 By Staff
June 14th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Centre for Skills Development and Training has partnered with the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary Club on a Tiny Homes initiative.
These Tiny Homes are being built by students at enrolled in different trades courses at The Centre. The students, supervised by fully qualified instructors, get hands on experience. Rotary gets a product they plan to sell and make available to disadvantaged communities.
What is a Tiny Home?
It is a little little home that has wheels. It’s not a toy, it is real accommodation.
The units are 24 feet long, 8 feet wide and 14 feet high.
They are set up to handle 50 amp electricity, plumbing, and ready to take a gray water tank.
Propane or gas for heating. The units are insulated to an R32 standard
The lower level is one large space with the bathroom set up as a separate space.
There are two small lofts
The units are built by students-and-volunteers at The Centre in Burlington.
 An example of what students are building at The Centre in Burlington, ON They will be on display at the Oakville Ribfest which takes place on Friday, June 22nd starting at 4pm at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus, and will run until Sunday, June 24th at 7 pm.
Rotary would love for people to see the home, and meet some of the people who cooked up the idea, and actually built it.
The new Tiny Home will be on display, and also available for purchase. Offers start at $40,000, all of which will be used to support Rotary’s charitable initiatives in Halton and beyond.
 Cheque presentation from the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary to The Centre where the Tiny Home is being built. “We really feel that this program addresses multiple issues now affecting communities around the country” said Oakville Rotary Club executive Lauri Asikainen, “Not only will it provide valuable skills training for students, but the homes they create have tremendous value, not just as affordable housing, but as green living spaces, or for people downsizing, adventure traveling, vacationing, or just trying to lead a simpler life.”
Ken Coulter, past president of the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary explained that they provided some of the materials funding and that much of the insides have been donated.
The first unit will be on display at the Oakville Trafalgar Ribfest on June 22nd to 24th.
How did the idea get started? The Oakville Trafalgar group was having lunch at their usual location one meeting and talking about new fund raising ideas. Mention was made of maybe building a Tiny Home; the waitress suggested that the Rotary talk to people at The Centre – and an idea suddenly had legs and before long, in typical Rotary fashion, something was happening.
A trailer base was donated, windows were donated, and Canadian Standards Association approval was obtained.
It all leads to the first of what the Rotary hopes will be a couple of buildings a year.
Rotary International happens to be meeting in Toronto the same weekend as the Rib Fest in Oakville. More than 100 District Rotary governors will be bused out to the Rib Fest to chow down on some ribs and have a look at the Tiny Home.
For more information slip over to – www.rcot.ca You can communicate with someone at TinyHome@rcot.ca
 By Staff
June 13th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
You practice, you practice and then you practice some more – and in time there is a team of people who know each other, know how to work with each other and able to deploy very quickly.
Early in June the Burlington Fire Department, Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Region Paramedic Services, and Oakville Fire Department joined forces at the Oakville Training Campus for Emergency Excellence, as part of a large-scale emergency training exercise. These are the first responders on Halton collaborating on a large-scale emergency exercise
 First responders collaborate to assist an accident victim as part of the June 5 emergency exercise at the Oakville Training Campus for Emergency Excellence. Like everything that is military or para-military in nature it has an acronym: JESOAG – Joint Emergency Services Operational Advisory Group.
 First responders work together to ensure an accident victim can be removed safely from a damaged vehicle, as part of the June 5 emergency exercise. Greg Sage, Chief, Paramedic Services, Halton Region explains: “This emergency exercise helps to ensure a coordinated, efficient and safe response from all three emergency services… By participating in these large-scale exercises, Halton Region and its partners are better prepared to protect the safety of our community during a real emergency.”
The training exercise involved over 40 first responders from the four participating emergency service agencies. The exercise was a large-scale bus collision scenario, which required emergency responders to assist and rescue 50 patients, with a wide range of injuries.
JESOAG meets regularly and promotes training exercises to proactively address emergency response from all three emergency services: fire, paramedics and police. Members include:
• Burlington Fire Department
• Halton Hills Fire Department
• Halton Regional Police Service
• Halton Region Paramedic Services
• Milton Fire Department
• Oakville Fire Department
• Ontario Provincial Police
 The Halton Regional Police Service Mobile Command Unit was one of several emergency vehicles on site for the emergency training exercise. Related article:
Two mobile command units – what’s inside.
By Pepper Parr
June 11th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the schools 50th anniversary and something the community wanted to celebrate.
The vision came from the mind of Carie DeMunck, a parent and lead organizer for the event.
The community wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pauline Johnson elementary school that was named after the celebrated Indigenous poet, author and actress who in her time was a major writer and entertainer.
DeMunck was able to contact the founding principal and a number of the teachers who opened the school, which at the time, was one of the first fully open concept schools in the province.
 Founding principal Doug Campbell with Mayor Rick Goldring and Director of Education Stuart Miller There were no walls, no corridors just one large open space. It was like one of those traditional one room schools in the rural parts of the province. Doug Campbell said that he had two hats; one as principal of the school and the other as tour guide. Every senior educator in the province wanted to see what an open concept school looked like and how it operated.
The open concept idea lasted five years – then the school began to expand and is now at the point where it has three portables at the back of the building.
Campbell was pretty curt with his comments on the decision to revert to a more traditional school set up. The open concept sounded as if it was the highlight of his career.
DeMunck explained to the Gazette when she was first in touch with us that “Our School is having its 50th Anniversary Celebration on Friday June 8th and 9th of this year. There was to be an official opening of the two time capsules, and a tree dedication.
Past principals, the Mayor of Burlington, and members of Six Nations were part of the audience.
The school gymnasium was filled with the elementary level students who were surprisingly quiet and well behaved.
