoon.
This pier is so far behind schedule that half a day just wasn’t available.
So the city has to live with the impression of the hands of seven elementary school children.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON October 8, 2012 I heard the child say thank you and I paused because I had not heard anyone else say “Thank you” that afternoon, when everyone in the family that could make it to the house to feast at the food laden table was in the room.
 We feel grateful for what we have. Some think we are entitled to all that we have and some wonder why they have so little. The imbalance is staggering. Thank you is not a phrase that gets all the use it could get. We feel grateful for what we have. Some think we are entitled to all that we have and some wonder why they have so little. The imbalance is staggering.
How does one learn to be thankful? We aren’t born being thankful, feeling thankful. Being thankful is something we are taught. There isn’t a kindergarten class to teach our children how to be thankful. We want our teachers to teach our children how to read and write and if you could teach them to be polite as well, that would be nice.
But making the teaching of thankfulness part of the core curriculum – well that would be ‘religious’ wouldn’t it?
At this time of year we look at the trees as they display all their colours and we think about being thankful – this is after all the season of Thanksgiving. It’s a little more than leaves changing their colours.
As you herd the kids out the door and off to school Tuesday, ask them to “thank” their teacher just for being their teachers. When you begin thanking people in front of your children they’ll catch on.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 2, 2012 “You did what we could not do” said Councillor Craven.
”We are very proud of you” added Councillor Meed Ward.
Mayor Rick Goldring said “this is a major issue that Council has not handled very well in the past, we have come a long way.” Council was so pleased with the way the Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee took on and then delivered on the task they were given that they gave the committee a robust round of applause – not something done very often at a council committee meeting.
 Is this house a Heritage property? The owners don’t think so and they made a very compelling case to have it removed from the list. Not as simple as it seems. The new approach to heritage report will prevent mistakes like this. How did we get into this mess in the first place? The unanimous acceptance of the report, which was titled: “A new approach to conserving Burlington’s heritage” was the result of many months of work on the part of a committee of fourteen people who were aided by Councillor Meed Ward.
The report now goes to Council on the 15th where it becomes policy for the city. The report is both a set of recommendations and a guideline for the research and testing of the broad outline in the report, which we will report on in detail later this week.
What was different with this report, on a subject that has been contentious in Burlington for many years, is that the Advisory Committee was “at the table” participating fully with Council on the objective – to come up with a way to recognize and manage heritage issues in the city.
The advisory committee was just plain well managed. Chair Jim Clements and vice chair Kathleen White sat where staff normally sit and, there is only one way to put it – they delivered. They showed that well run advisory committees can work.
Jim Clemens, chair of the committee didn’t do this all by himself. He had a strong committee that had to work through some difficult, different points of view – which they did.
The Heritage Burlington Advisory committee left the room with an endorsement of their recommendations that were outlined in their report and a Direction to Staff to work with Heritage Burlington to implement the recommendations.
Council decided that the Advisory Committee would lead on this file with the Planning department commenting to council in a separate document.
What this boils down to is council handing off a major file that has plagued the city for a number of years, to an Advisory committee and then directing that advisory committee to report directly to the council committee. The practice is usually for an Advisory committee to work with a department and the department takes the file forward to council.
Heritage Burlington will report back to the Community Development Committee with final approval of the key components of the recommendations.
That crew that pulled this off included:
J A Clements, Jim Clemens (Chair), Kathleen White (Vice Chair), John Vice, Jacquie Gardner Johnson, Sarah Thompson, Geoff Cliffe – Phillipe, Randy McLachlan, Tim O’Driscoll, Morgan Warren, Linda Axford, Chelsey Tyers, Rick Wilson, Jeff D. Sutcliffe, James O’Neill, and Albert Faccenda
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 1, 2012 This could be a great week for the city’s heritage integrity. The Pump House and Freeman Station fates get considered – good for a go on both of those. The Heritage Advisory report will get taken through a long exhaustive debate and discussion. Will this be the definitive report on heritage buildings for Burlington or will the battle continue for another couple of years?
 Burlington has both rural and urban heritage. The fight to save good examples of both has been an ongoing battle with two distinctly different views in the city struggling to dominate. While they battle, some good examples of heritage building get torn down. We lose about one a month along Lakeshore Road. The Heritage Advisory Committee’s report is before the Community Development Committee this evening and both the Freeman Station and the Pump House get talked through at the Budget and Corporate Services Committee on Tuesday.
