 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ONÂ September 12, 2012Â The first run was in 1980 when the city raised $4000 for the Terry Fox Research Foundation and a cure for cancer.
More than 1000 people were out on the pathways at Beachway Park and running through Spencer Smith Park.More than 100 volunteers helped people with massages, warm up exercises, giving directions and handing out glasses of water.
 These are the ladies that collected the funds raised. One family came in with more than $1600 raised in their community. We will have the final count later in the week. We will know later in the week how much was raised in 2012. The total raised since 1980 in Burlington is now over $1.4 million.
Who would have thought that 32 years after Terry Fox had to abandon his run across the country using an artificial leg, that we would have hundreds of people coming out every year to run for a cause.
 Don Carmichael, chair of the Terry Fox run in 2012, meets with part of his team to go over the final check ins before the event gets serious and the crowds begin to show up. Many, perhaps even most of the people who ran today were not alive when Terry Fox did his run. I heard about a one legged man declaring that he was going to run across the country when he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic ocean and headed west. It seemed like a bit of a stunt to me – I knew nothing about the man.
 It was a little nippy in the morning, the kind of weather that helps the leaves turn colour and keeps people shivering just a bit. That changes when they begin their run. I was sitting in an office window watching Terry Fox run with that half limp,  half trot of his as he headed south and into Nathan Phillips Square where more than 100,000 people were on hand to greet him. This was no stunt.
The fund raising drive, which hadn’t done all that well when it worked its way through the Maritimes and Quebec, picked up momentum as the national media picked up the story in Ontario and from that point it just took off. There were close to nightly news reports with a summary at the end of each week. The country was mesmerized by what this man was doing.
Eight years earlier Canada came together as a country when a Canadian Team beat the Russians in a closely fought hockey series. We had a sense of who we were after that and when Terry Fox caught our imaginations we had no trouble getting behind to help.
The country almost automatically  made the project theirs and we’ve been doing that ever since we lost Terry Fox in 1981
He was born Terrance Stanley “Terry” Fox, on July 28, 1958 and was made a Member of the Order of Canada. There is much more to the Terry Fox story than this. Follow the Burlington event and the young man`s story.
Part 2 of the Terry Fox story and the Terry Fox run; a photo feature.
 Deb Tymstra MC’d the event – her second year doing that job. Here she goes over her notes to prepare for an event that almost got out of hand when the Casey Cosgrove supporters were gathered to have pictures taken. That crowd was so large that it held up the Bikers and the Walkers who Tymstra wanted to get started. She managed the chaos. 
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 12, 2012  There they were, out on the field, grunting, running, stretching their limbs – more than thirty of them practicing as the Bateman High School Senior Football team.
 The protesting team – from the left: John Phelps, Chad Doan, Kennedy Dyet and Chris Bishop. When the football players learned their team had been scrubbed from the football schedule they took to the streets in protest. They made their point and the football team is back on the field. Now they might have to deal with a teacher work stoppage. They had to protest to get there – but after a part of a day out on the street waving signs and seeking support for their team – they were back in business.
No one remembers when there was a demonstration by students at Bateman before and it took courage to make the decision to protest when they learned that their wasn’t going to be a Senior Bateman football team on the field for 2012.
Chris North sent an email to Our Burlington – we ran with his letter and followed up with a visit to the school to see how the protest and demonstration went. While there, we saw some student behavior that was great, we saw kids talking in groups the way students around the world talk in groups and we saw students that were behaving – let’s be blunt about this – it was just plain dumb behaviour. We certainly heard about that from more than 45 students and the parents of students. That’s all part of an interactive process where people get to say what they think. We will comment on how that went later in the week.
This piece is about the football team – the guys that decided they weren’t prepared to see their team disappear from the roster. Chris Bishop led the group that was made up of Chad Doan, Kennedy Dyet and John Phelps. All are back at Bateman doing an additional year to upgrade their marks. All have clear plans to attend university with a pretty good idea of what it is they want to study.
 Four high school football players who felt their team was wronged and took to the streets in protest. They made their point and are now back on the football field. Gotta be at least eight proud parents out there. From the left: John Phelps, Chad Doan, Kennedy Dyet and Chris Bishop. Doan wants to study psychology. “I’m interested in the way people behave and want to learn more about that”, said Doan, which led to questions about how the school administration behaved when they decided to shut down the team.
Chris Bishop thinks he wants to study criminology and maybe look into law. Another student wants to study sports management.
The students felt they were told it would be “impossible” for a senior team to be put together and so they were scrubbed from the schedule.
“They had a mind-set and didn’t think we could field a team” said Dyet who coaches a team in the Burlington Minor Football Association.
These four young men didn’t see it that way. They believed they could mount a team but, just as important to them was the rule that would mean there would be no team playing the following year if they did not mount a team this year – and these four young men didn’t want to see that happen to those that would follow them.
Kennedy Dyet wonders why they had to protest. “We were told there was nothing they could do for us” but once the protest was underway the principal of the school met with the football players and asked how he could help.
It looks as if the Phys-ed people had given up on the students and pulled the team from the schedule. The students say they weren’t told the team was being pulled. There was clearly a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the part of at least some members of the team, which when identified, moved the administration to get behind the students. Now the football players have to get the school behind the team and begin winning some games.
On Tuesday evening there were 29 seniors out on the field – huffing and puffing through the exercises. It looked like a good workout from the side lines.
The Bateman Seniors are a Tier 3 team – they want to move to at least Tier 2 and see Pearson and Aldershot as the schools they have to beat. “We’ve got six to seven regular games in the season” explained Dyet “and then the semi-finals.
 Football team protests the scrubbing of their team from the schedule. Administration changes its mind – team out practicing – next they have to win some games. Chris Bishop feels the support they need is now there for them within the administration but also feels that it wasn’t there for them before they hit the streets with their signs. “The principal did meet with us at the Bistro and asked us what it was we wanted and we told him we wanted our team on the field. “Mr. Heffernan said he would do everything he could to help us – that’s all we wanted” said Bishop.
Kennedy Dyet added that the volleyball players are battling for a program “and we think what we’ve done will help them get what they feel they deserve.”
“We had faith that we could make out point” added Dyet “and now we have to do the hard work.”
The players commented on the new coaching staff they have. “These guys have great history commented” commented Chad, “one of our coaches was with Team Canada.”
Is there a problem with the commitment level on the part of the phys-ed staff and the school administration at Bateman? May have been. Had they given up on their students and as Kennedy put it, brought a “mind set” to the table that prevented them from seeing what the students wanted and what they were prepared to do.
Will the “no strike” legislation the provincial government has passed impact this football team that has shown it wants to be out on the field playing the game. Are teacher politics going to get in the way of the educational process the way it did in when the Mike Harris government was battling the teachers?
The young men we talked to were polite, focused, left me feeling there was a clear sense of purpose and an objective they had thought through. I came away with the feeling that there are eight proud parents out there somewhere.
The task now is to develop and condition their team and support them with enthusiasm that provides the energy and that extra bit of “make it happen” that a cheering crowd can give a team. All four young men know  exactly what a cheering audience can do for athletes.
Go Wild!
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ONÂ September 11, 2012Â After many months of keeping everything under wraps, Jeremy Freiburger finally opened the curtains and is letting the public see what the three Burlington judges have chosen as finalists for the public art that is going to stand in front of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Burlington is slowly learning that if you want the public to buy into an idea – let them know what you are up to; ask their opinions and listen to what they have to say.
You can view models of the three finalists at the Central Public Library or see large photographs at City Hall and Tansley Woods – and that is about as far north as the public viewing will go. Something for the city to look into – the people north of Upper Middle Road are just out of luck when it comes to knowing much about what goes on at city hall, unless they want to drive well outside their community
 The currently unadorned Performing Arts Centre may soon get some public art. The plans are to place the art in the small fore-court – shown in the right of this photograph. Art is a very subjective thing. Many people feel that they know what they like the moment they see it – and that is certainly true. But taste is something that is developed; something that evolves over time. That development takes place when you see and experience different forms and examples of art. Some feel that public art should come from within the community – others feel the search should be world wide.
