 By Staff
March 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Two child behavourial experts will be providing a free parent presentation titled, Looking Beyond the Behaviour, on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in Burlington to teach parents/guardians strategies to help children develop emotional strength.
The event is being presented by Community & Parent Partners for Kids (C.A.P.P. for KIDS), and will run from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at New St. Education Centre (3250 New St., Burlington). There will be community displays from 6:45-7 p.m.
Sonia Holden and Charmaine Williams will be the presenters.
Holden has more than 19 years of experience working with children of all ages and developmental abilities; she coaches and teaches strategies to support emotional development in children.
Williams has more than more than 17 years of experience in social services as a consultant and parenting coach. She has worked with children of all ages and teaches best practices in child development and emotional regulation.
Admission is free but donations toward future speakers will be gratefully appreciated.
C.A.P.P. for Kids is a partnership between Halton Region, Halton District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK), Our Kids Network, Halton Regional Police Service, Ontario Early Years, Burlington Public Library, City of Burlington, and the Halton Multicultural Council.
 By Staff
March 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bullying!
It still happens.
And it can do tremendous lifelong damage.
There are instances of suicide as a result of bullying.
 It is a different world out there today that has parents looking for any opportunity to educate their children and develop more civil forms of behaviour in the school yards and public playgrounds.
Parents from Lester B. Pearson high school have partnered with Sir Earnest MacMillan elementary school for a program that has the delivery of an address at each school then an evening program at Pearson featuring players from the Toronto Argonauts and some of their cheer leaders.
It is described as a very strong presentation that is aimed at both parents and their children.
Takes place April 10th.
By Staff
March 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you are in the apartment rental market – you know how tight it is in Burlington.
If you’re exploring housing options for yourself or an aging family member you learn, sometimes much to your surprise, just what you are up against.
There are many options in Burlington – many of them very expensive.
On Monday, April 10, from 2-8 p.m. at the Holiday Inn there is an event dedicated to helping seniors determine the next place they’ll call home.
 There is surprising little housing that really accommodates the needs of seniors – Burlington’s need to intensify and build up doesn’t allow for this type of housing. Aging in place has been a favourite phrase for the Mayor. Figuring out how to downsize to a smaller home or move to a retirement residence can be complex – the event being is being hosted by Amal Helbah-Dawson (Financial Planner, Investment and Retirement Planning, RBC Royal Bank) and Marion Goard (Sales Representative, Senior Real Estate Specialist and Master Accredited Senior Agent at Keller Williams Edge Realty Brokerage).
 A dream of a picture – is it a reality for any of the seniors? High rise – even if just six story see,s to be what is going to be available. They have brought in more than 20 local representatives on hand ready to chat about: Burlington retirement residences, innovative housing options such as Home Share and garden suites, how to make a move easier, various services that support aging in place plus information on how to generate income from your investment savings and protecting your wealth.
Goard points out that “As we age there will come a time when the question arises – should I stay in my home or is it time for a change? Just the thought of a change can be overwhelming for some so the subject is often avoided until a crisis arises. My hope is that by offering information in this format it will be easier for seniors to explore their options and meet others who can help.”
Donations to Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga will be accepted at the event. The Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre is located at 3063 S Service Road in Burlington.
There is a web site (www.seniorsinburlington.ca) with more information – you can also register by calling (289) 208-1000.
 By Pepper Parr
March 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Growing an economy is not easy.
Almost every second word that comes out of the mouths of the elected set is about creating jobs. The jobs are created by the owners of those small to medium sized business operations that take the risks and create wealth – which the politicians can then tax. Yes, that is being a little cynical.
 Region holds Job Fair at Burlington Convention Centre But jobs – good jobs is the issue. The Regional government does a good job of creating an event where the employers and job seekers can meet in the same place and look each other over.
The Region, in their announcement of the job fair to take place on Wednesday, April 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Burlington Convention Centre point out that there will be more than 70 local employers looking for talent.
Bring your resumes is the word they put out to the job seekers,
In the past the Region has provided services to more than 8,000 job seekers and over 200 employers each year with more than 250 direct placement matches.
Employers from the technology, manufacturing, government, retail and hospitality sectors take part.
