 By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Setting up a new business in downtown Burlington is both a challenge and an exciting opportunity when the whole family is involved. For Marie Helene Mongrain and Steven Hewson and their daughters Ericka, the 17 year old who is getting great experience as a shift supervisor and Emma, 12 – and a little too young to be working retail but very much involved in thinking how the business relates to the city this is an all hands on deck operation.
 Newest retailer in the downtown core. Lineups at 10 pm. Serving ice cream in a shop that might be quiet in the mid-afternoon of a weekday but is as busy as a shop can be on the hot weekend days as far into the night at 10 pm when they close is a truly family business.
They opened three months ago on John Street, steps away from Lakeshore Road, which is as downtown as you are going to get and are recording cash flow numbers that are 40% higher than projected.
Smack in the middle of the condo alley and yards away from Spencer Smith Park the site is perfect said Steven. “We looked at a number of locations but there was nothing that we felt was what we needed. When we walked by this location we knew we were going to take it the moment we saw it.
 I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Crème de la Crème is more than an ice cream store. You start by standing in line, there is always a line – short and it moves quickly. While you are in that line you get handed a menu – yes a menu to help you decide what you want. The choice of toppings is something to behold.
Then you watch as your order is made up. You choose the cup or cone size you want and in a matter of minutes you begin to enjoy the taste of really good ice cream.
The ice cream and toppings are brought in from Mavros, a Toronto supplier.
The chocolate offerings which are just short of magnificent are from Leonidas, a chocolate manufacturer with the right to use the emblem of the Court of Belgium.
The chocolate that is dripped over the ice cram is also imported from Belgium.
Marie, a nurse by training who still has that hint of a French accent in her voice, is very much a full partner in this venture. She had wanted to be in something that was a family business for a long time – she just wasn’t sure what that business would be.
They two met in Banff at a time when Steven didn’t know quite what he wanted to do with his life. He tells his side of the romance this way: “I went to Banff to ski and came home with a wife.” Marie Helene just smiles while she spoons ice cream from a small cup.
Steven worked in marketing and was involved in setting up franchise operations in the automotive field with several partners and decided to leave the security of something that was certain and get into retail which is always far from certain.
The core part of the business is doing very well – Steven and Marie are already thinking their way through the next level of the business they are building. Additional locations? Hamilton and Stoney Creek are getting a close look.
 The fine chocolate choices will increase. The current Burlington customer base is solid and growing – now they want to take that base into additional products with chocolate being an obvious choice.
Steven appears to want to become the location for the finest chocolate in the city.
With the customer count reaching 600 a day on occasions the location is adding to the vibrancy that is sometimes seen on city streets.
It takes an hour to get the shop opened up and an hour to close it down. The equipment has to be cleaned and made ready for the next shift – this is a seven day a week operation.
Fresh fruit is purchased every day.
There are currently more than 25 types of chocolate on the shelves.
 Crème de la Crème is going the traditional marketing route of setting aside a portion of the earnings that they give back to the community.
Their youngest daughter Emma chooses an ice cream flavour for each month which gets promoted as Emma’s Choice. Included in the recent choices – there have been just the three so far, was a Pride ice cream.
Is ice cream a seasonal product? How do you sell it in January?
You don’t sell ice cream in January. The plan is for the whole family to take a month long vacation – somewhere south where the weather is warm and they can get there daily scoop of ice cream
 By Staff
September 3rd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The citizens are going to tell their stories about the Brant Inn, a locale that at one time had Burlington on the map. People came from around the world to play music at the Brant Inn – it was a jumpin place in its day.
KooGle Theatre has received a grant from the City of Burlington Arts and Culture Fund to tell the story of the Inn
 The grant will allow KooGle to begin their research/creation phase for their production of a currently untitled musical based on the historic Brant Inn – the show will revolve around the true stories that local residents (and their families) have about their time at The Brant Inn.
Did you attend The Brant Inn in it’s heyday?
Did you have a relative who went there and told you their stories?
 Were you in a band who played there? We want to hear your story, your memories – to help us piece together our future musical production!
Please contact Leslie at info@koogletheatre.com to set up a meeting. Interview begin in September.
This is a really smart idea – kudos to the people at city hall who made this happen.
