 October 8, 2013
By Dr. Jeremy Hayman
BURLINGTON, ON. On the heels of my last submission on food as medicine and its real impact on all aspects of health, I now find it necessary to give readers a glimpse into food as choice and exactly what it is we are feeding ourselves, our children, and our loved ones each day. I’m not lecturing those of you who chose to eat a certain way, or those who consume certain foods by what I refer to as “dietary default”. My intention rather is to put what we know about food, on the table, and remind us all about the importance, impact and value of not only what we put into our bodies, but what we ultimately leave out.
 The term “dietary default” refers to a multitude of references when it comes to our association and relationship with food. Within the context of this discussion, I’m referring to those who consume foods without truly thinking about what or why they consume the foods they do. And out of fairness, it also stoutly refers to foods the average population so simply shy’s away from and leaves out. To delve into this even further, it refers to those who almost automatically follow a routine eating regimen, eat the same foods week to week, and most importantly, rarely, if ever, truly think about the impact of what they eat, or how it will ultimately consume them in the short and long haul with respect to health.
 Advertising plays a large role in what we decide to east. It has become glaringly obvious that societal impact grossly influences the choices and food we ultimately serve on our plates. Yet, with the ever so abundant “way of life” when it comes to our choices (or lack of) with respect to diet and food, the unmistakable contrary reflection also positions itself just as clear and states: “those who do choose what and how they wish to live in harmony with food, do so with absolute clarity and passion, and make it a way of life in order to maintain and pursue continued improvement toward better health”.
We know food affects health. We are also becoming more and more aware of which foods are most important, which are not, and which of the same foods contend as healthier choices over others. Some of us default to the convenient way and eat within the “fast food peril” of life. While others, albeit a smaller, yet ever-growing movement of people, place food and its nutritional value as one of the most prominent elements in life. These people live “against the grain” in terms of what society dictates we should eat. These are the people who won’t simply surrender to the “conveniences” of today’s living, and make it a true effort to do what is necessary in order to preserve the short and long term health of themselves as well of those they love. What do I mean by this? Well let’s serve it up in the most simple, succinct, digestible way…
 With the overwhelming amount of mass media making use of its privilege to feed us its messages on what/what not to eat, how to eat, when to eat, why to eat, where to eat etc., it’s no wonder there’s an endless endeavor to try and figure it all out. Let alone pressures from others on our way of eating, we end up living in a whirlwind of relentless persuasions about what is best for ourselves and others. I’m here, as a Naturopathic Doctor, within a profession strictly to support and better the health of those that can be reached, and without alternative motives, to do what I can to lay it out, in plain English, what it is we need to begin allowing our lives to let in, in the most natural and least invasive way.
 There is almost no limit to the food that can be bought at a Farmers Market. We’re all aware that balance in life is a precious gift, and one we, at some level, strive for (some more than others) each day. However, today’s message is that food, and food alone, can and will impact that balance to a more positioned and eloquent equilibrium. There’s no question many of us know what to eat and what not to eat, yet most of us either don’t know how or are lost in terms of where to start. Well, the truth is that it’s not always easy, there’s not one simple answer, and we’re all moving at various paces and levels within the food-life conundrum, yet by recognizing a few simple and effective “food-life rules”, you can and will feel better, stress less, live healthier, and learn that food truly is one of our most precious resources. We all need to treat food as food, and as a living entity, not as a product, a skew, or packaged commodity. So here’s where we’re at, a simple, realistic checklist of where to start, and a reinforcement to those that are already there:
· Follow the Dirty Dozen Plus & Clean 15 when it comes to buying conventional and organic.
· Become aware of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) and which foods contain them (use 1 less GMO per shopping trip per month – a GMO pepper is proving much riskier than a non-GMO organic pepper)
· Add one new vegetable per month (to start), preferably organic, into your meal routine
· Eat a vegetable (you know, that stuff that grows from the ground?) at most meals
· Try an outing to a local farmers market. Local food is great, however local pesticide, herbicide and anti biotic free is even better. You and your children will enjoy the excursion.
· Eat less meat. And spend the money on more healthy, clean meats
· Make more of an effort to drop in at your local health food store. They’re local small businesses. Do your duty and provide your support
· Realize that fast food and eating out essentially supports only your busy, unplanned schedule, it adds no value to your life. It will catch up with you, unless of course it already has
· Drink organic herbal tea. It curbs cravings and adds endless benefit to your health
· Begin thinking of food in terms of its nutritional impact. To eat for the simple value of being hungry or for calories is like living in terms of simply “eating to survive, not thrive”
· If you are not happy with your current weight, either accept you will remain like this and continue to allow your health to regress, or stop making excuses and commit to the effort of making a change
· Figure out a way to realize that spending more on healthy food now costs you much less than fighting for your health in the years to come
· Combine lean protein, vegetables and healthy fat within each meal
· Plan for goodness sake. We’re all busy, yet some of us still make time for our health. It won’t take care of itself
· Seek out support if you don’t know where to begin. You’re spending enough on unhealthy choices already, it’s time to commit to putting that spending money toward better value
· Naturopathic Medicine and other natural health professionals are here to help. Our ultimate goal is to make our planet and those within it healthier.
· Drink clean water. 2L minimum per day to start
· Make yourself proud. Do something for your health that in the way of better food choices that most wouldn’t have the nerve to try. Trust me, everyone will admire you in the end, yourself included.
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 October 2, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It was a bright sunny day, one of those last reprieves summer sometimes gives while suggesting there is an Indian summer still ahead of us before the harvest season is over.
The bikes were out on the trails along the edge of the lake, Doors Open, the event that has historic and interesting places opening their doors for people to walk through and look around.
 Rick Wilson, back to camera with War of 1812 enactor Robert Williamson talking over details of the desperate battles that played themselves out off the shores of Burlington 200 years ago. A small group of people, some dressed up as re-enactors, were gathered on the promenade jutting out from the Naval Walk at the western end of Spencer Smith Park.
 A classic photo-op that is drenched in Burlington history. The design of a plaque that will be installed on the Naval Walk commemorating a battle that was later seen as the turning point in the War of 1812. That stony stretch of beach in the background is where the Brant Inn was located. It was the jumpingest place in town in its day. People traveled from across Ontario and the United States by train t hear the great bands of the time. The 50 square yard space was just drenched with history. Looking to the west is Burlington’s Bay, the entrance to one of the most industrial harbours in the country where tons of ore is brought in to fire the furnaces of the steel plants. A couple of yards from where an interpretive plaque that tells the story of a War of 1812 battle that took place out on that lake – out there in front of us is a stretch of stony beach that was once the location of the Brant Inn. It was a place that put Burlington on the map for many. In those days Burlington was a “jumping” town.
On this Saturday morning – exactly 200 years ago an event called the Burlington Races took place. The name come from a magazine article published 100 years ago that mis-represented what was happening with ships under full sail firing their cannons at each other was really all about.
It was a war that taught the Americans that Canada could perhaps be invaded but could not be conquered.
If the lakes were won said the better history books of the time, the war of 1812 was won. The British brought superior seamanship and better ships to the battle. The commanding officers of each fleet both held flag rank – Commodores both.
Burlington`s Mayor and the council member for the ward took part in the unveiling of a design that replicated the plaque that will eventually be put in place.
 A great painting, full of dash and energy but the scene it depicts never took place. The artists didn’t know that when the work was done. To commemorate the event and give it a level of legitimacy there were War of 1812 enactors on hand; Commodore Yeo of the British Navy and a British Royal Navy captain circa 1810 played by Gill Bibby.
Yeo was represented by Robert Williamson a Canadian Navy Commander who served as a Reserve officer, one time Commanding officer of HMCS Star in Hamilton. Williamson was a high school history and geography teacher.
Rick Wilson was the Burlington resident who used the research done by others to advocate for the removal of a plaque at the Burlington Heights in Hamilton which has been proven to be historically incorrect.
Robert Williamson was doing research on the Scourge and the Hamilton, simple merchant ships that were pressed into service for the American Navy just prior to the War of 1812. They went down in a gale and now lay at the bottom of Lake Ontario.
It was while doing this research on the Hamilton and the Scourge that Williamson accidently came across the existence of the log of HMS Wolfe which revealed facts that no one knew about. In is correspondence with Burlington Heritage Planner Jenna Paluto, Williamson set out the bigger picture:
“After the American naval victory on Lake Erie by Commodore Perry on September 10, 1813, a powerful United States fleet comprising ten ships under the command of Commodore Isaac Chauncey appeared off York (Toronto) on the morning of September 28, 1813. Their objective was to complete the American bid to gain control of the Great Lakes or at least create a diversion allowing the shipment of American troops from the Niagara frontier to the St. Lawrence River for an attack on Montreal.