The Region works with Employment Ontario and Employment Halton offering resources, one-on-one job search support, pointing employers to training incentives as well as operating an online job board at haltonjobs.ca They direct people to apprenticeship opportunities and programs such as Second Career, which provides assistance to participants as they retrain for a new career.
Employment Halton has two locations and hours of operation that are geared ti people looking for work.
Oakville Location: 2441 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON L6L 5V5, Canada Unit 16
Hours of Operation:
- Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month they offer extended office hours until 7 p.m.
Milton Employment Resource Centre (470 Bronte Street South)
Hours of Operation:
- Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bfast, Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit, perhaps the most effective citizens voice in the city, has been holding annual events that review the state of public transit and gives people an opportunity to voice their views – and voice them they do.
April 1st Bfast will be holding their third conference in what is billed as a Transit Users’ Forum will grade the performance of the system through the second annual transit report card.
 User voting will determine the results of this year’s report card, an initiative that was promised several years ago at city council but never implemented.
Burlington Transit staff are slated to make a presentation to the forum on the upcoming Integrated Mobility Plan that will help guide the direction of the system. Using interactive technology, staff will conduct an instant poll of transit users that will help shape the conclusions of the study, mandated in December by Burlington’s city council.
 City manager James Ridge on the right with the former Director of Transit listening intently. Transit staff were missing in action during the first conference; the city manager attended the second conference with the Director of Transit sitting beside him. Several months later the then Director of Transit departed for an easier working climate.
“Burlington Transit is reaching out to its users, and we are more than pleased that the opinions of the people who use the system will be a part of the Integrated Mobility Plan,” said Doug Brown, chair of Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST). “We find it very encouraging that the staff of Burlington Transit want to engage users in the process of establishing a system that will better serve our community.
 Seniors discussing what transit hasn’t been doing for them – the third annual conference will give them an opportunity to comment directly to transit staff who will be attending. “For too long, transit users have lived with continuing cutbacks which have hurt our city. We welcome the opening of a dialogue about the growth of transit, the major component of a greener transportation system in Burlington.”
BFAST is taking the lead in organizing the forum, which has thus far been endorsed by 10 community organizations, including:
· Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council,
· BFAST,
· The Burlington Gazette,
· Burlington Green,
· Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee,
· Canadian Federation of University Women Burlington,
· Community Development Halton,
· Halton Environmental Network,
· Poverty Free Halton, and
· Voices for Change Halton.
As in the past, users will have the opportunity to discuss system-related topics in detail in smaller breakout groups that will cover the needs of seniors, commuters, the disabled, underserved northeast Burlington and the system in general.
Organizers are looking forward to another large turnout for the meeting, which begins at 10:00 am April 1 at the Burlington Central Library. Last year, nearly 100 people attended the forum. Doors will open at 9:30, when a free continental breakfast will be offered.
Mayor Rick Goldring addressed last year’s forum and has been invited to do so again. Will he take the bus to the event?
Members of city council and area MPs and MPPs have also been invited.
The conference will wrap up at 12:30.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is following a snow and wind storm that is forecasted for this area. The snow has started falling and is expected to be heaviest between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14.
In this type of extreme winter weather, the city considers closing city buildings that may include City Hall, pools, arenas and community centres.
At this time, all early bird swims and early program rentals have been offered the option to cancel their bookings.
All city facilities running March Break programs will open at 8 a.m. for drop-off and other facilities will open at the regular scheduled time.
The Gazette will follow the storm as it approaches the city.
At 4|:00 pm this afternoon
Weather conditions continue to be monitored.
Salters are currently out across the city.
Snow plows are ready to go once accumulations reach 5 cm on primary roads.
Please assist our operators by removing vehicles from the road during winter operations.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is accepting nominations for its 2017 Hall of Fame Inductee.
 Bob Missen, 2016 inductee into the Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame. Missen joined Gordie Tapp (2013), Rainer Noack (2014), Lawrence Bonanno and Stewart Laughton (2015) Established in 2013, The Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the performing arts in Burlington. Recipients of this award demonstrate the diversity of artistic accomplishment that comprises the rich cultural tapestry of the City of Burlington. The Hall of Fame Inductee will be announced at the 2017/2018 Season Launch event held at The Centre on Tuesday, May 17.
