 By Staff
April 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Board of education is going to host behavioural expert who will talk on dealing with challenging behaviour in children and teens on April 27, 2016. The event starts 7 p.m., and will be held at Burlington Performing Arts Centre
 Dr. J. Stuart Ablon, on the right, will speak about why some children and adolescents have difficulty managing their behaviour. Dr. J. Stuart Ablon will speak about why some children and adolescents have difficulty managing their behaviour. His presentation will provide an overview of Collaborative Problem-Solving, an evidence-based approach to understanding and helping children and adolescents with behaviour challenges.
Specifically, the Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach provides an alternative conceptualization to help parents with explosive noncompliant children and adolescents. The CPS model helps adults teach children lacking cognitive skills in the domains of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance and problem‐solving.
Dr. Ablon is the Director of Think: Kids in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
 By Staff
April 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a program at the Seniors’ Centre that gives you a reason to get out of bed on Saturday’s!
Breakfast @ the Bistro keeps seniors and volunteers of all ages engaged as they cook and serve breakfast to community members at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre,” said Chris Glenn, director of parks and recreation. “Burlington Seniors’ Centre welcomes the community to enjoy an affordable breakfast and entertainment once a month, thanks to a donation from the Lions Club of Burlington
 Breakfast @ The Bistro – entertainment follows at the Seniors” Centre this Saturday. This Saturday the Lions will present a cheque for $500 to the Burlington Seniors’ Centre to help sustain the popular monthly breakfast program and keep costs low and affordable for seniors.
On Saturday, April 9, Lions Club executive members Blair Greer, club president, Jim Mc Laughlin, first vice president, Barry Leppan, second vice president and Jim O’Breza, treasurer will be at the Seniors’ Centre Breakfast @ the Bistro to serve coffee and breakfast after the cheque presentation at 8:55 a.m. Breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. and is served until 10 a.m.
The Escapade Trio, a vocal and piano trio specializing in Jazz and popular music from the golden age of the hit parade will perform at 10 a.m. Their music includes Louis Armstrong to Elvis and Frank Sinatra to Motown songs.
 By Staff
April 5, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
“From the time we are little, we are taught to share” declared Lawson Hunter. ”However, as we age, the desire to acquire ‘stuff’ grows as soon as we earn a little bit of money and join the consumer society. Advertising pushes us to buy the next best thing, a bigger, better, newer version, a complete set, to find happiness and fulfillment. That may be good for the economy but is it good for society?
 Uber taxi, while disruptive to the taxi industry, is one of the more popular sharing services. “Capitalism may be built on competition,” says Lawson Hunter, “but history shows that we progress much further if we co-operate with one another.” Collaboration, the sharing of ideas and resources, takes us leaps and bounds beyond the private, proprietary approach. Community has always meant working together to achieve good for everyone, not just the individual. Inequality results when many hands do the work but only a few grow wealthy because of it. Sharing brings everyone up to the same level and everyone benefits.
Some call it the ‘sharing economy’; the gig economy; the gift economy; peer-to-peer accommodation; or collaborative consumption, but at its core it is very simple – if you’re not using something why not let someone else use it?
Though not officially counted in the GDP, the sharing economy could grow to $335 billion by 2025, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers. This is the foundation behind such revolutionary start-ups such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, TaskRabbit and dozens of other disruptive technologies that citizens and cities are embracing or challenging, depending on your point of view.
To that end, Hunter met with the Mayor to see if he could get something going at that level – the Mayor is going to think about it.
He has run the idea by a couple of council members – they didn’t day ‘not a hope’. Hunter, who is a letter carrier dabbles in some public relations consulting.
 Libraries are perhaps the original sharing service. The sharing economy has opened the door to more efficient uses of everyday items we own but do not use to their fullest capacity. For example, car ownership is ubiquitous and yet most cars sit parked for most of the day. Someone may purchase a drill only to use it a half a dozen times in total leaving it to lay in the toolbox for years. Books, clothing, household items may be used once or twice and then discarded. This is an incredible waste and unsustainable. Why not ‘share’ with someone else, reducing cost, optimizing resources, and extending the usefulness of thousands of articles?
Hunter points out that we already share quite a lot! We just don’t know about it or take it for granted. Libraries, food banks, used clothing stores, parks, public transit, recycled building materials, and even co-operative housing are examples of the sharing economy.
Volunteering to coach hockey, teaching someone to read, driving a patient to the hospital, carpooling, shoveling your neighbour’s sidewalk are just some of the ways we already ‘share’ our time and effort, goods and services. It’s important to measure, and celebrate, the many ways society shares its common resources. There is an international organization that wants every community to stand up and be counted in The Sharing Cities Network – www.shareable.net.
 Hunter explains an event called a mapjam – a time when people get together and map out just where sharing is done in a city. “You would be surprised ay just how much sharing goes on” and points to a number of situations in Burlington where people on a street collectively own a heavy duty snow blower.
More than 500 MapJams have been hosted in 60 countries – two have taken place in Canada – Elora and Toronto.
 Many cities around the world have created bicycle sharing services. Hunter wants Burlington to join that Network. To kick things off, he is hosting a ‘#Map Jam’ on Thursday, April 14, 7:30pm, Frank Rose Room, at the Burlington Central Library. Every organization that shares, opens its doors, facilitates exchanges, co-ordinates time-sharing or carpooling or food banks or little league sports, arts, and activities is invited to network, meet other sharing activists and exchange information. The general public is also invited to learn more about the sharing economy. “We may all be amazed at how we already are in the sharing economy,” says Hunter.