“The smaller British fleet of six vessels, commanded by Commodore Sir James Yeo, was in the harbour but on the approach of the enemy, set sail to attack. After a sharp engagement the British flagship, HMS Wolfe, having suffered sail damage limiting her maneuverability, led the British squadron to a convenient anchorage in view of the present day City of Burlington. Commodore Yeo then had his squadron anchor close in shore with springs (heavy ropes) on the (anchor) cables allowing his ships to pivot and present powerful broadsides from a strong compact defensive unit that could not be enveloped from behind. The American fleet, having suffered battle damage as well, recognized the strong British position and withdrew to the protection of Fort Niagara, leaving the Royal Navy to quickly repair the sails and mast of their flagship, but still firmly in control of the lake.
“Control of Lake Ontario was essential to the British for the defense of Upper Canada (Ontario). By preserving a formidable presence on the lake, the British squadron was able to capture Fort Oswego in May 1814 and transferred General Drummond with 400 British reinforcements and supplies to the Niagara frontier in July to defeat the United States Army at Lundys Lane, the last invasion of Canada.”
It was that superb seamanship by a British naval officer off what Williamson believes was Bronte Creek that sent the Americans back to their home port.
Magazine writers who paid more attention to imaginative thinking than to historical fact
Williamson set out to correct the record which he did with a number of excellent papers.
 Rick Wilson, the citizen who agitated and advocated for a correction to a grievous historical error. Rick Wilson, a history buff, got hold of the information and began to agitate for a change that would correct the historical errors.
Wilson knocked on any door he could find – meeting with Burlington’s MP Mike Wallace who, while intrigued, had to back away because the plaques were a provincial responsibility. Wilson was able to get exactly nowhere with the office of Jane McKenna but he persevered and with the help of the Heritage Advisory Committee the city took on the task of creating a plaque.
 October 1, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It wasn’t hard to figure out what the major message was behind the 2013 version of Burlington’s Vital Signs report is: there are many in the community who just don’t have enough – and it isn’t just the “poor” people that are going without.
The Burlington Community Foundation, around since 1999, released, along with 26 other communities across Canada, a report that touched all the usual bases and added in a significant push on the pressing needs for better access to mental health services.
The Vital Signs report is data driven and uses graphics very effectively to make the point. The cartoon cover page is Burlington: there’s the gazebo (I met my wife for the first time there) there’s Pepperwoods, there is Benny’s and the gas station. The drawings are all in colour and attractive in their own way. Cute – it isn’t until you get to the second page that the point is made. Well – compare the two versions and you know in an instant what the report wants to talk about.
The report is the second published by the Community Foundation. The 2013 report covers eleven key areas of focus, including physical and mental wellness, poverty, youth, and seniors.
“This year’s report again emphasizes that Burlington is a city of contrasts. We are a prosperous community, with higher than average levels of income and education, with remarkable environmental features such as our escarpment and waterfront. Yet, there are people struggling in our community, in ways that are often unseen, as we drive and walk through our neighbourhoods”, said Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) President and CEO, Colleen Mulholland.
Who are the people that collect all the data and tie the different strands that are woven into the tapestry that is our city?
Established in 1999 as a centre for philanthropy, Burlington Community Foundation is a local knowledge broker and one of the most reliable partners in the non-profit sector. They collaborate with donors to build endowments, give grants and connect leadership. Responsive to their donors, the grant making experts help people give, build legacies, address vital community needs and support areas of personal interest. The Foundation helps people, agencies and corporations improve the city’s vitality.
 Cover: 2013 Vital Signs report commissioned by the Burlington Community Foundation.  Take away the good stuff, the nice stuff and the picture is that of a different Burlington – not one we all get to see. The report argues that “connections are critical to community vitality” but how do you do that? You’ve heard it before and with a municipal election just over a year away you will hear it again from every one of the rascals running for office: – Burlington is ranked as the top mid-sized city in which to live in Canada.
 We drive – everywhere, in part because local transit has yet to develop to the point where it serves the community as well as it is going to have to. Biggest reason – we like our cars. And we drive our cars – to everything. 79% of Ontarian’s commute to work by car, truck or van. That number is 86% for Burlington where we have an excellent, frequent train service that has three stops in the city with plenty of parking – free.
We vote – in the last federal election 66.5 of us voted while the Ontario average was 61.5%. Didn’t do much for us in terms of the quality of our elected members though did it?
 We have one of the best educated populations in the province. We are a well-educated community – check out the charts.
 Burlington is doing better at both the number of people with jobs and the number that are unemployed. But there are other indicators that reveal serious problems. Our people are employed – they need to be – our housing is amongst the most expensive in the province and rental accommodation is not easy to come by.
Median household income levels are 24% higher in Burlington than the provincial average but according to Statistics Canada, almost 1 in 10 youth under 18 lived in a low-income household.
In 2012, 36% of all items circulated by Burlington public libraries were in the child or youth category. Attendance at children and youth programs at Burlington libraries was 35,195.
Overall, the age profile of Burlington is getting older and more so than the Ontario average – in 2011, there were 29,720 seniors 65 years of age or older living in Burlington, comprising 16.9% of the population vs. 14.6% in Ontario.
Young people in Burlington are preforming well in school compared to the Ontario average but there are some opportunities for improving the lives and outcomes for our youth, starting as early as kindergarten. Some issues we need to tackle as a community are obesity, bullying and mental health.
Burlington residents are better educated than the population of Ontario and Canada. 67% of Burlington adults 25 years of age and over have completed some form of post-secondary education, compared with 60% of the population of Ontario.
Among Burlingtonians 25–64 years of age, 95% have completed high school – this is a big positive change in a 10 year period: in 2001, 79% had completed high school.
In 2011, there were 143,510 people 15 years of age or older in Burlington. Within this age range, 93,030 people were employed and 5,755 were unemployed for a total labour force of 98,785.
Burlington has stronger employment statistics than Ontario as a whole. The employment rate among people 15–64 years of age was 65%, compared to 60% for Ontario. Burlington’s unemployment rate was 6%, compared to 8% for Ontario.
For the past 10 years, the rate of unemployment in Burlington has been consistently lower than elsewhere in Ontario and in other communities across Canada.
Here are some quick facts about jobs and businesses in Burlington, according to the Halton Region 2012 Employment Survey, released in June 2013:
The City of Burlington has 4,638 businesses providing 74,216 full and part-time jobs.
While Burlington accounts for 35% of the 15–64 year olds living in Halton Region, jobs in Burlington accounted for nearly 40% of Halton’s total employment.
Approximately 80% of jobs were in the service-based sector – the leading ones being the retail trade, professional, scientific and technical services, and health care and social assistance.
 Can we blame the air quality problems on Hamilton? Air quality good – but could be better
Burlington has good air quality, compared to downtown Hamilton. Hamilton has more poor to moderate air quality days (22%) than does Burlington (16%).
However, Burlington’s location in southern Ontario – in Canada’s manufacturing heartland and downwind from the industrial centre of the U.S. – increases the number of poor to moderate air quality days relative to more northern parts of Ontario and cities in other parts of Canada. For example, in each of Sudbury and Ottawa only 8% of the days in 2012 had poor to moderate air quality compared to 16% in Burlington.
 Price increases are great if you own property – tough market to get into for first time buyers. The average price of a home in Burlington in the first half of 2013 was $486,669 – up 7% from 2012.
Similar increases were seen in the neighbouring cities of Hamilton (+6%) and Oakville (+7%), with Burlington housing costs continuing to be intermediate between these two cities
 Burlington’s rental market is tight – far too tight. The city thought it had a hope recently with close to 100 affordable units coming on line – but that one got away on us. People looking to rent – particularly those with more modest incomes – can find it difficult to find affordable rental housing in Burlington. In fall 2012, Burlington’s rental vacancy rate was 1.3%. For reference, a vacancy rate of 3% is considered necessary for adequate competition and supply. By comparison, Hamilton’s vacancy rate was 4.2%, and in Ontario as a whole it was 2.5%.
In 2011, Halton had a higher percentage of households (4.6%) on waiting lists for affordable, rent geared-to-income housing than was the case for Ontario as whole (3.2%). Further, the demand for this housing greatly exceeds the supply, as only 0.5% of Halton households were living in affordable, rent- geared-to-income housing in 2011.
In Halton, between 2010 and 2011 there was a 47% increase in households waiting for rent-geared-to-income housing. Families with children are the hardest hit.
 The kids think they are getting the exercise they need – caution, this is “self-reported” data. Residents of Halton are more likely to rate their overall health as “very good” or “excellent” (72%) compared with Ontario residents as a whole (61%). Moreover, positive health ratings increased from 2011 (66%) to 2012 (72%).
Over 75,000 Burlington residents 18 years of age and older are overweight or obese based on their self-reported height and weight. That’s just over half of the adult population who have an increased risk of certain health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain cancers.
Mental health is now at least being talked about – it isn’t something we hide the way we used to – that was an improvement for the better. Now we have to address the problem and it is not going to be cheap.
 The Canadian Institute for Health Information tracks the performance of over 600 health care facilities across Canada on a variety of indicators of effectiveness of treatment, patient safety, appropriateness of treatment, and accessibility. JBH is either at or better than the Canadian average on all of the indicators.