The judges are: Ian Ross, executive director of the Burlington Art Centre, Emma Quinn, executive director of the Ontario Craft Council, Trevor Copp, artistic director of Tottering Biped Theatre, Natalie Eldershaw, 4th-year Sheridan College art student.
The steering committee that oversaw the process included: Avery Brooks joiner – local youth involved in Culture, Dan Lawrie – project donor;Â Brenda Heatherington – BPAC Executive Director, site stakeholder;Â Mary-Ellen Heiman – member of BPAC Board and Denise Beard, Acting Manager of Community Development Services for the city of Burlington
The three finalists, chosen out of the 119 submissions to the Call for Submissions the city put out in March of this year, were asked to then create a small model and provide some detail on what they proposed to create.
Those models are now on display at the library on New Street
The project got its start when Burlington businessman Dan Laurie expressed an interest in sponsoring some public art that would be placed in front of the Performing Arts Centre, at the intersection of Elgin and Locust streets in downtown Burlington. Laurie put up $37,500 of his own money and the city used $75,000 from its Public Art Fund
The Cooke-Sasseville submission, Stay Connected, is made of stainless steel; aluminum; powder-coat paint. It is 15 feet high x 27 feet wide.
 The Cooke-Sasseville submission is certainly the most colourfull of the three. How will the bright colours stand up to weather over the long haul? In explaining their submission Cooke-Sasseville had this to say: “We are proposing the creation of a monumental and playful sculpture that stems from the idea of representing, on an exaggerated scale, a well-known, easily identifiable object that is closely tied to the performing arts: a technical console and connecting cables. Our proposal is visually striking and evocative in its usage of space and it will transcend the objects that it represents, becoming an almost abstract work that brings to mind both vegetation and the human circulatory system. The work will be firmly fixed to the ground and expand into space in a systematic manner, schematizing a perfectly orchestrated choreography where the notions of movement, exchange and transmission are represented.”
“The work that we are submitting suggests a never-ending openness towards the sky and it may be interpreted in many different ways, from the simple representation of everyday objects to the schematization of complex fractals. In doing this, we wish to glorify that which may seem banal but which is really essential, or that which is not seen but which plays a crucial role in the creation of major artistic productions: the technical side of the production as well as the importance of collaborations, human contact, encounters and communication.”
 A scale model of the Cooke-Sassville submission. These Quebec based artists have done a significant amount of public art work throughout North America. The Peter Powning submission, Spiral Stella,  is to be made of stainless steel; cast bronze and stand 16 feet high and be 30 inches wide.
 The Spiral will be 16 feet tall and include in the bronze casting artifacts from the community that could well make this one of the most intriguing pieces of art in the city. Powning explains his submission this way: “My intent with this proposal is to produce an iconic sculpture of scale that has impact from a distance but which also provides an intimate experience up close. I propose a sculpture that offers an opportunity for discovery, an enhanced sense of local identity, and education opportunities; a community touchstone honouring Burlington and the Performing Arts Centre; its history, natural environment, culture and identity. A key element of this project will be community participation in providing important cultural and historical artifacts to include in the cast bronze spiral. I think of this bronze relief as cultural mulch, incorporating artifacts from the historical to the contemporary.”
“The elements I will be working with are meant to balance content and form in a dynamic approachable sculpture. The obelisk will reflect the sky, patterns of cloud and ambient light, changing hues as the day progresses, the cast bronze provides visual and textural contrast as well as an intimate tactile experience. The formal obelisk shape organizes the various parts of the sculpture in a unified, recognizable whole. In close proximity, it reveals a material richness with layers of cultural content gathered from the people and institutions of Burlington in cast bronze relief. From a distance, this monumental sculpture will be visible as a landmark.”
 The section that appears in blue is the part within which the artist will include local artifacts. No one knows at this point what will be included if this submission is chosen – but if it is chosen – expect everyone in the city to come up with something – it’s going to be out there for everyone to see for at least 50 years – perhaps forever. What doesn’t become immediately evident in the artists comments is that the people of Burlington will contribute a large part of the Spiral – and he has no idea what the public contribution will be. Somehow, what people want to see included in the spiral will get to the artist who will include it in the final structure. That could be very informative and certainly reflect the community.
Aaron Stephen calls his submission In the Round which will be made of cast zinc alloy; architectural zinc sheet and have a diameter of 28 feet.
 The In the Round submission is far more complex, and intriguing, than evident in this picture. That globe graphic is made up of more than 15,000 small figurines. Interesting approach but the location and the height of the art will need some consideration. “In the Round”, says the artist, “is composed of over fifteen thousand small human figures traversing the wall of Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s fly tower. Each three-inch metal figure interacts in a unique way. Some mill about, some talk, walk, or just look around – simply depicting a crowd of individuals interacting as we do in everyday life. From a distance the minutia of this crowd disappears while a larger whole becomes apparent. Each individual figure acts as a pixel defining the collective image of a twenty-eight foot world globe.”
“Anyone who has attended a live performance has experienced the curious moments that immediately precede the actual event. In the lobby, crowds mill around and everyday conversation takes place. There is a unique energy in the air that can only be described as communal anticipation. The evening takes a turn as the performer(s) appear on stage. In a brief moment, what previously seemed to be a haphazard group of audience members becomes a single entity.”
“Like the distinctive beginning of a live performance, In the Round encompasses the same feeling of anticipation, movement, and energy. It represents the moment in which the community of Burlington becomes fully engaged and implicated with those on stage.”
 Examples of the more than 15,000 figurines that will be used to shape a graphic of the globe in the In the Round submission. The “official” illustration doesn’t do justice to this submission. That it will be at the back of the theatre is a limitation. What is shown in the official picture is a graphic of the world – what you don’t see is the 15,000 little figures that will make up the globe.
All three submissions have merit. Several are unique in the approach they use to involve the person looking at the art.
The city has asked the public to “Tell us what you think!” and have provided a place on the city web site for comments on all three pieces of art. Log into WHERE and tell the city what you think. If you can – get over to the Library, and look at the maquettes (fancy word artists use when they really mean to say a model of what they have in mind)
There are also ballot like forms upon which people can write their comments.
The judges will review the comments and come to a final decision. That final decision doesn’t have to be the selection of a specific piece of art.
The three judges chose three submissions – they could have chosen five or ten but there wasn’t enough money in the budget to give every artist the $1500 grant to prepare the model.
Once the judges go over all the comments they will decide which of the three submissions should become the art that will be placed outside the Performing Arts Centre. The judges do not have to choose one of the three finalists – the decision they make will depend on the public feedback.
The challenge for the judges is – are they going to lead public opinion and help shape it or are they going to follow public opinion. Attempting to lead public opinion in Burlington is not always a rewarding endeavor.
If public opinion is strongly against any of the three submissions the judges can decide that none of the three put forward is what the public wants. What do they do then – and why were just three of the 119 submissions selected?
The selection process had two parts to it. First review everything that came in and then invite the three the judges thought were the best and ask them to prepare a model of what they were proposing. Each artist was given $1500 to build their mode. There wasn’t enough in the budget they had to work with to invite more than three.
This is the second major public art project for Burlington. The “orchids” ,done by Irish artist Alex Pentek, were liked by many – but just as many couldn’t understand why it was placed in the middle of busy Upper Middle Road, where it is extremely difficult to see the art as you duck under the railway overpass. Very poor location.
The Performing Arts Centre is seen as a prime public site and with the right art it will be something people will come to see; providing the city selects what the public is prepared to accept.
Make a point of getting to the library to look at the models. And let the city know what you like and don’t like – and add why you like what you see as well.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON   September 10, 2012   The team was supposedly shut down because they couldn’t  field a full squad – but that wasn’t the way the Bateman Wilds saw things so they took to the streets with an early Monday morning sidewalk protest in front of the school.
 Bateman High’s Phys-Ed staff didn’t think the school could field a full squad and took steps to cancel the fall program. Football players took to the streets in protest Chris Bishop – certainly a football player given his size, was the spokesperson for the group and the person who sang the team cheer the loudest.