A student choir sang one of the Pauline Johnson songs: The Land of the Silver Birch.
 The 25th anniversary time capsule.  The two time capsules open during the Friday celebration of the schools 50th anniversary. The opening of the time capsules was a highlight. However it was what the students wanted to put in the time capsule that was going to be created on the celebration of the 50th anniversary.
Students from each grade level trooped to the front of the audience and read out or displayed what their grade wanted put in the capsule. It was going to be considerably more robust than what had been put in on the 25th anniversary and by the millennial students.
 Several students with their poster telling the Pauline Johnson story as they understand it.  Teacher holds up the Pauline Johnson poster prepared by a class of older elementary school students. The two capsules were at one point placed outdoors, then moved inside the building where they were placed in an air duct where they gathered dust but were certainly kept dry. Schools in Ontario for the most part do not have corners stones.
 Pauline Johnson public school students taking part in a tree dedication to mark the 50th anniversary of their school. On Saturday there was a BBQ and a public reunion for alumni who have attended the school since the opening in 1968.
Background link:
Who was Pauline Johnson?
 By Staff
June 6th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
On Monday June 4, 2018 and Tuesday June 5, 2018, the Halton Regional Police Service investigated two false reports of threatening incidents in the City of Burlington.
Both incidents involved the Dr. Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School and the Haber Recreation Centre. Both of these facilities are attached in the same building complex located at 3040 Tim Dobbie Drive, Burlington, Ontario.
 Hayden Recreational Centre On Monday June 4, 2018, some unsubstantiated rumours began to be put forward that there was a threat of someone attending the school with a gun the following day. The school received calls from concerned parents as the rumours were apparently on a social media site. A citizen contacted a media outlet about these rumours.
School officials investigated the rumours in conjunction with the Halton Regional Police Service. The rumours involved a specific named person and the investigation concluded that this information was false and vexatious. The school sent a message out to parents, guardians and students advising them of the investigation and providing them information that there was no evidence of any kind of an actual threat was made. School activities were not impacted due to these rumours.
On Tuesday June 5, 2018, at approximately 8:00 pm, staff at the Haber Recreation Centre received an anonymous telephone call. The caller eluded that about an hour later there was going to be a bomb threat at the centre. The recreation centre is comprised of a library and a hall and staff elected to have the premise evacuated under an abundance of caution.
The Halton Regional Police Service attended and conducted a thorough search of the centre and found no threat or cause for any concern. The recreation centre was closed to the public for about 2.5 hours and then reopened for public use.
 Frank J. Hayden Secondary School when it was under construction In both investigated incidents the vague threats were deemed to be false and vexatious in nature, clearly intended to cause alarm to members of the public. At this time it is not clear if one or more persons are responsible for both of these incidents.
School officials and the police want to reiterate to students, parents and guardians that there is no cause for any concern for students attending school on Wednesday June 6, 2018.
Anyone with information on these crimes is encouraged to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2316.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
By Pepper Parr
June 5th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
She was half white and was neglected as part of the indigenous culture that was beginning to be recognized when Margaret Atwood wrote Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature in 1972.
At its publication, Atwood said she could not find Native works. She mused, “Why did I overlook Pauline Johnson? Perhaps because, being half-white, she somehow didn’t rate as the real thing, even among Natives; although she is undergoing reclamation today.
The Pauline Johnson Public School in Burlington was opened in 1968 at a time when schools were being built to accommodate a growing population. This Friday the school will celebrate its 50th anniversary by opening two time capsules; the 25th Anniversary capsule laid down in 1993 and the Millennium Year capsule laid down in 2000.
 A successful writer and performer who was forgotten for a period of time Pauline Johnson is once again being fully recognized. Emily Pauline Johnson (also known in Mohawk as Tekahionwake –pronounced: dageh-eeon-wageh, literally: ‘double-life’, was born in March 1861. Commonly known as Pauline Johnson, she was a Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century. Johnson was notable for her poems and performances that celebrated her Aboriginal heritage; her father was a hereditary Mohawk chief of mixed ancestry. She also drew from English influences, as her mother was an English immigrant. One such poem is the frequently anthologized “The Song My Paddle Sings”.
Her poetry was published in Canada, the United States and Great Britain; she was one of a generation of widely read writers who began to define a Canadian literature. While her literary reputation declined after her death, since the later 20th century, there has been renewed interest in her life and works.
 Chiefswood, Johnson’s childhood home is now a National Monument in Brantford, Ontario Pauline Johnson was born at Chiefswood, the family home built by her father in 1856 on his 225-acre estate at the Six Nations reserve outside Brantford, Ontario. She was the youngest of four children of Emily Susanna Howells Johnson (1824–1898), a native of England, and George Henry Martin Johnson (1816–1884), a Mohawk hereditary clan chief. His mother, Helen Martin, was of partial Dutch descent and born into the Wolf clan; his maternal grandmother, Catherine Rolleston, was a Dutch girl who became assimilated as Mohawk after being taken captive and adopted by a Wolf clan family.
Although both their families were opposed to Emily and George Johnson’s marriage, and the couple were concerned that their own mixed-race family would not be socially accepted, they were acknowledged as a leading Canadian family. The Johnsons enjoyed a high standard of living, and their family and home were well known. Chiefswood was visited by such intellectual and political guests as the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, painter Homer Watson, noted anthropologist Horatio Hale, and Lady and Lord Dufferin, Governor General of Canada.
