 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.
 September 12, 2013
By James Burchill
BURLINGTON, ON. Many in the tech industry believe that the next generation of smart devices will be “wearable.” Remember watches? Ya, those things that are going out of style may be making a comeback when your iPhone and Android becomes wrist wear.
 Is that a Dick Tracy wrist watch? What do you mean – you don’t know who Dick Tracy was – where have you been? There are several designs in the works and Sony has already released a beta test on a wearable smart phone that works very much like your current phone in downsized form. This, of course, will change as these become more prolific and new ideas and the ergonomics of the devices are studied. Expect wrist flicking and hand flexing to replace finger gestures, for example.
Techies are seeing a future in which we are the device – in other words, apps and software, are made for the user, not the device. Whether we have a smart watch, a phone, in-car computers, or a desktop in or all of the above, the apps will work the same throughout with perhaps some differences because one device may be capable of more than another.
A good example of how this works is Google’s Gmail.
Gmail works differently on your desktop than it does on your smart phone, for example. Imagine that across half a dozen or more devices. Some will be “hands free” devices (such as the car), which will have interaction through voice commands and hand waving or eye gestures (all things being worked on right now). Others will be hand-intense, like your smart phone, while still others will be a mix of the two.
A technological future in which devices automatically detect who is using them and load the apps (from the cloud, of course) based on that knowledge is not far off. Imagine checking the time on your watch and being notified that you have a new email. Instead of bringing it up there, you turn to the television and say “pause and show me email.” It complies by pausing the show you’re watching and bringing up your email screen. You see it’s important and you’ll need to reply, so instead of using the TV, you pick up your tablet and bring up the email app and finger in a response. Once you do so, you close the email app and the TV asks if you want to resume your show.
This future isn’t so far-fetched and is fast becoming the present.
 Is this what’s on the horizon? This means app developers are beginning to (finally) think in terms of “screens” and “users” instead of “pop-ups” and “square boxes.” Recently, Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, said that the transition from mobile to wearables is a far bigger deal than was the change from computer-centric apps to mobile devices. If you think about it, your notebook and your cell phone have a lot more in common than would a cell phone and a watch or Google Glass, simply because the “screen” is very, very different.
In short, the screen and how you interact with it is changing radically. With heads up and similar options, the old “open a box, then open another one” thing doesn’t work anymore. Things have to be both more fluid and less intrusive. And again, people who use these wearable devices are not likely to have it as their only device and they’ll expect apps to work on all of their mobile machines (at the very least).
 Things are about to get even more interesting.
James Burchill creates communities and helps businesses convert conversations into cash. He’s also an author, speaker, trainer and creator of the Social Fusion Network™ an evolutionary free b2b networking group with chapters across southern Ontario. He blogs at JamesBurchill.com and can be found at the SocialFusionNetwork.com or behind the wheel of his recently acquired SMART car.
 September 10, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. Safe Start – getting the kids back to school safely was started in 2006 and focuses on education, awareness and enforcement. Tuesday morning was enforcement – and half a dozen police officer gathered on the street with radar guns in hand waiting for some poor luckless driver to come around the curve.
 The Chief of police aims – but the driver in his sights was driving below the speed limit. Better luck next time Chief! Stephen Tanner, Regional Chief of police was on hand as part of the All Hands on Deck part of a program to change established driver behaviour. Officers focus their efforts on speeding and aggressive drivers, proper use of seatbelts and laws relating to the use of hand-held communication devices.
Early in the campaign police stopped a vehicle travelling on Louis St. Laurent Avenue in the area by Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School in Milton. The driver was captured on radar travelling at 103 km/hr. in a posted 50 km/hr. zone. The vehicle was impounded and driver’s license suspended for a period of 7 days. The driver was charged with speeding and racing under the Highway Traffic Act.
Nothing like this happened in Alton Tuesday morning – but it is behaviour like this the police struggle to change. The speeding tickets help as does the notice from your insurance company that the rates are going up until you get all your points back.
 September 10th, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. BurlingtonGreen got themselves selected as one of five organizations that would be part of the Jamieson Vitamins Call for the Wild contest that had a fund of $100,000 that would be distributed to the five contestants based on the number of people they could get to vote for them on a Facebook page Jamieson had set up.
 BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnurr with the bike Mountain Equipment Coop donated to the drive to get votes to win as much of the Jamieson Vitamins Call for the Wild Contest. There was $100,000 to be divided between five organizations. The objective was to get people – anyone and everyone – to go to the web site and vote. The organization that pushed the most people to vote for them – would walk away with most of the prize money.
 This is where BurlingtonGreen stood early September 10th. Despite adding a $1000 bike as an additional draw, courtesy of Mountain Equipment Coop, it looks at this point as if BurlingtonGreen is going to place third and see about $12,000 – which in itself is not bad.
I think the city felt BurlingtonGreen would soar to the top of the list and stay there because of its membership base. Heck this is the city that shuts down roads so the Jefferson Salamander can cross during its breeding season.
This is the city that spent $2 million in legal fees to prevent the expansion of the Nelson Aggregate quarry on Colling Road. We were a natural to come out on top of a contest that would put funds into an organization that everyone believes is a great group of people – doing the right thing.
Right?
The numbers shown so far don’t reflect that perception.
BurlingtonGreen is up against some pretty impressive groups. The Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia, the Calgary Wild Life Rehab organization, the McGill University Bird Observatory and the Nova Scotia Hope For Wildlife
BurlingtonGreen, on its website urge their members to get out their vote saying “we are currently in third place in Jamieson’s Call for the Wild! contest. However, we are barely holding onto this position and we know we need a big surge of votes every day this week if we are going to hang onto this spot .
The number of votes in the early days was pretty low but BG Executive Director Amy Schnurr felt that once the students were back in school there would be a significant uptick – there wasn’t.
 Students are a large part of the BurlingtonGreen operation. They do the grunt work during their CleanUp-GreenUp campaign and they are on site for many city festivals cleaning up. Has this students cohort translated into clout for Burlington Green – both at city hall and within the community? Burlington Green has a strong presence in the schools of this city – and one would have hoped those students would take the message home and get the Moms and Dads and the extended family at the keyboard.
The Burlington Lions Optimists Minor Hockey Association (BLOMHA) got into one of these contests and they pulled in $20,000 for their organization on the Kraft Game Goes on contest. BLOMHA had kids voting while in vans on the way to hockey games. They passed out flyers and turned over every stone they could find to get the vote out.
Is hockey a bigger draw than the environment? For the sake of the planet we hope not.
 This was the contest – it looks like BurlingtonGreen can hold third. Contest begins 12:01 a.m. Monday August 19th, 2013 and closes 11:59 p.m. September 15, 2013.
Voting is a two part process that is clearly explained on the BurlingtonGreen website.
You can vote once every day – more than once if you use different email addresses when you register your vote.
Jamieson Vitamins is a vitamin and natural health product company that has been in business since 1922.
 September 8, 2013
By Milla Pickfield
BURLINGTON, ON. I’m so jealous. I fell asleep in the middle of my math exam in June of 2012. Why did I fall asleep? No air conditioning. Well at Dr. Frank J. Hayden High School they won’t have that problem. They have air-conditioning and I’ve heard it’s absolutely gorgeous. The whole school is new; and new is spectacular! This huge high school located in the Alton Village opened last week and now houses grades nine and ten students from the surrounding area.
Alton is one of the last undeveloped residential lands in Burlington and it could be assumed that they recognized the potential growth of the community would exceed the capacity of existing high schools.
 Hayden High, Burlington’s newest high school built as part of a complex that includes a Recreational Centre and a public library with a skate park right across the street. If I had to sum up the new school in one word I would use impressive. Built as one part of the community center -. Hayden High School is huge. The complex has eight competition-sized gyms and a library, and a skate park just outside the school!
Just imagine – you’re in grade ten and you’ve been moved to a brand new high school. Your first day of school – wake up, get dressed, brush your teeth – normal routine in the morning. But this is anything but a normal morning. Today, you get to sleep in a little later than the year before because your new school opens a little later. This morning you don’t have to rush out the door to catch the bus because your school is just a short walk away. This year… at least half of your school friends will not be waiting in front of the school doors to greet you… they go to a different school across town.
One student commented on how he felt when he first entered the school, “Being at a brand new school is very exciting, and it’s also really interesting to be the first ones to see the school to its full extent.” But when asked about what it felt like to be going to school without some of his friends he said; “Having only half of my friends around simply doesn’t feel right. I made at least three good friends last year who had to stay at Nelson, and it feels very unusual without them around.”