 By Staff
September 3rd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington is hosting Fibre Content: a community event that features the best of contemporary Canadian Fibre Art.
 Showcasing works in fabric, paper, yarn, thread and mixed media materials, the goal is to raise the profile, awareness and acceptance of Fibre Art as an art form.
The event takes place from Saturday September 8 through to Saturday September 15
 Floating in Blue – Triptych, Gunnel Hag ARTIST TALKS AND HANDS-ON EVENTS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
 Spring Thaw, Tracey Lawko One Stitch at a Time
Lecture by Tracey Lawko | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Her Enduring Love of Surface Design
Lecture by Gunnel Hag | 2 to 4 PM
Playful Abstract Creations
Workshop with Albert Cote | 2 to 4 PM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
How I Do What I Do – When I Don’t Know What I’m Doing
Lecture by Mita Giacomini | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Her Unique Use of Wash-Away Water Soluble Film
Lecture by Pat Hertzberg | 2 to 4 PM
Eco Printing on Paper and Rust / Tannin
Workshop with Chandra Rice | 2 to 4 PM
 By Staff
September 3, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a horrific event that captured the minds of everyone in Toronto and every other community in the province.
The S. S. Noronic had caught fire at the early morning hours of September 17th, 1949xxx in the morning. By the time the fire was brought under control there were 139 people dead and a ship that was once the “Queen of the Lakes” was a charred hull.
Fred Addis, nautical historian will be giving the lecture that is free
The lecture takes place at the New Street Branch of the Public Library September 12th, 2018 – starts 7:00 pm
By Staff
September 2nd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Craig Gardner, chair of the Burlington Terry Fox Run tells the story of two girls in the Cavendish Drive and Longshire Drive area who set up a lemonade stand/bake sale on Saturday and raised $633.15 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
 Grace and Isabelle celebrate a successful lemon aid and bake sale – raising xxx for the Terry Fox Foundation. Proud mom Tanya Blizzard-Carden has nothing but praise for her daughters Grace and Isabelle.
The annual Terry Fox Run takes place Sunday September 16th.
 By Staff
August 25th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The 100th Intercounty Baseball League final will begin Aug. 28 when the Barrie Baycats host the
Kitchener Panthers at Coates Stadium.
 Barrie Baycats batter. Barrie finished first in the regular season and has swept its way through the first two rounds of playoffs, going 7-0 against Burlington and Hamilton. The Baycats are gunning for a fifth straight
Dominico Cup title and would be the first team to win five consecutive championships since the Brantford Red Sox won six straight from 2008-13.
 A Kitchener Panther batter. Kitchener has been a finalist in two of the last four seasons, including 2017 when it lost to Barrie in four games. The Panthers finished second in the 2018 regular season and are also undefeated in the playoffs, sweeping Brantford and Toronto.
Best-of-seven Dominico Cup final
Game 1: Tuesday, Aug. 28 at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Thursday, Aug. 30 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, Sept. 1 at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, Sept. 2 at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
*Game 5: Tuesday, Sept. 4 at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 6: Thursday, Sept. 6 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 7: Saturday, Sept. 8 at Barrie, 7 p.m.
* If necessary
 By Pepper Parr
August 23rd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Is it deliberate?
Or is it from an organization that is now so dysfunctional that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.
We published an opinion piece by ward 2 city council candidate Roland Tanner who wrote about a meting that was very poorly promoted, pointing out that even the ward Councillor and candidate for Mayor didn’t know about it.
We did a follow up piece on how a public meeting on such a critical matter could be so poorly promoted. We kept coming across the Get Involved part of the city web site.
 Those who know or should know how to communicate effectively: Back row, left Kwab Ako-Adjei, Senior Manager of Government Relations and Strategic Communications,. Bottom row, centre Donna Kell, Manager of Public Affairs and to her left city manager James Ridge. They would have signed off on the ChAT report. While we were reading up on Getting Involved we came across ChAT – an interesting group that, in their group photograph, has several city staff in the group – including Kwab Ako-Adjei, Senior Manager of Government Relations and city manager James Ridge.
