By Maren Telfor
August 22, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Tutoring has become one of the most effective ways for Canadian students to improve academically, build confidence, and develop lifelong learning skills. With classrooms often being too crowded to provide one-on-one attention, tutors offer a personalized approach that helps students overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Whether it’s preparing for a difficult math test, improving essay writing skills, or simply developing better study habits, tutoring provides structure and encouragement where it is most needed. Families seeking professional support can explore trusted services such as tutor Oakville, which offer customized programs designed to meet the needs of every learner.
To get the best results, however, students and parents should approach tutoring with a clear plan and active participation. Below are five recommendations that can help maximize the benefits of tutoring sessions in Canada.
 A shared understanding of the purpose of their sessions.
1. Set Clear Goals from the Start
Tutoring becomes most effective when both the student and the tutor begin with a shared understanding of the purpose of their sessions. Without a clear direction, lessons can feel scattered and less impactful. Goals provide structure, focus, and motivation, guiding each meeting toward meaningful progress. For example, a student may want to raise their math grade by a certain percentage, strengthen reading comprehension, or learn effective strategies for time management before entering university. When these objectives are defined from the very beginning, the tutor can prepare lessons that are not only personalized but also measurable in terms of results. Parents contribute by ensuring that their expectations are communicated and by helping their children remain consistent with their efforts. Having well-defined goals also makes it easier to monitor progress, celebrate milestones, and adjust strategies when needed, ensuring that every tutoring session leads to long-term growth.
- Maintain Consistency in Sessions
One of the most common reasons tutoring does not deliver strong results is irregular attendance. Many families treat it as an occasional resource, but meaningful academic improvement requires steady and consistent engagement. When students attend sessions regularly, learning builds naturally and concepts are reinforced until they become second nature. Irregular sessions, by contrast, often lead to forgotten lessons and recurring struggles. To avoid this, it is helpful to establish a routine where tutoring becomes a natural part of the student’s weekly schedule, much like school or extracurricular activities.
 Meaningful academic improvement requires steady and consistent engagement.
Key benefits of consistent tutoring include:
-
Steady reinforcement of new material, which helps knowledge stay fresh.
Prevention of learning gaps that often reappear when lessons are missed.
Reduced stress and anxiety before exams or major assignments.
A stronger sense of discipline and accountability in academic life.
Families who approach tutoring with this mindset typically see not only improved grades but also more confidence and less stress in their children’s approach to learning.
- Encourage Active Participation
 Student willingness to participate ensures that those lessons are fully understood.
Tutoring is not designed to be a passive experience where students simply listen and take notes. True progress happens when learners actively engage with the material, ask questions, and openly share their struggles. A student who feels safe enough to admit confusion about a subject can gain clarity much faster than one who remains silent. Tutors provide explanations and examples, but it is the student’s willingness to participate that ensures those lessons are fully understood. Parents can support this process by reminding children that tutoring sessions are judgment-free spaces where mistakes are not failures but opportunities to learn.
Over time, students who take an active role in their tutoring develop not only a deeper understanding of the subjects but also critical life skills such as independence, problem-solving, and confidence that extend beyond the classroom.
- Apply Learning Outside of Tutoring Sessions
While tutoring sessions provide valuable guidance, it is the application of these lessons in everyday schoolwork and personal study that solidifies progress. A concept learned with the tutor becomes part of long-term knowledge only when the student practices it repeatedly in different contexts. For instance, math strategies introduced during tutoring should be applied when solving homework problems, and writing techniques learned in a session should appear in essays and school assignments. The more frequently a student uses these skills, the more natural and lasting they become.
Ways to apply tutoring outside of sessions include:
- Reviewing notes and reworking examples provided by the tutor.
- Using new problem-solving methods on regular homework.
- Practicing writing techniques in both academic and personal projects.
- Setting aside quiet study time at home to reinforce recent lessons.
When families encourage this type of practice, the benefits of tutoring extend far beyond the sessions themselves, turning short-term improvements into lasting academic growth.
- Build a Strong Partnership with the Tutor
 A strong partnership ensures that tutoring is not just about solving problems in the short term but also about creating a supportive learning environment.
Tutoring works best when it is seen as a team effort involving the tutor, the student, and the parents. Open communication allows the tutor to tailor their teaching methods, ensures that progress is transparent, and keeps everyone accountable. Parents can support this partnership by checking in on their child’s development, asking thoughtful questions, and staying informed about challenges and improvements. At the same time, students should feel encouraged to express what helps them learn most effectively, as well as what areas still feel unclear.
A strong partnership ensures that tutoring is not just about solving problems in the short term but also about creating a supportive learning environment that adapts to the student’s evolving needs. This collaboration transforms tutoring from a series of lessons into a long-term investment in both academic achievement and personal growth.
Successful vs. Unsuccessful Tutoring Approaches: Comparing Table
Approach |
Successful Tutoring |
Unsuccessful Tutoring |
Goal Setting |
Clear, measurable, and specific |
Vague or undefined |
Session Consistency |
Regular weekly sessions |
Sporadic or irregular attendance |
Student Involvement |
Active questioning and participation |
Passive listening with little effort |
Application Outside Sessions |
Practice in schoolwork and at home |
Ignoring lessons after tutoring ends |
Communication |
Open discussion with tutor and parents |
Lack of feedback or collaboration |
Why Recommendations Matter
Tutoring is not just about hiring someone to help with schoolwork—it is about creating an effective system that empowers students to grow academically and personally. By setting clear goals, maintaining consistency, encouraging participation, applying lessons outside of sessions, and building strong partnerships, families can ensure that tutoring delivers long-term results. In a country like Canada, where academic expectations are high and students face increasing pressure to succeed, following these recommendations can make the difference between temporary improvements and lasting success. Tutoring, when approached strategically, becomes more than an academic support system—it becomes a foundation for lifelong confidence and achievement.
FAQ
What age is best to start tutoring?
Tutoring can be valuable at any age. Younger students benefit from building strong foundations early, while high school and university students often need help with more advanced subjects or exam preparation. Starting tutoring sooner can help prevent learning gaps from developing.
Is online tutoring as effective as in-person sessions?
Online tutoring is highly effective when supported by interactive tools and clear communication. Many Canadian families prefer online sessions for their convenience, while others choose in-person tutoring for face-to-face engagement. The choice often depends on the student’s learning style and personal preference.
How often should tutoring sessions take place?
Most experts recommend at least one to two sessions per week for consistent progress. Regular scheduling ensures that students stay on top of their studies and retain information, rather than cramming before exams or assignments.
 Tutoring, becomes more than an academic support system—it becomes a foundation for lifelong confidence and achievement.
How can parents support tutoring at home?
Parents can help by creating a quiet study space, encouraging practice outside of tutoring sessions, and staying in touch with the tutor about progress. Their involvement reinforces the lessons learned and helps keep students motivated.
What should I look for in a tutor?
A good tutor should combine subject expertise with patience, adaptability, and strong communication skills. It’s important that the tutor connects well with the student and builds trust, creating a positive environment where the learner feels comfortable and encouraged.
By Gazette Staff
August 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Vital Signs, a report on the health of the community prepared by the Burlington Community Foundation will be released on September 16, followed by a panel discussion.
Vital Signs is Canada’s most extensive community-driven data program, led by Community Foundations of Canada and implemented by Community Foundations locally.
The report data, collected in partnership with Leger, presents a timely snapshot of how Burlington residents are feeling about, and engaged with, their community. We will discuss areas where our community is strong and where there are opportunities to grow.
This report, which will be the first Vital Signs Report BCF has released since 2017, is meant to serve as an important community resource to help inform decision-making, enliven conversations and spark civic engagement.
There is no cost to confirm your ticket. Click on “Burlington’s Vital Signs 2025 Launch” to reserve your spot. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.; free parking is available on site.
 Foundation CEO Megan Tregunno
Location: Art Gallery of Burlington (Shoreline/Rotary Room), 1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7S 1A9
Foundation CEO Megan Tregunno will host a panel discussion with community leaders and subject experts about vital issues facing Burlington.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue to create collective action to strengthen our city.
Click HERE to get your free ticket.
Related news story:
Vital signs report 2017
By Gazette Staff
August 18th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It won’t be long before parents are doing their return to school shopping and the students get into the routine of going to school each day.
It is that returning to school that has the NDP Opposition government very concerned as well.
Global News revealed that violence in schools rose by 77 per cent since the Ford Government was elected in 2018, with more than 4,400 incidents reported last year.
 Teachers have to cope with unruly students and at the same time, deliver the curriculum during the term.
“The numbers tell a clear story: we are seeing a crisis of violence develop as our children’s needs go unmet at school. Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg as many incidents go unreported,” said NDP MPP Pasma.
“Our kids are bearing the brunt of Doug Ford’s cuts to education, from larger class size to fewer EAs and support staff, to the lack of mental health professionals, and less supports for special needs students. Our education workers and teachers shouldn’t have to put up with injuries as a routine part of the job.