 Seniors need different services. The city currently has one Seniors’ Centre and at least five high schools. Will we need additional Seniors’ Centers that can be converted to high schools 30 years down the road? There are some significant problems to need solutions and we don’t have a lot of time to find the answers. Canada’s age profile is getting older, and this trend will continue for several decades into the future. For example, the proportion of people 65+ years of age in Ontario is expected to grow from 14.6% of the population in 2011 to over 23% by the year 2036.
Burlington’s age profile has historically been older than that of Ontario as a whole, and the difference has been increasing over time. As of 2011, 16.9% of Burlington’s population was 65 years of age or older, compared to 14.6% of Ontario’s population.
 Burlington has more of the Region’s senior population – do we have well thought out plans to meet their needs? Based on Statistics Canada measures of low-income from the 2006 census, 5.6% of Burlington seniors have low-income after tax. However, the prevalence of low-income is particularly acute among female seniors in Burlington: this prevalence is higher than the Ontario average, and higher than other Halton region communities.
In 2006, about 1,800 senior households in Burlington spent 30% or more of their total household income before tax on mortgages, electricity, heat and municipal services. Of these, almost 500 spent 50% or more of their income on housing, which leaves very little money for food, medications, or other necessities.
In the Age-Friendly Communities Forum: A Seniors’ Perspective – an initiative of the Elder Services Advisory Council In Halton Region – the Burlington participants identified a need for affordable housing as one of the top 3 issues for seniors in Burlington, and noted that “some people are moving out of the community as they cannot afford to live here.”
 We love the place. Burlington residents tend to see the quality of life in the city as improving: 27% said the quality of life in Burlington has improved over the past two years, compared to only 11% who said it has declined.
Survey respondents were asked which factors had the greatest impact on quality of life in their city. What set Burlington residents apart particularly was the importance of a low crime rate, and a strong sense of community.
In a survey of Burlington residents, 76% said culture is “essential” or “highly important” in their daily lives. There are many types of cultural experiences. For Burlington residents, the top 6 are festivals (86%), museum & local history (81%), art galleries (78%), going to the theatre (75%), public art (69%) and family heritage & traditions (69%).
Benefits to Burlington from community cultural organizations include:
624,000+ visits to local festivals, events, productions and exhibitions
89,000+ hours of cultural programming offered to all ages
Burlington residents spend 37% of their cultural time in Burlington, and the remaining time in other cities such as Toronto and Hamilton.
 These numbers are the reality for many. A person cannot live on the minimum wage – it has to be close to doubled – and that’s not something a municipality can do. Ontario has a legally mandated minimum wage of $10.25 an hour. However, a person working full-time at the minimum wage rate will be living in poverty, as they will earn less than Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-off.
The concept of a “living wage” is motivated by the following question: What does a family working full-time (37.5 hours a week, year-round) need to earn in order to pay for the necessities of life, to enjoy a decent quality of life, and to be able to participate fully in the economic, political, social and cultural life of the community?
The answer to this question depends on family composition and on where you live. Community Development Halton has tackled this question for the Halton Region, including Burlington.
What is included in a living wage, and what is excluded? “A living wage isn’t extravagant. It doesn’t allow families to save for retirement, to save for their children’s education or to service their debt. But it does reflect the cost of affording the basics of life – something the minimum wage doesn’t do,” states the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Community Development Halton considered three types of Halton households: a family of 4 (two parents, two children – a boy age 10, and a girl age 14), a single-parent family (mother age 30 and a boy age 3), and a single person (male age 32). In each household, each adult is working full- time, year-round. The calculation of living wage reflects the typical costs in Halton, as well as taxes and benefits.
 The number of youth have grown since 2006 but the senior population has grown more. The number of youth in Burlington has increased since 2006, but at a slower rate than older age groups. As a result, the overall age profile of Burlington is getting older.
Burlington is an affluent community, but not everyone is well off. In the 2006 census, 7% of all residents lived in low income households. However, this was greater for youth under 18, where 9% – almost one in 10 youth – lived in a low income household.
 This is what students have said they did in terms of getting the physical education they need for balanced growth. According to the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, youth 12–17 years of age require at least 60-minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity per day.
In the Halton Youth Survey, two–thirds of Burlington Grade 7s claimed to meet the 60-minute-per-day guideline, but only just over half of Grade 10s claimed to meet the guideline.
Girls in the Halton region were much less likely than boys to report meeting the physical activity guideline, with only four in ten Grade 10 girls meeting the guideline.
 This is not a healthy number. Why in a community where genuine financial need is not pervasive? The Halton Youth Survey, conducted by the Halton Our Kids Network, developed an indicator of involvement in criminal activity based on four self- report questions asking about vandalism, carrying a weapon, selling drugs, and group or gang involvement, and these define what is meant here by “criminal activity”. Note that because this is based on self-report, it includes not only youth accused of crime but also youth who “got away with it”.
 Our girls are at very serious risk: do we understand why and do we have programs to help them deal with the depression they are experiencing? One in five people in Ontario experiences a mental health problem or illness. Because mental illness can affect people in all walks of life, this is as important an issue in comparatively affluent communities like Burlington as it is in other less affluent communities. When you take into account family members and friends, almost everyone is affected in some way.
Mental illness affects people at all life-stages. However, one of the most significant characteristics of the onset of mental health problems is that, unlike many other illnesses, they are more likely to first emerge and affect people early in their lives.
According to a Mental Health Commission of Canada report, the potential negative effects of mental illness on the lives and prospects of young people are considerable:
“Mental disorders are the most common medical conditions causing disability in young people. Most mental disorders begin before age twenty- five and tend to be chronic, with substantial negative short and long-term outcomes. They are associated with poor academic and occupational success, economic burden, personal, interpersonal and family difficulties, increased risk for many physical illnesses and shorter life expectancy.”
Early detection and treatment of mental health problems is vital for the young people in our community and for the future health of our city.
 Access to youth mental health services is not what it needs to be
Only one-third of those who need mental health services in Canada actually receive them.
71% of family physicians ranked access to psychiatrists in Ontario as fair to poor.
While mental illnesses constitute more than 15% of the burden of disease in Canada, these illnesses receive only 5.5% of health care dollars.
ROCK reports that due to mental health funding gaps, as of March 2013, youth and families were waiting for just over 1,000 various services they offer. Wait times for these services range from months up to 2 years.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in Canada. One of the most important causes of youth suicide is mental illness – most often depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse.
The effects of youth suicide go beyond the deceased, impacting those who survive their death – their parents, friends, peers, and communities.
 Do our students feel their schools are safe? A survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that in response to the question, “In the last 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide?”, 7% of Ontario Grade 7s and 12% of Grade 12s answered “yes.”
The Halton Youth Survey asked a somewhat different version of the question, focusing on teens who “sometimes, often or always” had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months. While the question is somewhat different the results are similar: one in twenty (5%) Grade 7s in Burlington had thoughts about suicide in the past 12 months, increasing to over one in ten (13%) by Grade 10.
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by intense negative emotions and feelings, that negatively impact on people’s lives leading to social, educational, personal and family difficulties.
The Halton Youth Survey created an indicator of being at risk for depression, based on a person saying they “always” or “often” had experienced the following four emotional states in the past week: feeling sad, lonely, depressed, or like crying.
The percentage of Burlington students at risk for depression increases from Grade 7 to Grade 10, and by Grade 10, one in 10 teens are at risk for depression.
This increase in risk for depression from Grade 7 to Grade 10 is occurring primarily among girls. By Grade 10, one in seven girls is at risk for depression.
In the qualitative research project, Halton Youth Voice Road Show (2011), participants suggested the following causes for depression in youth:
Being bullied, which was seen to lead not only to depression but also suicide
Different social groups within a school bullying one another
The fact that sometimes youth were just mean to each other
Technology, since youth don’t actually need to connect to each other on a personal level any more
Images and expectations portrayed in the media
The pursuit of material possessions, with participants saying that it would be better if youth just spent time hanging out instead of shopping
Stress
Not having friends
Being pressured to do drugs
Youth mental health trends at Joseph Brant Hospital
Trips to the hospital emergency department because of a mental health issue represent the tip of the iceberg for youth mental health and substance abuse issues in Burlington. Emergency department visits can occur when mental health or substance abuse issues are undiagnosed, or are untreated, or treatment is not working. Youth visits to the JBH emergency department because of mental health or substance abuse problems show:
Emergency department visits for mental health or substance abuse issues spikes upwards for youth 18–24 years of age.
The annual number of youth under 25 years of age going to JBH emergency because of mental health or substance abuse issues has increased 30% over the last 3 years.
The rate of increase has been even higher among the subset of youth under 18 years of age – showing an increase in emergency visits of 43% over the past 3 years.
JBH operates the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation Clinic, which provides support to children/youth under the age of 18 years. The case load for the Clinic increased by 16% from 2010–11 to 2011–12, and the average wait time for assessment increased by 31%, to 47 days.
The Community Foundation serves us all well – now the community has to look at the data, talk about it and figure out where we can shore up the weak spots and ensure that we continue to do what we have done well.