In April 2013, Burlington City Council approved the first Burlington Community Engagement Charter. The Charter was created by citizens with support from staff. It is an agreement between and among Burlington City Council and the community concerning citizen engagement with City government and establishes the commitments, responsibilities and fundamental concepts of this relationship.
Ako-Adjei and Ridge surely know something about communicating.
ChAT had their most recent annual report on the web site.
Some excerpts from that document
1. Ensure notification is as widespread as possible:
a. Use communication tools that include City of Burlington website, local print media, online digital communication, direct delivery and social media.
b. Reach out to groups/individuals that may be affected by proposed developments, policies, initiatives, studies and municipal projects.
c. Create and develop partnerships that will help reach out to citizens.
d. Ensure that communication plans include early and widespread notifications.
e. Where appropriate, provide progress and/or completion notices.
2. Ensure notification is given early enough so that the citizens may be fully engaged:
a. Set up and maintain a way for citizens and groups to subscribe or sign up for early notification through email, social media or other means.
b. Advise the public of proposed developments, policies, meetings and major projects as soon as possible. For major projects and public meetings, at least two weeks notice to the public is expected. Exceptions will be made in emergency situations where less than two weeks notice will apply.
3. Support staff in providing early and widespread notification so that it becomes part of the corporate culture:
a. Provide staff training in effective public engagement practices through workshops and e-learning opportunities.
4. Collaborate with citizens and partners in empowering citizens through different means of communicating:
a. Use existing resources in the community to help to provide information as soon as possible.
b. Develop and use networks for information sharing of contacts.
5. Clearly communicate meeting dates and deadlines:
a. Schedule public meetings to take place early and with opportunities for public input into decision- making.
b. Create a central point on the City’s website where all dates are available.
c. Ensure dates are reflected on City project pages on the website.
d. Include dates in all relevant communication materials.
Is this happening?
It is so immoral for a city to publish statements like this and then fail miserably to deliver on the promise.
The people who work at city hall want to be seen as professionals – and they should be. But there is nothing professional about how that public meeting Wednesday night came into being.
Burlington once had a city manager who made mistakes – and he had the decency to apologize publicly for the mistakes he made.
And he wasn’t crass enough to define his mistakes as a “learning opportunity”.
Related opinion and news stories:
Roland Tanner opinion piece
Public meeting that failed.
 By Pepper Parr
August 18th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A reader has asked where the Freeman House is located. At 906 Brant Street on the west side just before the grade separation..
The symbolism is brilliant – Meed Ward announces the opening of her campaign office on the site of the Freeman family home. Her first motion as a city Councilor was to do everything possible to save the station.
 She brought petition after petition to city council before she first ran for election. The Gazette watched Marianne Meed Ward when she was an active community member in ward 2 focused at that time on Save our Waterfront. That organization proved to be the base from which she launched her 2010 campaign for the ward 2 seat handily beating Peter Thoem.
Two terms of office later and Meed Ward is reaching out for the brass ring – something she had her eyes on before the was really a candidate.
During the 2010 election one of the concerns Cam Jackson had when he was running for a second term as Mayor was that Meed Ward would be gunning for him when he went after a third term
Unfortunately for Jackson, he didn’t get a second term, but Meed Ward did and she wants her third term on city council to be as Mayor leading a city she feels has been poorly led.
 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. Of the four candidates running for Mayor Meed Ward has the strongest natural media skills. She is like a moth to a flame when the TV kleg lights come on. She has a quick answer for every question and she makes extensive use of social media. She is pretty good on the drama side as well.
All three serious candidates for the office of Mayor are setting up campaign offices. Rick Goldring opened his early in the week, Mike Wallace opened his today and Meed Ward will open hers on or about the 8th of September.
 The Freeman family home had its name given to Burlington – the local railway station; a fitting site for the campaign office of woman who saved the station. Where?
In the building that was once the home of the Freeman family; a name that got attached to a local railway junction. Saving what is known as Freeman Station (it was originally Burlington Junction) was a long struggle for the people of the city that cared about their history and their heritage.
The first city council motion Meed Ward brought forward as a member of a new city council was to make one last effort to save the station. The city had already decided to demolish the building.