Nomination applications must be submitted by noon on Monday, April 10th, 2017. The nomination form can be downloaded from The Centre’s website.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre recognizes individual and group artists contribution to Burlington’s reputation as a city with a strong, long-term commitment to the development of cultural excellence.
The Centre’s Interim Executive Director, Brian McCurdy notes, “Year after year, we receive so many nominations for individuals who have made an impact through their work within or for the performing arts in our Community. It is a statement about the community as a whole and the overall commitment to Arts & Culture that we receive so many quality nominations.”
McCurdy went on to say, “This is a meaningful way to recognize those who have distinguished themselves by making the performing arts a part of our lives in a significant way.”
Hall of Fame Inductees include Gordie Tapp (2013), Rainer Noack (2014), Lawrence Bonanno (2015) and Stewart Laughton (2015) and Bob Missen (2016)
 By Staff
March 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The BSCI, which is the Burlington Seniors Community Inc. has announced a meeting, there first we believe since they were unceremoniously turfed from the Seniors’ Centre a number of months ago.
 The locks on the door to the room they called their board room were reported to have been changed.
The Gazette has been told that the association did manage to take the cash they had in the bank with them – a reported $200,000
Getting a statement from Fred Hendriks, President of the Burlington Seniors Community has been impossible.
The organization is going to hold a meeting to talk about how they are going to move forward.
The meeting is to take place at the Library on Tuesday, March 28th: 10:00 am to noon.
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Rivers looks at print media from time to time – he prefers the electronic format for the immediacy it gives him and the ability to link what he writes to solid background material, Our ace columnist Ray Rivers has become a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, sometimes called the Centre for Investigative Journalism and plans on attending one of Premier Wynn’s media Roundtables being held for regional media to discuss Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan and how it benefits communities across the province on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
River cover politics for the Gazette – he’s been doing that for five years now.
Members of the media able to attend in person are asked to arrive at the Premier’s Office at 4:45 p.m. Those unable to attend are invited to call in.
 In his spare time Rivers like to play the guitar and enjoy the Goodness of Guinness. Rivers will be on deck Wednesday afternoon when he and a herd of other media will meet with the Premier as she explains what she plans to do to get her government past the post on the June 2018 provincial election
 By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The 21st session of the International Women’s Day Breakfast hosted by former Burlington MP Paddy featured newly appointed Senator Kim Pate.
She gave the room of women an eyeful when she talked about the criminal justice system and how it treats women.
 Paul Hensall gave Senator one of the Convo Plates his Foundation created to keep a conversation about mental health going. Pate was the Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society for more than 35 years. She was instrumental in and widely credited as the driving force behind the Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, headed by Justice Louise Arbour. During the Inquiry, she supported women as they aired their experiences and was a critical resource and witness in the Inquiry itself.
It was no surprise then that Senator Pate chose to get very specific about what the federal government does and doesn’t do with and to women who are in conflict with the law.
Pate told the audience of influential Burlington women and representative students from almost every high school in the city, that it costs the federal government $348,000 to keep a woman in prison for one year.
She told the audience that the federal government spent more than $2 million transporting Ashley Smith from prison to prison before the young women ended her life in her cell while prison guards stood outside the cell door.
Ashley Smith was sent to prison for throwing stones at a postal worker. Her time in federal penitentiaries did not go well – she was a discipline problem and the time she had to remain in prison kept getting longer and longer.
The Ashley Smith case is one of those tragic embarrassments for which no one was held accountable.
 There was a long line up at the registration desk – for many high school students it was their first major event where they were celebrated as young women. Accountability is big with Senator Pate – but she takes it much further than most and preaches that society as a whole is accountable for how we handle those people who come into conflict with the judicial system. She does not pull her punches and being soft is just not her manner. She differentiates between being soft on those who are responsible and being compassionate to those who need help.
Pate asked her audience – why does any of this matter to Burlington and replied to the question saying it is in our best interest.
Before she started her talk Senator Pate encouraged her audience to ask questions – interrupt me if you have a question. Clearly the Senator had not been to Burlington before – that isn’t the way we Burlingtonians behave. We choose to be polite – which some describe as our complacency – after all there is no serious criminal element in the city.