We will go into detail on the Heritage Advisory Committee recommendations once it has gone through council committee. In the past there have been numerous delegations at the podium – there are just three registered to speak this evening. We might all get home at a decent hour.
We can tell you now that the committee considering the Pump House Freeman Station has a staff report that has as many hurdles as a 200 metre race but the staff recommendation is to take a “rolling process” approach as they weave their way through the more than ten jurisdictional and government agencies that have to be dealt with.
Try this for a maze of agencies:
Provincial Policy – Regard for the Provincial Policy Statement and Places to Grow; City of Burlington Official Plan and Zoning By-Law. These lands fall under the City’s control (through the lease), so the City may use the rights it has under the Public Authority clause of the Zoning By-Law to permit alternative and complimentary uses, however, only through careful consideration.
Add in the City Permits/Building Code; don’t forget Taxation and then there is the Heritage Designation and then Conservation Halton (CH) has to be included in the mix. The pump house is located within the “Dynamic Beach Regulated Hazard Area” as defined by CH. Any change in use will require CH approval. No building additions are permitted in this zone so any exterior patios, decks, concrete pads, waste facilities, and servicing works all require CH approval.
 Is it worth saving? Without a sensible heritage policy Burlington has flip flopped and let some real historical gems have an encounter with the wrecking ball. The Region is at the table in a big way. Beachway Park is designated as a Regional Waterfront Park and an Environmentally Sensitive Area in the Region’s Official Plan, and therefore is subject to various policies and regulations regarding use, development and protection. Water and sewer connections require the Region’s approval. Full urban sanitary sewer connections are currently not permitted in this area.
Are you getting the drift here? Then there are the licensing Agencies. The Alcohol and Gaming people need to be dealt with – the Health Department for a food service establishment. Then there is the actual lease agreement. Did you count them? More than ten.
However, if the political will is there and so far it is very much there, this can happen. Will it happen before the pier is open – with the Burlington Pier this is not one I would bet on.
What appears to come out of the staff report is that they would like to see this happen but there are some issues out there that need time and attention.
 A solid move on the part of city council to seek expressions of interest in turning the pump house into a coffee shop/pub/wine bar. Might be the beginning of a shift to giving the heritage of the city more integrity than it has had in the past. Before this opportunity can go forward staff wants the city to issue a Request for Expressions of Interest to the retail sector and see who might be interested in leasing the space. If there is the kind of interest the city is looking for – this one could actually happen. Many people want to see something quite a bit more upscale than the “Burger Stand” 50 feet or so from the pump house that has sanitary facilities that curl the nostrils.
However, getting someone to take the bait may not be that easy. When the city went looking for someone to take over the operation of the Paletta Mansion – there weren’t the kind of opportunities and the request for Expressions of Interest was withdrawn.
Hamilton has a very well-run and very popular coffee shop on their waterfront that you have to line up to get into.
The pump house was built in 1909 as part of a new waterworks system to provide piped water from Lake Ontario to Burlington residents and reduce reliance on well supplies. Construction of the new waterworks system was seen as a catalyst for the growth, development and betterment of the Village of Burlington.
More than 100 years later and we are looking at the development of the Beachway Park that now has a very small residential community within it. There was a time when the community was large and very robust but at the time not seen as a nice part of town.
 Historically significant? How many of these does the city want to save and will taxpayers go along with the cost of keeping these buildings? Council has not shown a tremendous amount of leadership on this file. The Heritage Advisory committee has come forward with a new approach. We’ll tell you how Council reacts to the recommendations. The pump house was in service from 1910 to 1936. The building was then used as a residence for the next 50 years. The building was purchased by the City in 1987. It sits on Conservation Halton (CH) lands, however the building itself is owned by the City.
While CH owns the majority of the lands that comprise Beachway Park, both the City and the Region of Halton own various adjacent parcels. The City is responsible for the operational aspects of the Park under a lease/operating agreement with CH.
The pump house was designated as a heritage property in 1992, recognizing the historical and architectural significance of this building. After acquisition, the pump house was used as an operational centre for lifeguard staff when the beach was directly supervised by city staff. Currently the building is used for storage to support the beach pavilion concession and Parks and Recreation Department operations.