 The complex from the rear with the high school cafeteria on the left overlooking the sports field. The Haber Recreational is at the end on the right. Those students who were at Nelson and going into grade 11 stayed at Nelson because Hayden was offering just grades nine and ten. Transition from old to new can be difficult but at the same time exciting. On one hand you miss those old run-down specialties that made your school feel like home… but then again, look at those perks! Everything is new. New computers, up-to-date software that actually works and aligns with the software on your home computer, air-conditioning (remember I’m jealous), internet that operates all the time, a new sound system throughout the school so it doesn’t sound like people speaking underwater … the list could go on and on.
Okay, I am going to go on and on: it’s the food. Since it’s a high school and a community center, rumour has it that a big name food provider will be opening its doors. Did I tell you I’m jealous? Oh, right, I did.
But there is a downside. While the new eye-popping catchy attractions may make you jealous (maybe that’s just me) you lose a sense of tradition. As many know, a lot of the excitement that surrounds school is knowing that you aren’t the first ones there; your parents may have gone to that school when they were younger. Sometimes just knowing that gives you a sense of comfort and familiarity. Remember in the movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock when Michael Oher is being questioned on why he chose the University of Mississippi? Michael simply responds with “Because it’s where my family goes to school. It’s where they’ve always gone to school.”
Michael chose the University of Mississippi because the sense of unity and pride, knowing that he will follow in his parents and their parent’s footsteps. Going to a new high school breaks that tradition. You are not walking the halls your parents walked before you: instead you are walking halls that no one has ever walked before. You are creating new tradition and perhaps walking the halls your children may walk someday.
For the next couple of months I will be exploring what it is like being at a new school – from the perspective of teachers, administration, the architects, parents, but most importantly from the students – the individuals who walk the halls every day trying to navigate education and relationships – no mean feat.
 Milla Pickfield is a Nelson High graduate who is taking a year off before going to university to do community work and gain experience with people and places that are well outside her past experience and comfort zone. She expects to follow the creation of the legend that will become Hayden High School in the Alton Village.
 Jeremy Hayman, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) will be writing a regular column for the Burlington Gazette. ND is a professional medical designation earned following an undergraduate pre-medical degree and four years of post-graduate medical training at a fully accredited (CNME) naturopathic medical college. All licensed Naturopathic Doctors practicing in Ontario have been fully regulated under the Drugless Practitioners Act.Upon completion of regulatory board examinations, Naturopathic Doctors, as primary health care providers, are required to maintain their competency by meeting continuing education requirements as well upholding naturopathic medical association standings.
In comparison to a Medical Doctor designation (MD), a Naturopathic Medical designation (ND) is comprised of an equivalency in term of basic science education hours. Where an MD focuses more time on pharmaceutical medicine, NDs also study pharmacology and its drugs, however extensive training in natural medicine (such as botanical, Oriental, nutritional, physical, and homeopathic medicine as well as lifestyle, counseling and herb-drug interactions) is adjunctively studied as well. In Ontario, a naturopathic doctors is considered a primary care physicians. NDs cannot prescribe pharmaceutical medications in Ontario as MDs are able to, and are only covered under extended health plans and not OHIP billing, however they are able to employ conventional laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging as necessary.
September 5, 2013
By Dr. Jeremy Hayman
BURLINGTON, ON. September 5, 2013 When it comes to understanding the meaning of the popular phrase “too much of a good thing”, we all too often overdo our ideal balance by taking this idiom to the extreme. It’s common practice to believe that if something is healthy, then more is better. We have all experienced, in one way or another, too much of something we believe is “good” often times turns out not to be as “good” or as pleasant as we first thought.
 There are limits – or at least there should be some limits we observe. How many of you have ever basked under the healthful vitamin D filled sunrays on a warm summer day only to regretfully suffer the agonizing (and burning) result of “too much of a good thing”? Ok, so we agree, in our own unique and sometimes retrospective way, too much of a “good thing” may in fact result in the complete opposite of what we originally thought. This consideration has forced us to accommodate moderation into our daily lives, correct?
Well, not always in reality, but the true meaning and moral does allow us to consider the wise choice that everything in life should be experienced in balance. Although, when it comes to natural health and contributions to natural health, I sometimes, beg to differ. When it comes to balance and happiness within our children’s mental health, I beg to differ without question.
The mental health status of children constitutes a need for balance, however the more happiness, balance and support toward a child’s mental health, argument cannot be justified that too much of a good thing is ultimately “too much”. Mental health of children is of utmost value, and the more support that can be provided naturally, the better. So let’s talk mental health within our most impressionable population, and let’s learn what it takes to naturally keep the mental health of our children balanced.
According to Health Canada, one in five Canadians will experience some type of mental illness over the course of their lifetime, many of whom will never fully recover. The other four will have a friend, family member, or colleague who will experience a mental health issue. Children, within this statistic, are sadly, not excluded. So what is sound mental health as it pertains to our children and how can the balance toward such a “good thing” be realized? Mental health in children refers to the mental state of how one thinks about, feels, associates, and responds to the world within and around him/her. Depression, anxiety, general stress, attention deficit, autism, panic, and bi polar are mental health states but to name a few. Achieving consistent happiness, positive adaptation, awareness and balanced thought and feeling is what exemplifies mental health to its ultimate degree. When mind and body become occupied and clouded with an ongoing interference of thoughts and feeling, mental health state begins to decline. Once it acclimatizes to this state of mal-adaptation, psychiatric “disorder” may inevitably ensue. Continued psychiatric distress does nothing more than lend itself to a continued spiraling of ill-health, physically, mentally and otherwise.
 Interestingly enough, many children affected are being diagnosed simply as an illness due to genetics, “chemical imbalance”, or “predisposition” (which by the way isn’t necessarily an accurate preceding diagnosis at all). It is, however, becoming more and more striking, yet accepted, that mental health issues can also arise from psychosocial stress, unhealthy diets and food production, environmental and toxin influences, as well as from the use (and overuse) of pharmacological medications. Although the contributing source which underlies how a child feels mentally and emotionally may not always be undeniably determined, we do know that focusing on the basics will help make a child feel better.
When a mental predisposition or illness in a child is typically diagnosed, there is a tendency not to turn to creative solutions for support, but rather to quickly medicate our children. Medication does have its place, however, from a natural and primary care perspective, what should be done is to address a child’s environment, parental stress, nutrition, lifestyle, and an overall comprehensive evaluating view of a child’s life. As stated, medication does have its place (pending individual circumstances, no doubt), however by simply medicating our children as first line treatment, in all circumstances, what’s being done is simply disempowering children, inducing a biochemical imbalance in the brain (not altering or fixing one) and simply guiding children into believing that coping and self-regulating cannot be accomplished without drugs. If all aspects of a child’s life is addressed, medication may still be required, but potentially at a later date, a lower dose, for a shorter time, and may in fact create a better result, given all other supporting aspects have been addressed.
So how exactly do we treat a mental illness in a child? First and foremost, a professional medical assessment needs to be performed in order to determine where along the “spectrum” a child’s mental state rests. Many diagnostics are determined using a firm array of clinical signs and symptoms, depending of course on the mental state in question. With anxiety for example, a child’s anxiety and worry state would need to be associated with at least three of seven symptoms (sleep disturbance, easy fatigue, and being “on edge” for example). And more importantly to note, just because a child “displays possible symptoms”, doesn’t automatically conclude a mental illness is at hand, however, it also does it mean that there is not. A whole picture approach would need to be considered, as many symptoms of mental health illness can very well be generalized symptoms in and amongst themselves. Yet, a single symptom can also be a key clue that an initial mental illness may be at play. So rather than diagnosing or treating a mental illness based on a limited clinical picture, a comprehensive and total life picture of the child, as a person, needs to be considered and sought out (as addressing a person and not just an illness, is truly what medicine and its management should be all about).
 Vast approaches to mental health can be employed, however utilizing a comprehensive medical approach, encompassing natural sound and evidenced based medicine, combined with primary care practice often works best. Once a mental status has been determined, natural support in the way of botanical medicine, correction of nutritional deficiencies and a therapeutic approach to diet, stress, and environment, in conjunction with primary health care can be successfully accomplished. Realizing and diagnosing a mental illness in a child at any age is not something that sits well with anyone. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a life sentence of unhappiness, instability or illness either. The evidence is there, that natural medicine works, and by incorporating the essentials in terms of what makes our children better, success with mental illness can be realized.
Functioning of a child to the degree which satisfies society’s expectations alone is not the element to success. Fundamentally supporting a child’s mental health issue(s) at its root IS the only management tool to propel mental and emotional stability from a life of uncertainty to that of making “too much of a good thing” worth living.
Dr Jeremy Hayman is an Ontario and Board licensed Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, practicing at Back On Track Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Burlington Ontario where he maintains a General Family Practice with special interest in Psychiatric as well as Pediatric health. Dr Hayman can be contacted at drjeremynd@gmail.com
 September 5, 2013
By Gordana Liddell
BURLINGTON, ON. Where should I go? Good Question. Actually, while this is one of the most common travel inquiries I get, it’s a terrible question. It’s far too general and can’t possibly be answered until you answer some questions yourself:
Let’s use the W5 approach, shall we?