 It was the safest room in the city – four female police officers shared the table with four high school students. Pate pointed out later in her talk that she is in pretty consistent touch with five people in Burlington who are on the wrong side of the bars. A Gazette reader mentioned to us a few days after the talk that they were working with a young man who is serving a prison sentence.
More than 88% of the women in prison are there because of poverty issues – they cannot sustain themselves and are not able to get away from relationships that are abusive.
Pate is a strong advocate of a living wage being paid to very person in Canada.
The two groups of people most as risk and who end up being tangled with the courts are women and students. At the root of all their problems is the matter of poverty.
“You will be changing that” Pate told her audience.
More than forty years ago in Dauphin, Manitoba residents were selected to be subjects in a project that ensured basic annual incomes for everyone. For five years, monthly cheques were delivered to the poorest residents of Dauphin, Man. – no strings attached.
And for five years, poverty was completely eliminated.
 The hall was filled – the guests at this table were at the buffet. The project’s original intent was to evaluate if giving cheques to the working poor, enough to top-up their incomes to a living wage, would kill people’s motivation to work. It didn’t.
But the Conservative government that took power provincially in 1977 – and federally in 1979 – had no interest in implementing the project more widely. Researchers were told to pack up the project’s records into 1,800 boxes and place them in storage.
A final report was never released.
 Senator Kim Pate You can guess what Senator Pate is going to be advocating for while she serves as a Senator.
The money is always there she said – they found the $2 million they needed to transport Ashley Smith between eight different penitentiaries when she was behind bars.
The Ashley Smith story:
Ashley Smith, born 29 January 1988 in New Brunswick was adopted when she was 5 days old. According to her adoptive parents, Coralee Smith and Herbert Gober, she had a normal child hoodbut between the ages of 13i-14, her parents noted distinct behavioural changes in the child; by age 15 she had been before juvenile court 14 times for various minor offences such as throwing crabapples at a mailman, trespassing, and causing a disturbance.
In March 2002, Smith was assessed by a psychologist who found no evidence of mental illness. However, her behavioural problems continued and she was suspended from school multiple times in the fall of 2002. In March 2003, after multiple court appearances, Smith was admitted to the Pierre Caissie Centre for assessment.
She was diagnosed with ADHD, learning disorder, borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality traits.
She was discharged several days early from the Centre for unruly and disruptive behaviour and returned to the New Brunswick Youth Centre (NBYC).
Smith was remanded to the NBYC multiple times over the next 3 years; during this time she was involved in more than 800 reported incidents and at least 150 attempts to physically harm herself.
In 2006, Ashley Smith turned 18; in July of that year a motion was made under the Youth Criminal Justice Act to transfer her to an adult facility. Smith hired a lawyer to fight the transfer, but was unsuccessful.
On 5 October 2006, Smith was transferred to the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre (SJRCC). Due to her behaviour at SJRCC, Smith spent most of her time there in segregation; she was tasered twice and pepper-sprayed once. On 31 October 2006, Smith was transferred to the Nova Institution for Women in Nova Scotia (a federal institution). Through 2007, Smith was transferred a total of 17 times between eight institutions during 11 months in federal custody.
While at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario, on 16 October 2007, Smith requested to be transferred to a psychiatric facility; she was placed on a formal suicide watch on 18 October. In the early hours of 19 October, Smith was videotaped placing a ligature around her neck, an act of self-harm she had committed several times before. Guards did not enter her cell to intervene, and 45 minutes passed before she was examined and pronounced dead.
On 25 October 2007, three guards and a supervisor at the Grand Valley Institution for Women were charged with criminal negligence causing death in relation to Smith’s suicide; the warden and deputy warden were fired, but Warden Cindy Berry later quietly rehired. The criminal charges against her subordinates were later dropped.
No charges were ever brought against the warden or deputy warden.
On 8 October 2009, Smith’s family launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the Correctional Service of Canada, demanding C$11 million in damages; the suit was eventually settled out of court in May 2011 for an undisclosed amount.
By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a fully engaged crowd at the first public meeting held at Hayden high school where parents got to see just what the high school closing options were.
 The parents who attended the first public meeting at Hayden high school last week were fully engaged in trying to figure out and understand what the options for possible school closing were. They don’t like the way the information is being made available and they want to be able to ask questions.
