 By Staff
November 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Student Voices: Student Experiences of Racism & HDSB’s Strengthened Commitments to Anti-Racism Information Session (Virtual) will take place on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 6 – 7 p.m.
This information session will be livestreamed on the HDSB YouTube Channel.
The link to access the livestream will be on the homepage of the HDSB website (www.hdsb.ca) on Thursday, Dec. 2. Questions can be submitted prior to and during the event on Thursday, Dec. 2 by emailing studentvoice@hdsb.ca.
The Halton District School Board conducted virtual focus groups with secondary students (Grade 9-12) in Spring 2021 to gather student insight into the Board’s current response to racism in schools.
Gathering this information supports the Board’s ongoing accountability to its equity goals, as outlined in the 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan and the Human Rights Equity Action & Accountability Plan: The Way Forward. The focus groups were hosted virtually across each of the four municipalities in Halton.
 Curtis Ennis, Director of Education “As a Board we are invested in learning more about how well students feel we have responded to incidents of racism in our schools,” says Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the HDSB. “The information and insights received through the focus groups were reviewed and a report has been developed by HDSB staff in the Indigenous Rights & Education, Human Rights & Equity and Research departments along with the Board’s Human Rights & Equity Advisor, which highlights existing and strengthened commitments to guide and inform a plan of action and enhanced accountability to address racism.”
The Student Voices: Student Experiences of Racism & HDSB’s Strengthened Commitments to Anti-Racism report will be publicly released on Nov. 30, 2021 and will be available on the Student Voices webpage.
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 By Ray Rivers
November 19th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
After 26 annual conferences of the parties the world community is no closer to halting or even decreasing global warming. The COP spectacle is one of delegates gathering with false hopes and promises of reducing our global carbon footprint, even as that footprint continues to expand without a foreseeable end. After a quarter of a century of trying to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) it may be time to admit that it’s not going to happen without a miracle, and that our’s is indeed a dystopian future.
 The Prime Minister attended – did Canada make an impact? COP has become another one of those events where everyone wants to be – youth, indigenous peoples, disappearing Pacific islanders, government bureaucrats and mandarins, environmental organizations, and even the oil companies. It’s another venue to claim everything and get nothing and a chance to get a grant from the rich countries. These extravaganzas have become little more than an annual reunion for the attendees – see you all same time again next year.
I’ve attended a few of these COP meetings, once representing Pollution Probe back in 1998 and caucusing among the environmental groups. There had been a lot of enthusiasm back then. The Kyoto protocol had just been negotiated and the USA, the world largest historical greenhouse gas emitter, was leading the effort. Bill Clinton and Al Gore had helped craft a Kyoto protocol calling for enforceable emission targets with significant financial penalties for those signatory nations who found themselves out of compliance. It was a significant first step.
But by 2003, when I represented Clean Air Canada as part of the business community, that enthusiasm had been replaced by pessimism. GW Bush added to his legacy as America’s worst president ever, and his violations of human rights, by pulling the US out of Kyoto.
American delegates were seen disrupting the proceedings and the halls of the conference were cluttered with oil company representatives making their pitches that climate change was just another hoax.
 COP26 had more lobbyists taking part than registered delegates. The people who are going to have to live with a climate that is not going to be kind were out in force. Were they heard? Once the Americans scuttled the Kyoto deal there was little appetite for the rest of the world to continue, though Europe and even Canada did for a time. Stephen Harper, whose earlier views on global warming had placed him firmly in the denial camp, pulled Canada out of the treaty once he had gained a majority. And he did this, ironically, just as Canada came close to meeting its Kyoto commitment thanks to Ontario’s phase-out of coal.
COP 26 in Glasgow last week was an almost abject failure on so many counts. Despite pleas for climate action by host Boris Johnson, the world’s leaders have settled for business as usual. And that means greenhouse gas emissions are increasing globally instead of declining and will reach their second highest level this year, despite the pandemic.
Fossil fuels are the main culprit and emissions from burning coal the most egregious insult to our climate. India and China came to the rescue of the nasty coal – refusing to allow the term ‘phase out’ to be used in the final communique. China plans to peak its coal use somewhere around 2030 and India sometime later.
Coal still provides almost 40% of the world’s electricity. Yet 40 nations, including Canada, have committed to entirely phase out coal for electricity by 2030. But China, Japan, India, and the United States, which together account of over 75 percent of global coal use have refused to commit to that goal.
 We continue to fail them – how might they react in the years ahead? Some 20 countries and institutions are promising to end direct international public finance for unabated coal, oil, and gas and to prioritize financing for clean energy by the end of 2022. In addition to international financing, Canada provides the highest subsidies for fossil fuel development among all G7 nations. A group calling itself the ‘Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance’ (BOGA) including Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Greenland, Ireland, Sweden, Wales, and the Canadian province (nation) of Quebec committed to taking “concrete steps” to reduce oil and gas extraction.
Perhaps the biggest sign of failure was when the US and China (whose leader hadn’t even bothered attending), announced that they would take the conversation on emission reduction off-line. Gas lighting, double speak, or just an excuse to get out of the room, that bilateral approach is unlikely to amount to anything. China and the USA have to get over unfair trade practices, industrial espionage and Taiwan before they could have a civil discussion on climate change. And China, with the second largest global economy still maintains the façade of calling itself an undeveloped nation.
COP 26 wasn’t a complete waste of time, there were locally sourced ‘sustainable’ sandwiches for the delegates, despite the three hour hybrid/gas guzzler delivery drive from Aberdeen. But this COP will not help the planet keep its temperature rising beyond what scientists have identified as the critical 1.5 degree C temperature increase over the pre-industrial period.
