 By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Lynn Crosby, one of the more passionate Central high school supporters advises us that next week there is an all-party debate scheduled in the provincial Legislature with a vote to follow.
The debate is on a motion to stop all rural school closures and launch an immediate review of all PAR processes province-wide.
 Is the solution to the closing of high schools in Burlington to be found in the provincial Legislature? This would stop all PARs currently underway. Crosby reports that the Central Strong group is going to try and see if the motion can be amended to include a moratorium on all school closures, not just rural.
Either way, says Crosby, this is huge.
Central Strong now want to know what position Burlington’s MPP McMahon will take on this vote.
Crosby says that “she votes against this she can kiss her seat in Burlington goodbye”.
 Lynn Crosby, a passionate Central Strong advocate, on the left, sees some hope in the Opposition Motion to stop all Program Accommodation Reviews in rural schools. Unfortunately Ms Crosby – it isn’t quite that simple. The first question is – is this a government motion or an opposition motion or a private members bill.
The tradition in Ontario Tuesday is for the opposition party in Ontario to have a day to introduce their parliamentary wishes. On Tuesday, Patrick Brown will introduce a motion that has the following preamble:
Whereas, school closures have a devastating impact on local communities; and
Whereas, children deserve to be educated in their communities and offered the best opportunity to succeed; and
Whereas, rural schools often represent the heart of small towns across Ontario;
Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls for an immediate moratorium on rural school closures and an immediate review of the Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline.
The only vote that will take place on Tuesday is whether this motion gets any attention at all.
Citizens in Burlington can, and hopefully will, lobby Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon and while they are at it, get through to Jane McKenna, who, will not member of the Legislature, is the Progressive Conservative Candidate for Burlington in the next provincial election. She will be all over this issue locally.
This type of Opposition party bill tends not to get very far.
 By James Burchill
March 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Every small business needs to market themselves and part of marketing is advertising. The trouble is most SMB’s don’t quite understand the importance of the elements that make up a good advert. Today I’m going to show you how your prospect reads yours!
It is important to understand your prospect will not simply read your advertisement or letter. At first, they will only scan it. In direct mail or brochures, you have about eleven seconds before being dismissed.
 Does this advertisement follow the rules Burchill sets out? It was run at a time when colour TV was new – this the repeat of the main message. At that time Admiral was a known and respected brand name. The price is prominent – if the reader gets to this point they will read the smaller type. People read your ‘message’ in the following order:
the headline,
the subheads,
any highlighted copy,
captions,
and finally the message
And YES… this order has been tested and measured.
If your prospect likes what they see, they will start over and begin to read your advertisement. They will read about the first 50 words (6 or 7 standard lines – maybe a paragraph or two), and then re-evaluate whether they want to keep reading. If they are interested in the subject, and the information keeps coming, they will read until your message is complete. And yes, an interested prospect will read pages and pages (it’s another of those tested facts.)
With printed advertisements, people will normally read the headline and look at the graphics first. If they are interested, they will read the subheads, captions, and any pricing information, and only then will they go back and read your sales copy. These facts show how incredibly important your headline and your layout design are for getting people to start reading. The structure of your letter or ad is very important.
One more note on why people read advertisements. People read for information. They expect you to educate them about the benefits of purchasing your product or service. They expect you to offer to help solve a problem.
They expect to be, and consent to be, sold to. That is why they are reading your ad. If the phrase “sales copy” makes you uncomfortable, then please reread this paragraph until you are sold on the idea of writing effective advertisements that give people what they want.
REMEMBER: Ignorance is not bliss – it’s dangerous and very bad for your business. Hire a professional – it’s not a cost, it’s an investment and it pays.
 James Burchill is the founder of Social Fusion Network – an organization that helps local business connect and network. He also writes about digital marketing, entrepreneurship and technology and when he’s not consulting, he teaches people to start their own ‘side hustle.’
Burchill also sponsors a trade show for the smaller independent business people. More on what that is all about right here.
 By Ray Rivers
March 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
My grandfather used to keep his money under his mattress, which might have made it lumpy and stiff, had he ever accumulated anything resembling a sizeable stash. And what little he didn’t stuff there, he’d re-invest in commodities, mostly vodka. That was a while ago, before the government introduced retirement saving instruments like RRSPs (registered retirement saving plans), which allow tax deferrals, and TFSAs (tax-free saving accounts), which make the interest or capital gains tax-free.
 Hiding your money under a mattress – and it doesn’t have to always be Canadian dollars. An economy needs savings, because that is a disposable pool of capital ripe for investment and growth. The Canada Pension Plan was in part created just for that purpose, a fund for governments to dip into to develop highways and other infrastructure back in the day. And no government claims to be more committed to building more infrastructure, and needs those funds more, than our modern day federal government.
But we are just a day or two beyond the deadline for investing in an RRSP – so the question is why are total RRSP contributions falling and why is there so much unused potential in the TFSAs? It could be blamed on low interest rates which dissuade the lazy investor. After all actively managing your registered investments in the rising share-market demands more time and work, more risk and more cost than a lot of people are willing to expend.
And the promise of a more robust CPP (Canada Pension Plan), thanks to our Ontario premier, may have convinced people that they’ll need less personal savings outside of the CPP. But most likely It has to do with the financial squeeze facing middle-income earners, caught between the pressures of keeping abreast in our consumer society and making ends meet in an ever deteriorating workplace economy. Not much is left over for savings.
 The baby boomers changed the world every decade as they went from cribs to caskets. And perhaps the lure of a tax deferred income savings plan has lost its lustre. Today’s young workforce has to be discouraged listening to their parents’ grumbling over paying more taxes now on RRSP withdrawals than they ever gained in tax relief back when. And maybe RRSPs are not the panacea they were sold to be – to these human guinea pigs, the baby boomers.
Since the CPP gets lumped in with all the other deductions on a pay slip, it also tends to be called a payroll tax. After all, your CPP donation goes off to an agency which holds it until you reach a magic retirement age, or die. In some ways that is like sending one’s income taxes to Ottawa and hoping they’ll come back as old age security payments (OAS) when you retire. So are RRSPs and TFSA’s nothing more than voluntary taxes, since they’re also locked-in under some kind of government plan?
There is a lot of talk about taxes from the candidates vying to be the next leader of the Conservative Party these days. Everyone of them is promising to cut income taxes, and Mr. Chong is claiming the biggest income tax cut of all. But then this pinkish Tory explains he’s doing that because he’s planning to keep Mr. Trudeau’s carbon tax, and making it revenue neutral – reminiscent of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Except Paul already has lots of cash, thank you, and Peter is the guy filling his car’s gas tank.
 Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney leads the chorus in singing an Irish song on stage with his wife (Mila) and U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the conclusion of a gala performance in Quebec City March 17, 1985. Listening to the debates one can’t help but get a warm nostalgic feeling – like back in the days when old Irish-eyed singers Ronnie and Brian first introduced their versions of trickle-down economics between their verses. They reasoned that by giving more money to the rich, the poor would prosper because, as Newton said, everything that goes up eventually trickles down.
The conservative think-tanks and their disciples love, and have never given up on, this zany bit of oxymoronic nonsense. So, not to attract disfavour from their spiritual core sources, the Conservative Tory leadership wannabes are goose-stepping to the beat of our southern neighbour, the Donald, who is promising his billionaire buddies even more.
They say It’s about putting more money in peoples’ pockets. Though why the top 10% of income earning Canadians need that much more cash, or what they would do with it, is a good question. I guess they’ll just let it trickle down to those most in need, like we’ve seen them do in the good old days, right?
