Three batches of trapped mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus;two in Burlington and one in Oakville—for a total of four WNV positive mosquito batches in Halton to date.
“Halton is committed to being safe and healthy and reducing West Nile virus in our communities through both education and preventative programs like larviciding,” said Dr. Daniela Kempkens, Halton Region’s Associate Medical Officer of Health. “Until the hard frosts of fall set in, people should continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites and remove mosquito breeding sites.”
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas in places that hold water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
The following are steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
• Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric. • Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas. • Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects, where possible. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week. • Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin. • Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
To report standing water at public facilities or for more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca, call 311or email wnv@halton.ca.
At a special Board meeting on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, trustees of the Halton District School Board appointed Reza Ali Chaudhry as Trustee designate for Milton Wards 1, 6, 7, 8. Chaudhry will be sworn into office at the first regular Board meeting on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.
He will serve as one of the Milton trustees until November 30th at which time the newly elected trustees take their seats. Chaudry will attend 6 meetings plus 6 Committee of the Whole meetings.
On June 20, 2018, the Halton District School Board resolved to fill by appointment the vacancy created by the out-of-region move of Kim Graves, Trustee for Milton Wards 1, 6, 7, 8, and adopted the appointment process the Board has used for past appointments. In following this process, applications were accepted until Thursday, July 12 at 4:30 p.m. Seven applications were received by this deadline, with one candidate withdrawing their application.
Qualifications of applicants, in accordance with the Municipal Act and the Education Act, were confirmed and interviews with applicants took place on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Six applicants were interviewed by the interview committee, comprised of available trustees. Interviews were held in public, as was the deliberation following the interviews.
“The interview committee was impressed by the qualifications and passion expressed by all applicants and appreciates the interest from the community to fill the role of Milton Trustee,” says Andréa Grebenc, Chair of the Board.
Reza Ali Chaudhry
Reza Ali Chaudhry brings extensive experience in education and leadership to the role, having spent more than two-decades of his career with the Canadian Forces as a senior officer. He has worked alongside Canadian academic institutions and the United Nations internationally to empower local leaders and enhance public education. Currently a professor, he holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of Peace and Conflict Studies and various executive certificates. Chaudhry’s involvement with the Halton District School Board includes holding positions on school council and taking an active role in the Milton School Boundary Review, attending Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) meetings, Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants engagement events in school communities.
“I am excited about working with our community and our school board on providing our students an innovative and inclusive educational experience,” says Chaudhry.
The upcoming meeting schedule for the Halton District School Board is posted on the Board’s website at www.hdsb.ca.
For those who sincerely believe that the public is better served with smaller government the decision Premier Doug Ford made about the size of Toronto’s city council will come as good news.
Ford has told Toronto that it has to align the ward boundaries with the boundaries in place for the federal and provincial constituencies; the two are identical.
Toronto has 25 federal/provincial constituencies and so they will have 25 wards.
Burlington has three federal/provincial constituencies – Milton, Burlington and Oakville North Burlington.
Boundaries for the riding of Burlington
Boundary for the riding of Milton.
Boundary for the riding of Oakville North Burlington.
Some of the people in the Northern part of Burlington are represented by the MP Lisa Raitt and the MPP Parm Gil from Milton.
Some of the people in the eastern part of the city are represented by MP Pam Damoff and MPP Effie Triantafilipoulos in the Oakville North Burlington constituency.
The rest of the citizens are represented by Karina Gould, a member of the Justin Trudeau cabinet and MPP Jane McKenna.
Using the Ford formula – Burlington would have three council members and a Mayor.
The Burlington Fire Department recognized 12 young people, aged 12 to 14, who successfully completed Camp Ignite, a firefighter boot camp, at a graduation ceremony at Burlington Fire Station 1.
Camp Ignite graduates – 2018
Burlington Fire Chief Dave Lazenby and fire department staff, along with Big Brothers Big Sisters staff, volunteers and families congratulated the campers and celebrated their accomplishments at the department’s first-ever Camp Ignite.
Rappelling down the wall of a building was part of the week long camp experience.
Camp Ignite is a week-long boot camp, in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton and Hamilton, that gives youth the opportunity to participate in emergency response training while providing them with valuable life skills. Campers experienced a scaled-down firefighter recruit training program, including:
Handling the fire hoses is not easy. The experience was very real for these young people.
• Vehicle rescue training
• High-angle rope rescue training
• Car and dumpster fires training
• Search and rescue training
• Water rescue training
• CPR awareness and first-aid training
This camp was funded by donations provided by Burlington Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1552 and the City of Burlington’s Parks and Recreation Department.