“The Premier has been busy listening to his developer friends about moving highways and building fantasy tunnels, but it’s about time he listens to concerned parents who just want their kids to be safe at school. We have the solutions, the Government just needs to act – it must hire more qualified staff in classrooms so our kids have a safe place to learn.”
The Ontario NDP announced its Emergency Plan to End School Violence and is calling on the Ford Government to implement it. The plan includes:
- Funding to hire additional qualified staff, including mental health professionals, education assistants, child and youth workers, and other education workers.
- Funding for comprehensive training for all workers and supervisors.
- A sector-specific regulation for education under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- A permanent provincial health and safety working group to review and adapt current policies regarding workplace violence in the education sector.
- A single province-wide online reporting system for violent incidents and data collection to understand the full scope of the problem.
By Mark Gillies
January 15, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington is using the month of August to celebrate local history. Sometime ago the Gazette published a series of articles by Mark Gillies, a lifelong Burlingtonian. It is appropriate to re-publish the stories about the people who built this city. This is part two of the Spencer Smith story.
Spencer Smith got to Canada as part of the immigration of British children into Canada and Australia. The children were shipped from England by well meaning people but there were some horrific abuses and I believe it is necessary to expand the Spencer Smith story and learn more about how these boys who, without their consent became indentured servants. They were referred to as “Home Children”.
The poem Spencer Smith wrote, it was included in part 1, aches with the longings of a man who missed so much of a natural childhood.
 Home children on a dock in St. John NB – waiting for trains to take them east.
The concept of Home Children started with honourable intentions; with good people trying to salvage young children from a parent-less home, or incredible poverty. Relocate them to a better life in Canada or Australia, that’s all they had to do. What’s the problem with that?
What made the idea work, was that farmers in Canada and Australia faced a severe labour shortage. They had recently immigrated themselves from Europe, cleared their fields, and grew their crops. Only problem was, who was going to do the harvesting, tend to the fields, feed the animals, and everything else that farmers do in this difficult labour intensive profession?
They didn’t have anybody to help. Governments were perplexed as well; those in Canada and Australia were more than happy to bring in immigrants to open up land and create farms. Sometimes they even gave them free land and supplies, but governments overlooked one part of the equation. Who is going work these large farms? They desperately needed a solution, and quickly.
No doubt about it, everyone at the time believed this was a “WIN-WIN” situation. Spencer Smith’s story was a perfect example of one that seemed to have a happy ending.
Featherstone Martindale & Spencer Smith.
Spencer Smith’s sponsor was Featherstone Martindale from Caledonia. If you have ever been to Caledonia, it seems that about every third person you meet has the last name Martindale. They are a fantastic local family and they show up everywhere in Caledonia. Featherstone was born in 1848 in Haldimand County. Featherstone must not have been impressed by his first name, because he always went by the name Fred. He was a good honest man and a hardworking farmer who desperately needed help on his farm. Fred over the years became a father of 8 children and had married 3 times.
The Farmer’s Wife in Spencer’s Poem
In Spencer’s poem, he speaks of the farmer’s wife who influenced him. Spencer was referring to Eliza Mary Shult, who was Fred’s second wife. His first wife Eliza Jane Anderson died in 1881 after giving birth to a daughter named Ann. Fred married Eliza Mary Shult on January 8, 1883, and the new couple proceeded to have 7 children, the first born was Frederick who died in early 1884. Then another son named Featherstone was born in late 1884, and another 5 children were born between 1886 and 1895. In 2 quick years from 1883 to 1885 Eliza had married, and brought along her own small son named Wilfred McBride who was 5 years old from her previous marriage, when her first husband John McBride died from tuberculosis in 1879.
Spencer arrived on the farm May 21st, 1885 when Eliza Mary was just 28 years old. She was quite a busy young lady herself by the time he stepped down from the carriage. This young lady seems quite remarkable to me, since she still had some extra maternal time to still dote on young Spencer, something that helped shape his life.
 Eliza Mary Shult, the second wife of Featherstone Martindale had a huge influence on Spencer Smith, and he fondly recalls about her in his poem written in 1911.
I’m sure old Fred would be quite crusty at times, and probably scared the lads half to death many more times, but Spencer’s poem has a softer edge to it, especially towards Eliza Mary. Eliza Mary died in 1895 from complications of the birth with her last child George Martindale. By this time, young Spencer had already left the Martindale farm. If Spencer actually stayed the full 3 years until he was 18, his servitude would come to an end in January 1888. After the death of Eliza Mary, Fred married a spinster named Margaret Anna Peart in 1907.
The Peart family in Caledonia, which is very large in number, just like the Martindale’s is somehow linked to the Peart family in Burlington, my guess is they are probably cousins. It’s only speculation, but the Jacob Peart farm in Burlington is on the land now occupied by Fortinos, Sears and Ikea, so maybe there was a connection for Spencer Smith to come to Burlington, especially if it was initiated through the Peart families in Caledonia and Burlington. The Peart farm was located directly across Plains Road from the Bell homestead. We’ll never know for sure, but we can at least think about it.
Spencer Smith was quite fortunate and did not face some of the severe hardships that other Home Children experienced. Far too many faced a certain hell of an existence.
The Truth about the British Home Children in Canada
Here’s what really happened to most of the British Home Children.
This became an economic issue more than anything else. It was strictly a case of supply and demand. Most of these organizations were faced with a huge demand. They had great difficulty in meeting the demand by farmers and governments in Canada and Australia. It was stated at one time that there were 10 applications for every child. So what were they going to do? The answer was simple. Start rounding up any child who potentially was wayward and lived in the area that was to be scoured for recruits. Overly simplified, absolutely, but not by much.
The fact remains, that the original concept was for orphaned children. The reality was that only 2% were orphans. The rest were children in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s true that during these times some parents had great economic problems, perhaps they were unemployed or seriously ill, and they had no choice but to hand over their children to a workhouse, or some other care facility until they could get back on their feet and then bring their children home. The truth is, these organizations to help meet the demand, decided to ship them overseas without their parents’ consent. Most of these children had no idea what was happening to them. The parents did not know either. The children never realized that they would never see their family again.
 Dr. Thomas Barnardo was a very controversial character, and was responsible for exporting thousands and thousands of British children out of England and relocating them mainly in Australia and Canada. Here he is in 1905 leading the Founder’s Day Parade shortly before his death that same year.
The largest organization was run under the management of its controversial founder Dr. Thomas Barnardo. He somehow convinced the Canadian and Australian Governments to take these children. Once that was established, then other organizations like the Shaftesbury Homes, the Salvation Army, churches, and others also jumped on the bandwagon. Probably, none of these add on organizations realized that down the road, this program was going to spiral way out of control, and thousands and thousands of small children were going to be totally exploited in this moneymaking scheme to supply cheap child labour to Canadian and Australian farmers. You can dress it up any way you want, citing testimonial cases that turned out good, reminding people that they were paid a small amount, some orphans were adopted by loving families, but in my opinion, the bare bones reality was: Canada, Australia and England were totally involved in a repulsive child slavery program.
Whatever happened to the other 32 boys who made the trip to Hamilton?
When I researched for information on the other 32 boys that made the trip to Canada with Spencer Smith, only about 2 boys continued to surface on available records. The Flamborough Historical Society has documented one of these Home Children. That boy went on to marriage, become a father and worked as a market garden farmer in Aldershot. He turned out okay.
Spencer Smith turned out okay. The others, they completely disappeared. We know some could have been adopted and had their surnames changed. As an outsider, it is basically impossible to track them. We already know that conditions for some children were so severe that they continually ran away from the farms they were working on, and many were beaten to a pulp when they were caught and returned. We know with documentation as proof that over two thirds of all the British Home children were beaten severely. We know that many of these children were not allowed to become part of the family that was caring for them. They were forced to live in exclusion on the farmer’s property, and not interact with the farmer’s own children or have any friends of their own. They were not loved or nurtured in any way. We know that they were constantly tormented and bullied by other children at local schools, and even adults participated in this human degradation of these children. We know that many just eventually disappeared. Where you ask?
My guess is some were probably murdered when they were beaten so severely by the farmers, and when authorities came around they just claimed that they ran away. Some children because of horrific living conditions probably became so ill, that they died on the farm, and were quietly buried on the property so as not to draw any suspicion. Others may have committed suicide, and became nothing more than John or Jane Does stashed away in a local morgue, waiting for no one to identify them. Whatever the reason, they’re gone, and we don’t know have explanations. Have a look at this story that appeared in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix newspaper on April 23, 1930 about a young British Home Child boy named Arthur Godsall who was savagely beaten on a farm in Campbellford by farmer William Albert Hay, age 37.
Albert had just arrived from England with many other British Home children and they all disembarked at Halifax from the ship Albertic on March 17, 1930.
