 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 The smell of the tree sitting in the room all lit up and decorated; you know its close to Christmas when you walk in the room. The small ornate bouquet or Christmas wreath set out is also a large part of the Christmas season. Who makes these wreaths and bouquets? And where do people learn to make them?
 Making Christmas bouquets at Ireland House.  Looks just about right and is going to look beautiful on a table or above a fireplace. Christmas bouquets made during a class at Ireland House. Lots of wreathes available at the garden centers but those small, almost delicate bouquets that get set out on a table are an art in themselves and last week a group of woman met at the Ireland House interpretative room and were taught how to make the bouquets. Elizabeth Crozier taught a small group of woman how to make a bouquet that includes silver Christmas candles. You will have missed the course this year but they do it every year – make a not for late November of next year.
Wreathes and bouquets are a small part of the season. Christmas cards are much more common; sent and received by almost everyone. They come in the mail; sometimes neighbours and friends drop them off and we use them to decorate our homes over the holidays. Christmas cards.
 Laura Robinson, acclaimed stamping expert will be at the Joseph Brant Museum. Perhaps in your household the children make up cards of their own. Laura Robinson, a nationally acclaimed stamping expert will be at the Discovery Room of the Joseph Brant Museum for a two hour stamping class that will have you creating six designer quality holiday cards while learning how easy and fun rubberstamping is. Bring tradition back into the holidays and give something handmade for those close to you. Everything is supplied, all you need to bring is your sense of humour and holiday spirit How were Christmas cards made When? December 9TH – 1pm – 3:30 pm
There is a fee of $25which includes all the material you will need to make six special cards. Refreshments will be served and a tour of the museum will be included. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CALL (905) 332-9888 or 634-3556
The first Christmas cards were illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on the 1st of May 1843. The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together, proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd. Two batches totaling 2,050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each and an industry was born.
Early English cards rarely showed winter or religious themes, instead favoring flowers, fairies and other fanciful designs that reminded the recipient of the approach of spring. Humorous and sentimental images of children and animals were popular, as were increasingly elaborate shapes, decorations and materials. In 1875 Louis Prang became the first printer to offer cards in America, though the popularity of his cards led to cheap imitations that eventually drove him from the market. The advent of the postcard spelled the end for elaborate Victorian-style cards, but by the 1920s, cards with envelopes had returned.
The production of Christmas cards was, throughout the 20th century, a profitable business for many stationery manufacturers, with the design of cards continually evolving with changing tastes and printing techniques. The World Wars brought cards with patriotic themes. Idiosyncratic “studio cards” with cartoon illustrations and sometimes risqué humor caught on in the 1950s.
Nostalgic, sentimental, and religious images have continued in popularity, and, in the 21st century, reproductions of Victorian and Edwardian cards are easy to obtain.
The estimated number of cards received by American households dropped from 29 in 1987 to 20 in 2004. Despite the decline, 1.9 billion cards were sent in the U.S. in 2005 alone. In the UK, Christmas cards account for almost half of the volume of greeting card sales, with over 668.9 million Christmas cards sold in the 2008 festive period.
“Official” Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family’s cards are generally portraits reflecting significant personal events of the year. In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card. The cards usually depict White House scenes as rendered by prominent American artists. The number of recipients has snowballed over the decades, from just 2,000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005.
Christmas cards have been avidly collected for years . Queen Mary amassed a large collection that is now housed in the British Museum. The University College of London’s Slade School of Fine Art houses a collection of handmade Christmas Cards from alumni such as Paula Rego and Richard Hamilton and are displayed at events over the Christmas season, when members of the public can make their own Christmas cards in the Strang Print Room.
Specimens from the “golden age” of printing (1840s–1890s) are especially prized and bring in large sums at auctions. In December 2005, one of Horsley’s original cards sold for nearly £9,000. Collectors may focus on particular images like Santa Claus, poets, or printing techniques.
The Christmas card that holds the world record as the most expensive ever sold was a card produced in 1843 by J. C. Horsley and commissioned by civil servant Sir Henry Cole. The card, one of the world’s first, was sold in 2001 by UK auctioneers Henry Aldridge to an anonymous bidder for a record breaking £22,250.
And that is far more than you ever wanted to know about Christmas cards. If you want to enjoy an afternoon learning a new craft – try this event.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 The Friends of Freeman Station will be meeting Thursday evening in Annual General Meeting (AGM) mode.
This not for profit organization has taken on a project that now involves finding the money to move a 1906 era train station onto a site where they can re-build and refurbish the structure and then, at some later date, move it to where it should have been ten years ago.
 She’s not looking her best right now. But once she’s moved – the work on cleaning her up begins. You can be part of that process. In the past three years all Burlington city council has been able to do is embarrass itself time and again until a citizen’s committee was formed to do what had to be done.
While all this was going on another part of the city was “engaged” in creating an engagement charter for the city. If what FOFS is doing isn’t engagement – then the word needs to be re-defined.
 It will eventually look this good – but time, hard work and money are going to be needed to make it happen. Get involved. This week the FOFS will go into what Catholics call a “conclave”; that assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope. Out of this we may see a Pope Irwin – perhaps? FOFS is about to become a serious organization with a major construction project on their hands and they need to firm up the board; thus the AGM and the need to select leaders.
While there is a full Board in place now, there are some that will leave and others who may want to extend their stay. About half the board has to be “refurbished” and elected to a two year term this time so that going forward the Board will have people leaving the Board each year with new people coming in.
Having people come forward for election is not as organized as it is in “conclaves” but the FOFS have a back-up plan. While they don’t use the language I have chosen, what they do have amounts to a Press Gang – and no that isn’t a collection of journalists having a wet one while they figure out how they want to slant the news they write.
 You can buy a T shirt and show your support. The Friends of Freeman Station will convene for their Annual General meeting on Thursday, Dec. 6th, 2012, at 6:30 pm at Burlington City Hall. Five positions on the board will be elected.
The new board will be responsible for the move of the Freeman Station structure to its new home on the Ashland Corporation site on Fairview St.; urgent conservation and preservation work to preserve this exemplary 1906 heritage building; and fund-raising, interpretation, and community programming initiatives.
The Freeman Station, also known as the Burlington Junction or Burlington West passenger station, is an important example of Grand Trunk Railway architecture of the early 20th century, and as such an important part of Burlington’s history – and Canada’s.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 Alton Village School Council is holding our first major fundraiser on Saturday, December 15th from 1-3pm, and they need your help.
 A community, still in its formative stage, holds a fund raising drive for a school that has yet to open. Construction is on going and so are the muddy roads. “An event like this needs a lot of volunteers to help make it a big success”, said Jeff Peeters, an Alton Village parent. That’s why School Council is looking for parent volunteers for the event to fill a number of roles including directing traffic, selling raffle tickets, and monitoring tables.
If you’re able to help out any time between 1-4pm, please contact Council’s Volunteer Coordinator Jeff Peeters at jeff.w.peeters@gmail.com.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON December 4, 2012 If you’ve ever wondered what meditation is; what a Yoga class is really like but you don’t want to join anything – you just want to sit in and see if there is something there for you – then an event this Saturday, December 8 from 3-5 pm at the Brant Hills Community Centre may be of interest.
If you do go – what are you in for?
 Here is what is on the agenda:
There will be a talk by two academics on the Restorative Effects of Sahaja Meditation techniques. There will be testimonials, some guided mediation, live music and Indian Kuchipudi dance
The group putting on the event has been doing this for more than seven years in Burlington.
Their Sahaja meditation classes take place Wednesday evenings at Brant Hills.