 Sitting on some “cribbing” with a sign badly in need of several coats of paint, the Freeman Station gets ready for its big move. The motion was put forward by Meed Ward and Councillor Lancaster. They didn’t work together on motions all that often after that first burst of collaboration
Why the Freeman location ?
The motion to have the city do everything it could to save the Freeman Station was the very first motion Meed Ward put forward as a city Councillor.
The structure was described as something that would fall over if anyone tried to move it. The city couldn’t sell it for fire wood. Every location that was considered as a new home was shot down. There was one disappointing session of council where ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman explained to delegators that if a location wasn’t found then they would have to give up on the idea of saving the building
Making motions is what government is all about. You make changes by making motions and working to get your colleagues on council to support your motion.
Meed Ward is using that very first motion and the Freeman family household as the launching pad for her campaign.
The symbolism couldn’t be more graphic.
There were two motion passed that January 31st evening in 2011. The second was to look into evaluating night club regulations downtown. Ms Lancaster didn’t join Meed Ward on that one.
End
 By Pepper Parr
August 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Trevor Copp’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is not the way we heard the play in high school.
It is however a production well worth watching.
 Summer outdoor theatre at its best. There are some exceptionally good performances.
 Lady Macbeth arguing with Macbeth Alma Sarai did a wonderful job as Lady Macbeth – the depth of her “out out” scene and the way in which she carried Macbeth off the stage in her arms was pure poetry and a demonstration of physical strength as well. DeSousa-Coelho who played Macbeth is not a man of small stature.
Copp has a core of experienced cast members that have ben a part of the RBG program for the past three years. My personal preference would have been to see Mika Hannigan as Macbeth – however Shawn DeSouza-Coelho did good work dealing with the mental emotional torment Macbeth was going through.
Kaylyn Valdez-Scott as was very good as Lady Macduff; she was a bright light to keep an eye on.
One could bank on the Banquo performance given by Jesse Horvath.
 Macbeth dispatches Duncan Zach Parsons played Macduff and Malcolm very well.
Claudia Spadafora did a nice Ross – what we’ve not experienced with her before was the quality of her singing voice. It was a pleasant surprise .
The murderers reminded one of the way the Sûreté du Québec, that province’s provincial police service, has behaved in the past. It was sometimes hard to tell the difference in Quebec between the criminals and the police.
The choreography was the typical Copps work – he understands movement; the scene in which the murderers formed a chain of people stabbing one of their victims was brilliant.
Copp had a merry band of murders on stage who were very comfortable thrusting knives into almost anyone at hand or putting pistols to the heads of those they had to deal with and pulling the trigger. I lost count of just how many people were “offed” on that outdoor stage.
This second performance of the three week run went well; it was humid.
Outdoor theatre means coping with the weather – which is now climate in a constant state of change.
 Some of the murderers having a drink after work. The closing scene before intermission and the and the opening scene in the second half had everyone on the stage and involved in an operating room that was part Abu Ghraib and what we used to do at summer camp skits. Electric drills, tools that defied ones imagination were all part of a gruesome scene.
Hannigan dryly commented to Lady Macbeth that he was unable to help Macbeth: “he is beyond my practice”; this after he had taken every tool imaginable to “fix” Macbeth.
For those who make room for Shakespeare in their entertainment choices it is the language the draws us back again and again.
“Resolve thyself” … “filty witness” … the “bell that invites me” … “almost at odds with the morning”. There were people in the audience mouthing the words being said on the stage. “Let us make medicine of our revenge.”
 Reading a script during an intermission. One patron said after the performance that “it took me a bit to get into it but I soon found myself feeling very emotional.
During the intermission one couple, using a flashlight to read a script they had were debating the wording and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The play runs again on Friday and then Monday to Friday the week of the 20th and the week of the 27th.
There are no performances on Saturday or Sunday.
 By Staff
August 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Summer in Burlington is a chance to get out and experience the country side, the beach and the art studios.
The Teresa Seaton Gallery on Spring Garden Road, steps away from the RBG is exhibiting some of the work of Nikola Wojewoda who describes the current exhibit as a “body of work grew out of that awkward transitional phase artists sometimes find themselves in. It was all about giving my permission; to begin from ‘not knowing’, listening to quiet impulses, and to genuinely allow myself to play. It resulted in a rediscovered love of drawing.”