The pump house is a one-storey building with a full basement. It has a concrete foundation structure and solid brick exterior. The main entrance access is 4 steps up from grade level which presents an accessibility challenge.
The building is serviced by a 5/8” water-main and a ½” natural gas supply. The sanitary system is a septic tank and weeping tile system which is currently not functional. A new slate roof and gutters were installed and the fascia and soffits were restored along with a new 200 amp electrical service that the city spent $45,000 to have done.
The city estimates it might take as much as $70,000 to get the building to the point where it could be leased and advises that there is $62,000 tucked in an envelope somewhere for just this type of thing.
On a very optimistic note the staff report has a pub opening in October of 2013 – that might be before the Pier opens; imagine that.
The Freeman station is quite a bit further along.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 27, 2012 The vehicle pull down Brant Street by those marvelous people at city hall who keep the wheels turning in this city usually marks the beginning of the annual United Way program.
 Great weather to be outside, enjoy a burger and contribute to the United Way Campaign and be part of a team that pulls a fire truck down Brant Street. The weather is usually good, the crowd is enthusiastic and they have some fun while they are at it. The Fire Department has been the traditional winner of this event but last year Planning took the trophy – if memory serves me right they had two teams in last year.
 While the firemen took the trophy their anchor took a tumble for the team when he got the rope tangled around his feet. This year the Fire Department took the trophy back – Planning didn’t seem to be able to find the trophy they were given so it might be a bit before they actually get the thing.
It has to be noted that the vehicle being pulled this year was a fire truck – and while we aren’t suggesting the man behind the wheel had his foot on the brakes when others were pulling the thing – you know, the fireman might not have liked the idea of people who use their brains and their fingers to get their work done taking the prize for an event that calls for muscle and brawn. .
 Kim Phillips, one of the city’s General Managers with a focus on the administrative and financial side of the place – gave it the old high school try when she jumped into the line, grabbed the rope and pulled. Wasn’t quite enough – the firemen took the trophy this year. Not to be the least bit negative but last year the Clerk’s department had costumes that were a delight to see and the day had more teams out on the street – at least that was my recollection. Last year Lee Oliver played a bigger role in this event – bring him back.
City hall has been doing this vehicle pull for more than ten years and it might be time to come up with something new and different – jazz it up a bit more maybe. Staff clearly want to be part of an event. They have fun; Civic Square was close to packed.
The Burlington portion of the 2012 United Way Campaign is $2.1 million. That’s a big number that Burlington chair Paddy Torsney is going to have to be very creative to achieve. She has a strong team with a lot of new people taking part – many who are quite a bit younger than what United Way has been able to recruit in the past.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 28, 2012 Every Mayor decides at some point, what kind of a mark they want to make on the city they are leading. That mark is a combination of their hopes and dreams for the city; their background and experience and then the people they know who can help them fashion the mark they are going to leave.
That’s the dream – and it bumps into the cold hard reality of the world of politics and people and the economy they have to deal with.
There is a load of frustration and disappointment in being a Mayor and while many think the Mayor is “popular” and can call anyone for help – the truth is – it is very, very lonely at the top.
 Saturday evening the Mayor’s Cabaret will be held at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Getting the production to the stage was a bumpy road. A delay with the show date and a tremendous amount of work by the Mayor’s staff hasn’t produced the results they wanted. These events have to be carefully worked through to determine who the audience is supposed to be and then figuring out how you get them into the building.
It isn’t going to be a sold out event – and there probably won’t be a second Cabaret.
Burlington doesn’t have a long tradition of Gala’s headed up by the Mayor. This type of event became popular in the 90’s with former Mayor Rob MacIsaac holding the first event and using it to raise funds for the Community Development Foundation.
 Former Mayor Jackson ran a different kind of Gala and then ran afoul of the city manager and didn’t hold an event his last year in office. Mayor Jackson ran a different form of Gala and then ran into some difficulty during his final year in office with his event. Jackson went on to lose the election – not because of the way his Gala`s were run we might add. After leaving City Hall Jackson became a lobbyist for a professional organization. We are advised that he has since left the group he was representing.
There are former Mayors who don`t feel events like this should be run out of the Mayor`s office. Mayor Goldring has found that putting on an event like this eats up far too much of his staffs’ time.