 There are teachers at Bateman High that would like to see this much effort IN the classroom. The football players take their message to the streets. If a football squad needs 30 people,  there were more than 30 enthusiastic students out there this morning. `We`re here for the day” explained Bishop, as he headed back to the fellow football players on the side walk exhorting every car that passed to honk their horns in support.
Bishop added that “if you put enough pressure on something there will be a change” and he fully expects the staff at the high school to rescind the decision.
Bishop thinks the school didn’t give the football players the time they needed to pull their team together and feels they acted a little too early in shutting them down.
 Not everyone at Bateman High focuses on football. This crowd, steps away from the protest, chats away before time to get into a classroom approaches. Different folks – different strokes. Bateman High, located on New street east of Appleby Line is your typical large school where cars stream into the driveway to let students out and buses slip in and out efficiently.
Many of the students knew nothing about the football protest. Like any other suburban high school there are different groups; the “fashion plates” are easy to identify; the geeks not so easy but they are there. The women on the field hockey team with their sticks in hand as well as the “couple” that have something going.
The chatter between the different groups is loud at times, but not unduly so. They carry a lot of books in those bags on their shoulders.
They stream off the bus that stops in in front of the school and all seem to arrive in large bunches.
 Female student casually dropped the donut wrapper on the ground and puffed away on her cigarette while enjoying her coffee. The wrapper, shown on the right, blew away into the street. Not the best or the brightest at Bateman High. There are the “cool” ones; the slightly older crowd who, the morning I was there certainly weren’t anything to be proud of. The smoking was bad enough – don’t they read? – but the blatant littering – one swishy female student just dropped the donut wrapper on the ground, while another cool dude with the crowd kept spitting on the sidewalk. They certainly weren’t representative of the crowd; this lot did little for the schools reputation.
 Bateman High staff look on as student protesters wave their signs and tell their side of the story. Can staff and students work this out? Will the Bateman Wild be on the field this season? Stay tuned The football players planned on being on the street for the day. At some point they will meet with the principal and the Phys-Ed people and work out a solution. Someone in the Phys-Ed department is wishing the students had shown this level of enthusiasm earlier in the football season.  First practice is a couple of days away. Will the “Wild” be on the field? In strength?
Could this kind of enthusiasm take them to the finals?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 8, 2012 – This is a dodgy subject; what do you say when you learn that someone you know took their own life or that a member of a family you know well committed suicide. You’re stunned and you wonder if there was something you should have done, could have done. And what do you do now?
Society is at least talking about suicide. The Region of Halton is partnering with the Talking about Addictions and Mental Illness (TAMI) program to offer two community forums to help break the stigma associated with suicide, help people to talk openly about suicide, and show how everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention
Personally I’ve never understood the stigma sometimes attached to suicide – these are family tragedies that need the help, compassion, understanding and support of the community to be part of the healing.
 There is a point where utter desolation becomes more than a person can handle. An understanding of what depression is; what it does and how best to cope with it is part of the process. Ignoring it or even worse stigmatizing it socially just drives this very real problem underground where we can’t deal with it .
Monday, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, and the Halton Suicide Prevention Coalition (HSPC) is partnering with the Talking about Addictions and Mental Illness (TAMI) program to offer two community forums.
Both events will be running from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on the following dates and locations:
September 10: Holy Trinity High School – Theatre, 2420 Sixth Line, Oakville
September 13: Craig Kielburger Secondary School – Auditorium, 1151 Ferguson Drive, Milton
Suicide can be a difficult subject to talk about and that often stops individuals and families from reaching out for support. Regional chair Gary Carr adds: “That’s why I think it’s wonderful that both the Coalition and the TAMI program are coming together to help reduce the stigma and use World Suicide Prevention Day as an opportunity to open the dialogue.”
 “I am sure the event will be powerful as those who attend will hear from both a professional from the HSPC and a speaker sharing his personal experience with suicide. I’m also looking forward to attending the Coalition’s annual general meeting (AGM) on November 9 where Mr. Bob Rae, Member of Parliament, Toronto-Centre will be the keynote speaker detailing Canada’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy. I hope Halton residents will take the time to attend either the community forums or the coming AGM.”
Halton Region plays a key role in both the Coalition and TAMI. Funding is provided by Halton Regional Council. Professional staff from the Health Department work directly with community partners sharing their expertise and experience. Those partners include: Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halton Branch, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (SSO), the Phoenix Program, ADAPT (Halton Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Assessment, Prevention and Treatment Services), the Halton District School Board, the hospital sector and individuals affected by suicide.
Mental health needs the same attention and resources as physical health. One is no less important than the other.
For anyone who is suffering from depression, having suicidal thoughts, or is a survivor of suicide, help is available in Halton. Visit HSPC’s website for more information about suicide prevention and resources.
For information about services available to those struggling with mental health issues, visit Halton Region’s website, or call the Family Health Information Line and speak directly with a public health nurse.
Chairman Carr puts this perfectly when he says: “Together, we can break the silence and reduce the stigma to help save someone’s life.” The key word is â€together’.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON September 6, 2012 Three days into the school year and a school bus mounts a curb, strikes a tree, crashes through an iron fence and comes to a precarious perch atop a retaining wall adjacent to Bronte Harbour. Shortly before 8 a.m. a school bus was southbound on Bronte Road near Marine Drive (in the Bronte Harbour District) when for unknown reasons it left the roadway. Â
Emergency crews were called to the scene and the unresponsive driver, a 62 yr old Burlington man, was removed from the bus and rushed to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Two boys, brothers aged 11 and 7, were also removed from the bus. They were uninjured and turned over to the care of their mother. The students were picked up at their stop minutes before the crash.
The driver was transferred to Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga where he remains in serious condition. Due to the condition of the driver, the Collision Reconstruction Unit (C.R.U.) has taken carriage of the investigation. Bronte Road between Lakeshore Road and Marine Drive was closed for three and a half hours while the investigation took place.
No other vehicles were involved in this collision and luckily no pedestrians were hurt. The area is usually busy with a high volume of pedestrians and business operators starting their day. The retaining wall and fence are being inspected by Town of Oakville officials.
The bus has been seized by police and will be undergoing a mechanical inspection; a routine part of the reconstruction investigation. Investigators will also be looking at the possibility of a medical issue on the part of the driver.
Police will not be releasing the names of the driver, students or destination school. The bus is operated by Attridge Transportation Incorporated based out of Burlington.
Several witnesses have already come forward, any further witnesses are asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON  Aug. 26. 2012-   Last week Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster was in Ottawa as a city delegate to the Association of Municipalities annual convention and while there accepted the Bicycle Friendly Community bronze medal award on behalf of the city.
Burlington was awarded the bronze rating by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, an Ontario-based non-profit organization that promotes bicycling as a mode of transportation, recreation and fitness through provincial advocacy.
 The Regional Police use bicycles on a regular basis as part of the way they do their work. Are there any other civic employees using bicycles? Burlington has gone some distance in making the city a more cycle friendly place – in this instance the city is ahead of its citizens. In June and July the city held two Car Free Sundays at which the turnout was less than expected. To the surprise of many the event on Appleby Line had a considerably better turn out than the event held on Brant Street.  It was clear to many that the idea needed a re-think.
The Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) Program, an initiative of the Washington-based League of American Bicyclists, was launched in Canada in August 2010 by Share the Road. The program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. Municipalities are judged in five categories often referred to as the Five “E’s” engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning. A community must demonstrate achievements in each of the five categories in order to be considered for an award.
 The city did a photo op in May to promote the idea of cycling to work – threw in a free breakfast for those that showed up. It wasn’t a large crowd. Councillor Dennison is the only serious and sincere cyclist on Council. Bike rack at city hall is seldom full – parking spaces at city hall are well used however – they’re free. Beats a free breakfast. “We have a lot to be proud of,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “Over the last number of years the City of Burlington has committed to adding to our cycling-friendly infrastructure throughout the city. We have increased the number of kilometres of bike lanes and paths and made on-road cycling safer with the installation of signage, buffered and coloured lanes and sharrows. This award also recognizes the work we have done in education and awareness.”
“This award is a reflection of the hard work of city staff and our community leaders,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure. “I encourage more residents to make the safe and healthy choice of cycling.”
