 By Pepper Parr
June 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The city will begin to open up later this week – people will be getting out and experiencing a much different dining experience.
The Gazette will have photographers out documenting how the city responds and behaves.
 Queen’s Head setting up for Sound of Music in better days. Will we see this on Friday? Will there be lineups next to the pop up stands – How many patio places are there going to be?
The city is currently at a Level 3 under the provincial emergency legislation. City manager Tim Commisso reports that the city declared a level 2 on March 12th and moved to a level 3 five days later.
He said earlier today that the Emergency Coordination Group reviewed the criteria and said “we still meet the criteria for level 3 so no change.
The documentation and legislation, including the regulations amounts to a decent sized book. Commisso did say that he hasn’t read every page but is “generally aware of the policy” adding that he has “the benefit of having Amber Ruston advise me as our Emergency Manager – she is an expert staff resource in all things related to provincial and emergency municipal management.
So – we are still at level 3 but we can get out for a meal – with wonderful weather seats at Emma’s Back Porch and Spencer’s overlooking the lake will be at a premium.
There will be some pretty tight rules to be followed – follow them – they are in place for our benefit. When you come across an establishment that isn’t following – remind the operators that the rules are in place for a reason – your health.
 By Staff
June 17th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
One Burlington, the multi-cultural organization that holds a not to be missed event in the summer (it will not take place this year) released a statement earlier today supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Let us hope that their involvement goes beyond a Statement.
 By Staff
June 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Mehdizadehjafari’s artwork, Soar will be installed in front of the new pavilion being constructed at City View Park.
A Request for Expressions of Interest was released in October 2019. Over 50 artists’ submissions were received and reviewed by a community jury made up of residents, local artists and project stakeholders.
 Mehdizadehjafari’s artwork, Soar will be installed in front of the new pavilion being constructed at City View Park. The jury selected three finalists to develop preliminary artwork concepts.
These three submissions were shown to residents for feedback on Get Involved Burlington and at two in-person displays at Brant Hills Community Centre and Burlington Public Library – Central Branch. More than 400 comments were received. Public feedback and the artist’s technical proposal were factored into the jury’s final scoring and decision.
City View Park Project
The council approved City View Park Master Plan is being implemented through several phases. To date, three artificial turf fields, creative playground, parking, pond/wetland, trails, natural restoration and a park maintenance facility have been added. The next phase for a pavilion is currently out for construction tender with that work scheduled to start in September 2020. The artwork will complement the park building.
Artwork Location
The artwork will be in a large naturalized area in front of the pavilion. This area will link together pathways from the future parking lot to the front entrance of the pavilion and a central roadway. The artwork will be viewable from inside the pavilion’s main lobby through large glass walls looking out.
 Hooman Mehdizadehjafari,, an Iranian-Canadian artist with an impressive body of work. Artist Statement
Inspired by the oldest living creature in Eastern North America, the public art design Soar inherited its form from the Eastern White Cedar.
The 17-foot-tall metal sculpture reflects the rich natural heritage of the region, in particular the Niagara Escarpment.
The diversity of materials used creates a beautiful play of colours that can often be seen in nature and alludes to the diverse and united community of Burlington. Soar is a reflective mirror of the rich natural heritage of the site and celebrates the gracious and honourable ambition of appreciating and protecting the environment and ensuring its passing on to future generations.
The applied words THROUGH – NATURE – WITH – LOVE – WE – THRIVE in Soar, create an infinite circulation that reflects the ultimate message of this piece: by loving our nature, valuing and protecting it, we may grow and thrive within it peacefully.
Artist Biography
Hooman Mehdizadehjafari, creator of Hoomanart is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian visual artist and designer based in Vancouver, Canada. He was born in 1985 in Kerman, Iran and graduated from the Tehran University of Art with a Master’s in Sculpture and Painting.
https://www.hoomanart.com/about
 By George Keburia
June 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The coronavirus pandemic reached Canada quite some time ago, resulting in thousands of deaths.
Despite the timely measures and restrictions that were introduced by the province, the deadly virus still managed to spread all across Canada. Moreover, the nation’s biggest trade partner and neighbor the United States remains the most severely affected country in the world as the number of total coronavirus infections exceeds a thumping 2 million mark.
 Travel into the United States has been suspended for all except vital transportation of goods. When talking about the impact of the global pandemic on Canada, there are many factors that should be considered. Except for the internal issues that have emerged after the lockdown, the closure of the US/Canada border has also resulted in devastating consequences for Canadian businesses. Many gambling venues along the border were highly dependent on American visitors that would visit over the weekend and spend considerable sums of money. Yet, for almost three months now, these venues have not been able to accept even the local customers.