What Hunter is promoting is exactly what the Parks and Recreation department is trying to get going in the city.
Related news story – city prepared to fund projects
By Staff
April 4, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Mother’s Day – May 7th this year. The florists will pick up on that one. All the pushy advertising aside – it is a special day. For many – their parents live in Burlington and their adult children live elsewhere.
With the warmer weather coming (it is coming isn’t it?) there are opportunities to get out.
The restaurants will be packed that Sunday and besides – you get out to restaurants often enough.
 Cheryl Golding and her colleagues at the Gallery 2 on Spring Garden Road are hosting a Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday, May 7, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
They will be serving: tea/coffee, scones with cream, and a variety of sweet treats.
Cost: $30.00 per person.
 By Pepper Parr
March 31, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They decided to call it a party rather than a meeting and made a good effort to give the Parks and Recreation Event Strategy workshop a different tone and feel.
 It worked – sort of. There was half an hour at the front end of the meeting (oops, party) for socializing that included an open cash bar (two bottles of beer and one soft drink were sold) and then into the Workshop.
The purpose was to get ideas and feed back on what the city’s event Strategy should be – what worked and what doesn’t work asked the facilitator and what would you like to see, what would your vision be even if the idea was not feasible or practical. This was an occasion for some blue sky thinking – they didn’t quite rise up to the challenge.
 Manager of Community Development Services, Denise Beard A year and a half or so ago Manager of Community Development Services, Denise Beard got to listen to James Dier at a conference – she was mesmerized. Within months Beard got Diers to an event in Burlington where he blew the socks off a lot of people and showed an approach to building community that had a lot of people excited and wanting more.
Those who worked closely with communities understood immediately what Diers was saying – it took others a little longer to “get it”.
When Diers made a presentation to a Committee of the Whole at Geraldo’s it was priceless to see the expressions on the faces of the buttoned down consultants. Diers is a very “in your face” advocate for what he calls “Neighbourhood Power”. He changed the way Seattle involved its neighbourhoods in figuring out what was needed at the street level.
Much of what we now see coming out of the Parks and Recreation department now is the result of the Dier’s approach.
 Staff tried to create a sense of a play party with gimmicks that could be used illustrate some of the creative ideas. He isn’t for everyone. He is loud, forthright and gets excited. He once threw a live chicken into the office of the Mayor of Seattle to make a point. Watching the look on Councillor Craven’s face as Diers got himself wound up while explaining a point set out the stark contract between the two men – and contrasted the difference between the way the ward 1 Councillor works with his constituents and how others involve their citizens.
It’s pretty clear that the Parks and Recreation people are going to follow as much of the Diers philosophy as they can. The Gazette will report in more detail the approaches Diers created and what Burlington can expect to see in the months ahead.
The Tuesday evening “party” was the first time Parks and Recreation staff had an opportunity to field test some of their ideas.
A Workbook was given to all the participants who gathered in groups of six to eight around tables that had all kinds of play toys – plasticine, coloured paper and markers and large sheets of butcher paper to draw plans on.
The questions put to the groups were focused on the current experience people had had on an event that took place:
 What did they think about the current experience ? What is your experience with events held on City property now?
What do you love?
Why?
What’s working well?
What bugs/concerns you? Why?
What keeps you from attending? What draws you to these events?
Each group of people beavered away at the questions and then reported back.
 This is what the facilitator gathered from the participants – the future of festivals and events as they saw them. Next up was Future Experiences:
Given the trends and increasing demand for festivals and events in Burlington, the Workbook outlined, what would you like the experience of attending Future events to feel like? Look like? Who would be attending?
• What should we continue to do?
• What should we stop doing?
• What should we start doing?
Again the different groups worked through their ideas and reported back and the results were put up on a huge banner.
The last session was Advice to the city:
The workbook set out criteria the City could use to help them select appropriate festivals and events to host on City property.
Those taking part, there were about 75 people taking part – they were asked to:
1. Take a look at the criteria and choose the ones that you feel the City should use. Why should they choose these ones?
2. Have a discussion at your table.
3. As a table, look at the criteria again and together choose the top five criteria
 This is what the facilitator heard the 75 + participant say – it wasn’t as imaginative as some had expected. What advice do you have on criteria for the downtown festivals/events? What advice do you have on criteria for the neighborhood festivals/events? What did you clearly agree on at your table?
What did you have difficulty agreeing on?
The criteria put before the participants for selecting events:
Type of Sports Events
One time event attracting out of town athletes
On-going community/local activity (e.g. house league)
Fee to Attend Event
Paid Admission
Supporting our Community
Healthy and greener City by ensuring healthy food and activity options, environmentally friendly practices, encourages modal split
Focus on local talent, food, businesses and organizations
Diverse types of events
Celebrates diversity in our community
Family friendly for all ages
Who and what type of events should we give preference to when we’re deciding on applications for festivals and events on City property? Choose your preference to the following:
Type of Host
For Profit
Non-profit
Charity
Preference for Hosts of Events
from Burlington
from outside Burlington
Purpose of events
Community Development – build sense of community
Economic Development – bring dollars into community.
The community level work being done was part of a larger exercise. The people at city hall had begun to rethink the city and it brand. The two biggest festival events the city holds – Sound of Music and Rib Fest have both taken place in the city for more than 20 years.
Are they getting stale?
Did they really portray what Burlington is in the minds of its citizens?
Have times changed and is it perhaps time to look at what the city permits on the waterfront space?
 The sand castle competition is no longer a summer event in Burlington. While there hasn’t been a big announcement – the sandcastle competition held in the Beachway part of the waterfront will not take place in 2016.