Albert made his way to the Hay’s farm in Campbellford, and less than a month after he arrived he endured this beating and was finally rescued. That’s just one tragic story, there were thousands of stories just like this. One boy was forced to live outside in the dog house with the farm dog. The farmer fed the dog table scraps, and if the dog was full and if by chance there was any dog food left over, it was for the boy to scavenge. Not to mention that this same farmer viciously beat the boy almost daily. Eventually, he was removed from the farm, and as far as I know this farmer did not face any charges. This is unbelievable, but true. This happened in Canada. If you do some basic internet research, you will find these stories and many more.
What’s really disturbing is just how low profile this tragic event in human history was, and just how little we know of it now. But, it is becoming more widely known, and just recently as victims have finally come forward. In Australia for example, the Australian Government were finally brought to their knees by a public outcry after the public learned the truth from these victims, and the government brought forth an apology for their involvement in this hair-brained scheme. Also, the British Government were totally embarrassed by previous governments’ involvement in this tragic situation also came forth with an apology offered by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. And what about the Canadian Government?
Where do we stand? Sadly, and unfortunately, the Canadian Government has essentially taken the position that this isn’t really a big deal, and no apology is warranted or forthcoming, even though they backed and encouraged this form of child slavery and abuse under the guise of helping disadvantaged children. Personally, I think that Jason Kenney the Cabinet Minister responsible for these remarks was not that well informed on the situation when confronted with the apology question, and consequently brushed it off as unimportant. I encourage you to contact Burlington’s local Federal Member of Parliament, Mr. Mike Wallace, who is a very decent man, and please voice your concern. I would like to think that Mike can champion this cause and help us get this apology from the Canadian Government. It’s long overdue, and it’s the right thing to do.
Here’s how to reach Mike Wallace, Member of Parliament: Burlington Mall Office, 777 Guelph Line, Suite 209, Burlington, Ont. L7R 3N2. T: 905-639-5757 or F: 905-639-6031
House of Commons, East Block, Suite: 115, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
T: (613) 995-0881; F: (613) 995-1091 or email, mike.wallace@parl.gc.ca
There is an incredible website on the British Home Children. https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/
It tells the whole story of the plight of these exploited children. It will break your heart to read and watch some of the videos made by former Home Children, these men and women who are now elderly, who have finally broken their silence to tell the real story of what happened to them. The website also has a form that can be signed. It is a petition to persuade the Canadian Government to offer an apology to these unfortunate people, many still alive in Canada, and still suffering mental anguish.
Add the website to your “Favourites”. It is quite large and takes a fair bit of time to go through it properly, so you will likely have to go back several times. The website also is constantly updated with more unbelievable stories about this shameful part of our Canadian past.
By Mark Gillies
January 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington is using the month of August to celebrate local history. Sometime ago the Gazette published a series of articles by Mark Gillies, a lifelong Burlingtonian. It is appropriate to re-publish the stories about the people who built this city. Today we retell the story about the man the lake side park is named after – Spencer Smith.
 Here is Spencer Smith Park as it looks today; a park enjoyed by thousands of residents annually, all thanks to the vision of a single man. .
One of the most recognized names in Burlington is Spencer Smith. We have named Burlington’s most scenic park in his honour. Spencer Smith Park, located on the shores of Lake Ontario, is used for many events that attract thousands of visitors annually.
We know the park; we really don’t know who Spencer Smith was, and just what it was that made him so significant to Burlington?
 Spencer and Edith Smith a happy couple who enjoyed living and working in Burlington.
If you read last week’s column on Edith Hodge, one of Burlington’s earliest settlers, you would have discovered that Spencer Smith was Edith’s son-in-law. Spencer married Edith and William Bell’s youngest daughter Edith Bell.
The Spencer Smith Story
Just how did Spencer Smith end up in Burlington, where did he come from, and what did he accomplish that made his name a Burlington household word?
 Spencer Smith was born at 7 Mount Street. This illustration shows what housing looked like on Mount Street around the time of Spencer’s birth in 1870.
Spencer George Smith was born on January 18, 1870 at 7 Mount Street in Bethnal Green, East London, England to George Spencer Smith 26, and Mary Ann Mears 24. Spencer was the youngest of three children. He had two older sisters, Mary Ann who was born in 1866 and Sarah born in 1868. Spencer’s father worked as a labourer at a local wharf on the Thames River. Mary Ann was also employed, and most likely worked at or near the wharf and was responsible for folding the sails for ships, or as it was referred to in 1870, she was a furl server. Their residence may have been a tri-plex, as two other families lived at the same address. Edward Dwyer, a bricklayer and his wife Isabella, a tailoress, and their 4 children; plus George Scales, a cooper, and his wife Sarah and their 3 children all lived at 7 Mount Street.
Life in Bethnal Green during the 19th Century
Bethnal Green was a very poor neighbourhood, often referred to as a slum area. It was rundown, disease ridden, rat infested, everyone was exposed to raw sewage, the neighbourhood had a gut wrenching bad smell to it, and it was full of sickness, drug addicts, prostitutes, and uncontrollable crime. Bethnal Green was not the best place to raise your family. Bethnal Green was not unlike many other urban communities in England at that time. 
The Industrial Revolution had driven many people from their agricultural backgrounds into the towns and cities looking for work. These areas quickly became overcrowded, and living conditions seriously declined. Times were very bad.
For reasons that we do not know something happened to the Smith family. They basically vanished from the census records for 1880 and everything afterwards.
Death records have not been located proving conclusively that Spencer’s parents or sisters died, or moved elsewhere. Some have claimed that Mary became a widow, and that she had no choice but to give up her children, but this is just hearsay. It could be true. The only person we conclusively know about is Spencer Smith.
For whatever reason, perhaps to escape an imminent transfer to the local workhouse, which was a hideous institution located just down the street at 103 Mount Street. It was a derelict building having been in existence for over 120 year. Perhaps Spencer was to be turned over to an orphanage, we just do not know, but life for Spencer definitely changed. Did you know that workhouses were often the last destination for families that could no longer support their children, and parents were forced to turn them over to the authorities? Even orphanages were overcrowded and poorly run. Many parents died from disease, starvation, alcoholism, murder, suicide, or work related injuries. They left their children destitute, and there was no other recourse, but for these little people to end up in any one of these deplorable institutions.
 Spencer Smith and 32 other boys were sent to Canada on the SS Corean in May of 1885. This is the actual ship that Spencer made the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on.
Spencer in 1885 at 15 years of age was forced to leave his home and friends, board a steam ship named the SS Corean, along with 32 other boys all about his same age, and set off for Canada. The ship arrived in Montreal on May 14, 1885, and the boys made their way to Hamilton. They travelled on the Grand Trunk Railway, stopping all along the way, including Burlington, and finally on to Hamilton. Who knows, maybe Spencer looked out of the train car window when the boys pulled into the Freeman train station, and thought to himself, “This looks like a nice place. Maybe one day I will live here. Where am I anyway?”
Spencer and the other boys were sent by the Shaftesbury Homes organization based out of London, England. This organization and many others were operating in England, taking on the responsibility of relocating disadvantaged youth to Canada, and also Australia. The largest organization was run by Dr. Thomas Barnardo. It has been written that Spencer Smith was a “Barnardo Boy”, but that information is incorrect. This was a common error made by most people when they referred to the “British Home Children” shipped to Canada. The Barnardo organization was much larger than the other British organizations, the name ended up as generic terminology and just about all were referred to as Barnardo children regardless of the organization that sent them over.
It was believed at this time some British children would have a better life if they were removed from their local environment in their overcrowded communities and sent to Canada and Australia to live and work on farms. The concept was developed mainly for orphans, but over time this evolved into destitute children becoming included as well.
 When Spencer arrived by train destined for Hamilton, he disembarked at this Grand Trunk Railway Station located along the southern shores of Burlington Bay.
When the Grand Trunk Railway train arrived in Hamilton, the Shaftesbury boys were sent to live temporarily at a location called a “Receiving Home”.
In Hamilton it was called, “The National Children’s Home & Orphanage” which opened in 1884. This home was located on Main Street, in the east end of Hamilton on the grounds of present day Gage Park.
 Spencer and the 32 other boys were sent to this “Receiving Home”. It was called the “National Children’s Home & Orphanage”, located on the grounds of present day Gage Park.
When the boys arrived, farmers in the Niagara area who had sent in an application to be a sponsor for these children were notified that the children had made it to Hamilton, and they were now ready to be picked up and taken to their new home. Not all children were sponsored before they arrived, it depended on the circumstances that brought them to the “Receiving Home”. In some situations children had to wait for someone to come along and claim them. “The National Children’s Home & Orphanage” over time evolved into Canada’s Children’s Aid Society. Shaftesbury Homes in London, at a later date, became the cornerstone of the London Children’s Aid Society.
 Featherstone Martindale was the farmer from Caledonia who sponsored Spencer Smith taking him back to his farm to begin work as an indentured farm labourer.