The event this Saturday will be tied into an event taking place in Paris, France.
Mediation and Yoga are different, millions swear by it, but it isn’t for everybody – it’s a matter of personal taste and the way you feel life should be lived. If you’re curious – give it a try.
More on the agenda:
A video introduction to Self-Realization & R/Evolution (video)
Experience Spontaneous Meditation & ‘Yoga State’ on Live Indian Drum Music (Ahilan)
Kuchipudi Dance Performance (Hema)
Chakra Workshop & Joyful Indian Music Performance
Practitioners of meditation will talk about the benefits.
You get a chance to find your “Yogi Buddy”.
The event is free – these people are serious and committed about what they do.
 BURLINGTON, ON November 29, 2012 Part of the reason for creating this “newspaper on a web site” was to try and re-balance the “information deficit” the Shape Burlington report said the city was struggling to deal with. It has not been an easy task and at times we felt we were out there all by ourselves.
When we wrote something about a person or the organization they led – we were taken off the media list. When we were consistently critical about the leadership of the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee we were sued for libeling the chair.
That lawsuit is working its way through the various processes that apply to libel and defamation. There is a phrase that describes what is being done: – “libel chill”. If they sue we are supposed to back down and apologize. Better yet, they could drive us out of business as we struggle to cover the legal costs. We will keep you posted in the libel matter
We aren’t the only person who understands the “information deficit” and the role of a free press. Peter Goddard recently posted a comment to a story we wrote. That comment was so good – not that we agree with everything Peter Goddard has to say – that we felt it should be given a much wider audience.
Here is what Goddard had to say to our Mayor:
Dear Mayor.
I propose that what you have accomplished is a list of gooey sentiments with no real substance. You have expanded on the adjectives you already attached to ethereal concepts, and arrived at intentions with no plan at all.
Today I still face a real problem, that far too many citizens in Burlington have faced, are facing, will face. We are being bullied by developers who, with the aid of a far from contrite planning department, are building unwanted and inappropriate mega-condo projects in the middle of the “jewel on the lake”. Far from contributing to vibrancy, energy, belonging, and compassion, these developments are contributing to a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, depression, and acrimony in the neighbourhoods they blight. These monstrous developments are marketed as separate communities, and indeed they are separate. You cannot draw a line around any other portion of the affected neighbourhoods and say “this area is distinct”. They do not fit. They are the equivalent of inclusions in the jewel, imperfections that make our jewel worth far less than one that is clear and free of undesirable detritus.
 The Mayor calls this city of ours a Jewel on the Lake and it may well be but are we not more than just our geography? In this same sense, anyone could appreciate that while you are busy polishing the jewel, the value still only decreases as we accept a lower and lower quality of gem, and our own experts in city planning, like jaded dealers, contend the imperfections make it better.
I am tired of this conversation. You messaged me with a link to this blog entry, I suppose you felt I should be inspired as you were. But I offer you may be suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome, the psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy or sympathy, and have positive feelings towards their captors.
I feel you may be trapped in the sense you are powerless to influence negative changes in the city, brought about by the provincial and regional intensification plans you are legally bound to observe. In response, you are polishing a turd. In my experience this only results in a shinier turd.
Because we are bound on all sides Burlington faces a difficult problem. How do we grow? In response to this problem Burlington committed to a plan, developed and implemented in the form of provincial, regional, and municipal “official plans”.
Each of these plans describes in progressively finer granularity, the details of how we will achieve required growth within the constraints of the law, and each plan aspires to accomplish a greater goal of improving our communities in fair and equitable ways.
The plans primarily call for DIRECTED intensification, with the specific stated goals of easing traffic congestion while supplying an adequate mix of housing PROXIMAL to workplace and transit lines. The finely tuned plan was unveiled to Burlington a few years back. This included maps of where the development would take place, what it would look like, and how we would accomplish it. It was a good plan.
 Post It notes left by citizens at an Official Plan review meeting. Peter Goddard isn’t the only one who doesn’t agree with the city planner. But now; The city is twisting the plan to serve a single metric. Person/jobs per hectare. Nothing else matters in their decisions. When faced with reasonable arguments against a development, they simply ignore those arguments, or devote their resources to researching obscure and weak counter arguments that are insulting to reasoning persons on the face of them. They hold these weak counter arguments up as proof of their wisdom, but we see the truth clearly. City planning views the plan as an arbitrary guide, and has assigned themselves the role of arbiter. The head city planner told me personally he is “like a cop” and that “people who follow the speed limit on the highways are actually getting in the way”. Presumably this means I am getting in the way when I question his judgement, or the judgement of his staff. He actually became visibly disturbed when I suggested I wanted to check his departments facts, admonishing “you’re not questioning my engineers, are you?” (BTW, yes.)
 Peter Goddard has given Mayor Goldring quite a bit to think about. Will the Mayor respond? You are elected to govern the city in a democratic manner. The four pillars of democracy are Freedom, Representation, Equity, and Justice.
-I am apparently FREE to leave if I don’t like it.
-I am apparently free to consult with my REPRESENTATIVE on council, who may or may not answer my concerns or return my correspondence.
-I am apparently equal to the others in this city who have been bulldozed by the “planning process”, but not EQUAL to the richer parts of the city whose properties are in “significant” areas.
-And Justice? I’m sure I am receiving an equal helping of the kind of justice Burlingtonians are becoming accustomed to. The kind of justice that gives tickets to those who follow the speed limit, and encourages dangerous speeding.
So while you are looking forward to sharing the journey, my dreams are being told to move to the back of the bus.
Peter Goddard
Thank you Peter Goddard.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 28, 2012 It happens every year and every year the Halton Regional Police scoop up people who are driving when they shouldn’t be driving.
At the end of the RIDE program, the police publish their results and – well sometimes there are improvements and sometimes there aren’t improvements.
A really very solid part of the RIDE program is the work the police do in the high schools. They take the students through what they call RIDE 101 – a chance to get a look – up close and very personal, on what happens to the head when you put too much alcohol in the tummy. They make no mention of the experience with the toilet bowl – perhaps that is a little too personal for polite Burlington.
 Nelson high school students trying to walk a straight line wearing goggles that create the level of vision a drunk driver would have. Central High students get to wear the goggles this year. Last year we watched the police have Nelson High students put on special masks that gave the students an opportunity to experience what they would see if they were driving with too much alcohol in their blood. For most, if not all, it was a bracing experience.
The Halton Regional Police Service takes their show on the road again this year and launches the RIDE program December 4th with the kick off taking place at Thomas A. Blakelock High School in Oakville.
This is the sixth year the police have put on a RIDE program. The “RIDE 101”, a program designed to educate drivers, particularly young and future drivers of the importance and responsibility while driving and the consequences associated to mixing alcohol or drugs and operating a motor vehicle.
High schools from across the Region will be participating in the program. The event will be at Central High School – 1433 Baldwin Street, December 13th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spot checks will be conducted from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. out front of the school.
The night component will entail members of the student council assisting designated officers in speaking with drivers of stopped vehicles during a R.I.D.E. spot check and distributing ‘Think of Me’ cards and information pamphlets on the consequences of impaired driving. The ‘Think of Me’ cards are hand-drawn and coloured by grade four, five and six students and reflect on that child’s perception of drinking and driving.
The police stopped 17,396 vehicles during the 2011 RIDE program. 564 of those people were asked to blow into the device that measures the amount of alcohol in the blood; 87 people were given warnings while 23 failed the test.
Failing the test means you get to call home and ask for help or call your lawyer. If you are just warned you face anything from a three day driving suspension up to a 30 day driving suspension if you are caught a third time. Should the police officer that stops you decide to take you into the police station for a test on a much more sophisticated piece of equipment or if you refuse to take the breathing test – you lose your license automatically for 90 days.