In mid-march, the government of Canada led by the prime minister Justin Trudeau announced that due to the global pandemic, all enclosed entertainment venues would have to shut down indefinitely. This changed the country drastically over the past two and a half months. The list of affected businesses included casinos, restaurants, bars, and entertainment centers. The gambling venues ended up being one of the hardest-hit businesses in the industry. Unlike restaurants, casinos can’t deliver orders and offer takeaways.
Yet, the vast majority of gambling businesses saw an alternative in moving onto the internet. The list covered all types of venues and as of now, the number of VIP online casinos in Canada is simply tremendous. This way, venues that previously hosted thousands of visitors per day can offer similar services to those loyal customers online. Obviously, this does not tackle the problem at a large scale but most certainly helps businesses survive throughout this turbulent period.
Despite the fact that many gambling businesses found the idea of online casinos helpful, there are still some major operators that simply can not substitute huge revenues with just a mere fraction of it. Such companies had to abandon not only their active venues but also major projects underway in different parts of the country. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is one of such businesses that now faces lots of obstacles on the way of getting back up and running.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment evaluating the current state of legislation in Ontario amid the pandemic
‘Gateway Casinos and Entertainment’ is one of the leading operators in the industry across Canada. It owns venues all across the nation and employs hundreds of people. Overlooking the operation of this scale, the company became one of the hardest-hit businesses over the past few months. From mid-march, Gateway casinos and entertainment along with others nationwide had to take its operations to a complete standstill. The company is still unable to operate amid the ongoing restrictions.
 COVID 19 put the construction of the North Bay Casino on hold The government of Ontario has recently talked about the potential of re-opening businesses, including those that fall under the entertainment umbrella. This could mean opening up the Gateway casinos and entertainment to the public. However, there is another crucial part that comes with the process of lifting regulations. The company has its ongoing construction project in North Bay. The government has already given a green light for construction work to recommence. Yet, the company seems to be careful about spending with no casinos open at the moment.
Gateway is now trying its best to reopen its casino businesses. Without the venues up and running, it will likely have trouble financing major construction works in North Bay and beyond. Despite the government’s remarks about the possible opening of certain entertainment businesses, there are still no specific guidelines or time frames about the future of the business.
Casinos will have to adjust to the current state
Sooner or later casinos along with other entertainment venues will open to the public. This day will likely come sooner than we think but the cost of this process might be overwhelming for many businesses. With social distancing being the only effective tool for us to curb the spread of the COVID-19, everything inside of venues will have to adjust to the new reality. This will mean fewer seats and slot machines while customers will have to constantly keep the safe distance.
 Patrons at the Sudbury Gateway Casino where the delight in plying the slots is evident. The Sudbury casino by Gateway has 70 active employees that are ready to get back to work. However, as the capacity of venues will be significantly reduced, the likelihood of them all coming back is very low. There will most certainly be some spending cuts which might result in the reduction of the staff.
Without any specific guidelines or frameworks for how casinos should operate under unprecedented circumstances, the Casino Rama Resort by Gateway in Orilla is reportedly preparing to open. The Gateway representatives say that they are cooperating with the government of Ontario regarding specific venues that could potentially open first in the row.
Many ideas are being considered about how Gateway could get back to doing business actively. There were plans to expand the floor space and add a separate smoking room for the customers. Yet, the idea was scrapped as it potentially stood as a great health risk for employees.
With the total coronavirus infection number globally exceeding 7 million, many new innovative frameworks are introduced for venues to operate safely. Hopefully, Gateway will be one of such innovators in the field.
George Keburia is a commentator on the entertainment sector in Canada
 By Pepper Parr
June 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There will be something in the way of a summer program if and when the province decides to let Burlington move to Stage 2 of the re-opening of the province.
 Splash pads will be open. Splash pads will open – not all of them.
 Some rinks will be open – Appleby and Aldershot will not be opened – nor will Skyway Some of the ice rinks will be open but only for groups that have the permission of their Sports organization. The one expected to make the most use is the figure skating people.
The Parks and Recreation people need to be assured that there will be at least 40 hours of ice time rented, preferably 60 before they begin to make ice – a process that will take two weeks.
 Outdoor pools will be open Outdoor pools will be opened – subject to whatever the province puts in place in terms of rules and approval from the Regional Public Health Unit.
Mayor Meed Ward said she would like to see at least one indoor pool made available.
There will be something in the way of a Summer Camp program – here as well – the city is waiting for the rules.
How many children can there be in any one camp; where will the camps be held. At this point the Standing Committee that met virtually on Thursday has more questions than answers.
It did give the Parks and Recreation people an additional $300,000 to spend – that was on top of the $500,000 that was already in the budget.
