What do the aboriginal people have to teach us? Is there something in their teachings that can be applied to the world we live in today?\
The Conservation Halton Crawford Lake Conservation Area will be holding a series of workshops led by Anishinaabe artist, musician, activist and educator, Eddy Robinson.
Inside the Deer Clan Longhouse – this is not the kind of dwelling the aboriginal tribes lived in.
The event will take place in the Deer Clan Longhouse, a stunning modern space located within a reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian Village.
The three workshops are on: how traditional ways can be practiced in an urban world; the importance of the teachings of the drum and song in building strength and community for Anishinaabe people.
Choose from three workshop themes; Anishinaabe Drum Teachings, Anishinaabe Songs, or Urban Indigenous Ways of Knowing, or join us for all three.
These workshops offer the opportunity spend an evening learning about our collective history while joining in on music and traditions that enrich the soul.
“Through stories and song, Eddy works towards a day when the power of knowledge, inclusiveness and sharing of First Nations cultures helps our nation and all its’ people become connected and stronger.”
~ Wab Kinew (Canadian hip hop musician, broadcaster, and university administrator)
Saturday, August 22
• Anishinaabe Drum Teachings, 4 to 6 p.m.
• Urban Indigenous Ways of Knowing, 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 29
• Anishinaabe Songs, 4 to 6 p.m.
• Urban Indigenous Ways of Knowing, 7 to 9 p.m.
Workshops tickets are $25 per person (+HST). For more information or to register visit www.conservationhalton.ca/events.
Eddy Robinson is Anishinabe (Ojibway/Cree) and a member of the Crane Clan, a leadership clan for the Anishinabek. Born and raised in Toronto, he is a First Nation citizen of the Missanabie Cree First Nation. It was in the city that he found his cultural identity and got in touch with his spirituality through spending time with Traditional Healers and Elders visiting Toronto.
Over the past 20 years, Eddy has worked in Indigenous communities throughout Ontario, striving to improve the quality of life for his people. Eddy has evolved into a noted Anishinaabe artist, musician, activist and educator, and is a member of the National Speakers Bureau.
About Crawford Lake Conservation Area
Crawford Lake is located at the corner of Guelph Line and Conservation Road (formerly Steeles Avenue) 15 km north of the QEW, and 5 km south of the 401 in Milton. The pristine waters of Crawford Lake have drawn people to its shores for hundreds of years. The rare lake, with surrounding boardwalk, is nestled in lush forests atop the stunning Niagara Escarpment where visitors can watch soaring turkey vultures glide through the Nassagaweya Canyon.
Conservation Halton is the community based environmental agency that protects, restores and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science based programs and services.
You can step back in time and explore the 15th century Iroquoian Village that has been reconstructed on its original site at Crawford Lake. The spirits still sing in the longhouses where tools, animal hides and the smell of smoke let you experience the rich history of Ontario’s First Peoples.
An MM Robinson grade 12 student has just completed a three week training program and taken part in a very prestigious rifle contest in Bisley, England.
Aaron Kurd, proudly represented Burlington and his army cadet corps as a part of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet National Rifle Team (RCAC NRT) competing in the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, England. This is the largest shooting festival in the nation, held annually since 1868, that attracts top marksman from all across the globe.
“The training and the potential opportunity to parachute is the reason I joined Army Cadets.” He said, “But shooting turned out to be what I really wanted to do.”
Aaron Kurd accepting the Gold Highest Possible Score Cross presented by Major Bezanson, Officer Commanding National Rifle Team.
As part of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet National Rifle Team, Aaron’s score in this competition counted towards the Highest Possible Score award, an award only given to those who earned perfect scores. Over the past 8 weeks, he scored 10 Highest Possible Score, earning the Gold Highest Possible Score Cross presented by Major Bezanson, Officer Commanding National Rifle Team.
“Being able to represent Canada, and tour around places like Vimy Ridge in France is just exactly why I joined cadets.”
Kurd, a Grade 12 student at M.M. Robinson High School, spent 3 weeks at Bisley, England competing in the Imperial Meeting hosted by the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom. Upon his return to Ottawa, he also competed in the Ontario Rifle Association (ORA) matches and the National Cadet Full-bore Championship (NCFC).
The cadet program includes international exchanges to England, Wales, and Scotland is a free program designed to develop strong citizenship and leadership qualities for youth between the ages of 12-18. The program also aims to promote physical fitness, and stimulate interest in the activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Environment Canada reports that extreme heat and humidity expected to start Sunday, August 16 will result in temperatures that will reach at least 31 degrees Celsius with overnight temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius for two days along with a humidex of 40 or higher is expected for two days.
Even short periods of exposure to these weather conditions can cause serious health problems. This warning is intended to inform the general public and community agencies, to keep residents safe and healthy during the heat and to recommend that precautions are taken when temperatures are high.
Anyone can be affected by extreme heat-related weather conditions. Those especially at risk include: older adults (over the age of 65), infants and young children, people who work and exercise in the heat, people without adequate housing and those without air conditioning. People who have breathing difficulties, heart problems, kidney problems or take heat-sensitive medications are also especially at risk of preventable heat illness. If you or someone in your care experiences rapid breathing, headache, confusion, weakness or fainting, seek medical attention right away.
You can prevent heat-related illness by staying cool; avoiding strenuous outdoor activities; seeking shade from the sun; spending time in air-conditioned places, such as shopping malls and community centres; and drinking plenty of cool liquids, especially water. Call or visit friends and neighbours who may be at risk and never leave people or pets in your care unattended in a car.
Being a kid can be fun, if you have the friends you want and really interesting things to do.
For hundreds of young girls in Burlington that fun and those friends are in the dance classes they take.
The city seems to have dozens of dance schools that have these girls burning off energy and keeping very fit.
For some the classes are recreational and for others there is a long term goal and for other it is quite competitive which leads to some travel and for three Burlington girls from two different dance schools the competition takes them to the Canadian National Exhibition’s Talent event that has taken place for the last 29 years.
Poppy Munro will dance with her friend Olivia at the CNE Talent contest
Olivia Koren will be a contestant at the CNE Talent event
Poppy and Olivia practice at Creative Dance and Lauren works out at The Dance Station where Mindy Mosey and her sister Melissa run the program at a school that has been in operation for ten years.
Lauren, a grade 7 student at St. Christopher Elementary School spends about 15 hour a week at The Dance Station where the core of just about every program is ballet. Mandy, who once danced professionally sees ballet as the core for all dance.