Thanks to an economic theory called the ‘marginal propensity to consume’, we know that economic growth comes from putting money into the hands of the lower income masses, not the wealthy. Perhaps some of these candidates are hoping to extend Mr. Trudeau’s modest tax cuts, by shifting tax brackets in favour of the middle class, as he did. Though the not-a-snow-ball’s-chance-in-hell Mr. Chong seems intent on playing the role of a reverse Robin Hood.
 It is the tax deductions from the pay cheques of the working Janes and Joes that keeps the government alive. As Mr. Trudeau found out there is a lot of income tax revenue coming in from the common person, the working Joe/Jane, and shifting tax brackets to favour the middle class is costly to the public purse. So it’ll be easier for your next Tory government to follow the model set by Mr. Trump, which inadvertently stretches the wealth gap even more. And that would add very little real loonie change into the pockets of those in the middle, making it just as hard for them to save for that next RRSP or TFSA.
So, so much for that new 4K TV, a vacation or new car. And so much for securing those golden years with sound financial retirement planning. Who can blame them for not sticking more money into RRSPs and TFSAs.
Despite all the talk of helping the middle class there is not going to be enough left over, unless you just want to pad your bedding as my grandpa did. And if that interrupts your sleep too much, you could always use a little of that modest stash to get a good bottle of vodka.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Pensions – Taxes – More Taxes –
Interest Rates – Marginal Propensity to Consume – Chong –
 By Pepper Parr
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Board of Education felt it was important that they collect the views of as many parents as possible on the possible closing of high schools in Burlington.
They did a survey of people who attended a public meeting in December using hand held devices for people to respond to questions put up on a large screen.
 Parents at a December meeting were asked to give their views on a number of questions – the results were heavily skewed. That one didn’t go all that well for a couple of reasons. The audience was heavily skewed towards parents from Central high school. People from that school showed up. Most people thought the questions were poorly thought through. The people who put the survey together did admit that it wasn’t their finest hour.
The details of that survey can be found at LINK
The Board decided that they really needed input and feedback and set up a second survey that is being done on line and is taking place now.
To complete the current Board of Education on-line survey CLICK here.
 Students doing the on-line survey at the public meeting earlier this week. The original intention of this on-line survey was to set it up so that every household with high school students in Burlington would get a dedicated link to the survey. This would have given the response some validity.
Turns out that somewhere between firm doing the survey and the technical people at the board there was a failure to communicate or someone didn’t know what they were doing.
The survey is on an open link – which means anyone can respond and do so as often as they wish.
 Given the level of feelings on the issue of closing a high school in Burlington you can just see families sitting at their keyboards and responding to the survey for as long as they can stay awake.
We received a graphic that will add a little humour to a situation that isn’t funny anymore.
 By Staff
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a lot of unhappy people who are commenting on how poorly they feel the Halton District School Board is handling the flow of information on the recommendation that was given to the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) to close Central and Pearson high schools.
 Parents scan details and specifics on each of the six school closing options that the PARC is currently considering for the report they will give the Director of Education. The PARC is made up of two parents from each of the seven high schools. Their job is to give the Director of Education a recommendation. The Director of Education does not have to accept or adhere to the recommendation.
The Director then writes his report to the trustees and those trustees make the final decision.
The first public meeting to look at specifics and details was held earlier this week with a very large turnout.
The second public meeting is to take place next Tuesday, March 7th at the New Street Educational centre.
 Robert Bateman high school is going to get a group hug on Saturday. This Saturday the parents at Bateman high school are going to gather and collectively give their school a “hug”.
Bateman is a pretty big school – it is going to take a large crowd of people to circle that building on Saturday.
The group hug takes place at 1:00 pm.
One Gazette reader wrote in and said “your story about the Mayor’s response show how heated it’s gotten and also how poorly the board is handling it all.”
The PARC has now whittled down the 30 options that it was given to six. Under these different options Central, Pearson, Bateman and Nelson could be closed.
There is an option that says – don’t close any of the schools – but change the school boundaries so that the existing high school population is spread more evenly between the high schools.
 Halton District School Board trustees – there are 11 of them; four representing Burlington – all the trustees will vote on school closings Whatever the school board trustees decide, and it is those trustees that are going to make the final decision on May 17th, the concerns should be addressed to the final decision makers – these are the people you elected to oversee the operation of the school in the Halton Region.
There are 11 trustees, four from Burlington that will decide what the board should do.
When the process of determining how to manage the problem of 1800+ empty classroom seats in the high school was put before the public there was very little public interest.
 There were less than ten people at the first “information session” given by the school board staff at Bateman high school. One of them was the school principal. At the first information meeting, there was one held at every high school, there were just five people at the event held at Bateman.
The school board had large banners nailed to the front of six of the high schools to alert parents to the situation.
The focus is currently on the work the PARC is doing. That will shift to the report the Director of Education, Stuart Miller has to write and present to the trustees on March 29th.
The critical dates are set out below.
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools)
March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm
New date New Street Education Centre
3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #5
March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night
April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
 Protesters have stood outside the Board of Education offices on Guelph Line any time there is a PARC meeting.
By Pepper Parr
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
As a city we are going to do ourselves in unless we do better than we are doing.
With the Halton District School Board going through the difficult process of deciding which, if any, high schools to close, the mayor has declared that he “represent the interests of all the people of Burlington. As such, I will not choose to promote one school over another during this review process.”
In a statement published on his blog yesterday, the Mayor said:
“In a perfect world with unlimited financial resources, we would not have to see any schools closed in Burlington.
“Every school in Burlington matters to its neighbourhood, its students and their families, its staff and its alumni.”
“As Mayor, I represent the interests of all the people of Burlington. As such, I will not choose to promote one school over another during this review process. This is a decision of the Halton District School Board, and because of that, it is important that Burlington City Council not use its influence to favour specific schools.
Burlington City Council purposely chose City Manager James Ridge to serve as an objective representative of the City of Burlington on the Halton District School Board’s Program and Accommodation Review Committee.”
That is not how Mr. Ridge got chosen to represent the city on the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC). At a city council meeting the Mayor read out an email he had received from a resident asking that he, the Mayor, sit on the PARC.
 Burlington city manager, on the right with Scott Podrebarac on the left at a PARC meeting. The Mayor said at that meeting that Mr. Ridge had volunteered to sit on the PARC. There was no debate or discussion. The Mayor just made the statement and that was it.
One resident wrote the Gazette and said of the Mayor: “What he doesn’t understand is most residents get that he can’t favour one school over another. But they also don’t expect him to stay on the sidelines. They expect him to speak up on the importance of community schools, and how the city’s strategic plan calls for walkable, complete communities.
“They expect him to represent the public’s interest and encourage the school board to elevate their perspective beyond operating cost reductions.
“The school board has created a process that is pitting one neighbourhood against another. It’s disappointing but not surprising the mayor has declared what he is NOT prepared to do. What resident’s want to do know, is what he WILL do.
 Mayor Rick Goldring at a city council meeting. “If he understood his role and had the fortitude, he would not duck responsibility; rather he would use his office to assist the effort to find the best possible outcome for Burlington, and serve in whatever way he can to bring neighbourhoods together.
“He chose the easy way out.”
By Pepper Parr
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was hard to get a real fix on the size of the crowd – but it was a crowd of people who wanted to know more about what the Halton District School Board meant when they talked about possibly closing two of the city’s seven high schools.