By Pepper Parr
June 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
This was just not Kelly Childs week and it doesn’t look as if it is going to get any better.
A couple of days of serious critical comment on how the Kelly’s Bake Shop reacted to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that exists in Burlington and the demonstration they held recently has resulted in a demonstration in Civic Square on Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm
 The lead up to this can be understood in the back and forth on Instagram and Facebook.
Pretty ugly
 Seen as a superb marketer Keely Childs may have come against an issue she cannot skate around.
 Social media reaction to her reported views on the Black Lives Matter movement have been vicious.
Try as she might, it doesn’t appear that Ms Childs has been able to come up with a response that will satisfy the BLM people
By Staff
June 12, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Lakeshore Road at Burlington Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction (half the road will be closed at time) from June 15 to June 16 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.,
The lane restrictions are to allow for the installation of a multi-coloured pedestrian crosswalk.
Work will be completed during nighttime hours.
Lane reductions will be in place for the duration of this work. Priority will be provided to emergency services as required.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns posing beside a rainbow painted cross walk – she just might be getting one in her ward. The city media release just says multicolored.
By Pepper Parr
June 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a good idea at the time – but by the time the city gets around to this one much of the summer might have passed us by.
 Councillor Stolte looking for a response to her motion – put forward last April A motion was presented to Burlington Council on April 20, 2020 by Councillor Shawna Stolte which sought to direct staff to prepare a list of potential streets under the City’s jurisdiction that could be closed for the purpose of allowing space for walking and cycling within the roadway/road allowance in a manner that does not conflict with provincially mandated social distancing regulations. This motion failed, however in its place, the following staff direction was approved:
Defer item 14.1 “Shared Streets Burlington” (ADM-02-20) regarding road closures to aid social distancing during the COVID-19 emergency to staff to determine criteria and return back to Committee or Council in May.
It is now June
In preparing this report, staff kept the following significant principles in mind:
• There must be demonstrated and measurable need for increased space for pedestrians and/or cyclists.
• That any road space re-assignment does not encourage large gatherings.
• That any road space reassignment be sensitive to the impacts to neighbourhoods and businesses and will be effectively communicated.
• A “one size does not fit all” approach to developing solutions to identified problem areas.
After careful consideration and taking into account the above principles, staff recommend a “responsive” approach as the best way forward when considering whether to implement road or sidewalk closures. This approach involves the identification of an issue requiring consideration of closures and developing a plan that addresses those site-specific conditions.
Once a particular roadway section, intersection or sidewalk has been verified as a problem, staff can take a phased approach commencing with education, signage, coning off areas of conflict and/or proceed with the closure option from the very beginning.
With several variables to consider when closing roadways and/or sidewalks, it was determined that setting pre-determined criteria for closures would not give staff the flexibility needed to address a wide range of issues and changing conditions at locations across the city.
For example, finding solutions for the downtown or the Aldershot business areas require distinctively different approaches given the needs of merchants versus other areas of the city who may have the luxury of underutilized private parking lots.
Given the State of Emergency it is further recommended that the Emergency Control Group (ECG) and Task forces be advised of any need to close roads and sidewalks to ensure consistency and alignment with provincial orders
Through the City’s Delegated Authority By-law (099-2012), authority is given to the Director of Transportation Services, Director of Engineering, Director of Roads and Parks Maintenance, and Fire Chief, or their designate(s) to approve short-term emergency and temporary road closures. Any closures which could involve a longer time period will require consultation with Legal Staff and Council approval.
In response to the varying needs already identified, the following initiatives have been undertaken by Transportation Services staff:
Traffic Signal Timing Changes
As a measure to address issues of social distancing for pedestrians waiting to cross at signalized intersections, traffic signal timing changes have been implemented at intersections with high pedestrian volumes. Specifically, wait times for pedestrians were reduced through eliminating advanced left turn phases where possible and activating the pedestrian walk symbol automatically during every cycle to reduce the need to use the push button.
Paid On-street Parking Conversion to 20 min. Drop Off Zones
As Burlington retailers begin to re-open and offer curbside pickup, the City of Burlington has made changes to all on-street parking within the downtown. Changes include converting all on-street paid parking areas to 20-minute parking only. This initiative, developed in conjunction with the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA), is intended to aid businesses in providing curbside pickup and was implemented on May 22, 2020.
 Will Burlington see special lanes opened up for cyclists and walkers? The downtown is an obvious source of high numbers of pedestrians, so it is not surprising that it has emerged as an area that requires attention. A number of intersections on Lakeshore Road through the downtown are continually being monitored by staff in order to quickly respond to changing conditions. City By-law staff who are continually circulating around the city are reporting hot spots so that staff can focus their attention on developing solutions.