 The world is your stage – what part of that stage do you want to walk on? WHO are you? Are you the type of traveller that wants to go to a popular destination; one that is deemed to be the most current and hip – where you are most likely to spot celebrities who go to the most fashionable spots in order to be spotted? Or do you want to travel to a place a little more out of the ordinary? Do you enjoy telling people where you have been in order to get the reaction…”where”? Would you prefer to see a destination in its genuine form or would you prefer to hit the parties and the crowds? You get my drift, I’m sure.
Your budget is also a tremendous factor in determining exactly where you will be able to go. Are you a prince? Or are you a pauper? The amount you wish to spend will not only help to determine your destination, it can also limit how you get there as well as the time of year you can afford to go. But there is usually a solution for everyone, as long as the limits are reasonable and the minds are open. Everyone should be able to get a way – your budget will help to define your parameters.
WHAT do you want to do when you get there? Lie down and not get up for a week, apart from getting yourself a fresh drink? Do you prefer to be active and, oh I don’t know…climb a mountain, or go horseback riding, or climb a mountain on horseback? Are you interested in history and architecture? Or is an endless coastline just about all you need to study?
WHERE do you see this all taking place? Before you choose the country you need to choose the setting. Beach? City? Ranch? Countryside? A combination of the above? There are many destinations that are blessed with more than one attribute. Would you like to focus on your favourite or do you like a little variety?
 Nature travel is always interesting and can be quite adventuresome as well. Is it expensive? WHEN do you plan to go? If you have decided that you wish to go on a beach vacation in the South of India and you have time off work in the beginning of July…I would advise you that it is monsoon season and it may dampen your experience. Time of year is very often a factor with regards to destination. It is also a huge factor in the price of tickets; these go hand in hand. Understandably so, higher fares are often directly related to the more “desirable” time of year.
WHY are you traveling? Because it’s awesome! Still, there are many reasons that people plan to take that plane/train/bus/boat/car out-of-town. Business, family vacation, girls’ getaway, some much-needed r&r, a-soul-searching-just-like-in-the-movies-journey, etc. ( I would never advise that last one to pack her bags and head to Vegas. ) Determine your motives and you are another step closer to nailing down that perfect location.
If you can answer at least some of the above questions I’m sure I can help you figure out some good options as to where you should go on your next trip.
 Venice has always been a favourite – do you go direct or as part of a tour? There are truly endless possibilities for travel in the world; there is always someplace we have not been and a unique way for us to experience it. Ask a million people who have gone to New York City and you will get a million different variations of how they experienced it. This is part of what makes traveling so wonderful and why we can never be “finished”.
There are countless questions related to travel; questions about the planning, booking, the journey and the destination. Have you got one? I would love to help make your next trip a little simpler, a little more enjoyable and perhaps even a little less stressful. Please send your questions to JustAsk@bgzt.ca and I will be happy to help.
Gordana Liddell is our resident travel writer and Art Centre guru. 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.
 September 4, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. It’s those first few days of the back to school period; when the kids are not thinking about traffic – their minds are on getting to school and meeting their friends. And the drivers aren’t used to all those kids at the cross-walks and wandering across the street without looking both ways – and those buds in their ears don’t help.
Back in 2006, the Regional Police realized that some educating was necessary and created a multi-faceted campaign that focused on both awareness and enforcement as key components in changing established driver behaviour.
During those early days of school each September police officers focus their efforts on speeding and aggressive drivers, proper use of seat belts and laws relating to the use of hand-held communication devices.
Earlier today a Milton District Response Officers stopped a transport truck with a float trailer passing P.L. Robertson Public School on Scott Boulevard. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and had a large piece of machinery on the trailer that was not secured. The driver was issued three provincial offences notices for Highway Traffic Act violations.
Another vehicle stop was conducted involving an overloaded dump-style truck pulling a large two-axle trailer, as it passed by Our Lady Victory School Catholic Elementary School on Derry Road and Commercial Street. The vehicle was found to have improper brakes, overweight and a multitude of administrative offences. Both the truck and trailer were taken out of service and the driver was issued 12 provincial offences notices.
This year’s campaign will run until September 13th and serves to enhance overall safety within our communities.
Keep your eyes on the road, pay attention and stay off that cell phone.
 September 4, 2012
By James Burchill.
BURLINGTON, ON. Ever wonder what the most controversial topics on Wikipedia are? The crowd-sourced and edited online encyclopedia is home to a lot of contention. Entries on the site can change in seconds, especially in the more controversial subjects, while others may be horribly written and stay that way for months because it’s not a topic of interest to most editors on the site.
So what are the subjects most likely to be controversial and see the most changes by the most editors? What are the topics that suffer the most revision as points of view clash?
 Controversial? Worth getting more information on? Well, I wasn’t the only one to wonder that. Some students and faculty at the University of Oxford (yes, that Oxford) wondered too. Lead by Taha Yasseri, the team decided to analyze Wikipedia to find out which topics were most controversial based on the intensity of their “editing wars.”
Not as easy as it sounds, though. Wikipedia is home to about 22 million articles in 285 languages with about 77,000 contributors working on it on any given day. Not happy with just the four million English version articles, though, Yasseri and his team decided to break down the controversies by language as well, looking at all 22 million articles to do it.
First, they had to define “controversial” as it applies to Wikipedia. Going by edits alone wouldn’t indicate contention as it could also mean that it’s a “live” subject that is rapidly changing or evolving, such as a current news event (e.g. a current television series or a current legal trial). So they focused on “reverts” instead, which are edits which are made by one person and then undone or removed by another. These are relatively common, though, but “mutual reverts” where an editor restores an earlier edition and then another editor (often the one who made the new changes that got reverted) changes it back to the new version again. These “edit wars” can go on for days in a back-and-forth struggle as editors duke it out over how things on the site are worded.
That definition works well for what the Oxford team wanted to measure. Using that, they were able to analyze Wikipedia and, after separating articles by language, create a “Top 10” list for them. The ten most controversial topics in English are:
1. George W. Bush
2. Anarchism
3. Muhammad
4. List of World Wrestling Entertainment
5. Global Warming
6. Circumcision
7. United States
8. Jesus
9. Race and intelligence
10. Christianity
 At least people are asking questions: still far too many people saying it’s bunk. Some of those are not surprising, of course, but others come out of nowhere. The top entry is a real surprise, since Bush has been out of office for over five years and is now relatively ignored by the news media. The second is a contentious but not often considered political philosophy that most of us might not even know exists. The third makes sense, as does the fifth, but who would have known that the WWE was so controversial?
 Go figure on this one: wrestlers? Indeed, this is a very interesting list. The team says that in every language, topics of religion are nearly always represented in the top five, as are topics like Israel, Adolf Hitler, and God. For the most part, though, these commonalities are overshadowed by the vast differences in what’s controversial in one language versus another. This often involves controversial war topics or native cultural topics, but can also be celebrity topics specific to the region the language is most commonly associated with.
You can read Yasseri et al’s work on Wikipedia measurements here.
 James Burchill creates communities and helps businesses convert conversations into cash. He’s also an author, speaker, trainer and creator of the Social Fusion Network™ an evolutionary free b2b networking group with chapters across southern Ontario. He blogs at JamesBurchill.com and can be found at the SocialFusionNetwork.com or behind the wheel of his recently acquired SMART car.
 September 2, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The buses will begin pulling up in front of the spanking new Frank J. Hayden High School which will quickly become Hayden High.
Some students don’t know which room will be their home class but most know their locker number.
 Hayden High, named after a Burlington leader in the development of sport for the disabled. Grades 9 and 10 show up on Tuesday. Teachers have been briefed, the principal and his administration staff hope they have covered all their bases – because at 8:40 the bell will ring and the history of Hayden High begins.
Day 1 at Hayden High is going to be a BBQ – nice touch. The school has quite the pedigree to build on. It’s sports team name has been determined and they should be out on the field real soon.
 Rear of the high school with the cafeteria windows on the left looking over the playing field. There may well still be the smell of fresh paint in the hall ways. A lot of stuff won’t be quite finished but the school will open and the Village of Alton will take on a whole new tone.
So – what are they going to walk into? We’ve not been through a tour of the building yet; the Haber Recreation Centre will see its first official event take place early in October. Bookings are being accepted now.
The library got its shelves last week and the books followed a day or two later. Library staff have been working long hours to have the space ready. Library CEO Maureen Barry said she would like to see the Library open by the middle of September and certainly before the end of the month.
From the outside the three parts of the structure are impressive. The Haber Recreation Centre, Hayden High School and the Public Library collectively form this newest addition to the infrastructure that people actually get to use as opposed to just driving on.
Immediately across the street from the complex is the Norton Skate Board Park, a number of tennis courts, a splash pad and soccer fields.