A key focus of the city’s strategic plan, Burlington, Our Future, is increasing the number of people who cycle in the city for both recreation and transportation.
Burlington approved a Cycling Master Plan in 2009. This plan guides the city’s efforts in creating a network of on-road bikeways and multi-use pathways as well as providing policies, practices and programs to encourage more people to cycle.
Burlington has 49 km of bike lanes, 22.5 km of bike boulevards, 19 km of shared use paths and 20.7 km of multi-use paths. Â Bicycle racks are available at all city facilities and public art bike racks have been installed in the downtown. Bike racks are also mounted on the front of all Burlington Transit buses.
Increasing its cycling infrastructure is just part of the task: work in the areas of education and awareness continue.
The Burlington Sustainable Development Committee and Burlington Central Library are hosting an active transportation seminar; Get it in Gear, on Oct. 18th,from  7 to 9 p.m. The city has a Green Transportation Map – outlining transit routes, trails and tourism destinations in Burlington, available at the Tourism office on Brant Street.
 Burlington was up for a pre-Olympic cycling competition but the opportunity got away from us. Maybe in the future? Burlington got a sense of what was possible when it took a hard look at the idea of holding pre-Olympic elite level races that would have resulted in a jam packed Canada Day. That idea didn`t fly due to problems with the promoter – but we got a clear sense of what was possible. At some point the city will meet up with the right promoter and we will perhaps see elite cycle racing in the community.
In the meantime the cycling infrastructure keeps being added to and more and more roadways are truly bicycle accessible. Hopefully sooner rather than later the city will devote some time and money figuring out how to make the stretch of roadway from Mainway to Fairview bicycle friendly – that for Burlington is the real challenge at Walkers Line and Appleby Line as well. It is what creates that big divide between the Burlington north of the QEW and the Burlington south of the QEW – and until we resolve that one we won`t be united as a city. When that problem is solved – we could win gold!
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON August 23, 2012 When an organization brings in a new leader expect changes – that`s why the new leader was brought in.
City Manager Jeff Fielding, formerly with London, Ontario has been with Burlington for six months now and staff are getting a clearer picture of how he operates.
The city manager has traditionally used an office on the 8th floor, steps away from the Mayor. Fielding has decided to move down to the 6th floor, where he will have an office with his General Managers. Fielding wants to be where his team works and not two floors above them.
He has re-aligned some of the departments that report to the three general managers the city employs. Two, Kim Phillips and Scott Stewart are in place and a third will be hired in the fall to replace Steve Zorbas.
 General Manager Scott Stewart wants his staff to be sharp, come up with good ideas, deliver great service and have some fun while they are at it. Here he models his vacation wear. Councillor John Taylor is on the left with MP Mike Wallace on the right General Manager Scott Stewart heads up what has been called community services – that has been renamed to General Manager Development and Infrastructure. Kim Phillips heads up what has been called Budget and Corporate Services – that will be called Corporate Services.
A third General Manager will be hired in the fourth quarter of the year and Fielding let it be known that third person could well come from within the organization. Bruce Zvaniga, who has done some excellent work recently, is serving as Acting City Manager while Stewart is on vacation. Expect Bruce to be polishing up his resume when the job is posted.
The building on Brant Street is becoming a different city hall. The budget process the city goes through this year will focus on where the city should be investing funds and not get tangled up in the weeds of how much should be spent on pencils and paper clips.
 Soft spoken, direct, wants his people to be creative and bring him new ideas and then expects them to deliver on those ideas. Some staff members will not meet that challenge but for those that do, and there are lots of them, the city is going to be a great place to work. City Manager Jeff Fielding is changing the culture at city hall. In a past budget a senior staff member spent time explaining what some software would do – it was an upgrade of a program used all over the world. Fielding doesn`t want his staff spending time like this. He wants his staff to do forward thinking and will be bringing what he calls a business case approach to deciding the business the city should be in and what they shouldn’t be doing.
For Fielding it is a matter of supporting the staff in what they do, have them see themselves as collectively accountable to the public for the way the city is run. He also wants them to pick up the pace. This is certainly not the approach that was operational at city hall with the previous city manager.
For many of the sharper people at city hall it will be seen as a blessing – an opportunity for them to be both accountable and creative.
Fielding commented on a meeting he took part in earlier in the day when staff was making a presentation. The ideas they put forward “almost brought tears to my eyes”.
Economic development is going to get much more attention from city hall as is investments elsewhere in the city. Community Development Halton has been asked to prepare a business case for an approach to serving the city that will see funds invested in neighbourhoods. Joey Edwardh, Executive Director of CDH has been asked to develop a business case and bring it back to the management team where it will get discussed, debated and some recommendations developed that get taken to city council committee.
The Economic Development Corporation has been asked to produce a new business case as well. Fielding sees the EDC as an investment the city makes – and if that investment is paying off – then it should continue. Operations will continue if the business case can justify them; if not, then the question asked will be: Why are we doing this?
These business cases will be put before Council and they will decide which ones they want to fund.
Fielding tells of the 45 different services the city provides. Each is looked at, reviewed and a case for continuing with the service is put forward and Council decides which they want to continue and which should be abandoned.
For Fielding it is a matter of delivering service. Staff will be asked to make the business case and uses something as simple as the sending of an invoice. It costs the city $1 to mail an invoice but just 40 cents to send it via the web. You can see where he is going with this kind of thinking.
 Master University is developing a three year program that will significantly improve the management skills of senior and middle management staff at city hall. As many as 150 staff members will be taking courses over a three year period. Staff development is getting much more attention. The city is about to conclude an agreement with the DeGroote campus of McMaster University that will have staff taking courses designed specifically for the city. Paul Bates, Andrea Mior at McMaster and Laura Boyd and Roy Male at city hall are working this up – we may see more than thousands of children heading back to classrooms in the fall.
Fielding is asking much more of his staff than they have been used to. Those that see civic administration as a career opportunity will meet the challenge while others will begin to feel very uncomfortable at city hall. Fielding added that salaries at city hall will reflect the cost of living increases but staff won`t be getting all of it. “We are coming in a little below the actual cost of living increases.”
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON July 31, 2012   The Bank Investigator Scam is back. And as they usually do- they target vulnerable trusting seniors who have savings they need tucked away. Some slickster wants to take that money from you and will call saying he is an Inspector with the bank and needs your help.
Tell him you’d love to help him and then ask which branch you can meet him or her at. Then call the police.
The Halton Regional Police Service is warning seniors about a “Bank Investigator Scam”. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly known as Phone Busters) recently reported over 100 complaints with reported losses to victims of 1/2 million dollars.
This scam is predominantly targeting female seniors and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says that the fraudsters sometimes use the obituaries to obtain personal information about their potential victims.
 Constable Wendy Moraghan works with seniors in the Region as the Elder Services Coordinator. If you think there is something fishy about a phone call you get – call Wendy, she’s there to help. The fraudsters contact seniors by phone advising that they require their assistance to catch a bank employee that “has been stealing money”. The person is instructed to go to their bank and make a cash withdrawal, usually in 100 dollar bills, for amounts in the $5000.00 range. The person is told not to tell the bank teller what they are doing because the teller may be involved.
 When anyone asks you to to withdraw cash from your bank account and meet them in a parking lot – let them know you would prefer to meet in the parking lot of the police station and hang up. The senior is instructed to place the cash in an envelope and meet the “investigator” in a nearby parking lot where the cash is turned over. If successful the “investigator” attempts a further request for funds to ensure the investigation is a success. On one occasion the “investigator” also asked if the senior had any cash at home because the employee had been handing out counterfeit money.
The senior turned over $6,000.00 in cash from her residence which the “investigator” confirmed was counterfeit by looking at the serial numbers. The fraudsters will represent various different financial institutions. The public is reminded that this is not the way banks operate. If there is an investigation it is done by the police.
Police constable Wendy Moraghan (Elder Services Coordinator) with the Halton Regional Police Service is as far away as a telephone call – if you’re suspicious – give her a call -905-825-4777 ext. 5064   She’s a real sweetheart and will answer every question you have – she’s there to help you.