The event won`t be a bust – but it will probably be the last one sponsored by the Mayor.
Rick Goldring is doing something else that matters – and it is with his Inspire series of speakers that we can expect to see change – albeit not in the short term. Planting new ideas in the minds of a community that tends not to take on new ideas easily is a challenge. What Goldring has done is find speakers who have ideas and something to say that can lead the city in a different direction and give us something to base our decisions upon.
The first speaker was Chris Hume of the Toronto Star who made no bones about what he thought of what McMaster University had done to the city. He saw their decision to back out of putting a campus into the downtown core as “morally repugnant”
Hume got the event off to a strong start and it has been uphill from there. The events have been held at McMaster’s DeGroote campus on the South Service Road but have moved to the Performing Arts Centre where they come close to full house events.
 The speaker at the Mayor’s next Inspire series will be Dr. Samir K. Sinha, Director of Geriatrics, Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospital And it is on this level, stimulating the minds and the imaginations of the community where Mayor Goldring has chosen to make his mark. Later this Month Dr. Samir K. Sinha, Director of Geriatrics, Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals, will speak on how we care for our aging population, which for Burlington is going to be a huge challenge.
While it is the hospital that will actually deliver that care – it is the community that is going to have to communicate to the hospital what kind of care that it wants, needs and is prepared to pay for. The $60 million given to the hospital by the city on behalf of its taxpayers has to stand for something.
 Ken Greenberg explained the role the large pension funds are playing in the development of the downtown cores of Mississauga and how his group had worked with developers in Toronto. It is now clear what this Mayor wants to do – he wants to get people thinking; he wants to bring new ideas to the table and create discussions that result in a public ready to do things differently. He has certainly brought in excellent speakers. Andre Picard talked about where the public health business was going; Ken Greenberg talked about the way major developments were being done and who the players were in the development game.
Gil Penalosa told the city how we could make more and better use of bikes and “create vibrant and healthy cities for all: from 8 to 80 years old”. His focus was the design and use of parks and streets as great public places, as well as on walking and cycling for recreation and transportation. Out of that talk came the two Car Free Sundays we had this summer. One of the two was a strong success – closing Brant Street didn’t go as well. Will we do it again? We should.
The city got a bronze level award for the way we have begun to focus on getting people outdoors and using bicycles more frequently. Burlington loves getting awards and this one will probably spur the city into doing more bike related stuff. There is a night ride scheduled by a group in the city this weekend.
 The two Car Free Sundays went well enough to try again next summer – although many of the people stuck in their cars may not think it was a good idea. The idea was to get those people out of their cars. All very good speakers – BUT, and this is not meant to rain on the Mayor’s parade – is anyone listening to these speakers; are they being heard? The city is currently looking into what it wants to do and can do with its employment lands – those properties that will hold the office buildings and high tech, high value added manufacturing operations the city needs.
Time and again we hear the consultants we hire telling council to “do your homework”. The Molinaro’s recently announced the purchase of the large lot in front of the GO station on Fairview, to the east of Wal-Mart and will be moving forward with their plans to develop the property.
During the Workshop the city held earlier in the week on the Employment Lands Councillor Jack Dennison (Ward 4) asked if maybe the Molinaro’s could be asked to include an office building in their plans. The Molinaro’s didn’t get to where they are with that kind of woolly thinking. They have already decided what they want to do with that property and have it all costed out.
That the city doesn’t know what they have planned suggests that perhaps some Council members are still using rotary dial telephones and have forgotten how to use them.
The Mayor fully understands the gravity of the problems we have and he is doing a part of the job that needs to be done. He does need to immerse himself into the talks with the developers and not leave that to the Economic Development people – nothing is getting done over there.
But the Mayor can’t do it all – the rest of us have to do our homework.
If we don’t do things differently – we won’t continue to exist.
 By Pepper Parr
The people numbers were up – the money numbers were down, but the Terry Fox run was a major success nevertheless.
It was the 31st time the event took place in Burlington. To date the community has raised $1,470,000 and countless numbers of Burlingtonians have run for Terry Fox and for those who found themselves facing cancer.
 Don Carmichael, chair of the 2012 run, and expected to chair the 2013 run as well, noted that this year “we had a group running with more than 200 members. That was very, very significant and is a large part of what the Burlington Terry Fox run is all about.”