 Playing field at the rear of the complex. AstroTurf laying was not complete when picture taken. Alton Village, a location that still has new homes being built, has its elementary schools in place and is becoming a much more complete community with a history it’s residents now know more about.
There is plenty of parking space at the side and rear and of the building with an impressive playing field at the back of the school with natural stone seating. The high school cafeteria is at the back of the school overlooking the playing field.
 Part 2 of a 5 part series.
August 23, 2013.
By Gordana Liddell
BURLINGTON, ON. Most established towns have a sense of belonging within. When a family moves in, it takes time for them to feel embraced; to feel like they are a part of the neighbourhood. But when an entirely new community is built, it is a struggle both ways to connect the old and the new. The whole city has to adapt to its mere existence, and the struggle to embrace it as a legitimate part of their town is very real. Often the older, more established part of the city isn’t really aware of the “newcomers” – they don’t travel to that part of town. After all, wasn’t it the long-time residents that helped to make the city what it is today?
Alton Village is here. They are loud and they are proud…and they have money. And they have a history they are proud to recognize. Relatively speaking, – it’s not cheap to live in Alton. The majority of the population in this new community is made up of young families. These up and comers have not “up and come” into their wealth. They have worked for it; they are new money. And because they are used to a payoff coming only from hard work, they can also bear the work of what they have to go through by living in a construction zone. Some old Burlingtonians may not have the will or even the pioneering spirit to go through that.
 There was a time when the Village was basically a construction site – the skate park had not been constructed and the community centre wasn’t even a hole in the ground. That was then – this is now. City Hall staffer Cindy Mercanti points out what is going to go where in the new community In older Burlington, the houses are older, the money is older, and sometimes the mentality is older. Often, these are good things. Bigger yards, interesting architecture, beautiful neighbourhoods, and solid traditions. But along with the old, sometimes comes old ways of thinking that are not good for anyone. There is none of that in Alton. And thank God for that. Inclusivity thrives in the village. The area is so much more cosmopolitan in nature, it is a pleasure to see. Kids are lucky to grow up in an area surrounded by this and to grow up not even knowing any different. The rest of Burlington could take a lesson here.
When construction on Alton Village began, it arose beyond Burlington’s previous urban border; extending north of what anyone had considered before to be “town”.
 There is never any question as to where the Village starts – can’t say that for Headon or The Orchard now can you? Mention Alton Village to residents to the south of Highway 5, and quite often the only reaction you’ll get is a confused look and a slight tilt of the head, suggesting disdain. “Where?” will be a frequent response.
Sometimes, though thankfully rarely, the response will be that of a sneer, accompanied with the explanation that “Real Burlington” lies south of Dundas. Seriously? The implication that living in Alton is the equivalent of living on the wrong side of the tracks is ludicrous. People have invested their life savings, and they certainly deserve to feel like a part of the city they moved into.
 Nothing anywhere near something like this in any part of Burlington. Alton has charted new territory in the way neighbourhoods are developed. This set of buildings will house a Recreation Centre, a high school and a public library with a large series of parks right across the road. At one point, any given area was considered “New Burlington”, wasn’t it? Some old timers even have the backward (and very wrong) idea that anything north of New Street is not the “real Burlington”. What an odd thing to think, and an even odder thing to want to be true. If people truly wanted their small towns to stay excruciatingly small, then they should perhaps have chosen to buy their home a touch further away from the Golden Horseshoe…one of the most continuously and densely populated bands of civilization in North America…because, guess what? It’s going to grow.
Perhaps because these cynics are afraid (ashamed) of their inability to think ahead, they must instead redirect their fear (anger) and focus on the originally established town line instead. Isn’t this kind of thinking sort of…provincial? Can we not liken Alton to a family that grows in size? Are the original members the best? Or the only “real” family members? A city is like a growing family is it not? If it does not feel like one, well…it should.
This phenomenon is not unique to Burlington. Ask any Miltonian and they can easily pinpoint the boundaries and differences between “New Milton” and “Old Milton”. Probe a little further and some residents of the latter group will undoubtedly use the term “Real Milton”.
 Everything about Alton Village was going to be different. City council talked about modern, artistic looking bus shelters – how would this idea have fit into the community? The expansion of a city always comes with growing pains. But there is no need for division. We should all relish the fact that when our city grows, there is more for all of us to see and do. Consider the influx of tax money, (Alton is no stranger to the Burlington tax scale), and the jobs created by the construction, the plazas, and not to mention what’s yet to come on Palladium Way. The facilities and parks in Alton are shiny and new and are for everyone in Burlington to use.
You’d think that the problem might be that we all get a little shy and apprehensive with the new and the unknown. But I don’t think it is. Altonites are not the shy new guys. They are worldly, educated, and, unlike many original Burlington residents, have moved before and are accustomed to change. There is a boldness about these residents. They are tough and wise. They have a pioneering spirit, embrace newness and bring a fresh energy to the city. It’s the rest of Burlington that needs to get accustomed to Alton, not the other way around.
Alton Village wasn’t much of a force in the 2010 municipal election; it was a collection of moving trucks but it didn’t take them very long to figure out how things worked and when there were problems with properties along one of the creeks they were quick to learn how to resolve their problem.
 The Village has its own pub with entertainment that you don’t find “downtown” The residents of Alton know how things work. They are experienced; many of them have lived in a new community previous to this one. They know what to expect. They moved into an area where everything was built and planned just for them: the library, schools, gigantic parks, a community centre, stores, pubs and restaurants they can walk to, and soon many residents will be able to walk to work. They are even getting their very own LCBO. Aldershot doesn’t even have one of those…but then, is Aldershot a part of “real Burlington”? I have nothing against Aldershot. Just trying to make a point here.
It takes time for “neighbours to reach a sense of comfort; for the newcomers as well as for the long-time residents.
 A skate board park that is the envy of every part of the city. Burlington didn’t do things like this when they built Headon or The Orchard. Alton Village is getting a lot of goodies The residents of Alton do need time to embrace their new surroundings. Some may not even explore what their own city has to offer, but instead go back to their old stomping ground. They might not go to the Burlington pools or parks in the summer, but trek back to Milton or Mississauga for a dip. Perhaps instead of shopping in their new town, they will go back to the malls that they know; back to the familiar and the comfortable. As soon as we all embrace the fact that urban Burlington now reaches north to the 407, we will begin to become a single city with plenty to offer one another. There is no need for division…we just need to get to know and appreciate one another.
And we can then all work to ensure that the Burlington we all are – stops at the 407-Higway 5 boundary and that the rural lands are a vital part of our city.
Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. Especially when they are at home.
Gordana Liddell is a writer. Her passion is travel. We were able to convince her to travel about the community that first got her to Burlington and to focus on where she and her husband decided to settle.
Liddell has written a five part series on the Alton Village. Part 1
 August 21, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It is going to be a challenge for the BurlingtonGreen people. They got chosen as the Ontario entry for the Jamieson Laboratories Call for the Wild contest that has the potential to put a really significant chunk of the $100,000 that is up for grabs, into the BurlingtonGreen coffers – IF the Greens can get its membership and the good people of the city of Burlington to vote for them.
So far – they haven’t been doing all that well. They are up against the Vancouver Aquarium, the Calgary Wildlife Association, the McGill Bird Sanctuary and the Nova Scotia Hope for Wildlife.
As of 8:00 am this morning Vancouver was miles ahead of BurlingtonGreen – who are second to last out of the five players in this game.
 BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnurr with the bike that was donated by the Mountain Equipment Co-op as art of the drive to increase votes for the Call of the Wild $100,000 contest. BurlingtonGreen needs the big push and they need it now. The membership has been alerted but with just 678 votes at 8:00 am this morning this says one of two things – that the membership is much lower than most people thought or that the membership isn’t responding. Neither scenario is very healthy for the association.
Vancouver has 1216 visits and stood to take $21,867; Calgary had 573 votes and stood to take away $10,304; Burlington had 678 votes and stood to pick up $12,193; McGill’s Bird Observer logged 1481 votes which would give then$26,632 and Nova Scotia pulled in 1613 votes which would translate into $29,005.
The contest has two parts.
Vote for Burlington on the Jamieson Laboratories Call for the Wild facebook page.
You do not need a Facebook page of your own to vote on the Call for the Wild Facebook page.
Just go and vote.
Once you have voted for BurlingtonGreen slide over to their website and put your name into the draw for the really neat bicycle that they have thrown into this contest,
Two votes – one might get you a neat bike – the other will add to the votes cast for Burlington in the Call for the Wild competition which is splitting $100,000 between five organizations in Canada based on the proportion of votes each gets.
And right now – BurlingtonGreen aint doin so good.