For Spencer Smith, a farmer named Featherstone Martindale from Caledonia was coming to pick up him and probably a couple more boys too. We know that other boys also went to Caledonia to work on the Martindale farm, but we do not know how many. Most likely it was no more than 2 more boys. They met, and all got to know each other a bit better, and eventually Featherstone, the other boys, and Spencer left “The National Children’s Home & Orphanage”.
 Before the Hamilton Street Railway streetcars became electrified, they were horse drawn. Featherstone Martindale and Spencer Smith and the other boys made their way to the King Street train station on a streetcar just like this one, for the train trip to Caledonia.
The group travelled west along King Street in Hamilton on a horse drawn Hamilton Street Railway streetcar to the King Street train station at Ferguson Avenue, embarked on to the train and made the trip to Caledonia. That day was Thursday, May 21, 1885. When they arrived at the Caledonia station, Featherstone, the other boys, and Spencer travelled again for 6 miles, this time in the Martindale’s fancy carriage and on out to the Martindale farm in rural Caledonia.
 The farms along Maple Avenue provided the country with some of the most fantastic fruit grown anywhere in the world. If you look closely on this map, you can see the Lindley farm where Spencer worked, and also in the lower left corner you can see the William Bell homestead where he worked following his employment with the Lindley family.
Spencer Smith’s new Canadian life was about to get underway.
The usual arrangement was to keep a British child on the farm, as indentured servants until they became 18 years of age. These children were to be paid a small wage, fed, clothed, schooled and provide room and board. According to Spencer, he agreed to stay at the Martindale farm for one year. This could be true, or not. We’re not certain if Spencer stayed with the Martindale’s for up to 3 years, or if he went to another farm. We do know that Spencer in 1889 was working as a farm labourer on the Lindley farm in Burlington when he was 19 years old. The Lindley family operated a very successful orchard farm on Maple Avenue. It was located just north of Water Street, now called Lakeshore Road, and it ran north up to about the south side of Mapleview Mall.
The Lindley’s were smart farmers and during the Great Depression, just to stay in business, negotiated a deal with Dominion Stores and supplied the grocery store chain with produce, an agreement so good that it lasted for over 40 years. For many years, the Lindleys and other local farmers hauled their crops by wagon up to the Freeman Train Station, and loaded up the boxcars with their products for transport to markets across Ontario, Canada, England, and even South Africa. The Freeman Station (now under restoration on Fairview Street and in need of more private funding) was the focal point of Burlington’s emerging agricultural market. It was Burlington’s “Window to the World”.
 Here’s the Bell Homestead where Spencer Smith worked and met his future wife, Edith Bell. The homestead is still here today, although it looks somewhat different. You could call it, “The Home of the Strawberry Social”.
One day, Spencer Smith left the Lindley family farm and moved up Maple Avenue to the William & Edith Bell farm located at the southwest corner of Plains Road and Maple Avenue, and he began working as a farm labourer for the Bell family. It was here at the Bell homestead that Spencer Smith met Edith Bell, the youngest daughter of William and Edith Bell. Spencer courted the farmer’s daughter, and before you knew it, they were engaged and then the young couple married on May 9 1900.
At that time, Maple Avenue went north and more westerly emerging at the Union Burial Ground, the historic pioneer cemetery located in front of the Sears, Fortinos & Ikea stores. It has been reported that Spencer Smith went to work on a farm in Penetang. Again, this is hearsay, and not proven. It is possible, but if Spencer did work on a farm in that area, it would have most likely been after his servitude was completed at the Martindale farm, and before he began work on the Lindley farm by 1889, or Spencer may have left the Lindley farm, went to Penetang and returned to begin working with the Bell family. We’re not certain.
 These two young ladies are standing outside Spencer Smith’s green grocery store on Brant Street, just north of Pine Street. The young lass on the right just may be holding a candy stick that was given to her by Spencer Smith. This rare photograph taken around 1914 shows the last part of the name Spencer Smith on the awning’s edge. Many thanks to local genealogist Russell Hunsperger for digging up this picture from his family’s photo archives.
Spencer eventually became a green grocer, and opened a store in Toronto, but this did not last long and the couple returned to Burlington, where Spencer opened another green grocer store. This time it was on Brant Street, just 4 doors north of Pine Street, on the east side.
 Spencer Smith’s grocery store attracted pleasure boat shoppers just like these passengers on the boat “Alfie” which set out from a dock in Dundas.
The store was very successful, and eventually Spencer and Edith became quite affluent. Spencer Smith was a clever marketing man. Whenever children came into his store, they were treated with candy. There were other grocery store competitors in town, but Spencer usually won the day over the other stores. When the children in the neighbourhood persuaded their parents to go shop at Mr. Smith’s store, the parents usually agreed, not quite realizing why the children were so insistent. The other grocers in town probably couldn’t figure out why Spencer Smith’s store continually had so many customers. Spencer and Edith Smith were very good at business, and skilled as retailing entrepreneurs.
In fact, the store was so popular, that passengers travelling on recreational pleasure boats from Hamilton, Dundas, Grimsby, Bronte, Oakville, and other local towns often docked at the wharf located at the foot of Brant Street, just to shop at Spencer Smith’s store. Today, we call this shopping at “Destination stores”.
Spencer was a member of the Burlington Horticultural Society for 36 years, from 1919 up until he died in 1955, where he served as the Society’s President from 1931 – 1936. Other well-known local names served as President when the Society was started for a second time in 1919. The first President was Rev. George W. Tebbs, Rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church who served in 1919-1920. William Arthur Emory, was Spencer’s brother-in-law and he served in 1925-1926. Paul Fisher served in 1921.
The Fisher family owned the orchard farm where Burlington Mall is located. Fred Ghent served in 1922. Richard Jerome “RJ” Alton served in 1949. The first Burlington Horticultural Society actually started in 1889 by the local market gardeners as more of an agricultural group interested in how to better grow market garden products. The second Society focused more on the beautification of Burlington. It was this latter Society that had the Rose selected as Burlington’s official flower, and to this day, area residents compete for the annual Rose Awards in recognition for residents’ beautiful home gardens.
 The Lakeside Park was starting to look more like a park. Over the years it continued to develop into a beautiful scenic park. The canning plant can be seen in the upper left as well as the dock that was at the foot of Brant Street.
In 1933, Spencer Smith as President embarked on an ambitious project to beautify the land at the foot of Brant Street in Lakeside Park. During the Great Depression the canning plant employees located next door to the park were on strike, and Spencer utilized the strikers to help clean up the new park. It has been reported that Spencer Smith hired these strikers, but more realistically these were probably just volunteers who were quite bored being on strike. There certainly wasn’t much money available at the time, and Spencer was always looking for free assistance, wherever and whenever he could find it. Spencer himself, devoted countless hours of volunteer labour at the park.
 The new Department of Recreation after 1950 decided to add more fill to the water and expand the size of the park. The breakwater is clearly in place.
Harold McGrath owned a local trucking company, and Spencer even enticed Harold to drop off any excess loads of rock or topsoil at the park, also probably done at no cost. Spencer had a clear vision for this park, and he was bound and determined to make it happen. The spectacular willow trees growing in Spencer Smith Park are not there by accident. Dorothy Angus the town’s librarian and friend to Spencer, lived on Ontario Street and had willow trees growing on her property. Spencer carefully removed willow tree cuttings and transplanted them to the park. Today, we can see the results of this undertaking. The park was an ongoing project for many years, and in 1942, the Town of Burlington finally recognized Spencer Smith’s accomplishments and named the park “Spencer Park”.
In 1950, the town created a Department of Recreation, and this department took over the management of Spencer Park. One of the first projects undertaken by this new department, was to expand the park with more landfill at the eastern end.
When the Town of Burlington, under the leadership of Mayor Lloyd Berryman, was looking for their own unique Centennial project for 1967, a decision was made that Spencer Park would an ideal choice for an upgrade. The plan was to fill in the entire water area out to the breakwater, and over to the Brant Inn on the far western side, once all of the boats sheltered behind the breakwater were evicted. The Burlington Centennial Committee was created and received the go-ahead for the creation of the new park, and when the park was completed in 1967, they made one very serious error in judgment and attempted to recommend a completely different name for Spencer Park, which was abruptly objected to by The Burlington Horticultural Society and many other concerned local residents who were extremely upset that Burlington’s heritage was once again facing erosion, and quite possibly Spencer Smith’s hard work, commitment, and dedication to his park were about to be permanently removed. The Burlington Centennial Committee reluctantly realized their error, and eventually backed down giving way to a new name, mutually agreed to by everyone on both sides, it was to be called Spencer Smith Park, a name that still stands to this day.
 The great grand niece of Spencer Smith was the former Victoria Emery, and after marriage we knew her as Vicki Gudgeon, a local historian and a past President of the Burlington Historical Society personally knew Spencer Smith very well.