There are times when the city slogan – Burlington is one of Canada’s best and most livable cities, a place where people, nature and business thrive., makes sense and actually applies to the city of Burlington.
They packed the Mainway arena to talk about how Burlington could best welcome Syrians to the city.
Back in December of 2015 the Mayor of Burlington called a public meeting public meeting on Syrian refugees to gauge what there was in terms of community support. Many were surprised at the size of the turnout – Mainway Arena was close to packed.
The turnout was impressive. Eleeza at the time a 10 year old, stood to tell the audience that she was raising funds to buys toys for the children who were arriving at the airport. People began putting money in her hands.
Burlington was capable and more than ready to welcome the new comers.
Just over a year ago Rory Nisan arrange for a candle light vigil to be held in Civic Square to recognize the senseless slaughter of six people at a mosque in Quebec city.
The idea took on a life of its own and is now an annual event when different faith groups get together and celebrate what they have.
ONE BURLINGTON FESTIVAL: Building Bridges Between Faiths
The event is to take place in front of the Band shell next to Central Library on August 6 from noon – 4 p.m. In the event of rain, the festival will be moved inside Central Arena.
“I am excited for this Festival and have been meeting with Muslim friends from the mosque, Hindu and Jewish groups and a variety of Christian leaders – and we will be able to learn about different faiths and cultures while sampling many different ethnic foods,” said Rev. Orville James, minister of Wellington Square United Church.
Osob Adus, Burlington Citizen of the Year and well-known community activist, said the festival is a way of knowing and embracing the beauty of all faith traditions and creating bridges between them.
“Mutual understanding and respect are the foundations for building communities across the borders of difference,” said Adus, a Muslim.
Now in its second year, One Burlington Festival was initially held as a response to the Quebec City mosque mass shooting that occurred the evening of January 29, 2017 at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City.
This year, the festival will open with an Interfaith prayer led by five clergy representing different faiths. An Indigenous smudging ceremony will follow.
Throughout the afternoon, along with free food, entertainment from different cultures will be featured. Performers include local singer-song writer Kim Verrall and violinist Sophie Huang; the Burlington Slam Poets who are celebrating their 10th anniversary; First Nations performer Jimmy Dick and his family and dance groups from the Sikh, Persian and Afro-Canadian communities.
Children’s activities and games include compiling a faith passport for which every child will earn an ecologically-friendly prize.
The ecological theme of this year’s festival focuses on building an understanding of the connections between faith and ecology. Everything from Eco-dinnerware to a green clean-up team are embedded in this year’s event.
The scammers never stop. One of the reasons they keep doing what they do (take your money from you) is because the tricks they use actually work. People respond to those emails that tell you your Netflix account has been shut down or there is a problem with your bank account and you have to get in touch with them right away.
The scammers are getting better. There was a time that either the spelling errors or the grammar was so bad that you knew it didn’t come from a bank. They have gotten better with the message they send. The Gazette maintains a couple of identities that give us a chance t see what the average Canadians gets. This one came in yesterday:
Dear User Just to let you know that we noticed unusual activities on your online account during our regular update today. It is either your details have been changed or incomplete. As a result of the technical issues detected your online account has been temporarily suspended. You are therefore required to verify your details to regain access to online service. Please click the link below in order to regain instant access.
Click here to regain access
The moment to click on that line you will have begun the process of giving the scammer some of the information they need to get access to your bank account. It does happen. Read one of the really sad stories of someone whose bank account was compromised.
TD Canada Trust. Disclaimer This email was sent from a notification-only address that does not accept email replies. Please do not reply directly to this email.
Rule number 1; if in doubt – don’t.
Rule number 2 – your bank will not send you this kind of email. They will telephone you.
“We won! City will no longer be removing milkweed from private residences!”
The bylaw officer should have realized what he was up against when he saw the sign.
This was a big deal for Doreen Nicoll. The Burlington resident was paid a visit by a bylaw enforcement officer telling her that the milkweed in her front yard garden had to be removed.
The bylaw officer clearly didn’t see the sign in the garden – Nicoll was not someone to trifle with.
We asked for some pictures of her garden – she explained that some wild roses that blew in from another yard years ago that had taken over the garden. The kids moved home. “I had marking, exams, report cards, and then the heat wave hit. So, not every part is beautiful right now. Have a big yellow bag of mulch waiting in the driveway for cooler weather.”
A very pleasant garden.