Collen Mulholland plans to hold a Roundtable on Mental Health early in 2014. How about ensuring that every grade 10 student in the Board of Education’s high schools be given a copy and make it the focus of a civics class.
 September 27, 2013
By James Burchill
BURLINGTON, ON. There has been a lot of talk about the “stealthy” initial public offering (IPO) that Twitter filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A lot of the buzz is that this is somehow a “circumvent” of the otherwise open system used for filing to be publicly traded in America. Most of those reports can be discounted with one simple fact: “stealth” initial filings for an IPO are legal, though new, they have a real purpose.
 The ultimate press release – and it didn’t cost them a dime. Talk about the power of social media! When a company filed an IPO before the new rules took effect this month, that company had to fully and publicly disclose all of its filing paperwork. This meant that the press, potential investors, and the company’s competition now had access to information that may have been proprietary, was almost assuredly preliminary, and that was subject to change as negotiations with regulators commenced before the actual IPO launched. This process often takes months.
Under the new rules, the filings with the SEC, up until paperwork is finalized, can be kept confidential and not be publicly disclosed. This means months of disclosure is lost, but it also means that the initial stumbles, mis-interpretations, and months of being wide open to the competition are no longer there.
During the draft stage of the IPO prospectus, under the new rules at the SEC, this information is kept private so that the company can continue to operate normally and with the secrets it might hold from its competitors intact. This change came with the JOBS Act that was signed into law as part of the overall economic boost efforts being made by Washington, D.C. for the U.S.
 This is when the public loves the stock market. But remember Bre-X Mining, it is not always gold in what you think you see. Twitter is using this provision with its IPO to shield it from unwanted scrutiny during the initial phases of the S-1 filing. It’s smart to do so. Companies like Facebook, Google and others would love to see how the financials within Twitter, as well as their future plans for boosting revenue, are being implemented. Under the old system, this would have given them several months in which they could craft competing options or even usurp Twitter’s plans altogether by offering something better, sooner thanks to that foreknowledge.
Now, they won’t know that information until Twitter wants them to, or is ready to go public. Their time window will be far smaller at that point and so they’ll be less likely to be capable of acting on the information gleaned.
This provision also gives companies like Twitter, who may not be sure about the timing for an IPO, the opportunity to delay or even cancel going public until it’s ripe and to do so without losing face or looking weak.
 Should Tweet go public – will this be another one of the Apple public issues that goes bananas? Chances are, Twitter is serious about going public and plans to follow through with this IPO, but in the information technology field, especially social media right now, every moment is a chance to win or lose at the game. Things change almost daily, so keeping information close to your vest is an important part of the game.
As it is, when the information is made public, there is still a three week window (or so) before the IPO actually happens and investors can start offering money for shares of Twitter.
Overall, this new idea is a good one and will make companies in the U.S. more likely to use the process of going public through an IPO sooner instead of later. That’s good for the economy overall, even here in Canada.
 September 26, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. If there was ever an example of one man making a difference – look no further than Rick Wilson, a Burlington resident and a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee as well as a serious history buff.
 This federal government plaque, erected at Burlington Heights, overlooking Burlington Bay, got it wrong and Rick Wilson wants it changed and the public record corrected. Wilson works in the field of finance but his passion is history and when he came across what he believed to be a significant error in the way local history was being told he mobilized and did he best to right the wrong.
Those efforts will bear fruit on Saturday morning when the city unveils a plaque that tells the full and true story of an event that has come to be known as the Burlington Races, which sounds like a sporting event but there was nothing sporting about the battles between the British and the Americans on Lake
 Rick Wilson isn’t certain as to exactly where Commodore Yeo situated his ship but he believes it might have been close to the foot of Brant Street. That location would certainly have given the British ships the angle and the advantage they needed to defeat the American ships and force them further west along the Lake. Ontario, right in front of Spencer Smith Park.
The battle that will be commemorated with the plaque took place on September 28, 1813 when six-ship British flotilla out-manoeuvred a fleet of ten American warships and took anchor in a highly defensible position off the shore of modern-day Burlington. The battle was described by eye witnesses as a sort of military yacht race where the British and Americans jockeyed for superior position – hence The Burlington Races.
The battle was a turning point in the War of 1812 as the British asserted naval dominance over the Great Lakes.
 Commodore Yeo’s ships never entered Burlington Bay. Records prove that the water was far too shallow of any ship to enter to Bay. The real victory for Rick Wilson will be when this plaque in Hamilton is taken down and a correct plaque put in place. For the time being the plaque in Burlington will be the one to tell the true story. “I believe it is important to celebrate Burlington’s rich history,” says Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “Our city was a strategic location during the War of 1812. The Burlington area was known as a safe haven, a place of trade, a crossroads, and a resting point. Contributions by local citizens and volunteers were important and we are proud to acknowledge their efforts with this plaque.”
The plaque unveiling takes place near the west compass in Spencer Smith Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 – 200 years to the day of the battle – and will feature an on-shore celebration of re-enactors in period costume.
It is rather unfortunate that city hall could not find it within themselves to recognize Wilson’s efforts. For the past three years, perhaps more Wilson has bent the ear of anyone who would listen to explain where the historians got it wrong. If anyone pulls a velvet cord to reveal the plaque that tells a magnificent story – it should be Rick Wilson.
The wording on the plaque will read as follows:
After a United States naval victory on Lake Erie by Commodore Perry on September 10, 1813, a powerful American fleet of ten ships under Commodore Isaac Chauncey appeared off York (Toronto) on the morning of September 28, 1813. Its objective was to gain control of the Great Lakes or at least create enough of a diversion to allow American troops from the Niagara frontier to slip down the St. Lawrence River to attack Montreal.
A smaller British fleet of six warships under Commodore Sir James Yeo was in the harbour and quickly set sail to attack. In a sharp engagement the British flagship, HMS Wolfe, suffered sail and mast damage. With limited manoeuvrability, the Wolfe led the British flotilla to safe anchorage in view from the shore of present-day Burlington.
Yeo anchored his squadron with springs (heavy ropes) on the (anchor) cables, close to shore and pivoted his ships to present powerful broadsides from a strong compact defensive unit that could not be flanked. The Americans recognized the stronger British position and withdrew to the protection of Fort Niagara, leaving the Royal Navy firmly in control of the lake.
By out-manoeuvring the Americans that day, Yeo saved the fleet and preserved a formidable British presence on Lake Ontario – key to the defences of Upper and Lower Canada.
Eventually, Yeo’s fleet helped capture Fort Oswego in May 1814 and also delivered General Drummond with 400 British reinforcements and supplies to the Niagara frontier in July 1814 to defeat the Americans at Lundy’s Lane, the last invasion of Canada.
At this point we don’t know where Rick Wilson will be in the civic ceremony – but we certainly know where he should be.
 September 25, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It has come to this: we now have a Cyber Tip Awareness Day when we focus on the sexual exploitation that is perpetrated against our children when they use the internet.
 There is some help in understanding how the pedophiles lure your child. Cybertip.ca is Canada’s national tip line for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children. Since its inception in September 2002, it has responded to more than 94,000 child sexual exploitation reports. In Halton, ten such tips have been investigated since 2012.
Last year, on the 10th anniversary of Cybertip.ca, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection announced the inaugural Awareness Day to focus on this critical service for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children and for obtaining important educational material.
 What is sextexting and how do you prevent your children from getting involved? On September 26th police services hope to raise the awareness of the web site where people can report their concerns about a child being sexually exploited and encourage them to access ‘cybertip.ca’ for a new educational booklet entitled, ‘Parenting Tweens and Teens in a Digital World’.
The web site is worth a few minutes of your time.
The Halton Regional Police Service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet.
 September 25th, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Do you have the feeling I get when I hear people talk about the “dirty oil” that is sent around the world from Alberta. Are we sending the world dirty oil? Why are we doing that?
Isn’t Canada the country that brought about the Peace keepers – those United Nations guys with the blue helmets?
Aren’t we the people who said no to having American nuclear bombs in Canada?
 Didn’t we take a pass on sending troops to Iran?
And if we’re selling “dirty oil” –why is it dirty?
If there is such a huge profit in the oil sands in Alberta why aren’t we using a part of those profits to do research on ways to make the oil cleaner?
I thought we were the good guys – not like those guys south of us. We were the country that has state medical coverage while the American are still trying to make that happen.
We are the country where everyone doesn’t have a gun in there house and for the most part we are a gun free society.
We are the country that did away with capital punishment. We don’t have to kill people to punish them.
My sense of being a Canadian is diminished when I read that we are shipping dirty oil. I don’t understand why we are not spending large sums of money on finding ways to clean up that oil and spare our environment the harm dirty oil does.
I feel ashamed that we are fighting decent people in the United States who don’t want our dirty oil working its way through oil pipes in their fields. They tell me its good business. Really?
We Canadians have one of the best educational systems in the world. We’ve invented some pretty good things. Our banking system is the envy of the world – yeah some of those banking fees are a little on the outrageous side.
And the cell phone fees are out of whack – but the phone service we have is one of the best in the world. Almost every time a space ship goes up – it has one of those Canada Arms on it – we did that!