The debate over what should be done with the 25+ homes in the Beachway clouded the discussion over the several different parks that are going to be created on that stretch of land from the Joseph Brant Museum and the canal.
 Discussion at all of the tables was wide open and wide ranging – there were some that felt there should be stronger security and that the festivals intruded on life for those who lived downtown. Unfortunately the public is not all that involved in the design of that park – planners at the Regional level are putting together the ideas. It will be a couple of decades before anything significant appears.
The intellectual guru behind the thinking taking place within the Parks and recreation department – and make no mistake about this – the city has swallowed the Kool Aid – they are all in at this point on the Diers philosophy.
The challenge now is to get the citizens to the point where they begin to understand that Neighbourhood Power is the direction staff is going – the biggest part of their job is to get citizens to buy in and begin thinking aloud what they want their city to look like; what kind of events do they want to see in the public places?
The facilitator, who brought a different visual approach to the documenting of the data and the comments made, asked the audience to do some ”blue sky” thinking – to talk about their vision which may not be feasible, probably no very practical either – she just wanted them think bigger than they normally do
 Chris Glenn,Director of Parks and Recreation. There wasn’t all that much in the way of responses. One table thought more use should be made of the water – and hold water based events.
 They decided to go for the big photo op – just the one city Councillor attended – the Mayor popped in to make the opening remarks. Another comment was to have more focus on the city’s history and tell more about the veterans.
The biggest concern was traffic – getting out of an event when everyone was heading for the same exists at the same time. There were suggestions about using shuttle buses and holding alternative events that would be part of the larger festivals.
No mention was made of the hydro towers and the thought that is being given to burying them.
There was a member of Rotary in attendance and the Sound of Music had several of their big guns at several tables. They, along with Brian Dean, General manager of the Burlington Downtown Business Association chose to be in a listening mode for the most part.
The task now for the parks and recreation people is to pull together all the data and comments they have collected from the various stakeholders and community groups and prepare a recommendations report for city council.
Festivals and events are one part of the mix that get reflected in the Strategic Plan – document the city will make official later this month.
Then what?
 By Staff
March 30th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
City of Burlington building staff will be at local home improvement stores for three Saturdays in April to answer questions and provide information about building permits.
 City building permit staff will set up shop at different building supply stores during the month of April to help out with the paper work. “With the mild weather we’ve had the last few weeks, many residents will be getting a start on spring renovation projects around the house,” said Mary Lou Tanner, the city’s director of planning and building. “We hope that by having staff where people shop, available to answer any permit questions, people will get the information they need to know about permits and home projects.”
City staff will be available between 8 a.m. and noon on the following dates at these locations:
- Saturday, April 9 – Rona Lansing (1830 Ironstone Dr., Burlington)
- Saturday, April 16- Home Depot (3050 Davidson Court, Burlington)
- Saturday, April 30 – Lowe’s (3270 Harrison Court, Burlington)
 By Staff
March 30, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Bfast – (Burlington for Accessible Affordable Transit) will be holding its second annual Forum on the state of transit in the city – and issuing report cards on the quality of the service. We are told that while overall the service hasn’t improved enough – they will be issuing at least one A in that report card.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. The biggest problem, according the Doug Brown, is the transit service is very under-funded – and until the service is given the resources it needs it will always be sub-standard.
Brown who knows more about the history of service in Burlington than anyone alive seldom gets the hearing he deserves from the transit people.
The 2015 Forum attracted about 90 people with much to say about their experiences using the Burlington’s buses. There in the role of listeners were four of the seven members of Burlington City Council, including Mayor Rick Goldring, as well as Burlington’s MPP, Eleanor McMahon. Not present, unfortunately, was anyone responsible for designing and operating the transit system—Burlington Transit.
Positive messages from the participants can be quickly told: everyone praised the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the bus drivers, who often help passengers in unusual circumstances.
Because of cuts to service and frequent route changes during the last three years, Burlington Transit’s system is no longer convenient, resulting in a considerable drop in ridership. And two fare increases during that time have made it unaffordable for many potential users.
The Presto card service is not as simple as saying “Hey, presto!” One attendee last year said that Presto ought to be as convenient as cash in order for it to replace cash fares.
 Short term notices work well – its the signage throughout the transit system that is less than satisfactory. Signage at bus stops throughout Burlington presents a problem for many, especially occasional transit users. Ideally, every bus stop should display the route numbers of the buses stopping there and the scheduled times of arrival. The reality is rather different: bus route numbers and arrival times are nonexistent.
Burlington Transit has been touting a new electronic system that will do everything but place your coffee order hasn’t seen the light of day yet. Maybe there will be an announcement at the Forum this Saturday at the Central Library – where there is a complimentary breakfast for those who arrive early.
Burlington Transit’s Handi-Vans provide an essential service for people with disabilities unable to use the regular bus service. Unfortunately, as BT’s nine Handi-Vans cannot handle the current demand, users must book at least a week in advance. To deal with requests at short notice, such as necessary medical appointments, taxis should be used to supplement the Handi-Van fleet when required.
All the shortcomings of Burlington transit system that came out of the 2015 Forum are the result of a common cause: serious underfunding of transit by the City Council. It seems that the guiding principle when making decisions about transit is to save money, not to provide a good service.
The key message from the Forum last year was:
“People don’t use the system because it’s cheap, they use it because it’s convenient. So, when it’s not convenient to navigate, they won’t use it.”