Staff recognize and appreciate the importance of Burlington residents communicating with their ward Councillors. Staff plan on using this intelligence by holding an open weekly invitation to Council members to convey what they hear from their constituents as it relates to pinch points around the city.
Options Considered
A pre-determined list of criteria to support road and sidewalk closures was considered, however, the varying nature of roadways across the city and the limited number of issues identified to date has resulted in staff preferring to take a responsive approach that examines the merits of each request and considers context-sensitivity when developing a solution.
This one gets debated in a virtual city council Standing Committee meeting.
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 By Pepper Parr
June 8th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite some tough financial days ahead the public art program is continuing its annual Local Artist Program this year.
The program commissions local artists to create a variety of small to medium scale artworks throughout the community. The City is inviting local artists to submit their design ideas that will be installed on traffic control signal boxes throughout the city later this year.
Councillor Sharma n talking to Angela Paparazzo at an arts event.
 Councillor Sharma n speaking to Angela Paparazzo Artists are encouraged to submit artwork that focuses on inspiring and uplifting the community during these challenging times. This artwork will form an urban art gallery that can be experienced by residents while still practicing appropriate social distancing.
Artists wishing to apply to this project can get help to prepare their application and learn how to transfer their artwork/designs into a digital format. These educational opportunities will be offered via videoconference and email to make sure appropriate social distancing is practiced.
For deadlines and more information on how to get application help and/or apply, please visit www.burlington.ca/publicart.
 Timeline
By Staff
June 5th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Those fences along the Beachway didn’t last all that long – they certainly raised the hackles on the back of a lot of necks.
Some felt the city was a little heavy handed – but the rules were were pretty clear – Beaches were closed.
At a Special Meeting of Council on Wednesday, Council approved interim modifications to the City’s parks operations service, including the removal of the fencing currently in place at Beachway Park.
 If the people in the center are all from the same family this would be legal. The rules are in place for a very good reason – they prevent the transmission of the virus. The changes to the parks service also allow for temporary washroom facilities to be installed at Spencer Smith Park, Beachway Park and Burloak Park with enhanced service.
The fencing at Beachway Park will be taken down next week and the portable toilets and handwashing stations will be installed at Beachway Park, dependent on availability.
When walking along the beach, residents are reminded to continue to be vigilant about public health practices and provincial directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including:
• Maintaining 2 metre physical distance from anyone you don’t live with
• Gathering in groups of 5 or fewer
• Staying home if you feel sick
• Washing and sanitizing hands before and after visiting the area.
 The washroom facilities in the Pavilion on the Beachway are in terrible shape. They have been in need of an upgrade for some time – that work is not scheduled to start until September. Access to washrooms
The washrooms in the pavilion at Beachway Park will remain closed as a result of pre-existing structural issues which are scheduled to be corrected with construction in September 2020. In their place, portable bathrooms and hand washing stations will be made available and cleaned by City parks staff on a regular basis.
The temporary washroom facilities at Spencer Smith Park, Beachway Park and Burloak Park will be installed once available from the supplier, approximately the end of June. The re-opening of other city park washrooms, with enhanced cleaning, will be phased in.
Beach maintenance and safety
City Council approved the hiring of students and temporary staff to assist with this important service and general parks maintenance. City parks staff will provide reduced beach maintenance, including grooming the beach and enhanced cleaning of washrooms. Please place waste in receptacles or take it home with you for disposal to help keep the beach safe for everyone.
Halton Region monitors public beaches to help ensure safe water quality for swimmers. Water quality testing at Beachway Park by Halton Region Public Health is currently not taking place. For updates and more information, please dial 311.
The resumption of City services and spaces is something everyone is looking forward to, but caution that it is vital to continue to do it slowly and carefully with the right precautions.
The city is asking for your patience and understanding as the City works to ensure it has resources and policies in place that align with Provincial regulations and the latest guidance from Halton Region public health to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
City pools and splash pads are still closed until the province loosens up the rules.
By Staff
June 2nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Date moved to June 20th
There is an organization that wants to register 10,000 Canadian artists for an event that will supports 10 different verticals within the arts community – film, fashion, music, visual art, performing art, beauty, accessories, photography, craft and technology. There is no charge for artists to participate.
The National Arts Drive, a three-hour community experience on Saturday, June 20, 2020, 4 – 7pm, spanning throughout Canada, United States and Mexico. Local artists will showcase their work while respecting social distancing – from windows, balconies, driveways, front lawns, workspaces, or appropriate commercial spaces.