While Burlington may be the #2 best Canadian city to live in, it had the worst results in terms of the number of people warned or charged by the police.
There were a total of 84 different RIDE check points set up, 31 each in Burlington and Oakville. 67 driving under the influence charges were laid by police. Burlington’s record was the worst in the Region.
There were seven criminal charges laid for non-drinking offenses, 3 suspended drivers were caught and 178 people nabbed under the Provincial Offenses Act – most of them were from Oakville.
The Halton Regional Police are grateful for the community partners who are supportive of this worthy endeavour, including: the Halton Catholic District School Board, the Halton District School Board, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (M.A.D.D.), McDonald’s restaurants and Tim Horton’s.
 REVISED November 27, 2012
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 26, 2012 There has been a whiff of winter; there was a sprinkling of snow and there are Christmas decorations on many if not most of the houses on my street.
Christmas is the marketing event of the year for the commercial sector and a time for families to gather and be families. It is also the celebration of the most significant event on the Christian calendar.
The kids are out of school and parents will be looking for places to take them and things to do. Ireland House, one of the well run parts of Museums Burlington, runs interesting events that have a uniqueness one doesn’t see within the commercial sector.
 Food prepared and served the way it was at Ireland House – a long time ago. December 7th there is a very quaint and close to intimate Christmas food sampling event at Ireland House. If you’re looking to keep your holiday spirit intact throughout the busy month of December, this is a very festive evening.
 Period music, period costumes during an Ireland House Christmas food sampling. A licensed event, with traditional Christmas food samplings and beverage tastings from the Ireland family will be offered inside the historic Ireland House.
During the three hour experience you will sample a range of foods such as Figgy pudding, potato croquettes, cayenne cheese wafers, Jubilees and parsnip and apple soup and also festive beverages such as mulled wine, hot toddies and traditional wassail, all prepared using historic Ireland House recipes. This isn’t a intimate sit down dinner but rather an occasion to stroll from table to table to table sampling different foods. The intimate part is the candlelight setting and the music.
There will be musical entertainment, a “Chef of Christmas Past” giving presentations at set intervals, Christmas Fire Cracker making, and a take-away.
You will dine by candle light with a roaring fire and end enjoy live entertainment by Pearls of Time—costumed historic performers.
This is designed to be a fun, celebratory evening; an occasion to sample various holiday foods made from historic recipes aided by festive beverages – mulled wine, hot toddies and traditional wassail! There will be heritage musicians, special presentations, holiday activities and a take-away.
 An Ireland House Christmas food sampling, held in a quaint, almost intimate setting and enjoyed under candle lights. Tickets available in advance: $20/person (there are only 125 tickets available!) Not recommended for children under the age of 12. Friday December 7th, 6 to 9 pm.
For further information on these holiday events, please contact: Sylvia Hentz, Special Events Programmer: 905-332-9888 – hentzs@burlington.ca Ireland House is located at – 2168 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON L7P 5A8
 REVISED
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 19, 2012 If you’re looking for any of the city council members this morning or the city manager either for that matter – stop looking. They are all at a closed meeting of city council to talk about what they refer to as a Human Resources matter – which means the hiring, or the firing of someone, or dealing with a very serious complaint.
We goofed.
A guy at city hall who is a lot smarter than I am called to point out that I had things mixed up. There are TWO closed meetings – one this morning, the 19th, which was a CLOSED Workshop at which Linda Moore took Council and senior staff through an exercise intended to “improve teamwork, raise the bar and expand on the expectations”. They did that I was informed under Section 239 (3.1) of the Municipal Act. That event took place at the McMaster University DeGroote School of Business.
The other meeting, the one that has to do with the hiring and the firing – that one takes place NEXT Monday.
Finding out where the meeting were taking place was clearly a challenge I didn’t meet. The city’s web site shows two locations – one document says it is to take place at the McMaster University, DeGroote School of Business while another document says it will take place in the `Cabinet Room at a local hotel. I clearly got it all mixed up.
Doesn’t matter which, you’re not allowed in anyway – but it does point to a problem with the way information shows up on the web site, which is to undergo a significant and badly needed upgrade. I am on the city web site close to a dozen times in any one day and know it as well as most. It isn’t all that friendly. There is a Request for Proposals put out by the city for someone to do the upgrade that closes early in December.
 Doctors viewing data on a web site – done right the internet allows for a very smooth and fulsome display of data and information. Burlington isn’t there yet – but they are at least moving in the right direction. Whoever is chosen will take on the task of re-building the web site. This is an opportunity for the city to “shine” by choosing the right firm and not getting stuck with a lowest bidder situation. Please – not another pier. Hopefully, when the job is done, we will see a source of information that is user friendly and holds everything you ever wanted to know about the city. Showing two locations for a meeting you are not allowed to attend isn’t quite what is meant by useful information.
Friends sent us a link to a piece that gives a glimpse of where the future could take us. Have a look. Burlington could have something like this; the city could provide transit information on the web that would be real time to let me know where the bus is and how long before it gets to my stop. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to make an appointment with your council member via the web site.
The city has decided it wants to move all its information out to a web site and let the public interact with the city at that level rather than deal with people face to face or over the telephone.
Properly designed getting what you want via a web site can work very well. Unfortunately much of what Burlington has in place right now – just doesn`t work all that well.
What kind of experiences have you had? Leave a comment.
 By Pepper Parr
HAMILTON, ON November 11, 2012 For Len Lifchus, this time of year tends to be all about the numbers – are the giving’s where we need them to be? Are the various teams on top of their targets? Are we going to be able to raise what we need?
 Len Lifchus would like to be in the business of giving people fishing rods and teaching them how to fish and feed themselves but as often as not he is giving them fish because they cannot feed themselves.
 With more than 35 years in the volunteer sector, Len Lifchus guides the Burlington/Greater Hamilton United Way towards raising the $7 million + needed to fund the agencies that provide services needed in the community. For the Burlington/Greater Hamilton United Way, 44% of the 2012 target has been reached. Burlington is a little behind its target. The community has raised $746,834 of the $2.1 million it needs.
Combined Hamilton and Burlington have reached the 44% level but Burlington is lagging and in our part of that pumpkin patch we are at 36% – got more work to do – so if you’ve gotten this far and have not made a pledge – think about what you can give and make the pledge – we will be here when you get back.
Burlington is a very affluent community but there are significant pockets of poverty and Burlington is a more expensive place to live in. Lifchus, who recently moved to Burlington, will tell you “gasoline is more expensive, LINK laundry is more expensive, food costs more”.
Immigrants need help getting settled; there are no major industries in Burlington that need workers. Nutrition is an ongoing problem that comes back to plaque is later when poor health issues become the problem.
The face of poverty isn’t as visible in Burlington; you don’t see it between all the cars parked at the malls. “The faith community is very strong in Burlington” explains Lifchus, but there is only so much they can do. Our food banks are not a fact of life – they were put in place to meet a crisis and the crisis stayed and became a part of life for the poor and now the working poor.
Len Lifchus has been employed by the voluntary sector for over 35 years – more than 16 years with the Canadian Red Cross Society Blood Program and the last 18 years with the United Way.
Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. and a graduate in political science from the University of British Columbia, Len has spent his adult life on a career path of serving others.
Len joined the United Way in 1995 as the Executive Director of the United Way of the Central & South Okanagan Similkameen and moved to Peterborough, Ontario in 1999 to become the CEO of the United Way of Peterborough & District. After a 10 ½ year career in Peterborough he moved on to become the CEO of the United Way of Burlington & Greater Hamilton – Canada’s 12th largest United Way.