 BurlingtonGreen members water plants and shrubs they planted along the Beachway Park earlier in the year. One of their ongoing programs If anyone can put those dollars to a good cause – it is BurlingtonGreen. Part of the work they do is planting trees and shrubs which they did recently along the Beachway Park. The plants needed watering – so out they trooped to the Beachway to hold a small press conference and water the plants. They do things like this throughout they year.
Amy Schnurr explains that a lot of the BurlingtonGreen members are students who are not back at school yet. Once they are in the classrooms – the push can be done at that level.
OK – but if anyone watches their email it is the students and BurlingtonGreen is sending out emails to every one of its members. Something isn’t adding up here. Let’s not dwell on that at this point.
The contest is the focus – and saying it is summer and people are away applies to the other four contestants as well as Burlington.
 Part 1 of a 5 part series.
August 19, 2013
By Gordana Liddell
BURLINGTON, ON. Whenever I walk through a forest, I try and picture what it used to be like when only the indigenous people were here. I look for arrowheads, (never with any luck), and I always try and just take in the sounds and smells around me. Those things have not changed, so it must have sounded and smelled the same to them. The actual place is still the same place.
When it comes to Alton Village, walking through the neighbourhoods, with freshly paved sidewalks and nicely manicured lawns, cars drive by and the dogs are on leashes. I would wager a healthy bet that not too many people have ever wondered what this area was like pre-construction. One of the reasons being that many of us know what it was like. A big empty field, or former farmland. Nothing more and nothing less. Much like what we would see driving while along Dundas St west of town…for now, that is.
Well the truth is that Alton, like most places, does have a history.
 Even in their wildest imaginations – the Alton family would never have thought those farm fields would look like this – imagine the increase in value. Now, I really need to preface this article by stating that it was very difficult to put together the dates and names and to make perfect sense of the information that I found. Nearly every historian that I spoke with, every library book that I looked at, (yes…actual books. Google couldn’t get it done, but when doing research on pioneers it seems fitting to do stuff the old-fashioned way, wouldn’t you say?), the archives from the history room…nothing I found corresponded with anything else I found. Nevertheless, I will present to you the facts as I was best able to determine them.
Let’s begin with John Cleaver. The land that Alton Village sits on was originally owned by John Cleaver who, along with his wife Mary, arrived in Canada in 1805 from Pennsylvania. It’s unclear as to why they came to Canada but given the year, many resources come to the conclusion that it was quite possibly due to post American Revolution unrest.
In 1806, Nelson Township, (what most of us today call “Burlington”), held a land lottery and Mr. Cleaver drew the lot that Alton Village now rests on. He was awarded the 200 acres from the areas that are now called Dundas St. to Walker’s Line to No.1 Sideroad.
Subsequently, John Cleaver brought his bride to the area, and he built their matrimonial home; a log cabin, undoubtedly with a good threshold over which to carry her. (I think it was a requirement in those days. ) The Cleavers settled there and began their family. One of their daughters was named Charlotte and this is the girl who caught the eye of one Thomas Alton.
Thomas Alton was a young lad from the area of Appleby, in Westmoreland County, England. In fact, many of the original families in Nelson Township came from there. (For reference, this area is in the Northeast part of England, about 100 kms north of Manchester.) Thomas was born in 1795 and immigrated to Nelson Township in 1819. I did the math for you…he was 24. Like many of our grandparents, parents, or even our generation of immigrants, he came across the ocean with very little, only 75 English Pounds to his name. I can’t imagine what that amount translated into 200 years ago…but I would venture a guess that it was not a tremendous amount.
Now come all the different interpretations of young Thomas’ venture…
Thomas Alton settled in Nelson Township, where he rented out 40 acres of land for 4 years.
or…He bought land at the rate of 1 Pound per acre on the north side of the “Middle Road”, which is now the QEW, the second lot west of Appleby Line.
Or…He applied for a crown grant in which essentially, the crown, (the governing body), transfers ownership of the property of the piece of land, turning it from public to private property. In order to get a grant, and to keep it, certain conditions had to be met in order to receive the title. A specific amount of the land had to be cultivated, the applicant must live on the property, and a homestead had to be built on the property. He was first granted the land on the north side of the Middle Road, the second lot west of Appleby. He continued to farm it and acquire more land until he owned 1250 acres.
Then he met the lovely Charlotte. And in 1822, Thomas Alton married Charlotte Cleaver.
 The Altons built a house that has stood the test of time. The basic structure seen here still comes through loud and clear in the structure that stands on what is now called Settlement Court It is said that Mr. and Mrs. Alton “acquired” the land that is now Alton Village in 1830 from Charlotte’s father, John Cleaver. And they subsequently built a brick house, (which used to have a Dundas Street address, but now graces the modern-day street of Settlement Court). Different records show the brick house being built in 1837 as well as circa 1860. Let’s just say it was built in the mid 1800’s.
 Beautifully and faithfully restored – the Alton house is now tucked away in a part of the Alton village, And as the family grew in size over the years, so did the house, as well as the number of outbuildings on their farm including, a barn, garage and sheds.
Based on the different sources, all evidence seems to point to some of the same conclusions.
 Not a lot of pictures in the early days. The Alton-Cleaver marriage is said to have produced 16 children – might have been 17, one of whom was David who married Mary Ann Breckon on February 2, 1854 The one consistent thing that I did read about Thomas Alton was that he was a hard worker and an industrious man. Essentially, he came to the area, “got” some land north of the Middle Road, increased the land’s value and bought more, and he made it work.
So, at some point, we think that Thomas and Charlotte are living on their farm which is now Alton Village. (I say at some point because the years 1822 to 1830 remain unaccounted for). They had 16 kids, (some sources say 17), and that’s a whole lotta branches on the tree, but it wasn’t unusual for the time. One son was named Joseph. He married his bride Hannah, and this couple lived on the famed homestead from the 1850’s. The Alton descendants continued to live there well into the 20th century. Joseph and Hannah had a son named Thomas…was this the Thomas that is referred to; that the area and the street are named after? Did his granddaddy ever even live on this property? One source tells me that even this is uncertain. (If it means anything, I personally think Thomas Sr. did live there, as most evidence suggests so).
One of the most interesting stories I dug up was that the Alton homestead is part of a legend. In 1837, while William Lyon Mackenzie King was seeking refuge during the Upper Canada Rebellion, one of the homes to take him in was the Alton home. They helped to feed, clothe and hide him, and they disguised him and gave him horses so that he could keep right on going. The Alton and Cleaver men were said to have met up with a party of Tories in search of Mackenzie and they held them off at gunpoint and forced them off of their property. Mackenzie eventually made it to the American border and sought refuge there for a while.
 Frontier or not – they still had to eat and milk was a big staple in most diet – the cows just stood there while the woman milked them. The house as it stands today is clearly seen in the background. It may be the suburban suburbs now, but it really was quite the frontier land, complete with shootouts and outlaws.
Frontier it was, and it was very hard to get around. The area of Appleby, current day Alton Village, was pretty isolated, and the population was very sparse. Believe it or not, the best time of the year to get around was in the winter when the snow was packed hard and it made driving a carriage possible, otherwise the roads were very tough to drive on. Then, in 1847 (again, that year is a sketchy detail), the Great Western Railroad had reached the area. Now people had access to Niagara Falls, Hamilton, London, Windsor, all now because of the train. Things began to change then, as they tend to do when a train rolls through.
The land was eventually handed down, not to a family member, but to a beloved farm hand that went by the name of Richardson. When was it handed down and why to a farm hand? I don’t know. But I do know that the person who sold the land was not named Alton…or Cleaver.
Enter the development of modern-day Alton, starting with the catalyst which was highway 407.
 The Mike Harris government gave the province the 407 highway then sold it to an Italian firm who now have the ability to take your license away from you if there is a dispute over the payment of a toll road charge. On the upside – the highway did allow for the creation of the Alton Village we have today. The 407 was planned back in 1972, began construction in 1987 and opened in 1997 from the 410 to the 404. In 1998, the part of the 407 that borders Alton today, (the Winston Churchill to the 403 segment) was built. The land needed for this 407 extension was purchased from Mr. Richardson for $50 million.(Nice.)
And so it followed that when the 407 was built, the area between Dundas to the 407 was no longer a naturally rural area…and the urban border got moved north. So, in 2004, developers then bought up this remaining land form Mr. Richardson for $20 million. They got their permits, and in 2006, the development of our beloved Alton Village began.
Today that house, that one and a half story piece of history, sits atop its own little hill, right within our own subdivision, on the suitably named Settlement Court. It’s a living testament to our history and the fact that there is a story that preceded all of this construction.
It has been beautifully preserved and restored and in 2007 it was designated a heritage building. I was lucky enough to be invited into the home. The gracious owner showed me around and pointed out the numerous original elements, and it was obvious that painstaking care and hard work had been taken in order to preserve the integrity of the property. It is a museum within our neighbourhood.