 One of the native costumes Pauline Johnson wore on stage. Emily and George Johnson encouraged their four children to respect and learn about both the Mohawk and the English aspects of their heritage. Because the children were born to a Native father, by British law they were legally considered Mohawk and wards of the British Crown. But under the Mohawk kinship system, because their mother was not Mohawk, they were not born into a tribal clan; they were excluded from important aspects of the tribe’s matrilineal culture. Their paternal grandfather John Smoke Johnson, who had been elected an honorary Pine Tree Chief, was an authority in the lives of his grandchildren. He told them many stories in the Mohawk language, which they comprehended but did not speak fluently. Pauline Johnson said that she inherited her talent for elocution from her grandfather. A sickly child, Johnson did not attend Brantford’s Mohawk Institute.
 Postage stamp issued to honour Pauline Johnson At the age of 14, Johnson went to Brantford Central Collegiate with her brother Allen. She graduated in 1877.
During the 1880s, Johnson wrote and performed in amateur theatre productions. She enjoyed the Canadian outdoors, where she traveled by canoe. In 1883 she published her first full-length poem, “My Little Jean”, in the New York Gems of Poetry. She began to increase the pace of her writing and publishing afterward.
Shortly after her father’s death in 1884, the family rented out Chiefswood. Pauline moved with her widowed mother and sister to a modest home in Brantford. She worked to support them all, and found that her stage performances allowed her to make a living. Johnson supported her mother until her death in 1898.
 “Ode to Brant” was written to mark the unveiling in Brantford of a statue honoring Joseph Brant. Johnson promoted her identity as a Mohawk, but as an adult spent little time with people of that culture.
In 1886, Johnson was commissioned to write a poem to mark the unveiling in Brantford of a statue honoring Joseph Brant, the important Mohawk leader who was allied with the British during and after the American Revolutionary War. Her “Ode to Brant” was read at a 13 October ceremony before “the largest crowd the little city had ever seen.
The poem sparked a long article in the Toronto Globe, and increased interest in Johnson’s poetry and heritage. The Brantford businessman William F. Cockshutt read the poem at the ceremony, as Johnson was reportedly too shy.
 Pauline Johnson used both native dress and traditional gowns in her stage performances. Johnson retired from the stage in August 1909 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia to continue writing. In 1911, to help support Johnson, who was ill and poor, a group of friends organized the publication of these stories under the title Legends of Vancouver. They remain classics of that city’s literature.
One of the stories was a Squamish legend of shape shifting: how a man was transformed into Siwash Rock “as an indestructible monument to Clean Fatherhood”. In another, Johnson told the history of Deadman’s Island, a small islet off Stanley Park. In a poem in the collection, she named one of her favourite areas “Lost Lagoon”, as the inlet seemed to disappear when the water emptied at low tide. The body of water has since been transformed into a permanent, fresh-water lake at Stanley Park, but it is still called “Lost Lagoon”.
 Pauline Johnson was a remarkably beautiful woman who made a lasting contribution to our understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture. Johnson died of breast cancer in Vancouver, British Columbia on 7 March 1913. Her funeral (the largest until then in Vancouver history) was held on what would have been her 52nd birthday. Her ashes were buried near Siwash Rock in Stanley Park. In 1922 a cairn was erected at the burial site, with an inscription reading in part, “in memory of one whose life and writings were an uplift and a blessing to our nation”.
In 1961, on the centennial of her birth, Johnson was celebrated with a commemorative stamp bearing her image, “rendering her the first woman (other than the Queen), the first author, and the first aboriginal Canadian to be thus honored.
Johnson was one of the five finalists of significant women to be featured on Canadian banknotes, a contest eventually won by Viola Desmond.
Burlington’s Pauline Johnson Public School is one of four on Ontario to bear the name of this famous Canadian.
On Friday afternoon the students, staff, alumni and local dignitaries will take part in the opening of the time capsules and honouring the author. Members of the indigenous community will take part in the event.
By Pepper Parr
June 3rd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Revision: We have been advised that ward 4 trustee Richelle Papin was at the Saturday afternoon event at Lester B. Pearson high school. We didn’t see her but have been told she was there.
There is a strange feeling when you are in a room with a lot of people who know that a place that was once a large part of their lives is going to be brought to an end – their high school is being closed. The trustees they elected to office decided there was no point in keeping the school open.
 At the podium on the right are current principal Loraine Fedurco and founding principal David Katz. The Lester B. Pearson high school was holding it last public event.
During a Saturday afternoon event the schools’ first principal David Katz and its last Loraine Fedurco were on the stage convincing the large audience that it would not be forgotten.
No one knows what the long term prospects are for the building. In the immediate future the school will be used by the Catholic School Board for a short term. It will be awhile before it is declared surplus. When that decision is made the property can be sold.
Creating the Lester B. Pearson high school involved not just the school administration but the city as well.
There was space that was defined as community space and for a period of time there was community programing in place.
Designed as an Open classroom concept at a time when that was being done in Ontario high schools Pearson reverted to the standard classroom approach.
The school took on not only the name of the former Prime Minister but much of the spirit Pearson brought to his public service, quiet, with a public service orientation, was reflected in the school program.
 It was a quiet audience – not a word about the why and how their school was closed – just appreciation for the time they spent in classrooms During the three hour event there wasn’t a word of anger or disappointment heard about the decision to close the school. The school board trustee who represented the school didn’t attend; she did vote not to close the school. A school board trustee, the chair of the board who attended Pearson high school did vote to close it, did attend – she was in the choir.
 David Katz, the founding principal. David Katz, the founding principal told the audience that the school didn’t have a football team. “That was a deliberate decision made when the school was founded in 1976.
The high school had numerous sporting successes. Known as the Pearson Patriots, the school won a Halton title in men’s hockey in 2006. The men’s basketball team has had success with back to back Halton titles in 1992 and 1993, three repetitive Halton titles from 2005–2007 and one in 1988, with three Peel-GHAC championships and subsequent appearances at the OFSAA provincial championship tournament in 1988, 1993, 2006 and 2007.