Exhibition dates – Aug 16 – Sept 30, 2018
Reception – Sat Sept 8th, 2018, 2-5pm
Nikola Wojewoda is a contemporary artist of Russian and Polish descent. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1981.
 Nikola Wojewoda A diverse artist, she has worked and exhibited in a variety of fine art mediums. In addition to drawing, painting and printmaking, she has shown sculptural works in bronze and stone, plaster, mixed media assemblage, and installation.
She’s made experimental short films, which have been shown in North America and Europe, and has designed sets for dance and theatre in Toronto – as well as for community theatre in her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.
 Swan’s cupboard Her work can be found in private and corporate collections, including the Canada Council Art Bank. Her art has been written about in a variety of publications such as C Magazine and the Globe and Mail. She has taught painting and sculpture in Continuing Education programs through the Toronto Board of Education.
Nikola is a member of Hamilton Artists Inc., the Art Galley of Burlington, and Arts Burlington Fine Arts Association, Sculptors, and Potters Guilds.
The recipient of several Ontario Arts Council Grants, she has also recently received the Agnes Tassie Award for Sculpture (DVSA) the Jeanette Edwards Award for Ceramics (Burlington Potters Guild), and the Alice Peck Award for Fine Art (Burlington Fine Arts Guild).
 North by Northwest  Harbinger In her current practice she has expanded the materials she works with and is exploring ceramic sculpture as well as a hybrid of collage and paper cutting.
By Hillary Walker
August 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Allotting much time to job and everyday minutiae, people start searching for the things and activities which will make their life more eventful and exciting. Nowadays, online casino games gain in popularity with people from across the world – users play poker or blackjack, place bets, get bonuses and enjoy their pastime.
But the main goal most of the players pursue is, obviously, an opportunity to hit the jackpot and win at online slots.
 Jackpot And New Online Opportunities
It’s not surprising online casinos become increasingly popular with millions of users throughout the world. Such pastime attracts people with the vast opportunities it opens for them which are not limited in winning real money only. It is always essential to take choosing of a gambling website seriously and only give preference to the one with a solid reputation. You may read trusted casino reviews here in order to easily figure out the way to find the best online casino and choose the most reliable and trustworthy one.
Gambling websites gain in popularity with thrill-seekers, people who want to open new horizons and gain unforgettable experience. Online casinos make it possible for users to enjoy their pastime not even leaving their house winning real money in a comfortable atmosphere. Being unable to visit offline casinos, people take interest in online ones where they can spend as much time as they want for having an opportunity to win the jackpot.
 Games Of Chance In Canada
There are almost no differences between offline and online casinos in Canada. Nowadays, Canadian provinces are involved in the lottery schemes which let gamblers win real money guessing lottery numbers. The provinces conduct and manage online gambling; each Canadian province forms its own requirements and conditions concerning online and offline casinos. For example, British Columbia offers four types that gambling players are able to choose from: online gambling, lottery tickets, betting on horse races and playing casino games.
Lottery schemes include the following games:
● poker;
● bets;
● sport betting;
● blackjack;
● slots;
● bingo;
● roulette;
● lotteries.
Alongside the provinces, charitable and religious organizations may hold gambling license and conduct lotteries. Charitable gambling usually includes bingo, raffles, sports pools and give earned money to hospitals, homeless shelters, schools.
The Most Widespread Online Casinos
Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta are the gambling centers of Canada: the largest and the most widespread gambling websites belong to the above mentioned provinces. The following websites are considered to be the most popular ones among Canadian gamblers:
● LotoQuebec is a well-known online casino where users can play slot games and lots of other casino games;
● BCLC is a gambling website popular with citizens of British Columbia;
● WCLC is a Western Canadian gambling site where users can place sport bets, purchase lottery tickets, play blackjack and poker.
All of the above mentioned websites offer their users a wide range of services and numerous games to play online.
By Staff
August 14th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 As they get a little older – they are ready for bigger challenges. This group works there way through a children’s obstacle course. Join in the fun and celebrate being a kid at the city’s Children’s Festival Aug. 19
We have been doing it for years – 27 as a matter of fact.