It is a very attractive garden that will have milkweed as part of the flowerbed. And Burlington now has a bylaw enforcement officer who knows much more about milkweed now than he did a week ago.
This whole mess was the result of a phone call someone made to the bylaw enforcement office complaining about the milkweed.
Nicoll explains that “milkweed started to grow, probably a throwback to when this land I live on was farmed. I’ve also purchased milkweed and over the past decade or so and all of it has done quite well. This is a particularly good year.”
Ward 2 Councillor and candidate for Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said: “You did it everyone! Based on your advocacy, research, information, city staff listened and will be bringing a bylaw forward in September to remove milkweed from “weed” list to allow it to be grown.
“Well done to all!! In the meantime, the bylaw on milkweed will not be enforced. Tweet from city of Burlington: “City staff have drafted a new lot maintenance bylaw affecting tall grass and weeds. The draft bylaw goes to Council in September and will align with the provincial Weed Control Act. Until then, the city will not enforce the removal of milkweed.”
In electronic communication with Nicoll we learned more about how she approaches life. “you should know I’m also active in ending gendered violence, an ally for Indigenous Nations and Peoples, as well as working to end hunger and poverty. All of these issues are intertwined.
Doreen Nicoll – Burlington actionist.
“I also like to be called an actionist — a term I am borrowing from Mike Nagy chair of the Wellington Water Watchers.
As Mike told me in an interview, “All it takes to be defined as an acitvist is to write a letter or contact your MP or simply ask for better health care. But, over the decades the term has too often become associated with negative connotations.” The difference is I learn about the issue, take action, follow-up, and rarely if ever give up.”
In 2004 I had the grass in my very tiny front yard removed and a very low wall erected to contain my new garden. Originally, I planted native, heritage plants, most of them edible and all of them able to survive on rain water alone.
Over the years there have been plenty of transitions. Some plants thrive for years only to suddenly decline or disappear and be replaced by a completely different variety. This was survival of the fittest playing out in my garden thanks to the effects of climate change.
During that time, milkweed started to grow, probably a throwback to when this land I live on was farmed. I’ve also purchased milkweed and over the past decade or so and all of it has done quite well. This is a particularly good year.
Milkweed – din dins for the Monarch butterfly and a native plant in Burlington resident Doreen Nicoll’s garden.
But, this is also the year that I discovered that Burlington, Ontario considers milkweed, the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs on, a weed that must be destroyed or removed.
On Friday, June 29, 2018, I returned from work to find a Notice of Violation on my front door. The notice stated that I was in contravention of By-law #12-2011 Part 3 3.1(b), which states, “Every owner of property shall ensure that grass and ground cover is trimmed or cut to a height of 20 centimeters (8 inches) or less and shall ensure weeds are removed or destroyed between May 1 and October 15 each calendar year.”
The Notice of Violation stated the require action was, “Remove or destroy milkweeds from front yard abutting the sidewalk and adjacent property” within seven days. So, by Thursday, July 5.
Again, let me be clear that my milkweeds are growing on my property and not on city land and definitely are not invading a neighbouring property.
A Monarch butterfly – is that a milkweed plant in the background?
So, I began contacting local environmentalists to see if there were any alternative solutions. I did this because trimming milkweed to the required height of 8 inches or less means that the tops of the plants containing all of the leaves, which are home to valuable monarch eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalis, would be removed and that would have devastating results.
A very wise environmentalist, who wished to remain anonymous, told me about the time her neighbour reported her for growing milkweed in her naturalized garden. It seems the neighbour wanted the city to force this woman to grow grass instead of flowers.
Well, when she showed the by-law officer her receipt from a local nursery for the purchase of the offending plants she was told that everything was okay because clearly a nursery would not sell weeds to the public. The Notice of Violation was withdrawn.
So, in this time of the Suzuki foundation selling milkweed, documentaries like Metamorphosis showcasing school children planting milkweed to encourage the proliferation of monarch butterflies, and people being encouraged to cut back or stop all together watering lawns and gardens, I am perplexed why the City of Burlington is insisting I destroy this native plant that’s imperative to the lifecycle of monarch butterflies.
Here’s a thought, as we’re entering a municipal election this fall: why not make milkweed an election issue?
Monarchs deserve our protection, as does the water that’s wasted every summer on keeping grass green and non-native species blooming all summer long.
I would argue you don’t even have to live in Burlington or Halton to voice your opinion, because monarchs and water affect everyone across the province and country.
