 By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a 20-year tradition – the Annual Plant Sale at St. Matthews United Church on Plains Road.
They are not about to let a pandemic shut them down.
The event has been re-branded and is now a “Drive-through Plant Sale”
As usual, they will take Pre-orders now, paid for and picked up the first part of May, when the orders will be brought out and put in the trunks for people as they drive up. “Our way of living may have changed, but people will need to be in their gardens by that time for therapy and we at St. Matthews are adaptable. However, due to maintaining distance, this year there won’t be any sales on the day of pickup. You place your order, pay in advance and pick them up” advised Connie Price.
If you don’t have a computer or on-line access drop off your order, with a cheque please, at the Church’s outside Mail-box on dates as shown on the flyer.
Deadline for Orders is April 12th.
The response to the Pre-paid Drive-through hands off Pick-up method has been very positive.
Thank you for sharing or ordering for yourself and stay safe.
 By Staff
April 1st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Someone seems to have forgotten to do a reality check.
The Halton District School Board today released the proposed school calendar for the 2020-2021 academic year.
At the March 25, 2020 Board meeting, trustees of the Halton District School Board approved the proposed calendar dates for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Final approval of the calendar by the Ministry of Education is anticipated later in Spring 2020.
Will there be an academic year? In the event that there is the calendar proposed is set out below.
 The school year calendar is developed with input from the School Year Calendar Committee consisting of representatives from interested and affected groups, including parents/guardians. The 2020-2021 school year calendar is aligned with the Halton Catholic District School Board calendar, to consolidate resources on school bus transportation, which is shared between school boards.
The calendar outlines the Professional Activity days (PA) for staff when schools will be closed to students, as well as school breaks and holidays. The first day of school for the 2020-2021 school year is Tuesday, Sept. 8.
These dates will be provided to schools to be shared with students and parents/guardians, and they are also posted on the Board’s website at www.hdsb.ca (refer to the Calendar on the home page).
The date is April 1st – is this a prank? Apparently not.
 By Pepper Parr
March 31st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The students will be back in school – no later than next week.
Directors of Education from across the province have been in conference calls with the Ministry of Education – classes are to resume.
The Boards are waiting for the last bit of documentation from the province – “We want to be sure we are fully aligned with the province” said Miller.
It will be all electronic and there will be bumps during the first week or so.
 Stuart Miller, Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller, Halton District School Board Director of Education met with all his principals today and will begin meeting with the teachers tomorrow.
And yes they have followed the rules – they know the game.
Much of the communication is being done electronically. Miller does short videos and sends them out to the teachers.
Parents will be getting letters and later in the week Miller will go before the camera again and will talk to the students electronically.
 For most high school students the transition to electronic learning will not be that difficult. There will be exceptions Secondary students will be doing regular classes – they just won’t be in the room with the teacher. The technology is in place and, according to Miller, a lot of teachers are biting at the bit to get back to teaching. Will attendance be taken? probably at the high school level.
It will be a little different at the elementary level – the focus will be on literacy and numbers.
Will parents be in the classroom? They can if they want.
Everyone is going to have to be flexible and patient.
 Elementary students will be challenged – parents will have to be in the room – but with creative teachers at the other end of the internet connection it can work, Miller said that the unions are on side – “everyone realizes this is a different time and a lot of rules are going to get bent. He added that at the same time there are going to be some interesting realizations.
Education is on a new course – the board wants it to work and the parents don’t want the length of time their children are out of the classroom to last much longer.
It will be interesting to see how this works out.
By Staff
March 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the City of Burlington has decided to suspend all City-run spring programs and extend the closure of all recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, sports fields and City administration facilities to the end of June.
During this time, all bookings will be cancelled, and refunds will be given. Organizations and residents are asked to please be patient as refunds may take up to two weeks to process. Questions related to rentals can be sent to rentals@burlington.ca. For registrations, email liveandplay@burington.ca.
This decision, made by the City’s Emergency Control Group, follows the guidance of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health to prepare and plan for the months ahead.
The City of Burlington regularly plans in quarters, including Council’s 4-year strategic workplan, Vision to Focus. We need to make decisions now that affect programming weeks and months out, to provide some certainty to our community and to our many community partners.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward explains that: “This decision is absolutely necessary to protect the health and well-being of our employees and our community, as we plan for the best but prepare for the worst.
“COVID-19 numbers are still rising in our City through community spread. So we must continue to work towards flattening the curve through social and physical distancing and staying home. That means we can’t gather together at recreation facilities, community centres, sports fields and parks.