The Children’s Festival takes place on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Spencer Smith Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Presented by The Rocca Sisters Team the day is a time to celebrate being a kid with live entertainment, play zones and inflatables, crafts, face-painting, balloon animals and a kids’ marketplace.
Children at the event can enjoy many activities and shows on the main stage, sponsored by TELUS, including:
 This one is getting ready for the competition at the CNE • Main stage shows with Mega Magic,
CRASH Rhythm,
Isabella Hoops and Birds of Prey
• Meet the characters from PJ Masks
• Roaming entertainment with Jungle Jack and stilt walkers
• Face painting
• Balloon animals
• Hairspray artist
• Crafts
• Inflatables
• Kids’ marketplace
Admission to this accessible event is free.
 While it is a Children’s Festival – the grandparents have their place as well.
By Pepper Parr
August 14th, 2018.
BURLINGTON, ON
Weather clouds the first night of Macbeth at the RBG Rock Garden. Opening moved to Tuesday.
Weather was always going to be an issue – it was after all outdoor theatre.
The early crowds were good – and they kept coming in through the wrought iron gates even as people were opening up their umbrellas and stage people were beginning to cover electrical elements with plastic.
 Umbrellas were brought out by the hardy theatre goers but the rain Gods didn’t bless them  Director, stage manager and RBG staffer gather to discuss the weather options. Trevor Copp, director of the Macbeth performance that was to hold its opening night of a three week run at the RBG Rock Garden, discussed what the options were and decided at 7:25 pm that they would wait an additional 20 minutes before deciding what to do.
A few people, very few left.
The rest hung in until 7:40 when Copp took to the stage and said that the weather formations on the RBG weather channels were not optimistic – Opening Night was being cancelled and ticket holders would be given tickets for another evening.
The cast and the stage crews began the take down – there was going to be another day.
 This couple were quite content to wait it out. For those who walked to their cars across the road there was this wonderful rainbow beginning to arc its way across the evening sky.
An omen for the rest of the three week run.
Tickets are available at: WWW.RBG/shakespeare
Related news stories:
Cast in rehearsal.
Lady Macbeth doing out out.
 By Pepper Parr
August 13th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the last game of the season that would take place in the city for the Burlington Herd.
They hugged the bottom of the league standings for most of the season. They were then matched against the league leading Barrie Baycats for the quarter finals and got taken out of contention in three games straight.
 The Barrie Baycats played a strong game – the Herd lost several excellent opportunities when their bases were loaded. The Barrie Baycats, who almost owned top spot through the season, put the series away with a 9-2 win Sunday night at Coates Stadium.
The Herd committed a number of errors that didn’t help.
Baycats pitcher St. Kitts went the distance giving the Barrie team the second of two wins in a five game quarter final game played at the Casey Cosgrove field at Nelson Park Saturday night.
 The Herd coach didn’t get very far with the umpire. The Herd has had a tough time throughout the season. The team is made up of relatively young players who seemed to need some guidance from a coach that wasn’t doing all that much to support and encourage the individual players.
He did go out on the field to argue one with the umpire – he lost that difference of opinion as well.
The crowd was small. Dedicated and attentive but still small.
Ryan Harrison has done a good job of building a revenue stream for the Herd. The hot dogs and the hamburgers were just fine. Beer was kept ice cold and decently priced as well.
High school football was being played on a field a parking lot away behind the high school – much bigger crowd; sounded much more boisterous as well.
 The Herd was meant to be a local team that would entertain families and give the home town something to root for – they did the former, fell flat with the latter. The objective of having an InterCounty League (IBL) baseball team for Burlington was to have an inexpensive place family’s could spend summer evenings taking in the game in pleasant surroundings.
That objective was met to some degree – there are always parents with children in the stands – jusyt not enough of them.
A team that didn’t own the bottom of the league standings would help.
Harrison seems to have done a good job of lining up sponsors. His biggest problem on that side is the city deal he has to live with. Harrison reports that he has to get his sponsors to take their sponsorship application and pay city hall who then keep 70% of the revenue.
Not much balance or fairness in that kind of lopsided deal.
 Can Burlington support a local IBL baseball team? Can the team begin to look like a winner? Harrison has been doing some research on the different venues around the province. He recently reported that he was looking at the ball park in Welland.