Global net GHG emissions from human activity would have to decline by about 45% from 2010 levels to 2030 in order for us to meet that goal.
Canada’s new climate plan comes close to that goal, but after all, it’s just another plan. This year’s heat dome and the river of rain climate-bomb, which knocked British Columbians into climate reality, occurred when the global temperature was only 1.1 degree C above pre-industrial levels. And the science community tells us that these kinds of climatic effects will only get worse – Ontario may be next.
If not COP, then what can we do? Concerned individuals could always help by consuming less red meat; making their next car an EV (electric vehicle) and converting their appliances to electricity, but the heavy lifting has to come from governments with their regulatory powers.
For example the federal government has committed to banning the sale of new gasoline powered automobiles by 2035, it has mandated the carbon tax, provides incentives to buy an EV, promised new caps on gas emissions and the phase out of coal for electricity by at least 2030. The previous Ontario government phased-out coal and started a program of renewable energy.
The world’s leaders once hoped that the Montreal Protocol, which saw a mostly successful cooperative global effort to eliminate ozone depleting substances, would serve as a model for action on global warming. They created the IPCC (international Panel on Climate Change) which has done a truly amazing job identifying the crisis and what we need to do about it. But none of that matters if the political leaders at those COPs won’t step up and do the right things for the sake of humanity.
 Coal is used to generate whatever it is the facility produces. Some politicians have mused that it may be time to reform global trade rules in favour of protecting the planet’s climate. I recall having a conversation with US officials, back in 1997, who were proposing tariffs on imports from nations with lower environmental standards than the US – sort of levelling the playing field. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole seemed to want to open the door to that kind of thing in his last election platform.
A massive boycott of Chinese-manufactured exports, for example, might help bring President Xi to his senses. We simply can’t wait till 2030 to begin phasing out coal. If the diplomacy of COP doesn’t work, then maybe it is time for a more forceful approach.
Political journalist Rex Murphy, who is as close to a climate change denier as they come, suggested in a tongue-in-cheek opinion piece that maybe it’s time for net zero COP meetings. In fact, looking at the failure of the COP process to reduce, let alone stabilize our carbon footprint, he may have a point.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
What is COP – Greta Has Spoken – COP 26 Text –
Harper’s Climate Denying History – Ford Lower Gas Prices –
Rex Murphy –
By Staff
November 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
At the November 17, 2021 Board meeting, Halton District School Board Trustees selected Makwendam Public School as the new name for Ryerson Public School, located at 565 Woodview Road in Burlington.
The name was unanimously supported by all Trustees. The new name will take effect immediately; a plan will be developed to make changes to school signage, website and sports uniforms.
The name Makwendam, pronounced muck-kwen-dum, is the Indigenous word for “to remember” in the Anishinaabemowin language.
 Halton District School Board chair Andrea Grebenc In their discussions, Trustees considered that this name would honour the reason for renaming the school, that is, Egerton Ryerson’s involvement in the creation of the residential school system. There have been growing calls to remove Ryerson’s name from public buildings and institutions and the HDSB has received formal requests to remove Ryerson’s name from the school.
“The choice of Makwendam Public School speaks directly to the purpose of renaming Ryerson Public School – as we as a country search for the lost children on residential school lands, we must remember, we must learn and be better,” says Andréa Grebenc, Chair of the Halton District School Board. “The Halton District School Board is committed to Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness, as outlined in our Strategic Multi-Year Plan commitments. We look forward to hearing the results of the City of Burlington’s naming process for the adjacent park.”
 Egerton Ryerson: his role in the creation of the residential schools has, unfortunately, been distorted. At the Board meeting, Trustees heard from Evan Rochon, a Grade 6 student at Ryerson Public School. In his delegation to the Trustees, Evan supported the name Makwendam.
The naming process began in September to ensure the parent/guardian, student and the broader community had the opportunity to provide input. In total, more than 1,200 names were submitted.
The City of Burlington is in the process of renaming the park adjacent to the former Ryerson school that shared the name of the man who gets credit for creating the education system that has served the province very well.
 By Staff
November 16th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It has come to this.
Three year olds getting their first look at what kindergarten has to offer them in a virtual Zoom setting.
Is this the best that creative minds can do?
Appears not.
In a media release the Halton District School Board said:
Starting school is a big step for children and parents/guardians, and the Halton District School Board wants to make that transition as smooth as possible. This fall, the HDSB is welcoming future students and their families to a virtual Kindergarten experience at kindergarten.hdsb.ca to learn more about making the first school experience a happy one.
 Clip from a video introducing three year olds to kindergarten. Where is the grass? This is a muddy yard.  Is the correct answer to every question: Why? Due to current public health restrictions, traditional in-person Kindergarten Open Houses are not possible this year. Instead, we have created a virtual experience for three-year olds and their families.
At kindergarten.hdsb.ca, three-year olds can explore a Kindergarten classroom to see what their future classroom might look like next September. There are videos to watch, pictures to view and fun activities for kids.
Parents/guardians can learn about the Kindergarten program at the HDSB, play-based learning, community resources in Halton and before-and-after school care. Families can also sign-up to receive a welcome package from the HDSB including a free children’s book.
Registration for Kindergarten begins in January 2022 and will be by appointment only (in-person and/or virtual) through the school your child will attend.
Further information will be shared in the new year.
To begin Kindergarten in September 2022, children must be four years old by Dec. 31, 2022 for Year 1 Kindergarten and must be five years old by Dec. 31, 2022 for Year 2 Kindergarten.