Olivia Koren and Poppy Munro, who will be doing a Hip Hop piece at the CNE attend different schools; one is at Tuck and the other at Central.
They are at that point in life where they believe they will be in dance for the rest of their lives.
Lauren Salt on the parallel bar with her instructor Mandy Mosey
Both girls seem remarkably at ease over the upcoming competition – something for which they have been putting in months of practice.
Tomorrow we will tell you more about the actual competition they will be taking part in.
We called them the good old days – when life was simpler, everything was cheaper and it seem like a “better time” or so we tell ourselves.
One of things that was different a couple of decades ago was that we were more self-sufficient – because we had to be.
You made your own fun – you used your imagination because the stuff kids play with today wasn’t in the stores several decades ago.
The Halton Conservation organization, besides overseeing the watersheds and regulating many of the environmental rules they also run a number of educational programs; they work with schools getting into classrooms and passing along some of the environment fundamentals.
From time to time they put on a program that is just plain fun. “Hey kids”, they ask “have you ever wondered what your parents or your grand-parents did for play when they were your age? They probably spent a lot of time outdoors. They probably went exploring, or built a fort, or skipped stones on a lake, or climbed a tree.”
Crawford Lake – an environmental gem with an incredible story.
A program taking place at both the Mountsberg and Crawford Lake Conservation Areas on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will give kids time for fun activities that are not only lots of fun but will get them outside and active, at Amazing Things To Do Before You’re 12 event.
Regular park admission applies and Halton Parks members can show their pass for admission.
Orienteering – a skill that every young person should know something about – they learn to “box a compass”.
Conservation Halton staff will help you to learn how to use a compass, make pottery, hold a snake, start a fire without matches or to skip a stone on the lake, and much more. It will be a great day full of family fun, and who knows, maybe you can prove you are the greatest stone skipper of all time!
All the activities engage children and their families with nature in a way that is sure to create long term family memories.
Will your children ever get a chance to skip a stone over water?
The program came out of the 2005 book by author Richard Louv who introduced us all to the dilemma of the disconnect between children and nature in his ground-breaking book “Last Child in the Woods”. He coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder which aptly describes the poor physical and emotional health of children and adults due to the lack of direct exposure to the outdoors.
Take your kids out for the day – they will sleep soundly when they get home.
About Mountsberg Conservation Area
Mountsberg Conservation Area is located on Milburough Line, five km west of Campbellville, ON, between Highway 6 South and the Guelph Line. This 472 hectare park includes extensive wetlands, forests, fields, and a reservoir. Mountsberg hosts many family friendly events which are sure to become family traditions for many in the community. It is also well known for the Mountsberg Raptor Centre, which is home to 15 different species of native birds of prey. Many of the Raptor Centre’s resident birds of prey have permanent injuries that have left them incapable of surviving on their own in the wild.
Dates for people who know how to handle a hammer or are comfortable just tidying up a small construction site and have some time to pitch in and take the Freeman Station to the next level are Saturdays August 8th 15th & 22nd from 8 am to 2pm
The volunteers will get a personally guided tour of the station and a close up view of some of the artifacts that have been donated.
Activities (no special skills required)
• Paint scraping and sanding • Old wood floor boards restoration • Site cleanup • Rubbish and scrub removal • And the list goes on
If you decide to show up – wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves and a hat. It could be hot! This is a construction site so please do NOT bring children under 14 and NO pets.
This is the windows in the Station Master’s office which was also the ticket selling room. The space at the far end is where the mural will be done.
What’s New and Exciting!
It has been a very busy winter and spring. Interior restoration went on throughout the winter months and both interior and exterior work resumed this spring. The Burlington Public Art Council has selected the Freeman Station for a mural that will be installed on the east end of the wall facing Fairview Street. It will depict a scene from the station, circa 1906. We are extremely honored to have been chosen and we are looking forward to a late fall unveiling.
The ceiling in the waiting room is the kind of thing they don’t build anymore. It will be restored to what it looked like in 1906.
We are delighted to announce that Darren Sanger-Smith of Structured Creations has volunteered his expertise to help us complete this project. He will assist in selecting the materials and finishes to replicate the original station to the best of our abilities.
Some of the highlights of our accomplishments to date are:
• the station now has new shingles; the roof and the entire roof deck have been repaired as well as the soffit and fascia. Roofing was installed by Desi’s Roofing • electrical service has finally reached the station and we are currently installing the wiring under the guidance of L. Potvin Electrical with supplies from Gerrie Electric • roughed in plumbing has been installed and the main floor handicapped accessible washroom has been framed. Plumbing was installed by KP&H Mechanical • new entrance doors have been installed at both the north and south sides of the waiting room
But there is still a lot of work to be done – and work gets done by workers.
The station sat on wooden pilings for the longest time – it wasn’t until Ashland, a company right next door stepped up and made space available.
It took the Friends of Freeman station a couple of years to actually save the station – the city wasn’t able to use the federal funds they were given to move the building, the then Burlington Art Centre didn’t want it; an idea to set it up along Lakeshore Road in the downtown core wouldn’t fly.
The sense many people had was city council just didn’t want the thing. The engineering department staff said the thing was going to just fall over real soon.
It took joint efforts by Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster to convince council to give the volunteer committees a little more time to find a home.
Ashland made the space available – then the company got bought by a large conglomerate – the deal is still in place – but it isn’t a twenty year lease. The Friends of Freeman will have to develop a really strong bond with the new owners.
While the building really belongs in the Beachway Park that wasn’t on – but a home was found on a piece of property next to the fire station on Fairview.
The building was moved the coupled of hundred yards to its new location, a foundation was put under the building and work on the roof and the outside walls began.
What you see today – while far from complete – is some distance from what was in place two years ago when it was a pile of rotting wood sitting on wooden pilings.
The grill for the ticket counter has been found – it wasn’t part of the original station but does come from the same period.
The floor for the basement will be poured very soon. The hope is that negotiations with a model railway club will work out and that there will something for people to watch. That would make the Freeman Station a very attractive destination
Help to complete the restoration of this beautiful old 1906 Grand Trunk Railway Station is now needed. The vision is to develop an interactive railway display depicting the impact the railway had on the development of Burlington. The Station will also house a model railway and meeting room for public use.
The Friends of Freeman have raised about $250,000 dollars to date and will need about the same amount to complete the project. Over 1700 volunteer hours have been donated to the actual restoration. More than 2400 hours of administrative, planning, and fundraising have also been donated by our members.
We are looking for volunteers in the following areas and there are many opportunities to participate!