More than 1,100 people participated in the run this year. “We printed up 1000 ribbons for people to wear and ran out”, said Carmichael. “It was a very good crowd this year”, he added.
The fund raising didn’t do as well. $84,000 was raised in 2011 while just $70,000 was raised in 2012, bringing the total raised by the Burlington Terry Fox Run since its inception to more than $1,470,000 That is a very significant sum of money.
 Commemoration boards were set up on the site for people to write a few ords on. What few know is that the organizing committee has kept every board ever set up and written on. They are set up each year in a quiet corner where pople can go and read what they wrote in the past. Every dollar raised in Burlington goes to cancer research and while the run doesn’t have an official sponsor there are organizations in Burlington that come forward to meet the needs that range from water to food. This level of support is hugely appreciated by not only the people who organize the run but by the community at large.
 More than 100 volunteers make the Terry Fox Run happen. Carmichael noted that they were seeing more “teams” groups of people running to remember someone or support someone fighting cancer. “In the past” said Carmichael, “we have had smaller groups running – three or four, sometimes a dozen or more. The team running for Casey Cosgrove this year exceeded 200 which is a big change for the run.”
Many people find that the run is a way to commemorate a person and to use the time those who walk the route need to think about, celebrate or miss the person they are “running” for.
 Many people see the Terry Fox run as a unique thing that happened in Canada and was the result of one Canadian’s supreme effort. The Canadian flag just seems to be a part of the event – and there were plenty of them handed out. The event is as much a community event as it is a single person running, with each person having their own personal reasons for being there, but everyone on the site for the same reason – they want to see cancer beaten.
Great strides have been made in research and many forms of cancer are treatable and cured if caught early enough. Carmichael expects to see more groups being formed to take part in the event.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON October 22, 2012 An old-fashioned fall fair right here in the city! Next weekend, Sunday, September 30th! ~11 – 4 p.m. at the Ireland House at Oakridge Farm, 2168 Guelph Line, Burlington
 The Farmall tractor – hundreds of the things, if not a couple of thousand, tilled the fields that are now sub-divisions in Burlington. Manufactured by International Harvester, a company that has been in Burlington for more than fifty years but is now moving to Hamilton You can start the day with a Country-style home-made pancakes & specialty syrup! That runs from 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.
What else can you expect?
Jump into the sea of hay and join in a great harvest fair tradition – Make Your Own Scarecrow!
How about a try at the Hay Maze?
Live roping demonstrations with the Ontario Rodeo Association!
Take a tour through the historic Ireland House
Experience historic cooking, apple schnitzing and apple cider making!
See antique tractors and historic automobiles on display.
 Ireland House, a part of the Museums Burlington operation, is the only example of a farming property that is publicly viewable in the city south of Dundas, It is an excellent example of its period. Worth as visit Watch as fascinating artisans demonstrate their craft! Make your own neat crafts! Have fun with the Fall Harvest Obstacle Course and Games, Pony Rides (12-3pm), Junior Farmer Competitions and Games, Fair-Style Activities, Historic Cooking and Horticultural society arrangements.
There will be animal exhibits and special farm displays! Check out the Trifles & Treasures Bazaar. Find excellent fall treasures, home decorations and unique handmade items in the vendor area. Enjoy live stage entertainment all day including country dance demonstrations and musical performances! And don’t miss your chance to bid at the Applefest Silent Auction!
Finally, be sure to sign your children up for their chance to be crowned this year’s Applefest Fall Fair Prince and Princess! Contest is open to children 6-10 years old!
Admision to Applefest is FREE thanks to the generous support of The Rocca Sisters Team! Additionally, all children will receive a free goodie bag and a ticket to be entered into a draw to win a special prize basket!
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON October 22, 2012 In the week we are going into more than 4,000 Halton students will spend a part of a day taking part in the seventh annual Halton Children’s Water Festival (HCWF) being held from September 25 to 28, 2012.
Students from grades two to five registered to participate in the festival taking place outdoors at the picturesque Kelso Conservation Area in Milton.