I was told that between the years 2007-2009, Mattamy sold the house to an employee in his early 20’s. This man obviously knew what a gift it was and took great care to restore it, and in 2009 he sold it to the current owners. Luckily for all of us, both the previous as well as the current owners have treated the house in the special way that it deserves, also with a sense of obligation to its history.
Upon entering the home, I was struck by all of the beautiful wood. All of the original floors, trim and doors have been preserved beautifully. The rooms are currently being used as they were originally intended and it’s easy to let your imagination go and feel what life was like in this house so many years ago.
Once in the front door, you are standing in the hearth area, the dining room, which leads to the kitchen. From this one room, two staircases lead the way upstairs, originally one way for the family, and the other for the maids. Some details you would not see today are a field stone foundation, a cellar door with a trapdoor leading outside, 150 year old doors and hardware, a beautifully ornate doorbell, and a bell on top of the house. The architectural work on the outside of the house are period, such as the gable and the porch details, and help to make the house stand out in a subtle way. Oh…and there’s that triple sized lot with the creek running behind it…that stands out, too.
The owners were looking for a character home, and boy did they bag a good one. For both the interior and the exterior to be maintained in the period, and within that character, shows a great deal of caring. It blends in…somewhat…but it still stands out. It’s not that obvious at first glance, but when you drive by, that sideways facing house catches your attention.
The Cleaver-then-Alton homestead is an important historical gem to us. The property and the people who lived in it, played a significant role in the settlement of Nelson township, and subsequently, Alton Village.
The Cleaver’s also had a great deal to do with the history of this land. It was, after all, originally Cleaver land. Well, it was originally Aboriginal land, then crown land, then…well, that’s the type of argument that starts wars.
The fact is that when the original families immigrated to the area, they all had large families and, the sparse population being a factor, they intermarried. The Alton’s and the Cleaver families were both large, powerful and prominent. And they were both a part of Alton Village history.
Just as every person has a story, I believe that every place has a story.
The details of “who” and “when” remain unclear…mysterious even. Like a woman who doesn’t reveal everything about herself, including her age, there is a certain mystique about her…she “keeps them guessing”. The same holds true for the history of an area. Not knowing absolutely everything lends itself to infinite possibilities. It lets our imaginations add colour and our own details. It’s more interesting that way…because it keeps them guessing.
All the historical pictures are from the Burlington Historical Society digital archives.
Gordana Liddell is a writer. Her passion is travel. We were able to convince her to travel about the community that first got her to Burlington and to focus on where she and her husband decided to settle.
 August 19, 2013
By Staff.
BURLINGTON, ON. This is the time to get the clicker – no, not the TV remote – that key on your computer or the mouse you use to bring the cash home.
 Almost like an election campaign poster – but this time there is a real winner – the community. The BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association has been chosen as one of five Canadian organizations competing for votes in the 2013 Jamieson Laboratories Call for the Wild! contest.
They were selected from 150 applications to participate in the Jamieson Laboratories people’s choice donation program that divides $100,000 between five wilderness and wildlife organizations based on the number of public votes received on the company’s voting page (Facebook is not required to vote) between August 19 and midnight on September 15th.
Call for the Wild! was launched three years ago to increase awareness about protecting, preserving and rehabilitating the wilderness and wildlife across the country. Throughout the four-week Jamieson Cares Facebook campaign, visitors can learn more about the important work of each organization and ask questions through social media. As they learn about the unique contribution of each wilderness/wildlife organization, Canadians will be invited to cast a vote for their favourite. Every vote will translate into a proportional donation from Jamieson Laboratories.
 A tireless advocate for the environment – Amy Schnurr puts out the word every chance she gets – this time she wants your vote – and she isn’t running for public office. Why doesn’t she run for city council. Ward 6 would love her. Amy Schnurr, Executive Director of BurlingtonGreen said: “We are honoured to be selected to participate in this nation-wide contest as it provides us with a rare opportunity to showcase to Canadians how a small but dedicated citizen based agency can achieve positive, impactful results to protect and to improve the health of our “urban wild,” She added that “We hope our supporters will vote every day during the 28 day contest period so we can realize much-needed funds to support our programs and to expand our reach so we can have an even bigger impact.”
As an added bonus, BurlingtonGreen is including a “Help us win and you could win too!” component to their campaign. Along with voting for their agency on the Jamieson Call for the Wild! on-line voting page, their supporters will be invited to enter a draw for a chance to win a bike valued at more than $1,000 thanks to the generosity of Mountain Equipment Co-op.
Once you’ve voted, and you can vote once every day, you can then enter your name in a draw for the bike.
BurlingtonGreen is making remembering to vote once every day easy – they will send you an email.
BurlingtonGreen has had an exceptional year as an organization. They were chosen as the community Jane Goodall launched her national drive to improve environmental awareness. That 2012 event filled the Performing Arts Centre for both an afternoon and an evening event. Then the organization won a grant from the province to plant more trees on along Beachway Park. Those funds were the result of a visit the then Minister of the Environment paid to Burlington during the annual CleanUp – Green Up event BurlingtonGreen organizes.
 The annual CleanUp-GreenUp campaign Burlington Green organizes ends with a gathering of the environmental clan at city hall. One of these years it isn’t going to rain on the CleanUp-GreenUp day. BurlingtonGreen holds the annual CleanUp-GreenUp campaign that rids the city of tons of trash.
Amy Schnurr, BurlingtonGreen’s executive Director was then chosen as the Environmentalist of the year in the annual Burlington’s BEST awards.
Not on the BurlingtonGreen mailing list? Join here today to get your helpful daily vote reminder.
Call for the Wild! is Jamieson Laboratories’ annual community investment program that grants a total of $100,000 each year to registered non-profit organizations involved in the protection of Canada’s iconic wilderness and wildlife.
Every year, five organizations are selected to participate in a public voting campaign on Facebook. At the close of each campaign, Jamieson Laboratories awards a donation to each organization based on their percentage of votes cast.
Jamieson Laboratories, Canada’s oldest and largest manufacturer and distributor of natural vitamins, minerals, concentrated food supplements, herbs and botanical medicines celebrates its 90th anniversary this year from a position of strength, market leadership earned by consistently providing innovative products of the highest quality, purity and safety.
“Starting Monday, we will be sending a daily vote reminder to everyone on our mailing list. The reminder will include the voting link along with a link for you to enter the awesome bike draw – Help us win and YOU could win too!
You can easily unsubscribe from receiving the daily reminders at anytime by clicking on the SAFE UNSUBSCRIBE link located at the bottom of the mail you will receive from us….BUT we hope you will stay with us and support this amazing and rare opportunity to help BurlingtonGreen and our important efforts to help the planet locally in many impactful ways.”
Jamieson Laboratories’ decided to do what Kraft Foods did for the hockey community – look for a neat way to draw traffic and award cash prizes to the community that gets the most votes.
The Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association BLOMHA) won $20,000 for the getting its people out and voting.
BurlingtonGreen wants to motivate its members to do the same and has gone one step further – they have added in a draw for a bike – with a retail value of more than $1000.
When BuringtonGreen takes on a project – they go all out.
The green guys are in very good company on this one. Last year the David Suzuki Foundation competed for Ontario.
The contest is being run on the Jamieson Facebook page – but you don’t have to have a Facebook page of your own to vote.
It all begins today – August 19th and runs to September 15th, 2013.
https://www.facebook.com/jamiesonvitamins. You can vote once a day every day from August 19th to September 15th, 2013. You do NOT need Facebook to vote.
 Mountain Co-op has put up an MEC bike as part of the enticement to get people to vote for BurlingtonGreen’s chances to take home a large part of the $100,000 that is on the line. Thanks to the generosity of Mountain Equipment Co-op, voters will have a chance to win an awesome bike valued at over $1,000.
To be eligible for the bike contest you must FIRST vote at Jamieson’s and SECOND enter the draw on BurlingtonGreen’s website.
A bit confusing – but the prize is there – the more often you vote, the more opportunities you have to enter the bike draw. Vote every day during the contest period and you will have 28 chances to win the bike!
If BurlingtonGreen people cast 50% of the ballots counted – they would get half of the $50,000 – and that isn’t chump change. Every vote will translate into a proportional donation from Jamieson Laboratories. BurlingtonGreen has a reputation for stretching a buck a long way as well.
While the contest has the potential to pull in a significant amount of money it is also a rare opportunity to show the people of Canada that our not-for-profit Association is making a positive difference to help the planet locally. BurlingtonGreen has achieved a great deal in the last five years realizing significant benefits to help the environment but they maintain they have a lot more important work to do.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. July 10, 2013. When asked how he felt things were going at a meeting of residents at LaSalle Pavilion who were talking about a Private Tree bylaw Mayor Rick Goldring said he didn’t feel he could go wrong; “half the people want one the other half don’t”.