• Membership • Fundraising • Research • Newsletter • Artifact recording • Audio Visual and Interactive display planning • Artwork • Copywriting and Advertising • Finance • Carpentry • Painting • General Help with both administration and on site.
Interested in Becoming a Member?
Annual Membership is $10.00, a Life Time Membership $100.00 Please contact us at:
info@freemanstation.ca Our website www.freemanstation.ca
You can send a cheque to; Friends of Freeman Station, P.O. Box 91536 Roseland Plaza, 3025 New Street, Burlington ON L7R 4L6
There are still naming rights opportunities. Wiser commercial WORDS will realize that the Friends of Freeman Station are actually going to pull this off – and when the place is officially opened – all the politicians that failed to help make it happen will be there to cut the ribbon.
John Mello wants to see you one of those stones – and he will tell you why they are worth the $100 asking price.
Naming Rights
Put your name, a relative, a friend’s on one of the many items available for sponsorship. Sponsor a Whinstone (What is a Whinstone? Drop by and you can touch one and find out where they came from).
Sponsorships start at $100.00 and you can go right on up to $15,000 for the waiting room. Please contact me for sponsorship opportunities. brianaasgaard@sympatico.ca
If you decide you want to show up on either the 8thj, the 15th or the 22nd – the address is 1285 Fairview Street – next to the fire station which is undergoing a major renovation. Use driveway on east side of the Burlington Fire Department Headquarters
The City of Burlington has received complaints from a number of residents regarding what they believe to be disturbing material delivered to their mailboxes.
In a statement from the city, it is not attributed to a specific person, the city said it is not in a position to affect the distribution of these materials and add that they have received the following statement from Canada Post:
“We are responsible for the physical delivery of all mail in Canada. We do not have the legal right to refuse delivery of a mail item because we or other people object to its content. Anyone who has concerns about the content should either contact the publisher or simply dispose of it.”
And that’s it – not another word. The Gazette has received dozens of complaints and comments on this repugnant literature.
Some of the comments on social media:
“You know what really sucks about this all? The images are very painful reminders for many parents who never had a choice. This organization is obviously run by a group of uneducated, immature kids with too much money to blow on junk mail.”
“Well that was nice. My 13 year old just handed me the flyer during dinner. She fished it out from behind a desk because she was worried her 9 year old brother would see it and be scared. Disgusting.”
“Us too. Beyond disgusting and obviously oblivious to the fact that this government just legalized the pill version of said procedure.”
There are thousands of comments like this being made on social media. What we haven’t seen or heard are public statements from the office of the Mayor expressing concern over what can only be described as vile.
There is such a thing as community values that are put forward by our leaders be they political, pastoral or prominent people who have earned the respect of the community.
This is the time for these men and woman to stand up and express the dismay, disgust and inappropriateness of this kind of stuff on behalf of the community.
Most people have a view on abortion; many people discuss this subject amongst themselves and arrive at a moral decision they are comfortable with. My own view is that life is the biggest gift mankind has been given and when it is forsaken – let us not demean it with photographs that can only harm.
To attach the face of a person running for the leadership of the country to this smut is as low as one can get. This is not what political debate is about.
Councillor Sharman did have conversations with the police who told him there was nothing they could do. Councillor Sharman could have said publicly that the distribution of this kind of material was unacceptable and that he wanted the public to know it was beneath the values of the community he represents.
When we do not stand up for our values – we lose them.
Once we have a well-deserved summer, if albeit a hot one at times, behind us and the kids are back in school – hopefully there won’t be a teachers strike, the city will settle down to the business of becoming what it wants to become.
The agenda for the fall is pretty thick.
In the months ahead the public is going to read about “complete streets”; different “modes” of transportation and transit. Lots about transit and behavioural change.
The city has to get you out of your car. The city has to add thousands of people to its current population which means intensification.
More people, more residential development – and traditionally more cars. But more cars on the streets means more congestion and Burlington doesn’t have much in the way of tolerance for traffic congestion.
City council is going to have to buckle down and bite the transit bullet and slowly lead the public to using transit.
It is not going to be easy.
The current city council isn’t all that good on leading when it comes to hard issues. During the briefing council was given recently on the draft Transportation Master Plan there wasn’t much in the way of comment from Council members.
To his credit ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven lectured that a change is necessary even if the public doesn’t like the idea.
What are the options? How do we get people out of their cars?
Some of these cars sit in this parking lost most of the day – they are used to get a driver to the GO station in the morning and back home at night. Reliable transit would work better for everyone.
A look at the GO station parking lots offers a major opportunity. Why do people drive their car to the GO station and leave it sitting there most of the day?
Because for the bulk of these people transit is not a viable option – bus service has to be convenient if you want people to use it. And there is nothing convenient about the bus service and GO Stations.
A colleague who works at scheduling the delivery of products to retail locations explained to me that there is software out there being used by tens of thousands of organizations every day.
They know what the traffic patterns are and they know when their clients are open – they take all that data and work out a route for every truck they have on the road. If there is a disruption in traffic flow the software will tell them and the truck drivers are alerted.
So why couldn’t the transit people hire a couple of students to spend part of a day going through the GO station parking lots and noting the license numbers on the cars.
The city would then ask the Ministry of Transportation for the address of the owners of the cars and then send each of the car owners a letter asking them if they would use a service that drove by their house, picked them up and dropped them off at the GO station in time to catch the train they wanted to use.
This kind of thing is not rocket science – it is done all the time by the companies that delivery potato chips and soft drinks to convenience stores. They do it because they are motivated to do it – their profits and their jobs depend on their ensuring that products are on the shelves.
The city could easily instruct Burlington Transit to do a pilot study in one part of the city – The Orchard would a very good place to do a pilot.
A combination of reliable transit service and parking fees to leave a car at the GO station might be the only way the city can bring about a behaviour change when it comes to how we use cars.
The city would use smaller buses that would take whatever route was needed to pick up people in front of their house. When the bus was full or it was time to head for the GO station to catch the GO train the bus would end the trip.
How would people get the bus? They would use an app on their cell phone that would call up a screen. Their address would have already been entered into the app as well as the GO station they traditionally use.
The user would click on one of the icons on the screen and request the service would go to the transit company and back would come a message saying what time the bus would bet at the door.
Easy ? probably I’m prepared to bet that the province would put up a large chunk of the cash to pay for the development of such an application – they have to get people out of their cars and transit is the best option.
I can’t see the “suits” driving their bikes to the GO station.
To make using transit more compelling – parking fees at the GO stations could be imposed.