He has watched changes take place in the way we care of those who are not able to take care of themselves. “Food banks were a stop gap measure during a difficult economic phase – now they are full time operations” says Lifchus. “We aren’t geared to run this type of operation the way we have to but without food banks we would have very serious social problems to deal with.
One of the agencies the United Way funds is a program that makes food available to students who are not getting the nutrition they need at home.
The United Way doesn’t run programs; it funds agencies that run programs and each year at the end of the fund raising driver the really hard work of deciding who is going to be funded and who isn’t going to be funded begin.
 Part of the Burlington campaign cabinet – a group that meets under the direction of the Paddy Torsney, the Burlington campaign chair who co-ordinates with Len Lifchus on a weekly basis. The Burlington/Greater Hamilton United Way funds 133 programs and Lifchus is the first to tell you that the issue of poverty is not going away. He will also tell you that people are giving differently. There is much more one-on-one donor solicitation; that is organizations approaching a donour and soliciting funds. When those individual appeals succeed there is less money available to organizations like the United Way that are not tightly focused.
Also, there are more Family Trusts, financial structures that wealthy people use to channel their funds to specific targets – again lessening the funds available to un-targeted organizations like the United Way.
What the United Way does, and can do because it is much closer to the daily grind that is poverty, is recognize evolving needs and fund agencies that are focused on those new needs.
Teen suicide is a growing concern; one that is growing far too fast and no one is quite sure how to address the problem. Community groups, often started by families that have lost a family member to suicide get formed and as they grow the find they need more in the way of support – the United Way is there to help them create the infrastructure they need to effectively develop these agencies.
Managing the fund raising and then managing the disbursement of the funds raised is the day to day part of what Len Lifchus does. He also teaches in the evenings and sits on more boards than there are on a Monopoly game.
Everyone looks for distractions from the daily grind and for Lifchus it is musicals. He can recite lines from some of his favourites. Les Cages aux Folles is at the top of his list along with Hair and Les Miz – and don’t forget Ragtime, all amongst his favourites.
He has been following the selection of “Dorothy” for the next production of The Wizard of Oz– “of course” declares Lifchus, “there is never going to be another Judy Garland”. Lifchus actually gets a little misty eyed when he talks about the musical productions.
Fun and relaxation only take him so far. The Halton Regional Poverty Roundtable is an think group that the United Way is both funding to some degree and providing some of the administrative support. Lifchus fully understands the need to think about the problem of poverty and take a long, deep hard look at the root causes and begin the search for better solutions. “Change” Lifchus will tell you, “starts here.”
By Mark Twain
Twain wrote The War Prayer during the US war on the Philippines. It was submitted for publication, but on March 22, 1905, Harper’s Bazaar rejected it as “not quite suited to a woman’s magazine.” Eight days later, Twain wrote to his friend Dan Beard, to whom he had read the story, “I don’t think the prayer will be published in my time. None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth.” Because he had an exclusive contract with Harper & Brothers, Mark Twain could not publish “The War Prayer” elsewhere and it remained unpublished until 1923.
 Remembered, respected It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and county and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpouring of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half-dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety’s sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams – visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! – then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag or failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation – God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword! Then came the “long” prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to flag and county imperishable honor and glory –
 “O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their un-offending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander un-friended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. AMEN.
After a pause: “Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits.” It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 7, 2012 The media release said: Mayor Goldring is pleased to announce that he will be hosting Inspire Burlington Leadership Workshop – Defining Our Dream on November 22, 23 and 24th.
“After speaking with and listening to thousands of residents over the last two years I believe we have a need and an opportunity to better define what we want Burlington to be; how we want others to see us; and how we want to see ourselves”, said Mayor Goldring. “Basically, what is our dream?”, he asked.
 Mayor Goldring and his Council plus many staff members spent eleven half days thinking through a Strategic Plan that didn’t quite come up with a defining goal. Goldring on the left with the top Human Resources guru at city hall, Roy Male and two of the KPMG staffers who facilitated the event. The Mayor also said: “ We all know that Burlington is a great place to live, work and play. We have had 25 years of growth and prosperity which has led Burlington to be recognized as one of the very best places to live in Canada. In order to sustain our prosperity and quality of life and to meet the needs of our ever changing community we also recognize that we must challenge the status quo and continually challenge ourselves.”
“We have an excellent foundation to build our dream on. We have an engaged community, a strong local government, a strategic plan, a great location and environment with the lake and escarpment, and a diverse local business community. Defining our dream will bring this all together.”
The Mayor has engaged Dr. Lance Secretan to facilitate the development of a defining dream for Burlington. “It is my hope” said the Mayor, “that this dream will provide the community with an ambition and determination that brings us together and helps us build a future for which our children will be proud.”
 Mayor Goldring: Taking part in a Community Engagement Charter meeting. He needed that coffee at this one.  Mayor Goldring is a thoughtful, considerate, caring person. Are “political smarts” really part of his make up? “This Leadership Workshop is a starting point. I would like to sincerely thank the participants that have agreed to commit selflessly their time and effort to this project. I am excited to be developing this defining dream with community leaders and am equally excited to have the opportunity to share the dream with the community afterwards.”
The media release leaves a lot of unanswered questions:
Who chose the people who are going to participate in this workshop? Did the Mayor make the decisions? How balanced is this group of people? Marketing people do this sort of thing all the time; they choose a group of people they know will give them the answers they want and then claim they have “research” that tells them everyone likes their product.
The city deserves more in the way of transparency on this one.
The city has a Strategic Plan. It used eleven half days of meetings with an excellent facilitator but at that time was unable to come up with a clear goal – what they all referred to as that “BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goal”. Those Strategic Planning meetings included all the council members and most of the leading thinkers and operators on staff. It was during the creation of the Strategic Plan that the Mayor and his Council realized how out of step the city manager at the time was with the thinking being done by Council. That city manager was gone less than six months later.
Creating a vision is a delicate business. Keeping a balance between the various interests in a community is what politics is all about. No harm in going out to the community – just let the community know who it is doing the “dreaming”. One can be certain that this isn’t a meeting of a group of developers – we don’t have that kind of Mayor. But what kind of a Mayor do we have? He doesn’t seem prepared to tell the people he will ask to put him back in office in less than 20 months who he has asked to dream with him.
Not very transparent.
How many people are participating?
Is there an agenda; a format the participants will follow?
Why hold the event now?
Is the pier part of the dream or is it an expenditure that will have to be explained during the next municipal election?
 Summer reading – winter dream? We know why the Mayor chose Lance Secretan to facilitate this dream session. While on vacation last year the Mayor took along a copy of Secretan’s book, The Spark, the Flame, and the Torch and was “inspired”; a word the Mayor is partial to – using it for the excellent series of speakers he has sponsored since becoming Mayor. His next Inspire speaker is Senator Art Eggleton, who will speak on The Great Divergence: Income Inequality in Canada”
Senator Eggleton has served the people of Canada and the city of Toronto in public office for over 37 years, including 11 years as Mayor of Toronto and 11 years in the House of Commons as the member for York Centre.
In 2005, Eggleton was appointed to the Senate of Canada. He currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and is a member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communication.
He is Co-Chair of the Liberal Social and Economic Policy Caucus and Co-Chair of the All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus.
In his blog the Mayor gave us a look at some of his thinking. On November 6th he said: ” Thirty years ago Hamilton provided many of the jobs for Burlington residents. The steel plants were booming. The auto sector in South Western Ontario provided many well paid secure jobs which supported our community. Manufacturing was king as Ontario led the Canadian economic boom.