I encourage you to make your voice heard. Tell the City of Burlington, Ontario that you value native plants like milkweed, which nurture valuable monarch butterflies and survive on local rain water.
Here’s a list of email addresses so you can share your thoughts on this matter:
Mayor Rick Goldring mayor@burlington.ca Councillor Marianne Mead Ward (who is running for Mayor) marianne.meedward@burlington.ca Councillor Rick Craven rick.craven@burlington.ca Councillor John Taylor john.taylor@burlington.ca Councillor Jack Dennison Jack.Dennison@burlington.ca Councillor Paul Sharma paul.sharman@burlington.ca Councillor Blair Lancaster blair.lancaster@burlington.ca
After all, isn’t a weed simply a flower growing in what suburban society mistakenly believes is ‘the wrong place?’ Tell that to the monarchs.
What Ms Nicoll may not realize is that in Burlington by laws are enforced on a responsive basis. By law enforcement officer do not go looking for bylaw violations – they get complaint calls and they go out and investigate.
Someone fingered Ms Nicoll.
Doreen Nicoll, a Burlington resident, is a feminist and a member of several community organizations working diligently to end poverty, hunger and gendered violence. She writes regularly for Raise the Hammer, a Hamilton community based on-line publication where this article first appeared.
We pass it along to you for your edification from Community Mindfulness Burlington.
They are inviting residents to a series of free drop-in mindfulness sessions in Burlington parks in July and August.
The mindfulness sessions are led by volunteers from Community Mindfulness Burlington and partly supported by the City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation where a positive mental state is achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
Participants are advised to wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or meditation cushion. Mindfulness activities are inclusive and secular. All welcome to participate.
Dates
• Sunday, July 8, 10 to 11 a.m., Mountainside Park. Mountainside Arena community room in case of inclement weather
• Sunday, July 15, 10 to 11 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Aldershot Arena community room in case of inclement weather
• Sunday, Aug. 12, 10 to 11 a.m., Mountainside Park. Mountainside Arena community room in case of inclement weather
• Sunday, Aug. 26, 10 to 11 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Aldershot Arena community room in case of inclement weather
They are in the news as a web site that was used to tilt the American presidential election.
How do these YouTube pages get created?
Mohawk College is hosting a star-studded YouTube Creator Camp where high school level students will learn ‘Social Media Skills’ from the biggest names in the Biz!
The college describes the five day program as a brand-new ground-breaking initiative that runs from July 9th to 13th 2018.
This fun five-day intensive experience will allow students to get first-hand knowledge on social media influencing, and how to turn a hobby into a career. “This is the first Creator’s Camp of its kind in the Ontario, and we are excited about this offering,” Associate Dean Tracy Kadish said.
Move quickly if you want to get in on this. The classes for the 13 to 15 age group os sold out. There are just eight seats left for the 16 to 18 year olds.
Since YouTube went online in February 2005, it has become the go-to website for Internet content creation. Mohawk Creator’s Camp will help aspiring young minds make creative content and learn how to turn it into a profitable business.
The Camp comes at a cost of $375.00 and includes entrepreneurship training, master classes with Influencers, meals, and a field trip to Toronto. “Camp goers will take home intimate Digital Entrepreneurship skills that you won’t find anywhere else,” Natalie Reid, Program Coordinator of SURGE, noted. In partnership with the Industry Education Council of Hamilton and the M.I.G.H.T.Y. Entrepreneurship Program, students will also learn entrepreneurial skills to help them launch and manage their business.
Mohawk Creator’s Camp hopes to be the first to give students an entertaining alternative when it comes to learning during the summer. Mohawk Creator’s Camp won’t just teach students about making videos, Students will be able to use this unique Camp as a stepping stone into a possible career in media. At the end of the camp, parents are invited to a showcase party which is planned for the evening of Monday July 16th.
For more information on Mohawk Creator’s Camp email surge@mohawkcollege.ca or visit their Webpage
https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/mohawk-creators-camp
The new Rose Garden in Hendrie Park, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) will officially open to the public on Saturday, June 23rd. The occasion will include the Hamilton and Burlington Rose Society Annual Show.
Much like the rejuvenated Rock Garden, the new Rose Garden embraces new designs and techniques that reflect a more modern, environmentally conscious approach to growing roses. One that people can implement in their home garden” said Jim Mack, RBG Head of Horticulture.
The new Rose Garden focuses on Ontario-hardy, disease resistant roses together with companion plants. Beneath these beneficial plant pairings is a trickle irrigation system. Deep roots, combined with a consistently maintained layer of mulch, means less artificial watering which promotes an eco-friendly approach.