Drastic – probably, but it is clear to the transportation experts and the planners that Burlington has to find a way to cut down the traffic.
If residents found that the service was priced decently and proved to be reliable they will use it – better to have a bus pick you up and get you to the GO station on time without you having to battle traffic congestion.
There is going to be a change in traffic – how the city goes about making it happen is something you want to make sure your opinion is voiced.
There is a new recruit on the Halton Regional Police Force.
Police Service Dog Arrow
Police Service Dog Arrow arrived for training yesterday.
He will begin his training with K9 officer Cst. Tara McLorn but is anxiously awaiting the start of his new partner, Cst Kyle Gibson.
Cst. Gibson and PSD Arrow will begin training together in September, a period that usually takes about four months.
PSD Arrow was imported from the Czech Republic and is 14 months old and like all police service dogs, is very eager to get started.
Follow the @HRPSK9 Twitter account to see what the Police Service Dogs are doing and you will catch a glimpse of Arrow as he begins his journey.
Cst Matt Lawless and Storm will head into retirement once Arrow has completed his training.
The Milton Brookville |School grade 4 class that chose the name for the newest police service dog to join the Halton Regional Police Force
In September Arrow will visit with the student at Brookville Public School in the Town of Milton. They were the students who came up with the name and pulled in the most votes.
The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change announced last week they will not seek further environmental assessments at this stage for a controversial LaSalle Park Marina expansion proposal that includes building a permanent breakwall and doubling the marina’s boat capacity.
The report, released July 21, does not rule out potential harm to the recovering Trumpeter Swan population that overwinters in the area and imposes tighter protection measures for the project.
The Trumpeter Swan has always had a strong emotional tie to the public – they are beautiful birds.
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Glen Murray required the City of Burlington and the LaSalle Park Marina Association (LPMA) to include Trumpeter Swan supporters in the design process if the project does go forward.
The advisory committee is proposed to include representatives from Conservation Halton, the Hamilton Conservation Authority, and the Trumpeter Swan Coalition, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan Stakeholder Group, Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The much-anticipated report is the response to calls for an advanced Part II Environmental Assessment that would have further examined the proposed breakwall’s impact on wildlife who call LaSalle home – including the Trumpeter Swans, a bird that had previously been completely wiped out in Ontario.
Sun shining on boats at the LaSalle Marina
Three requests for deeper study were made in the summer of 2013 including submissions by Conservation Halton and the Trumpeter Swan Coalition, of which BurlingtonGreen is a member. The requests cited concerns for the Trumpeter Swans’ survival and numerous flaws and unanswered questions in the proposal’s initial environmental review.
Despite the Part II study denial, the Ministry decision orders the creation of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee that would include representatives from the environmental watchdogs who first raised the concerns.
The expansion initiative can only move forward with the committee’s participation in the creation of what the Minister called an Aquatic and Terrestrial Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan to “address any potential impacts from the project on the aquatic environment and/or overwintering Trumpeter Swans in the vicinity.”
The imposed conditions do not exclude the possibility of denying further environmental approvals if the project does prove harmful to the swan population and their habitat. The committee’s involvement will be crucial in highlighting those potential issues and ensuring appropriate actions are taken.
BurlingtonGreen is pleased the Environmental Ministry is insisting on the inclusion of a Stakeholders Advisory Committee to provide input on habitat and wildlife protection and believe we are an important voice in that process.
However, some concerns remain about the effectiveness of even the best- intended mitigation efforts at the LaSalle site. As an organization, we are committed to protecting natural habitats.
Trumpeter Swans are native to North America and are the largest swans in the world. The birds were wiped out in Ontario in the late 1800’s; by 1935, there were only an estimated 69 Trumpeter Swans left in all of North America.
The LaSalle members with their boats up on blocks.
In 1982, retired Ministry of Natural Resources biologist Harry Lumsden made it his mission to bring them back. After 30 years of efforts, there are close to 900 Trumpeter Swans in Ontario – roughly one quarter of the entire provincial flock calls LaSalle Park home.
The Trumpeters first chose LaSalle as their wintering grounds in 1993, making it an established habitat for more than 20 years. Habitat loss, especially of wintering areas, has a significant negative impact on recovery efforts
In kits media release the LaSalle Marina Association had the following to say:
“The Board of Directors of the LaSalle Park Marina Association are pleased to announce that the Hon Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment & Climate Change, after due and careful consideration of the City of Burlington’s LaSalle Park Marina Wavebreaker Environmental Assessment / Environmental Study Report (ESR) tabled July of 2013, has on Tuesday (July 21, 2015) made a decision with respect to the Study Report and the Part II Order Requests for an even more detailed Environmental Assessment.
The LaSalle Park Marina is using its own environmental creds – they earned Blue Flag ECO Award. Sown is John Birch on the left of the flag along with Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven and Floyd Doctor
“The Minister has signed off on the LaSalle Park Marina Wavebreaker Environmental Assessment / Environmental Study Report (ESR), declined the Part II Order Requests for a more extensive Environmental Assessment, and issued workable conditions which will allow the proposed project to move forward to the detailed construction level engineered design phase.
“As we go forward, LPMA is committed to working with agencies and stakeholders to ensure compliance with the Minister’s wishes in furtherance of the goal of a true Safe Harbour for Burlington, boaters, the community, fish, birds, wildlife and the environment.
“We thank the Minister for his learned decision, Eleanor McMahon MPP, Ward Councilor Rick Craven, the City of Burlington staff and council, the consultants, agencies and stakeholders involved as well as those who have expressed concerns.
“The proposed project will bring benefit to all. We are committed to following process.”
Poor old Joseph Brant – at least he will be at the day we celebrate his name and what he did for the city in spirit. And there will be WORDS
This year, the Joseph Brant Day Festival is an official partner of the Toronto 2015 PanAm / Parapan Am Games and is taking on a significantly different tone.
It will be a lively day at LaSalle Park where events start at 11 am and run through to 5 pm.
The captivating Beshano Bike Trials will be featured Burlington Soccer Club field games and a slew of music, art and cultural performances of the “Americas” will be featured.
The day will have an Americas flavour to it recognizing the diversity that the PanAm games brought to the Region.
The Beshano Bike Trials will be something to watch – expect crowds larger than those in this picture.
Beshano Bike Trials – 3 shows complete with incredible bicycle stuntmanship!
Musicians from the official band of the Toronto FC Major League Soccer accompanying dancers choreographed by the dance instructor and performer who opens the Mas Band launches for Carnival!