The rugby team had OFSAA appearances numerous times for both senior girls and boys. In 2009 the Junior Boys Basketball Team won the Halton Boys Regional Basketball Championship. In 2011, the Senior Girls soccer team won the Halton Girls Championship and placed third at the 2011 OFSAA Championships. The Junior Girls Volleyball also won their championship in the same year. Also the Sr. Boys Rugby Team went to OFSAA for a 2nd year in a row and getting their first OFSAA win in a friendly match. In 2012, the Senior Boys Basketball, Senior Boys Volleyball, and Varsity Boys Rugby won championships in their respective sports.
In 2002 the men’s baseball team won Pearson’s only OFSAA triple A championship at Skydome in Toronto.
With the opening of Dr. Frank Hayden high school to the north in 2013 Pearson’s population dropped to 300+ students. The elementary schools that fed Pearson were re-directed to the new high school which meant the end for Pearson. Starved of students the school had to be closed.
 On the right, school board Superintendent Terri Blackwell chats with parents. Scot Lambert is on the far left. Founded in 1976, the school is named after former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. It was one of the first “Action” High Schools in the province; a concept that didn’t take. Pearson was intended to be open concept – that too didn’t hold.
The school wasn’t big enough to have an auditorium or a cafeteria – it did have a Cafetorium
The school also had a triple sized gymnasium, with one intended for community use.
There was a self-contained community nursery.
There was a horseback riding club, a Tai Chi club and a social justice group.
Pearson was a high school built for a bungalow community in a Burlington that was expanding north of the Queen Elizabeth highway that bisects the city.
 The graduates went off in their different directions to be who they wanted to be. It was always intended to be a small high school – a much larger high school was a 15 minute walk to the west which is where the former Pearson students will attend in the fall of 2018.
Much of what teachers did at Pearson was experimental, new ideas and a different approach to integrating school and community.
The school was a brave, bold innovative idea that the decision makers gave up on.
 Looking over the year book – is that us?  Mom showing her husband and children her graduating class picture. What it did have was a strong school spirit, something that still exists. There are parents that believe the fight to keep the school open is not over yet – they are looking for a way to elect trustees that will make a different decision.
The school also produced graduates that have gone on to make consistent contributions to what is a fine community.
By Staff
June 2, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It took some time to get to the point where there is a PRIDE month.
The bathhouse raids took place in Toronto in 1982.
People lost their jobs because of their life style choice.
 Students coming to terms with their sexual identity needed time to figure out what was happening. For far too many years the best much of society could do was bully and shame these boys and girls.
It all took time but June is now PRIDE month.
Doug Ford, who wants enough of us to vote for him and make him Premier of the province next Thursday has yet to commit to marking in the PRIDE parade in Toronto. Not there yet
The acronym PRIDE stands for Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education.
 By Pepper Parr
May 21st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Leah Reynolds looked at the number of people running for the city council seat in ward 2 and decided that if she wanted to hold public office it was safer to run again as a school board trustee.
 Meed Ward and Reynolds – 2014 election night Reynolds was seen by any as the heir apparent to Marianne Meed Ward who is giving up the seat n her run for the Office of Mayor.
In her media release said she is running as the trustee again because “there is much to do”.
She also said that “As a member of the board of trustees, I supported Burlington high school amalgamations to improve the future of education for all Burlington students. These amalgamations were necessary in creating equitable access to the best and most appropriate learning environments for the individual needs of Burlington high school students. Our children’s futures are heavily influenced by what they are exposed to in school. I believe that having a variety of course selections, including skilled trades, in every high school is a paramount step in exposing students to as many career pathways as possible.”
Reynolds is the first trustee who has used the word “amalgamation” to describe the closing of two of the city’s seven high schools.
 Leah Reynolds with students during a public PAR meeting. “I am running” said Reynolds “to ensure that the changes and transitions for special education students, including the creation of two comprehensive schools (MM Robinson HS and Nelson HS), deliver on the expectations set out by the Director of Education and community.
The Board of Education plans for the implementation of the new I-STEM program at Aldershot high school and the International Baccalaureate program that was moved from Bateman to Central High School are initiatives that Reynolds wants to be around to ensure that both receive the resources they need.
Reynolds refers to her more than 20 year involvement with public schools as a passionate community member and mother.
You can learn more about Reynolds in her newsletter at: https://madmimi.com/p/25cc3c
By Pepper Parr
May 17th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Terri Blackwell, a Superintendent with the Halton District School Board, gave a report last night on the progress of the creation of a new kind of high school that will be made operational within the existing Aldershot High School in September of 2019.
She has a tight schedule to work within and, as she out t in her presentation to the trustees last night, “we don’t know where we are going to land yet”.
 Superintendents Blackwell and Truffen Blackwell and her team, which includes Superintendents Truffen and Hunt Gibbons, are in the process of figuring out “what the learning will look like”. “What will there be in the way of specialty classes” How will the classroom space be configured?
The Board learned that $1.475 million has been allocated for renovations to some of the space at Aldershot high school.
The program Blackwell and her team are creating is being called iStem – Innovation – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that will be focused on a problem solving approach to learning.
In a really instructive video that Blackwell and her team use to make their point they argue that there haven’t been many changes in the way education is delivered.
 Julie Hunt Gibbons making a point during the Mercedez Benz workshop. The Board has decided they want to create a curriculum and a location that will be a first step in changing the way high school educations will be delivered.
The idea was a sort of last minute thought that came out of the difficult, painful process of deciding to close two of the city’s seven high schools.
Blackwell reported that there are already teachers asking to be part of the process.
 The objective is clear – now the path has to be chosen. A full day workshop with more than 70 people was held at the Mercedes Benz dealership on the North Service Road where the classic cars were on display. The setting was apt.