 It was a large fully engaged crowd – who will wonder for the next while if they are getting all their questions answered. The Board has had a PARC in place for more than three months. This group of 14 people – two from each high school – had been tasked with coming up with a recommendation on which, if any, of the high schools should be closed.
The issue was that Burlington has 1800 + empty high school seats which it does not expect to fill for some time.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the city’s newest high school is filled to overcapacity and that other high schools might need portable units.
The problem is to some degree one of changes in the boundaries that were created that determined which high school a student would have to attend.
When the PARC process started in December the focus was on the recommendation that Central and Pearson high school be closed.
 Large posters with maps showing possible high school boundaries were set up for public viewing. During the PARC process there were recommendations that Bateman and Nelson high schools be closed – and that brought a lot more people into the discussion which resulted in the very high turnout Tuesday evening.
People were engaged and asking a lot of questions. The data that was put in front of them was not as clear as it could have been.
Tuesday evening the public saw people from Nelson and Bateman wearing their school sweaters; one parent paraded around wearing a graduation cap.
The discussion and explanations at the six different information stations was directed by senior board staff who touted the board line.
The members of the PARC were present and many of the trustees attended as well.
 Which high school will these two attend? Director of Education Stuart Miller was not at the meeting. He is away for a short period of time on personal matters. The last thing that can be said is he is ducking the issue. He is in this up to his eyebrows and he knows how serious a problem his board faces.
There are decisions that were made six to seven years ago that created the problem he faces; he however has to deal with the reality that today there are 1800 empty seats and the province will not give the Halton Board the funding it needs to keep them empty. Miller points out frequently that the Halton Board is pretty close to the bottom of the list on the amount of funding per capita that it gets from the province.
 Three city Councillors in this picture – two others were floating around as well. Many people wanted to see city council involved in this process; just as many felt it was a school board matter and none of th city’s business. And up until now city council members said very little. That has changed. Every member of council could be seen walking around chatting people up; the exceptions were the Mayor and ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven.
School board trustees for Burlington have been almost glued to this process; the other seven were seldom seen. Last night there were four or five from other communities.
 Scott Podrebarac, chair of the Program Accommodation Review Committee explaining some detail to a parent. There were no introductory remarks. People just walked in, were given a four page flyer that explained what the information on the walls was all about and people were left to walk around and ask questions.
Part of what is taking place is each high school arguing why they should not be closed – there was no higher level look at what Burlington will look like should some high schools be closed.
Burlington is in a state of transition. The city’s population is ageing and the cost of housing is mushrooming.
There will be a lot of discussions taking place in thousands of households across the city in the weeks ahead.
 Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, on the left, is also the PARC representative for the Central high school parents, listens while a Board o Education staffer explains some of the information on the posters. The second public meeting, with an agenda that is identical to what took place Tuesday evening at Hayden high school will be held at the New Street Education Centre on Tuesday March 7th.
If there were 400 people at Hayden last night look for an even higher turn out next week
By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
For those of you north of the QEW – tonight is the night to get a close up look at the six options that are now being considered by the PARC that is in place to give the Halton District School Board Director of Education a recommendation on which, if any of the high schools should be closed.
 Two representatives from each of the seven high schools in the city meeting to recommend an option to the Director of Education. PARC is the Program Accommodation Review Committee that has two representatives each from the six high schools that have now met on four occasions to look at data the board has provided them and make a recommendation.
Details of each of the six options will be set out on different “information” stations” with school board staff on hand to answer questions.
The event takes place at the Hayden high school on Tim Dobbie Drive. The event begins at 7:00 pm. The Board of Education is not making a presentation to an audience – there is no start time. People will be able to move from “information station” to “information station” and look at the maps and accompanying information and ask questions of senior board staff.
The event will be repeated on March 7th at the New Street Education Centre on New Street.
The following are the meetings to take place before a decision date:
| |
|
|
| Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools) |
March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm
|
New Street Education Centre
3250 New Street |
| PARC Working Meeting #5 |
March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole |
March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Public Delegation Night |
April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision |
May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
 Parents from both Central and Pearson high schools have been demonstrating before school board meetings. Burlington Central High school parents have been demonstrating pretty consistently since this process began back in October. They would like to see more involvement from city hall even though the final decision will be made by the school board trustees in May.
 By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Ward 1 and 2 School Board trustee Leah Reynolds. Ward 1 and 2 School Board trustee Leah Reynolds tells her constituents that she expects the board ratify changes to the Delegation By-law to make it easier for the public to submit a request to speak on an issue that is important to them in front of the elected board of trustees. Some of the proposed improvements are:
* The public will now have the ability to review the meeting agenda and board reports prior to submitting a delegation request.
* The deadline to submit a Delegation Request Form is extended up to two business days (at noon) prior to the board meeting.
* Prepared written transcripts are no longer required. This allows presenters the freedom to express themselves without adhering strictly to written materials that previously required Chair review.
* Each delegation will be allowed an additional five minutes for trustee questions and comments to allow for further clarification.
* Delegations can be made at Trustee Committee of the Whole Meetings. These meetings are open to the public, less formal with more opportunity for a question and answer dialogue rather than speeches and statements typically made at board meetings.
A positive change that will have an impact on the Public Delegation Night that has been set aside to hear delegations on the proposed high school closing scheduled for April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Parents throughout Burlington will have gotten a survey asking them what they think of the six options that are before the Program Accommodation Review Committee.
It is a reasonably fair and balanced survey at first glance.
There is one small problem and that is the detail behind each option is viewed in a separate screen and the type is so small it really cannot be read.
The Board would like your feedback on the remaining six options through the online survey. Click here to get to the survey.
The survey is available Monday February 27 – Monday March 13 (until 4:30 pm).
The order in which Options appear in the online survey is random.
All responses will be anonymous.
The survey can only be completed by using a desktop or laptop computer. It cannot be completed on a tablet or mobile device.
A public meeting is scheduled for North Burlington schools on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School. The meeting for South Burlington schools is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 2017.
We urge you to attend the public meeting – it doesn’t have a start time – you can drop in at any time and get more detail on any one of the six options. There will be Board of Education staff members on hand to answer questions.
For those who aren’t going to be able to get to either of the two public meetings set out below are details on each of the options. The details were released at one of the PARC meeting.
The six options are as follows:
Option 23d ‐ Robert Bateman HS, Lester B Pearson HS closes, Dr. Frank J Hayden SS program change
No change to Aldershot HS boundary
Burlington Central HS catchment expands to include Tecumseh PS catchment
IB program added to Burlington Central HS from Robert Bateman
Nelson HS boundary expands east. SC‐SPED & Essential programming redirected to Nelson HS from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS ENG catchment expands to include Lester B Pearson HS
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS. No change to the English catchment.
Option 19b – Burlington Central HS, Lester B Pearson closes HS, Dr Frank J Hayden SS & Robert Bateman HS program change
Aldershot HS catchment expands east to Brant St, ESL program relocated to Aldershot HS from Burlington Central HS. 10 rooms available from the Aldershot elementary facility to accommodate additional
Nelson HS expands west to Brant
Robert Bateman HS catchment include John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle Rd, and the entire Frontenac PS catchment
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS with same boundaries as the English program
MM Robinson HS English boundary expands to include Lester B Pearson HS. FI boundary include Dr. Frank J Hayden SS with the exception of John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle
Frank J Hayden becomes English only school, with a reduced English catchment area
Option 4b – Robert Bateman HS closes
No change to Aldershot HS
Burlington Central HS expands to include the entire Tecumseh PS
Nelson HS expands east to include Robert Bateman HS. Nelson HS receives the SC‐SPED and Essential programming from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Florence Meares PS catchment. IB program and Gifted Secondary Placement added to Lester B. Pearson HS from Robert Bateman HS and Nelson HS
Frank J Hayden SS English catchment area is reduced.