Moraghan will tell you to never give out personal information on the telephone to anyone. Â Constable Moraghan attends many seniors events in the Region.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ONÂ June 21, 2012Â Halton Regional Police Service is investigating a break and enter at St. Christopher Elementary School located on 2400 Sutton Drive. It is unknown how the suspect(s) entered the school, but it is possible a door was accidentally left unlocked.
 Classroom flooded - floor damaged when tap turned on in a sink with plug in place Suspects entered one classroom, put a plug in the sink and turned the water on, causing the sink to overflow. The result was water damage to the surrounding counter, as well as books, and other school materials and supplies. Damage is estimated at $500 – $1000.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ONÂ June 10, 2012Â Â He launched and managed to gain some altitude and it looks like he will stay aloft.
Jeremy Freiburger told a close to full house in the Performing Arts Community Studio the fundamentals of the community engagement part of the Cultural Plan that he has been contracted to prepare for the city of Burlington.
Freiburger is well qualified to take on the task and brings both energy and innovation to the work he has to do.
He does have his hands full working with the city’s communications people – but then he’s not the only one struggling with that department.
Freiburger has arranged to meet with citizens in every ward and while the turnout has not been large – those that did show up were enthusiastic. The first event was in Kilbride – to the surprise of many – culture is usually seen as something that happens south of the 401.
 Each yellow marker indicates a location that someone saw as culturally significant. The turnout was better in Kilbride than it was at the Senior’s Centre which is smack dab in the middle of Ward 2 where all the cultural mavens are thought to live. So much for that thought.
While Freiburger was talking to the audience in Kilbride about what he is setting out to do – a group playing baseball got rained out; Freiburger didn’t miss a beat – he invited them in to hear what they had to say about culture. This guy clearly knows how to innovate.
 David Auger thinks about where he spends his disposable income dollars on culture. Freiburger asks those who show up to do three things for him. Put a small dot on a map showing where they spend their cultural time and then go to an identical map and put down dots showing where you spend their cultural money.
Then Freiburger asks people to go to a very large map of the city and put down stickers on the places they like to go in the city. Lowville Park, put a sticker there, Student Theatre, put another sticker there. Freiburger wants to map points of cultural significance.
Out of all this data collection will come a picture of where people spend their time, where they spend their money and what it is about places they go to that attracts them.
Freiburger will be collecting data at events in each ward, for almost the first time we have seen events take place well north of the QEW divide. It would have been nice to see something in the Alton and Orchard communities. The Sound of Music crowd will be invited to take part in this exercise. If you didn’t get to one of the community events – Sound of Music and the Children’s Festival are good opportunities to take part in the data gathering
The crowd at the Performing Arts Centre heard Edie Friel, the man who put the city of Glasgow on the cultural map and made cultural events the strongest part of the Glaswegian economy by using a model from Azerbaijan to catch people’s attention. Using an Azerbaijani  model to get the attention of people in Glasgow –  – that’s chutzpah!
Friel explained the role culture plays in the development of a city. “People”, he said “don’t go to France, they go to Paris. People don’t go to Italy; they go to Milan or Rome. People go to cities because those cities have created a brand for themselves, a reason to go to that city.”
“When you brand a city you highlight it’s history, its heritage and its culture”, he said. We will come back to those three – they are very relevant to Burlington.
Friel pointed out that “we human beings have a need for membership, we want to belong to something”. That something can be a model railroad club, a photography club, a drama group. People go to things they identify with. There are literally thousands of people in Ontario who want to do nothing more than walk the Bruce Trail.
Most people either know what they want to do with their time and their disposable income or know they are open to a new idea; a new experience. Friel talks of “destination marketing” and he explains that you have to develop the “supply chain”. What does all that mean?
If Burlington is going to attract visitors we have to give them a reason for coming to the city – and those reasons are what he refers to as the supply chain. “Develop the brand” says Friel – “not the artists. When you do that, then people will come and see all the artists.”
 This artists wants to be a little higher up on the food chain - wants people to pay for the work artists do. There was at least one artist in the audience who didn’t see it quite that way. While he had no problem being part of the supply chain he suggested that the artists could be a little higher up on that chain and complained about artists being asked to do their work for free by people who had good jobs running the cultural institutions in the city.
A near perfect example of just that happening is the two events held at the Burlington Art Centre on the weekend. The BAC had invited more than 100 artists to show their work and at the same time has the six Guilds that work out of the BAC showing their work.  The crowds will not be coming to see a specific artist – they will be here looking at artisans and while here get a good look at what the BAC does day to day.
Just what is the Burlington brand? Is Freiburger expected to create a brand for the city? Nope – his job is to put together a plan to market Burlington and its culture – without really knowing what that culture is. THAT is a task and a half. Burlington is certainly festivals. Is it a gathering place for artists? Maybe not yet – but if the Burlington brand is fully developed and exploited the city will become known as the place that always has a festival of some kind going on. If you develop the brand, if you make Burlington a place where people know there are a lot of artists – they will come.
Niagara on the Lake has a very clear brand? Well yes and no. The Shaw Festival takes place there but the Shaw is not the Niagara on the Lake brand. Stratford on the other hand is Shakespeare.
 Besides mapping data participants in the Cultural Conversations were asked to contribute their thoughts and ideas. The city has several events that are part of the brand – the Sound of Music Festival and RibFest – both of which need significant image upgrades. That’s not a criticism – it’s an observation. Burlington types are very edgy when it comes to making any kind of observation about how they are doing. The drama people understand the significant role criticism plays. Good critical comment helps an actor or actress improve their importance.
“A community” advised Friel, “has to believe in itself. You have to decide what the place is going to look like.” Now back to his comment about a community and its history, its heritage and its culture.
Burlington struggles with its history. There is a plaque in the western end of Spencer Smith Park that tells you the Brant Inn once stood there – but it doesn’t tell you very much about the Brant Inn and the very significant cultural events that took place there.
The Burlington Heritage Advisory committee is struggling with a way to get the community to agree on some format to recognize those structures in the city that are of cultural significance. That problem is almost like a festering wound with two sides not seeing the issue the same way.
The Freeman railway station has had to fight and scratch its way to stay alive despite a city council that exhibited truly disgraceful behaviour.   Were it not for the efforts of Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster the structure would be fire place kindling somewhere. It isn’t a completely done deal yet but there is every reason to believe that the structure will be saved and that at some time in the future – maybe before the pier is officially opened – Freeman Station will be open for the public to use.
 Jeremy Freiburger - leading a committee with a mandate to come up with a Cultural Plan for the city. The question that comes out of all this is – how does a city create a cultural plan if it doesn’t have a clear firm sense of what its history is or a civic administration that strives to support and maintain that history? There was a point when Burlington had hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore and find a home for the structure – but the city couldn’t get agreement on where it should be located and the federal/provincial and municipal funding that was in place to do this was lost – it got used to pave some streets instead.
Burlington was once one of the premier locations in the province for fruit farms – that land got turned into shopping malls. Burlington and Maple View malls were once orchards – now they are covered in asphalt and serve as parking lots. The Freeman Station was one of several stations where barrels of apples were loaded into freight trains. There was once a cannery operation at the edge of the lake. Not even a plaque there now to mark a very important part of the city’s history.
Jeremy Freiburger has his work cut out for him. The city is at least looking at how culture can be highlighted and the city turned into a tourist destination. The basic elements are there – all we have to do is bring them to the surface, polish them up and Burlington will be a place to visit and spend some money while they are here.
Is that what this is all about?
We will follow the development of this plan.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 28, 2012 TEDx Burlington came and went – some 100 people plus filled the Community Room of the Performing Arts Centre and then trooped up Locust Street to ThinkSpot! after the three hour event, where they munched on sandwiches and continued the conversation. In a couple of weeks the Burlington ideas worth talking about will be up on the TED web site and those of you who couldn’t score a ticket will be able to see what the rest of us took in. We will let you know when the presentations are available for the rest of the public.
Some very powerful statements were made. There was some difficulty managing the time allotted to each speaker – they were supposed to be limited to 18 minutes and that didn’t work with the one session, to the point where the impact of the point the speaker was making was lost.