But the dirty oil thing – can’t we do something about that. Do we really have to sell a product that does a lot of harm to both people and the environment.
 September 23, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. They are going to give it the old college try and provide city council with what they believe is an unbiased questionnaire on just what the good people of Burlington wants to do with the trees that are on private property.
Council has voted against this time and again – not because they are necessarily against a private tree by-law but because they don’t sense this is what the property owners want.
 More than 100 years old this oak marks one of the boundaries that demarcate the land given to Joseph Brant for his service to the British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Fortunately it is on city property – or it might have been cut down. This is an issue on which Mayor Goldring and Councillor Marianne Meed Ward have joined forces but all they could come up with was a 5-2 vote.
Meed Ward brought the issue back to Council with a proposal that staff write-up a bylaw that citizens could look at and think about. She proposed a no fee – just fill in the form – permit to cut down a tree but still her colleagues weren’t buying.
With the issue going to Council this evening for what most Councillors thought was going to be just a quick vote to get rid of the problem is now going to be yet another presentation and perhaps some drawn out debate during what is already going to be a contentious and lengthy council meeting.
The Beachway Park issue is up for a final vote and this council is far from consensus on that file.
The Carriage Gate development is up for final vote with a group of community advocates arguing that the project should go back to square one due to the changes the developer is looking for in the Section 37 agreement that was supposed to give the city a significant number of affordable housing units.
Watching council on Cogeco Cable is no treat – the production qualities are terrible – but this is a meeting during which you will see city council struggle with several of the biggest files they have had to handle this term.
Might be an occasion to catch the show on Cogeco or go on-line to see how the significant seven operate.
What you probably won’t see on Cogeco is the detailed questionnaire a group of environmentalists are going to present to Council.
Here for your viewing pleasure are the questions that were asked along with the responses.
     
Having read them – how would you have voted and what do you think your Council should do. We will tell you what they did tomorrow.
 September 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON. Traveling can be fun. Cruises are great, bus tours can be an adventure but most travel takes some planning. Ask your questions before you travel and don’t find yourself saying: “I didn’t know that.” Gordana Liddell a season travel veteran is here to answer travel questions: Just Ask.
My family is planning a trip to Montreal to see my husband’s grandmother in Vaudreuil. He wants to drive but I want to fly because I think driving is too long for me and my two small kids. The flight is short. Can you convince him?
Kate
Hi Kate,
This is a discussion we have had in my own family many times, and having done both with kids, I have definite ideas about which is better.
Let’s examine the flying option:
At first glance a 70 minute flight seems like a short trip. But that’s only the gate-to-gate time…not the entire journey.
Here’s the breakdown in a best case scenario:
-Travel time from Burlington to Toronto airport: 45 minutes
-Parking: if you park on site the time added is minimal, but most of us would probably explore the many off-site options. These require a shuttle bus ride to the terminal as well as waiting for said bus. Add 45 minutes.
 Check – at times this can be an “experience”. Allow for the time needed if you are flying. -Check-in: Even if you did an online check-in at home, you still need to be at the airport with enough time to check in your bags, (assuming you have bags since you are travelling with children…advice on travelling extremely light in an upcoming article), get through security and get to the gate at least 30 minutes before departure time. Add at least one hour.
-Boarding, flight time and deplaning: Add two hours.
-Getting picked up at the airport or taking a taxi? Add 45 minutes for drive time to Vaudreuil. (Renting a car? You will need to add considerably more time).
Total travel time from Burlington to Vaudreuil by way of flying is about five hours. And all of this is assuming the fact that you will experience no traffic on the way to or from either airport, that your flight is on time and that your baggage arrives on the same flight you do.
Now let’s look at the cost. If you get extremely lucky, you can score seat sale prices for only $250-$300 per person. More realistically, though, $500 per person is what you should expect. I’ll do the math for you…for a family of four, this adds up to…a lot.
The case for driving.
Travel time should take about six hours in a car. This, of course, does not factor in traffic or stops. The best…the very best time to go…is in the wee hours, when traffic has not yet started and ideally you can just transfer your kids from their beds to the car, and they can spend a good part of the journey asleep.
Weather can be a tough obstacle when driving, especially in the winter. But it can be an even tougher obstacle when flying. Winter weather causes flight delays and even cancellations due to storms not only in your own city but in others. Your plane may be stuck somewhere where the weather is nasty and your own city is sunny and mild. At least when you are driving to your destination, you have much more control over the entire situation.
 If you drive – plan for ways to keep the kids occupied. If the weather is right a picnic is a great idea. The drive is an easy one but it’s not an overly exciting one so you will need to think of amusement for the kids. Again, keep them asleep for as long as you can, and as for when they are awake, I’m sure you are already an expert on finding things to keep them occupied on a daily basis anyway. Plus, you will definitely need to make at least one “refreshment” stop which will kill some time, and at the same time add time to your travel. So try and keep it…efficient.
And when you get to Vaudreuil, you will arrive at the front door of your husband’s grandmother’s house, AND you will have a car to get around in, AND you will have your luggage with you guaranteed.
Cost: Yes, gas is expensive. But you can get there and back and have a full tank of driving around gas by filling up four times. This should not cost you more than $400. That’s a huge difference from the cost of flying.
And, probably most importantly, it costs the same for one person to make the drive as it does four.
In the end, Kate, I don’t think I can convince your husband that he is wrong. But those are the main points you can look over, compare and decide together.
(Do the drive).
Gordana Liddell is our resident travel writer. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, a travel industry veteran of nearly two decades, freelance writer, and most recently book editor. She is fortunate enough to live right here in Burlington with her family. If you have a travel question you can reach her at: send us an email
 September 22, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. What was that line – it takes a village to raise the child? What does it take to create a community that is more than the “vibrant community” line that city hall spouts? How do you develop a caring, compassionate community that sees beyond galas?
 Brenda Richards, a resident of New Brunswick was the winner of the bike that was donated by Mountain Equipment Coop – now known as MEC. Ms Richards got pulled into the contest by her sister, a Burlington resident. BurlingtonGreen was named as one of five organizations in Canada to participate and compete in the Jamieson Vitamins Call for the Wild contest that would see $100,000 in prize money shared by the five organizations based on the number of people each was able to get to vote for them.
BurlingtonGreen was the smallest organization in terms of the community it represented and they were up against some pretty impressive organizations; the Vancouver Aquarium had a large audience to draw on and the McGill University Bird Sanctuary had an international reputation.
But Burlington was up to the challenge and, as Amy Schnurr, Executive Director of BurlingtonGreen commented “we beat Calgary which is five times bigger than we are”. On a day by day basis the race soon settled into Burlington fighting to keep its third place spot.
Mountain Equipment Coop, now known as MEC got behind the Burlington effort with the donation of an MEC bike that was won – wait for it – by a resident of New Brunswick. How did that happen? Well, Brenda Richard, the winner of the bike draw, has a sister who lives in Burlington. The sister spread the word to the family and as a result there were votes from outside the city that allowed us to literally inch ahead of Calgary by xx votes.
The winner picked up her bike from the MEC shop in Halifax. Perhaps we will see her on the bike testing herself on Guelph Line one summer afternoon.
It was a good race for the cause and a good run for Burlington Green. It will be interesting to hear what BurlingtonGreen decides to do with the funds they earned. Will they take us beyond that “vibrant community” line coming out of city hall and perhaps get us to the point where we are a city with a responsible tree preservation program?
 September 20th, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. These days you just never know – do you? Conservation Halton issued the following Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook today at 3:30 p.m.
Environment Canada is advising a period of extended rainfall over the next 24 hours due to the train of a slow-moving cold front. The rain is expected to begin this evening and continue overnight and into tomorrow morning. Rainfall accumulations of 15 to 25 mm are expected across the watershed along with the potential for some isolated thunderstorms which could increase the rainfall values.
 One of the several reservoirs in the Region:  As a result of the rainfall our rivers and streams will result in higher than normal water levels and flows, creating dangerous conditions. Widespread flooding is not currently anticipated. Our reservoirs are still in range of our seasonal levels and have storage capacity available.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to stay away from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary.
This Watershed Condition Statement will be in effect through to Sunday September 22, 2013.
Note: A Watershed Safety Statement – Flood Outlook is an early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high wind or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams, lakeshore flooding or erosion.
 September 20, 2013
By Ray Rivers.
BURLINGTON, ON. They are romantic little fishing villages dotting the coastline of this Island province, the last to join Canada. The quaint, brightly painted houses and boat shacks are all well maintained and clean. It is as if the clock had been turned back a half century or more – except for the quiet. An eerie silence pervades, almost like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Perhaps it just seems that way because the sea is empty. There are no boats in the harbours; nobody selling their catch-of-the-day on the docks; no seagulls dodging and diving for discarded fish guts; and nobody fishing off an island that was founded on the cod fish.