 People pay a premium to live on streets like this. while most of these trees are on city property there are hundreds in back yards that are private. They add to the value of the property, the health of the community and the sheer enjoyment of live. The Council he leads didn’t see it that way and voted 5-2 to receive and file a lengthy report on what people thought about a Private Tree bylaw. City hall staff recommended doing nothing –other than educating the public. This Council had no appetite for taking on a problem that is out there – a private tree bylaw is not popular because of ignorance and misunderstanding.
 While Liz Benneian made a number of strong points during her delegation to Burlington`s city council – she could not convince them to work towards creating a Private Tree bylaw. Liz Benneian, former president of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association and the person that led that organization during the time it was advocating for the creation of a private tree bylaw in Oakville.
She was delegating to Council to talk about the Oakville experience.
“The Urban Forest” she said “faces many challenges including poor quality compacted soil; salt exposure; little natural regeneration; invasive species and pests and development.
“If we want to have a healthy urban forest and reap all the benefits that trees provide including increased property values and improved air quality, then local Councils must enact a suite of measures to protect and plant trees.”
Benneian explained that in Oakville developers would buy land and clear the lot first and then submit a site plan. It’s at the site plan stage where municipal staff has some input on what trees must be preserved. But by the time the plans went to site plan, there were no trees left on the lot.
“So this is the critical issue, that I don’t believe it has been made clear during your public consultation to date: developers, who own property, and homeowners are exactly the same under the law. There is no distinction; both are private property owners. And if there is no Private Tree Bylaw, then developers can clear all the trees off a property if they like.”
“But if there is a private tree bylaw then developers can no longer buy up land, strip it of trees and then take a site plan to a planning department.”
 Trees are a community asset maintained Benneian, and their loss affects the quality of life of the neighbourhood. And that for at least half of Burlington is the rub- far too many people have yet to buy into the argument that trees are communal. We still have people who feel that the tree is on their property and they can do whatever they want whenever they want.
“Getting a tree bylaw passed was not easy in Oakville” explained Benneian. “A small but very vocal property rights group sprang up. Their fundamental argument was that no one should have the right to tell them what they could and couldn’t do on their property. That argument is quite ridiculous. We have many laws that restrict what property owners can and can’t do: For instance, I can’t decide to have a bonfire in my backyard, I can’t dump hazardous waste on my land and I can’t tear down my old garage and rebuild it without a permit. But despite their weak argument they raised a lot of noise at the time and spread a lot of misinformation,” said Benneian.
Many of the people who spoke at Oakville’s Council said things like “we agree developers should be controlled but leave us alone” – clearly not understanding the fundamental problem that developers and private property owners were the same under the law.
Oakville looked for a way to find common ground. They formed a committee that included the most vocal anti-tree bylaw. Oakville’s Council considered the suggestions made by that committee and enacted a compromise bylaw, which Council has amended once to make it stronger and will be amending it again soon.
Benneian pointed out that vocal property rights group has simply faded away. “When the first set of amendments were made not a peep was heard from them.”
“While homeowners may cut down a tree here and there to put in a pool or expand a driveway, their impact on the urban canopy is minimal. As your surveys suggest, individual homeowners are not a significant problem in tree loss. But developers are. So the trick is creating a Private Tree Bylaw that won’t unduly infringe on homeowners while it will stop developers from clear-cutting.”
Benneian added that “just because it’s tricky, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Your telephone survey demonstrates that your citizens understood that – 90% suggesting various exceptions to the bylaw that would allow for tree removal in certain cases. It’s important to note that only 10% of respondents said they would not be in favour of a private tree bylaw despite exemptions.
Burlington is in much the same situation as Oakville, all the big Greenfield developments are complete or fully planned. Now that we are at build out, development will come through infill and this is where the challenge to protect our urban tree canopy in our most established and beautiful areas becomes critical. These are also the areas with the largest and oldest trees that are providing the most community benefits. Their loss will be greatly felt by your entire community.
After all the public consultation, City of Burlington staff are not recommending a private tree bylaw at this time. Instead, the focus of staff efforts should be on public education and awareness.
This was hard for Benneian to understand as Burlington’s current and future tree loss (aside from the ravages of Emerald Ash Borer) will mostly be due to infill development. She explained that when you are trying to deal with a problem, you must choose the right tool set.”
To chuckles throughout the Council chamber Benneian declared: “Developers are immune to “education and awareness”. The best, and I would add the ONLY effective tool to prevent clear-cutting by developers, is a bylaw.”
Benneian used the survey the city had done and pointed out that a majority of Burlington’s citizens clearly place City Council as the agency responsible for protecting the community’s trees. In fact, in that survey, more residents choose “Pass Bylaws to protect trees” than any other response at 22%. “Maintain and protect trees” followed at 21% and “Oversee development to ensure trees are protected” came in third at 20%. If you add in “Enforce bylaws/issue fines” (8%), “protect older mature trees” (4%), “Prevent clear-cutting (3%), “Require a permit for tree cutting (3%); “Slow/halt development” (2%) then 83% of respondents were clear that development was the problem and a bylaw/permit system was needed.
“Public awareness and education is all well and good, but it will not stop developers from cutting down trees and it will only have limited success with homeowners”, said Benneian.
Burlington has decided to go the “education and awareness route. Benneian pointed out just how ineffective this approach has been in the past. “Despite a decade of education on the life-saving benefits of wearing seatbelts it wasn’t until legislation was introduced in 1989 that seatbelt use climbed in the U.S. from 21% to 70%.”
 If these were all private trees and they were all cut down – it would certainly be a different looking place to live – and the value of the houses would plummet. “Results of your own online survey” Benneian pointed out, “suggest that education alone isn’t effective at impacting people’s tree-related behaviour. In your online survey you asked people who had ash trees on their property if they had treated them for emerald ash borer, and despite all the publicity to date, 76% said no.
The one outstanding feature of the information gathered during your public consultation”, explained Benneian, “is the citizens of Burlington, like the citizens of Oakville, appreciate the value of their urban forest.”
The task now is to find a way to get this issue back on the agenda in Burlington. That 5-2 vote to receive and file meant it is off the table.
 By James Smith.
BURLINGTON, ON. July 8, 2013.
James Smith usually goes on about transit or waxes eloquently about the Freeman Station which he is in the process of saving. Over the weekend he apparently stumbled across a city staff report about trees and – well he kind of lost it.
Guelph has one.
So does Oakville.
Toronto? Check.
Burlington? Nope.
I could be speaking about any number of things like reliable, well-funded Transit but in this case it looks like we won’t be getting a Private Tree Bylaw either if one reads the Private Tree By Law feasibility study about to go to council. Burlington it seems is keeping to its long and proud tradition as depicted on our Coat of Arms
 This tree canopy on Belvinia in the Roseland community is a large part of what the older part of the city is all about. Beautifully shaded streets with trees that add value to every house on the street. Most of these trees are on city owned property. To be fair, council has started, if it’s not too much of a bother, the process of maybe, possibly, sometime looking at a private Tree bylaw. Rather than ask staff to craft a tree by-law Council asked for a feasibility study, and in May they told City Staff “no recommendations”, instead we get “options”. The report spills a lot of ink on background, you know, like why trees are important, applicable statues, methodology, numbers of trees cut down every year by Arborists, (about 1,800) and the results of surveys and consultation. Oh, we’ve been consulted, we’ve been telephoned and online surveyed, research firms hired, and public meetings held. City staff tell us they have 71,571 “Touch Points” (- frankly I don’t like the sound of that term at all). 71,571 sounds like a big number until you read that 68,000 of these “Touch Points” come from the City’s version of Pravda- AKA- City Talk- the thing that only wonks like me, & high school civics students (reluctantly) read.
 Did I mention consultants? Burlington LOVES her consultants, Forum Research provided 31 pages of survey data that supports the community’s view that Trees are important!! Fifty Nine percent suggested more needs to be done to protect trees. A one page spread sheet and four paragraphs are included in City Staff’s portion of this feasibility study that superficially addresses what other cities do and do not do to protect trees on private property. What towns have them, number of times amended, number of annual infractions, fines, staff required, number of permits issued and fees, exemptions and a one word answer if the by law is effective.
Did I say we had meetings? Burlington city hall loves its meetings almost as much as it loves its consultants. Burlington carries on its proud tradition of meetings. Talking and meetings, give the impression that work is actually being done. One may point to all the meeting minutes, and reports and addenda produced from which a report is dutifully presented. It all looks like an issue is being tackled, decisions being formulated, and our staff resources put to good use.
Poppycock.
Here are City Staff’s Options:
Decide against implementing a Private Tree Bylaw
Direct Staff to Draft a Private Tree Bylaw
Increase Public Education and Awareness
Enhance public Participation and Involvement
Identify Partnerships with the community to Enhance Tree Planting Programs.
Delegate Responsibility for the protection of woodlots between 0.5 ha and 1.0 ha to Halton Region.