Option 7b – No changes to schools south of the QEW
Frank J Hayden SS Boundary change
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment area, John William Boich PS catchment area south of Upper Middle Road, and Alexander’s PS catchment
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
Option 28d – Burlington Central HS and Lester B Pearson HS closes, Program change for Dr Frank J Hayden SS
Aldershot HS catchment area expands easterly to railway tracks, ESL program added to Aldershot from Burlington Central
Nelson HS catchment area expands west to the railway
Robert Bateman HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Frontenac PS catchment
MM Robinson HS catchment area expands to include Lester B Pearson HS catchment area.
FI is removed from Dr. Frank J Hayden SS and redirected to MM Robinson HS
CH Norton PS area that is currently directed to Lester B Pearson HS, to be redirected to Dr Frank J Hayden
Option 3b – Nelson HS closes, Dr Frank J Hayden SS and Burlington Central HS have a program change
Aldershot FI expands to include Burlington Central HS FI catchment
Burlington Central HS English catchment area expands to Walkers Line
Robert Bateman HS expands west to Walkers
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS
Lester B Pearson HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Kilbride PS catchment area. The Secondary Gifted placement added to Lester B Pearson HS from Nelson
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS.
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
By Staff
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong, that Merry Band of “die hards” that are fighting the good fight to keep their school open, have another task that they need help with.
 They are going to walk to city hall and perhaps march into the council chamber. They want you to meet at Burlington Central at 5:15 pm tomorrow, Monday, February 27th. They will be walking along Brant St to raise awareness and bring attention to their cause and will end at City Hall where they will greet City Councillors and Mayor prior to the city council meeting.
They want everyone to bring their Save Central signs or the signs that reflect your thoughts on what City Council should be doing.
Part 2 of this initiative is some canvassing of downtown streets, so that they can gather data on what they know to be the changing demographics of the core.
They have seen numerous infill developments all around the core of the city and believe they are seeing a lot of housing turn over with many new families moving in when empty-nesters and retired homeowners move out (some of them moving to the new downtown condos).
 However, maintains Central Strong, the Halton District School Board doesn’t seem to have heard of this phenomenon.
The Board is about to do an on-line survey of parents relating to the options on the table at the Program Accommodation Review. Central Strong makes reference to a comment made by Kirk Perris that this is a “non-scientific survey”. That isn’t completely true.
Those parents responding to the survey sent to them by the board will produce results that are “scientific” in that the only people who can respond to the survey sent to the household will be people from that household.
There will be a second survey, identical to the one being sent to the households, that anyone can respond to – that version of the survey will not be scientific – anyone from Pakistan will be able to respond was the way Kirk Perris put it.
The Gazette expects to have the link to the public survey late Monday afternoon and will publish that as soon as it is received.
Households will get their link directly from the board.
The door to door survey work the Central Strong people want to do might reveal data that has not been known up until now. And getting all the data possible is well worth the effort.
Central Strong is asking that “as many of you as possible to pick a street, perhaps your own street or another nearby street, and do a simple checklist for us and send it in to us. If we can get a good number of streets done, that would be great.”
 The first public meeting on the closing of Burlington high schools didn’t go all that well. Specifically, include:
Street Name
Number of Homes Canvassed
How many homes have changed from seniors/retirees to families with children in last year, 3 years, 5 years.
How many have been family homes for more than 5 years
How many are empty nesters/retirees
Of the empty nesters/retirees, how many plan on selling within 1-5 years; 5-10 years
You might know the answers for some of the homes on your street without needing to ask.
It would also be helpful if some people could canvass an apartment or condo building floor or two so that we can see how many children are living there now and extrapolate that to the number in the total building.
Central Strong wants to be able to show that the downtown core is expanding as we know it is, that the development coming to the core will bring families and children, but also that the houses that are here are turning over to more and more families.
Important Dates
Public Meeting #2 (North Burlington schools) February 28, 2017 at 7:00 pm at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School, 3040 Tim Dobbie Drive
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools) March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm at New Street Education Centre, 3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #4 March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm. J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Members of the PARC will be given the data from the surveys taking place between February 27th and March 13th
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line.
This is where the buck is going to stop. The 11 elected trustees will make the final decision. Will they prove to be independent or will the people that elected them see a decision to go with the staff recommendation.
 By Pepper Parr
February 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is almost as if the parents who want to keep their local schools open have to do the job with one hand tied behind their backs.
Changes in provincial government legislation has reduced the number of public meetings a school board has to hold and it removes any focus on what happens to the community.
Director Miller has been saying from the get go that the interests of the students is his primary focus – that comes straight out of the provincial government play book.
 Parents from different high schools watch the PARC deliberate; they have held four meetings to date. The Ontario government is speeding up the process for closing schools, as part of a crackdown on publicly funded boards with too many classrooms sitting empty.
Ministry of education guidelines defines schools less than two-thirds full as “underutilized” and are candidates for either closing or changes to their boundaries or programs they offer. The ministry now has new guidelines for community consultations that must take place before a school can be closed. Critics say the guidelines limit public engagement and make it easier to close schools.
A committee reviewing the fate of a school is required to hold two public meetings instead of four under the new regime, and the time frame for conducting a review is cut to five months from seven. Another major change causing considerable angst for municipal officials is a shift in emphasis toward student achievement and away from considering the impact of closing a school on the well-being of a community and the local economy.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), said focusing the review process more narrowly on the interests of students might help school boards solve their fiscal challenges. But it comes at the expense of the longer-term interests of a community, including the impact closing a school could have on residential real estate values.
The new process gives municipal governments a formal role for the first time, providing an opportunity for school boards to collaborate with municipalities in making the best use of school space.
 Mayor Goldring may have thought he was dodging a bullet when he had his city manager sit on the PAR committee. Mayor Golding, who sits on an AMO committee, is treating the closing of high schools like a roaring fire – something he isn’t going to get very close to – he accepted the offer of city manager James Ridge, who apparently volunteered for the task of representing the city on the PARC. Ridge has said very little.
An AMO spokesperson said: “A school is the hub of a community. When you close a school, that community has lost a draw for anybody to ever come back.” It is self-evident that property values in the community that loses a school will fall.
Then Minister of Education Elizabeth Sandals said that she wants the school boards and the municipalities to have an ongoing relationship where they are sharing their planning data so that the municipalities are aware of where there are clusters of underutilized schools.
The reality many school boards are facing is that there are too many empty seat and they are under pressure to address the financial drain.
The Halton Board seems to have decided it will follow the provincial guidelines and almost bulldoze the PARC parents into accepting the option the board put on the table; close two of the seven high schools.
We now have a situation where the Program Accommodation Review Committee currently looking for options it can give Director Miller is facing a board administration that fudges data and doesn’t work in a collaborative way with the PARC. It amounts to a lost opportunity for everyone.
 Aldershot High school PARC member Steve Cussons and Central high school representative Ian Farwell on the left. Miller is quite right when he speaks of the significant time and effort the 14 PAR committee members are putting in. They have had to climb a very steep learning curve and have found on too many occasions that some of the data is incorrect.
Miller seems to have lost the opportunity to harness the energy and creativity of the PAR committee. Is it too late for him and his team to make a mid-course correction and put some substance into the words, “collaborative” and collectively?
This is a shared problem and there is an opportunity to work as a community that understands and respects each other.