Links to previous transit news stories:
Details on the April 2nd Forum
Seniors advocate for Free Monday bus service
 By Pepper Parr
March 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The difference this year is that the transit people will be at the Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST) second annual Transit Users’ Forum, which gets underway this Saturday, April 2, from 9:30AM to 12:00 noon at the Central Library.
Last year they were missing in action.
 Seniors discussing what the transit system does for them – has anything changed since this event last year? Eight community organizations have combined efforts to sponsor the Forum that has announced it will be issuing a report card on Burlington Transit’s performance based on areas identified as priorities by last year’s gathering. Nearly 100 people attended in 2015.
Mayor Rick Goldring and Councilor’s Marianne Meed Ward and Paul Sharman have accepted invitations to attend this year’s event. Burlington Transit will also have a representative.
A free continental breakfast will be provided between 9:30 and 10:00 AM.
“The objective of this forum is to provide an opportunity for Burlington Transit users to describe their riding experience and to provide their views on how the system should be improved,” says Doug Brown, chair of Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit. .”It will be an opportunity for transit users and transit advocates to meet and discuss potential strategies for improving transit and special transit.”
 Mayor Goldring, checking the bus schedule on his Smart phone while Joey Edwardh looks on – not certain the Mayor knows what he is doing. Due to construction on New Street, Burlington Transit is providing special shuttle buses between the Central Library and the Downtown Bus Terminal both before and after the meeting. Consult bfastransit.ca or the Burlington Transit website at burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/Burlington-Transit.asp for more details.
The co-sponsoring organizations are as follows:
Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit (BFAST)
Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council (BAFSC)
Burlington Green
Canadian Federation of University Women – Burlington
Community Development Halton
Halton Environmental Network (HEN)
Poverty Free Halton
Voices for Change – Burlington (VFCH)
Why is transit always seen as something for poor people? Those with income limitations don’t own a vehicle and they depend on public transit – but ta the same event last year there were a number of people with good jobs in Toronto who depended on transit to get them to the GO station and they talked candidly and appreciatively about the quality of the transit service and how it had been able to make those small changes at work for them.
 A “selfie” the Mayor published on an occasion when he created a photo op by taking the bus to work. Where was his communications adviser when this was released? Modern buses with schedules that meet the needs of as many people as possible and don’t undergo changes all the time will draw a clientele that becomes loyal. We could stop framing transit as something people with limited means need – and position it as something that meets the transportation needs of a bigger cohort.
And if the politicians can stop using the occasions when they do take a bus as more than a photo op and become regular users – we will have come some distance. You weren’t holding your breath were you?
 By Staff
March 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
April is going to be a really busy month – we can all come out of the winter cocoons and begin to enjoy the city.
 Spring Clean Up – Green Up is Saturday April 23rd this year Late in the month of April Burlington Green will be doing its annual Clean Up Green Up campaign.
The Comedy Night is back at the Burlington Legion on April 2nd. This amazing night of comedy for a great cause – Burlington Army Cadets The Facebook page says Air Cadets – media release says Army – tickets are just $15; doors open at 7:00pm with the show beginning at 8:00pm. Two amazing professional headliners who have toured all over Canada will be at the Legion.
 White peonies by Michelle Maurik was shown at the Louvre in Paris. Very early in April Michele Van Maurik will be showing her art work at the Seaton Gallery on Spring Garden Road from April Ist – May 29th 2016. The artist reception will be held Sunday April 3rd, 1 – 4 pm
Maurik is a much underappreciated and under recognized artists in the community. She is best known for her bold floral oil paintings, the dramatic use of light and her mastery of colour.
Her work has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris – not something anyone else in the region can lay claim to. This is a show you don’t want to miss.
The Teresa Seaton Studio & Gallery is located at Spring Gardens Road, just across from the Royal Botanical Gardens.
 By Staff
March 21st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board invites parents to attend an information session in the next several weeks to gain information, meet other parents and ask questions about transitioning their children with special needs into Kindergarten. The following meetings will be held:
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 – Emily Carr Public School at 4-5:30 p.m., 2255 Pine Glen Rd., Oakville
Monday, April 4, 2016 – M.M. Robinson High School at 9:30-11 a.m., 2425 Upper Middle Rd., Burlington
Monday, April 11, 2016 – Ethel Gardiner Public School at 7-8:30 p.m., 14365 Danby Rd., Georgetown
Monday, April 20, 2016 – P.L. Robertson Public School at 7-8:30 p.m., 840 Scott Blvd., Milton
Topics for this information session will include:
● Learn about support and programs offered by the Halton District School Board
● Speak with parents whose children with special needs have recently entered Kindergarten
● Learn more about the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)
● The role of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
● Meet Special Education staff from the Board and ask questions
● Visit a Kindergarten classroom (except at M.M. Robinson High School)
Information sessions will begin with a brief overview presentation followed by a choice of small breakout sessions focusing on specific topics.
There will be childcare available at all information sessions.
 By Staff
March 16, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
One never knows what is going to appear in the mail box.
The following was passed along to us – interesting.