 The cod almost jumped out of the water and into the boats. It was a phenomenal resource that sustained a province – until the bureaucrats got the numbers wrong. The almighty cod fish which attracted settlers and fishers from all around the world; which led to the discovery of Newfoundland; and that provided the income and livelihood for its inhabitants… is gone. The cod fishery collapsed in the late 1980‘s, though it took the federal government until 1992 to actually declare a total moratorium. Thirty thousand workers lost their jobs overnight and now Newfoundlanders are allowed only a three-week window to catch a few lonely cod for their own tables.
The expert government scientists really blew this one. They over-estimated the cod stock, underestimated the impact of the fishing vacuum cleaners, called factory trawlers, and then nodded politely as their masters applied political pressure to keep the fishery open, long after it should have been closed. Now, over two decades later the stock has still not recovered. Locals do express hope for the cod, some optimism, unlike they do for the wild Atlantic salmon which is truly gone forever.
Thank God we have agriculture. But now we have more expert scientists guiding our policy makers, as they support Monsanto and other companies creating the new and exciting genetically modified organisms (GMO). It was only1994, less than two decades ago, when the first commercially available GMO food, a tomato, was approved by the US FDA. Yet today there are 25 GMO plants being grown around the world, and almost all of the corn and soybeans (90%) grown in the US are GMO. Canada is not far behind this trend.
Some of the genetic material spliced into these foods simply allows the plants to defend themselves against pesticides like Monsanto’s Round-up, which does such a deadly job of cleaning up the weeds. Some GMOs have altered biological processes, such as the tomato, which now ripens slower than nature had intended – keeping it fresher-looking on the grocer’s shelf. And the latest GMO being developed claims to enhance the nutritional value of food (golden rice), thus offering the promise of feeding the masses being born into hunger in the less developed nations of the world.
 The remaining category of GMO foods actually contain pesticides within their DNA, such as bt corn and bt potatoes . Every time we eat these foods we intake the same pesticide DNA that kills or wards off predatory insects, fungal diseases, etc. Now the agriculture and health agencies and their scientists tell us that these products are safe. But I worry that, like the fisheries experts, they are missing something and haven’t grasped the bigger picture – and that we should be moving slower and more cautiously. GMOs have been critically labelled ‘franken foods’ by the organic industry because their process of gene splicing is unlike anything which occurs in nature.
I confess, I used to be an organic producer and I managed an organic certification agency here in Ontario – so that is my bias. Like others, committed to organic foods, I am concerned about how much testing has gone into these GMO products, given how soon after development we move these foods into production, the market place and our stomachs. What if we discover a problem in due course, will we have enough non-GMO seeds to change back? I am annoyed that there is no labeling where we purchase food, informing us whether we are getting GMO, thus purposely blocking us from exercising our rights to choice as consumers. And I do worry about the cumulative effect of eating foods with poison in their genetic make-up.
 Once, I ran out of soybean seeds for some garden-variety edamame I was planting. Rushed, I inquired about organic seeds at my local farmers’ supply store. But the only kind they had were ‘Round-up Ready’ by Monsanto. These seeds came with a contract I needed to sign confirming that, though I bought and grew them, they were Monsanto property into perpetuity. I just shook my head and contacted an organic grower to help me out.
 There was nothing modified about this natural resource. All we had to do was responsibly preserve and wisely harvest. We failed to do that. I know our agricultural scientists are well-educated and have our best interests at heart when they tell us they believe that GMOs are safe – and time may well prove them to be right. But then I think back to those meetings with the well-respected federal fisheries biologists, when we used to finalize and allocate fishing quotas. They were convinced that the northern cod stock was strong and growing, and that despite all the fishing pressure it was facing, would never collapse.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers is active in his community; has run for municipal and provincial office and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 September 19, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It was like one of those small things that you come across. An object you see in a store window, a restaurant menu that delights the palate, a sunset or a cloud formation that deserves the word – awesome.
If you were there – and you could have been there – the No Vacancy event held at the Waterfront Hotel Thursday evening was certainly a one of a kind. Held in a part of the hotel where the hallways were narrow and left people feeling a little crowded which turned out to be part of the charm of the evening.
 The images, some thirty of them were just hanging from the ceiling by a piece of nylon – twisting from time to time. It was simple, almost austere until you looked closely at the work and saw immense detail. People kept wanting to go back to the room and look again. Ten artists either in their room doing their work or standing outside the room assigned to them welcoming you and in a couple of cases handing out a small memento to remember the experience. And there were experiences.
Ten area artists were each given a room and asked to do whatever they wanted with the space. They were to be open to the public for just three hours.
The space couldn’t handle all that many people and the hallways were plugged solid at times; people bumping into friends and chatting away. There were a couple of “slam poets” that brought energy and life to the hallways.
 Kyle Tonkens stepped way outside his comfort zone and stretched the imaginations of most of those who looked at his installation. It was a bold, brave move. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could be reviewed. Some of the artists had a large collection of their work on the walls of the room. Another went way, way WAY outside his artistic comfort zone and put on one of the most stunning displays. Two people in a room, one standing, and the other stretched out face down on the bed. If you were there – you hopefully understood the significance and the strength of the installation.
Another artist had a small table of small flashlights that you needed to work your way through her display – the room was close to totally dark. I didn’t get the significance of the ironing board in the bathtub but the room was fun to experience.
Selina Jane Eckersall is to be credited for getting the event off the ground. Too early to tell if all the work was worth the outcome. The sense I got was that everyone wanted more.
What Burlington is beginning to see is a cultural layer that was below the surface and not seen by very many people. When Jeremy Freiburger turned in his Cultural Directions document to the city – he was commissioned to do the report – then watched it sit on a desk for more than six months before the city finally got moving on public consultations the artists in the city decided they needed to do something.
The formed a collective; held a meeting. Twenty people came to the first, sixty to the second and there is now a group of 220 + people who chatter away on the Facebook page they created.
And they do chatter and in the process the public gets to learn more about just how much there is going on in this city. It is amazing – few people knew about much of it.
 One author complained about not being able to put up any literature on the Bulletin Board at the library – the space is apparently only for non-profit organization; something we will look into. Everyone knows that Canadian authors by definition are non-profit operations.
The Arts and Cultural Collective may not move the yard stick very much at city hall but they have broken that hard surface and people now know more about the events taking place.
Mayor Goldring is certainly onside. He attended the first Public Consultation and was close to overwhelmed with the energy and the talent he saw. Translating that enthusiasm into policy with funds attached to it is going to be the challenge.
There wasn’t a dime of public money spent on the event.
There are some very interesting art and cultural events going on in this city – it is out there – you just have to dig to find it.
Don’t expect to see anything on the library bulletin boards however.
Will Selina Jane Eckersall do another show next year? She should.
 September 17, 2013
By Piper King
Wendel Clarke opened up his new shop on Brant Street last week with a nod to the football season and looking for a way to raise some coin for the Critical Care Unit at the hospital
 Hot buttered soul – the band. You can almost taste music like that. The franchise owner slapped a $10 cover charge on everyone who walked through the door and then gave them a swag bag of goodies that far exceed the $10. The “donation” provided every attendant with unlimited access to a delicious pulled pork entrée (fresh off the roasted pig), hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, bean salad and coleslaw, as well as live performance from band Hot Buttered Soul playing out on the main level patio.
It got better – two drink tickets and a chance at a 50/50 draw. More yet – Prizes included in the draw were a barbeque hibachi, a wine tour, three $50 gift certificates to Canyon Creek, dinner for two at Paradiso, dinner for two at Montana’s.
The grand prize was a Wendel Clark jersey which Clark will sign when he is next in town..
Wendel Clark’s opened in June 2013 by franchise operator Merlin Webbe. Kristina Frizell set up the fundraiser. Hubby Chris Frizell pulled food serving duty.
 Staffer takes the first dunking – all in the name of a good cause; Critical Care at JBH The band swung between light jazz, blues and jazz cover titles. Management didn’t like the way donations were going in so they hoisted some of the staff onto the dunk tank platform and for a reasonable sum – down they went. Leah, a staffer took the first dive.
Guests chose between the spread on the patio or off the menu. I went for the traditional poutine and apple blossom (Wendell’s fresh twist on the classic Apple Pie).
 Our Foodie isn’t recommending the poutine; too salty and the coverage of the gravy left something to be desired. From a foodie’s point of view, and I am a foodie – I was there for the food – the poutine was tasty, but a little bit salty, some of the fries were untouched by the gravy and a few of the cheese curds were not melted.
 The Apple Blossom worked for our Foodie. “I’ll be going back for more of that” she advised. The Apple Blossom on the other hand was a hit! The innards of a delicious apple pie was wrapped in a blossom-shaped pastry, but exposed! To the left of the blossom was a line of whipped cream and to the left of that a scoop of vanilla ice cream. When I took a scoop of ice cream and a scoop of the blossom, it was a phenomenal sensation when hot met cold in my mouth!
I need to go back again – just so I can try another comfort food and dessert off the menu.
Most of the crowd was there for a good meal and not for the football kick off. With it being football pre-season, the only sports viewable on the television was mainly hockey. Golf doesn’t count as a sport – it’s what hockey players do when they are not on the ice.