 By Pepper Parr
November 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
 If Climate Change still matters to you after what we have learned from the COP26 conference in Scotland – then you want to listen to Katharine Hayhoe.
She is being brought to Halton by the Halton Environment Network via Zoom on November 18th at 8 PM for a Virtual Discussion with United Nations Champion of the Earth, Climate Activist and Author Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, as she joins our community to discuss her new book “Saving Us”.
In Saving Us, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. Dr. Hayhoe’s book is a multilayered look at science, faith, and human psychology to give you the tools you need to start talking about climate.
Get your copy in person or online at your local library, or at your local bookstore and learn from one of the top climate scientists in the world on how to talk about climate with your friends, co-workers, and family.
Join the discussion by registering here: bit.ly/LetsListen2021
For more information: https://climatecollective.ca/hccreads/
Follow #HCCReads & @haltonclimate on twitter to follow the conversation.
 By Pepper Parr
November 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Bateman High School looks like it is going to have a much different tenant make up in the near future.
Staff will be making a presentation to Council on Monday that has the Brock University Faculty of Education in the space as well as Tech Place and a branch of the Public Library.
 A much different tenant mix will result if the plans under discussion actually work out. The plans, which will get a fulsome discussion on Monday, include space the Board of Education will rent or retain and space for a community hub of some form.
The pool has always been city property.
 The decision to close the school in 2017 was a blow to the community; the outcome has some pluses for a number of organizations.
More once the presentation is complete.
 By Pepper Parr
November 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
A reader sent in the following: It was in regard to the Heritage Advisory Committee and the recommendations it makes.
Sad to see the usual suspects piling on in this case.
As a person who has served on a number of voluntary community boards, I can only ask: would you not expect and welcome people with an interest in art to be on an art gallery board?
Or people with attachment to gathering artifacts to join a museum board? I could go on.
All governments depend on usually unpaid citizen groups to perform such roles, since the alternative is inexpert and uncommitted paid staff.
So it’s a win-win, as long as conflict of interest principles are well defined and managed, which seems to be the case here. Searches for absolute purity after the fact by self-appointed nitpickers will only discourage others from sharing their expertise.
The piling on is part of the way some people choose to express themselves. It happens.
Here is where I think the problem exists. It is my firm view that when people choose to serve they are there to serve the public not themselves.
And that, in my opinion is what has happened.
The people who serve on a heritage committee are advocates for protecting as much heritage as possible.
The people who are passionate about heritage tend to share a mind set: Alan Harrington is fierce when it comes to fighting for the preservation of our history. Rick Wilson brought to light a more complete story about the Burlington Races, a name used to tell part of the War of 1812 story. His efforts resulted in a plaque being erected, and hopefully in the fullness of time, a plaque being corrected.
It would be difficult for these two men, for whom I have the greatest of respect, to not recommend a grant for a house that is a superb example of what the city wants to ensure isn’t replaced by some ugly monster house.
What the Heritage Advisory Committee does not have is a clear set of guidelines or rules that prevent self serving.
The practice in Burlington is to have a member of Council sitting on each Advisory Committee: one would hope that Councillor would have a deeper understanding of what good governance is all about and explain it to the Committee members.
 This is what you don’t want happening at any level of city business. The thing you don’t want is a situation where there is a lot of wink, wink; nod, nod taking place when decisions are being made. That is not the case with the Barker recommendations.
That kind of behaviour is the first step to the slippery slope that lets corruption take place.
It is not about “absolute purity after the fact by self-appointed nitpickers.” It is about consistent good governance.
It is not enough to be on the right side of the rules; it is the spirit of the rules that matters.
It is clear to me that the rules need some tightening up. What perplexes me is that Council chose to let it pass. Staff advised the city that a previous grant had been given – that should have raised a red flag.
I recall a discussion taking place at Council when James Ridge was the City Manager and they were discussing what a Council member could accept in the way of a gift or a benefit. Ridge at the time said all you had to do was document everything: if someone else paid for your coffee, note it. At the time we had a member of council who saw someone one else paying for a golf game or a ticket to an event as quite acceptable. It wasn’t and it isn’t.
The rules need to be tightened.
Related news story:
An example of what strong advocacy can do.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
November 5th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The park currently known as Ryerson Park at 565 Woodview Rd. will be renamed to reflect the City’s current naming policies for City assets.
 The park is tucked in behind the school. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 11, residents were invited to suggest a new name consistent with today’s standards. The name submission portion of this project is now closed and a small working group of City staff, Indigenous Leaders and community stakeholders have created a short-list of names that residents can now vote on.
Staff will take the voting results and report back to Burlington City Council with a recommendation for a new name early in the new year.
Voting is open now at and will be open until Nov. 19, 2021.
Shortlist of Names
More than 500 names were submitted in phase 1.
The Shortlist Committee has considered all the names and chosen three names.
A fourth naming option has been added from Indigenous Elder Stephen Paquette after consulting an Indigenous linguist: Sweetgrass Park.
Sweetgrass is one of the sacred medicines to many First Nations. It is used as a purification medicine in ceremony to purify ourselves and to heal.
 For years the contribution Edgerton Ryerson made to the creation of the public educational system we have today was held in great esteem. Public sentiment changed when hundreds of graves were discovered at residential school sites, which were built long after Ryerson had passed on. His statue was defaced and then toppled. The proposed park names and rationale:
• Head of the Lake Park: This name was chosen to reflect the name of the current land agreement in place that allows settler communities to occupy the location of the park in question, as per the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
• Unity Park: When forms of hatred and attempts to divide people are on the rise we need to find ways of expressing what we think is important. Unity means that we embrace our differences, that we value other people’s experience and beliefs
• Truth and Reconciliation Park: To heal as a nation we need to speak the truth and reconcile our relationship with the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
• Sweetgrass Park: Sweetgrass is used as a purification medicine in ceremony to purify ourselves and to heal.