Saúl Torres has emerged as one of the most singular talents of Spanish Rock on the continent, capable of seamlessly tying together Latin, Funk, Rock, and Flamenco!
Saúl Torres has emerged as one of the most singular talents of Spanish Rock on the continent, capable of seamlessly tying together Latin, Funk, Rock, and Flamenco!
White Pine First Nations Drum and Dance participant Dan Secord.
White Pine First Nations Drum and Dance!
Dancescapes Studio with Salsa and Latin dance demonstrations and lessons!
Laura Spada
Farrucas – a Latin Fusion Duo of Laura Spada and Jorge Cuama hailing from Ecuador!
Throughout the day the Children’s Area, Museum Educational Crafts & Activities, Giveaways, PanAm Sports Challenges, Games and Obstacles, Interactive participant events including: Crossfit Altitude, Oakville Fencing Academy, Burlington Youth Soccer Club, Monkeynastic Gymnastics, Bradbury, Splitsville Entertainment & Better State Crew! Splash Park for Kids available, Hands-on Activities, Artisans and Vendors, the Famous Brant Day Silent Auction will be part of an event filled day.
And this year the food offering will be going far beyond the traditional hot dogs and burgers. Sylvia Hentz, Special Events Programmer has arranged for a food truck rally with delicious offerings from gourmet food trucks!
Taste buds will be in for a real treat given the selection of Food Trucks that are being brought in for the Brant Day Festival at LaSalle Park
The rally includes
LUCHADOR – Mexican Fusion / International Cuisine DOBRO JESTI – Slovenian / German-inspired Cuisine NUDULZ – Italian Food MANGO CHUTNEY – Indian Food URBAN EXPRESS- North American & European-style Steakery CAFE DU MONDE – French-Parisian & International Crepes PAPPAS GREEK—Greek Food TROPICAL TEMPTATIONS –Premium drinks & desserts
Burlington’s taste buds are in for a treat.
Parking is always a challenge at LaSalle Park on Brant Day. Shuttle buses will be available to transport visitors from Aldershot GO Station once limited onsite parking at LaSalle Park is filled.
First shuttle bus run leaves the Aldershot Go Station at 10:00 a.m. Last bus will leave La Salle Park at 5:00 p.m.
Not sure what one does with a piece like this – it does have a character of its own doesn’t it.
Christina MacEwan’s, Horned Curmudgen Jar, circa 1985
Christina MacEwan’s, Horned Curmudgen Jar, circa 1985 is part of an exhibit with the title Gothic, which opened late in June at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
The exhibit brings a new extension to the word Gothic. As times change, the meaning of our language changes with it.
Janet MacPherson’s – Monk (2014)
Three artists – Christina MacEwen, Janet MacPherson, and Mary Philpott, all create work that could be described as ‘gothic’, but each has developed a unique style that has tapped into an original source.
Each has put their personal stamp on their inspiration. From sculpture, architecture and literature, these sources have each touched these artists’ visions.
Curated by Jonathan Smith, this AGB permanent collection exhibition will run from June 27, 2015 to September 6, 2015.
The Art Gallery of Burlington is located at 1333 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A9 Gallery Hours:
Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm Friday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday: 12 noon – 5:00 pm
Burlington Transit is conducting ridership surveys on various bus routes, at the downtown transit terminal and online at www.burlingtontransit.ca to help develop new service standards.
“We are gathering information from our riders to determine what is important to them,” said Mike Spicer, director of Burlington Transit. “These findings will be part of a report presented to City Council later this fall to help shape the future of Burlington’s public transportation.”
A transit users conference held in Burlington had everyone who cared about transit in the room – except anyone from Burlington Transit. Now they are holding surveys to find out what people want. Go figure!
On-route surveying has been completed on Routes 1, 2/3, 10/20 and 80/81.
Remaining on-route survey schedule
Tuesday, July 28, 4:40 to 6:45 p.m. – Route 15
Downtown Terminal schedule
July 27 to July 31, 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.
Online Survey
The online survey (click here) will be available until Aug. 10, 2015 at
Burlington has always been chintzy about transit; intensification is going to add to traffic congestion; transit is seen by the politicians as the answer. Now they have to convince the public to use it.
While the city figures out what transit users want there is a Transportation Master Plan that is being created that makes it very, very clear that transit is going to play a very big part in how the city handles its intensification.
The Region of Halton is going to have to absorb a million additional residents – just how many of that million Burlington is going to have to take in has not yet been determined.
More people usually means more cars which in the past has been translated into more roads. But those days are over. Burlington cannot widen its roads nor can it afford to build any more roads and add to the traffic congestion we are already dealing with.
In the near future you will hear the words “complete streets” working its way into the language used by the planners – how the politicians get that message across to you will be something to watch.
The province has decided that it will try using tolls to change public behaviour on how they use the QEW. Burlington is going to make transit better and convince the public that transit is the more convenient way to get around town.
Smart Transit System has been in the works for a couple of years. Costing millions it will give transit users up to date data on bus arrivals.
Burlington Transit will be launching a Smart Transit System (STS) in phases starting late Fall this year. The STS will improve how customers access transit information. Conventional transit users will be able to use an on-line trip planner which will provide detailed bus location information in real-time. As well, all bus stops are being replaced with new signs which will include information on the routes that service each stop and have a numerical code allowing passengers to access next bus arrivals in real-time through their mobile devices.
Mayor Goldring getting the hang of reading the bus schedule from his Smart Phone.
New electronic visual and audio displays will be installed on all buses to allow passengers to read and hear each bus stop location as it approaches.
Handi-Van passengers will no longer have to rely only on contacting dispatch during hours of operation to book their trips as they will have access to a new on-line feature and phone system allowing them to book and manage their trips 24/7. In addition, they will receive a programmed automatic call-out to let them know when their van is about to arrive.
Real-time bus data will also be available through the City’s Open Data feed allowing app developers to access this information.
The Mayor of the city took a “selfie” on one of the days he took the bus to work – it wasn’t one of his better moments – was it.
Of note is that Burlington Transit didn’t use the Insight Survey the city bought and paid a pretty penny for – which has all kinds of flexibility and allows for good follow up questions. Transit is using the Survey Monkey service – the software that high school students use for their projects.
When the results are out we will have some idea as to how good the transit people are at asking questions and actually mining the data they collect.
Burlington is now hiring school crossing guards for the upcoming 2015/2016 school year.
Areas of the city in the greatest need of crossing guards are the Orchard community and southeast Burlington, near Mohawk Public School and Pineland Public School.