The companion plantings and advanced irrigation system creates a garden that is resilient and sustainable; a garden growing in healthy soil working together to attract beneficial insects that stave off pests.
Opened in 1967, the original Centennial Rose Garden showcased a large monoculture of hybrid tea and floribunda roses for nearly 50 years. Despite the best efforts of RBG’s horticulture team, the collection had suffered in recent years. Using environmentally-friendly treatments could not outweigh the reality that the garden was made up of disease-prone roses, further compromised by falling under the shadow of large shade trees.
In 2017, construction began on the rejuvenated garden, sacrificing a year of roses in order to take the garden in a bold new direction.
Highlights of the new garden include approximately 3, 300 roses displaying 300 different cultivated varieties, 4, 500 companion plants and many new enhancements to the garden landscape. This includes upgraded pathways, fences, gazebos stairs and lighting as well as renovations to the Turner Pavilion Teahouse that overlooks the new garden. Education elements include an array of new interpretive signs, including the “story of roses” display, teaching visitors about the history of roses.
In 2017, Royal Botanical Gardens launched a $3 million fundraising campaign in support of the new garden and are currently raising the remaining $700-thousand. More information can be found at www.rbg.ca/rosegarden.
At the start of Standing Committee and Council meetings the chair will read a Land Acknowledgement statement.
“Burlington as we know it today is rich in history and modern traditions of many First Nations and the Métis. From the Anishinaabeg to the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis – our lands spanning from Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment are steeped in Indigenous history.
“The territory is mutually covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy, the Ojibway and other allied Nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
“We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.”
The national anthem will be sung at the start of City Council meetings.
For the next several days the Brant Street Pier will be lit with colours representing each of the Indigenous people of Canada: June 19, the Metis; June 20, the Inuit; and June 21, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation.
In this portrait Joseph Brant is seen wearing the gorget given to him by King George III. That gorget is the most important piece in the collection at the Joseph Brant Museum.
It will be interesting to learn just how much more information there will be about Joseph Brant at the Joseph Brant Museum when it completes its transformation. In the past there has been just a pretty pathetic display of material.
Anyone buying illegal tobacco products is funding organized crime.
That’s the message Crime Stoppers of Halton is delivering to the public through a promotional campaign to help combat the distribution of illegally manufactured cigarettes.
The initiative is also part of a campaign by several Crime Stoppers programs to create awareness and stop the sale of contraband tobacco products across the Greater Toronto Area.
“We want people to know they are helping finance organized crime activity such as drug smuggling, gun running and human trafficking,” said Detective Constable Jodi Richmond, police coordinator of Halton Crime Stoppers. “A lot of this criminal activity is organized by outlaw motorcycle gangs and the cost to taxpayers runs into the billions of dollars.”
Richmond also said an increasing number of fire deaths in Ontario are now being blamed on illegal cigarettes which are made without self-extinguishing safeguards.
“So not only are people who buy contraband cigarettes helping organized crime to thrive, but they are also putting lives at risk,” she said. “It’s definitely not a victimless crime.”
Dave Bryans, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association said “The Ontario Convenience Stores are pleased to stand with Halton Crime Stoppers in fight against contraband tobacco that is infiltrating every community in Ontario.
“Today we see contraband reaching epidemic proportions at 37% of all tobacco now being untaxed and illegal with highs in Northern Ontario of 65% +. We are hoping the new PC Government will work with Crime Stoppers and the Convenience Store sector to address this issue and look for solutions to minimize the delivery system in Ontario.”
We basically took the land from the Indigenous people.
Some treaties were signed – we didn’t always live up to those treaties.
Canadians have begun creating a new relationship with the Indigenous people. The Halton District School Board has been reading a Land Acknowledgement statement at the beginning of each meeting for some time.
Starting this Monday Burlington city council will begin doing the same thing. Stacey LaForme the elected Chief of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, a graduate of the Osgoode Hall Law School and a member of the Ontario Bar will be a significant part of this ceremony this afternoon.
Stacey LaForme the elected Chief of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation,
In 2002, LaForme served on the Ontario Divisional Court panel that ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was a violation of their civil rights; his suggestion – that marriage be redefined – was subsequently adopted by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
A member of the Mississaugas people, LaForme is the first appellate court judge in Canadian history with a First Nations background. He has served as the Commissioner of the Indian Commission of Ontario; as the Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Land Claims; and – until his resignation in October 2008 – as head of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
He will probably be the most distinguished, qualified and accomplished person at the event.