Putting some pressure on city hall seems to be the end game.
The end for the Herd came Sunday evening.
Is the end of the Herd as a Burlington baseball team in sight?
By Pepper Parr
August 13th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The third season of Shakespeare in the RBG Rock Garden begins this evening.
The cast has been rehearsing for months at a concrete bunker on the McMaster campus.
 Trevor Copp Director Trevor Copp has taken a different tack on a play that has added strong phrases to the English language.
Copp re-imagines the classic story of fate and vengeance as a conspiracy story thriller. Macbeth’s pact with unseen forces to become a tyrant King unfolds with consequences beyond his darkest imaginings. This highly physical interpretation is performed outdoors.
It dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake
Alma Sarai does several scenes that have to be watched.
 Alma Sarai in rehearsal as Lady Macbeth Out, damned spot! out, I say!—One: two: why, then, ’tis time to do’t.—Hell is murky!—Fie, my…
The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?—
What, will these hands ne’er be clean?—No more o’…
Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this …
This is a young growing actress who performs intensely and superbly.
At the Royal Botanical Gardens Rock Garden on Plains Road between August 13th to 17th; August 20th to 24th and August 27th to 31st. There are no Saturday or Sunday performances.
There are no performances on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are available online at: www.rbg.ca/shakespeare
By Staff
August 11th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 A portion of the Multi Use trail that will run from Ontario Street north to Grahams Lane. It should eventually tie into the Elgin Promenade. A 4 metre wide Multi-Use Trail that will run from Ontario Street to Grahams Lane will have an asphalt paving base.
There will be benches, trash receptacles and vehicle access bollards where the path meets roadways, to prevent unauthorized vehicles from accessing the trail. There will be a dashed centre line down the middle, which is the industry standard to help manage traffic on the trail, by delineating the direction of travel.
Construction will require approximately 3-4 months.
The city will be sending a notification letter to residents within 120 meters of the site in the next couple of weeks.
 By Staff
August 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The registration and facility booking system will be temporarily down from the evening of Aug. 9 until the morning of Aug. 15.
During the downtime staff are happy to continue serving at any of our Customer Service counters at a facility near you.
By Pepper Parr
August 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Macbeth, that classic Shakespearean play, will be performed at the Royal Botanical Gardens Rock Garden on Plains Road between August 13th to 17th; August 20th to 24th and August 27th to 31st. There are no Saturday or Sunday performances.
Director Trevor Copp explains that Macbeth is the shortest in the Shakespeare canon and that his interpretation of the play will run about an hour and 45 minutes with an intermission.
 The Rock Garden setting is superb, the seating is comfortable and the sight lines are great. When the weather works, and it does work much of the time, the Rock Garden is about as nice a location you are going to get for an outdoor performance.
Copp has brought back several of his regulars. Mike Hannigan, Alma Sarai, Claudia Spadafora, Zack Parsons are part of the eight member cast.
Copp re-imagines the classic story of fate and vengeance as a conspiracy story thriller. Macbeth’s pact with unseen forces to become a tyrant King unfolds with consequences beyond his darkest imaginings. This highly physical interpretation is performed outdoors.
 Kaylyn Valdez-Scott in rehearsal as Lady Macbeth It dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with his sovereign; it is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy.
 Mike Hannigan A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland.
Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.
The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.
Don’t expect to see any of the cast in 17th century costumes. This is a modern setting that at one point includes the use of a drone – perfectly safe.
 Stage manager Jessica Keenan Stage Manager Jessica Keenan, gets the cast through each rehearsal with her hands on a well worked copy of the script that is covered with coloured Post-It notes.
Copp has taken a brave approach to summer theatre. The cast is in week 17 of their rehearsals on the McMaster campus where the cast works with Director Copp to make changes in the way the play is performed.
The cast members teach each other and suggest different ways to block a scene.
This, the third Shakespeare production Copp has done at the Rock Garden. The events have given the Rock Garden a new focus during August of each year.