With the concept approved, the needed funding in place the hard part begins – making sure they get it right the first time.
 By Pepper Parr
May 17th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board approve the resolutions from Private Session, May 2, 2018, respecting Property Matters. The motion was carried unanimously.
These motions are not unusual – they usually have to do with the purchase or sale of property for a school site.
The following day the Board of Education issued a media release advising that the Board had entered into a leasing agreement with the Halton Catholic District School Board for the about to be closed Lester B. Pearson High School.
The motion made in a closed session of the HDSB was suddenly a much different story.
The closing of the Lester B. Pearson High school was a very contentious decision that has the likelihood of at least two trustees losing their seats in the October election.
What is galling is the way the trustees handled the matter. They all had an opportunity to make a comment – none took the opportunity.
 School board chair Andrea Grebenc conferring with Director of Education Stuart Miller. Chair Andrea Grebenc had an opportunity to explain to the public how the opportunity to lease a building the school board was not going to be using came about.
Stuart Miller, the Director of Education, who is a very hands on person, had an opportunity to take the public through the time line and use the opportunity to settle a very upset community.
Board staff are working very hard, so far successfully, to integrate the Pearson high school students into M. M. Robinson high school. Something like this takes people back to a decision that was very very hard for them to accept.
There are those in the community who are convinced the leasing deal was always in place – they two school boards were just waiting for the dust to settle before the papers were signed.
What is missing in all this is true transparency, true accountability.
Chair Grebenc had a responsibility to speak to the public – be candid, look directly into the camera during the web caste and explain the full story to the public.
The Director of Education had a responsibility to give the public all the details.
Based on what the Gazette has been able to learn – there was nothing to hide. The Catholic board needed some space for their Assumption high school students while their high schools was being renovated.
Why this Board and the Director of Education chose to let it slide by and hope no one noticed is troubling.
That not one trustee chose to say a word suggests collusion between the trustees and the Director to dummy up and say nothing.
The public deserves better. These trustees should be ashamed.
It really is all about trust – the Halton District School Board trustees betrayed the people they asked to vote them into office.
 Halton District School Board in session. Salt with Pepper is the opinions, reflections and musings of the Gazette publisher.
Related news story.
 By Tracy Ehl Harris
May 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
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In the spring of 2017, the Ministry of Education placed a moratorium on any new Pupil Accommodation Reviews in the province until such time as they could consult with stakeholders and update the existing Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG, released March 2015).
After two rounds of consultation in the fall of 2017 and winter of 2018, the Ministry released the updated PARG in April 2018. Boards must now develop/revise their own Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) policies to be in conformance with the new PARG. At the heart of the policy, is serving students in the best and most effective way possible.
Boards undertake annual pupil accommodation planning processes (in the HDSB this is called the Long Term Accommodation Process, LTAP, and it is available each spring) that identify growth, decline and status quo scenarios for each school, area, and the district as a whole. Through the LTAP, each year existing and foreseeable pupil accommodation issues are highlighted, and community consultation is undertaken. Potential Pupil Accommodation Reviews (PARs) are also identified. These reviews must follow the PARG established by the Ministry, and the Board’s own PAR policy.
HDSB Trustees provided comments to the Ministry during the consultation timelines noted above for the new PARG. I want to highlight three concerns related to the new PARG:
1) A PAR is initiated by the submission by staff and approval by the Board of Trustees of an initial staff report identifying the accommodation challenge to be addressed and the scope of the review, among other things. In the 2015 version of the PARG, the initial staff report to the Board of Trustees was to contain a recommended scenario (that is a preference for solving the identified accommodation challenge). In the 2018 PARG update, this changed. The initial staff report is now to contain a recommended scenario and at least two alternative scenarios.
 Members of a Halton District School Board PARC meeting. This new approach likely does not solve the issue associated with publishing a preferred option (and alternatives) at the start of a PAR process. Boards ask communities to provide their best wisdom and guidance on how to solve a specific accommodation problem. It is very difficult to engage in a problem-solving exercise when it appears that there is already a predisposition for a preferred solution(s). Some school communities may feel attacked, while others may feel that the issue doesn’t involve them.
Processes start in a trust deficit and it is very hard to recover. Why aren’t Boards given the choice about whether a preferred scenario and alternatives are appropriate for their context? Ideally, proponents would be encouraged to start a PAR process just where the LTAP leaves off, with a report about a specific accommodation challenge and the related implications and then move to consider possible viable solutions in a consultative manner.
2) “School boards are required to consult with local communities prior to adopting or subsequently amending their pupil accommodation review policies.” (Section IV of the new PARG) One critical factor in engaging communities is that there is the opportunity to build and/or sustain a trust relationship. This can be fostered by appropriate consultation and communication. In section IV, the broad term “consult” is utilized, appropriately giving boards the latitude to utilize consultation methods that best suit the community audience and can garner meaningful input that supports trust building and good, local decision making. In Section X it is stated that ”the school board must arrange to hold a minimum of three public meetings for broader community consultation on the initial staff report.” It also states that “in addition to the required public meetings, school boards may use other methods to solicit community feedback.”
Why, during an accommodation review when emotions are potentially high given that specific scenarios are being considered, does the Ministry insist on utilizing “public meetings.” This is but one method, and it may or may not be the most appropriate one.
This is a dated and limited construct of what consultation can and should be. The International Association for Public Participation states, “public meetings are often selected when another approach might work better.” Further, they say, “public meetings can escalate out of control if emotions are high.” Predictably, this is what happens when people are discussing education in general, and specifically as it relates to one’s children and the schools they attend.
 Parents at a public PAR meeting. This narrow construct (i.e public meetings) can be a hindrance to meaningful consultation and the eventual outcomes. Again, why can’t boards choose the type of consultation that is most appropriate for their context and the needs of the communities they serve?