It was a decent event was fairly decent, but it did not draw as much of a crowd as anticipated. The upside was that those $10 donations will work their way to the hospital.
Wendel Clark’s – Burlington
380 Brant Street, Burlington, Ontario L7R 2E8
Phone: 905-633-9217
Piper King will be writing about food for the Burlington Gazette.
 September 17, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Enbridge Pipelines turned over a cheque for $7500 to the Burlington Fire Department as part of the corporations Safe Community Program. The funds will be used to equip a new simulation lab, which will be accessible by all of the regional departments including emergency planning crews. Some of the new equipment includes computers, software and training gear.
 Fire department accepts a donation from the company whose pipeline plans the city opposes. How did that happen? “We are pleased to support the fire department in Burlington because they help keep our community safe,” said Ken Hall, Senior Advisor, Community Relations, Enbridge. “The new simulation lab will help firefighters and emergency planning crews be better prepared to respond to urgent situations.”
 The Enbridge pipeline cuts across the rural part of Burlington. Should there be a leak or a break in that line – which is more than 40 years old – much of the water that runs off the escarpment would be threatened. One of those urgent situations could be a break or a leak in Enbridge’s Line 9 which cuts right across Burlington between Side roads 1 and 2.
 In a statement Enbridge said: “The safety of the people who live and work in communities where Enbridge operates remains the company’s highest priority. That’s why Enbridge is proud to support organizations that are focused on community safety.” In her day my Mother called statements like that “whoppers”.
In November 2012, Enbridge filed an application with the National Energy Board asking the board to approve the reversal of the segment of Line 9 between North Westover, Ont. and Montreal, Qué. in addition to requesting an expansion of the entire Line 9 capacity from Sarnia, Ont. to Montreal and a revision to the Line 9 Rules and Regulations Tariff to allow transportation of heavy crude.
Enbridge has already obtained approval to reverse the pipeline’s flow for the section running between Sarnia and North Westover, in south-western Ontario.
 At its April 8 meeting, City Council passed a resolution directing staff to request participation rights in Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Line 9B Reversal and Line 9 Capacity Expansion Project application was passed.
The city was granted permission from the National Energy Board to submit a letter of comment, which the city did on Aug. 6, 2013.
Burlington, along with just about every other community the pipeline passes through, opposes the Enbridge plans. In its comments to the National Energy Board that will be holding hearings on the application Enbridge has made to reverse the flow of Line 9 and to increase the volume of Alberta bitumen through the line Burlington said: “Upon review of Enbridge’s application the city continues to be concerned that the issues we have previously raised are not adequately addressed,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure. “We want more than just assurances that our residents and natural environment will be protected.”
The city’s letter of comment requests that further analysis and review is done in the following areas:
Enbridge’s overall approach to minimizing the likelihood of a release
In the event of a release, that an effective and coordinated response plan is in place This plan must leverage the capabilities of local emergency response teams
Enbridge’s accountability, both financially and operationally, for any event.
As part of the City of Burlington’s letter of comment, resolutions from Halton Regional Council and the Town of Oakville were submitted. Also included in the submission were the notes from a community meeting held in February. “The community raised a number of concerns at this meeting with Enbridge, and we felt it was important to share them with the NEB as they review Enbridge’s application,” said Scott Stewart.
 Right through the Escarpment. Will the fire department use the Enbridge donation to figure out how they will get onto this land to soak up the oil if there is a leak or a break in a line that is 40 years old? Has Burlington harmed its credibility in accepting the Enbridge donation? Some municipalities chose not to accept donations which Enbridge is apparently handing out to anyone with an outstretched hand. Is Enbridge doing to Burlington what colonial Canadians did to the native population – got a lot of land for some coloured beads and cases of whiskey?
Are we in 40 pieces of silver territory?
 September 14, 2015
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. You could never say she was shy and this morning Michelle Bennett, BurlingtonGreen’s Program Coordinator, Go Local Food Network let everyone know what she wanted.
 In a statement she sent out to her vast email list she asked our MPP and our MP to pull up their email lists and get the word out to their people to go on-line and vote for BurlingtonGreen in the Jamieson Call for the Wild contest that has $100,000 to be shared by five organizations based on the number of votes they pull.
“Today, with 2 days left of the contest, it is time to pull in the ringers, said Bennett. “Would Burlington’s MP and MPP give a final push this weekend via your communications, media and personal contact lists, to encourage people to vote for BurlingtonGreen and support a template urban organization that supports the green space restoration and protection that benefits urban wildlife and habitat for our mutual enjoyment and conservation principles?”
 Describing the slim lead Burlington has over Calgary in the contest for a portion of the $100,00 prize as “precarious” would be about right. “The battle for 1st or 2nd has been won by either McGill in Montreal, or the large Hope For the Wild organization in Nova Scotia. The battle for a respectable 3rd is very achievable against Calgary even though it is 5 x larger in population size than Burlington. We are the underdog, but we really want to win this national distinction for Burlington and as of this morning, hold the precarious lead.
 Michelle Bennett, who has her own political capital, has called upon MP Mike Wallace and MPP Jane McKenna to use their political capital to drive up the Burlington numbers in the Jamieson $100,000 contest. Do the two politicians who represent the city even know about the event? The House of Commons is on its latest Tory version of the NDP Ray Days so Wallace has nothing to do for the next month. “Please don your sporting hats, join our competitive spirit, vote and spread the voting link (below) to your constituents, media and personal contacts. There is a large environmentally conscious population in Burlington that BurlingtonGreen is well tapped into, and we will remember and thank you for any efforts to this cause that you can provide this weekend.
BurlingtonGreen uses social media and will be at the Terry Fox Run gathering votes at the Beachway Rentals shop on Sunday. It would be awesome to see you there to encourage people to vote.
BurlingtonGreen added a bicycle with a retail value of $1,000 as something to be won by one of those who voted.
To enter the contest – get over to the Jamieson Facebook page to vote, You can vote once for each email address you have.
 September 14, 2015
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It wasn’t particularly good weather when Terry Fox dipped the end of his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in Newfoundland in 1980, but Burlington seems to get good weather for its annual Terry Fox RUN – during which hundreds of people just walk the course that begins at the Pump House in Beachway Park and circles from the Canal to the Waterfront Hotel.
 In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $500 million has been raised in his name. Last year Don Carmichael, chair of the run this year, as well as last year, reports there were 1200+ participants who raised just over $80,000. Best ever year was the 25th anniversary year, raising over $100,000. Burlington has had a run every year for the past 33 years and in that time has raised $1.5 million for cancer research.
Carmichael noted that in 2012 “we had a group running with more than 200 members. That was very, very significant and is a large part of what the Burlington Terry Fox run is all about.”
 Giving it all you’ve got. A 2012 runner. The local Terry Fox organization is delighted when large crowds of people turn out – but adds that the event is a fund raiser. Without the funds – cancer research just doesn’t take place and without the research – we lose people that we do not have to lose.
$84,000 was raised in 2011 while just $70,000 was raised in 2012.
Commemoration boards were set up on the site for people to write a few words on. What few know is that the organizing committee has kept every board ever set up and written on. They are set up each year in a quiet corner where people can go and read what they wrote in the past.
 Exhausting – but she felt great once she’d caught her breath. Every dollar raised in Burlington goes to cancer research and while the run doesn’t have an official sponsor there are organizations in Burlington that come forward to meet the needs that range from water to food. This level of support is hugely appreciated by not only the people who organize the run but by the community at large.
Cancer is a foul disease. We all know someone that has been lost to the disease and far too many of us have lost a member of our family to the disease. It can be beaten – we are beating it – but it takes research and advances in medicine to continue to save lives.
Last year a large crowd of supporters showed up with sweaters that had the letters COZ on them. These people were running for the Casey – Casey Cosgrove who has been battling cancer for a number of years. He is currently involved in a program at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto where he goes in once every week or so for the next step in his trial program.
Casey has a web site in which he posts some of his thoughts about this part of his journey. Let me share a most recent one with you:
It was a LONG 8-hour day in PMH yesterday. There at 7am, left at 3 to the usual lousy traffic…blood work, then an x-ray, then a meeting with my oncologist and study nurse, then a CT, then chemo. Long day, then raced back for a hockey game with Evans team, the team I coach.
 There were there in droves last year and grateful that they are running again this year. Casey will be with them. No results yet. They have told me to expect some “inflammation” in the affected areas that it is almost standard with this anti PD1 drug I am taking now. They will call me if anything out of the ordinary appears in my test results. I still feel fine, but one never knows – there is not always a direct correlation between how you feel and look vs. what’s going on inside one’s body – I think I’m living proof of that.
Bryna is going to be mad that I forgot to tell her this – I got the call the other day and forgot frankly. You may recall another study I did where they took a part of my tumour to see if its ‘markers’ may give them information about a drug or such that may be a good match for me. No such luck – my tumour didn’t show yield any particular unique information that gave them much more to go on. I was told that there was a ‘marker’ that was very unique, but what that means they don’t know. They simply scientifically don’t know what it may mean. So, no harm no foul on that one. It didn’t tell me anything really but they had to call and let me know.