“We don’t know exactly how long this situation is going to last. By planning ahead, we can redirect resources where most needed, put non-essential projects on hold, and remain agile enough to open things up earlier if the situation changes. And once this is over, we will come together again as a community to celebrate. Let’s each do our part to get through this, healthy and whole.”
We are asking everyone to remember they have a role to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19:
Please continue to keep out of park facilities including
o playgrounds,
o sports fields,
o skate parks,
o dog off-leash areas and
o community gardens.
o If you need some fresh air and activity, it’s okay to walk, cycle or jog through our parks, but please do not linger.
o Stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from everyone else in the park or on a trail.
o Please take your waste home with you to dispose of it.
During this extended closure we will continue to maintain our essential services and those services that provide direct support to keep our residents and staff safe. These include areas such as Burlington Fire, Burlington Transit including Handi-Van, Traffic Services, ByLaw Enforcement, Roads, Parks and Forestry Operations, Building Inspections and Service Burlington.
With this announcement the administration wants to assure residents that the business of the City will continue during this critical time.
“Our staff that are able, are continuing to work from home to maintain City services such as Community Planning, City Capital Works and various Corporate Services. During this unprecedented time, we are continually looking at ways for us to work more efficiently and to use taxpayer dollars wisely. We have already put in place spending restraints on all non-essential purchases during this time and will look to utilize our staff where we can instead of outsourcing.
“The majority of the City’s expenditures is paying our hard-working employees and we must continue to ensure we have the staff needed to get us through these challenging times. This means we will maintain our full-time staff workforce. They will continue to work remotely during this period or be redeployed where possible into essential service areas. We are also aware of other organizations that may need assistance, like the Region of Halton, where we may be able to redeploy staff.
“For our part-time staff, we will look at various options including evaluating government assistance programs being offered by the provincial and federal governments.
“Once we have looked at options for our staff, as a last resort we will also consider layoffs as required.
“We also know we’re not going to be back to 100 per cent on Day 1 after this pandemic has ended. We have to set the expectations for ourselves as a City and the public that it won’t be business as usual the first day we’re back from this. However, having plans in place for the next three months means we’ll be able to get back on our feet, operating at 100 per cent again that much sooner.
“This situation is evolving every hour and we are continually monitoring. The City of Burlington will continue to keep you informed.
 Tim Commisso, City Manager Tim Commisso, City Manager adds that “Over the last few weeks our focus and priority has been on dealing with the immediate impacts of COVID-19 which has included meeting daily and taking specific actions based on analysis of virus spread and in partnership with public health.
“Clearly, we now need to look ahead and make decisions that are in best interests of our community and staff. We still need to do all we can to prevent the spread of the virus and continue to deliver our essential services in addition to providing certainty and stability for the next several months. We remain committed to strong financial management and ensuing we have adequate resources to meet this challenge.”
 By Staff
March 26th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The scheduled Burlington Transit Users’ Forum, has been postponed.
 No new date has been set, Bfast will examine holding the Forum this Fall when the picture becomes more clear with regard to the COVID-19 virus.
 Doug Brown in his happy camper mode. In a statement released Wednesday, Doug Brown said: “This postponement is a disappointment to all of us, but we at BFAST will continue to make submissions to City Council and staff to promote continuing improvements to a transit system that was making excellent progress in providing better service and significantly increasing ridership before the virus hit.
Brown said: “We see three major issues for transit on the agenda now. The first is to ensure that our City Council continues to support improvements to the system.
“The second is to make Council aware that, while we support the City’s efforts to develop a Climate Action Plan, its current approach will worsen traffic congestion and not achieve the admirable goals it sets forth.
“The third is to participate in the development of the City’s Integrated Mobility Program. To this end, we have been meeting regularly with City staff to help ensure the Plan points us toward a transit-oriented future.
“Despite our disappointment in postponing the Transit Users’ Forum, we are excited and optimistic about the medium-term prospects for transit in Burlington and look forward to continued progress.”
 By Staff
March 21st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The public has not paid enough attention to the requirement to maintain a social distance between people they come into contact with.
Conservation Halton made the decision to close all parks indefinitely as of March 22nd.
 Made for pleasant outdoor walks – people using the park on Saturday did not stay far enough apart. This social distance stuff is serious. On March 13, we reduced staff in our parks and gatehouses, cancelled all programming and closed some of our parks, while leaving others open for people to engage in passive recreation. We also suspended our regular fees and encouraged visitors to pay what they can. The parks were still served by Park Rangers and other park operations staff with no direct contact with customers. They were monitoring conditions, parking, and visitor safety for adherence to social distancing related to COVID-19.