3) There appears to be a lack of clarity and consistency regarding roles of various parties throughout the PARG. For example, Section XI, states “School boards will determine how best to involve secondary school students in the pupil accommodation review process”.
This section and others seem to be silent in terms of engaging staff. Section XII which speaks to transition planning does not mention students but does mention parents/guardians and staff. These inconsistencies could be cleared up by identifying all stakeholders prior to the beginning of the process and identifying how they will be engaged in meaningful ways.
Further, there is lack of clarity around membership and functioning of the PAR Committee members. For example, Ministry expectations are unclear about what is meant when a Trustee is an ad hoc member of this committee.
Here is a summary of next steps provided by the Ministry.
“To ensure consistency in pupil accommodation reviews across school boards, the Ministry of Education will work with education and municipal stakeholders and partner ministries over the coming months to develop supports such as templates to assist boards. This includes templates for the initial staff report and the economic impact assessment.
The ministry will aim to release these supports by fall 2018. While these supports are being developed, there will continue to be no new pupil accommodation reviews, unless they are required to support a joint-use school initiative between two coterminous school boards
PAR processes can be difficult under the best of conditions. Perhaps these supports/templates will assist Boards in supporting students in effective and efficient ways. The PARG states that “School boards are responsible for managing their school capital assets in an effective manner. They must respond to changing demographics and program needs while being cognizant of the impacts of their decisions on student programming and well-being, school board resources and the local community.” Boards should have the right balance of prescription from the Ministry and latitude to run strong context specific processes, AND students should be the focus and at the heart of everything.
The source document is: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/reviewGuide.html)
 Tracy Ehl Harris is a Halton District School Board trustee for Oakville and is the current vice-chair of the Board. Tracey is a registered professional planner, certified master public participation practitioner and certified professional facilitator.
By Pepper Parr
May 16th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
When the Gazette covered the Halton Music showcase with over 600 students and their instruments in almost every nook and cranny at the Seniors’ Centre then reviewed the very large display of student art at Gary Alan high school and then learned of a dance competition, we found ourselves asking – Who organizes all these events and what part do the arts play in the education children are getting.
Turns out that Rebecca MacRae, lead arts coordinator with the Halton District School Board keeps all the parts moving.
 Getting it just right – the first time. The Board has over 200 music teachers at the elementary and secondary levels.
 This is the work of an elementary school student. MacRae wasn’t able to tell us how any students she interacts with on a weekly basis but did say later that “It’s more than I realized.” Her student contact is spent observing their workshops, and helping with the logistics of large events and rehearsals.
 Rebecca MacRae MacRae is in place to oversee the arts offerings in the schools, a job she has been doing since September. She has been with the Board of Education for 18 years always in music and drama. She studied at McMaster University, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Mohawk College.
 From the hands of an elementary student. The world of music for MacRae began when she saw a piano with her grandmother and knew then that she “wanted to play one of those.”
Jazz and classical are her preferences; she has written some music but is reluctant to call herself a composer
Her job is that of an administrator where time management is her biggest challenge. “I do what I do because of the students and the ongoing question for me is ‘Is this good for the students’”. And to reports to Superintendent Julie Hunt Gibbons .
 Listening attentively. A large part of the job is ensuring that there’s a real world connection to what is being taught in the classroom where the students learn from each other.
 An artistic interpretation of a circuit board. Students get to see that music, art, drama and dance are crafts and one of the ways they can earn their livings
Asked what difference she is going to make she says it is important for her to understand what’s going on and realizing that there’s not just one way to do things.
“I am in place to build relationships and to do right by the students”, said MacRae. “These students are the future leaders.”
When MacRae gets going she will tell you that “A complete education includes the arts where students get to understand their own personalities and get to do drama, dance and music with other students. There is a level of creativity that isn’t as evident in some other subjects. Students get to explore, use their imaginations and develop ideas. The arts bring emotions to the surface giving students a chance to reflect on their feelings and experience the joy of producing something that gets shared with others. We want children to feel what they are doing.”
Music for MacRae is personal. She doesn’t play professionally – and wishes there was more time to play at home.
 By Staff
May 15th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Friday is International Museum Day.
Ireland House is going to be admission FREE for the day from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.
It is a superb little museum with excellent programs. If you’re looking for something to take the kids to – this is well worth the time.
The gift store focuses on all things local from small batch honey to custom tea blends and kettle cooked popcorn.
By Staff
May 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Concrete being poured for supporting columns They pour more concrete each day.
The western wall of the Brant Museum site that is being transformed is in place.
Much of the northern wall is in place.
The house sits in steel beams on the northern side – it gets moved around as construction and concrete pours are done elsewhere on the site.
 Much of the western wall is now in place. Completion date: 2019 – exactly when – depends on the weather.
What will there be in the way of program once the site is completed? No word yet – the Museum staff are being tight lipped about what the opening offer is going to be.
The city has hired an international exhibition design firm to create what the public will see. Kubik, a multi-national corporation has been awarded the contract to provide the interpretive design, fabrication and installation at Joseph Brant Museum.
 Architectural rendering of what the Brant Museum is to be transformed into. A local firm took part in the competition – they weren’t impressed with the process. They had to chase the museum people to learn who the contract had been awarded to.
 By Staff
May 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Centre for Skills Development and Training is in the business of training people for good jobs and then helping them get those good jobs.
They are holding information session during the month for people who are interested in becoming a Machinist & Millwright, Home Renovation General Contractor or Electricians
The information sessions take place at their North Service Road location: 3335 North Service Road, Unit 102B. The location isn’t all that well marked – and the classes are at the back – up the driveway.