Spencer didn’t stop at his park. Many of the streetscape trees growing in downtown Burlington were planted by The Burlington Horticultural Society. Burlington didn’t become so scenic and beautiful by itself. Credit should go to those dedicated members of The Burlington Horticultural Society. The property next to Central School was a seedling centre, and the Society grew new plants there which were eventually transplanted throughout Burlington. Spencer Smith’s great grand niece, Vicki Emery Gudgeon, who served as President of the Burlington Historical Society in 1975 -1976 recalled in an interview on the life of Spencer Smith for The Hamilton Spectator in 1989, that all of the trees planted by Spencer Smith and the Horticultural Society on Brant Street were removed when street lights were installed. Vicki stated back then, “I don’t think it was a fair exchange,” I think we can all agree that street lights on a treeless road are not as beautiful as a tree lined road. Vicki had the pleasure to really know her great grand uncle and described him as, “a very kind gentle man, and a gentleman.” She went on to say, “he looked a bit like Charlie Chaplin, because he had the same kind of moustache.”
 The Strawberry Social was an event that Spencer Smith, his wife Edith, the Bell family, and just about everybody else in Burlington looked forward to every year in town. Here’s Spencer serving up some more treats at the historic Willowbank on King Road.
Over the years that Spencer Smith lived in Burlington, things changed, sometimes unexpectantly. Even though Spencer and Edith never had children, they still devoted much of their time to the betterment of Burlington. For example, Spencer and Edith both loved the Strawberry Socials, an event developed by the Bell family, and participated wholeheartedly in making them a rousing annual success in Burlington.
In 1924, after a beautiful 24 year marriage, the blissful happy couple faced a very serious challenge. Edith was not well, and soon became extremely sick. Edith developed pancreatic cancer which eventually spread into her liver, and this lovely, petite, gentle lady died a painful and tragic death on March 21, 1924, in the prime of her life at 54 years of age. The shocked and devastated Spencer buried his beloved Edith in historic Greenwood Cemetery on March 24, 1924. Spencer’s world of new found joy and happiness had ended with pain, and he proceeded to mourn his loss alone, and live a life that seemed to have no purpose.
Spencer continued to operate his grocery store on Brant Street for two more years, he was just putting in time; Then he met a middle aged lady who would become his next wife. She was known as Lillie, but her birth name was Elizabeth Anna Smith. Lillie was born June 7, 1870 in Whitby, Ontario to Thomas Henry Smith and Sarah Smith, a pioneer farm family who lived in the Whitby area for many years. It is not known where and when Spencer met Lillie, but we do know that this was the first marriage for Spencer’s new wife, and it seems a little bit humourous to me that Lillie changed her maiden name from Smith to her new married name Smith. It’s not too often that couples wed each other with the same surname, but it happened here.
Lillie’s new home was to be at 40 Locust Street. I am not certain as to when Spencer purchased this home. We do believe that Spencer and Edith had lived over top of their Brant Street store for a few years.
 This photograph shows the A & P store that replaced Spencer Smith’s store in the same location. The photograph was taken in 1947 before the A & P moved farther north up Brant Street later that same year. The “modern” looking car in the photo is a 1947 Buick. This vehicle establishes the year of the photograph.
It has been reported that Spencer Smith retired from work in 1950 when he would have been 80 years of age. I disagree, but I could be wrong. Although, I do not know exactly when he retired, it was most likely when Spencer was around 65 – 70 years of age in 1935 to 1940. I say that because Spencer Smith sold his store to the A&P Food Store company. A&P came to Burlington around that time, and Spencer was ready to call it a day. A&P took over his location and stayed there until they relocated farther north to a new store on Brant Street which opened in 1947. There are no records that we can locate of Spencer working elsewhere after that time, but he did continue to volunteer his time.
 Spencer Smith’s Death Notice appeared in the Burlington Gazette newspaper on November 9, 1955 on page 14, column 3. The town was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of Burlington’s greatest citizens.
 Spencer Smith, his first wife Edith, and his second wife Lillie are buried in historic Greenwood Cemetery.
On November 8, 1955 Spencer Smith peacefully passed away at his residence at 40 Locust Street. He was buried alongside his cherished wife Edith in historic Greenwood Cemetery. The following year in 1956, Lillie, Spencer’s second wife passed away at 85 years of age, and was interred with Spencer and Edith in Greenwood Cemetery.
The full life and times of Spencer Smith was now over, but not forgotten.
Spencer Smith left us with a poem that he composed in 1911. He called it “Reminiscences”. In poetic phrasing Spencer captures some of his memories that changed his life.
Reminiscences
‘Twas six and twenty years ago,
And perhaps a little bit more,
When I, a lad of fifteen years,
Lit on this fair Canadian Shore.
Fate led the way to Hamilton,
And there a man I met,
Who said a likely boy to do the chores
I certainly must get.
I don’t think I looked likely,
For the voyage had been rough,
And leaving home and friends behind,
I felt most mighty tough.
But the farmer thought I’d suit him,
If I’d try and do what’s fair;
So we came to an agreement,
And I hired for a year.
We boarded the train at King Street-
I’ll never forget that day;
It was in the spring of eighty-five,
On the twenty-first of May.
My thoughts were busy all the way,
On the new life I was now to begin;
To me the prospect seemed gloomy,
And my future loomed very dim.
We arrived at Caledonia,
And the farmer’s old bay mare
Soon took us down the river road
To the farm, six miles from there.
The buggy we rode in was classy,
The roads none I’d seen could compare-
We took so much on the wheels as we went
It’s a wonder there’s any there.
My boy courage rose as I entered the house,
And I saw the farmer’s wife.
I’ll never forget her as long as I live;
And bless her all my life.
I had my tea and went to bed,
And slept as sound as a trout.
And the first thing I heard in the morning
Was: “Come, boys, it’s time to get out.”
I put in that day in a hazy way;
For a lonesome boy was I,
And as I drove the cows to the fields
I heaved many a deep, deep sigh.
Each day was filled with surprises,
And, Oh, the mistakes I did make!
Were the things I broke put together
They’d be worth all the wages I’d take.
The farmer was often impatient;
And often discouraged was I,
But one thing that kept up my courage
Was the farmer’s good wife and her pie.
The cows and the horses, the sheep and the pigs,
Were ever a worry and care;
But since I have left them I think of them still,
And in my dreams fancy I’m there.
The lessons I learned on the farm are worth more
To me than mere dollars and cents;
And if I were privileged to start over again,
It’s life on the farm I’d commence.
The farmer’s wife has gone to her rest,
But her influence lives in me still:-
She helped lift the load along life’s rough road,
And save me a start up the hill.

Part two of the Spencer Smith story will be published later this week.
By Gazette Staff
August 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
There are six Guilds at the Burlington Art Gallery.
They are the foundation on which the current gallery was built.
All Guilds Show
There is an All Guilds Show running from August 23—September 9, 2025 in the Lee-Chin Family Gallery
The All Guilds Show showcases the artists who make and learn at the AGB.
If you ever wondered if being part of a Guild might be for you – make a point of attending. You’ll find a lot of welcoming faces and people waiting to help you learn
This 50th Anniversary exhibition celebrates the invaluable contributions the Burlington guilds have made to their communities by nurturing creativity, preserving artistic traditions, and fostering lifelong learning.
By Gazette Staff
August 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
At first glance, building a tower out of toothpicks or launching a balloon rocket might just seem like play, not reading. But STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and literacy go hand in hand. In fact, hands-on learning can strengthen some of the most essential literacy skills for growing readers.
What STEAM Teaches Beyond Science
STEAM starts with science, but it doesn’t end there! When kids engage in STEAM activities, they’re also:
 When kids engage in STEAM activities, they’re also:
Building vocabulary – Kids learn new words like balance, gravity, dissolve, or predict in meaningful hands-on contexts.
Practicing sequencing – They follow multi-step instructions and describe what they did in order, using words like first, next, then, and last.
Improving comprehension – They connect what they read (in a story or instructions) to what they observe, build, or create.
Developing communication skills – They ask questions, explain ideas, and reflect on what happened. These are key parts of both science and storytelling.
 Check out these engaging picture books that explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) in fun and accessible ways. Each title includes a simple activity idea you can try at home — perfect for sparking curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning in young readers! bplearly
Pairing STEAM with storybooks makes learning even more powerful. A story can spark curiosity, introduce a challenge, and help children connect big ideas to their everyday world. Stories help bring STEAM ideas to life, making them more relatable and easier to remember.
STEAM at Home
You don’t need fancy gadgets or expensive ingredients for STEAM learning at home. Everyday household objects can be the perfect tools for creative discovery. Try these easy ideas with what you have on hand:
- Plastic cups: Build towers, bridges, or try stacking challenges and sound experiments.
- Cardboard boxes or tubes: Make ramps, marble runs, or invent something new!
- Straws: Design and launch paper rockets or building structures and shapes.
- Toothpicks or spaghetti: Construct bridges or 3D shapes.
- Water bottles: Make a sensory bottle, lava lamp, or mini tornado in a bottle.
- Cereal or pasta: Count, sort, and make patterns.
- Buttons or bottle caps: Use them for measurement, pattern play, or crafts.