 He really wants you to look at the bullfrog he is holding. Students at the Festival will experience a unique opportunity to learn about water in a fun and interactive way at activity centres which cover Ontario curriculum requirements. New this year, French language activity centres will be piloted with grade five French Immersion students on Thursday, September 27. The HCWF features nearly 60 activity centres that incorporate four main water related themes:
 Kids + water = fun and noise – all part of the Halton Children’s Water Festival. A full day of fun at a cost of $5 per student. “Since the Halton Children’s Water Festival began in 2006, more than 25,000 children have participated which shows the demand and interest for high quality environmental education in our community,” said Conservation Halton Chairman John Vice. ”The Festival’s success is due to the enthusiastic participation by volunteers, teachers and students backed by the commitment of partner organizations as well as tremendous support from individuals and businesses in the community. We thank everyone who has participated and contributed to the Water Festival over the past seven years.”
The Festival is co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region in partnership with, the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board, the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. This partnership has created a successful and financially sustainable water festival in Halton. Conservation Halton Chairman John Vice and Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr serve as the Festival’s honorary co-chairs.
 It isn’t all classroom stuff – just look at the way this girl rounds the bale of hay. A winner for sure. The Festival is a community partnership dependent on more than 150 volunteers each day to help with various activities. Halton high school students and community volunteers are once again generously offering their time and gaining experience in community outreach, public speaking, teaching and time management.
The Festival is offered to Halton schools at a cost of just $5 per child, which includes a full day at the Festival as well as transportation to and from the event. Schools seeking Ontario EcoSchools certification can count their attendance at the HCWF as a field trip in the Curriculum category.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 21, 2012 It would have been great – as it was it was very good. The rain spoiled the public participation but it didn’t stop two chef’s from Spencer’s on the Waterfront from showing a small crowd that huddled under umbrellas as Chris Hayworth and Andy McLean put together two really fine meals at an outdoor location in what the Farmer’s Market called Street Fight # 1 with Hayworth vs McLeod. The knives were out.
 You don’t see hand drawn type like this very often It was promoted as a Street Fight # 1, indicating that this would become an ongoing event. The first pitted two experienced chef’s from one of the better, if not the best, restaurant in the downtown area.
While the rain certainly dampened the public attendance the event was clearly something that could be done fairly frequently next season. If promoted effectively it could become an event to which day tourists travel to Burlington to take in.
The crowd that was on hand last Friday certainly enjoyed themselves even if they had to huddle in the rain under umbrellas tasting the results. Hayworth’s cauliflower soup was especially nice.
While the competition was to have two chef’s competing the event turned out to be a battle with the elements. With just drizzle, one umbrella was enough; but when it turned into real rain – Barry Imber went looking for as many umbrellas as he could find. His finds and what others had on hand kept most of the rain off the audience.
 Chef Hayworth on the left and Chef McLean next to him take their recipes through the final stages of preparation before letting the crowd taste the meal – and it most certainly was a meal.  Chef Chris Hayworth on the left with chef Andy McLean to his left prepare food for individual tastings. There wasn’t nearly enough to go around. The original plan was to have people sitting on benches observing; but the rain had people huddling around the cooking tables, while the chefs worked in very cramped quarters constantly hoping the electrical cables wouldn’t short out. The Farmer’s Market will shut down sometime in October and has to be seen as a success – not a raging success but a very positive addition to life in the downtown core.
Our Burlington supported the event from its very beginning and we will be reminding you about its return in the Spring.
Barry Imber is the driving force behind the concept and the guy who did much of the hands on work to make it happen. He was the guy who made the phone calls to get people to take part; he was the guy who chased down umbrellas and put them up as the rain moved from a drizzle to a real rainfall. He was the guy who went looking for additional electrical extension so the chef’s could continue cooking.
 One of the vendors teaches children at the Farmer’s Market some hand clapping dances There were different vendors throughout the year with Featherstone and Plan B on hand consistently. Some vendors were on the site when they had product – Gibson’s Honey who sold out every time he was there.
There were people from the Tourism office watching the event which many thought could be something done several times during the season and promoted as a destination event. There people who would love to make a day trip to Burlington to attend an event likes this, stay for the day and drive up into the Escarpment. As an event – it has potential.
The market is intended for those people who are purely organic. If you want pure food with nothing added, no preservatives or colouring to make the food look nicer.
What many wondered as the two chef’s worked away was – who was doing the cooking at Spencer’s while Hayworth and Mclean were at the market.
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