Michael Barrett, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, said in many heavily contested cases in the past, it was often a municipality that was fighting to prevent a school from closing.
That certainly isn’t the case in Burlington.
By Staff
February 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Gary Scobie Burlington resident Gary Scobie wants the school closing process now asking place in Burlington halted. Here is what he had to say the provincial Minister of Education.
Dear Minister Hunter,
On February 16th I sent an email to Mr. Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board (HDSB), on which you and other officials were copied. I discussed the how the PAR process happening in Burlington for our high schools has been mismanaged by the Board, leading to a probable conclusion to close our oldest school, Central High, in the downtown core while leaving our newest school, Hayden High, north of the QEW over-filled into portables and over-bussed.
Other schools are still in the mix for closure and catchment alterations. I have no vested interest in the outcome (our daughters were well-educated in Burlington and now live elsewhere as adults). I do not live in the downtown core, but see the possible loss of our oldest school, Central High, as damaging to the future prospects of our downtown residential, commercial and cultural livability.
In real estate, they say the three most important things are location, location, location. This could not be truer for any other high school in Burlington. Central High is part of the fabric that makes our downtown attractive to families. Having a local school that is walked to by 92% of the students means it is a school that deserves to stay and be refurbished to meet all accessibility and program requirements. The alternative, being promoted by the HDSB is to close it and bus the students to the far reaches of suburban Burlington in the east and the west, thereby gutting our downtown of any future attraction to families.
Our downtown is the key intensification area in the future, as directed by our Provincial Government. There will be more condos and stacked townhouses built as re-development occurs under provincial mandate. I believe we all want families to move into existing housing and these new forms of housing to be built in the downtown core, keeping it vital both commercially and culturally. Removing one distinctive hub (Central High) will do much to defeat this goal. Once it is gone, it will never reappear as land in the downtown will be too expensive to re-assemble by the Board.
There are other alternatives, but they have been given short shrift by the Board in this mismanaged PAR process. I therefore am requesting that you, as Minister of Education, investigate this PAR process as soon as possible and request a halt to it before irreparable damage is done to our student experience in Burlington. This process is, after all, to benefit students. In doing so, it should not damage forever the most important neighbourhood in our City, our downtown core neighbourhood.
Burlington is well-known as one of the best cities in Canada to live and age in. I want to protect that reputation. The changes in the schooling of our students have the power to either damage or promote this reputation going forward. The issue is too important to be decided only by the HDSB in a poorly executed PAR process. I ask that the PAR be halted and the catchment areas be adjusted to distribute students fairly in the neighbourhoods where they live, using all the existing schools for now. Take a break from the PAR, step back and consider if a PAR is actually in the best interest of Burlington students, and if it is, begin again, with all of the data accurate and complete this time and treat every school and every student in a fair manner from the beginning. Thank you for your consideration.
Gary Scobie
Burlington ON
By Pepper Parr
February 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
With the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) having gone through a long and very arduous process that some of them are not suited to they can now rest on their oars for a few weeks and see what the public has to say about the six options they have decided should be looked at seriously.
The vast majority of the members of the PAR committee are doing superb work.
 The 14 members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee are all volunteers who have put in some long hours and exchanged thousands of emails to get to the point where there are six options for the public to review. The disappointing aspect of the PARC process is that we now have parents from different schools battling with other parents to ensure that their school does not get closed. The process that Burlington has had to follow almost guaranteed this outcome – the PARC members find themselves between a rock and an even harder place – they have not had an opportunity to frame the debate and discussion and have not had the benefit of adequate an accurate information.
 The PAR committee members are fully immersed in the process. For several this is going to be a very dis-satisfying experience. They deserved better treatment. These people volunteered – put in hundreds of hours and their work is not finished yet. There are some very talented people on the PAR committee and for the most part the ideas they have put forward are commendable.
They had hoped to have some input on the on-line survey that is going to be done – no such luck. One PARC member expressed some concern with the survey that is being put together. The one done December 8th was described by Kirk Perris, the man who put it together as “not one of his better efforts”. That wasn’t an understatement.
The public meeting plan explained to the PARC members was for an event that is to be as interactive as these things can be.
There are two parts to the public engagement: an online survey and public meetings where people can look at the details and ask questions. There will be one public meeting in the north end of the city and a second, with identical content in the south of the city.
 Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid facilitator hired by the board is designing the public meting content and the on-line surveys. He and PARC chair Scott Podrebarac are guiding the process. Perris intends to set up information stations for each of the six options. Board staff will be on hand to explain the details of each option. PARC members will be on hand as well to give their take on how they got to where they are.
The on-line survey will be opened on the 27th of February. It will be sent out to all parents and there will be an on-line version for anyone else who wants to participate.
The first public meeting in the north end of the city is on the 28th – at Hayden high school, the second is on March 7th at the Gary Allan educational centre on New Street. Both start at 7:00 pm
The survey goes off-line on the 131th of March. There will be print versions of the survey available.
It would be advisable for anyone responding to the survey to wait until they have had a chance to attend one of the public meetings.
Perris talked in terms of questions that would be open ended as well as questions that would be closed ended.
He described the meetings as an exercise in public engagement – there are a lot of smart people who are looking very carefully and closely at the process so far and they do not feel engaged.
One PARC member wanted to know how the data collected is going to be used: “is this a popularity contest or are you going after data that is quantitative or qualitative? Why are we doing this?
 Burlington trustees Andrea Grebenc, on the left and Leah Reynolds have attended all the PARC meeting. Trustees Papin and Collard’s antecedence has been more sporadic. There are some serious concerns in the minds of those people who are following this issue as well as members of the PARC.
The trustees who will make the final decision are sitting on the side lines – observing. One cannot envy them for what is coming their way.
 By Brian Dean, Executive Director
Burlington Downtown Business Association
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) is a not-for-profit, incorporated organization that represents the interests of its business membership in the downtown core of Burlington. We undertake multiple roles including event management, communications, marketing and advocacy on behalf of the 435 business and commercial property owners in the downtown.
 BDBA Executive Director Brian Dean – is that parking meter on his desk as a keepsake? We are interested in all issues that affect the present and future health of our unique community of small businesses.
In January 2017 our Board of Directors met with two representatives from The Halton District School Board at our request. Mr. Stuart Miller, Director of Education and Mr. Dom Renzella, General Manager of Planning attended to brief our Directors with a presentation entitled “Program and Accommodation Review Burlington Secondary Schools”.
 The Downtown Business association calls Central high school a venerable institution. The representatives shared the fact that two of the five conditions have been met to trigger a Burlington Secondary PAR. Further that the present recommendation includes the closure of Burlington Central High School, and, that a Program and Accommodation Review Committee had been struck. We understand that this PARC is actively reviewing information and garnering feedback from the broader community.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association would like to be considered a community partner to this consultation.
Of the high schools in the City of Burlington none is more venerable or as embedded within an established community of business as Central High School. The BDBA and its member businesses have developed a symbiotic relationship with the student body at Central High School over many decades.
The Downtown business community has a primary trade area, within a two kilometer radius, of approximately 24,497 people. Bounded by a stable residential neighbourhood, our draw includes approximately 1,200 people in the age range 15-19 years. We have observed the value of the student economy to the continued health of several of our member businesses.
Local high school students are patrons of several businesses in the downtown core. In fact, we are aware of some entrepreneurs that have adapted their business models to accommodate the cycle of student schedules. Several businesses have elected to open in the downtown because of the proximity to the high school population which is a primary market for their business model.