The live presentations were interspersed with feeds from some of the really great presentations done in the past by other TEDx’s
TEDx is about ideas that are worth talking about and the story Arthur Fleischmann told of his daughter Carly was amazing – but was it an idea worth talking about? It wasn’t an idea – it was the story of a man and his autistic daughter who has made tremendous strides and as a teenager has come to the point where she can communicate with people like us.  The story is truly magnificent and we will pass it along to you when they have been prepared for internet loading –  it wasn’t an idea that revealed anything to me other than the courage her Father has shown as he walked with his child.
The Josh Nelson story was told – Josh wasn’t able to make it to the live session. Dramatic, tearful, the story of immense personal courage. But was it an idea worth talking about?
Scott Graham told about bullying and the damage done. He mentioned more than half a dozen students who had committed suicide. – the two woman beside me could not hold back the tears. It was very hard to listen to and they didn’t return after the break.
TED was a concept developed to take ideas that people had; ideas worth talking about and give them a public forum.  Two of the ideas that came out of past TED sessions held in other cities are set out for you below.
Both are quite short – one is a great idea about how we can solve a serious problem with getting clean water that people can drink during a crisis when water is available only in plastic bottles. This is something that is really worth talking about. The Mayor was in the room – will he order a dozen or so and have the Emergency Measures Service people try them out? He should.
Derek Sivers told of the way we identify where we live with street addresses and the way the people of Japan describe where they live. It is certainly very different and as you listen to the explanation you realize that it wouldn’t work here but it works there – why?  An idea worth talking about? Yes most certainly.
Of the seven presentations seen Sunday afternoon in an event that was about an hour too long, were any likely to make it onto that list of presentations that will be watched again and again by people around the world?  Other than the comments Patrick O`Neil made about how we in North America tend to use our heads and brains instead of our hearts and maybe the comments Deb Pickfield made about complacency – but other than that – probably not.
One needs to be fair. Spencer Campbell deserves buckets of credit for taking the initiative to bring TED to Burlington and then doing all the calling around and setting up that makes events like this work. It was announced at the first annual TEDxBurlington event – which would suggest there will be another TEDx held in Burlington. Only time will tell if that proves to be the case. Should there be another
An interesting observation. Four times a year the Mayor of Burlington sponsors a speaker – all the seats available are usually filled for hour and a quarter presentation made by very informed, qualified speakers – several with national and international reputations. The crowd that usually attends the Mayor’s Inspire speakers event was not the same crowd that was in the Community Room this afternoon, which suggests there is a larger audience than we have seen in the past for quality events that engage the mind. For that reason alone Spencer Campbell should begin now to prepare for the next session of TEDxBurlington.  Is there a personal Spencer Campbell agenda here? Isn’t there always?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON April 21, 2012 It was her first book reading. She was in Burlington at the Different Drummer to celebrate the launch of her first novel; Rachel’s Secret. The small room at the Drummer was packed with at least a third of the audience made up of people who knew the author but that didn’t deter them from buying books. Many, many people bought three and four copies of Rachel’s Secret by Shelley Sanders.
 Shelley Sanders wait for a book buyer to say what she wants the inscription inside Rachel's Secret to say. Sanders began her presentation with a short visual presentation about the background of the time period the book was written about which made the point she wanted to make. She then stood there looking at her audience and they sat and looked back – this went on for a few minutes and then Sanders moved abruptly and said: Oh, I`m supposed to read from my book now” and began her reading which went just fine.
 New Canadian author Shelley Sanders signs books at Different Drummer launch. Missing her cue made the occasion just that much more real and pleasurable. The book will sell well enough and one should expect to see a second title from this author.
The event had a nice home spun feel to it. The refreshments were made by the author and she explained in some detail what was in each, and one expected her to say that she would pass along the recipe if you wanted it.
Set in pre-revolutionary Russia, where tensions are high between the Jewish and Christian populations. Rachel, who is a Jew, and Sergei, a Christian, find their worlds torn apart by violence as lies about Jews leap off the pages of the local newspaper. Vicious riots break out on Easter Sunday, 1903, and when they finally end, almost three days later, Rachel finds that the person she loves most is dead and that her home has been destroyed. As she struggles to survive the aftermath of the riots—or pogroms—support comes from someone totally unexpected, as Sergei turns against his father to help Rachel. With everything against them, the two young people don’t want to fight the bond that is growing between them, one of the few signs of goodness and hope in a time of chaos and violence.
The basics of the story are factual; there is some novelization needed to ensure this wasn’t just a history book. The editor of the newspaper in the town of Kishinev continually published brutally damaging headlines that built the tension in the community around the murder of a young man is a true and terrible example of the lies that drove much of the anti-Semitic literature that was behind the Nazi ideology. On that level alone the book is a good example for young readers of what vicious propaganda can do to a society.
 It was THE best selling book at the Different Drummer Saturday afternoon when Shelley Sanders launched the book. The grandmother, the story is built around, was Shelley Sanders’ grandmother which is what inspired the author. Her grandmother`s horrific experience may have been what more than 100 years later launched a new Canadian writer.
Ian Elliot, proprietor of A Different Drummer is using the launch of Rachel`s Secret at his book store as the first step in the creation of a Teen Book Club.
The Kirkus review, a literary publication librarians rely upon for reviews of new titles had this to say about the title: “Sanders’ debut has generic prose and occasional anachronisms, but nonetheless adeptly conveys the history, from Mikhail Rybachenko’s real name to the bitter bigotry and bloodbath”, which is not bad for the first effort by a new Canadian novelist.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ONÂ April 19, 2012Â Can you be sustainable and profitable at the same time ?
Some organizations think of sustainability as philanthropy that they can afford when times are good. Leading  companies are investing more into sustainability through the downturn because they have found that sustainability can expose rich veins of cost savings within inefficient buildings, processes and supply chains.
 Is sustainability a nice to have when you can afford it or does it work its way to your bottom line? Chamber Seminar offers some insight. Those companies have also found that the sustainability lens is an effective way to attract talent, appeal to green consumers and play an important part of your brand image improvement.
The Burlington Chamber of Commerce is hosting  a special “Think Sustainable” seminar with James Gray-Donald, Vice-President & Sustainability Leader with Sears Canada, outlining  real-life examples of how sound sustainability practices can improve your company’s bottom line.
There are Burlington businesses that understand how having environmentally sustainable business practices is good for the bottom line.
The seminar is being held at the Waterfront Hotel Downtown Burlington. Registration desk opens at 7:30 a.m. with a full buffet breakfast running from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. The presentation runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and is followed by a question and answer session. The price to attend is $25.00 (+HST) for Chamber members and $35.00 (+HST) for non-members. You must sign up in advance. The event is sponsored by the CMA Certified Management Accountants.
Check in with the Chamber of commerce at www.burlingtonchamber.com/
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ONÂ APRIL 19, 2012Â Sometime over the weekend of March 6th, someone snuck onto the grounds of St Patrick’s Elementary School located at 200 Kenwood Drive and spray painted racist graffiti on the brick walls.
Despite the immediate removal of the graffiti the school was targeted three weeks in a row. Â While the property damage is bad enough, it is the thinking behind the spraying of racists graffiti on a school that is the most troubling.
 School targeted with racist graffiti - three weeks in a row If caught early enough the behaviour can be corrected. If left to fester in the minds of whoever did this – it can lead to things like the trial going on in Norway where a racist individual committed a horrendous crime.
Catch it now before it gets out of hand. The person behaving like a racist learned this behavior somewhere – he or she didn`t pick it up from a doorknob.
 Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON April 12, 2012 Literally hundreds of people continue to register for the Business in Burlington MeetUps that are currently being held at the Waterfront Hotel in Burlington. But no one, not even the man that made it all happen, is really certain where this is all going to go.
It’s clear that the people who take part have decided against organizations like the Chamber of Commerce; they don’t see any value in the $400 membership fee. The Chamber argues that there is a lot of value for that membership fee. We will let the different opinions stand.
James Burchill is delighted with the growth in his membership which has reached more than 1,000 individuals following his grouping. That’s pretty close to what the Chamber has.