Why are we renaming Ryerson Park?
At the June 16, 2021 meeting of the Halton District School Board (HDSB), trustees unanimously approved a motion to rename Ryerson Public School on Woodview Road in Burlington, in accordance with the Board’s Naming and Renaming Schools Policy and Governance Procedure.
 Mayor Meed Ward meets with Andrea Grebenc, Chair of the Halton District School Board As part of the Board motion, the Chair of the Board sent a letter to inform the City of this decision. Burlington City Council then unanimously voted to rename Ryerson Park. This was done out of respect for Indigenous residents in our community, particularly following the recent discovery of mass graves at former residential schools.
Burlington’s Ryerson Public School, and adjacent Ryerson Park, are named after Egerton Ryerson for his contributions to the Ontario education system, however, Ryerson was also instrumental in the design of Canada’s residential school system. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada concluded this assimilation amounted to the genocide of Indigenous people.
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward explains: “Earlier this year, Burlington City Council unanimously voted to rename Ryerson Park, in line with the recent HDSB decision to rename the adjacent school. This was done out of respect for Indigenous residents in our community and visitors to our city — particularly following the recent discovery of mass graves at former residential schools.
 By Staff
November 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service has announced a new annual collaborative anti-hate campaign called #NoHaltonInHalton. The inaugural campaign will run November 8 to 12, 2021.
 Two young men captured on video putting up hate notices at city hall. It does happen in Burlington. In an effort to stop hate and promote respect, equity and inclusivity in our community, the Halton Regional Police Service has partnered with the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board, Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir, Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, Crime Stoppers of Halton, and other community stakeholders, to run this anti-hate campaign in over 180 schools and learning facilities across the region.
Eliminating all forms of hate in Halton region, and better supporting victims and communities impacted by it, is a key priority for the HRPS and its campaign partners. Of the hate and bias motivated incidents reported across the region last year, 42 per cent directly involved or impacted schools or school aged youth. The #NoHateInHalton campaign is one of many strategies and initiatives that supports the Service’s ongoing commitment to bring anti-hate awareness and education to school-aged youth and the broader community of Halton.
 Video of a person walking away from a location where hate literature had been distributed, This year’s campaign will aim to bring attention to the following topics within schools:
– Eliminating hate and bias motivated incidents,
– Encouraging individuals to report an incident that is motivated by hate or bias,
– Building a sense of community within schools across the region,
– Encouraging students and staff to work collaboratively to eliminate hate within the schools and support impacted individuals and groups, and
– Reducing the stigma that is often associated with victims of hate and bias-motivated incidents and removing any barriers to reporting those incidents.
Posters will be posted at learning facilities across the region to heighten awareness of the campaign. Stickers featuring a QR code to Halton Crime Stopper’s website, where incidents motivated by hate or bias can be reported anonymously, will also be posted in high schools to help reduce any barriers to reporting incidents.
This campaign will also bring awareness to supports available to victims or those negatively affected by hate or bias motivated incidents. The campaign will also address factors that lead to individuals exhibiting hateful behavior and the impact of hate on community safety and well-being.
Members of the community can engage with this anti-hate awareness and education campaign by joining the conversation on social media with a post about how they are embracing respect and inclusion with #NoHateInHalton.
Members of the community can also visit the Hate and Bias Motivated Crime webpage on HaltonPolice.ca for information about Hate and Bias Motivated Crimes and the Halton Regional Police Service’s commitment to eliminating these types of incidents from our communities.
Every person has the right to feel safe in our community. Victims of hate or bias motivated crimes are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service. The following is a list of valuable support services and resources in Halton Region for victims of hate or bias motivated crimes:
 By Staff
November 1, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Meet the DAGB (Digital Arts Guild of Burlington): an emerging community guild of young adults with an interest in digital art forms.
It is a new group formed as a guild at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
The guild is interested in encouraging and supporting underrepresented youth groups in their journey with digital arts. They’ll be opening to the public in the coming months, providing a place for knowledge exchange, skill and equipment sharing, informal educational programs, and a safe space for self-expression.
 Technology and artistic creativity They have put together a n upcoming digital demo series.
Technology and artistic creativity are expected collide with a budding youth digital guild at the AGB.
Youth artists, makers, and creators will soon have a new home where they can gather to create and explore the boundless world of digital arts.
It is an emerging community guild of teens and young adults with an interest in digital art forms. Located in the Creative Hub, the DAGB is interested in encouraging and supporting underrepresented youth groups in their journey with digital arts.
The DAGB is excited to open to the public in the coming months, providing a place for knowledge exchange, skill and equipment sharing, informal educational programs, and a safe space for self-expression.
 Image courtesy of Bryan Depuy. Bringing an interest in the latest tools in digital arts, founding DAGB members are currently acquiring equipment for a functioning studio space. In the late Winter, the DAGB are hosting a series of digital demos on the AGB’s Instagram Live, as part of their soft launch. From 3D printing, to Sound Art, E-textiles, and even DIY video games, the DAGB is showcasing the practices of young digital artists throughout the month of November to highlight the diverse ways folks can express themselves with digital art forms.
The DAGB is aiming to build engagement and membership in the new year. These youth hope to host more educational initiatives and develop their inventory of equipment throughout their partnership with the AGB.
Everyone is welcome to stop by the studio space for a peek at their work, or to join one of their upcoming demos to learn something new.