During the late 70’s and 80’s many Canadians moved from Quebec to the Toronto area bringing jobs, and prosperity came with them. Our economy supported the tremendous quality of life that developed and has been sustained for the last 30 years.
Our situation has changed. After steady growth, Burlington is now slowest growing community in the GTA. We are only expected to grow by another 19,000 residents in the next 20 years; this pales in comparison to the growth we have experienced in the past.
 The Escarpment is certainly part of the dream. Is Burlington going to be able to keep the dream? Can we afford to keep this dream? The community made a decision that it was important to protect the rural and environmentally sensitive lands in Burlington. This rural area represents about 50% of Burlington. This decision has an impact on other areas of the city.
 Is this a big part of the dream the Mayor is looking for? How big a part of the city is the waterfront? Is it more than just something to look at? We are competing to attract businesses and residents not only with other Ontario municipalities, but also other cities in Canada and even other international cities. What makes us unique and distinguishes us from others that will make Burlington the location of choice?
These factors are leading to community discussion about what we don’t want. I want to generate a discussion about what we do want.
After speaking with and listening to thousands of residents over the last two years I believe we have a need and an opportunity to better define what we want Burlington to be; how we want others to see us; and how we want to see ourselves. What is our dream?
The dream will start an important conversation with the entire community that will result in a prosperous future for our City. I believe that by creating a defining dream we will have a rallying point, a touchstone, which will bring us together and allow us to make the decisions we have to make with purpose.
After the workshop I will be sharing the results with the community. We will be able to have a conversation that is inspiring and about what we want to be as a collective community.”
We can’t wait – let’s hope that the results aren’t lumps of coal in our Christmas stockings.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 7, 2012 — Twelve students from Burlington area high schools have been selected as Burlington Transit Youth Ambassadors (BTYAs) for the 2012-2013 school year.
Last year, the ambassador program with six teens from three city schools joined the BTYA ranks. This year the number of students has doubled with two representatives from Aldershot; Robert Bateman; Nelson; M.M. Robinson; Central; and Corpus Christie high schools.
 An orientation meeting was held at Burlington Transit on Oct. 29 with this year’s Burlington Transit Youth Ambassadors. From left to right: Madelon Haantjes (Aldershot); Nicole Volk (Corpus Christie); Maha Hussain and Abbie Wiggin (Robert Bateman); Katie Reynolds and Chloe Simpson (Central); Corinne Bulger (M.M. Robinson); Kale Black (BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association); Jill Mulveney (Nelson) and Sandra Maxwell (Burlington Transit) Six of nine Burlington secondary schools are now involved in the BTYA program.
“Teachers whose students were involved last year are spreading the word to their classes and the response has been great so far,” said Sandra Maxwell, Burlington Transit’s marketing co-ordinator who oversees the BTYA program. “Many new schools have heard about the program and are inviting us to present to students in their eco-clubs.”
And why wouldn’t they? The Burlington Youth Ambassador program has many learning and social benefits for students. Highlights of the program include:
The BTYA program provides peer-to-peer teaching opportunities where students can learn and talk about public transit and promote taking the bus as a healthy, environmentally-friendly transportation choice.
Youth ambassadors run promotional programs and special events in their schools and teach others about the benefits of public transit, spreading “how-to” information as well as information about the environmental impact of people using cars instead of taking the bus.
Students run promotions fully supported by Burlington Transit with information and materials.
Students earn points and rewards in exchange for their involvement. Schools can win cash for their eco-clubs.
Students are preparing to launch a Green Monster campaign, where they will ask students and teachers to make a “monster” statement and a commitment to bike, walk or bus to school the week of Nov. 19th.
 Paul Carvahlo (Burlington Mall Representative) with Dr. Jane Goodall and event sponsor, Joe Saunders of Burlington Hydro. Burlington Mall is a sponsor of the program, donating prizes and providing a $1,000 annual cash donation in June to one school’s Eco-club to recognize the efforts of the BTYAs from that school. Paul Carvahlo, the guy who makes things happen at the Mall, has been a leading advocate for a more environmentally involved commercial sector.
The BTYA program was jointly developed by Burlington Transit and the BurlingtonGreen Youth Network.
 One of the new buses added to the Burlington Transit fleet. There were buses that had more than 15 years on their tires – those old ones certainly rattled down Guelph Line when I was on one of them. Burlington Transit has been upgrading its fleet with newer buses coming on line. Transit has been a problem for the city – the volume is nowhere near what it should be but getting people out of their cars is not a simple matter in Burlington. Students are for the most part a captive market and creating the “hop on the bus” mentality will increase ridership.
The city cut back the frequency on a number of routes last year as part of an attempt to re-assign transit assets and get better value for the significant amount spent.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 7, 2012 The sunshine chose not to appear but the event went well nevertheless as art patrons from across the city drove to the ten studios that were part of the Art in Action’s 10th annual studio tour.
 Teresa Seaton’s Poppies stained glass piece highlights the red leaves on the tree outside the studio she was showing in as part of the Art in Action Studio Tour – this was their tenth event. There were a number of the regulars at the different studios and there was some talent that was international in scope. We saw jewellery that is being featured in some high fashion magazines and glass work that draws top prices.
The 36 artists in the ten studios, conveniently grouped into east end, west end and downtown locations, had groups of people who came in small waves. A studio would be empty one minutes and the suddenly quite full. In one house a neighbour dropped in with the comment “I didn’t even know this was going on” and stayed to look over the jewellery.
 Jessica Gneth, last year’s scholarship winner takes part in her first Art in Action studio tour. Water colourist Sarah Carter works in the background. Jessica Gneth, one of the scholarship winners last year, took part for the first time. There was some nervousness, a little awkwardness as well but the more experienced artists were on hand to help out and give some advice. Gneth, an MM Robinson student, will be back again.
Some studios worked better than others but all were active. We ran out of time this year and got to just eight of the ten. Problem with going every year is that you meet artists you met the year before and you get to see the growth in their work and appreciate just what they have to offer.
 A very attravtive set of small oil paintings that were also very pleasantly priced were part of the Cheryl Goldring offering. Cheryl Goldring has certainly grown as an artist. Her watercolours are much larger and more ambitious than in previous years and while small birds are likely to always be a passion for her – the offering this year was much broader. There were some very well executed small oils offered this year.
Cheryl Laakes had much more fabric on display this year. Tammy Hext, as she has in the past, painted while patrons looked at her previous work.
 Helen Griffiths, who did very well on the selling side had a large selection on display. The paining at the top right sold during the day. It was a delight to photograph Helen Griffiths and the walls covered with her art and then realize that one of the paintings that was there when the picture was taken, wasn’t there anymore – it had been sold. The oil painting was of colourful houses on a street in St. John’s Newfoundland, and was sold to a Newfoundlander now calling Burlington home.
Kyle Brooke did a nice, close to brisk business, at the Ed Roy Gallery across the street from the Royal Botanical Gardens entrance on Plains Road. This is a ceramics artist to watch.
Aubrey Denomy, in a Belvenia Road studio, was perhaps the most eclectic in her offerings. She has sculpture, paintings and what she called “Christmas tree bling” available.
Peter Schlotthauer has moved into smaller items with a couple of rings on display that show considerable promise.
 David Cockell, a whimsical illustrator, painted while patrons browsed at the Artist’s Walk in the Village Square. Doug Cockell worked away at one of his whimsical paintings, almost oblivious to the people who were walking through the studio in the Village Square, which we have heard has been sold. If the rumour is true, that was one of the fastest commercial sales in the history of this city. Rumours abound as to what will happen to a property that was once a favourite spot for Burlingtonians.