Community neighbours and supporters are invited to visit participating local artists, performers, musicians and designers living in their community from a safe distance.
Described as an engaging and exciting opportunity for artists and art lovers its being sponsored by RAW Artists Canada who have teamed up with Artfest Ontario to bring the National Arts Drive to Ontario Communities.
Highlights:
• Free to participate
• Easy to sign up
• Open to all art disciplines and arts supporters
• A driving tour taking place in communities across Canada
• Saturday June 6 from 4-7pm
Collingwood resident Michelle Bylow is leading the charge in bringing the drive to Canada.
“We are using all the resources available to continue our mandate of supporting and empowering artists,” said Bylow, executive director of RAW Artists Canada. “The drive will give artists visibility and financial support from their communities. 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the artists”.
Thousands of artists and art lovers are signing up.
The driving tour will be paired with a mobile website designed and built by RAW Artists. Art showcases will be identified on a map within the app, enabling drivers to plan their routes.
Using the site, visitors can support artists by liking, following and/or sharing artists’ work via social media, tipping artists through a touch free pay app (i.e. Venmo, PayPal), and/or making future purchases from the artists online. All donations go directly to the artists.
For more information on CLICK HERE
By Pepper Parr
May 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a crusty old salt in the east end of the city who from time to time send us a note that actually makes a lot of sense.
Let me share it with you,
 That’s creative – effective, not so. “On the matter of masks” he opines. ”And looking beyond the junk science and conspiracy theories that abound and confuse, I think it is fairly obvious that wearing masks is at very least …. Helpfull … And just possibly more than that. Especially in preventing transmission.
 Masks have gone corporate. “I think we can also agree that masks are virtually useless at preventing reception/ingress via droplet /aerosol/ physical proximity or contact, and we have to be careful not to let our mask lull us into a false sense of safety.
“I’d suggest the mask argument is situational.
“I don’t wear a mask when I take my daily walk and I certainly don’t wear it at home.
“I do wear it every time I’m in my apartment elevator as a courtesy to others. NOT to protect myself.. It won’t!
 You should get a prize for wearing one of these. “I wear one when I go shopping and believe all stores should insist on wearing them within the store.
“And by the BTW, the LCBO should be emulating other retailers.
“I don’t wear it in the car on the way to and from but again …. In the elevator going home.
 Hand washing is the best defence you have – and it costs next to nothing. “I protect myself with an almost paranoid hand washing and sanitizing regime.
“People have the right to choose Not To Wear Masks. If they choose that option the store owner or other patron’s rights must hold equal value and suasion.
“No Mask …. No Entry …. is a reasonable position. Someone much smarter than me once said …”Your right to swing your fist freely … ends at m y nose!”
“There is probably a universal agreement that masks, while imperfect and certainly not foolproof, do help.
“Stay safe, keep others safe …. Wear a mask where appropriate, and as my old Mum always said: “Have You Washed Your Filthy Hands Yet?” She actually yelled it more than simply suggesting it.
By Staff
May 31st, 202-
BURLINGTON, ON
The Farmer’s Market Opens on June 10
The Burlington Centre, (you used to know it as the Mall) on Guelph Line, continues to be the home of the Farmers Market, which has been operating for 62 consecutive years by the Burlington Lions Club, offering great fresh and processed products from local farmers and vendors.
 Burlington Lions showing their support for the redevelopment and expansion of the Joseph Brant Hospital The opening of this Ontario Essential Business, a fresh air grocery, is the culmination of careful collaborative work by Vendors, Halton Region Health, City, Centre Owner RIOCAN, Lions Club and local businesses. Changes have been made for COVID safety and protection of the public, vendors and Market volunteers.
 It’s a bit of a maze but there will be a lot of people to help out if you get confused. Make it a fun day. The biggest changes are mandated for disease control and are based on experience at other already open operations: 6 foot distancing, cough containment and hand sanitizer, controlling the number of patrons in the Market at one time, and one-way traffic flow. The Market perimeter is defined by rows of bright colour pennant flags.
There is one entrance Gate (watch for Greeter’s Green or Red Wait sign) from the Parking Lot side indicated by an 8 ft high yellow ENTER sign. Once entering, all patrons will use one-way traffic flow in much wider aisles, including a centre median to mark the travel lanes and direction. Patrons may cross the median at various locations to change direction to the other side of the Market or to the single EXIT.
 This is one of those “abundance of caution” situations. Follow the instructions from people who really want you to have a good experience. Other precautions include protection from touching the produce and a new slogan: “Point to Buy” – Vendors will put less product on display at one time to help protect it. Cash is facilitated and some vendors are offering electronic payment options. All bags are supplied by Vendors. Sorry, no samples permitted.