These are interactive events, no cost; a chance to meet and talk with employers, trades people, job developers and graduates.
How to start a skilled trade’s career: The current job market and labour demands for trades.
How the Centre can prepare you for an apprenticeship including an introduction to employers in the various trades
What trades companies are looking for when hiring
Training and funding incentives to help you start a skilled trades career.
The accelerated per-apprenticeship training can have you job ready in 22 weeks,.
The Centre supports diversity in the skilled trades and encourages anyone interested to attend. They have strategies for men, women, youth and newcomers to Canada.
Electrician
May 14, 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Register HERE
Home Renovation General Contractor
May 22, 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Register HERE
Machinist & Millwright
May 28, 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Register HERE
By Staff
May 9th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Two teachers from the Halton District School Board have been awarded prestigious Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence and Teaching Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing (STEM).
Charlotte Travis, a teacher at Bruce T. Lindley Public School, received a Certificate of Achievement in Teaching Excellence and Shaun Else, a teacher with John William Boich Public School, received a Certificate of Achievement in STEM.
The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence honour outstanding and innovative elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines for their remarkable educational achievements and for their commitment to preparing students for a digital and innovation-based economy. New this year, awards also recognized inspirational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teachers at the elementary or secondary school level who engage students with STEM learning and who help develop a culture of innovation in Canada.
According to the Prime Minister’s awards website: “Wholeheartedly believing in supporting students as they explore outside in the natural world, Charlotte (Travis) roots her practice in inquiry-based learning. She fosters students’ thinking and problem-solving skills while developing their curiosity and imagination.”
Travis says she is very touched and humbled to have been nominated for such a prestigious teaching award.
 Charlotte Travis, a teacher at Bruce T. Lindley Public School “I was astonished that so many people had worked together so seamlessly to apply for this award on my behalf,” she says. “When I was notified that I had received a Certificate of Achievement, I was honoured and extremely grateful. It gave me pause to reflect upon the efforts and generosity of so many outstanding individuals who have shared in, and shaped, my journey as an educator.”
To describe Shaun Else’s teaching style, the Prime Minister’s awards website refers to his classroom “‘Elsewhere’ as a place where he engages his students through technology, inquiry, problem solving and hands-on experiential learning, modelling lifelong learning and harnessing STEM activities so all can succeed.”
Else says receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM is a “huge honour” but is more of a reflection of the talented staff he works with every day.
 Shaun Else, a teacher with John William Boich Public School “This award represents the influence and guidance of the Halton District School Board, principals and staff I have worked with since I began my career almost two decades ago,” he says. “I’m lucky to work in a school board that has always supported and encouraged my interests, providing opportunities to explore topics from robotics and coding to assistive technology and 3D printing. Above all, I’m thankful to be surrounded by passionate teachers who challenge themselves and their students by providing authentic and engaging lessons every day.”
Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board, says the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence is a testament to the hard work and innovation of Charlotte Travis and Shaun Else.
“To have our educators honoured with the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence for their inspiring accomplishments makes all of us proud,” Miller says. “We know we have dedicated, hard-working and collaborative staff members in the Halton District School Board, and Charlotte and Shaun are great examples of these traits that truly define our educators. We know our students can succeed through the creativity and passionate work of our teachers. We congratulate Charlotte and Shaun on their well-deserved awards.”
The schools where Travis and Else teach – Bruce T. Lindley PS and John William Boich PS respectively – will also receive a certificate signed by the Prime Minister to recognize their support of the recipient’s achievement.
The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence have honoured exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines since 1993, with more than 1,500 teachers honoured to date.
By Staff
May 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Public Library Board Chair, Brian Kenny, announced today that Lita Barrie has been appointed to position of Chief Executive Officer, effective June 4, 2018.
 Lita Barrie, new CEO for the Burlington Library Ms Barrie has progressively advanced in senior positions since starting her professional librarian career as a bilingual inquiries officer with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and serving as a youth services librarian at Hamilton Public Library. She became the manager of children’s services at Brantford Public Library in 2007, and the chief librarian and chief executive officer of Grimsby Public Library in 2010.
Since joining Hamilton Public Library as a director in 2013, she has been responsible for the library’s digital technology, youth services, collections, and program development.
“Lita brings to Burlington a strong background in arts and cultural leadership, customer service excellence, and innovation in libraries,” says Kenny. “We are excited by her aspirations for the public library in our community and delighted that she accepted our offer to lead Burlington Public Library.”
“Burlington Public Library’s reputation for excellence and engagement is broadly known,” says Lita Barrie, in-coming chief executive officer. “I am so thrilled to continue the Library’s commitment to innovation and to providing stellar library services and programs to serve this wonderful city.”
Ms Barrie holds a Master of Library & Information Studies from McGill University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art History) from Concordia University, and certificates in leadership from McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of Victoria.
 Lita Barrie at arts event in Hamilton She is active in the library profession as a frequent presenter at conferences and as a sessional lecturer at University of Toronto, Faculty of Information, where she also co-founded the Public Library Leaders Program offered through the iSchool Institute. She has also served in many senior volunteer roles with the Ontario Library Association.
Ms Barrie is a keen community volunteer and is currently vice chair of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee and president of the Hamilton Arts Council Board.
By Staff
May 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
They hosted their 9th Annual Spring Breakfast Gala, in support of Halton Food for Thought Student Nutrition Programs – it took place on Friday May 4th at the Oakville Conference Centre.
 Halton Food for Thought dollars raised in 2018 Breakfast was done as marketplace highlighting the importance of a nutritious meal at the start of a day for students.
Where did the $67,000 come from?