I would put any sale down to wishful thinking on the part of the owners.
 Kyle Brooks, a ceramic artist with work that is international in scope, writes up a sale. Her studio across the road from the RBG is well worth a visit. An artists worth watching. Teresa Seaton, the artist that seems to do most of the organizing of the event (she does have a committee working with her) said that sales were up but the visits were down a little. Most of the ten sites got between 350 and 400 visitors but there were a few that were quite a bit lower.
The Art in Action people have been doing this for ten years now and while the event has grown it isn’t quite where many had hoped it would be. “We’ve tried everything” said Seaton. “We even advertised on the Weather Channel and the numbers are OK but the hope was that they would be higher than they are.”
 Monica Bell, a quilter taking part in the Studio Tour for the first time. The ten studios can be covered in a day. We found that a number of people travelled around together in a van which made it something of an outing.
Does Art in Action grow the event and have even more than 10 studios? They aren’t sure yet. Would it make some sense to have a collection of artists at the Village Square? That could happen but they would need better cooperation from the family and that hasn’t transpired so far.
Artists can’t afford retail rents – they have always set up in parts of a city that aren’t fashionable where the rents are low. With the artists in place the places become fashionable, the rents go up and the artists have to move on to less expensive digs.
There is an opportunity here for whoever buys the Village Square – set aside some space for those “starving” artists and let them be the draw. The place could certainly use the traffic.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON November 5, 2012 City hall staff were in a bit of a hurry on this one – they wanted to know what you thought of the current sign by-law and were looking for feedback as it prepares to review its sign bylaw regarding the use of banner-type signs throughout the city.
 Is this the kind of thing the city wants to change? The city’s current sign bylaw outlines the use of signs throughout the city, including guidelines regarding the colour, size, design and location of signs. It also limits the use of banner- type signs to charitable organizations only. These signs are considered incidental signs and do not require a permit.
“We have heard from the sign industry and local businesses that they would like to see some changes to the city’s current bylaw,” said Tracey Burrows, manager of bylaw enforcement and licensing. “We are looking at how these signs are being used on private property and the issues around size, location and the length of time the signs can be displayed.”
The City of Burlington is gathering input on possible amendments to the bylaw. An online survey is available on the city’s website www.burlington.ca/bylaws. People who don’t have Internet access that are interested in providing comments can call 905-335-7731 to complete the survey over the phone. The comments received from this questionnaire will be used to develop a recommendation to the city’s community development committee. Input and comments must be received before Nov. 5 to be included.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 1, 2012 You want to talk to someone at city hall; you know the department but you don’t know the full name of the person you want to speak to. Or you know their name but don’t know their phone number.
Learning who does what at Burlington city hall is a challenge – and that’s the way the city wants it. They don’t want you calling people, who are in meetings more often than not. Kim Phillips, a city general manager who oversees Budget and Corporate affairs wants to drive the public to the city web site, which if you haven’t noticed, hasn’t won any awards for ease of use.
 City General Manager Kim Phillips will handle the e-government file – is she a true believer in getting useful data into the hands of citizens or is she more concerned about cost containment and keeping her staff off the telephones? Phillips once said to a committee meeting that she didn’t want to see the city staff directory on the web site. Her preference is to drive traffic to the web site where citizens can learn what they want to know. Have you ever tried to navigate that web site? Have you ever tried to do a search for something? It’s easier to just call someone – they can usually give you a fast answer – if you can catch them at their desks.
City Manager Jeff Fielding thinks his staff hold far too many meetings and that the meetings they hold last far too long. And if you ever find yourself in a meeting with Fielding – don’t expect to be there very long. This guy wants you in and then he wants you out. Nice guy, friendly, very helpful but he isn’t there to talk about the weather.
 When you want to find someone in London, Ontario, former roosting spot for our city manager. It was easy to find any of the rascals. Don’t expect to be able to find the same level of access in Burlington. London does it quite a bit differently. Go to their web site and just pick out the staff directory from the city’s web site; it’s there on the main menu. Type in the name and you get the person, the title, the telephone and the local and which floor of the building they are on. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Burlington put in a new telephone system a while ago – it was chaos for more than a month. At one point the women at reception had to deal with three different telephone sets.
Any other corporation installing a new telephone system would never tolerate this level of service. Crews would arrive on the Friday to install everything and it would be fully operation on the next work day. For some reason the municipal world seems to be able to get away with this kind of really sloppy service.
It is not all doom and gloom. There are services that are fully electronic – and they work very well. Just not enough of them. One that we found to be excellent, was getting an on-street parking permit while the drive way was being paved. Went on line at 2:00 am, (insomnia) and it was a breeze. The only hitch was that it wanted the second part of the Street name (Ie: Drive, Avenue, Crescent) which wasn’t immediately evident to me. After that I just typed in the data and got a document to put on the dash board. These permits allow you up to 15 days a year of on street parking at night. The document you get tells you how many days you have left. That’s service, which perhaps makes Kim Phillips’ point – drive them to the web site. Fine – but deliver top level service so that I don’t have to phone anyone.
City Manager Jeff Fielding was very recently awarded the first ever Local Government Program Alumni Society Award of Excellence. There just might be some bright days ahead for Burlington taxpayers.
Hope they are working hard on making it real easy to vote on line. No more election night lineups – easier to get rid of the rascals.
The City is providing adequate online service delivery in comparison to other municipalities, but needs to evolve its model to remove the risk of falling behind. The e-Government Strategy proposes that Burlington be positioned as a Digital City – a city that uses technology to its full potential and fully engages the community in delivering excellent, innovative and efficient customer service. This innovative model will provide Burlington a competitive advantage for attracting knowledge and technology based business and community initiatives.
The city`s e-Government Strategy presents four strategic cornerstones for successful delivery of an effective e-Government program:
1. Build a Customer First Service Delivery model. Design and build programs and services in a truly customer first way.
2. Build a Customer Centric Technology Architecture. Build a core foundation based on new and enhanced portal
technologies that deliver more robust, flexible and updated functionality and provide integration to a Customer Relationship Management system.
3. Prioritize an Internet First model, while supporting channel choice. Design services so that the Internet is the primary service channel over other costly channels, while supporting and enabling delivery through conventional channels.
4. Embrace Open Government, Citizen Engagement and Government 2.0. Embrace Open Government and Open Data initiatives to encourage participation, interaction and transparency. The strategy requires an investment of approximately $2 million in technology and resources over the next three years. This will build the technology platform to power the e-Government and online service programs for the future.
There a lot of those buzz words bureaucrats like to use. But the essence is that they want you to go to the web site and get your water from that tap and don`t come into the kitchen with your cup in hand. It costs the city too much to provide the number of staff needed to answer all the questions.
That`s good cost containment talk but it doesn`t do much for the citizen wanting information. Burlington has a population that is aging and at the same time there are sections of the city with young families and parents on the go with smart phones in their hands far too often – even as they drive. Dumb.
 Christrine Iamonaco, on the right, was brought in to develop a Citizen’s Engagement Charter for the city – her document goes to a Council Committee this month – don’t expect it to be smooth sailing. Much of that spending on e-government got the chop in the 2012 Budget – the civic administration wasn’t really ready, and at the time they weren‘t effectively staffed up. A former IT type who did one round of changes on the city web site found greener grass at the federal level and moved on. Cuts at the federal level brought him back to Burlington.
This file gets back to the committee – let`s see what we can get done this time around.