Our parks were extremely busy on Saturday March 21 with a spike in hiking visits from 12pm onward. Although many of our visitors have respected social distancing, our Rangers observed and reported concerns with crowding in some areas, parking lot capacity and illegal parking, and people entering areas that are marked as closed.
 Now closed o the public Considering these challenges, all Conservation Halton parks will remain closed indefinitely. These include Kelso, Mountsberg, Crawford Lake, Rattlesnake Point, Hilton Falls and Robert Edmondson Conservation Areas. All sites will be monitored for illegal access and trespassers will be charged.
“These are extraordinary times and we are not in a position to use staff resources to manage non-compliance with park rules or control crowding proactively. Our collective response to COVID-19 has to be all or nothing when it comes to social distancing.” said Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer.
 People were not staying far enough apart on Saturday – trail now closed. “Unfortunately, while most people have been very responsible, some have demonstrated a complete disregard for the health advice we must all follow. This leaves us no choice but to close the parks indefinitely. We can not risk the safety of any member of our staff or the broader community.”
“For parents with children at home, Conservation Halton has prepared some online resources to support learning about nature without leaving your home. You can find them on our website at conservationhalton.ca/nature-home-learning-resources.”
Important related news story:
Why is social distance important?
By Staff
March 21, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 St. Matthews-on-the-Plains Church, through a Partnering Aldershot, helping our neighbours have food initiative, are trying to make it easy for people to donate food safely without personal contact, while helping to keep the Aldershot food distribution agencies’ shelves from being completely depleted.
 At St. Matthew’s driveway drop-off, there is also a list of needed items and a chart of a lot of the places in Burlington where those in need can get food. All the agencies have instituted ‘safe distance’ policies.
There has also been a group of volunteers formed, who are willing to deliver Food Hampers from the Aldershot distribution agencies to the front door of those in need and who can’t or shouldn’t go out.
Aldershot is a true ‘village’ pulling together to help each other.
 By Pepper Parr
March 20, 2020 – 6:06am
BURLINGTON, ON
One of the people we turn to for advice and comment on the work we do each day commented that all the articles on COVID-19 are making the Gazette look like wallpaper – it’s all the same.
And it does look that way today.
History will tell us that this virus, like 9/11, will have changed the world as we have known it. The outcome of what is really a war against a disease is one we have to win and one we can win if we use the brains and skills we have and the discipline we must develop.
 We will get through this by helping each other.
The Gazette is developing a series Coping with COVID-19 & the kids.
A couple of times each week we will publish articles on what parents are doing to continue raising their children under very trying circumstances.
A number of parents are working with us to talk about ideas they will be using to care for their children for what is probably going to be longer than they realize.
 Ashley Worobec with her New York Marathon bib number. Ashley Worobec, the chiropractor who runs and completes marathons is the mother of two; an 11 year old son and an 8 year old daughter. .
Amber Rohol, the brains behind the Active Parents website and the mother of two 11 year old girls will be joined by Nicki Rivers, a teacher at a private school and the mother of two children.
The objective is to have these three women along with members of the Gazette Advisory group prime the pump as it were – sending ideas out and receiving ideas from other parents.
This is ideally a two way flow with parents building on the ideas that come in.
Where should we start? Baking – get the kids into the kitchen and make cookies or bread. When I was raising my daughter I had to make a cake for a Girl Guide meeting. I used a cake mix but something didn’t work out all that well – the middle was mushy.
 I didn’t panic – I just got creative – scooped out the mushy middle and filled the center with jelly beans. My daughter was delighted – she wouldn’t be embarrassed – one parent asked me for the recipe.
 We expect to have the editorial feature up and running in a day or two.
The team behind this will not be meeting – it will be viral – with lots of telephone calls and emails. Be part of what we are setting out to do.
By Staff
March 18th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Decisions are being made in the community that give us some sense as to what we might be in for as we struggle to deal with COVID19.
 Most of the “ribbers” may decide to just give up on this season due to COVID19 The chief medical officer of health for Ontario has recommending the immediate suspension of all large events and public gatherings due to COVID-19.
The Oakville Family Ribfest was not scheduled until the end of June 2020 – more than 90 days away.