Some Burlington high schools have been holding “blanket ceremonies”, an interactive way of learning the history most Canadians are never taught.
Blankets representing the territory of Canada – it all belonged to the First Nations before the Europeans arrived.
The Blanket Exercise is based on participatory popular education methodology and the goal is to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land, and into the role of First Nations.
By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy.
Students learn the key terms and concepts behind the words Aboriginal peoples, First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Aboriginal peoples is the term used in Canada’s constitution, it has specific importance within a Canadian legal context.
Assimilation, Colonization, Discrimination, Doctrine of Discovery, Equity and First Nations which is not a legal term but replaces “Indian” in common usage. The term elevates First Nations to the status of “first among equals” alongside the English and French founding nations of Canada.
The Blanket ceremony takes participants through the history that took away more and more of the land that the First Nations owned.
Indigenous peoples is a term for which there is no one definition because it is up to each Indigenous person to define themselves, something that for far too long has been done by others. However, Indigenous peoples all over the world have the common experience of being the original inhabitants of a territory and being oppressed by ethnic groups that arrived later.
A Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) person from Akwesasne who is a member of the Bear clan may choose any number of indentifiers. Others may identify themselves as members of one of the many other First Nations in Canada – Innu, Cree, Salteaux, Ojibwe, Haida, Dene, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Blood, Secwepmec, etc., each with its own history, culture, and traditions.
The lnd that the First Nations owned ended up being reserves around the country.
In 1876 all the laws dealing with Indigenous peoples in Canada were gathered together and put into the Indian Act. The Canadian government used the Indian Act to attack the identity of Indigenous peoples. It limited hunting and fishing and made spiritual ceremonies like the potlatch, pow-wow and sundance against the law. This didn’t change until the 1950s. To this day, the Indian Act controls many aspects of Indigenous peoples’ lives.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, thousands of First Nations and Métis children were forced illegally from their homes and adopted or fostered, usually by non-Indigenous people. This period is known as the 60s scoop. Many of these kids experienced violence, racism and abuse and lost connection to their identity and culture. Like residential schools, the purpose of the 60’s scoop was assimilation.
The land that Burlingtonians live on is represented in treaties; what is now Burlington is land that was given to Joseph Brant who in tern sold it off in bits and pieces. There isn’t as much as a square foot that belong to a descendant of the Brant family. But we named our main street after the man.
Treaties are internationally binding agreements between sovereign nations. Hundreds of treaties of peace and friendship were concluded between the European settlers and First Nations during the period prior to confederation.
These treaties promoted peaceful coexistence and the sharing of resources. After Confederation, the European settlers pursued treaty making as a tool to acquire vast tracts of land. The numbered treaties 1 through 11 were concluded between First Nations and the Crown, after Confederation.
Some of the students were transfixed by the blanket ceremony. Far too many paid more attention to their cell phones as they texted each other.
For Indigenous peoples, treaties outline the rights and responsibilities of all parties to the agreement. In the traditions of Indigenous treaty making, these are oral agreements. In addition, they are “vital, living instruments of relationship”
In reading a Land Acknowledgement we are beginning to accept these rights and responsibilities.
An Infograph is a graph that conveys information in a more effective visual manner.
The Halton District School Board released an infograph that showed how poorly the Region does in terms of provincial grants for education.
No one at the Board of Education can say quite why the Region gets less on a per student basis than others – the fact is Halton, which is Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills get less.
The model used for school bus funding has not changed since 1998 which is what has led to the near crisis is recruiting bus drivers. The boards have not been able to pay the drivers a decent rate.
The funding shortfall impacts what the Board does at many levels – Special Education suffers; the Halton Board has to find $20 million to cover Special Education needs which are higher than the average student.
The needs are very real, unfortunately the local school boards are totally dependent on the province for a significant part of the funds needed to operate the schools.
Trustees and the Board administrations work to determine where the needed funds are going to come from at a time when we now have a provincial government that thinks aloud in terms of “efficiencies” and talks in terms of reducing spending by as much as 4% (at least that is what the public heard during the recent provincial election). Education and health are two of the biggest spending items in the provincial budget.
Just how provincial funding for school boards works isn’t fully understood by the public. Property taxes and development fees cover just a portion of the cost.
Because the funds come from the provincial government the Boards and trustees would like to see pressure put on the newly elected members of the provincial legislature. For Burlington this means appealing to Jane McKenna who has been returned to the Legislature. McKenna was first elected to Queen’s Park in 2011, lost to Eleanor McMahon in 2014 and defeated McMahon in the election held earlier this month.