March 11, 2016
Fax: 416-314-8452
Application Assessment Officer
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Operations Division
Environmental Approvals Access &
Service Integration Branch Application Verification Unit
135 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 1 Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5
E-mail: tina.dufresne@ontario.ca Ms. Tina Dufresne, District Manager
Halton-Peel District Office, Central Region
4145 North Service Road, Suite 300 Burlington, Ontario L7L 6A3
Dear Sir/Madam:
Subject: EBR Registry Number: 012-6693
Ministry Reference Number: 1720-A59NX4 Proponent: 2120901 Ontario Limited
Instrument Type: Environmental Compliance Approval – EPA Part 11.1-sewage
Location: 5432 Bell School Line, Burlington, Ontario
I am writing on behalf of the of the Corporation of the City of Burlington, in response to an application for a new Environmental Compliance Approval for 2120901 Ontario Limited posted to the EBR on February 4, 2016. For the reasons that follow, the City of Burlington is requesting that the application be returned to the proponent as incomplete for the reasons as will be set out below. In the alternative, the City is requesting that the time for the submission of comments be extended for an additional 60 days beyond the current deadline of March 20, 2016 to permit adequate time for consideration of the issues by Burlington City Council, and affected residents.
Background
The City of Burlington and the Burlington Airpark Inc. have been engaged in litigation for several years arising from an illegal fill operation taking place at the Burlington Airpark. The sewage works that are the subject of the application before you drain water from the landfill at the airport that is the subject of the litigation between the City and Airpark. The Airpark is located between Appleby Line and Bell School line, north of Highway 407, all of which is located in the northern rural area of Burlington.
 It was the dumping of landfill that resulted in neighbours calling the Gazette – we published the first stories on the problem which woke up people at city hall who began to look into the problem. A fill operation on the Airpark property commenced in late 2007. The City of Burlington was never consulted about the fill operation or about any proposed expansion plans that the Airpark might have with respect to its operations. On or about March 2013, the City began receiving a significant number of complaints from new landowners in the vicinity of the Airpark. The nature of the complaints ranged from grading activities, drainage, noise, dust, traffic safety and about the possible effects of contaminants in the fill on drinking water. After having investigated these complaints, staff concluded that the Airpark was using its lands as a fill site in order to generate revenue and was not depositing fill to implement a planned and/or imminent expansion of its airport facilities.
As a result of its investigations, on May 3, 2013 the City issued an Order to Comply pursuant to its site alteration by-law by obtaining a permit for the ongoing fill operation. After the Airpark failed to comply, the City issued a Violation Notice under its by-law. Since that time, the City has been engaged in protracted litigation with the Airpark to bring the Airpark into compliance with the City’s by laws to address the off-site impacts caused by its fill operation.
Litigation Round 1
The Airpark brought a court application in July 2013 to prohibit the City from enforcing its Topsoil Preservation and Site Alteration By-law against the Airpark and the Airport. The City responded with a counter application seeking a declaration that the City’s Topsoil Preservation and Site Alteration By-law 6-2003 was valid and binding upon the Airpark and to its fill activities.
In November 2013, the court dismissed Airpark’s application against the City and declared that the City’s Topsoil and Site Alteration By-law was valid and binding upon it. The Airpark subsequently appealed the decision to the Ontario Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on June 13, 2014.
Following the decision of the Court of Appeal, the City continued to press the Airpark to comply with the Order to Comply under the City’s Site Alteration By-law. The City adopted a new Site Alteration By-law #64-2014 which contained materially the same provisions found in the previous by-law. The City maintained that the Order remained outstanding and it continued to be entitled to enforce it. The Airpark subsequently did file an application, however maintained that it was in relation only to a small area at the north-west corner of the Airport. This position
ignores all of the fill unlawfully deposited at the Airpark between January 1, 2008 and August 2, 2013.
litigation Round 2
The City commenced an application to the court in April, 2015 seeking an order to remove all fill deposited on site between 2008 and 2013. In the alternative, the City seeks to have the court order the Airpark to submit a complete application for a site alteration permit pursuant to the new City’s site alteration by-law. The application was heard by the court on November 10, 2015 and at the time of preparing this letter, the court has not released its decision.
Nature of Burlington’s Interest
The City of Burlington has a clear and compelling interest in the application for Environmental Compliance Approval that has been submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and posted on the EBR. As demonstrated above, the City has been engaged in a protracted dispute with the Airpark to regulate the fill that was brought onto the site illegally in order to address the environmental impacts resulting from those actions. In particular, the City is concerned with the grading of the property, and the impacts on the drainage of the lands, all of which are related to the proposed sewage works identified in the current application for compliance.
 Councillor Blair Lancaster walking through the property of a farm adjacent to the air port found the land spongy and soaked with water – now we know where that water is coming from. Prior to 2008, which was the start of the fill operations, the Airpark had a storm sewer drainage system that was located generally in the vicinity of the North South runway and the airpark buildings. These storm sewers discharged into the existing pond at the SE corner of the property and into the adjacent farm fields.
With the start of the fill operations, additional storm sewers were installed in the areas of fill. These storm sewers discharge into a regulated watercourse and also at several locations along the west property line. This has resulted in changes to the stormwater discharge regime onto adjacent properties. The change has been from the previous “sheet flow discharge” to “concentrated flow discharge”. As a result, adjacent properties have been adversely impacted, as identified above in the form of complaints received by the City.
The City agrees that the MOECC Environmental Compliance Approvals were required for these storm sewer systems. In addition, Conservation Authority permits should have been applied for. It is the City’s position that detailed storm sewer and stormwater design calculations should be provided for these systems. The application does not include adequate information in this regard.
Irregularities with the Present Application
City staff has had the opportunity to attend at the Halton-Peel District Office to view the materials filed by the proponent. The City submits that the application as filed contains a number of irregularities that merit the rejection of the present application on the basis of incompleteness.