 There is hardly a storefront on Brant Street that doesn’t have a Save Central sign in their window. More than 1200 of the signs have been distributed. These same students provide reciprocal value to several downtown businesses as a ready source of labour. Given that Central High School students are generally in the school’s geographic catchment area they are a reliable source of employment for businesses that value a proximal, walk able labour force.
Our business community benefits from the rich group of student volunteers that are critical to the success of our events, arts and cultural programming and other animation. The BDBA in particular, as a chief event organizer has provided Central High School with countless opportunities to explore the forty hours of community service required per student each year.
Further, both public and private sector groups within our downtown have been advantaged by the co-op and intern programs offered to the wider community by Central High School. We value the opportunity to mentor young business leaders and students similarly gain invaluable experience by liaising with community leaders.
The downtown business community has developed an appreciation of the mutually rewarding relationship with our students and the student economy. Toward our goal of making the downtown a “complete neighbourhood” we believe that Central High School plays a key role in ensuring that we cater to patrons at all stages of life.
Evidence of this is the BDBA’s observation that a number of downtown business members have elected to post signs in support of the movement to keep the high school open. As a body that advocates for the best interests of our small business community, the BDBA feels compelled to acknowledge this groundswell of support.
In a broader context, the BDBA has concerns about the potential cultural and historical impact of folding such a storied institution. As a community building organization we value the fact that parents are the city’s primary work force and a key market demographic for many small businesses. Families with school aged children are an important part of the diverse economy downtown; this diverse economy fuels our city centre’s economic resilience. High schools in downtown cores remain powerful agents in creating social networks. It would be unfortunate for families of school aged children to relocate to other parts of the city as a result of a lack of quality schools in their neighbourhood.
 How big will the hit to this Tim Hortons be if central high school is closed? Central High School students and families benefit significantly because of their location within a downtown district. Concerted efforts by community builders to make the downtown safe and livable for young adults results in a higher standards of livability. The result is enhanced facilities like accessible parks and public areas, traffic-calmed streets, better public transportation and other amenities.
In the coming months the BDBA will be canvassing its membership to quantify the value of the student economy to their businesses. We will also endeavour to learn from our business members the value to the students of their high school being located in the downtown core, on the doorstep of 435 businesses as well a several public institutions (City Hall, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Art Gallery of Burlington, Museums of Burlington etc).
Benefits to students include enhanced opportunities for a wide range of co-op placements, work experience, and volunteer service – all within walking distance. The BDBA believes that there is neither this number nor variety of both public and private institutions available to students within walking distance of a high school anywhere else in Burlington.
The BDBA will be assembling survey feedback in anticipation of a revised statement for review by the Program and Accommodation Review Committee.
 By Tom Muir
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
I had a good hour long conversation with Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board earlier this month.
He told me he saw this Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) process as being about students, about what is good for them. However, when I raised some questions about how these benefits to students were being measured, this goal was not supported with data.
I asked for several forms of data (see below) but have not heard back from him.
 Hayden High, named after a Burlington leader in the development of sport for the disabled. Grades 9 and 10 show up on Tuesday. The building of Hayden he agrees is the main driver for the mess. That is something that everyone knows, but unfortunately, for the credibility of the Board and the process you are in, nobody is talking about this. This needs to be rectified as it is key to the legitimacy of what you are doing.
Director Miller said he doesn’t want to go into how Hayden was justified – too political for him, he said. I asked for the paper trail, saying there had to be one, and I want to see it. I intend to follow up on this, and I ask for the paper trail below, but my own inquiry of all the available LTAPs finds that it smells bad.
I have looked into this deeper and it’s not transparent and there is no accountability. There was no justification, except, as Mr. Miller opined, the Ministry was talked into a new school there because the students up there should have a school. There is no justification in New Pupil Places, and Growth Pupil Places, using ministry concepts, anywhere in the LTAPs or Capital Plans.
There is no mention of a need for new pupil places, as the long term enrollment trends were consistently flat to trending down.
In fact, there was scarcely a mention of a new NE Burlington Secondary School to be found anywhere in the LTAPs, just that something about getting one was afoot.
It was clearly a transfer of students from the six high schools to Hayden that was used to fill it. Changing feeders to add to Hayden from Pearson. This much is mentioned, but very little attention was brought to bear.
There was no explanation that I found of why the school was needed, despite stable to falling enrollments, and no rationale was offered.
 Gerry Cullen, Superintendent of Facilities and Services; The complex that is made up of the Public Library, the Haber Recreation Centre and Hayden high school was his baby. The significant issue here is that the staff people who planned and delivered Hayden are not being held accountable, or even explaining, but they are the staff body that is doing the analysis and providing information to the PARC right now. I don’t think you are getting a real drill down and detailed set of options.
The evidence in the LTAPs shows that Board staff basically and covertly fabricated a false rationale, to build student spaces that are not needed, for the opening of Hayden.
So my deep concern now is, that it’s not unexpected that these people can also design and fabricate a false rationale and process to close student spaces – to close schools.
As far as I can see this is what is happening.
All this does is cover up their gross mistake that created the situation, and they are just evading it in order to escape accountability.
Unfortunately, Director Miller, the boss of all this, is too politically shy to bring this accountability forward to the table, and so he countenances and approves this evasion of responsibility.
This leads directly to the conclusion that the Board lacks credibility, which depends on coming clean and being contrite.
Everyone needs to see this, and understand why I persist in raising it as a key issue in the resolution of the PAR.
We discussed information needs and what I would like to see.
 Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller. 1. I essentially demanded the accountability paper trail and business plan of how Hayden was approved.
2. I suggested that empty seats be divided between all seven schools, and then six schools. Analyze what is needed to do this (boundaries), and the relative or net money savings compared to the closure and other options.
3. Show how any money savings will be spent for the benefit of students. I asked for detailed data on; number of additional subject offerings, in what schools and how many students gain. I want to see the entire accounting balance.
4. What are the variable operating costs of the empty seats in Central and Pearson.
5. Revisit student number projections downtown. It is another error to discount families moving into condos as affordable.
These are all essential questions I think.
Beyond these outstanding issues and questions, I have a few things to say about the progress I read about in the Burlington Gazette in the first two PARC meetings.
I think the options outlined so far are directing the PARC to closures. The dot-mocracy process from the Gazette’s latest story suggests to me that the PARC is voting, not to the student benefits, but to save their own schools. I think this is due to the framework the Board is using, that frustrates people to exercise the only power that appears available to them.
Two options that close both Central and Pearson are essentially the same in the biggest and most important outcomes and consequences. People are essentially voting for the same thing.
Having these two options and giving them votes, is like rigging the candidate list so the same candidate can be voted for twice.
You can’t add these votes to get a legitimate result.
This is pretty obvious, but perhaps not to everyone.
These closure options are the worst possible results for students, residents and the city of Burlington.
 Muir argues that the PARC members are being herded into choices that are not in the best interests on the students and the city of Burlington. Just look at the criteria met, and criteria not met. Those met by closures are most often expressed in general, vague non-specific terms – there are no details. For example, the “no closures” option; “Does not meet a range of outstanding issues, which prompted the PAR.”
Those criteria unmet by closing schools obviously impact the students directly, in concrete and definitely negative terms. This happens in many ways that you are aware of and I will not repeat here.
These options are definitely not about the student’s welfare.
Unfortunately for the people of Burlington, in my opinion, the Board staff seem to excel at providing rigged and manipulated information and choices to get what they want. They did it for Hayden for seats not needed, and now they are doing it again to get rid of schools.