 They shouldn't have worked - but they are most certainly working. For how long - no one knows.. Until they no longer serve a purpose says James Burchill. So what’s going on? Why do people want to be part of this and why do they register for MeetUps that are taking place more than two months later? Well they want to be certain they can get in, space at the MeetUps is limited, mostly because the size of the room they use.
Burchill thinks there is more to it than that. “I’m meeting a need. These people have chosen what I have to offer over what organizations like the Chamber offers. Burchill doesn’t have a membership fee and he doesn’t make a dime out of what he has created.
He is also very quick to tell you that when he started this – less than four months ago he “didn’t know what he didn’t know”. This has been like flying in the dark with no instruments and as you listen to Burchill you get the impression he just loves it that way.
“We are all in this together” claims Burchill – he just wants to mobilize people and thinks social media, which means different things to different people, is a tool that can be used. At this point everyone is dipping their toes into social media. The big brand corporations are pretty sure there is something going on out there – but they really don’t know –  have decided to throw some marketing dollars at it anyway.
Burchill is putting time and energy into this because he thinks there is a group of people who want to be part of something – even if they aren’t sure what it is they are becoming a part of. There is no membership, they aren’t asked to be on a committee – it’s all quite loose. And yet every month a couple of hundred people arrive at the same place, spend a couple of hours together and go their own way when it’s over. The cash bar is open but you can walk in and not spend a dime – and throw back some of the nibbles that are set out by the hotel. They love the traffic – they fill a space that is close to empty on a Wednesday between five and seven.
 It's 50% business and 50% social - and that's about all I can tell you, says Burchill Burchill did little to no research on this project. “They shouldn’t have worked he will tell you. They aren’t a “will I manage to make out” evening – even though there is a bit of that evident. Burchill thinks his MeetUps are 50% business and 50% social and behaving like the “benevolent dictator” he describes himself as – he thinks he can guide this in a direction that will become a service to people who aren’t part of any of the mainline social groupings. A MeetUp is certainly not a Rotary meeting, nor is it a country club. There are no rules – you just show up and be who you are.
He does think that in the not too distant future he might be able to offer this crowd services and information that they need and can opt into if they wish. Burchill who has a publishing background thinks the people who attend his events have a need for information but don’t want to spend a fortune on accountants or lawyers.
Take the HST rules – Burchill thinks he could put together a document that would sell for a couple of bucks – would have everything you needed to know without all the “what does this mean” words that the bureaucrats drop into what they write.
Less than the cost of a beer for the report – but something that would produce revenue for Burchill who strives to make the point that he isn’t in partnership with anyone and is not working his way through some grand plan.
There is a vision but it isn’t crystal clear. The vision is being shaped by what he sees from the people that turn up for his events. “There’s something going on here, that much I know” says Burchill. Other than that – he’s just riding the wave and having fun along the way.
Having fun – that could be the vision.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON April 5, 2012  An exceptionally successful fund manager couldn’t decide which she wanted to be when she went to university; a business person or a lawyer. Her Dad asked which she wanted to do: write the cheques or ask for the cheque. I want to write the cheques the woman decided and she became an entrepreneur. Her Father explained that lawyers ask for cheques – business people write cheques.
Burlington lawyer Rick Burgess, a former candidate for the office of Mayor has decided that he just might be able to have it both ways by putting on a seminar for entrepreneurs ” like you”.
Burgess points out that entrepreneurs start their company with a great idea and work  many, long hours to build a successful company.  They have a few successes. They also make costly mistakes that could have been avoided if they had known what the experts Burgess has assembled have known for some time
Burgess believes that time, money and frustration can be saved if you have the right information before you start and he has put together a seminar at which you can gain that valuable insight.
Burgess wants to:
Let our panel of experts and colleagues share with you how to avoid costly, common mistakes entrepreneurs make at different stages in their business. They have seen it before and can help you identify future opportunities so that you are better prepared to meet those challenges.
The panel will discuss:
•             Getting Started Right
•             Managing Growth
•             Preparing for Times of Crisis
•             Planning Your Exit Strategy
Come and join this interactive panel discussion. Learn how to take advantage of the opportunities these milestones create. Turn the unexpected into opportunities with the help of our experts and other entrepreneurs like yourself.
The Panel of Experts includes:
Richard Burgess. BA (Honours), LLB, Burgess Law Office Professional Corporation
Doug Gowman, HBA, CFP, Investment Advisor and Financial Planner, RBC Dominion Securities
Greg Clarke, BCom., CA, Partner SB Partners
Stan Lang, Senior Account Manager, RBC Royal Bank (Halton)
Doug Robbins, President, Robbinex Business Intermediaries
Spaces are limited to 25 attendees per meeting to allow for participation and discussions. Please register early to avoid disappointment. If you have any questions please contact Kristine at 905.523.7510 x217.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ONÂ April 4, 2012Â Prolific, widely honoured publisher, writer and historian Hugh Brewster, an internationally recognized authority on the Titanic, brings us his vivid examination of the people and the ship known to all after the events of April 1912.
On the Centenary of the tragedy, Hugh Brewster visits the Different Drummer Bookstore Engaging Ideas series at the Burlington Central Library on April 16th at 7:00 pm, to discuss his superlative new book, an absorbing document of the passengers’ stories, RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives on a Fatal Voyage.
 Tickets are $10, available at the bookstore and at the third floor Information Desk at the Library.
Brewster has worked closely with Robert D. Ballard, the discoverer of the remains of the Titanic, and has created several acclaimed books about the vessel, for both adults and young readers.
The author has an extraordinary gift for storytelling and for recreating history, both in person and on the page. His other subjects have included Grand Duchess Anastasia, John Singer Sargent, Mozart, and the First World War.
To reserve seats in advance, please contact us at (905) 639 0925 or diffdrum@mac.com.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ONÂ April 2, 2012Â The flyer reproduced below was handed out at the Mayor`s Economic development luncheon last week where a group of students from different Burlington schools listened to an invigorating speaker who buzzed the crowd with a solid presentation of information bombardment.
 Not exactly inclusive or all that "politically correct is it? There was a certain irony to a presentation on information and a flyer that surely gave the wrong information to the audience
The Halton District School Board was one of the sponsors of the event and were entitled to have some of their promotional material put out on the tables in the room. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
We have people from dozens of countries sharing the community with us and while Burlington is, for the most part,  a pretty white community there are many people of colour who have chosen to make Burlington home. They are for the most part quiet and unassuming. We don`t hear a lot from them.
Bringing about a sense of inclusion is not something the private sector is very good at – it is not in their immediate best interests. They don`t avoid changes in the social make up of a community – they just adapt to the change.
The leadership in bringing about more inclusive community has to come from the public sector in its hiring and promotional practices.
The police hire men who wear turbans; the school boards strive to hire teachers who are people of colour who reflect the change taking place in the community.
Thus it was with some surprise and concern that we see a flyer being handed out at an Economic Development luncheon promoting a Pathways program, which in itself appears to be an excellent way to tie the private commercial sector to the educational system. The problem with the flyer was that everyone in the pictures was white – and mostly male. It was as politically incorrect as you can get.
If people of colour and diverse backgrounds do not see themselves in the literature put out by the public sector – it doesn’t take them very long to translate what it means – if you don`t see yourself in the picture it`s because you are not in the picture.
Burlington needs to take another picture.
Sarah O’Hara, a Burlington Mother of two, who is completing a joint Arts Degree/Teaching certificate program at York University, will be our “Critical Consumer” with regular contributions once she has finished her studies this April. A hearty welcome to her. This lady has a keen eye for value.
 By Sarah O`Hara
BURLINGTON, ON March 31, 2012   When a friend sent me an email about a Momstown clothing sale, I thought I’d check it out. Last summer my daughter still fit into the shorts, Capri’s and sundresses from the summer before, although they were much shorter than they were originally. I know I won’t luck out again this year, so I am going to have to buy some new things. My friend Christy’s son is three years older than mine, and she hands down all of his clothes to us. We aren’t fortunate enough, however, to have a close friend or relative with a daughter slightly older and bigger than mine, so we have to shop for my six-year-old, Laura.