Visitors are encouraged to wear a mask, use the Market Hand sanitizer (or your own), contain your cough/sneeze, keep six feet apart at all times. Service Dogs only please. Crops are coming in a bit later this Season, but Vendors will be happy to see You!
It will be a different experience but all that fresh produce will make it worth the bit of bother.
By Claire Nash
May 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON. ON
The gambling scene has certainly come a long way over the last few decades.
With the proliferation of online casinos and gambling platforms, the opportunities for high-quality and dynamic playing have never been greater. Although America tends to enjoy the more robust reputation for gambling possibilities – it is home to Las Vegas after all – there are actually a few key differences in gambling legislation that give Canada’s casinos a bit more freedom. That’s good news if you’re looking for an awesome online casino for Canadians that will present few obstacles to the gameplay. There’s no doubt that you can certainly find excellent gambling sites no matter where you are, but it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to understand the different laws that govern this activity in Canada and the United States.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
Back in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) was introduced into US legislation under President Bush. Although it has since been clarified and it’s restrictions loosened, it initially served to prevent payments on various kinds of online gambling. Although in its current iteration it focuses mostly on determining how betting on sporting events can be done, it still causes some headaches below the border. Ultimately, it can make it difficult for players to use certain types of payment when playing at online casinos. The way it is implemented varies state-to-state, meaning that some places enjoy more streamlined access to online casinos.
You can learn more about that here.
There is less red tape in Canada
Despite the fact that the UIGEA doesn’t necessarily prohibit online gambling, it can simply add another step and therefore acts as a big enough inconvenience to dissuade some players from taking advantage of all the online gambling opportunities that exist.
 In Canada, on the other hand, there is no need to overcome these limitations. No federal framework governing the parameters of online casinos exists, and therefore they can operate more freelance and are only subject to the controls imposed by each jurisdiction. Overall, the lack of an overarching legal requirement makes it easier to transfer money directly to the gambling site of one’s choosing, using a variety of payment methods, and to be able to withdraw without hassle. With fewer impediments to account for, it provides a pleasant and coherent online casino experience.
You should still do your research
That being said, there are always going to be crooks out there ready to take advantage of a loosely governed situation, and it is therefore important to do a bit of research before deciding where to play. Keep in mind that having a gambling license is just the first step in running a fully legal operation, and in order to ensure that everything is being done above board, you should dig around a bit and see what you can find about the casino in question. If anything seems fishy, you’d be well advised to look elsewhere. There are plenty of great gambling opportunities that are 100% legal, so there’s absolutely no need to put yourself at risk.
The last word.
Online gambling is legal in both Canada and the United States, and both countries offer plenty of legal online casinos to choose from. Due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which exists exclusively in the United States, it can be a little bit more difficult to transfer and withdraw funds for certain types of gaming. As it stands, there is no equivalent legislation in Canada so it presents a more economically flexible environment in which to explore the world of online casinos and gambling. Nevertheless, it is also advisable to research a specific casino before playing.
 By Staff
May 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It started on the 25th when the weather was great – that Beach was either just too tempting to stay away from or there are a lot of people who are hard of hearing and can’t read.
On the 28th, Thursday, the city decided they would take strong steps and put up fences to keep people off the beach.
 People want to be near the water – it’s the lake and beach that make much of what Burlington is all about. The province mandated that Beaches were to stay closed period.
Many appear to have thought that if they respected the six foot social distance rule they were Ok – they weren’t.
The Premier of the Province has taken part in a media event every week day for some weeks. We expect that he will be on TV again on Monday – maybe that rule about beaches being closed will be relaxed.
 It used to be people, people, people – for almost as far as the eye could see along the Beachway. Province said No and the sound has fenced off the area. There are a lot of people who aren’t happy with those Beaches being closed.
The Mayor isn’t one of them. When asked why, she is reported to have told other media that they can look to the FAQ section on the city website for the details.
 Mayor Meed Ward presiding over a virtual city council meeting The Mayor’s statement is reported to read: “Unfortunately, despite announcements and signage asking people to comply with the Provincially-mandated beach closure, last weekend, we saw a high volume of users on the beach who even when approached with educational measures by our bylaw team, still refused to leave,” reads the statement.
“Our options at this point are either: to issue a high volume of costly tickets; to accept increasingly higher numbers of COVID-19 in Ontario as we have seen since May 10; or to put up a fence.”
Public beaches across Ontario are currently closed following the provinces Emergency orders.
By Pepper Parr
May 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Emma’s Back Porch and the Water Street Cooker will re-open but Craig Kowalchuk will not be behind the bar.
 One of the greatest watering holes in the city. The buildings were always owned by 2084 Lakeshore Holdings Ltd., they were Kowalchuk’s landlord.