 A crowd like this isn’t going to be permitted this summer. No word yet from the Sound of Music on what their plans are. The Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar, announced today that the event will be postponed until June of 2021
The health and safety of all the families in our community are our top priority. Strong measures are required to manage the transmission of this virus and the timeline required to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 in Ontario will be prolonged so we believe it is prudent to take this preventative action.
There is much that we do not know about this virus – the biggest over-riding concern may well be how much we have to adapt to cope.
No word on the Burlington Ribfest or the Sound of Music.
By Staff
March 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington has joined with other community organizations in an effort, led by the City of Burlington, to protect the health of our community by suspending all of our programs and services and closing our facility beginning Saturday, March 14, for a minimum of three weeks.
 The seven day a week operation ends during the shutdown of everything in the city. Although we know this will be an inconvenience to many and a burden to some, we are proud and determined to do everything we possibly can in response to the challenge of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Please rest assured that we will happily provide full refunds for all of the camps, courses, tours, venue rentals, and other paid services that will be impacted by this closure, although we request your patience due to the large number of clients involved.
We will be posting all updates on our website, and a staff member will be available by telephone from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday, until the gallery reopens.
 Guilds will not be able to meet at the Gallery To our colleagues in the Guilds of Arts Burlington and to our many volunteers, we regret that we will not be able to offer any use of the facility during this closure, and we also regret that all of the work we have planned together with you must be postponed throughout this time, but we ask you to please be in touch with us if you require our assistance.
At this time we are working to review and revise our plans for our programs and services, and we look forward to welcoming the whole community back into the Gallery as soon as we are able.
We are very grateful to our friends at the City of Burlington for their leadership under extraordinary circumstances, and we harbour no doubt whatsoever that together we are doing the right thing for this community.
With Hope and Confidence,
By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
After first deciding to keep the doors open the Burlington Performing Arts Centre will be following the guidelines recommended by our provincial, municipal, and cultural partners to suspend all Main Theatre events and regular box office hours of operation until Monday, April 6th.
 Main Theater closed – Community Theater will be open. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is recommending the immediate suspension of all large events and public gatherings of over 250 people due to COVID-19. The Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) is encouraging venues to temporarily suspend ‘final ticket sale’ policies and asking patrons who may be feeling ill to stay home. Our partners at the City of Burlington have elected to close facilities and cancel services for a 3-week period.
In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, BPAC will be suspending all events in the Main Theatre for the remainder of our 19/20 Presents season, and all rental events in the Main Theatre, as well as regular box office operations, until Monday, April 6th. The box office will continue to operate through phone and email communication.
The following upcoming events have been cancelled:
• Bay City Rollers – TUE MAR 17
• May The Force Be With You – THU APR 2
• The Dreamboats – FRI APR 3
• Burlington Teen Tour Band – SUN APR 5
• Cirque Eloize: Hotel – FRI APR 10 & SAT APR 11
Tickets purchased online for these events will receive automatic refunds online. Tickets purchased by visiting the BPAC Box Office in person or over the phone will be refunded by Box Office staff.
Performances in our 160-seat Community Studio Theatre will go ahead as scheduled as we continue to assess the situation on a daily basis. The Box Office and Lobby will be open 1-hour prior to the following events:
• Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost – TUE MAR 17, 7:30pm
• Kevin Fox: Songs for Cello & Voice – SAT MAR 21, 7:30pm
• Elise LeGrow – SUN MAR 22, 7pm
If you have recently traveled or if you feel any symptoms of a cold or flu, we ask that you do not attend. Please stay at home and contact the Box Office for a full refund.
The safety and comfort of our patrons, volunteers, artists, and staff are of utmost importance. We are making sure that our staff and volunteers are well aware of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, we are installing hand sanitizing stations at our entrances, and focusing on keeping our venue clean and sanitary. Even so, we assure all patrons that nobody will be expected to attend these events if you are not comfortable to do so, and a full refund will be issued to you.
Box Office Information
Phone: 905.681.6000
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust Street,
Burlington, ON, L7S 1T7
By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton has made the difficult but necessary decision to close a number of their park operations.
Conservation Halton Administration’s Office will be closed to the public but will continue to operate through phone and email communications. We will also continue to receive deliveries and accept well water samples.
Mountsberg will be closed and Maple Town, as a result, will also be closed for the remainder of the season.
 The walkway will be closed at Crawford lake. Crawford Lake will be open, with trail access, but the Longhouse Village will be closed for the immediate future and Sweet Water Season will be closed for the remainder of the season.