Last October the Board of education trustees accepted a report from the Director of Education and agreed that a Program Accommod-ation Review should take place.
That resulted in a committee (PARC) looking at the staff recommendation that Central and Pearson high schools be closed and accepting other possible options.
The PARC looked at 30 options and whittled the list down to the six that are now being taken to public meetings.
The second public meeting takes place at the New Street Education centre – it is going to be noisy.
 The Board of Education staff put up large posters setting out the boundaries that would apply to the various school closing options. Parents found that the staff members on hand to answer questions didn’t have much in the way of answers. Comments from Gazette readers tell us that “many, many people (as in hundreds) are extremely dissatisfied with the way the so-called public information sessions are being held, specifically the display stations that were set up.”
“Parents want their questions answered, many have complained that staff at the last meeting were not able to do this properly. Every single member of PARC has asked that the format be changed to include a large group Q and A and they have refused.
“Their pathetic excuse is that the last meeting was with display stations and it wouldn’t be fair to the people who went to that one to change this one.
“Again, like so many answers coming from the board, this makes no sense.”
“Angry parents from Central, Nelson and Bateman are planning different tactics to have their voices heard at tomorrow’s meeting. Not sure how it’s going to play out but I think there might be fireworks.”
 This was the extent of public participation at Bateman high school when the Board of Education gave an overview of the school closing process. Everyone thought that Central and Pearson high schools were on the list. Truth was – every high school was at risk. Getting to the point where the Board of Education now has public interest has taken some time – earlier meetings at all seven high schools were very quiet and very poorly attended events.
That isn’t the case today – and parents want their Board of Education to respond to their demands.
The elected trustees are close to mute on this – they have the power to direct Board of Education staff to make changes in the way the public is informed – it is almost as if the trustees are in the pocket of the Director of Education.
The high school parents are not happy campers.
Central high school parents will be walking from the Roseland Plaza to the New Street education Centre. Nelson, Bateman and Pearson high schools are also reported to have plans.
 By Pepper Parr
March 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Here we go again.
It is hard to believe how obtuse some of the people at City Hall can be.
A seven paragraph media release with the word pilot project slipped in but not one use of the work bike or the words road diet.
Here is what the city sent out.
“Water main work with Halton Region will begin on New Street between Dynes Road and Cumberland Avenue on March 7, resulting in lane closures and scheduled water service shutdowns. The construction is scheduled to be completed in May.
“The installation of a new water main between Guelph Line and Dynes Road began in October and November 2016. The work to install the rest of the water main between Dynes Road and Cumberland Avenue will start earlier than scheduled due to mild weather.
“Residents and businesses will be given 48 hours’ notice for scheduled water service shutdowns. Water main installation will include the replacement of curbs, gutters and the boulevard to restore any damage from the water main works.
“New Street between Walkers Line and Guelph Line is the site of a pilot project that began in August 2016 for all street users.
“Completing the water main installation in May will reduce the disruption to New Street into two shorter, two-month intervals rather than one six-month construction period originally planned for the spring and summer of 2017. This will allow for longer, uninterrupted traffic data collection.
“The city is collecting data, and will continue to collect data after the water main work is done and until the end of the summer to ensure the city has the data needed to assess the pilot. That information, along with travel times on nearby residential roads that run parallel to New Street, will be included in a recommendation report to Burlington City Council this fall.
“Creating more travel options for the community means thinking differently about how our city road network looks and functions. The one-year pilot on New Street is an example of how some existing roads in Burlington could be redesigned to give people more travel options to get around the city.”
One of the most contentious projects the city has decided to do – lessen the amount of road space for vehicular traffic on New Street and put in bicycle lanes. It was set up as a pilot project and public opinion views were all over the map.
It was so contentious that the Mayor couldn’t get some personal private time at the Y – residents kept approaching him to bend his ear.
In future they should take him by the ear out to the woodshed.
 New water mains being laid down on New Street west of Guelph Line. One of the reasons for doing the pilot project on dedicated bicycle lanes was because New Street was going to have significant water main work done and then a new layer of asphalt laid down – it was thought that would be a convenient time to install bicycle lanes and see how they worked.