All else is good here. Hockey has begun. School is in.
People like this define courage – Now you know why you need to be out there on Sunday – starts at 11 – and walk with hundreds of others.
 September 13, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. Burlington’s Development & Infrastructure Committee meeting rejected the pursuit of a private property tree bylaw for city but that doesn’t mean those who fervently believe this is what the city needs are going to give up.
Committee reports go to city council meetings for ratification and final decision. On Monday, the 23rd the committee decision will come up and there will be a delegation with an independent survey setting out how the public feels about this issue.
At the committee meeting the advocates of a private tree bylaw argued that the survey work done for the city in the past was flawed and that the question was never really put to the public. Council members were arguing about the 22% of the 54% – or something to that effect – and it all got a little silly.
What was clear is that this Council just does not have the will to even try to put forward a private tree by law nor are they prepared to direct staff to try some alternatives that would give the city some data on what is being cut down on private property and where trees are being cut down.
David Auger, fingers behind the Burlington Beat, a tweet site, thought it might be worthwhile to do an independent survey online to see how people in Burlington feel about such a bylaw. Auger is “concerned that the City does not appear to have actually asked that question.”
So, a survey has been developed by BurlingtonBeat with the counsel of a veteran market research professional who has worked in, but doesn’t live in Burlington. No other individual or group had influence on its content.
The survey will be conducted online over the next ten days and the complete findings will be sent to and presented to City Council September 23rd.
Here’s the link to the survey: – will this be the final question on this issue. If the results indicate that people just do not care or if the response is tepid, – will the matter be left to rest? If the results are crystal clear will this city pause and listen?
 September 13, 2013
By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. Over a decade ago, Newfoundland and Quebec, the most Catholic provinces in Canada, moved to a single public education system and eliminated separate school funding, leaving only Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Ontario in the dark ages.
The UN human rights commission has weighed-in, as well, determining that Ontario is discriminating against other religions and demanding either an end to separate school funding or that the province publicly fund all other religious schools. We may recall from the election of 2007 how Ontario voters overwhelmingly rejected the full-funding option advanced by Tory leader John Tory.
It’s true that there are constitutional guaranties for separate schools in Canada, a legacy of provincial deal-making in the days leading to the formation of the nation. But the provinces have absolute authority over education and Ontario could reduce its sprawling systems of education, 73 in total, with the stroke of pen, as Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland have done. There are 29 English Catholic, 8 French Catholic, one Protestant, (Penetanguishene) 31 English public and 4 French public school boards that operate in Ontario, more than twice as many as would be needed for a secular-only public school system.
The Manitoba Act creating that province in 1870, included a provision for a separate school system. Manitoba’s history is intensely complicated but this issue, became one of the biggest in the province’s history and one which nearly tore the new nation apart. However, Manitoba persisted in its efforts to eliminate funding for separate schools and two years after Manitoba the North-West Territories essentially followed suit. More people in Quebec (over 80%) identify as Catholic than in any other province, yet the province also decided to abandon public funding for the Catholic education system and received constitutional authority to proceed in in the late 1990’s.
 Solid Catholic classrooms were once a part of Newfoundland educational system. That province is now totally integrated. I have been visiting the Rock this week. It’s earliest residents included the Beothuk aboriginal people (now extinct), and the Vikings. Newfoundland was accidentally discovered by a Portuguese fisherman, landing some twenty years ahead of Columbus. The Rock was later re-discovered and its modern history started with John Cabot and English and French settlers before being invaded by Irish immigrants seeking relief from their potato famine and English oppression. By 1840 Irish Catholics made up half the population of the Island, but it was closer to the turn of that century that formal education was initiated with the Anglicans, Methodists and Catholics each running their own religious schools.
As Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, the protestant schools evolved into a secular public school system but under terms of joining the confederation, Catholic schools had also been given funding. It took a half-century and two referenda for Liberal Premier Brian Tobin to eliminate funding for all but the secular public system. So only the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario still fund Catholic schools.
 Dalton McGuinty’s government transformed Ontario’s education system from one of the worst to the very best in Canada over his time in office, but was somehow uninterested in further cutting costs by reducing duplication among school boards. Even as he charged the Drummond Commission to explore ways of reducing duplication and eliminating the deficit, he and they left the secular public schooling option on the table.
After health, education is the largest expenditure for the provincial government, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Drummond’s report can be found mostly on a shelf gathering dust. Now Dalton has left the room leaving a new Ontario premier to chart a new course, including doing something serious about the province’s expenditures and deficit. And what could be easier than eliminating this remaining anachronistic vestige of post colonial rule, amalgamating the various school boards and shutting down those redundant to the educational needs of the province?
When I lived in rural Ottawa, years ago, I used to watch four half-empty buses from four different school boards parade one after each other, and wonder. I haven’t seen the math on this, don’t have the numbers, but moving to a single school system should be a win-win for the people of Ontario just as it has been for Newfoundland, and Quebec. And speaking of Quebec, the irony of it all is that funding for separate schools was only ever put in the constitution because of the insistence of Quebec. And that province has now eliminated it’s own separate school system.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012. Rivers is active in his community. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 September 12, 2013
By Milla Pickfield
BURLINGTON, ON. Bad driving… We all hate it, and yet it is still a problem. Last Tuesday Halton Regional Police Service Chief Stephen Tanner and other Senior Command Officers were outside the Hayden High School to enforce safe driving in the school zone.
 Gazette reporter interview Halton Regional Police Services Chief Stephen Tanner, while police officer in the background hands out a speeding ticket. Their being there was part of the “All Hands on Deck” program; officers were actively handing out tickets to anyone driving recklessly. The real question is why do we drive recklessly?
We did not learn these habits in driver’s school yet drivers still speed, text, refuse to wear seat belts, ignore school bus signs and crossing guards, and drive in an aggressive manner. So why do we do all of the above? We get annoyed when others perform those tasks and turn around and do them ourselves.
 Chief aims his radar gun – didn`t get a speeder this time. Many of us, at the age of sixteen, were ecstatic to get our G1 driver’s license. We welcomed the freedom that came along with the ability to drive. A year later we finally got the G2 license allowing us to drive without an adult present in the car. Finally, after what felt like forever, we achieve our G license. But what we may forget is that a license is a privilege. In an interview Chief Tanner told me: “A driver’s license can be taken away.”
After all that hard work and tests to finally get our driver’s license why do we forget to be cautious? I mean on one hand YES! We’re done but on the other, we now don’t have anyone telling us not to cut in front of that other driver or stick up one of our fingers because we are frustrated. “I think it’s because we think of our car as our own personal space and we can do whatever we want in it”, suggested one Burlington citizen I talked with. It is true. We feel infinite and almost untouchable until we get a speeding ticket. Then we’re just annoyed.
It is rushing to get somewhere that results in what the police call reckless driving. People don’t want to be late and start to panic while driving, and we all know we wouldn’t be so panicked if we left five minutes earlier. The more panicked and impatient we are the more reckless our driving becomes. So why not just leave earlier? Is it because we want to spend as much time at home with our devices?
Our devices… What would we do without them? I know one thing we would do without them, be better drivers! I’ve sat in the backseat of my car and watched my parents’ text, email, or call while driving and let me tell you it does not help their driving at all! They don’t see the light when it turns green; they don’t pay attention to the other drivers on the road; and they do this weird head thing where they look down at their phone and then quickly back up to the road, they look about as panicked as I feel just watching them. I mean the fact that they look at their phone longer than the road does not reassure me at ALL!
“Texting has become such a cultural thing that you don’t think about it.” Chief Tanner said. He’s right, I know when I hear that buzz from my phone, I drop everything and check the message. I suppose it’s because we think that the message that just came in could potentially save the world and hold all the answers to life itself… but it really doesn’t and is it worth putting yourself in danger?
Chief Tanner explained to me that texting when you drive “ you put others and yourself at risk”
That also raises a good argument that we’ve all heard a thousand times. How many times have you heard someone say; “Don’t text and drive! You put yourself at risk as well as others.” I’ve heard it close to a thousand. It’s almost as common now as; “Don’t drink and drive.” The funny thing is that we don’t think about the consequences until we are facing them.
 Speed limit sign is clear – so are those radar guns in the hands of two police officers waiting for someone to break that speed limit. It was an All Hands on Deck day in Burlington earlier this week as police were out in force making the point that driving carelessly in school zones was not going to be tolerated. “Often people feel invincible and they think they aren’t going to get caught.” Chief Tanner explained. I know that’s how I feel when I do something I’m not supposed to. For example passing notes, or as teenagers refer to it, texting in class. When we do get caught it comes as a shock because we have done it so many times before that we think it is acceptable and we can get away with it. But we can’t because eventually we do get caught.
That is the most prominent point of the police task. While I was interviewing the chief, other police officers were writing up tickets for people they had pulled over for driving 50 to 60 kmh in a 40 kmh zone.
The police are out there trying to make the roads safer by trying to get us out of old habits that have become instincts.
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