 Craig Kowalchuk speaking to his Customer base  2084 Lakeshore Holdings, Craig Kowalchuk’s former landlord, decided to run the two restaurants when the province permits them to re-open The Pandemic forced Kowalchuk to close the restaurants which he explained to his loyal client base on March 19th.
Between then and May 12th, when Kowalchuk declared bankruptcy something changed.
The sign on the door explains that 2084 Lakeshore Holdings Inc. will be the operator of the two restaurants.
No word yet on when the province will permit restaurants to re-open.
 By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s elected Council meets in different ways.
Sometimes in Workshop mode where the procedural rules are thin – the objective is to exchange ideas – there is usually a speaker making a presentation involved.
Council also meets as a Standing Committee; there are three of those
EICS: Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee
CPRM: Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Committee
CSSRA: Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee
The Standing Committees is where the real debates take place.
Usually there is a Staff presentation, delegations and opportunities for Council members to ask questions. This interaction allows staff to get a better sense of what the community thinks – frequently changes are made during the meeting so that the report can go to Council for approval.
Then they meet as a Council where they pass bylaws that approve action that will be taken.
 Four people in the Council Chamber – was the air conditioning shut off. Monday evening the seven elected members met as a Council in a virtual setting, no public in the Council Chamber and other than the Mayor, the Clerk and two administration staff the room was empty.
The Mayor strutted her stuff and zipped through the agenda in very short order. There were no delegations.
Then there was discussion on support for organized sports and what kind of use the parks can be put to.
The parks are open but there are limits as to just how they can be used.
The province has a rule – no more than five people congregating and those people should be people who live together in the same house.
When the question as to how this applied to private swimming pools the conversation came close to being silly.
The province has the five people rule; Burlington has a six foot social distance bylaw. “How” asked Councillor Sharman “are you going to apply that to a private swimming pool when there are three people who are members of a family and two who are not.”
The idea of a six foot rule applying to a swimming pool is a stretch – good luck with that one.
Sharman added that his understanding of the provincial five people rule was that the members of a family (say three people would count as one – allowing five friends to join the group – making it five
 Crowding got out of hand in one Toronto park. In two weeks we will know if virus infections increased. If they do we will know where and how the contamination is spread. Not so said Heather MacDonald the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility who had earlier said “We consider a group of five to be five people who live in the same house”. Later adding that “we interpret what the province has told us it is to be”.
Sharman did not have a follow up question.
Clearly a need for better communication on this issue
Mayor Meed Ward cleared it up when she wondered what the difficulty was in figuring out what five people was. If you have two children and a parent and an additional two children who ate not part of the family – that is an acceptable group of five. That’s the provincial rule.
In Burlington members of a family can walk side by side – others have to be six feet away.
Councillor Angelo Bentivegna wanted to know why the skate parks were open but the Bocce Ball courts were not open.
That was easy: Chris Glenn explained that the actual bocce balls would have to be wiped clean after each use and that wasn’t possible – just didn’t have the staff to do it.
The City has created Park Ambassadors – teams of two people who roam the parks to explain to people what they might be doing might not be permitted.
There are two such teams – they are staff people who have been pulled from their normal duties and sent out into the sunshine to try and ensure that there is some order in the parks
The Beaches are closed. The Splash Pads are closed. The Public Pools are closed.
Chris Glenn seemed to suggest that it might come down to putting out garden type hoses for kids to use to cool down.
Keeping people six feet apart in parks was described as a problem by Councillor Kearns. She wanted to know what Burlington was going to do to ensure that Burlington doesn’t experience what Toronto experienced.
Heather MacDonald mentioned the idea that had been used in San Francisco where large circles were painted that would hold five people.
 Will Burlington see social distance circles painted in park grass ? Mary Battaglia, Director of Roads and Park Maintenance told Council that if circles were painted on the grass in Burlington she would have to hire people to do the work and added that she didn’t have budget for that. Also the circles would have to be repainted in two weeks.
One Council member wanted to know what she thought of the Vancouver idea where there were circles painted on the grass. Mary explained that in time the grass would grow and eliminate the circles and she didn’t have the budget to paint new circles.
Director of Parks and Recreation, Chris Glen and his sidekick Rob Axiak said they were working up ideas on how the sports fields could be more effectively used – one would have thought that would have been given the attention needed back in early April.
With the warm, Ok hot weather, people will want to be outdoors. The children are no longer in school and while some might be doing a bit of school work – it’s outdoor for most. To do what?
 By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Last weekend, Conservation Halton opened their gates to five of their seven parks—Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo and Kelso Summit—to members and the public; they were using a new reservation system, which is now required to visit the parks.