To not even use the words “road diet” or bike or bicycle is sneaky and only adds to the cynicism over the way city hall works. Do they think that by not using the words that people will forget?
Transparent – accountable – please!
 Vito Tolone, Director of Transportation They transportation department should be ashamed of themselves for letting this kind of media release get sent out. The close to 3000 people at have signed a petition have every reason to be angry – city hall has been exceedingly disrespectful
Vito Tolone, Director of Transportation is quoted as saying” “A lengthy and uninterrupted time-frame to collect all the data needed for the New Street pilot will be beneficial to staff when incorporating this information into our report to City Council.” He can’t say the words either.
 By Staff
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are not sure how long James Burchill has been running his Social fusion Networks – four to five years for certain.
 It’s 50% business and 50% social – and that’s about all I can tell you, says Burchill of his social fusion networking events. They are an occasion for the independent small business crowd, the men and women who run a small operation and make their skills available to the wider community.
They meet about once a month for an opportunity to connect, communicate and collaborate with other local business professionals.
March 9th is their next free b2b networking event and you are invited to enjoy a frosty beverage of choice at the cash bar and some COMPLIMENTARY APPETIZERS courtesy of myself and the B&B venue which is at the Waterfront Hotel.
Burchill suggests people bring their smile, some “casual conversation openers” (no rude limericks please) and some cash to cover parking.
 Networking – right. Burchill at one of his first trade show events. From 5-7pm with some of the nicest people Burchill knows.
One last thing, PLEASE RSVP so he can plan the food and staffing properly. It’s a pain to under staff or over produce food – no one like wastage or poor service.
RSVP HERE
Burchill also sponsors a trade show for the small business market. It works quite well. Loads of detail on that event right here.
By Staff
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a lot of unhappy people who are commenting on how poorly they feel the Halton District School Board is handling the flow of information on the recommendation that was given to the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) to close Central and Pearson high schools.
 Parents scan details and specifics on each of the six school closing options that the PARC is currently considering for the report they will give the Director of Education. The PARC is made up of two parents from each of the seven high schools. Their job is to give the Director of Education a recommendation. The Director of Education does not have to accept or adhere to the recommendation.
The Director then writes his report to the trustees and those trustees make the final decision.
The first public meeting to look at specifics and details was held earlier this week with a very large turnout.
The second public meeting is to take place next Tuesday, March 7th at the New Street Educational centre.
 Robert Bateman high school is going to get a group hug on Saturday. This Saturday the parents at Bateman high school are going to gather and collectively give their school a “hug”.
Bateman is a pretty big school – it is going to take a large crowd of people to circle that building on Saturday.
The group hug takes place at 1:00 pm.
One Gazette reader wrote in and said “your story about the Mayor’s response show how heated it’s gotten and also how poorly the board is handling it all.”
The PARC has now whittled down the 30 options that it was given to six. Under these different options Central, Pearson, Bateman and Nelson could be closed.
There is an option that says – don’t close any of the schools – but change the school boundaries so that the existing high school population is spread more evenly between the high schools.
 Halton District School Board trustees – there are 11 of them; four representing Burlington – all the trustees will vote on school closings Whatever the school board trustees decide, and it is those trustees that are going to make the final decision on May 17th, the concerns should be addressed to the final decision makers – these are the people you elected to oversee the operation of the school in the Halton Region.
There are 11 trustees, four from Burlington that will decide what the board should do.
When the process of determining how to manage the problem of 1800+ empty classroom seats in the high school was put before the public there was very little public interest.
 There were less than ten people at the first “information session” given by the school board staff at Bateman high school. One of them was the school principal. At the first information meeting, there was one held at every high school, there were just five people at the event held at Bateman.
The school board had large banners nailed to the front of six of the high schools to alert parents to the situation.
The focus is currently on the work the PARC is doing. That will shift to the report the Director of Education, Stuart Miller has to write and present to the trustees on March 29th.
The critical dates are set out below.
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools)
March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm
New date New Street Education Centre
3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #5
March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night
April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
 Protesters have stood outside the Board of Education offices on Guelph Line any time there is a PARC meeting.
By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Paddy Torsney, former Member of the House of Commons, has been hosting the breakfasts for more than 20 years She has been doing it for 21 years – holding a breakfast to encourage young woman that they can and should play a major role in the society they live in.