The Citizen`s engagement Charter comes up at about the same time. Some had hoped that e-government, a process that would make tons of data available and result in a citizenry that had everything they needed to work with city hall to advance their fondest hopes and dream, gets to put its best effort on the table as well. We will keep you up to date on how that one goes.
 Will the zeal that he had in his early days as part of the Shape Burlington committee still be there when the Citizens Engagement Charter gets put before council?  Councillor Blair Lancaster was an original member of the Shape Burlington Committee; left to run for public office. Will we see any serious commitment to the concept of citizens having strong rights and access to the information they want? Is Lancaster positioning herself for a shot at the top job when Goldring decides to retire? Many of the people who were heavily involved in the development of the document think it is too long – will real life get breathed into it before the end of the year? Don`t hold your breath. City Council as a group isn’t feeling all warm and fuzzy about the idea of an Engagement Charter – most went along with it as a motherhood and apple pie issue – they didn’t know how to say no to what the Share Burlington report was recommending.
The two council members who were members of the original Shape Burlington committee that produced the report went on to bigger and better things and now sit on city council where they will determine the fate of the Charter that is being put forward.
It will be interesting to see how Councillors Lancaster and Sharman stick handle this one.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON November 4, 2012 November sort of seems like a lead up to the coming holiday season. The time is busier; work makes more demands of us and our social lives get busier. Life around us is more active; there is so much more to do. That lazy summer weekend seems so long ago.
 It’s a small, independent bookstore that has been in business for more than forty years and continues to draw top level authors. Burlington is one of the few Canadians cities that consistently offers these events. We human being seems to go through these cycles and our friends over at the Different Drummer are adding to the mix of all the things we can do, want to do and would like to do.
Ian Elliott, proprietor at the bookstore on Locust Street has put together a November program you are going to want to take part in.
Globe and Mail writer Doug Saunders, will talk about his new title, The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West? at the Burlington Public Library on New Street Monday, November 19th at 7:00 pm – tickets $10.
Very few Canadians understand the change that is taking place in our society with the immigration influx. Will these new people change our core values; what will they bring to Canada that we don’t already have? It is time for more Canadians to begin to understand what these new Canadians offer – more than you may realize.
 A broadcasting career that ran for more than 40 years during which tens of million Canadians learned what had gone on during the day. Lloyd Robertson was the most popular news anchor of his time. On Monday, November 26th at 7:00 pm Lloyd Robertson, former news anchor with CTV News, and many may not know, a onetime lead broadcaster with CBC will be at Royal Botanical Gardens 680 Plains Road West Burlington, 7:00 pm to talk about his illustrious career as a news anchor and reflect upon his six decades as a journalist. The Kind of Life It’s Been is a personal look at a career we all watched take place. Robertson will offer wonderful insights and some laughs as well. Tickets to the event are $10. The event is being sponsored by A Different Drummer and Bryan Prince, Bookseller.
Clair Carver Dias will be at the Different Drummer Sunday, November 11th at 2:00 pm. An Olympic medal winner Dias will talk about her novel; a riveting chronicle of six athletes staking everything and battling personal and professional odds for the ultimate goal – a chance to compete at The Games. Ian Elliott tells us that Dias is an accomplished writer, a superlative speaker and wonderful company.
 Dr. Neil Turok will deliver the CBC Massey Lecture for 2012. He will be speaking at the McMaster University Club. Neil Turok, the person giving the Massey Lecture this year, at the McMaster University Club, 1280 Main Street West, in Hamilton on November 27th; 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10. The Massey subject this year is : The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos. Turok, Director of the Perimeter Institute, presents a vision of the future based on the workings of the human mind.
This is pretty heavily stuff but highly relevant – tickets will go quickly. The event is being put on by A Different Drummer in partnership with Bryan Prince Bookseller and House of Anansi Press.
All the speakers are informed, highly engaging and well worth the time. A Different Drummer Bookstore.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 5, 2012 With less than a year under his belt as city manager, Jeff Fielding gets a call from his old stomping ground and is told he is the recipient of the first ever award given by the Local Government Alumni Society at Western University to a civil servant for excellence in his field.
The award was announced at the annual conference held at Museum London. Fielding, served as City Manager for the City of London from 2004-2012, was honoured for his 30 years of significant contributions to municipal administration.
 City Manager Jeff Fielding has been at his desk for close to a year now and has figured out who the performers are and who isn’t pulling their weight. He recently admitted to council that he is understaffed at the top levels but has yet to find the person he is looking for to fill the third General Manager position that is waiting to be filled. Fielding would rather go with too few people than find himself with people are aren’t going to deliver. Refreshing. The Local Government Program Alumni Society Award of Excellence was established to honour and recognize an individual who inspires others and demonstrates public service excellence. The award is presented each fall at the Local Government Program Alumni Society conference.
In presenting the award, Jody Johnson, Local Government Program Alumni Society President said: ” Jeff is a leader who has consistently demonstrated public service excellence through his longstanding commitment to improve the quality of life for all citizens,”
Fielding said the usual obligatory remarks in his response when he was given the award: “I am honoured to be the first recipient of the Award of Excellence from Western University’s Local Government Program Alumni Society. I consider being a public servant a privilege, and I thank the alumni society for this recognition”.
But behind those words is a tightly focused manager who expects nothing but excellence from those he leads. When he arrived in Burlington he took up the vacant city manager office on the eighth floor of city hall but soon moved down to the sixth floor where the two city managers and other members of their team work. Being around the corner from the Mayor on the eighth floor was not the way Fielding was going to lead his team – he was going to be right in the thick of it with them.
 City Manager Jeff Fielding on the lift with General Managers Kim Phillips and Scott Stewart. Fielding moved from the floor he used to share with the Mayor to the floor in city hall where his General Managers keep the city running. Being with them isn’t enough for him though; he leads by example; he expects to make mistakes and when he does (and he has made a few) he apologizes and learns from his mistakes. He expects the same of his staff.
Fielding managed to squirrel away $80,000 for staff training that will be delivered through a curriculum being prepared by the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University on the south Service Road in Burlington. The classes are for staff from Supervisor level up – and they are mandatory – and don’t fail the course.
“The Local Government Program Alumni Society is one of Western’s most influential and active alumni groups. The establishment of an award of excellence for both alumni and non-alumni is another example of their leadership in recognizing and honouring great public service throughout Canada”, said Josh Morgan, Recruitment and Development Officer, Western University.
Mayor Goldring said: “We are fortunate at the City of Burlington to have someone like Jeff Fielding who is wholly committed to excellence in public service. Western University’s Local Government Program Alumni Society clearly recognizes Jeff’s contributions to inspiring those around him and creating an environment of innovation”. That demand for excellence applies not just to the staff Fielding leads but the council that serves as his board.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 2, 2012 Is this Friday? Then Mike Wallace, Burlington’s member of parliament is in town and he is either running a workshop, meeting a group of constituents or handing out cheques and getting his picture taken.
This Friday Wallace was hitting a triple base hit. While he didn’t have the cheque in his pocket he did make the cheque for the new gas fired kiln at the Burlington Art centre possible and he was on hand to look at the equipment purchased and learn more than he ever wanted to know about pottery and gas fired kilns.
 Ever the politician and a very solid constituency man at that – Mike Wallace chats with Helen, a member of the Pottery Guild who once delegated to city council when Wallace was a city Councillor. “I was able to solve a small problem for her” said Wallace. That was the base hit part of the day. He moved to second base when he bumped into a constituent he has known for some time and was able to take a moment to catch up on some of the local happenings. Then he was taken on a short tour of the Art Centre and got to look at some art that he understood, but didn’t understand what the value of the collection was to the Art Centre. “Where’s the value” was the question he had for the Ceramics Curator Jonathan Smith. Smith was explaining that the Art centre buys a full place setting for eight people from Canadian ceramic artists that become part of the permanent collection. The BAC has the most extensive collection in the country of Canadian ceramic art .