The re-opening of the parks last weekend saw about 6500 reservations made with more than 17,000 people entering the parks.
 The reservation system was developed to provide a way of coping with the need to limit the number of people in any place at any one time; the system let Conservation Halton (CH) handle the physical distancing required.
Now, with their first week behind them, Conservation Halton says they will use the information they have collected to make improvements: adjusting reservation times and offering exclusive reservation spaces for members, seniors and healthcare workers are being considered.
 When registering you get a screen that is reasonably easy to navigate. Get read to see a lot of FULL locations and time slots “We have talked about a reservation system for years. When we closed the parks, due to COVID-19, it didn’t suddenly become convenient, it was necessary for us to manage our parks in a more efficient and sustainable way,” says Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer at Conservation Halton.
“Thanks to the dedication and innovation of our team, we now have one of the most data-rich, user-friendly systems for multi-park, day-use reservation in Ontario, and we are quite proud of that. This system uses an integrated software platform, license plate scanners, touch-less payment and automatic gates to provide access to nature for our community, without compromising on physical distancing.”
The turn out told us that:
• 87 percent of reservations were made for hiking
• 48 percent of reservations were made by Conservation Halton members
• 62 percent of visitors were from Halton—others were from as far away as Niagara Falls and Ajax
• 96 percent of visitors said they would recommend the reserved park visits to a friend
• Visitors rated the “overall” reservation and visitation experience 4.6 out of 5 stars
Park visit reservations can be made here: parkvisit.ca
 By Staff
May 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 The wonderful refurbishment of a piece of the city’s history – done by volunteers with little help from the city in the early stages. The Friends of Freeman Station announced last week that they were part of a Scavenger Hunt – which is as much a history lesson and a Full Monty for any railway buff.
Here is the LINK to the clues you will need to take part.
By Staff
May 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
In an announcement from City Hall notice is given that Nelson Aggregate has filed an application to expand the quarry they operate in north Burlington.
The application was delivered to the city, the Region, the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry as well as the members of the Joint Agency Review Team (JART)
 The existing quarry is top centre, the golf course on the left has been purchased; the southern section has always been owned by Nelson Aggregates. It is the southern portion that had, and still has, Jefferson Salamander present. The design leaves the right side of the southern portion for the salamanders. “The proposed expansion to the Burlington Quarry will require approvals under the Aggregate Resources Act, the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act, and the Planning Act. A Regional Official Plan Amendment and a City of Burlington Official Plan Amendment are required to permit the quarry expansion. The objective of the JART is to conduct a coordinated review of all materials in support of these amendments simultaneously.
“At this time, the Nelson Aggregate Co. application for their proposed expansion has not yet been deemed complete. An internal technical meeting has been scheduled for later this month to begin the review process. JART members will review the application for completeness and determine if it can be accepted for processing.”
Is the city suggesting that the document might not be accepted? That is a stretch.
“The City will create a project page for this application under Ward 3 Current Development Projects. Here residents will be able to find all relevant information related to this project as it moves through the planning process, including:
the complete application submission (once received)
relevant studies as those are received
contact information for the applicant and the city planner on the file
public meeting announcements
relevant staff reports
“Last year, the Nelson Quarry in Burlington announced proposed plans to expand its operations to its property to the west and south of its current operations. On its project website, Nelson briefly outlines its proposal and focuses on plans to turn the quarry over to the public once operations are finished in 30 years.
“On Jan. 15, 2020, Halton Regional Council received a public report updating council members on the proposed expansion to the Burlington Quarry (Nelson), pre-consultation meeting.
“The recommendation to Regional Council was to receive and file the report for information and forward a copy to the City of Burlington and Towns of Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills, the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
“City staff are working on an updated report that will go to council this summer responding to the Staff direction from Councillor Nisan and the Council Meeting Motion.
 Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan – the park is within his ward.  Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna advocates for anything and almost everything rural. Mayors Meed Ward said: “Councillors Nisan and Bentivegna, who represent our rural constituents, and I are deeply involved in this matter. We understand the concerns of our residents about the potential impact of a quarry expansion in a World Biosphere Reserve. Council has been fully briefed on the history of this site, including the previous application for expansion that was refused by the JART due to impacts on the habitat of the Jefferson Salamander.
“We do not take a position on applications until they have gone through a full review with analysis by our City staff, appropriate agencies and the public. We encourage residents to stay involved throughout this process and continue to provide your feedback to all of Council.
Nelson Aggregates applied for an expansion in 2012 – a Joint Tribunal denied the application citing the damage that would be done to a traditional home of the Jefferson Salamander.
Details on the actual application
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