- Glass jars: Grow a seed, get a closer look at an insect, or make a musical instrument.
Explore, Discover, and Create with Us
Looking for more inspiration? Here are a few ideas from Children’s Librarian Kathleen:
- Try a story-inspired experiment – Read a book together and then encourage your child to come up with an experiment related to the story’s problem. Check out the booklist below for STEAM-filled picture books.
- Get outside with non-fiction – Pick out a non-fiction book about bugs, birds, flowers, or trees, and then head to your backyard or local park. Ask questions and investigate! Our always-available OverDrive/Libby ebooks are a great place to start.
- Join a library program – Explore hands-on fun at one of our upcoming STEAM programs for kids.
Looking for More Ideas?
Need a little inspiration? Our friendly librarians and programmers are always happy to help you make the most of your library. Come visit us—we’re always happy to see you.
By Gazette Staff
August 6th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario government is continuing to deliver on its plan to protect the province’s health-care system by investing $56.8 million to train 2,200 additional nurses.
By expanding the number of nursing training and education seats at publicly assisted colleges and universities across the province, the government is building Ontario’s pipeline of highly skilled nurse practitioners, registered nurses and registered practical nurses that are needed to meet the growing need for more nurses in Ontario hospitals, long-term care homes, community health centres and primary care clinics.
 Training nurses is complex; a lot of different approaches are used. Here manikins are used to illustrate the procedures during the birth of a child.
“Nurses are an integral part of Ontario’s health-care system, providing life-saving and compassionate care when patients need it the most,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Our government continues to expand nursing enrollment in our colleges and universities to ensure we are building the health-care workforce we need to protect Ontario health care and ensure people can continue to access excellent care, close to home.”
Ontario is also expanding registration in innovative, flexible online nursing training to help personal support workers and registered practical nurses seeking to advance their education. Through these online pathways, personal support workers can pursue a Practical Nursing diploma at colleges and registered practical nurses can obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Ontario’s colleges or universities.
Students or job seekers interested in nursing careers can visit My Career Journey to learn more about becoming a registered nurse or a registered practical nurse.
“Our government is continuing to take bold action to protect Ontario’s health-care system,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By ensuring more people can become nurses in Ontario, we are building on our progress to strengthen the province’s world-class nursing workforce for years to come.”
In addition to expanding nursing enrollment, the province is providing a one-time investment of $7.5 million to help universities purchase nursing clinical supplies and laboratory equipment. This funding will equip nursing students with cutting-edge tools for hands-on training to the skills they need to thrive in their career.
“Our government is improving long-term care by training, hiring and retaining thousands of health-care workers,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “As a registered nurse, I know how impactful these investments will be to ensure we have the staff to deliver high quality care to Ontario’s long-term care residents.”
This expansion, announced in the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario, is the latest step in connecting every person in Ontario to connected, convenient care by addressing health human resource needs and supporting the growing demand for health-care professionals, including in long-term care homes.
 Nursing is much more than looking after patients and taking care of bedpans.
- Since 2018, Ontario has supported a record-breaking number of new health-care professionals in joining the workforce, adding nearly 100,000 new nurses to the workforce, with another 30,000 students currently studying at Ontario colleges and universities to become nurses.
- Through the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, the government is increasing the number of nurses, paramedics and medical laboratory technologists in communities of greatest need across the province.
- Since its launch in 2023–24, the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant has provided over $96 million in support to more than 8,200 students.
- Through this investment, 15,000 users will be able to register in the online nursing pathway programs.
- In June, Ontario announced it is expanding its nursing workforce with a $4.2 million investment to accelerate nursing programs and add seats in rural and northern programs.
By Pepper Parr
August 6th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Disruption is not something new that began around 2000. It is an elemental part of every economy – defined as significant changes in the economic environment that can lead to instability, unemployment, or shifts in industry.
 You could sell anything anywhere: The service killed the very profitable classified advertising section in just about all the daily newspapers.
We are just experiencing this disruption much more frequently. When Craigslist was introduced, it resulted in the end of classified advertising in newspapers which eventually led to the end of thousands of daily newspapers and the introduction of online newspapers; the Gazette was the first to appear in Burlington.
Uber meant almost the end of traditional taxi service. There are dozens of other examples.
Some levels of society don’t lend themselves to any disruption all that easily.
Public education is one example. Teacher unions have a huge impact on the kind of changes that get made. One of the positive things that came out of the 2020 pandemic was that teachers were forced to use digital applications to teach students virtually when classrooms were closed. There are those that think we no longer need teachers; that computer applications can do it all. Maybe. The need to have one-on-one interactions and teachers at the head of a classroom answering questions is going to be hard to do away with.
But what about the municipal sector? Is there room for major disruption?
The difficulty at the municipal level is not so much the unions but the grip that the municipal mindset and culture, that is deeply ingrained, has on what gets done. And things don’t happen all that quickly in the municipal sector. Add to all that the organizational structure with elected people at the very top. Burlington has a very small city council given the size of the city. The current council has been in for two terms and the residents could end up with the same seven; less than 30% of the voters bother to show up.
Where can disruption take place?
Some municipalities use a Reference Panels and Citizens’ Assemblies approach to making decisions. A firm is brought in to create a panel that is representative of the makeup of the community with balance including gender, income, education age. Issues are put before this panel jury and they come up with a recommendation that a city council is expected to adhere to or give really good reasons for not following the recommendation.
The Halton Regional government has used MASSlb very effectively. Burlington chose not to use any outside help and instead chose to use the IAP2 model. And look where that got us.
 It was the Promise to the Public section that grates on the minds of many people.
There will be more on this. Let’s see how the Gazette readership responds.
By Pepper Parr
August 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Engagement can be a double-edged sword.
 It got to be a little too much for this delegation – she had to take her cane off the table and use to to lean on while she shifted herself from foot to foot. Delegations are made to stand before Council like surfs with their hats in their hands. We need to upgrade our manners.
A relatively small group presses the city for better engagement; the city gets frustrated when there is a very small response to the surveys they put out.
There is a small group of people who want more in the way of engagement with the city; they want their concerns addressed.
The majority, however don’t really care. They will howl when something that has a direct impact on them goes kaflooey.
Burlington struggles to get a 30% turnout at elections.
There is a form of malaise in the air. There are a lot of people who aren’t sure of which ward they live in; what little they know about their ward councillor comes from the photo ops.
 A classic Kearns photo op.
And in Burlington – photo ops are basically the prime political currency.
They are easy and they deliver the message: “I am out there representing you.”
That sort of works – but it isn’t healthy and sooner or later it comes back to bite you in the bum.
Council members aren’t really engaged – the public really doesn’t want to dance with them.
And so we trudge along.
We are going to follow up on this – look at what other communities do and why it can be made to work.
There was an occasion at the Performing Arts Centre where the Mayor of Burlington and the Mayor of Oakville debated (it was more of a discussion that was poorly facilitated)
What surprised many was hearing Mayor Burton tell the audience that Oakville had more than a dozen very active community organizations. That was eye popping.
By Gazette Staff
August 3rd, 2025
Burlington, on
Some of the summer is gone, but there is a lot left and there are a lot of really good books to be read.
The Burlington Library has a Summer Reading Club. Easy to join.
Summer Reading Club is open to kids ages 0 to 17. It’s totally FREE—and you can earn prizes for reading! It’s as easy as 1-2-3:

Sign up online or at any BPL branch. On line:
Visit the library to pick up your SRC tracker (or print one at home), set a weekly reading goal, then keep reading all summer long.
Check in every week between Monday, June 30 and Sunday, August 24 and pick up your weekly reward!
Every check-in is another chance to win great prizes.
Register HERE
By Pepper Parr
July 31st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
We first learned about the bold decision to recruit young people to do survey work on what the 40 hours of volunteer community work meant to students and the impact that work was having on the community.
The definition of community was the Halton Region.
 This was the assignment the students set out for themselves. They defined the task and then wrote the questionnaire – then went into the field and gathered data.
The students were to go out into the community and learn what other students thought of the requirement to put in 40 hours of volunteer work as a graduation requirement.
The students first had to design the questionnaire and then decide how they would gather data.
 Where was the data gathered? Postal codes were used to locate. Some of the students had concerns about personal privacy with the use of postal codes.. The data on the right has two elements: how the students surveyed rated their volunteer experience and how they balanced personal life and volunteering. It will be interesting to read their analysis when the project is completed next February.
It was a one year project, funded by the Burlington Foundation. The report given last evening was part one – a sort of check in occasion to report on where they were. The project ends in February of 2026.
To date there are 225 surveys completed
We saw the first view of that work on Wednesday evening when the students gave a short report on what they had learned and how they gathered their data.
 From left to right: Youth Engagement Research Team Members Dharmi Kambodi, Tumi Segun-Ajala, and Krisha Thakkar.