 Wallace didn’t quite believe what he was looking at was a photograph and took his glasses off to get an even closer look. He was certainly impressed with what he saw. Wallace also got to look at some art that amazed him – he asked several times if what he was looking at was a painting or a photograph. He was quite impressed with what he was looking at.
The third base drive for Wallace though was the television crew that followed him around. CPAC , the cable channel owned by the six of the cable television companies in Canada is doing a program on Burlington’s MP – not sure when they will broadcast the program – we will tell you when we know. They spent a full day following him around filming what an MP does when they are in the constituency for a day.
Much to Wallace’s chagrin – all that is likely to make it to air is about five minutes of tape. Turns out CPAC does these profiles of MP’s; keeps them on file and when they have a program that doesn’t fill in the hour or half hour allotted – they fall back to the film library and drag up whatever they have on hand that fits the slot. As Wallace put it: “It’s basically filler” but he’s going to ask for a copy of whatever they have and he’ll put it up on his web site.
Creepers – we thought federal bureaucrats could waste time and money – all day with an MP for a possible miserable five minutes. Yikes, but the spending is being done by the cable television companies, not the government.
The federal governments Cultural Spaces Canada program donated $31,900 for the purchase of the new kiln. That donation covered close to half of the total cost.
 $30,000 + of taxpayers money – and the folks at the Burlington Art centre are delighted. Burlington MP Mike Wallace was touring the Centre and getting a look at the gas fired kiln that will glaze all the bowls being used for the annual Soup Bowl event – always a BAC sold out event.  George Wale, Director of Programs at the Art Centre, on the right, thanks Burlington MP Mike Wallace for the funding from the federal government. The acquisition of the kiln was the culmination of 10 years of work that started when Frank Friedman began advocating for the piece of equipment that has allowed potters at the Art Centre to do much more sophisticated work.
 Burlington MP Mike Wallace has a piece of art explained to him by BAC Curator of Education Leslie Page The Burlington Art Centre is renowned in Canada for its collection that is the largest of Canadian ceramic work consisting of more than 2000 objects that have been collected during the last 30 years. Jonathan Smith, Curator of the ceramic collection, explained that there are artists from Vancouver to Halifax in the collection.
The BAC collection also has some late 18th century and 19th century porcelain in its collection. “People who know porcelain travel to Burlington to see what we have while others just stumble upon the collection while they are here.
The bowls that will be sold as part of the annual Soup Bowl event – November 15 to 18 – usually a sold out event were in the kiln while Wallace was being told how the thing works and why it was so appreciated by the Art Centre.
 Mike Wallace, Burlington’s MP looks at a place setting that is part of the BAC collection. Photo was taken through a glass display stand where Wallace wondered where the value was for the Centre in having place settings for eight people in the collection. When a politician does a tour and works to get funding for an organization there is often a small token of appreciation given by the group that got the funding. Ian Ross knows the game well and he made sure there was a small gift for Wallace who gratefully accepted the box with the bowl and a vase and said “he now had a Christmas gift for his wife”. It’s a nice gift Caroline – but Mike didn’t pay for it, so look under that Christmas tree again.
Wallace has been very supportive of the arts in Burlington. He helps where he can and when he can. The Ireland Farm has been given financial support and if Wallace could he would see a plaque in Burlington noting that the Burlington Races took place somewhere off the shore of the city in 1813 – turns out that’s a provincial thing and the federal people never meddle in provincial stuff.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON November 2, 2012 It’s one of those things you know you should do – some of us used to do it New Year’s Day – but there were first day’s of the year when the idea of climbing up on a ladder was not such a good idea.
Then a fire chief somewhere came up with a really neat idea – he said “why not remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms on the Sunday that the clocks go forward or backward?
That was a really good idea and it seems to have become the practice at least in Canada.
 They work – but only if they have fresh batteries. Every year, we read stories of apartments or houses that catch fire and often, all too often there is some loss of life and we hear a despondent fire chief explaining to a television camera that the smoke alarms did not work because the batteries were dead.
There may be some juice in the batteries you have in that smoke alarm now – but why take the chance. Figure out what size of battery you need and climb up on that ladder and make the change.
This is fall so the clocks go back an hour Saturday night and you get an extra hour of sleep
“Smoke alarms can only do what they are designed to do if they are working,” explained Public Education Officer Lisa Cockerill. “At least once a year, replace the batteries in your smoke alarm with new batteries and test all smoke alarms once a month.”
Push the test button for 10 seconds. If you hear the alarm it means its working. No alarm? It’s time to replace the battery or the unit. Smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years.
It’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. For added protection, it is recommended to also install smoke alarms inside all bedrooms. In order to survive a fire, you need to be provided with an early warning and know what to do when the smoke alarms sound. Have a fire escape plan with a meeting place that everyone in your family knows.
Assistance is available for seniors and persons with disabilities in the community who are unable to replace batteries or test their smoke alarms on their own. For more information or request assistance with your smoke alarm or for fire safety information please call 905 333-0772, ext. 6333.
Tampering with, or removing the batteries from your smoke alarm is against the law. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000. For further information visit www.burlington.ca/fire.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 30, 2012 They opened the place 35 years ago – times does fly.
When did that orange piece of metal work outside the building go up? That long ago eh? Maybe I’m actually getting used to it.
 Placed outside the Art Centre in 1978 the aluminum structure has drawn attention to the Centre. The structure is A Space Composition for Rebecca by artist Haydn Llewellyn Davies, who died in 2008. It is orange aluminum and has been a fixture outside the building since 1978.
The Burlington Art Centre Foundation is going to hold a three part auction with thirty five items in each part to highlight and focus public attention on their 35th year of existence.
Applications to be considered for the Art Auction in 2013 close November 23, at 5:00 pm.
 The three parts are 35 Live, 35 Onsite and 35 Online auctions for objects from visual artists working in all medium. Entries for the three auctions will be selected by a jury of experts to ensure quality and an offering of unique and original pieces.
Each category will include a range of art forms and values. Category selection will be made, in part, by a determination of which pieces will be best suited to which audience, thereby increasing the opportunities for a successful sale.
Artists must submit a completed Art Auction 2013 Submission Form, along with a digital image of the artwork, by Friday, November 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m.
This call is:
Open to all artists who are residents of Canada
Members of the BACF Art Auction Committee are not eligible
Works submitted must be original works of art or fine craft, created within the past two years
New Media/Digital & Photographic artwork must be signed, limited editions, with a maximum of 10 prints of that image, in any size
Two dimensional artwork must be mounted or framed, wired and ready for hanging Archival quality materials must be used.
Each artist may submit a maximum of two pieces through the Call for Entry process, but no more that one piece from each artist can be accepted for the auction.
For complete details and a submission form please go to www.theBAC.ca/call
Please review the information on the Call For Entry Pamphlet and send a completed Submission Form, along with all required information and a digital image of your artwork, by Friday, November 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m., for consideration by the jury.
We prefer that you use the Art Auction 2013 Submission Form that can be completed and saved in Word. However, if this is not possible, you may print out a form or the pamphlet and complete the information by hand. Please help us by printing legibly.
Label your images with your last name, first initial, 2013, and the title of your piece. (e.g. smithj2013sunrise.jpg)
Email submissions to auction@theBAC.ca (preferred), or deliver, in person or by mail, to:
Burlington Art Centre, Art Auction. 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A9
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