There are leaders in Burlington today who got to where they are today because they took part in one of those breakfasts.
This Friday, at the Holiday Inn, Paddy Torsney will introduce Senator Kim Pate as the guest speaker.
Tickets, $17, are available only at A Different Drummer – move quickly this event should sell out.
Before she was appointed a Senator Kim Pate was with the Elizabeth Fry Society, an organization that advocated for women who had gotten caught up in the criminal justice system.
Senator Pate’s curriculum vita sets out all the work she has done and the recognition she has been given. What it doesn’t do is get to the character of the woman. She is fearless and has worked tirelessly to bring about badly needed changes in the lives of women who have experienced marginalization, discrimination and oppression.
Senator Pate is a tough cookie when she has to be. There are a lot of men in senior positions in the justice system who skirt the Senator.
Pate was appointed to the Senate in 2016. First and foremost, she is the mother of Michael and Madison, as well as a nationally renowned advocate who has spent the last 35 years working in and around the legal and penal systems of Canada.
 His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, congratulating Kim Pate after her investiture to the Order of Canada. Photo Credit: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau. Senator Pate graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1984 with honours in the Clinical Law Programme and has completed post graduate work in the area of forensic mental health. She was the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) from January 1992 until her appointment to the Senate,
Prior to her work with CAEFS, she worked with youth and men in a number of capacities with the local John Howard Society in Calgary, as well as the national office. She has developed and taught Prison Law, Human Rights and Social Justice and Defending Battered Women on Trial courses at the Faculties of Law at the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University and the University of Saskatchewan. She also occupied the Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2014 and 2015.
The Senator is widely credited as the driving force behind the Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, headed by Justice Louise Arbour. During the Inquiry, she supported women as they aired their experiences and was a critical resource and witness in the Inquiry itself. She also persuaded the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to initiate the Self-Defence Review and appoint the Honourable Madam Justice Lynn Ratushny to review the convictions and sentences of women jailed for using lethal force to defend themselves and/or their children against abusive men.
 Kim Pate outside the doors to the Senate. Pate is a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, the Canadian Bar Associations’s Bertha Wilson Touchstone Award, and five honourary doctorates (Law Society of Upper Canada, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, St. Thomas University and Wilfred Laurier University) and numerous other awards.
This is not an event to be missed.
 By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The new Herd mascot needs a name and the ball club wants the public to help out in deciding what that name should be.
So they are holding a contest to find the best name
 Click on the link to get to the on-line contest entry form.
Contest winners will receive a 5 game Herd flex pack, 2 Burlington Herd T-Shirts and 2 Toronto Blue Jays April home game tickets!
The ball club, now under new ownership, has mounted an aggressive public relations campaign to attract a larger audience. There is a recently announced Home Plate Club and Nickel Brook has been named the Official Beer Partner.
The team has been announcing new signing and renewal signings to the roster for a team that will play their season opener at Nelson Park where the Herd will face the Kitchener Panthers at 1:05 pm.
 By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Chilly Half Marathon will alter three transit routes on Sunday.
Routes 3, 10 and 20 will have detours during the marathon that will be taking place in downtown Burlington closing Lakeshore Road from Maple Avenue to Burloak Drive causing detours on Routes 3, 10 and 20 as follows:
Route 3 – between the Downtown Terminal to Guelph Line and New Street, will detour using James and New Streets
Route 10 – between Maple Avenue and the Downtown Terminal, will detour using Ontario Street, Locust Street and Caroline Street
Route 20 – between Appleby Line and Spruce Avenue to Burloak Drive and Winston, will detour using Spruce Avenue, Hampton Heath, Stratton Road, and Winston Road
Delays can be expected on these routes in the affected areas. Please plan ahead and use tripplanner.burlington.ca to access up-to-date schedule information in real-time.
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was an extensive look at the way the Tim Hortons operation has changed now that there is new foreign ownership in place.
The tag line on the magazine cover said: “Since taking over the iconic chain in 2014, its new Brazilian owner, 3G Capital, has purged head office, slashed costs and squeezed suppliers. Shareholders are happy, but is 3G tearing the heart out of Timmy’s?”
