 By Staff
June 4, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits (1-8) dropped both games of a double-header to the Hamilton Cardinals (3-9) both by scores of 8-5 in front of 647 Bandits’ fans at Nelson Park.
Hamilton started the scoring early in the first game by bringing home Geoffrey Seto off two wild pitches by Jack Dennis (0-2).
 647 people at a Bandits ball game is some kind of a record. The Bandits would get on the board in the second bringing in five runs off a RBI single by Justin Gideon and walks by Shawn Mayhew and Julian Johnson.
The Cardinals would come alive in the following innings, putting up two runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th to bring the lead to 7-5.
The Cardinals would add a run in the final inning to seal the win. Cardinals Jonathan Palumbo (2-0) would take the win.
Game two saw a much more even affair as the contest went to extra innings. The Cardinals would open up the scoring in the first driving in two runs off a Connor Bowie RBI single.
The Bandits would respond down 3-0 in the third with a four run inning. John Whaley would drive in a run with a single, followed by Canice Ejoh RBI single and a Carlos Villoria single that would drive in two runs to bring the score to 4-3.
The game would become tied in the 6th with a single by Jonathan Palumbo to score Marcus Dicenzo.
The game would remain tied through the 9th inning before the Cardinals exploded in the 10th with a four run inning to take the win once again 8-5.
Burlington’s Christian Hauck would take the loss going 4.1 innings while giving up five hits and four runs with two strikeouts and two walks. Hamilton’s Jonathan Palumbo would take the win going 4.0 innings allowing one unearned run and striking out one.
Burlington replaces Hamilron as the team in the league holding to the bottom rung.
Panthers Win 6-2 Saturday over Guelph
The Kitchener Panthers beat the Guelph Royals 6-2 Saturday to win their ninth of their last 10 games.
The game was tied 3-0 after the opening inning and remained the same until the fifth when the Royals got on the board with one run.
Kitchener would add more insurance in the 6th with three runs and would never look back as they kept the Royals to only one more run in the 7th to take the game 6-2.
Panther’s starter Noelvis Entenza (3-1) took the win going 6.0 winnings striking out seven batters and allowing two runs. Royal’s starter Adrian Yuen (0-1) took the loss allowing three earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched.
Red Sox Offence Explodes in 17-5 win over Baycats
The Brantford Red Sox bats were hot Saturday night as they recorded multiple runs in five innings.
The Sox would start early with a three run lead after a sacrifice fly by Brandon Dailey and an RBI double by Jeff Hunt.
The Red Sox would continue in the third with two runs before exploding with a five run inning in the fourth following four hits and two walks to score runs, a RBI single by Ben Bostick and a sacrifice fly by Brandon Dailey.
Brantford would follow the fourth with three runs in the fifth including a two run home run and four runs in the sixth to seal the win.
Barrie’s offensive highlights include home runs by Ryan Spataro and Jordan Castaldo but it wouldn’t be enough to stop the Red Sox.
Brantford’s starter Grant Tebbit (1-1) took the win going 7.0 innings allowing three earned runs while striking out three and walking two. Barrie’s Nate Arruda (0-3) took the loss putting 3.0 innings of work allowing four earned runs with three strikeouts and three walks.
UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, June 5th
Guelph at London; 1:05 PM
Burlington at Toronto; 2:00 PM
Brantford at Kitchener; 2:00 PM
Barrie at Hamilton; 2:00 PM
By Staff
June 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Doug Mays, award winning artist, will be demonstrating his watercolour techniques at Gallery [2] on June 8th from 7pm to 9pm.
 There will be a Q&A session.
Light refreshments will be served. Tickets: $15. Contact Gallery 2 on their website at www.gallery2burlington.com
 Doug Mays Gallery 2 is one of a couple of galleries that have taken space yards away from the Royal Botanical Gardens on Spring Garden Road. They are almost a bit of an outpost –away from the downtown core – not part of the Village Square that was once the home, the equicentre for local artists, in Burlington
They are part of the Art in Action crowd, a group that found and felt that the Art Gallery of Burlington, formerly the Burlington Art Centre, was not meeting their needs.
The Seaton Gallery – stained glass – is right next door.
By Staff
June 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A local green house has announced the Great Tomato Race – where contestants can grow their biggest tomato and enter it into the race to win a grand prize $5,000 TERRA gift card!
 This contest is open to gardeners of all skill levels.
Way back in the 1930’s, when times were tough, tough – The Mortgage Lifter Tomato was developed by a gardener who planted the four biggest tomato varieties he knew and crossed one with pollen from the other three. He did this for six seasons and created a variety that produced immense, tasty fruit. He sold the plants for $1 apiece and paid off his $6000 mortgage in 6 years.
 Will the winner of the contest bring in a tomato this big? TERRA ran this kind of a promotion 20 years ago and felt that it was time to let people get used to the idea of growing some of their own fruit and vegetables.
Climate change is going to have an even bigger impact on the way we live our lives. TERRA believes Ontario can expect to see much more of its produce gown locally.
Contestants can sign up for the Great Tomato Race which started May 14th and ends July 15th
Those entering the contest will be invited to weigh their tomatoes over three Saturday’s in August. The prizing is as follows:
– One Grand Prize of a $5,000 TERRA Gift Card
– One 2nd place prize of a Margherita Wood Pizza Oven ($2,499.99 Value)
– Five third place prizes of a Broil King BBQ one winner per store ($949.99 value)
TERRA decided to run this contest to kick start the excitement around growing your own food this summer with hopes it will lead to increased healthy lifestyles and will generate new interest for contestants and families to get out in the garden and grow your own!