You will be able to walk the trail Rattlesnake Point, Hilton Falls, Mount Nemo and Robert Edmondson will remain open, with trail access, but facilities, such as visitor centres, indoor washrooms, gift shops and food services, will be closed for the immediate future, so visitors are encouraged to plan ahead.
Glen Eden will be closed for the remainder of the season.
“We understand the importance of access to nature for community health and wellness, so we have worked to keep as many of the trails as possible open for public access,” said Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer. “With so many of our industry partners closing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we feel it is our responsibility to support these efforts.”
“Conservation Halton will look to reassess park operations on April 6.”
You can find more information and updates on park closures at conservationhalton.ca
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton announced this morning that the Tap a Tree event that was scheduled for today, March 13, at the Mountsberg Conservation Area has been cancelled.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Aeris Körper Contemporary Dance company is looking for four choreographers to participate in their spring edition of ‘PROSPECTS: an evening of dance and discussion.
 The theme for the night is Social Justice with dance and movement performers focusing on equality, privilege, society and human rights.
Applications are being accepted for two works from Burlington-based artists and an additional two from artists outside of the city. Artists of colour, those living with disabilities, new Canadians, and new generation artists 18 to 30 years of age are encouraged to apply.
As a works-in-progress platform, ‘PROSPECTIVES’ provides artists, with a variety of performance experience, an opportunity to refine their 15-minute productions and receive post-performance input from the audience.
Performances can be inside or outside with artists being encouraged to create unique seating arrangements for audience members.
Applications due by April 9, 2020 will be judged by a jury composed of choreographers who previously performed at ‘PROSPECTS’ events. Applicants requiring help completing their submissions can contact Mikaela Demers at producer@aeriskorper.com or 647-876-7159.
 Successful choreographers will present their pieces the evening of Saturday June 20, 2020 at The Burlington Student Theatre and receive an honorarium.
Aeris Kőrper, a contemporary-based dance company, produces live performances, hosts community platforms, and leads accessible movement workshops in Burlington, Hamilton, and across the Greater Toronto Area.
By Staff
March 12th, 2029
BURLINGTON, ON
With the COVID-19 situation, the City of Burlington will be offering full refunds for Recreation facilities and program registrations (including March Break programs) without any administration charge.
 Some planned events might be cancelled. For facility rentals: organizations and residents with upcoming rentals may cancel or rebook at a future date (pending availability) with no penalty. Please contact rentals@burlington.ca.
For registrations, including March Break programs: to withdraw from an upcoming course without penalty, or to withdraw from a course in progress to receive a prorated refund, please email liveandplay@burlington.ca or visit us during customer service hours.
If you have more questions about cancellations, please reach us at rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738.
By Staff
March 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Minister of Education has issued a Ministerial Order to close all publicly funded schools in Ontario for two weeks following March break, in response to the emergence in Ontario of COVID-19.
This order was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
This means that Ontario schools have been ordered to remain closed from March 14 through to April 5, 2020.
 Classroom to remain empty for two weeks after Spring Break The Cineplex movie theatre chain and the Burlington Performing Arts Centre have said they will continue to operate.
The National Hockey League has shut down for the balance of the season.
There are mixed message here which is the last thing we need.
By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
In the summer the Tottering Biped Theatre (TBT) creates contemporary, highly physical interpretations of Shakespeare. Since 2016, TBT has presented original takes on Shakespeare at the beautiful Rock Gardens of the Royal Botanical Gardens.
 The cool of a summer evening at the RBG Rock Garden watching a Shakespeare production. The team descends on the Gardens each August to present the contemporary issues they care about with flair to the words of the immortal Bard, marrying the traditional with the issues of today to inspire reflection, new perspectives, and change.
Founded in 2009 as a social justice inspired Theatre Company, they devise contemporary pieces through a workshop process spanning several years to create highly physical works of artistic excellence during the Fall/Winter.
They define their mandate as promoting conscious evolution through Theatre, emphasizing themes of social justice; their works have addressed poverty, Israeli-Palestinian relations, same sex marriage, violence against women, and mental health.
Unfortunately, the RBG has decided not to present the TBT work again after four years of collaboration and despite having the largest audience yet in 2019, so TBT found a new home it will be Shakespeare at the Castle – Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario.
“There are some things about this change that are incredibly exciting”, said Trevor Copp, Director of TBT. “This shift will radically improve our accessibility. We have always wanted to offer ‘pay what you can’ tickets, but the RBG dictated ticket prices, making this impossible.