“Burlington’s crossing guards play an integral role in our city, working tirelessly to keep our children and pedestrians safe,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure. “We are looking for dedicated leaders to help fill this important role in the community.”
The city’s crossing guard program includes full training, a uniform and reimbursement of mileage. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to complete a police check. All successful applicants will be paid for two hours of work a day.
For more information on how to apply to be a crossing guard in Burlington, visit www.burlington.ca/crossingguard.
This summer, Halton Region is offering funding and mentor-ship to thirteen student entrepreneurs through the Summer Company program. A provincial entrepreneurship initiative, Summer Company helps youth between the ages of 15 and 29 run their own summer businesses. The competitive program is co-ordinated locally through the Halton Region Small Business Centre annually and participants are selected from across the region.
“Entrepreneurship encourages innovation, job creation and economic growth, which is a part of Halton Region’s four-year Strategic Action Plan,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Supporting today’s youth with the tools and guidance they need to bring their business ideas to life will provide a strong economic future for the region.”
Madeline Webb, The Alternative Baker sells her gluten free product at the Burlington Farmer’s Market.
Three of the thirteen are Burlington students: Evan Attard, Art Hero Summer Camp: Marlee Armour, Summer Swim Academy and Madeline Webb, The Alternative Baker. There was no photograph available for Evan Attard
The other entrepreneurs in the Region are:
Darryl Apple, InFaction Studios, Oakville; Leslie Ashworth, Suite Melody Care, Oakville; Neha Bhasin, Summer Soaps Co., Oakville; Michael Clegg, Clegg’s Athletic Program, Oakville; Julia Dedic, Jewels by Julia, Oakville; Lucy He, Keys to Success Piano & Tutoring, Oakville; Emily Hollick, Golden Years Training & Care, Oakville; Stephen Johnson, Jeunessis, Oakville; William Lomoro, Glen Valley Photography, Oakville; and Nia O’Brien, Nia O’Brien Creations, Oakville
The Summer Company wouldn’t exist without the expertise and support from the local business community.
Marlee Armour, Summer Swim Academy teaches people to swim in one-on-one sessions in private pools. They also provide lifeguard services for pool party’s
Offering mentorship to the Region’s 2015 Summer Company participants are: Tom Cochrane, Retired Businessman with Oakville Business Advisory Group, Oakville; Kathleen Dills, General Manager, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce; Maralyn Ellis, Entrepreneur, FuturesFound; Kelsey Leedale, Youth Outreach Worker, YMCA. Phil Von Massow, Owner of CPL Group, Oakville; Jayme Moorcroft, Senior Account Manager, Business and Personal, RBC; Fatima Pereira, Accounting Supervisor, BDO and Pamela Pereira, Senior Account Manager, Business and Personal, RBC
If the Kick Off event is any indication of what the Lowville Festival is going to be like – this isn’t something you want to miss.
Driftwood Theatre put on a performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet on an outdoor stage where people got to hear phrases that have become part of the English language: “Take thee to a nunnery” was the one that brought a smile to my face. It was something we said years ago – can you imagine saying that to a young woman today?
The setting for the outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was superb – the performance was just fine. Everyone needs to hear Shakespeare at least once a year
The play started in the cool of an evening and ended with people gathered around camp fire to talk about the play and the way it was performed with the Driftwood Director.
The THiNKSPOT location in Lowville, amongst Walt Rickli sculptures, is about as good as outdoor theatre can get.
The Lowville Festival ramps things up Friday evening with:
Will Laughton play Sinatra tunes on his trumpet? A gift to all if he does.
SWINGIN’ ON A STAR
FRIDAY JULY 17, 2015 7:30 PM
ST. GEORGE’S PARISH HALL
Loretta Bailey and Robert Missen, hosts.
Artists include Stuart Laughton, Renee Barabash, Andy Griffiths, David Warrack, Lorraine Foreman, Michael Mulrooney, Jude Johnson, Charles Cozens, Wayne Strongman and the Lowville Festival Choir,
The first Lowville Festival with a Gala Concert featuring a wide range of superlative performers, most of whom hail from Burlington.
Classical, pop, jazz, blues, folk, musical theatre. The second half of the concert will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Frank Sinatra. Proceeds from this benefit concert will be dedicated to the establishment of the festival.
$25 ADVANCE/$30 AT THE DOOR
Andy Griffith – breaking new ground at the Lowville Festival – his Kids event should be a real hoot!
MY CAT FLASH’S SOPHISTICATED SONGS FOR KIDS
SATURDAY JULY 18TH 2 PM
LOWVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE
ANDY GRIFFITHS and FRANK KOREN
Burlington singer-songwriter Andy Griffiths launches his new kids’ show, which will also entertain the kid in all of us.
$10
ROOTS N’ ROLL: ACOUSTIC ROOTS IN THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE
SATURDAY JULY 18TH 8 PM
LOWVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE
Andy Griffiths and Frank Koren and Kim
Join Andy and his Burlington musical friends for an intimate evening with local songwriters in the Victorian stone schoolhouse in the centre of Lowville.
$20
NIA; a joyful, mindful, and expressive physical conditioning practice
SUNDAY JULY 19TH 11 AM
LOWVILLE PARK, between the playground and the creek, under the trees
ADMISSION FREE
NIA is a joyful, mindful, and expressive physical conditioning practice, incorporating moves from dance, martial arts, yoga and other alignment arts, as well as individualized, free form movement. NIA offers fun and fitness to men and women of all ages and fitness abilities. Join Nia Black Belt teacher Anna Schantz for a NIA dance fitness experience in Music, Movement, and Magic. Theme: Psychedelic Sunday. Bare feet, hippie attire, and flowers most welcome. Suitable for everybody. www.nianow.com
Gordie Tapp – will he do some of his naughty routines this time? He did when her took part in the Blue Jeans event at the Performing Arts Centre
FOR LOVE OF LOWVILLE
SUNDAY JULY 19TH 2 PM
LOWVILLE UNITED CHURCH
Lorretta Bailey and Robert Misen, hosts
Artists include Melissa Bel, Janet Turpin Myers, Loraine Foreman, Jude Johnson, Lorreta Bailey, Robert Missen and Daryl Webber.
Special Guest: GORDIE TAPP
Celebrating the rich historical and Escarpment heritage of the hamlet of Lowville in a concert that combines music and the spoken word. Local musicians Melissa Bel and Lorretta Bailey are joined by novelist Janet Turpin Myers. Legendary Burlington entertainer Gordie Tapp, formerly of Lowville, will be reunited with Lorraine Foreman, his colleague on Country Hoedown, one of the most popular Canadian television shows of the fifties.