This is al in the near future. The AGB hasn’t provided a contact point yet – we will chase that down for you.
 By Pepper Parr
October 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is a member of the National Newsmedia Council. In a recent report from the Council they set out how editorial choices get made and how differences are resolved. We strive to follow those guidelines
Over the past two months, the NNC received more than 50 complaints, and dozens more phone calls, from people who expressed their concerns about a front-page layout of an August 26th edition of the Toronto Star. Readers were incensed over the front-page presentation of a story featuring strongly-worded tweets about people who chose not to get the COVID vaccine. The front-page tweets were, in many readers’ words, “divisive and hateful.”
That day’s edition of the Toronto Star featured an article about public attitudes towards unvaccinated people, citing a poll that suggested many vaccinated Canadians had “no sympathy for those who choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and then fall ill.” The article pointed to strongly worded tweets from people who felt similarly, and the tweets were prominently displayed on the front page of the paper.
One tweet included on the front page read, “I have no empathy left for the willfully unvaccinated. Let them die.”
While the Toronto Star’s public editor published a column about the issues with the front-page display in the following days, the significant outcry from readers underscores the need for clarity and consideration when presenting complex issues, particularly when they are given the weight and focus of a front-page display.
In this case, the NNC heard from many complainants who were concerned that the comments expressed harmful views, sowed further division, and were not clearly identified as tweets from individuals.
Take, for example, some of the criticism we heard from complainants:
“This is a prime example of the divide the media has caused…This newspaper is fanning the flames of hatred and division.”
“To see such words of hate plastered across a front page is not only outrageous and unacceptable but also utterly irresponsible in these volatile times.”
“We are already so fractured as a society that this headline does nothing but fuel the divide.”
“Everyone has a right to their opinion but a newspaper has an even greater responsibility to the community to ‘draw a line’. That front page article is down right scary and absolutely promotes hate, discrimination, misinformation and fear towards fellow human beings.”
One individual pointed out, “There are others who by means of exemption are unable to be vaccinated either due to religious beliefs or medical conditions,” and “Being that it is the front page, many people will see these hateful remarks and have no context unless they read the article.”
Even among those who recognized the comments as tweets, many felt it was difficult to discern this fact and that the comments were given undue weight. As one complainant put it, “The newspaper quotes someone from Twitter…and promotes it on their front page in a way that suggests they agree with it. The fact it comes from another person is in very small characters, and the text is placed without quotation marks.”
In addition to the general outrage over the front-page display of the story, some complainants took the opportunity to express their views on vaccination. A number of complainants simply wanted an apology from the news organization about how the newspaper chose to highlight these tweets.
Most complainants immediately contacted the NNC with their concerns. Some told us they even reached out to their local police with concerns about hateful language and were referred to the NNC.
The NNC reviewed each of the complaints and listened to their phone calls. As is our process, we encouraged them to try to resolve the matter, first, with the news organization directly and allow reasonable opportunity for the news organization to address their concerns.
On August 28, the public editor of the Toronto Star published his findings in a column in response to reader concerns. The Star had received thousands of messages from concerned readers who found the front-page display “confusing, hurtful and inflammatory.”
As noted in the column, “Many readers thought the statements were the Star’s view, like a front-page editorial; others thought it was the headline to the story.” The public editor noted that there were no quotation marks around the tweeted comments, that the tweets lacked context, and the source of the comments was not clearly identified.
The column included comments from the editor of the Toronto Star, who acknowledged the “power” and “responsibility” of a front page. She apologized for the fact that the particular front-page display did not meet their usual standards.
As noted in the column, the public editor found that “greater care should have been taken” in this case, and that “The Star wound up stoking the very divisions it sought to write about.”
Throughout the pandemic, the NNC has received a number of complaints and phone calls from people concerned with polarization and ‘divisiveness’ in reporting on COVID, and especially, COVID vaccines. In many of these cases, people want to see another side of the story reflected, even if the evidence does not support it.
Whether covering vaccine hesitancy or people’s response to vaccine hesitancy, reporting on unfounded, offensive, or even extreme views can be newsworthy and serve important journalistic purposes, so long as those views are treated with appropriate care. That means providing appropriate attribution and context, including verifiable evidence and information about sourcing.
In this particular case, the NNC recognizes that the complaints were primarily directed at the front-page layout of the story, and not the story itself, which in fact aimed to provide context and shed light on the attitudes expressed in the strongly-worded tweets.
In reviewing complainants’ concerns and the news organizations’ response to the matter, the NNC agreed with the news organization that the comments should have been more clearly labelled. It also agreed that in this case, the display of the tweets on the front page fell short of journalistic standards around context and attribution.
At the same time, the NNC found that the public editor’s findings and thorough report on the matter both acknowledged and addressed reader concerns about the lack of context, inadequate labelling, and divisive nature of the comments.
While apologies typically fall outside the mandate of the NNC, we would note that the chief editor’s comments and apology for the front page’s shortcomings, as quoted in the column, go a long way to addressing reader concerns, particularly of those who wished to see recognition of the wide-reaching impact of the newspaper’s front page.
In light of the published findings by the Toronto Star public editor, the NNC considered this matter resolved due to corrective action.
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| By Staff
October 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Public Library will start a major move to a new library software system and service provider on Tuesday.November 2.
“The new system, designed to manage our collections and customer information, brings many improvements to help us serve you better. Still, we regret that there will be limited services while all our data relocates to its new home. We expect to complete all work and be back to business as usual by November 18.