Name of Proponent
 The ownership of the Air Park and the taxes they actually pay are now being questioned. The name of the proponent making application for environmental compliance approval is 212091 Ontario Limited. The Certificate of Incorporation and the Articles of Incorporation attached to the application for that numbered company date back to 2006. Our recent corporate search of this company discloses that the numbered company was in fact amalgamated with the Burlington Airpark Inc. on January 1, 2007, forming a new company, Burlington Airpark Inc. being Ontario Corp. Number 1721779. Burlington takes the position that the application has been made by a defunct corporation which cannot have legal responsibility for the proposed works to which the application relates. The documents submitted in support of the applicant’s name are neither current, nor do they provide proof of the name of a genuine applicant. Furthermore, the documents submitted do not include copies of the subsequent articles of amalgamation.
Burlington submits that the proponent’s name as posted on the EBR is misleading, and a reasonable person having an interest in postings on the EBR respecting the Burlington Airpark Inc. would not have adequate notice of the application as posted in its current form.
Location(s) Related to this Instrument
The posting to the Environmental Registry identify the relevant address as 5432 Bell School Line, Burlington. Our information is that the actual address for the site is 5342 Bell School Line, in the City of Burlington. Again, any reasonable person having an interest in activities related to the Airpark would not have adequate notice that an application had been made for those lands. Also, 5342 Bell School Line is only one of three land parcels forming the Airpark lands.
Statement of the Municipality (s. 5.1)
The City notes that section 1.5 of the Application – Statement of the Municipality has been left blank. The Municipality has to indicate that it has no objection to the construction of the works in the municipality. I can assure you, that the City of Burlington, where the works are located has not been contacted and has not been consulted. Furthermore, the box has not been checked as “NA”.
Our understanding is that a municipal declaration is required from the municipality in which the sewage works are or will be located. The Ministry’s own “Guide to Applying for an Environmental Compliance Approval”, identifies that this declaration, “is required to establish the municipality’s general concurrence with the proposal, to ensure that the proposed works would not contravene any municipal by-laws or other requirements.” Also, the common law requires that the City be consulted in these circumstances.
Based on the background provided in this correspondence, the City of Burlington has very serious concerns about the sewage works identified in the application, and the municipality ought to have been consulted prior to the application having been made. The City takes the position that the installation of sewage works was done concurrent with the illegal infill operation that was occurring at the site, in contravention of the City’s site alteration by-laws.
Burlington’s Request
 Barbara Sheldon look at 32 feet of landfill less than 50 feet from her kitchen window. All dumped without any permits because an airport maintained they were federally regulated and did not have to comply with city bylaws. The City of Burlington is requesting that the application be returned to the proponent as incomplete for the reasons as presented. The application contains incomplete and inaccurate information, and has the effect of misleading any person with an interest in tracking environmental activity on the EBR. The proponent ought to correct the application, and ensure that discussions are held with the relevant municipal authorities, including the City of Burlington and Conservation Halton before an application for environmental compliance is re submitted.
In the alternative, the City is requesting that the time for the submission of comments be extended for an additional 60 days beyond the current deadline of March 20, 2016 to permit adequate time for consideration of the issues by Burlington City Council, and affected residents.
Please note that these submissions are preliminary and deal only with the adequacy of the application and process followed to date. Should the application continue to be processed for approval, the City will submit its technical comments on the application for environmental approval.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours truly,
Nancy L. Shea Nicol
City Solicitor & Director of Legal Services cc. Mr. Ian Blue, Gardiner
This is the kind of document that would get circulated to council members and discussed in a closed session of council. Our thanks to the citizen who had the courage to pass it along to the Gazette.
By Staff
March 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The nominations for Burlington’s Best Awards are in. This year there are 20 deserving and devoted nominees for the seven categories.
Residents are invited to join some of Burlington’s finest civic-minded volunteers, advocates and community leaders on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at the Burlington Convention Centre, 1120 Burloak Dr., for the 2015 Burlington’s Best Awards, a gala evening in honour of Burlington’s most outstanding citizens.
 Anne Swarbrick is the chair of the Art Gallery if Burlington Foundation. she has been nominated for the Community Service Award.  Ken Woodruff a former Burlington Green president was nominated for the Environment award.  Vince Fiorito was nominated for the Environmental award. The nominees are:
Citizen of the Year – Paul Echlin, Brenda Hunter
Junior Citizen of the Year – Chris Choi, Kelli Hornick, Erin Richardson, Olivia Walker-Edwards
Senior Person of the Year – Ed Dorr, Bob Pring, John Worobec
Environmental Award – Vince Fiorito, Herb Sinnock, Ken Woodruff
Arts Person of the Year – Cate Beech, Dan Murray
Community Service Award – Gilbert Deveer, Frank Lupton, Janice Martin, Anne Swarbrick
Heritage Award – Derek Martin, Winnifred Stewart
By Pepper Parr
March 10, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Festivals and events are big deals for Burlington.
In the summer months there is RibFest; Sound of Music, Canada Day and the Children’s Festival.
 Does RibFest define Burlington? Should it? It is a very popular event. People in the parks and recreation department are looking at what has been done in the past and what they might do in the future in terms of planning for events.
They want to develop a strategy to help guide the delivery of festivals and events in the community and they want public input on the types of events held in the city, how many events are held, where in the city events are held and if and how the city should help to fund events
There is an online survey where you can get your two cents worth in –takes approximately five minutes to complete. Click here.
 The data shown are not the final results – the survey has not been completed yet. There is a historical approach applied to the acceptance of events hosted within Spencer Smith Park. The park and some downtown roads have reached capacity and there is now a desire for a balanced approached to potentially expand events to other areas in our city.