CIBC Wood Gundy $10,000
Prime Contact Group $5,000
EarthFresh Farms $5,000
L3 WESCAM $2,500
Global Citrus Group Inc. $2,500
Fidelity Investments $2,500
Cogeco $1,000 (plus $4,500 in-kind)
TerraPure Environmental $1,000
Mercedes-Benz Oakville $1,000
Boehringer Ingelheim Canada $1,000
Sylvite $1,000
 Abbey Lane welcoming the guests. Add to that the 500 tickets they sold to the event, a silent auction and a raffle. They covered every fund raising base there is.
73% of Halton students have access to a Student Nutrition Program; It costs just $1 to feed 2 students breakfast each day.
3.4 million meals were served to 27,700 meals in the 2016-17 school year.
2100 volunteers including 930 students get the job done.
Politicians were popping out of every corner. You wouldn’t be wrong if you arrived at the conclusion that there are elections taking place.
The Halton Food for Thought program is made up of representatives from 14 Lead Agencies who administer provincial grant funds. These funds help to develop and implement healthy breakfasts, snack and at times, lunch programs across the province.
The 14 Lead Agencies in turn, represent regions in the province and work with over 39 Community Partnerships across the province. These community partnerships engage school boards, public health units, communities and parents to support school programs at the local level.
As part of Central West Region (CWR), Halton Food for Thought’s Lead Agency is Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA. The other members making up CWR are Peel, Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph.
By Staff
May 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board has announced the launch of its mobile app that consolidates important information for parents, guardians and students into one easy-to-access location.
 The app, a pilot project since October 2017 at four Burlington schools, is being rolled out to all 105 elementary and secondary schools in the Halton District School Board during Education Week (May 7-11).
Parents/guardians will receive a link to an instructional video to learn about the app features. The free app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play (search “Halton District School Board” or “HDSB”).
During the setup process, users will be prompted to “subscribe” to individual schools. This means parents/guardians can customize their news by choosing which schools they would like to receive information from, in addition to updates from the Halton District School Board.
Through a simple tap of the app, users have access to a series of icons containing helpful and timely information and resources, such as:
• Reporting student absences
• School news and calendar feeds
• Transportation information and updates
• School Cash Online
• Notifications about school closures and bus cancellations
• Access to school and Board news including media releases, school stories and videos
• Links to Board and school social media pages.
• All school contact information including maps to schools
Rob Eatough, Superintendent of Education, Equity and Communications pointed out that “The ever-increasing use of mobile devices by our parents provides greater opportunities to communicate and connect.
“The Halton District School Board mobile app will provide families with quick access to information from their child’s school and the Board in one location.”
By Pepper Parr
May 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Sometime in April of this year the Director of the Halon District School Board (HDSB) said he got a call from the Director of Education for the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB).
The HCDSB had a problem and she felt there just might be a solution to that problem.
 Assumption High School. When the Assumption school on Upper Middle Road was built (1977) it was to be a Middle School. It became a high school over time. As a high school it was missing a lot of the needs of a high school particularly the labs.
The HCDSB wanted to build a new high school but could not get the funding they needed from the province.
They were able to get funding for a major renovation which in itself created problems. In would take an expected five years to complete renovations with students in the school which wasn’t something the HCDSB was looking forward to.
In 2016 the HDSB began a Program Accommodation Review of its high schools. In June of 2017 the HDSB trustees voted to close two of the seven high schools in the city.
Parents from every high school in Burlington took part in a Review process. As a committee they were unable to arrive at a consensus as to which schools should be closed. Parents at both Bateman high school and the Lester B. Pearson high school were upset over the decision. They felt the process used by the Board was unfair and that the process set out was not followed. They took advantage of the opportunity to ask for a Review of the process.
The Bateman and Pearson parents could not appeal the actual decision – just the process. The Facilitator of the Review could suggest to the Minister of Education that the PAR process be done a second time.
The province considered the request for a Review and appointed Margaret Wilson to do that Review of the decision the trustees had made.
 Margaret Wilson listening to parents who believed the Program Administration Review was flawed. She turned in her report early in January of this year said: “Based on my review and consultations, I conclude that, while there were violations of the Board PAR Policy, they were such that they had no material effect on either the deliberations of the PARC or on the final decisions of the Board.”
With that decision the HDSB could begin the process of closing two high schools and arranging for the transfer of students to new high schools.
Pearson was to close in June of 2018 and Bateman was to close at the end of the school year in 2019 – which was extended to 2020.
The Director of the HDSB began the process of putting transition programs in place – moving the Pearson high school students to M.M. Robinson and moving the Bateman students to new facilities that would be built at Nelson high school.
The Gazette has been told that it was when the Margaret Wilson report was made public that the HCDSB Director made the call to the Director of the HDSB asking if they could rent the Pearson high school building for a short period of time.
Exactly when that call was made is not yet certain. It would appear that there was a 90 day period during which there were conversations and the arriving at a rental rate had to be determined.
 Halton District School Board Director of Education speaking to parents at Central High School. Stuart Miller, the Director of Education took the request to his Board of Trustees and in a closed session on May 2nd and explained to them the details of the request and what the HDSB was able to do.
A rental agreement was put together, the HCDSB approved it on May 1st and the HDSB approved it on May 2nd.
The decision was released to the public on May 3rd.
Parents and students who were going through the very emotionally difficult process of moving to a new school were not impressed with the decision and began to believe that the plan to close Pearson and let the Catholic school board use the building was always the plan.
That suspicion was fostered by the HDSB making the decision in a private session and then saying very little when the decision was made public.
The facts are that it was not until the Catholic school board knew that Pearson was going to be closed that they approached the HDSB to discuss a short term rental of the Lester B. Pearson building.
The HDSB just reacted to the request to lease the school.
 The Halton District School Board in session They just didn’t involve the public nor prepare the parents for the decision that was going to be contentious.
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