“We need to minimize any data changes to make sure no information gets lost between the old and new systems.” Here’s what to expect during the transition and important changes to note:
 1. NO online catalogue access; CHECK OUT only.
- No searching or browsing the online catalogue.
- No access to your My BPL account.
- No placing holds. Holds already waiting for you won’t expire. No new holds will be available for pick-up.
- No renewals.
- No returned items will be checked in. You can still return items but they will not show as returned in your account until after Nov 18.
- No payments will be taken for fees or other financial transactions.
- Check-out kiosks will be unavailable.
- No online self-registration for a library card.
- Some digital resources may be temporarily unavailable during the transition. This information will be posted on our website as needed.
You will be able to:
- Check out books and other items available on our shelves.
- Check out eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines and stream movies and music directly through the resource’s website (for example, OverDrive, Hoopla, Kanopy) or the resource’s app (such as Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy etc)
- Register in person at any branch for a library card.
- Register to attend virtual library programs.
- Use public computers, printers, and free wireless access at all locations.
 2. NEW – PIN reset
During the data migration, your PIN will be reset to the last four digits of the telephone number we have on file for you. You can reset your PIN after Nov 18.
3. NEW – Borrowing history
BPL now retains the borrowing history on all customer accounts to serve you better and bring collections of the highest interest to our community. We will use the data to understand our general use trends; we will not access information at the individual level. If you wish to access your borrowing history, you must enable this feature in your My BPL account. Library staff will only access your borrowing history with your permission.
We encourage you to contact us online, stop by and talk with our staff, or give us a call at 905.639.3611 if you have any questions. |
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By Staff
October 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
This was passed on to us – we haven’t had an opportunity yet to talk to the people behind this work done by young students.
We just had to share the art work with you. Call it Innocent Eyes.
 Fishbowls from the eyes and hands of young students The comments that came with the pictures went like this:
 It’s a gum ball machine “After working with educators and students for 30 years, we have developed curriculum that works! Our techniques remove the fear of failure that can block creative expression. As a result, our students produce artwork beyond their imagination.”
Some of the results:
By Staff
October 21st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board (HDSB) is holding a virtual I-STEM Open House on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca for students, families and community members to learn about the innovative, regional program for secondary students. The four-year program begins with students entering Grade 9.
 This was just part of the parent crowd that showed up for the first ever iStem briefing session. The program is one of the hottest educational programs in the Region. The I-STEM program will be offered at Aldershot School in Burlington and Elsie MacGill Secondary School in Milton for the 2022-2023 school year.
Available to students in Halton and beyond, I-STEM (Innovation – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) enables students to develop innovation skills related to engineering design and design thinking, entrepreneurial thinking skills and global competencies.
Students will have enhanced learning opportunities through community and post-secondary partnerships.
I-STEM Virtual Open House Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021
7 p.m. www.hdsb.ca
The presentation will be hosted by I-STEM faculty, followed by a live Question & Answer session. The Open House will be recorded and posted on the HDSB I-STEM webpage. Those interested in viewing the Open House can submit questions, before and during the presentation, through this form: https://forms.gle/uzrrv51K55aZ9ewb7.
During the Open House, students and families will learn about the:
four-year program and I-STEM certificate,
unique opportunities and partnerships (in person and virtually),
STEM learning resources,
new location for the program at Elsie MacGill SS in Milton (in addition to Aldershot HS in Burlington), and
the application process.
 Terri Blackwell, Superintendent of Education for the HDSB. “I-STEM has been designed to prepare students for future trends in the workforce and help students solve complex economic, social and environmental problems,” says Terri Blackwell, Superintendent of Education for the HDSB. “With the success of the I-STEM program at Aldershot School in Burlington, our Board is excited to expand the program at Elsie MacGill Secondary School in Milton.”
“We look forward to sharing with families and the community what current I-STEM students and faculty are accomplishing in the program and showcase the innovative learning space.”
The I-STEM program has been developed in collaboration with innovators, educators, industry leaders and community members. I-STEM Program Development and Advisory Partners include: McMaster University, Mohawk College, Canada 2067, Let’s Talk Science, Engineers of Tomorrow, Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), TechLink, and I-THINK.
To learn more about the I-STEM program, visit www.hdsb.ca (Search “I-STEM”) or email I-STEM@hdsb.ca. Follow I-STEM on Twitter @ISTEM_hdsb and Instagram @ISTEM_HDSB.
By Staff
October 20th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board is hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians this Fall.
Covering specific topics based on feedback from parents/guardians, each session will be led by a mental health expert in that area who will share their knowledge and provide helpful information and resources.
 Sessions include:
• Building Executive Function Skills in Teenagers: How Can Parents Help? – Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Diving Deeper into Anxiety – Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Stress, Coping and Resilience – Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration is required for these sessions as limited spots are available. Parents/guardians can register by completing the Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions Registration Form. Sessions will be held on Google Meet and registrants will be emailed a link to access the session. Sessions will not be recorded.
Register HERE
Parents/guardians will have the opportunity to submit questions when completing the registration form or during the session.
The Board’s Mental Health & Well-Being webpage has information for parents/guardians and students on mental health, ways to support positive mental health and well-being, and how to get additional support at school and in the broader community.
 By Staff
October 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington has embarked on a huge city building project.
When completed the city will have three distinct neighbourhoods; the eastern part of the city will have a new neighbourhood centered on the Aldershot GO station.
 This is the western boundary of the Station West Development built by the ADI Group. A significant part of the community building has already taken place in Aldershot. The Station West development by the Adi Group is well underway with three more towers to be built on the south west corner of the property that edges onto Masonry Road.
The other two new neighbourhoods will be centered on the Burlington and Appleby GO stations.