They have boxed you in to a process that is narrowing and focusing you to vote for what you see as the interest of your school and keeping it open. Since the five schools not really named seriously for closure outnumber the two focused on, you can see how the potential votes are translating to actual results reported in the Gazette.
By way of this message I am asking Director Miller, the Board, and the PARC to request and/or provide answers to my questions, explanations, and requests for information.
If you people want this, you will very apparently have to go after it and demand this accountability.
How else can the Board ever be credible and able to be trusted?
 Tom Muir is a resident of Aldershot who has been a persistent critic of decisions made by city council. He turns his attention to the current school board mess. He recently suggested to Burlington city council that “If you are so tired of and frustrated by, listening to the views of the people that elected you, then maybe you have been doing this job too long and should quit.”
Muir challenges the decision to build Hayden high school and asks that the Board of Education accept responsibility for the mistake.
 By Staff
February 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s public art program would like people to describe Burlington to a ‘tea’.
Beginning, Feb. 25, 2017, the city is launching an exciting new project designed to learn more about Burlington’s neighbourhoods and its unique culture. Over a six-month period, artist Lisa Hirmer will be conducting research into Burlington’s ‘cultural nodes’.
Cultural nodes are areas within the city where residents can experience and share culture.
 As part of her work, Hirmer will be presenting a series of temporary art installations and performances.
The first event is Burlington Tea! This project will invite participants to warm up while they share their experiences of the city. Residents will be tasked with designing a tea flavour that reflects their experience of their neighbourhood. Participants will then get to enjoy a cup of the tea they designed.
This event is free and you do not need to register in advance! Please join us at the following locations:
Feb. 25, 2017
10 a.m. to noon Haber Recreation Centre and Norton Park
2 to 4 p.m. Brant Hills Community Centre and Park
Feb. 26, 2017
10 a.m. to noon Tansley Woods Community Centre and Park
2 to 4 p.m. Lowville Park
March 1, 2017
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Civic Square, Burlington City Hall
Lisa Hirmer is an interdisciplinary artist who has created publicly engaged projects across the world and has worked with University of Lethbridge Gallery, Peninsula Arts (U.K.), Flux Factory (USA), Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Nuit Blanche (Toronto), CAFKA (Kitchener-Waterloo) and Doris McCarthy Gallery (Toronto) amongst many others.
 Lisa Hirmer is going to work with groups to describe Burlington to a tea! Hirmer is a Guelph-based inter-disciplinary artist whose work combines visual art, design, social practice, performance and art-based forms of critical research. She is the director of DodoLab, an experimental project-based practice focused on exploring and responding to the complicated reality of public opinion. She was selected as the Artiss in Residence for rhe city of Guelph in 2016
She has a master’s degree from the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture, and her work has been shown across North America, Europe, Australia and the UK. Locally, she has created projects with The Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of Guelph, the Musagetes Foundation and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
For Burlington Tea! She is joined by award-winning environmental designer, Glynis Logue.
Angela Paparizo, Manager, Arts and Culture sees this initiative as something that will be “fun, intriguing, artistic and cultural. Tea is a drink that spans across so many cultures. A cup of tea can break down barriers, start conversations or more simply, warms you physically and emotionally.”
By Pepper Parr
February 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The bureaucrats use the words “transparency” and “accountable” when they talk about the work they do. It is the citizens that employ these bureaucrats that insist on both the transparency and for the bureaucrats to be accountable.
Dave Myers, a retired senior who gets away to ski a little from time to time has sat in on all of the Program and Accommodation Review (PARC) meeting and found himself wondering about some of the data the public was being given.
Myers was in sales and marketing and the costs of a product or service are things he can get his head around.
Burlington is currently undergoing a Program and Accommodation Review that may lead to the closure of one or more high schools in the city. A PARC with two parents from each of the seven high schools has been meeting to discuss closure options. The meetings are open to the public.
Myers, a parent, not on the PARC, who has attended these meetings and reviewed the information provided to the PARC believes there are several concerns about the renewal costs for Burlington High Schools.
 Gerry Cullen, Superintendent of Facilities and Services with the Halton District School Board. He apparently has funny numbers. On Thursday February 17th at the Burlington Secondary High School PARC meeting, Halton District School Board Superintendent, Gerry Cullen explained how high schools are maintained and upgraded.
Myers believes Cullen clearly recognized that there was an error in the data presented in the November 6thSchool Information Package (SIP). SIP’s are documents that have more information than anyone could want on the condition of a high school. The data is available on the school board web site.
Adding to the confusion Myers says PARC members were told previously that the January 24th SIP renewal costs, that were hugely different than they were on November 6th, were incorrect and new data would be forthcoming.
At Thursday’s PARC working meeting #4, Cullen said, that actually the January 24th SIP renewal costs were correct and expressed 100% confidence in this information.
So, wonders Myers: “the data’s correct, sorry that data is incorrect and here’s the new data, no it’s incorrect, more new data coming, no, no, sorry the data is correct, and we’re 100% confident this time. Confused? Trusting?”
In the HDSB’s January 24th SIP both historical and projected renewal costs are presented, let’s look at those historical costs.
Are these in fact “actual real costs” or historical budgeted costs?
Myers took the HDSB’s historical costs and compared them annually by school.
 Notice the exact same “costs” for MM Robinson in 2012 and 2013, these look like budget numbers vs. actual real historical costs. When the information is presented this way, a few other observations and questions arise. Myers points out that:
This is a 10 year view (2004 – 2013), why is data included for 2015 for two of the schools only?
No renewal work was done for Pearson and Nelson in 2008, and for 2 consecutive years at Bateman and Pearson?
The total cost for Aldershot does not balance with the January 24th SIP data.
Almost $8M was spent on renewals in 2005, then only $821,000 in 2013, a ten-fold decrease?
Cullen explained that renewals were managed and planned to take out the yearly ups and downs.
There are more questions that can be raised, but scratching at the surface suggests a data quality/data integrity concern said Myers.
Some have already questioned the projected renewal costs for our high schools by. Myers looked at this information closely and has questions regarding its quality and accuracy.
First of all, according to the foot notes in the January 24th SIP the data for renewals is based on inspections completed in 2011, so the information is 6 years old as of today! I don’t recall Mr. Cullen communicating that to the PARC representatives.
The inspectors at the time were making predictions of renewal costs for 10 years into the future or to 2021 – how good was their crystal ball?
Why would the HDSB not complete a more recent series of inspections in, say 2016, knowing it was going to undertake a PAR?
But most interestingly, only Central shows work for 2020 and 2021. How is it possible that there is no identified renewal work for Aldershot after 2014; Pearson after 2018; MM Robinson 2015-2020; Nelson after 2015; Bateman after 2018?
Is data missing, or not being reported? Or has the HDSB completed work for other schools that were lower priority than renewal required work for Central?
Myers also looked closely at the actual renewal costs that Cullen has put forward for Central:
$1.9M for a new roof at Central, Historical SIP and Google Earth shows that some roof sections are new – has this been accounted for in the estimate?.
The SIP data also shows that roof replacements (if accurate) had been completed at Nelson, Bateman, Pearson and Aldershot with Central being one of the last in the cycle. So are we making decisions for students based on scheduled roof repairs?
Why did the HDSB put a brand-new roof on portables at Pearson with enrollment at 392 students in a school with a student capacity of 642 students in the permanent building and 936 students when the portables are included. Would it have been more cost efficient to remove these portables as they were not needed, not to mention an eyesore and detract visually from the school?