 A lot of people are getting screwed over as a result of the cost cutting at Tim Hortons. will the Sound of Music take a hit at the sponsorship level? Senior management at the head office in Oakville was close to decimated. The corporate mantra is cost cutting – and they took to that like ducks to water.
A lot of good people in Burlington had to find new jobs.
What hasn’t worked its way to the top of the pile is what is the cost cutting is going to do, if anything, to the sponsorship money Tim Hortons has poured into Burlington in the past.
They were major sponsors of Sound of Music – will that continue?
Stay tuned.
By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong got a bit of a surprise when they learned that city Council was not going to meet on Monday, evening, which was when they had planned on marching into city hall to voice their complaints about the way the city was handling the meetings over the possible closing of two of the seven high schools in the city.
 Central strong is the group that represents the parents at Central high school who do not want to see their high school closed.
The city has a schedule for regular Standing Committee meetings and then meetings of the city council. The Standing Committee is siting in the afternoon but not in the evening.
 Central Strong might like to think that city council decided not to meet because they were afraid of a demonstration in the Council Chamber- the reality was that there apparently wasn’t enough in the way of matters that needed attention so the meeting was cancelled.
There was an occasion several months ago when citizen delegated before city council to keep the ten minute time allocation they had or delegations.
Council appears to have found a way around the problem of those pesky delegations – just don’t bother to meet at all.
By Pepper Parr
February 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
With the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) having gone through a long and very arduous process that some of them are not suited to they can now rest on their oars for a few weeks and see what the public has to say about the six options they have decided should be looked at seriously.
The vast majority of the members of the PAR committee are doing superb work.
 The 14 members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee are all volunteers who have put in some long hours and exchanged thousands of emails to get to the point where there are six options for the public to review. The disappointing aspect of the PARC process is that we now have parents from different schools battling with other parents to ensure that their school does not get closed. The process that Burlington has had to follow almost guaranteed this outcome – the PARC members find themselves between a rock and an even harder place – they have not had an opportunity to frame the debate and discussion and have not had the benefit of adequate an accurate information.
 The PAR committee members are fully immersed in the process. For several this is going to be a very dis-satisfying experience. They deserved better treatment. These people volunteered – put in hundreds of hours and their work is not finished yet. There are some very talented people on the PAR committee and for the most part the ideas they have put forward are commendable.
They had hoped to have some input on the on-line survey that is going to be done – no such luck. One PARC member expressed some concern with the survey that is being put together. The one done December 8th was described by Kirk Perris, the man who put it together as “not one of his better efforts”. That wasn’t an understatement.
The public meeting plan explained to the PARC members was for an event that is to be as interactive as these things can be.
There are two parts to the public engagement: an online survey and public meetings where people can look at the details and ask questions. There will be one public meeting in the north end of the city and a second, with identical content in the south of the city.
 Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid facilitator hired by the board is designing the public meting content and the on-line surveys. He and PARC chair Scott Podrebarac are guiding the process. Perris intends to set up information stations for each of the six options. Board staff will be on hand to explain the details of each option. PARC members will be on hand as well to give their take on how they got to where they are.
The on-line survey will be opened on the 27th of February. It will be sent out to all parents and there will be an on-line version for anyone else who wants to participate.
The first public meeting in the north end of the city is on the 28th – at Hayden high school, the second is on March 7th at the Gary Allan educational centre on New Street. Both start at 7:00 pm
The survey goes off-line on the 131th of March. There will be print versions of the survey available.
It would be advisable for anyone responding to the survey to wait until they have had a chance to attend one of the public meetings.
Perris talked in terms of questions that would be open ended as well as questions that would be closed ended.
He described the meetings as an exercise in public engagement – there are a lot of smart people who are looking very carefully and closely at the process so far and they do not feel engaged.
One PARC member wanted to know how the data collected is going to be used: “is this a popularity contest or are you going after data that is quantitative or qualitative? Why are we doing this?
 Burlington trustees Andrea Grebenc, on the left and Leah Reynolds have attended all the PARC meeting. Trustees Papin and Collard’s antecedence has been more sporadic. There are some serious concerns in the minds of those people who are following this issue as well as members of the PARC.
The trustees who will make the final decision are sitting on the side lines – observing. One cannot envy them for what is coming their way.
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