During the election debates it was clear that McKenna was going to follow the path set out by Doug Ford who talks in terms of getting better value for the dollars spent. Burlington parents with children in local schools are the people who know where efficiencies exist.
Given that those same parents elected the government we have now – they have to live with the consequences of the election.
There are two problems with those conclusions. A majority of those who voted didn’t choose this government and just 58% of those with the right to vote bothered to troop out to the polls on election day.
Salt with Pepper is the musing, observations and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette.
Things just don’t happen – they don’t just fall off the back of a truck.
Someone has an idea, there is something someone wants to do.
Sometimes a person doesn’t like the way something is being done and they want to have it changed.
Other times people see an unfortunate situation and they want to make it better.
Burlington is a community with a lot of wealth. There are people who are not wealthy but overall the city is financially comfortable.
Some describe the city as complacent.
Others see something that isn’t happening and they think something should happen and they mobilize and make it happen.
Carie DeMunck
Carie DeMunck, a parent with children at the Pauline Johnson (PJ) public school, was touring the Frontenac public school that he daughter was to attend next year. Pauline John public school is a K to 8; Frontenac is a Middle school.
While touring Frontenac Carie learned that they had celebrated their 50th Anniversary in May of 2017
In September of 2017 Lori Waugh was appointed as the new school principal. She told the Parent Council meeting later that month that the school would celebrate their 50th anniversary the following year.
“Nobody really jumped on it” said Carie . “It was brought up again at the November Council meeting when the principal recommended putting a committee together to mark it in some way. It was then that we learned there were time capsules that were marked for opening, which the majority of us on Council, including myself, had been completely unaware of until that point.
“Initially we all shied away from it because we all knew what a big job it could be and the event /fundraising planning always seems to fall on the same four or five people. It’s difficult to get people on board and motivate parents to volunteer and be leaders within Council.
“By the November meeting I had already started looking up news articles for our school to see what was in the local history and general interest articles. That’s when I jumped in and said to myself – I’ll do it.”
Carie met with Dave Woodward, a 1968 staff member at PJ who returned to the school in the 70’s as principal.
Trips to the library to dig out whatever the Historical Society had on the school.
With her mind made up and he best friend beside her Carie headed for a meeting with the principal to sell the plan to her.
Carie DeMunck pointing o where the two time capsules were stored – no one knew.
With the concept thought through and the team in place Carie was ready to put it in front of principal Waugh.
I was thinking a formal assembly and tree planting was a fitting tribute especially for working in a time capsule reveal, and doing a public reunion on a Saturday which would require the principal to be totally on board.
Carie is one of those people who can use words to paint a picture.
“So picture this” she said. “Do you remember that picture of Merkel and Trump at the G7?
Well I was Merkel and Waugh is sitting there like Trump and we presented the ideas. I said I would run the whole thing and she said Ok.”
Chiefwoods the Pauline Johnson ancestral home.
She took her kids on a tour of Chiefwoods, the Pauline Johnson family home in Brantford to get a deeper idea as to just who Pauline Johnson was and came away with a much better understanding of just what Canada has in the way of an Indigenous population and how Canadians have related to them – not always that well.
The Indigenous people have been given a bad rap said Carie. “We need to open up our minds and become more aware of our colonial past and begin to collaborate with the First Nations.
Carie didn’t make the two day 50th anniversary celebration happen all by herself. Her 11 years on the school’s Parent Council meant she had all kinds of contacts and a network of her own she could call upon.
Along with principal Lorie Waugh and Parent Council Chairs, Patty Chanda and Jenn Cooper-Cabral stepped up when there was a need and ran the student volunteers and bought the cake and helped with decorating and attended all planning meetings.
“ Patty is my right hand, without being asked, she’s cool and collected, organized, doesn’t get her feathers ruffled, lets me vent to her when I’m frustrated, is highly objective, not overly opinionated, steps in when she sees a need, she doesn’t like the spotlight either.” The two have been close friends for 10 years.
Next for the team that made the celebration happen? Well all those posters and picture the students put together have to be put into a 50th anniversary time capsule to be opened on perhaps the 75th anniversary. Carie has found the containers she want to use. No stopping this lady.
Mary Alice St. James, retired Pauline Johnson public school principal.