The city Planning Department is now working to get feedback from the people who will be impacted by these very significant changes.
A public meeting was held to explain what is planned. To get feedback from the public the Planners have devised a WORKBOOK that they say will take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
Completing the WORKBOOK is voluntary and the information people provide is confidential (even to city staff).
The Planners recommend you complete the workbook on a laptop, tablet or PC to view the images in a larger format and keep a copy of the Preliminary Preferred Precinct Plan open in another tab or browser window to assist you in answering the questions and as a point of reference.
The link to the WORKBOOK is HERE. It is a little complicated. Just scroll through the pages, click on the images and then return to the page. There is enough instruction to get you through it.
The workbook is available in other languages. To request, e-mail getinvolved@burlington.ca. You may also use the “Select Language” translate button found on the project page to translate both the page and workbook.
An MTSA (Major Transit Service Area) is the area within 500 to 800-metres of a higher order transit station (these are the three GO stations) that are expected to be about a 10-minute walk from the GO station.
These are seen as the three most critical locations within the urban area expected to accommodate the majority of the City’s forecasted growth to 2031 and beyond.
Through the preparation of the new Official Plan, new policies were developed to guide development and change in the Downtown and Uptown (at Appleby Line and Upper Middle Road). The MTSAs are now the remaining priority locations for which detailed planning must be completed to establish the vision for growth, to guide development, investments in transit, infrastructure and public service facilities, including parks, and to support significant future population and employment growth.
To some this project may feel familiar. From 2017 to 2019 the City worked on developing area-specific plans (ASPs) for the three GO Station areas, then called the Mobility Hubs Study. The MTSA ASP project will build upon, and advance, the work done through the Mobility Hubs Study.
The objective of this project is to plan to accommodate new residents and jobs by setting a vision for three unique, complete communities that are centered around the City’s three GO Stations along the Lakeshore West rail line. These communities will be environmentally friendly, infrastructure-efficient, walkable, bikeable, and will support local and regional transit with a diverse mix of employment, housing, recreation, and shopping features.
What have we heard so far?
Engagement was a key element of the previous Mobility Hub Study work. From the feedback received through 2017 and 2018, a number of key themes emerged to provide guidance in planning for these areas:
Increase, Improve and Support…
Public spaces by supporting existing and new open spaces, parks and other community spaces that are safe, usable, inclusive and interactive, and incorporate public art, landscape features etc. to enhance placemaking.
Community amenities by encouraging an increased scale and mix of commercial/retail uses at grade, including grocery stores, coffee shops, community and recreational space etc.
Mobility by designing a well-connected, safe and accessible public realm with active animated streets and robust cycling and pedestrian networks, focused on direct connections to and from GO Stations.
Housing options by planning for a diverse range of different and affordable housing choices to cater to all ages and abilities.
Private Spaces by encouraging sustainable design and variety of architectural styles to create distinct buildings and enhance neighbourhood character, and by reinforcing midrise corridors.
Public engagement by providing residents with enough time to engage and increase resident engagement and clearly explaining the required growth targets for Burlington.
Parkland by planning for park and public spaces that consider the needs of the entire area including developing fair approaches to meet that objective.
Traffic congestion by supporting the public transportation network and investing in additional facilities for walking and cycling.
 Solid Gold site as it exists today. Building height and transition concerns by clearly explaining planning rationale for where height is being located, ensuring and explaining how height will be regulated, and by reducing losses of sunlight and privacy through appropriate building height transitions.
 Speaking of height limitations – this rendering represents what the owners of Solid Gold want to build on a site that currently has a single story structure. Protect…
Established residential neighbourhoods by ensuring built form, height and transition support and respect existing character, and providing clear policies for heritage protection.
The planners learned that:
Beyond the broad themes highlighted above, a number of key themes specific to the Aldershot GO MTSA also emerged, including the consideration of:
– opportunities for new bike paths, including through Aldershot Park;
– opportunities for amenities to support residents and employees;
– opportunities for complete streets, including Cooke Boulevard;
– ways to manage the impacts of increased traffic along Plains Road;
– opportunities to incorporate mid-rise development along Plains Road and Waterdown Road; and
– excluding the low-density residential properties located on Clearview Avenue and a portion of St. Matthew’s Avenue.
 A little more detail on what might go where Now the planners need your feedback. The input you provide may inform:
– Refinements to the vision (i.e. land uses, building heights, urban design considerations etc.);
– Precinct changes (i.e. policy directions, boundaries, built form directions, etc.);
– The preparation of the area-specific plans or the development of policy.
There are more specific details about all of the work that has informed the preliminary preferred precinct plan, including technical studies, can be found at getinvolvedburlington.ca/mtsa.
By Pepper Parr
October 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
From a source that has been reliable in the past there is word that the current Emergency State put in place across the province that has the day to day operation of the city in the hands of the administration
All the municipalities have been in that state since March 17th, 2019, less than a month later Mayor Meed Ward declared a State of Emergency for the city.
Municipalities created Emergency Coordinating Groups that meet regularly and can meet in minutes if they have to should there be an emergency.
The City Manager keeps the Mayor up to date and the Mayor takes part in meetings but is not believed to be a member of the ECG.
The Mayor does have one on one meetings with the City Manager on a regular basis.
 From the left: City Manager, Tim Commisso; Treasurer Joan Ford and Executive Director Sheila Jones kept it all together as the city weathered a pandemic. At least once a month, usually during the week Standing Committee meetings take place, Sheila Jones, one of the Executive Directors, takes Council through everything the city staff plan to do or change in the way city services are delivered.