Staff want to:
Set a vision for events in Burlington
Define the objectives for hosting events in Burlington
Determine guiding principles for event hosting including:
define different types of events and priority events
do risk assessments
look at the funding model for events
establish critera for considering new events and removal of duplicate or less desired events
 The city doesn’t stage much in the way of public events north of the QEW – everything happens along the edge of the lake. This event was in Alton – stage certainly wasn’t city issue – shows what you can do with couple of 2×4’s and a sheet of canvas if you have to keep the sun off you. A number of months ago council and staff met as a Committee of the Whole and talked about the direction the city might want to take with its festivals and events. The city consistently wins awards for the quality of the events it does hold – the question that was put before the meetings was:
Are the events we are currently holding the events we should be holding is a question that was asked. How you events get selected? More than twenty years ago city staff opposed the RibbFest being held in the park – but it was a Rotary project and Burlington city councils rarely oppose what Rotary wants.
There was discussion about the “Burlington brand” – are we more than the Sound of Music? Has RibFest met its best before date? Do we want to begin to move events out of the downtown core?
Committee of the whole meetings have an open approach – the rules of procedure that stymies council meetings don’t apply – comments are much more candid.
The Parks and Recreation people are taking an innovative and welcoming approach to citizen engagement – they are going to hold a “party” at Royal Botanical Gardens March 29th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Auditorium B.
The creating of community seems to be replacing community engagement – we are seeing some interesting and innovative approaches coming out of the parks and recreation department.
By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
He bought the place in 1980 – when it was a 5000 square foot operation.
 It was an emotional day for Jack Dennison – he announced cedar Springs had been sold. This afternoon Jack Dennison announced the sale of the Cedar Springs Health and Racquet Club to Ivan Bradiaric, a Burlington businessman and property owner who has been a member of the club for more than ten years.
Dennison, in what was an emotional occasion for him, was reluctantly passing on the torch to someone who will immediately begin refurbishing the look of the lobby and making better use of the space.
The sale of the property closed on March 1st – why? The place was limping – it needed a freshening up and the corporation needed to make better use of the land.
 A wistful Jack Dennison look on as the new Cedar Springs owner rolls up hi sleeve the grow the business. Bradiaric has property holdings in the immediate area and he thinks he can do some cross marketing to boost the club’s membership – and – most importantly – see if he can get a zoning change to build a condominium at the south end of the property and tie it into the club.
Bradioaric said he expect to spend between $1 million and $1.5 million on upgrades that will be part of a new concept. He wasn’t prepared to say just what he had in mind other than to add that membership had become stagnant and he believed there was significant growth potential.
What happens to Jack? Well he is an avid sports person; he talks about more time for tennis and doing some cycling when the weather is better.
The club grew sort of “topsy turvey” in Jack’s hands. While Dennison earned an MBA at McMaster he brought his own unique management style to his business operations – much the way he brings his unique style to the seat he holds on city council.
 More cycling time – that’s it? Dennison was in the habit of holding his community meetings at the club where he consistently served popcorn and water to those who attended.
The sale of the club may surprise many – it’s something Dennison has been working at lining up for some time.
It was a tough emotional day for him.
By Staff
March 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington Animal Shelter invites all cat and dog owners to attend its low-cost microchip clinic on Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burlington Animal Shelter, 2424 Industrial St.
 City by law says cats have to have a microchip – did you know that? “The last thing any pet owner wants to experience is the stress that comes with trying to find a missing animal,” said Dave Lake, the city’s supervisor of animal services. “In addition to a dog licence, a microchip is an easy, inexpensive way to ensure owners can be quickly reunited with their pet if they are ever separated.”
The cost for a microchip is $30 per pet and only cash will be accepted. Visitors to the clinic can expect a quick and minor procedure. Dogs attending the clinic should be brought on a leash and cats placed in a carrier. The City of Burlington’s bylaws require cats to be microchipped.
Appointments for the clinic can be reserved by calling 905-335-3030. Walk-ins are also welcomed. Pet owners are asked to bring proof of up-to-date vaccinations.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Paw Fund in support of stray animals.
How do they work?
Microchips can be implanted by a veterinarian or at a shelter. After checking that the animal does not already have a chip, the vet or technician injects the chip with a syringe and records the chip’s unique ID. No anesthetic is required. A test scan ensures correct operation.
 Microchip implanted in a cat – visible near the top of the photograph. An enrollment form is completed with chip ID, owner contact information, pet name and description, shelter and/or veterinarian contact information, and an alternate emergency contact designated by the pet owner. Some shelters and vets designate themselves as the primary contact to remain informed about possible problems with the animals they place. The form is sent to a registry, who may be the chip manufacturer, distributor or an independent entity; some countries have a single official national database. For a fee, the registry typically provides 24-hour, toll-free telephone service for the life of the pet. Some veterinarians leave registration to the owner, usually done online, but a chip without current contact information is essentially useless.
The owner receives a registration certificate with the chip ID and recovery service contact information. The information can also be imprinted on a collar tag worn by the animal. Like an automobile title, the certificate serves as proof of ownership and is transferred with the animal when it is sold or traded; an animal without a certificate could be stolen.
Did you know?
That you must have a microchip put in your cat? In 2005 the city passed a bylaw:
Control and Registration of Cats
30. (1) No person, being the owner of any cat shall fail to have the cat implanted with a functioning subcutaneous microchip.
 By Staff
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It must be the weather – 16 degrees on an early February day. Yikes!
 The Burlington Bandits held up decently last year – is 2016 their year? It moved the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) to releasing its 2016 schedule which begins on Saturday, May 7 with three games – London at Burlington, Hamilton at Guelph and Kitchener at Barrie. The 2016 season will mark the IBL’s 98th season.