I have to admit, I do love to shop. Usually I go from Burlington Mall to Mapleview Mall and buy whatever is cute or on sale or durable – all of these are factors in my decisions on clothing for Laura. However, this year we have a different financial situation in my household, so I have to pay more attention than usual to price tags. Thus, when I found out about the Momstown sale I decided to go.
 The dream view for every Mother shopping for childrens clothing at bargain prices. The email said the first hundred people would get a goody bag. I like to get anything for free so I resolved to be there right at eight o’clock, when the sale began. However, when setting my alarm last night I was hesitant to set it too early. After all, it has been a busy week with six a.m. wakeups – Saturday is my morning to sleep in a bit. Besides, would anyone actually show up to buy used clothing and toys at eight o’clock on a cold Saturday morning?
As luck would have it, my kids woke me up by seven thirty anyway, and by eight o’clock Laura and I were out the door. It’s only a few minutes from our house to the Angelic Treasures Christian Childcare Centre on Mountainside Road where the sale was held. We turned onto the street just after eight and immediately saw cars and minivans being rerouted from the already-full parking lot. I groaned inwardly but was determined to follow through on my aim to be financially smart and buy some decent second hand clothes. After all – how long do kids actually wear their clothes? I have donated outfits that have been worn less than a handful of times. Kids grow – fast. It seems silly to pay full price for clothes that only last one season.
I parked on the street and Laura and I trudged through the still-snowy grass to the back of the Centre, following bright orange signs hung with balloons directing us toward the entrance. As soon as we turned the corner I groaned again – this time out loud. There were at least sixty people queued up at the entrance. Mothers, grandmothers, women with very pregnant bellies, a few men, strollers, toddlers, and women with politely unobtrusive lumps under their jackets obviously concealing babies. We made our way to the end of the line. I spoke to the woman in front of me who told me she is not a member of Momstown, the hosts of the sale, but that she often comes to these types of sales. The woman behind me told me she is from Lindsay and is staying in Burlington with her in-laws for the weekend. She is not a member of Momstown either, but heard about the sale on Kijiji. She often finds out about such sales through the Internet and plans for them when she comes to Burlington, as she said there is very little of this sort of thing in Lindsay.
 This isn't the line up outside the Angelic Treasures Christian Childcare Centre on Mountainside Road but it paints the picture our Critical Consumer, Sarah O'Hara wants to pass along - the line ups were just too long. By this time I counted forty people in front of us and forty behind us. It was ten after eight. Slowly, slowly, the line moved. When we were close to the doorway a Momstown representative came around with a clipboard and ballot entries for a draw. With fingers numbed from the cold I filled out my information and asked her if this type of lineup is usual. She assured me these sales always draw such a crowd. Unfortunately, due to space restrictions, only a few shoppers are allowed into the sale at one time. Laura and I finally gained entrance and were relieved to feel the warm air. However, we were then stuck in a tiny vestibule for about ten minutes. This was both the entrance and the exit, so we were routinely pushed up against the wall while people left with sacks full of goodies from clothing to ride-on toy cars.
One of the people exiting was an old high school friend, Lee-Ann. She stopped to chat for a moment and told me she used to be a member of Momstown, but because she worked she was able to make very few of the scheduled events. She told me the meetings are generally held on week days in the afternoons and because of her hours as a working mother she was never able attend. She felt the group is best for stay-at-home mothers or those still on maternity leave with young babies.
We eventually made it to the table in the lobby where we could choose which draw to put our ballot in. I let Laura pick and she chose an Avon draw. I’m sure the stuffed panda in the basket helped to sway her vote. I paid my Toonie to the volunteer at the desk, and then we lined up again to wait for a certain number of people to leave before we could enter the sale proper. A volunteer told me that to my right was the boys’ clothing, across the hall toys, and through to the left girls’ clothes. After that I could continue through to check out.
In about five minutes, after receiving some signal I was not aware of, the volunteer told us we could go in. Laura and I entered a small room lined with racks of boys’ clothes. They started from 0-6 months, 6 months to a year, and so on. The final rack held clothes for ages five and up – this was the one rack that applied to my family in the crowded room. I rummaged through the hangers of assorted clothes, each marked with a price and the identification number of the seller. The clothing ranged from brand new looking to very well worn. I finally found a pair of camouflage shorts for $2.
 Mothers shopping for clothing. This wasn't a photograph of the Monstown sale - but it's what you run into when there are crowds looking for bargains. We then moved into the toy room. This room had games, books, videos, puzzles, cars and dolls. It also held exersaucers, playpens, bicycles, vibrating “bouncy” chairs and safety gates. The prices ranged from a few dollars to about fifty dollars. I saw a bouncy chair for five dollars sitting right beside one nearly identical for thirty. I am not sure who set the prices but the range didn’t make sense to me. I browsed through a table of toy cars and was surprised to see some broken cars for $3. I saw a large tent-like castle which looked like fun but it was $45 – far more than I would pay for such a toy. The toy room was well organized however, and had many books and toy animals neatly packaged in zippy bags at reasonable prices.
Finally Laura and I entered the room we had come to see – girls’ clothes. Again the racks were organized by age. The racks with clothes for young children were bursting at the seams, while the one we were interested in – age five and up – had very little on it. I managed to find two cute pairs of Capri pants for $2 each.
I spoke briefly with Andrea Kovacs, who told me she owns Momstown Hamilton. Momstown is a franchise. The first one was started right here in Burlington, and now there are twenty chapters nation-wide. She told me the $45 per year membership fee pays for all the events and get-togethers members can enjoy. There are both on- and off-line programme events for members, and each event aims to include six pillars that are fundamental in infant and child development. These include literature, nutrition and fitness, art and music, play and socializing, math, and science. The programme also helps mothers to make connections with others. She further informed me that a recent study by the University of Waterloo confirmed that Momstown plays a distinct role in helping new mothers deal with illness such as post-partum depression. Andrea told me that they had thirty sellers there today, and that sixty per cent of their sellers were not members. They have this sale biannually.
 Momstown seems to be geared to the stay at home Moms with younger children When my children were babies we frequented the Burlington Family Resource Centres. Laura was just two weeks old when we first attended “Calling New Parents,” where I learned all the ins and outs of being a new mother. I met many new mothers there whom I still call friends today. We met at each others’ homes, took our babies on walks and to movies. The Centre grew with our children and we were able to register for programs such as Mother Goose, Creep Crawl and Toddle, and Creative Movement and Arts. There are no fees involved and it is a fantastic network for new parents who want to seek out connections and learn about parenting. I guess the biggest difference from the Early Years Centres and Momstown, besides the fee, is the on-line connection. Momstown also hosts events and field trips (which cost extra on top of your yearly fees).
After speaking with Andrea, Laura and I moved on to pay for our three pairs of pants. Of course we were met with yet another line up. A volunteer took the tags off my clothing and put them in an envelope. Then I moved to another line where a volunteer behind a table totaled my bill and gave me a receipt to take to yet another volunteer, whom I paid. She cheerfully asked me if I got the information for another sale just a few blocks away hosted by BAMOM (Bay Area Mothers of Multiples). I replied just as cheerfully that I did, but inside I was aching for the anonymity of a good old mall where I could walk in and out of stores at my will without having to pay to get in, nor wait in lineups to enter and pay, or collect stacks of flyers and coupons (which is pretty much all my “goody bag” held).
 This lady was NOT at the Momstown sale - her pet would not have put up with the lineups. Don't think she would have either. So I spent six dollars for three items – a very good deal. But it took me an hour, and about forty-five minutes of that was spent in lines or shoulder-to-shoulder with other people. I think I will make my way to Burlington Mall next week and see if I can get good deals for Laura’s summer wardrobe without this hassle. I am all for recycling and up-cycling, and for new mothers I would highly recommend buying second-hand items such as cribs and high chairs. But for me, as the parent of a four- and six-year-old, this was more hassle than it was worth. In the future if I want to buy used items, I will do it from the comfort of my home and shop on Kijiji.
The Burlington Momstown can be found at:Â https://burlington.momstown.ca/
An excellent little shop on Main Street in Milton has no line ups and a very wide range of  slightly used and new clothing at bargain prices. SnailsnPails 221 Main Street East, Milton –  https://www.snailsnpails.com/
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