Tickets are available online at: www.rbg.ca/shakespeare
 Trevor Copp takes Alma Sarai through a scene of Macbeth during rehearsals. Copp is also a former Latin/Ballroom Dance competitor and current coach to Canada’s 2 sets of World Amateur Salsa Champions. He co-invented a gender neutral form of partner dancing whose TED.com talk has garnered 500,000 views/international speaking engagements. He went from streetbuskering to professional Mime, creating/touring his solo physical show ‘Searching for Marceau’. He has taught/coached physical Theatre for The Shaw Festival, CanStage/Studio 180, Theatre Beyond Words, Pat the Dog Playwright Centre, Zacada Circus, The Iberoamerican Festival in Bogota, and the University Theatre Departments of Guelph, Waterloo, Niagara, Brock and McMaster.
 Copp has been recognized with the Burlington Artist of the Year, the Ontario Presenters Artist of the Year, and a Chalmer’s Fellowship Awards. His work has been featured in the Canadian Theatre Review, TED.com, CBC Television, and the Dance Current.
 By Staff
August 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Performing Arts Centre has been putting on this program for at least three years. One of the better programs they offer and the price is right – FREE.
The event starts early in the evening with chairs set out on the patio and people sitting at the edges of the Performing Arts Centre taking in the music.
At some point the people who run the Performing Arts Centre will wonder why the part of Locust south of Elgin can’t be shut down to traffic and set chairs out on the street.
This years the Jazz on the Patio runs on two different dates: August 11th and 12th with performances in the afternoons and the evenings.
 The show moves indoors when it rains – still great performances.  There is usually a cash bar. The show goes on no matter what the weather – if it rains the event moves inside.
Great music and a great setting.
If you attend, take a few moment to look at the Spiral Stella – there is a lot of Burlington history in that sculpture.
By Staff
August 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Those lazy easy going days of August are upon us.
Let the serious stuff slide for a while. Get out and enjoy the summer – yes it is hot; if you want to complain about the heat, can we first talk about just why it is so hot?
But that would be getting away from enjoying the summer.
There are people doing the work that needs to be done to make a civil society work. Dozens of candidates are walking the streets of the city looking for support.
In the fall the pace will quicken and larger questions as to the kind of city you want will have to be answered.
There are going to be changes; two of the seven members of council have retired and two other members are running against each other for the job of Mayor. Three of the seven will not be there come the end of the year.
Deciding who should be sitting in those council seats is a large part of what being a tax payer is all about – and we are all tax payers.
 ECoB –Engaged Citizen of Burlington (ECoB) are organizing debates for every ward in the city and a debate for those who want to be Mayor.
ECoB has worked with the city and the Halton District School Board and have the following locations and dates in place. The city locations (they are indicated with an asterisk *) are not fully confirmed.
Ward 1: Thursday October 4th – at East Plains United Church
Ward 2: Monday October 1st, Burlington Baptist Church
Ward 3: Wednesday September 26th, Brant Hills Community Centre *
Ward 4: Thursday September 27th, Tansley Community Centre *
Ward 5: September 19th, Robert Bateman High School *
Ward 6: Haber Recreation Centre – Date has yet to be confirmed
Mayoralty debate: October 9th, Burlington Central High School.
The debates start at 7:00 pm with doors opening at 6:30 pm.
 Mark Carr, on the left will moderate the debates at the ward level. Diane Leblovic and Peter Thoem, a former ward 2 council member are with Mark at an ECoB event. Mark Carr, the Cogeco moderator of their The Issue, will moderate the ward level debates. ECoB is asking for questions people would like to see put to the candidates. You can send those questions to ecob47@gmail.com
The format will be to have each candidate answer the same question and then to have short debate between the candidates.
The debates in wards 1 and 2 will be interesting given the number of candidates, The only clear one–on–one debate will be in ward 4 where Shawna Stolte is running against incumbent Jack Dennison.
 Dorothy Borovitch ECoB is in the process of partnering with the Canadian Federation of University Women to run the Mayor debates. The plan is to have Dorothy Borovitch moderate. Ms Borovitch was a recent Burlington Best Award recipient and moderated the debates between the candidates running for the Burlington seat at Queen’s Park.The debate for those who want to be Mayor
ECoB, a citizens organization that has made a difference in the city has put a lot of work into making the debates, which are critical, to a successful election.
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