$20 ADVANCE/$25 AT THE DOOR
Rebecca Caine – going to be great to see what she decides to do on stage.
SUMMER SERENADE
SUNDAY JULY 19TH 7:30 PM
ST. GEORGE’S PARISH HALL
Rebecca Caine of Les Miserables fame will be part of the Lowville festival
ROBERT MISSEN is hosting this event.
Artists include Rebecca Caine, soprano; Robert Kortgaard , piano; Rachel Mercer, cello; Stuart Laughton, trumpet; Renee Barabash, piano; Michael Mulrooney, piano
Missen says they will be bringing the inaugural festival to a glorious conclusion with a concert featuring some of the country’s finest classical and musical theatre artists. Rebecca Caine, the original Cosette in Les Miserables and star of the Toronto production of Phantom of the Opera; Oakville-born cellist Rachel Mercer; and virtuoso trumpeter Stuart Laughton will present a concert featuring Bach, Chopin and Schafer as well as a special tribute to The Sound of Music.
$25 ADVANCE/$30 AT THE DOOR
Lowville doesn’t see this much action even during the Winter Carnival. Getting around Lowville is easy once you know where you are going.
The United Church is at the corner of Guelph Line and Britannia Road with a decent parking lot behind the church.
St. Georges isn’t actually in Lowville, it isn’t even in Burlington. It is on Guelph Line just above Derry Road – can’t miss the place – it is a beautiful stone building built in 1896
The farther he went – the worse the pain – until the cancer that was ravaging his body spread to his lungs
It was 35 years ago today – a guy with just the one good leg – the other a prosthetic that was pretty crude by today’s standards but there he was coming through the city with that step and a hop gait that we know by heart now.
Terry Fox had made it from the east coast of Newfoundland where he dipped the toe of his good foot into the waters of the Atlantic and vowed to make it to British Columbia.
The Marathon of Hope ended in just outside Thunder Bay
Today the group of people who meet for hours organizing and setting up the Terry Fox run every September gathered as a group to remember and celebrate the young man who showed Canada what hope and courage is really all about.
City council got their first detailed look at the draft of the Transportation Master Plan. They didn’t exactly cheer when the presentation was finished – it is going to mean some hard political decisions – which this council tens to do its best to avoid.
The draft plan however laid out a number of realities the city has to face. In the first of this series we set out the players involved in transportation planning and the rules, regulations and provincial policy that impact on decisions the city makes.
With those limitations – and they are not insignificant, the transportation department is beavering away at completing the study and aligning it with the Official Plan in order to support and expand upon new and updated policies.
While the transportation department works on its plan – the planners work on the review and revision of the Official Plan and a team at city hall, plus city councillors develops the Strategic Plan the city wants to work to for the next four years.
What also has to be added to the transportation mix is what role mobility hubs will play in future thinking.
The transportation people, led for the time being by Vito Tolone, are doing a solid review of transportation trends in conjunction with our changing demographics, travel patterns and future community planning. Part of the team is planner Kaylan Edgcumbe.
They are Identifying the transportation facilities and services that will be required to meet the needs over the next twenty years and then develop the policies, guidelines, plans and actions that will guide day to day transportation programs and provide a basis for future capital budgets.
That is a mouthful!
What is NOT included in the TMP is a detailed analysis of specific intersections and roadways nor will it consider site specific impacts. Detailed assessments will be addressed through project specific studies and may be recommended as a result of the TMP
What happens if the city doesn’t complete the TMP ? Well, all hell isn’t going to break loose but over time things will stop working the way people want them to work.
Day to day transportation programs would not be current with community needs or emerging trends; Capital infrastructure planning and budgeting would not be able to address evolving development trends and growth management policies.
Council and staff would not be able to respond to changing development standards and major planning considerations.
Regulating agencies at the Region, Ministry of Transportation and Conservation Halton would not be apprised of Council’s transportation vision and its preferred strategy for moving forward.
It sounded like a good idea at the time but there was too much that both IKEA and the city didn’t know about what Conservation |Halton and the Ministry of Transportation had to say about putting a large retail operation on the North Service Road at Walkers Line
Burlington ran into this problem when IKEA announced it wanted to move its location from Aldershot to the North Service Road at Walkers Line – that proved to be something that wasn’t possible given the views of Conservation Halton and the Ministry of Transportation. Tuck Creek was a significant conservation problem and the MTO couldn’t do what needed to be done with the QEW/Walkers Line intersection in time – which brought an end to any IKEA moved and put a significant dent in the careers of a number of people involved in the project.
Had there been stronger policies in place and a clearer planning vision, and better communication between the parties, a couple of years of grinding away at something that couldn’t happen might have been avoided.
Will a solid TMP avoid problems like that? Maybe – but what is clear is the need for a plan that fits into the requirements the province and the Region lay on us; that meshes well with the Official Plan and helps achieve the Strategic Plan – and is possible with the budget the city creates.
Council members have to stand up and be counted – Councillor Meed Ward wasn’t with the majority on this vote
For all those people who think our municipal council doesn’t have a tough job, that they don’t work all that hard and it is really a part time job – think again.
This is hard work that requires the ability to think at several levels at the same time. Every member of the current council is challenged daily to keep on top of it all. Some of them don’t do all that well at it either.
The Transportation Master Plan study will:
Identify transportation policies and initiatives that are working in other areas that could be considered in Burlington Ask citizens – where do we want to to go – how do we want to get there and how do we develop a solution that meets the needs of all residents.
Develop actions and policies that will guide day to day transportation projects providing a basis for future budgeting activities
So what is Burlington dealing with?
The infrastructure we have was designed for the car – what we have was designed to efficiently move the automobile and that has left us with urban sprawl. That urban sprawl is no longer sustainable
Auto trips are rising faster than the population – building more roads will not get us out of this spiral.
90% of all trips in the city are by car
Levels of congestion are increasing; Commuting time is increasing; Cost to operate and maintain the current infrastructure is increasing; City revenue are not increasing at the same rate as growth or congestion.
This is not sustainable. And we cannot build our way out of congestion
The way we move around the community is heavily influenced by where we live, work and play. The way we travel impacts our quality of life, our health and relationship with our community
The majority of the trips are SOV – single occupant vehicle
To reduce congestion on our roads other travel modes must be available for both local and long distance travel.
Can those 2 km trips be made using a different mode of transportation? Is the car the only option? The current transit service is not going to coax people out of their cars and there are limits to how many people are going to ride bikes.