Wow, what did this cost in staff time and consultants? Furthermore, staff recommends all of these options, with the notable exception of actually crafting a tree by-law. Really. Burllingtonians, 59% of us want more tree protection, but City staff who were specifically asked not to included recommendations, opine that they don’t support a Private Tree By-Law! Out of whole cloth and with little or no back-up this statement heading appears: ” Support for a bylaw regulating trees on private property is low” In my book 59% is still pretty good, given that Don’t Support, and Don’t Know/Don’t Care are about equal.
 Every tree on this street is on private property. Every property owner has the rigght to cut down the tree on their property. If one comes down – so what? If five come down will those five people have lessened the value of the properties on the street? If they all come down – would anyone want to buy property on this street. That’s what a Private Tree Bylaw is about. So where does this statement come from? Could it be the many members of vested interests who made their way into the public meeting on the subject? Could it be the way the on-line questions were asked to give a desired result? One example: The on-line survey did not ask WOULD YOU SUPPORT A PRIVATE TREE BY-LAW but rather cunningly asked: “If the city of Burlington was considering a household tax increase to preserve and protect the urban forest, for which of the following initiatives would you like to see the funds allocated?” and seven choices were presented. Funnily enough, 47% replied they will not support a tax increase for any reason. I wonder how these folks feel about the $300,000 for taking the memorial out of Joe Brant?
 Lets look at this a little more critically, the city of Oakville have staff of exactly one person to run the tree by-law, Guelph has 4. if part of the reason staff have drawn the conclusions they have is a result of little support for taxes increased to be spent on one position, can we not find the money in existing programmes? What about permits and fines? Surely this can be a self funding office,! I would argue it could generate a surplus to fund some of the other wacky stuff city staff actually want to do. My conclusion is, for some reason, city staff don’t want the headache of an office that actually does stuff, but would rather play with Adobe Suite making marketing plans that the people of this town really don’t give a squirrel’s tail about. Otherwise why would they have devised a process designed to produce these results? Make no mistake, one just has to make it through the report and read how the on-line questions have been asked, to come to the same conclusion. It is either that or one must ask if city staff is up to the task.
After who knows how many staff hours, and work by well paid consultants, Burlington City council once again is set to live up to their tradition by abandoning anything close to a vision of what kind of city we should build. Heck, we can’t even follow good examples from other cities in the GTHA. Meanwhile mature trees are set to be cut down trees on Ghent Avenue, and through out the city.
Oh, and Burlington’s Coat of Arms? Why by now you should know that our Motto below the Shield reads: STAND BY
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. April 30th, 2013. The Organic Farmer’s Market will open for the first time this season on May 11th and operate on Sunday’s from 9 to 12ish.
Traffic last year was decent but many people found the Friday a difficult day; people who worked weren’t able to stroll over and enjoy the setting.
 Last season tables were laden with fresh vegetables, organically grown Expect to see an even wider selection this season. Barry Imber, the energy behind this project said “ the hope is that the hood will stroll over in the mornings and take their time to enjoy the people and the various things that local farmers have to offer.
“We will also have a few new vendors in addition to possibly a breakfast vendor and Tamp Coffee doing his specialty pour over coffee for the crowd. We’ll have the picnic benches out and will encourage everyone to chill out and take their time.
 The Chef’s Shootout last year. A light rain didn’t stop the event – the food was delicious. Burlington Tourism is looking for ways they can get behind the project. While the market is hosted in a commercial location, in the parking lot behind Centro’s on John Street, the net result is a place for community and Imber hopes it is cherished and embraced as well as promoted to make it stronger.
The closing event last year was a great idea – A Shootout between two Chef’s from Spencer’s on the Waterfront – took place even though it was raining. The Chef’s did a great job and the 40 or so people stood there with their umbrellas enjoying the food.
Wet but fun. Hopefully Imber will hold at least one of these Shootouts this year.
The market is set up behind Centro’s on John Street. Downtowners can just stroll on over and nosh.
 By Ray Z. Rivers
Ray Rivers will write weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat after which he decided to write and has become a political animator.
BURLINGTON, ON. April 29, 2013. ‘Root-causes’ you say? Justin Trudeau dared to utter that phrase in his interview with Peter Mansbridge, shortly after the Boston Marathon bombings. Trudeau was “committing sociology”, the Prime Minster accused, as if that was one of the unforgivable crimes the PM had included in the government’s new ‘safe-streets’ legislation.
 Afghan women being taught some of the basics through funding provided by the Canadian International Development Agency – getting at the root causes of political violence. National Post right-wing columnist Barbara Kay had earlier taken her aim and fired a volley at the young leader – showing his ‘inner sophomore’, she accused. She went on to draw a comparison to his father, when as PM he brought out the army to quell the FLQ hostage crisis of 1970. True enough he activated the War Measures Act, but Pierre also dealt with some of the “root-causes” – the disenchantment and estrangement of Quebecers’ from their rightful role in the federation. Lest we forget, he introduced official bilingualism, regional economic development, and the inter-provincial equalization program.
Of course Kay and Harper are playing politics, aren’t they? Everybody knows that for every effect there is a cause…and a root-cause. I mean why else is Canada providing social and economic aid to Afghanistan, except to remove the kind of ‘root-causes’ that contributed to 9/11, right? Under Stephen Harper, Canada, proudly, has become one of the world’s top donors of economic development and educational assistance in Afghanistan, raising the levels of education, ensuring greater food security, and regional development of that nation, one of the world’s poorest.
In 2011, Canada assisted over 1600 schools graduate almost 50,000 students, 85% of them girls. And we helped Afghan small and medium businesses create over 20,000 new jobs, injecting $325 million in the national economy. These are very impressive stats for a government that doesn’t believe in ‘committing sociology’ and in considering and reducing ‘root-causes’.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. April 22, 2013. Five very smart people gathered in the Community WHAT at the Burlington Performing Art Centre last week to talk about the city’s Community Energy Plan. They met in a Workshop setting – and while energy is vital – it isn’t the most exciting thing to sit in a dark room and look at power point presentations for a couple of hours.
That time proved to be very well, actually exceptionally well spent.
 Here is where the energy we use comes from.  Here is how that energy is used. We learned how the city has mapped the way energy in the city is used. We learned how critical energy use is to attracting new business to the city. We learned how stakeholders in the city look at the way energy is used. We learned what and how Burlington Hydro can be a leader in the creation of a more energy-efficient city.
 These graphs show electricity use in the province and the way we use electricity in Burlington.  Compare our use of natural gas with electricity> How do we heat our homes? How do we heat our office buildings? Remember when Hydro had programs for us on how to convert to electricity? They would pay you to tear out those radiators and put in electric baseboard heaters and more insulation in the attic. Turned out that wasn’t such a good idea and now Burlington has more than 4500 homes heated electrically and we are looking for ways to convert those homes to something more economical. Who knew?
Natural gas is now the energy use of choice. There is now far more natural gas than we need – so much that we now liquefy the stuff and send it off to places that need the energy. The Americans have convinced themselves that they have so much natural gas that they will be energy sufficient soon and not need as much of that Saudi Arabian oil. That the Americans are fracturing to get much of that natural gas is another matter.
 The graph on the left sets out the housing stock we have and when it was built. On the right the graph sets out the different square footage of the housing stock we have. A large house built at a time when energy was cheap is an expensive building to heat in today’s markets. The kind of energy you use and the amount you use is determined in large measure by when your house was built and how many square feet of space you have.
Katelyn Margerm, a researcher with the Canadian Urban Institute, explained how she took data from multiple sources and mashed it all together to tell the story of how people in Burlington use energy.
 Spend some time comparing the electricity consumption map with the gas consumption map. where do you fit in this picture? Spend a few minutes looking at the data she collected. Where do you fit into the pattern of energy use? What are the options for you? Are the options you have similar to the options the city has? Are the city’s options important to you?
 Natural gas consumption is significantly different than the consumption of electricity. Given that the supply of natural gas is very high right now and will remain that way for at least ten more years one would think this is the route to go. Is it? More questions than answers at this point – but the answers Burlington comes up with are critical to how financially healthy this city is – and if it isn’t financially healthy – guess who is going to pick up the shortfall?
Nearly half of housing units in Burlington were built before 1980. More than half of units are between 1,500 and 2,500 sf
This work helps form a baseline which can be used to establish community energy targets and timelines. Industrial, commercial and institutional location mapping allows planners and economic development people to explore future development scenarios and to help identify opportunities for conservation and retrofit and think through land use policy (infill, zoning).
One of the next step is to overlay the information now in hand with demographic information and consumer attitudes using the Environics Analytic s information to design retrofit and conservation programs.
If you didn’t think energy efficiency is all that important – stay with us as we take you through a series of articles on what we learned last Thursday afternoon.
Part 1 of a series
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