 Iman Kaur, Community Planner and Youth Engagement Coordinator, Community Development Halton. Iman is the staff lead for the Youth Engagement Research Team. She is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy at McMaster University, with a focus on Housing Policy.
One group used social media while another group went to skate parks and asked questions. What was impressive was the quality of the work done and how confident the students were. There was no stumbling over what they were saying and no difficulty with follow-up questions.
This, at the halfway point, suggests there is going to be a solid report that will get passed on to the provincial government.
Community Development Halton (CDH) is a much different organization under the direction of Executive Director Rishia Burke, who is very quick to tell you about the impressive and supportive Board of Directors she has in place.
The organization serves to prime purposes: they operate a volunteer portal: a place where people can learn who is looking for volunteers and a place where people can register as volunteers.
The second focus is community planning.
 Heather Johnson: Director: Volunteer Halton
 Rishia Burke: Executive Director
We will follow up on how these two initiatives work together to serve the people in the Region. CDH is seen as one of the more productive not-for-profit community organizations in the province. It is an unrecognized gem that has done solid work during the last decade and has been around for more than 40 years. You’d be lucky to find five people out of every thousand in Burlington that would know what CDH stood for.
By Gazette Staff
July 28th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Courts have rendered a decision on the behaviour of the five hockey players.
The academics don’t see it all quite the same way.
Brock university experts weigh in on trial of former Hockey Canada players
While the sexual assault trial involving five former Hockey Canada players concluded with a not guilty verdict, the case will have far-reaching implications for the hockey community and wider society, say Brock University experts.
“While the verdict marked the end of the legal proceedings, the case itself reignited widespread scrutiny of hockey’s institutional values and the environments that elite players are socialized into,” says Assistant Professor of Sport Management Taylor McKee. “The outcome of the trial does not erase the cultural concerns that were brought to the surface, particularly around power, accountability and silence within hockey’s most protected spaces.”
McKee says an instinctive response for Hockey Canada would be to examine ways of “fixing” the problem by implementing training programs or other measures to prevent future sexual violence committed by hockey players.
But the actions of the players in question, including text messages they sent to each other discussing what to say to investigators about the night’s events, suggest they knew what they did was wrong, he says.
“There’s no seminar on the books in the world that is going to fix attitudes towards young women that these guys clearly had,” says McKee.
Hockey Canada, he says, instead needs to hold the whole team accountable for the actions of its players. This could be through sanctions, for example, which include team suspensions and collective punishment doled out by teams and Hockey Canada.
On a broader societal level, the case also highlights issues surrounding victim testimony and court procedures.
While Criminologist Voula Marinos also says the verdict shouldn’t negate issues concerning sexual violence and power imbalances within and outside of sport, there are explicit legal requirements to be met when trying a charge of sexual assault.
Marinos says the burden of proof is on the Crown, rather than the defence, to prove that the complainant, E.M., consented to the sexual acts.
“When it comes to the criminal process, it is about the evidence presented that leads to a legal determination based upon legal standards,” says Marinos. “It may be very difficult to remember that it is about evidence that is available and entered into a case.”
Marinos also notes that Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, who tried the case, said while not all inconsistencies in a testimony mean a witness is lying, there was “cause for concern” about whether E.M.’s evidence was credible or reliable.
“Importantly, the judge stated that subjective and lived experiences may not objectively be the truth as the judge looked at a constellation of all of the evidence,” says Marinos. “The Crown did not meet its high criminal standard of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Forensic Psychologist Angela Book says E.M.’s testimony reflects a number of behaviours related to people’s reactions in dangerous situations.
Self-silencing, for instance, is “not speaking one’s thoughts due to wanting to maintain harmony among others,” says the Professor of Psychology, while “judgmental self-doubt” involves distrusting one’s perception of a situation.
“We think those two tendencies, when combined, lead to capitulation, which is defined as the tendency to ignore, dismiss or downplay warning signs of danger and remain in a potentially dangerous situation,” she says.
Book is concluding research she conducted with Lakehead University Associate Professor Beth Visser (along with PhD students Theresia Bedard and Veronika Fendler-Janssen) on “self-silencing,” “judgmental self-doubt” and how they relate to reactions in dangerous situations.
She says early gender socialization has taught many women to suppress negative statements or fears to be nice, polite, compliant and not “rock the boat.”
There is also the “freeze” psychological and physiological response where a victim appears passive out of fear or avoiding further harm when in a traumatic situation, Book says.
Judging how a victim acts during a sexual assault can be misleading, she says, given these and other trauma responses.
It will be interesting to see what Hockey Canada decides to do in the months ahead. The National Hockey League has already said the hockey players cannot return to the ice until the NHL has completed its review
By Gazette Staff
July 22, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Community Development Halton is holding a meeting where youth researchers will share insights from their Youth Engagement Research Project.
The volunteers (14-24 years old) were trained to research what makes it difficult to get involved in volunteering. What are the obstacles and the challenges they faced?
The province requires a mandatory 40 hours of volunteer time to graduate from high school. Intended to promote volunteering in youth, the program does not appear to have met its intentions.
During the event on the 30th, the public will hear what the students learned.

By Gazette Staff
July 17th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s Heritage Advisory Committee has put together what they are calling an “exciting lineup of activities for Heritage Week, Aug. 2-9.”
With a theme this year of Living with Our Natural Heritage, Naturally, 18 special events are planned to celebrate our city’s history.
A full list of events is available at burlington.ca/heritageweek.
All events are free. Registration for events that require it are now open until July 31, or until capacity is reached.
When City Hall talks about heritage, some property owners shudder – they see it as finding that their homes have been designated as historically relevant, which sometimes means the owner is limited to what they can do with their property.
Some see a designation as valuable, but not all. During Heritage Week we will look into how messy and controversial a designation decision can become
By Pepper Parr
July 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The way to be recognized for the work you do for community organizations – be it the local food bank, a clothing distribution site or an organization that deveopls volunteer support for the non-profit sector is different for each person. For Ron Foxcroft, it all began when he accepted the invitation from the principal of the high school he was attending on an intermittent basis, to quit and take his troublesome behaviour with him.
Given that the only out for Foxcroft was up – he took it and in the process invented a whistle that is now used in sports organizations around the world.
 Ron Foxcroft with Mohawk College President Paul Armstrong. Ron was presented with an Honorary Degree.
He then took on a trucking organization that needed help at the sales and organizational level. You see those “If it’s on time – it’s a Fluke” tractor trailer rigs on area highways all the time.
Foxcroft was named the Citizen of the Year in Burlington for the way he handled raising the funds that were needed to get matching grants from the province during the 2014 flood.
He serves, on occasion, as a Citizenship Judge, swearing in people who are about to become Canadians. Those people get a ‘peptalk’ the likes of which they may never hear again.
When Foxcroft tells his story – for those who have heard it – you know what I mean, he doesn’t miss a beat.
For Foxcroft being named a Distinguished fellow, ” was really special to me”. He was the first to be given this in the field of entrepreneurial studies.
Foxcroft was in very good company. Recognized at the same time were the following.
 Ron Foxcroft with Lorna Somers; Mohawk College Vice President.
Distinguished Fellow Honorary Degree Ron Foxcroft First Honorary Degree in Mohawk College History.
Sarah Vienot Honorary Diploma
Frank Gerencser Distinguished Fellow
Bruce MacRitchie Distinguished Fellow
James Schlegal Distinguished Fellow
Keith Segal Distinguished Fellow
Eric Vandewall Distinguished Fellow
Dr. David Wheeler Distinguished Fellow Adjunct Professor
In 2015 Ron Foxcroft received a Distinguished Fellow Honorary Diploma.
Foxcroft is also a member of the Order of Canada.
He has yet to figure out how he can get that high school diploma.
By Andrew Sniderman
July 13th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Why doesn’t equalization apply to Indian reserves? It’s right there in the Constitution: the commitment to providing essential public services of reasonable quality to all Canadians.
And yet, we take for granted that schools and hospitals in places like Fredericton, Whitehorse, and Charlottetown are decently funded.
This is the magic of “equalization,” which helps ensure comparable public services in parts of Canada that couldn’t otherwise afford them thanks to federal transfers to poorer provinces and territories. Equalization is the “improbable glue that holds a nation together,” as author Mary Janigan puts it.
But did you know that Indian reserves are excluded from equalization?
About 330,000 people live on reserves. That is more than the population of Prince Edward Island (157,000). And it’s more than the number of people who live in the three territories — Yukon (45,000), Northwest Territories (45,000), and Nunavut (39,000).
And yet, unlike provinces and territories, Indian reserves do not receive a legal commitment to comparable public services from the federal government.
Not coincidentally, basic services on reserves are subpar and underfunded by any provincial or territorial measure. The problem extends to policing, education, child welfare, access to clean water, fire services, and more.
The exclusion of reserves from equalization is a legal omission, all too often overlooked, that has enabled a policy problem to fester.
A little-known section of the Constitution
If you’re Canadian, you’ve heard of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter has 34 sections.