Mary Alice St. James, a former and now retired PJ principal speaks glowingly of Carie DeMunck. “She epitomizes the positive impact of volunteerism in a school. With 17 years of involvement at PJ where she saw her three children Jessica (Nelson High School), Ryan (Frontenac Public School) and Emilie (Pauline Johnson Public School) pick up the first part of the education she made a positive difference. As a School Council Member Carie learned leadership skills that served her well as she coordinated Pauline Johnson’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.
In a small neighbourhood school, volunteering is welcomed. It makes a huge difference. Carie liaised with many to begin and follow through with a vision of inclusion, involvement and reflection of the impact of life particularly in a small community has made to many over the past 50 years.
Carie humbly says that the successful two days of events are due to her team of parent volunteers, the PJ Staff current and past, the students and their families both current and past. True, everybody assisted BUT it was Carie who led the team, developed the vision and ensured its meaningfulness and celebratory feeling.
Now that the province is beginning to get used to the Premier designate and the city can get on with enjoying the Sound of Music and weather that ranges from pleasant to stinking hot.
Next up is the municipal election that will take place October 22nd.
James Burchill, the lad that drives around town in a Smart Car getting out for coffee and a conversation.
He interviews all kinds of people including the three candidates for the Office of Mayor.
He did interviews of the current Mayor, Rick Goldring, then an interview with Mike Wallace, a former city Councillor and a former MP for Burlington.
The most recent, which is set out below for your viewing pleasure, is Burchill’s interview with Marianne Meed Ward.
Three very different people. We have provided links to the Goldring and Wallace interviews – gives you a chance to see who wants to lead the city. You are the one who gets to decide.
The 2018 election is going to be a lot different than the 2014 election when every member of the 2010 Council was returned to office.
Burchill has an easy, natural conversation style and lets the person being interviewed do the talking. Goldring and Wallace seemed a little apprehensive. My take on the Meed Ward interview is that Burchill was flirting with her – but have to be the judge of that.
Bookmark this story and come back to it in October. Which one do you think can best lead the city
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
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.
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.
By Staff
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas in places that hold water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
The following are steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
The turnout was impressive. Eleeza at the time a 10 year old, stood to tell the audience that she was raising funds to buys toys for the children who were arriving at the airport. People began putting money in her hands.
Osob Adus, Burlington Citizen of the Year and well-known community activist, said the festival is a way of knowing and embracing the beauty of all faith traditions and creating bridges between them.
Children’s activities and games include compiling a faith passport for which every child will earn an ecologically-friendly prize.
The scammers are getting better. There was a time that either the spelling errors or the grammar was so bad that you knew it didn’t come from a bank. They have gotten better with the message they send. The Gazette maintains a couple of identities that give us a chance t see what the average Canadians gets. This one came in yesterday:
Doreen Nicoll, a Burlington resident, is a feminist and a member of several community organizations working diligently to end poverty, hunger and gendered violence. She writes regularly for Raise the Hammer, a Hamilton community based on-line publication where this article first appeared.
Dates
Mohawk College is hosting a star-studded YouTube Creator Camp where high school level students will learn ‘Social Media Skills’ from the biggest names in the Biz!
Mohawk Creator’s Camp hopes to be the first to give students an entertaining alternative when it comes to learning during the summer. Mohawk Creator’s Camp won’t just teach students about making videos, Students will be able to use this unique Camp as a stepping stone into a possible career in media. At the end of the camp, parents are invited to a showcase party which is planned for the evening of Monday July 16th.
Much like the rejuvenated Rock Garden, the new Rose Garden embraces new designs and techniques that reflect a more modern, environmentally conscious approach to growing roses. One that people can implement in their home garden” said Jim Mack, RBG Head of Horticulture.
The companion plantings and advanced irrigation system creates a garden that is resilient and sustainable; a garden growing in healthy soil working together to attract beneficial insects that stave off pests.
Highlights of the new garden include approximately 3, 300 roses displaying 300 different cultivated varieties, 4, 500 companion plants and many new enhancements to the garden landscape. This includes upgraded pathways, fences, gazebos stairs and lighting as well as renovations to the Turner Pavilion Teahouse that overlooks the new garden. Education elements include an array of new interpretive signs, including the “story of roses” display, teaching visitors about the history of roses.
“Burlington as we know it today is rich in history and modern traditions of many First Nations and the Métis. From the Anishinaabeg to the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis – our lands spanning from Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment are steeped in Indigenous history. 
That’s the message Crime Stoppers of Halton is delivering to the public through a promotional campaign to help combat the distribution of illegally manufactured cigarettes.
Richmond also said an increasing number of fire deaths in Ontario are now being blamed on illegal cigarettes which are made without self-extinguishing safeguards.