Each team will again play a 36-game schedule. The only scheduled doubleheaders are the two between Barrie and London. Weekends comprise a large majority of the schedule as 72% of the games will be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (104 of the 144 games).
The IBL All-Star Game will again be held in Barrie on Saturday, July 2nd at 2:00 p.m.
By Staff
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Might be a little early to lay down firm plans for Family Day – it is more than a week away. Some of the event planned at the Art Gallery of Burlington do require pre-registration – so take a look at what they have planned.
 Saturday February 13
An opportunity for parents, grandparents, guardians and young people (ages 8+) to share in some creative time. Our artist instructor will first lead you on a tour of the current exhibition for inspiration and then guide you through an art making workshop, introducing new techniques and mediums each session.
This session the instructor will be leading an activity working in Fibre – introducing the “wet felting” technique. All materials are included in the cost of the program.
Time: from 2 – 4 pm
Must pre-register for Saturday Sessions call 905-632-7796 ext 307
Cost:
• Adult non-member $7.50, Adult member $5,
• kids ages 8 to 14 years $2.50
• Families of 4 non-members $15 members $10
Sunday February 14 – Open Studio
Bring family and friends to AGB’s FREE drop-in art studio. Our artist instructors offer ideas as sources of inspiration to facilitate creative activities and encourage visitors to engage with art and craft making. In celebration of Valentine’s Day we will be making our own cards
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Cost: FREE
Sunday February 14 – Art Therapy Exhibition Opening
Bring family and friends to the Art Gallery of Burlington for the opening reception of “Visual Voice – Art Therapy in our Community” exhibition in the RBC Community Gallery.
Time: 2 – 3 pm
Cost: FREE
 Monday February 15 -Open Studio
Bring family and friends to AGB’s FREE drop-in art studio. Our artist instructors offer ideas as sources of inspiration to facilitate creative activities and encourage visitors to engage with art and craft making.
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Cost: FREE
The Open Studio program was made possible through financial support from the TDBank and the Economical Insurance Group.
The city subsidizes the Art Gallery to the tune of just under $1 million a year.
By Staff
February 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
We are indebted to John Skardius for the smart little video he sent us of the move done yesterday of the Bastedo House at the Corner of Elgin Street to Maple Street where it will get slid onto its new foundation and then under a complete refurbishment.
Click on the link
You might want to take a look at the software he used to create the video – you might find it useful.
By Mark Gillies
February 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A rare event indeed. A Burlington heritage property has actually been saved from demolition to make way for a new condominium project.
 It wasn’t as good a crowd as the Santa Claus parade but there was a very healthy crowd following along Elgin Street shepherding the Bastedo House to its new home. A win for the historical community. The historic David Bastedo home was originally located at 1437 Elgin Street. Its future at one time was uncertain. Demolition could happen, unless there was a better solution. Heritage preservationists do not win many times against developers. Fortunately, the house was saved.
 The historic Bastedo residence begins it short trip down Elgin Street, with many interested onlookers. The 150 year plus residence glides past the 179 year old St Luke’s Anglican Church. It was like one old friend saying goodbye to another very old friend. Finally, the building comes to a stop at the end of Elgin Street, waiting for the foundation prep work to be finalized, before settling into its new neighbourhood; hopefully for another 150 years. The house began its move westward on Elgin Street at 10 AM on February 1, 2016 towards a second beginning. This house will be renovated and converted back to a beautiful home. It will be located on the west side of Maple Avenue at the end of Elgin Street.
The physical move was a wonderful sight to see, and drew a huge crowd; many with cameras recording this spectacular event.
 The Bastedo House sits on the float waiting to be gently shifted onto its new foundation on Maple Avenue. Although the exact age of this heritage property is not known; many believe it was built somewhere in the late 1850s or possibly in the 1860s. The house could be close to 150 – 166 years old. The Bastedo heritage home is one of the oldest homes in Burlington. The house was built when the village was known as Wellington Square. It is a local treasure.
 By Staff
January 28th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
In recognition of February’s Black History Month, schools in the Halton District School Board have planned events and initiatives to celebrate and honour the contributions of black Canadians, past and present.
Burlington events include:
• Frontenac Public School (Burlington): The school will be making daily announcements about the contributions of key composers, musicians, and artists who have not only impacted the country’s musical landscape but who have been contributors to supporting the movement toward equality and equity.~
 PK Subban – not only a great Black personality – but he plays for the Habs as well  Michael Lee Chin – Local Black man made good. Some schools held Black History Month events just prior to the month of February, including Aldershot High School. The Burlington school hosted Bobbi Taffe, a volunteer speaker with Passages Canada. She shared her perspective on black/African heritage, stories of refugee experiences, immigration to Canada, racism and discrimination, and social justice and human rights issues.
Every year, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of black Canadians, past and present. Canadians take this time to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of black Canadians who, throughout history, have done much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation it is today.Michael Lee Chin
 If you haven’t read anything Toni wrote – head for the Library.  Donovan Bailey – he made everyone of us proud when he crossed that finish line first. A great athlete and a very funny guy as well. “The Halton District School Board is proud to celebrate February as~Black History Month~with numerous events and activities throughout our schools. This month, however, is more than events and showcases. It reflects how learning can be transformed as a result of culturally relevant and responsive teaching,” said Rob Eatough, Superintendent of Education with the Halton District School Board. “There are numerous events and learning experiences occurring throughout the month of February and over the entire year to embed Black history and inclusive education in schools across the Halton District School Board.”
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