 There is also an update on where things stand financially as well as updates on anything that pertains to the administrative functioning of the city.
With an ECG handling changes in the way services are delivered municipalities had access to funds which city manager Tim Commisso at the time said was a good position to be in.
The city’s financial picture has benefited significantly as the result of the tens of millions that have flowed from the province to the city.
It is not clear at this time if the city will revise the way Council meetings are held if the Emergency is lifted. At this point in time they are all virtual – the sentiment apparently being that members of Council like it that way, see it as an alternate version of real engagement.
 Kudos to Kearns for holding ward meetings that were both live and virtual. Ward 2 Council member Lisa Kearns has been holding ward meetings that are both live and virtual. Kudos to her for breaking the barrier that most members of council are quite happy to keep in place.
The Mayor has said that she prefers the “virtual approach” – the city “gets more work from me when I can work from home”. We also get to hear the dog yelping.
A benefit that might not be recognized or appreciated right away is just how well many senior staff members have performed. Executive Director Sheila Jones has come into her own; rallying the troops and delivering all kinds of support and positive feed back every chance she gets.
City treasurer Joan Ford, always reliable – proved to be a rock that both Jones and the City Manager Tim Commisso could rely on.
There were a couple of staff members who, Amber Rushton in particular, who served the city manager in a way that certainly impressed him.
Related news article:
Province declares State of Emergency March 17, 2019
Mayor declares State of Emergency
City Manager gets close to a blank cheque
 By Pepper Parr
October 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
 Burlington certainly knows something about floods – that downpour in 2014 was not forgotten.
Conservation Halton (CH) really wasn’t prepared for the amount of rain that fell but they learned what was needed and there is now a solid set of protocols in place to measure the flows and to get warnings out to people,
The Conservation people are updating floodplain mapping for the Tuck, Shoreacres, Appleby and Sheldon Creek watersheds of Burlington and Oakville.
A significant amount of work has been done on several of the creeks but there is still a concern; given the vagaries of climate change that concern is very real.
Floodplain mapping is used by CH and its municipal partners to identify areas that may be susceptible to riverine or shoreline flooding and to inform flood forecasting, emergency response, community planning, infrastructure upgrades, and other flood prevention efforts.
 A floodplain is an area of land that is flooded by a nearby creek or lake during large storms.
There will be a virtual public engagement session on October 14, 2021 at 7:00pm to learn more about the work being done and an opportunity to ask questions.
To register, please visit https://lnkd.in/e9BhEpaV
For those who cannot join live, a recording will be posted online after the session.
By Staff
October 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We count our calories, watch our pounds and measure our blood pressure. But who’s measuring our democratic health? Is our political heart pumping smoothly or are we heading for the ICU?
The inaugural Municipal Democracy Index measures the political health of Ontario’s 32 largest municipalities.
The results are sobering and reveal a democratic deficiency, particularly in the areas of public participation and diverse representation.
Burlington was just a whisker short of being in the top ranking.
The full report can be found HERE.
By Staff
October 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mississaguas of the Credit First Nation and the Oakville Community Foundation have launched “Debwewin”– the Oakville Truth Project, to further a shared understanding of Oakville’s Indigenous past and support local Truth & Reconciliation.
‘Debwewin’ refers to one of the Anishinabek seven grandfathers teaching for “truth.” This project will raise questions about Oakville’s Truth such as:
 “What happened to the local Treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation?” and
“Why did Treaty 22 which includes coverage of Oakville main waterways, Sixteen Mile and Bronte Creek leave the Mississaugas homeless?”
This project brings together leadership of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) to share their knowledge and perspective. ”The Mississauga people have long historical roots in Oakville,” said Mississauga Gimma (Chief) Stacey Laforme.
“Understanding the local history of the Indigenous people in Oakville from an Anishinaabe perspective is an important first step on the path towards Truth and Reconciliation.”
 Elder Peter Schuler is advising the Oakville Community Foundation The Oakville Community Foundation’s Indigenous Cultural Advisor, Mississauga Elder Peter Schuler has graciously agreed to lead the multi-year “Debwewin” project.
 “I believe this project is an important step in educating our community and recognizing Indigenous peoples in Oakville and beyond,” said Elder Peter Schuler. “This community collaboration allows us to create necessary changes and continued learning opportunities.”
“We are honoured to work on this initiative with the Mississaugas and support this important work that will benefit both of our communities, Oakville and the Mississaugas,” stated Bindu Cudjoe, The Foundation’s Board Chair.
This project will bring together Indigenous knowledge keepers, claims experts, historians and researchers to act as an Advisory Council to guide the project. Full details of the Advisory Council will be shared in the coming months.
Mississaugas of the Credit are an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nation with 2,600 Members, approximately 850 of whom live on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Reserve near Hagersville, Ontario.
The Oakville Community Foundation is a registered charity focused on Building Community Through Philanthropy. The Foundation acts as a vehicle for community members to fulfill their charitable passions and has granted $52.4 million to charitable organizations since its inception. The Foundation also supports investments of more than $110 million in assets. We welcome families, businesses and residents into our community and give everyone the opportunity to be a philanthropist. The Foundation is one of the largest members of a national network of more than 190 Canadian community foundations.
This is an interesting collaboration. A First Nation wanting a fairer interpenetration of a Treaty getting into a dialogue with an organization that manages philanthropic gifts from those that have title to the land that once belonged to the First Nations people.
Treaty 22 might reveal more than most residents of Oakville will want to hear or know about. The Mississaugas of the Credit traditional territory covers much of Burlington.
Background on Treaty # 22 – there were others
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