 Dundurn Castle will be the new home for the Shakespeare program – more space is one of the advantages. With Shakespeare at the Castle, we will finally be able to make all tickets ‘pay what you can’ so that more people can get in and get their Shakespeare on!
“We will also now be much closer to downtown Hamilton at a location that is much more accessible by public transportation, again allowing more people to enjoy our shows and receive the benefits of the arts.
“We will also now have more artistic control over the work and be able to fully embrace our own Hamilton aesthetic while pursuing our goal of getting living wages into the hands of emerging professional artists in our area.”
 Trevor Copp watching a rehearsal. Trevor Copp has put a brave face on a terribly disappointing decision on the part of RBG. They are going to need some help to make this work.
For those who love Shakespeare and delight in the spin that TBT gives some of the memorable productions; you will see them again – this time with a Hamilton-centric spin, no doubt.
Copps set out the situation is crystal clear language: What We Need & What You Get.
“If we can raise the money to pay our artists this year, we can save the money we raise in ticket sales and put that towards next year’s budget. So, if we can get this money together one time, we will be able to sustainably carry on this project in subsequent seasons.”
“You can help make the transformation possible – Contribute here!
“Our goal is to make this a legacy series for Hamilton and the surrounding region, and this is the make or break year that will decide if that happens.
 Rehearsals for the Merchant of Venice “No amount is too small. Please consider contributing to this fantastic project!
 Michael Harrigan in Merchant of Venice – rehearsal This isn’t just about money. TBT’s take on Mid-summer Night’s Dream was something you will never see again.
Their production of Romeo and Juliet was different yet superb. They did Macbeth and Twelfth Night as well. Nothing shabby about any of them. This was theatre worth watching.
Keep an eye on how they are doing financially – and get on the band wagon.
Got Your Back $10-$99):
A social media shout out for the love! You logged in, filled it all out, and did what you could! It makes such a difference to us!
Patron Sponsor ($100-$499):
Recognition by name on our website and in our Shakespeare at the Castle programs.
Bronze Sponsor ($500-$999):
Above benefits + A poster signed by the cast and a full cast/crew “Thank You” photo
Silver Sponsor ($1K -$2.4K):
Above benefits + Pair of tickets for our dress rehearsal and Q&A talkback and photo op with the cast and director of Shakespeare at the Castle.
Gold Sponsor ($2.5K-$4.9K):
All above benefits +
– If you want to be the slick silent partner type, you get a coffee with one of our cast members before the show to learn about their experience and ask any questions you want!
OR
– If you want to shout it out, a 3-foot sign with your name or company name/logo will be displayed at the Dundurn Castle performances throughout the run + a quarter-page ad or your personal message/dedication in our program.
Platinum Sponsor ($5K-$9.9K):
How do you tell these actors that you want them to be on the stage next summer and for years after? Do something now.Contribute
By Staff
March 3, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Taxes is one of those inevitables.
 Even if you don’t owe any money to the government – you have to file a tax return in order to get the benefits that are available to low income people.
The tax forms do not get any easier.
There is help available.
Burlington MP Karina Gould, who is also the Minister of International Development, has arranged for tax experts to meet with anyone who needs help with completing and filing their income tax return.
 By Staff
March 2, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Signs of spring in our garden announced Leslie Bullock earlier today.
She wouldn’t stretch the truth.
Could it be?
Maybe no more drifting snow?
By Pepper Parr
March 2, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The tone of things related to transit has certainly changed in Burlington.
 Bfast, Burlington’s for Accessible, Sustainable Transit, an organization that struggled for years to get something, anything, in the way of traction at city hall on transit.
Elections are amazing things; Burlington now has a transit friendly council and a Director of Transit who has turned that organization into one that actually wants to see more buses on the streets.
While the event is several months away Bfast has announced the sixth annual Forum on Saturday, May 9, 2020, from 9:15-11:45am at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre.
It should be a celebration of what has been achieved in a short period of time and then take a hard look at the direction the city will go in.
 A typical Bfast meeting. Electric is front and centre in the minds of Bfast and city council. The issue is when and where is the money going to come from. Electric buses are expensive and the critical charging stations come in at a Million dollars each – and just one isn’t going to cut it.
Council recently held a workshop on transit and learned about what the future of electric is going to look like. Exciting times ahead for sure.
Doug Brown, Chair, BFAST Steering Committee might well levitate when he calls the meeting to order. Note the date: May 9th.
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