If you’re a lawyer, you’ve probably heard of Section 35, which comes right after the Charter and addresses “Aboriginal rights.”
Lawyer or not, you’ve almost certainly never heard of Section 36. This is the part that mentions equalization: “Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.”
The federal government distributes billions of tax dollars to deliver on this commitment. In 2024-25, poorer provinces received over $25 billion in unconditional transfers. For example, Manitoba received $4.4 billion (or 18 per cent of its total budget), and New Brunswick received $2.9 billion (or 23 per cent of its total provincial budget). Meanwhile, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia received nothing.
Like Indian reserves, the territories aren’t explicitly mentioned in Section 36, either. But they nonetheless receive annual transfers to ensure comparable services thanks to a federal law that makes them mandatory. Payments go to each territorial government under a program called Territorial Formula Financing.
So: equalization is the law, supreme or otherwise, for provinces and territories. But not for Indian reserves. They remain separate and unequal.
 Siksika First Nation, east of Calgary near Gleichen, Alta., in June 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Law versus policy
Surely this is too bad to be true, you might wonder. As a matter of policy, the federal government is often committed to comparable public services on reserves.
For example, federal policy about education on reserves includes an aim that “First Nations students on reserve achieve levels of secondary education comparable to non-Indigenous students in Canada.”
Similarly, federal cabinet and Treasury Board guidelines aim for comparable water services for on-reserve communities.
This seems comforting. But lately the federal government has made a point of distinguishing between its policy commitments and its legal duties, a distinction that confirms the seriousness of the problem.
In a current lawsuit over unsafe drinking water on reserves, the federal legal argument says that “Canada supports First Nations in providing safe drinking water to First Nations members on reserve as a matter of good governance rather than as a result of a legal duty.”
The government adds: “Canada’s spending on First Nations’ water must obviously compete with the rest of its budget allocations.”
Such claims suggest that the federal government will continue to defend its wide discretion in funding services on reserves. This includes the discretion to do more. Or less.
Taxation is a red herring
You might also be wondering why Section 36 talks about comparable public services at comparable levels of taxation. How significant are these last four words, given that status Indians on reserves sometimes pay lower taxes on income and consumption than other jurisdictions?
Canadians generally overestimate the scope of these tax exemptions, as Chelsea Vowel has written. However, to the extent the exemptions exist, they could imply that worse services are consistent with less taxation.
But equalization is based on the capacity of a province or territory to generate revenue at hypothetical levels of taxation. So the question becomes: how much revenue would reserves generate with standard taxation? Usually, not much.
A federal equalization program that includes First Nations
A grand notion
First Nations water problems a crisis of Canada’s own making
New models of shared rule can secure better infrastructure in Indigenous communities
Most of these communities live below the poverty line. The difference between the tax revenue a community would raise with or without existing tax exemptions would usually be modest, if not negligible.
So differences in taxation on reserves cannot serve as an excuse to avoid comparable services.
A promise to “every citizen”
There’s another part of Section 36 that few people ever talk about. It says: “Parliament and the legislatures, together with the government of Canada and the provincial governments, are committed to…providing essential public services of reasonable quality to all Canadians.”
Throughout the years of negotiations that led to the final wording of Section 36, the federal government argued in favour of using the federal spending power to ensure comparable public services across Canada.
As prime minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau emphasized our interdependence. If a particular part of Canada were to do a particularly poor job of educating students or promoting health, for example, it would invariably affect other provinces as Canadians moved around freely.
Economists have long argued that it’s more efficient for Canadians to move for economic opportunity rather than for access to better public services.
Trudeau also argued that it is essential to develop a national sense of community to bind Canadians together. One way to do so was to ensure “the provision to every citizen, wherever he lives, of adequate levels of public services — in particular of health, welfare and education services.”
Are Canadians living on reserves not included in that promise?
If our Constitution cares about inequality between provinces, surely it must have something to say about people on reserves living in those very provinces. What is true for the parts of the whole should also be true for parts of the parts.
This article is adapted from material in “Constitutional silence, Section 36 and public services on Indian reserves” recently published in the University of Toronto Law Journal.

Andrew Stobo Sniderman is a doctoral candidate at Harvard Law School and co-author of the bestselling book Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation.
By Gazette Staff
July 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
One of the most common crimes civilian police oversight agencies investigate is sexual assault committed by police officers — a “profoundly disturbing, largely hidden problem in Canada,” says Danielle McNabb.
Although agencies such as Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are empowered to be arm’s-length investigators, police sexual assault cases tend to be dropped, rarely result in criminal charges if examined and rarely result in convictions, according to the Brock University Assistant Professor of Political Science.
“We’re trying to get a better understanding of why the rate of criminal charges is so low,” she says. “What are the barriers civilian police oversight agencies face? Do agencies in different provinces face distinct challenges?”
 Danielle McNabb, Brock University
McNabb and her team aim to answer these and other questions with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
In this latest round of funding, announced Wednesday, July 9 by Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Mélanie Joly, Brock University was awarded $7 million for faculty-led research projects.
Included in the announcement is a $2.5 million Partnership Grant for a project, “Building a Pan- Canadian Community of Practice: The Creating Opportunities through Physical Literacy for All Newcomer Children and Youth (CO-PLAY) Network,” led by Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Matthew Kwan.
Kwan, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Performance, and his team are creating a national community that will engage newcomer children and youth in physical activities so they can develop greater physical literacy.
SSHRC also awarded Brock University faculty researchers 14 Insight Grants and 10 Insight Development Grants.
“Brock University’s results are particularly robust this year with our highest number of successful SSHRC Insight Grants in a single competition,” says Acting Vice-President, Research Michelle McGinn. “This positive outcome recognizes the relevance and strength of our research in addressing societal challenges and improving lives.”
In their five-year project, McNabb and Kate Puddister, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph, are focusing on civilian oversight agencies across Canada.
They plan to examine closed directors’ reports, interviews, surveys and policies related to police sexual violence to compare how various agencies respond to complaints of police sexual violence and carry out their investigations.
“Our research aims to establish best practices for investigating police sexual violence, such as ensuring that complainants are treated in the most respectful, trauma-informed way possible,” says McNabb.
Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, says McNabb and Kwan’s projects are examples of how Brock University is making a difference locally and nationally.
 Danielle McNabb, on the left, gowned and ready to receive her Phd
“The various projects receiving support from the Insight Program speak to the talent of the Brock University research community,” he says. “These projects will make significant inroads in children’s health and well-being and the other areas included in this impressive list.”
A full list of Brock University’s SSHRC funding recipients announced Wednesday, July 9, is available online.
The federal government’s Insight Grants program supports research excellence judged worthy of funding by fellow researchers and/or other experts. The research can be conducted individually or by teams.
The Insight Development Grants program supports the development of new research questions, experimentation with new methods and theoretical approaches and ideas.
By Gazette Staff
July 1st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service released their 2024 report. This year it was an online report only.
The story this year is set out in a number of graphics:

 Auto theft occurrences.
 Break and Enter Occurrences
Regional Statistics:

Social media:
As the social media landscape continued to evolve through 2024, so too did the Halton Regional Police Service’s (HRPS’) online presence. To ensure followers have quick and easy access to the information they want and need, the HRPS reimagined its X (formerly Twitter) accounts in July @HaltonPolice became the official channel for HRPS news, and existing District accounts were rebranded to provide tailored content on priority safety and well-being issues: traffic (@HRPS_Traffic) and community (@HRPS_Comm).
As of December 31, 2024, the three X accounts had a combined following of 181,256. Metrics for all HRPS social media accounts in 2024 are as follows:

Crime Stoppers:
Now in its 36th year, Crime Stoppers of Halton is an independent, non-profit, registered charity that helps solve crimes by taking tips from anonymous sources. A tip is any information that a member of the public is aware of that may help law enforcement prevent or solve a crime.
Countless criminals are brought to justice every year as a direct result of anonymous tips. A tip can be about anything – drugs, theft, child abuse, human trafficking, terrorism, escaped criminals, and more. As a resident of Halton, you are encouraged to keep a watchful eye on your community and to report suspicious activity when seen.
Your call or text is anonymous and the appropriate officials will investigate all tips received.
By Pepper Parr
June 18th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a question that is being asked at almost every level of society.
 They are alienated, depressed, struggling to find a direction – they can’t get out of the circumstances they are in on their own.
Can we reconnect a generation? A mental health crisis is gripping young people, with rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness rising. As social bonds fray and digital life deepens isolation, experts are sounding the alarm and demanding action.
Numerous organizations are beginning to explore the complex drivers of youth wellbeing, highlighting opportunities to rebuild social ties, foster resilience, and develop lasting strategies to improve the mental health of young people.
The Gazette would like to hear what people in Burlington feel about this issue and invite them to leave their views in our comments section, which you can access at the bottom of this story.
The politicians talk about it; it is hard to identify anything they have done that is making a difference.
Parents feel lost as they cope with children who have to deal with being left out – day in and day out.
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