In 2011 over half of all daily trips in Burlington were 5 km or less. These trips could be easily replaced with walking, cycling or taking transit.
40% of the people who work in Burlington also live in Burlington – that means 60% of the working people use some form of transit
Most of our residents work outside of the city – that represents a major transportation challenge.
Is the answer to all the questions that get raised in the data we have? Because there is a lot of data.
A crack in a furnace released carbon monoxide into a home –
CO is a gas you can’t see, smell or taste so the only way to detect it inside the home is with an alarm.
The Burlington Fire Department has released a public safety video to create awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). Julia’s Story captures the emotional account of one family’s close call with CO after a crack in the home’s furnace led to a CO leak inside the home. The video addresses the signs and symptoms of CO exposure and how to prevent the threat of CO poisoning at home.
“Julia’s story is part of a storytelling campaign aimed at sharing the experiences of city residents during emergency situations,” said Fire Chief Tony Bavota. “We are grateful to Julia and her family for allowing us to tell their story, which underscores the importance of working carbon monoxide alarms.”
If you live in Burlington and have experienced a fire or life safety emergency, the fire department would like you to share your story; email them at – firedepartment@burlington.ca.
“The intent of the video is to tell a real and meaningful story to spark conversation within our community about CO,” said Public Education Officer Kim Sopko. “There are many stories out there like Julia’s. Our goal is to find and share those personal experiences to hopefully prevent the same situation from happening to others in our community.”
Julia’s Story and other fire and life safety education videos can be viewed on the fire department’s YouTube channel.
CO is a gas you can’t see, smell or taste so the only way to detect it inside the home is with an alarm. If it the alarm sounds, get outside immediately and call 9-1-1. More information on CO can be found at: www.burlington.ca/co.
The Burlington Fire Department is a composite force that includes career staff and volunteers serving the diverse needs of the community. The department’s activities include fire suppression, fire prevention, education, training and emergency planning.
What have the aboriginal problems and grievances got to do with the schools in Burlington?
A lot more than you might imagine.
After years of neglect and basically nothing in the way of information for the public the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued a report that spelt out in language no one could misunderstand.
The Commission spent more than five years listening to the witness and testimony of the thousands of aboriginal people about the children who were taken from their parents and placed in residential schools.
The face bears the pain and the suffering after years in residential schools – away from your family and your culture.
So much damage – and yet many survived the residential school experience to tell their story. Our part of the Truth and Reconciliation experience is to ensure that something like this never happens again.
Of the 94 recommendations that were included in what is now known as the Truth and Reconciliation Report there are two that relate directly to what will be taking place in our schools.
Two of the recommendations were to “inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential Schools in Canada. The commission would document the” history of the residential schools system and the experience of former students and the ongoing legacies within the communities”.
On June 2nd, the commission issued a 418 page executive summary. Their quick summary is as follows;
“ For over a century, the central goals of Canada’s Aboriginal policy were to eliminate Aboriginal governments; ignore Aboriginal rights; terminate the Treaties; and, through a process of assimilation, cause Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada. The establishment and operation of residential schools were a central element of this policy, which can best be described as “cultural genocide.”
Of the 94 recommendations of the commission, #62 and #63 called on school boards within Canada to develop and implement from Kindergarten to grade 12 a curriculum on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history and the history and legacy of residential schools.
They marched in the rain to witness publicly and let the rest of the country know that serious mistakes were made.
York University Professor, Susan Dion made the point when she said: “education is the key to reconciliation because we need to know what we are reconciling about. You may not be responsible for what happened, but you are responsible for knowing the history.”
This background was the setting for a recommendation submitted to the Board of Education by trustee Ehl Harrison (Oakville) for decision on June 24th.
RECOMMENDATION brought to the Halton District School Board:
Whereas the work of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) regarding residential schools in Canada concluded its work in June 2015, resulting in 94 far reaching Calls to Action, including a number specifically focused on education;
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board:
i) Foster and continue to develop a culture where all students gain knowledge of residential schools and their effects on Aboriginal communities of Canada and see themselves as contributors to reconciliation.
ii) Report annually on our actions.
iii) (At least) Annually during a Board meeting recognize the history of our area and give respect and honour to its First Peoples, by including in the Chair’s welcome, “We would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.”
iv) Correspond with the Ministry of Education, urging collaboration with Aboriginal communities and the Ontario Public School Board Association to include treaty education, the history and legacy of residential schools and the impact of the Indian Act in curriculum in a way that gives voice to First Peoples. Recognizing that this will take time, also requesting that the Ministry immediately provide school boards with resources to develop and share best practices that support reconciliation.
There was never any doubt that the motion would pass unanimously; it had been discussed and tweaked at previous meetings. However, prior to the vote earlier in June, the board recognized the delegation of Stephen John Paquette (birth name John Andrew Kimewon) a member of the Ojibwa tribe and a victim of the Residential School experience.
The Truth and Reconciliation Box was set out during every hearing – the image of eyes closed represented what most Canadians did – we kept our eyes closed – we did not know.
Speaking in a methodical, simple, poignant and emotional manner, he initially acknowledged not only all those in the room, but also their ancestors. The teaching of the elder’s state you not only acknowledge the people you meet, but also their ancestors and their land of origin he said. He referred to the immigrants to Turtle Island as partners that need to work together and build a relationship.
He asked that we return to the spirit of the original treaties and build respect by understanding each other. He mentioned that when his two daughters entered the Halton school system they were warmly acknowledged and he was asked to speak to students about their history.
There was no bitterness in his words, but rather an olive branch so that we could all build dual respect. The passing of the recommendation was a good start.
The title reads like something that was done in Germany during the Second World War – but this was Canada and those children were what we called “indians” then. Were learning the truth now – reconciliation will follow.
His presentation was particularly felt by this reporter: I grew up in Brantford Ontario, close to the Six Nations Reserve, and was totally unaware of the residential schools and the damage that was done to so many young people. My grandchildren will sit in classrooms where they will know what was done and hopefully ensure nothing like that every gets done again.
By Staff
Some of the comments on social media:
There are thousands of comments like this being made on social media. What we haven’t seen or heard are public statements from the office of the Mayor expressing concern over what can only be described as vile.
Areas of the city in the greatest need of crossing guards are the Orchard community and southeast Burlington, near Mohawk Public School and Pineland Public School.
The way we move around the community is heavily influenced by where we live, work and play. The way we travel impacts our quality of life, our health and relationship with our community