Fittings Auditorium Seating – $159,000; the auditorium at Central was completely renovated five years ago for $120,000 and largely paid for by fundraising at the school. All the seats are new. Fittings for the seats are budgeted to cost more than the entire renovation?
$280,000 for roadway and parking lots and Pedestrian walkways at Central. Myers inspected the asphalt surfaces at Central and all other high schools and found Central to be typical in condition to the other schools, and in fact more than acceptable. Nelson and MM Robinson appear to require more pavement work yet Nelson shows $0 and MM Robinson only Shows $96,000?
It appears most if not all windows at Central have been replaced, yet $38,000 is called out for new windows.
$1.6M is required for various heating and ventilation system renewals at Central, a boiler was replaced and much work was done to the heating system historically.
Studies – $71,000 for Central, albeit a small item, approximately $30,000 is carried for studies for the other schools, so studies at Central are twice that at other schools?
So what, asks Myers, is the PARC supposed to do with this data? It is clear that the data is incomplete and inconsistent among schools at best, and potentially prejudicial to a few schools at worst, especially one of the schools named in the original closure recommendation (Central).
 The 14 parents who serve on the PARC are being smothered with data that is correct one meeting, incorrect the next and difficult to comprehend. As such, the PARC should be very careful about making any decisions based on these numbers. In fact, they have been advised by the PARC chair “not to focus on the numbers.”
That is all well and good, however, says Myers, the “bell has been rung” already by providing these numbers, and it is very difficult to walk it back and for PARC members to un-hear or forget the costs they have been given for the five year renewal costs.
 Cold, dark conditions don’t stop the parents from Central and Pearson high schools from demonstrating outside the School Board offices on Guelph line. Further, the HDSB has not taken significant efforts to correct this data and provide a more complete, consistent set of numbers for the PARC to review. That remains a significant problem with this process, one of many already raised about the quality of the information being provided to the PARC on which they are to base their deliberations.
If the data cannot be trusted and if the Board of Education chooses not to respond or provide valid data is the PARC process Burlington is currently going through valid?
Is it transparent?
Are the bureaucrats accountable?
Doesn’t look that way does it.
All the data, the debate and the serious citizen concern are headed towards the trustees – one can only hope that they will be both transparent and accountable and put a stop to this farce.
By Staff
February 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Program Accommodation Review (PARC) committee has gotten to the point where they can put forward six options they will send to the Director of Education.
 Ward 2 city councillor MArianne Meed Ward is reprenting Cntral high school parents on the PARC. She has a son at Central. She told a meeting of Central high parents earlier in the week that it is “tough” going but that she was optimistic that Central high school could b kept open. After four meetings at which these people worked hard at absorbing mountains of information and communicating with each other – there are 14 members of the PAR process – they are at the point where they can say : This is where we are – there is at this point no consensus on any one option but they have whittled down the 30 they had in front of them to the six the public will be asked to comment on
There will be two public meetings, one in the north another in the south on February 28th and March 7th.
Here are the options:
Option 23d ‐ Robert Bateman HS, Lester B Pearson HS closes, Dr. Frank J Hayden SS program change
No change to Aldershot HS boundary
Burlington Central HS catchment expands to include Tecumseh PS catchment
IB program added to Burlington Central HS from Robert Bateman
Nelson HS boundary expands east. SC‐SPED & Essential programming redirected to Nelson HS from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS ENG catchment expands to include Lester B Pearson HS
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS. No change to the English catchment.
Option 19b – Burlington Central HS, Lester B Pearson closes HS, Dr Frank J Hayden SS & Robert Bateman HS program change
Aldershot HS catchment expands east to Brant St, ESL program relocated to Aldershot HS from Burlington Central HS. 10 rooms available from the Aldershot elementary facility to accommodate additional
Nelson HS expands west to Brant
Robert Bateman HS catchment include John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle Rd, and the entire Frontenac PS catchment
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS with same boundaries as the English program
MM Robinson HS English boundary expands to include Lester B Pearson HS. FI boundary include Dr. Frank J Hayden SS with the exception of John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle
Frank J Hayden becomes English only school, with a reduced English catchment area
Option 4b – Robert Bateman HS closes
No change to Aldershot HS
Burlington Central HS expands to include the entire Tecumseh PS
Nelson HS expands east to include Robert Bateman HS. Nelson HS receives the SC‐SPED and Essential programming from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Florence Meares PS catchment. IB program and Gifted Secondary Placement added to Lester B. Pearson HS from Robert Bateman HS and Nelson HS
Frank J Hayden SS English catchment area is reduced.
Option 7b – Dr. Frank J Hayden SS Boundary change
No changes to schools south of the
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment area, John William Boich PS catchment area south of Upper Middle Road, and Alexander’s PS catchment
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
Option 28d – Burlington Central HS and Lester B Pearson HS closes, Program change for Dr Frank J Hayden SS
Aldershot HS catchment area expands easterly to railway tracks, ESL program added to Aldershot from Burlington Central
Nelson HS catchment area expands west to the railway
Robert Bateman HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Frontenac PS catchment
MM Robinson HS catchment area expands to include Lester B Pearson HS catchment area.
FI is removed from Dr. Frank J Hayden SS and redirected to MM Robinson HS
CH Norton PS area that is currently directed to Lester B Pearson HS, to be redirected to Dr Frank J Hayden
Option 3b – Nelson HS closes, Dr Frank J Hayden SS and Burlington Central HS have a program change
Aldershot FI expands to include Burlington Central HS FI catchment
Burlington Central HS English catchment area expands to Walkers Line
Robert Bateman HS expands west to Walkers
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS
Lester B Pearson HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Kilbride PS catchment area. The Secondary Gifted placement added to Lester B Pearson HS from Nelson
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS.
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
 Kirk Perris, a facilitator from IPSOS Reid who will be putting together the survey that will be sent out to all parents by the school board and will be available to anyone else on line. Option 19 was the one the Director of Education recommended to the trustees.
Option 7 – a decision not to close any of the high schools had a bit of a battle to remain on the list. Some PARC members thought such an option voided the whole purpose of the PAR process while others felt very strongly that the public had the right to voice an opinion on whether or not they wanted any of their high schools closed.
One of the problems the people from Central and Pearson had was there being a lot of financial data available on the savings that would result from closing Central and Pearson but they didn’t have similar data for any of the other options.
Some PARC members felt they were being manipulated by the board to agree on option 19.
The PARC process brought a lot of information to the surface that the board didn’t readily supply.
The process also put members of the PARC in a position where they had to vote for the closing of some other school to ensure that their school remained open.
The Aldershot PARC members were very concerned what a closing of Central would do to their school.
 By Pepper Parr
February 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If high schools were ever supposed to be a place where the general public could add to their knowledge when the school wasn’t filled with full time students – March 9th is one of those days when that will happen.
Lindsay Mattick the author of Finding Winnie will be at Burlington Central High School March 9th, to talk about her book, the true story of the world’s most famous bear. Starts at 6 p.m there is no admission fee.
 A classic childrens’ book – a true Canadian story to be told at Central high school March 9th. Winnie was a real bear, rescued and trained by Captain Harry Colebourn (Mattick’s great-grandfather) during World War 1. The bear cub went on to inspire author A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh character.
Mattick will autograph copies of her book, which will also be on sale – cash only.
 These were the ships that fought the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest naval battle in history. Shown here is HMCS Haida, currently tied up in Hamilton. The Ontario Genealogical Society, and three veterans from the Friends of HMCS Haida and Burl-Oak Naval Veterans and the Canadian War Museum Memorabilia Box will also be present.
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