 This is one big tomato! Contestants can visit their local TERRA to sign up for the Great Tomato Race
TERRA has locations in: Burlington, Hamilton, Milton and Waterdown. There is also a location in Vaughan.
By Pepper Parr
May 31st, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
How does a large national organization with a brand that is instantly recognized and at one point had a currency that was unique to them work with community organization to help out?
 Everyone knows about Canadian Tire and when groups in the community are looking for help and support they frequently ask Canadian Tire.
The requests can get out of hand – how do you say no?
The daughter of the founder of the Canadian Tire operation, Martha Billies came up with an idea that would raise funds to help pay for sports equipment for children whose parents could not afford the price.
She called it Jumpstart which is now in its 11th year.
Brad Gordon, general manager at the Burlington Canadian Tire, explained how it works and some of the funny quirks that crop up when people work at helping each other.
 While the focus was supposed to be on the fish in the pond – both boys kept looking at all those bicycles The store set up small play stations throughout the sprawling location and let people just bump into them. There was a free pop corn station, a fishing station and a BBQ stand.
The BBQ station was manned by volunteers from the Ontario correctional service. “These guys have been coming to this event for the past three years – this is the way they volunteer and give back to their community” said Glenn Butt, owner of the franchise who explained that every penny raised goes into the Jumspart fund. All the administrative costs are paid for by the corporation.
The distribution of the funds is done by local chapters that include organizations like the YM and YWCA, the Children’s Aid and Halton Woman’s Place. There are five intake organizations that determine where the needs are.
Harry Bell chairs the chapter that takes care of needs in the Halton – Hamilton communities.
Brad Gibson, store manager in Burlington, moves about the store on a Saturday afternoon seeing much more than most people see with his very practiced eye.
 They look pretty tough – they should be – they are officers from the Ontario Correctional Service but last Saturday they were a couple of pussy cats serving burgers to people who were donating to the Jumpstart fund. He explained that within the Canadian Tire organization there is a high level of competition between the different stores to see who can raise the most at the store level. The Burlington store placed second last year in its market area.
Commercial organizations like Canadian Tire are a focal point for the community – much of what people need to comfortably live their lives is found on their shelves. The company uses their brand to help groups raise funds and contributes in its own way to helping people who need help.
 The growth of the Jumpstart fund has been impressive – every dollar collected in the Burlington community is spent in the Burlington community – and the administrative costs are picked up by the Canadian Tire corporation. During the annual drive for Christmas gifts – The Toys for Tots – frequently referred to as “Cram a cruiser” we had people coming into the store buying a dozen hockey sticks and putting them in the police cruiser and walking back to their car – they didn’t stop to talk – they just gave. A number of people walk to that police cruiser with their arms filled with stuffed toys.”
“This is a very generous community”.
All the results for the 2016 Jumpstart haven’t been tallied yet – the traffic looked pretty good on Saturday and those correctional officers said they were doing a brisk business.
By Pat Shields
May 29, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits (1-5) found themselves in tight this past weekend, with consecutive losses in heart breaking, extra inning fashion.
On May 27 Burlington relinquished a 6-4 lead in the 9th inning, and ultimately fell 7-6 to the Brantford Red Sox (4-2) in a 4 hour and 19 minute game. Just over 12 hours later, the Bandits dropped another close matchup to the defending champion Barrie Baycats (4-2) by a score of 4-3.
Despite the two tough losses against strong opponents, Bandits field manager Jeff Lounsbury felt confident with his team’s performance and execution in both games.
 “We played well – we pitched well and we hit well against two tough teams. Unfortunately, I think our next curve is to learn how to win those games,” Lounsbury said.
It took the Red Sox 12 innings to beat the Bandits on Friday night, with Brantford second baseman Benjamin Bostick singling in the winning run. After holding a 6-4 lead in the ninth inning, Brantford scored two runs on a triple by third baseman Ricky Murray to extend the game.
Ryan Beckett (0-1) got the start for the Bandits, going five innings and surrendering four earned runs on six hits. Beckett also struck out two and walked two batters before giving way to the bullpen. Reliever Alex Nolan (0-1) ultimately took the loss, following three Red Sox hits in the 12th inning.
Red Sox pitcher Tanner Guindon (2-0) notched his second victory against the Bandits this season, after pitching 2.2 innings and allowing just one hit. Although Burlington struck out a season-high 18 times on Friday, they also registered 13 hits.
Bandits’ outfielder Justin Gideon led the way, going 5/6 with two runs scored and one RBI. Following Saturday’s game Lounsbury spoke highly of Gideon’s play as of late, specifically his approach at the plate.
“He’s starting to make the adjustment that he needed to make. He made a correction and it looks like it’s showing already,” Lounsbury said.
In their Saturday afternoon matchup with the Barrie Baycats, the Bandits got an early start, scoring two runs in the 1st inning on a triple by left fielder John Whaley.
Burlington once again held a two run lead, until a 3-run homerun by Barrie third baseman Jordan Castaldo put the Baycats ahead 3-2 in the 6th inning. The Bandits rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th on an infield single by pinch hitter Brad McQuinn.
 If attitude wins games and coaxing a better performance from the coach really works – the Bandits should break through any day now. We’re waiting. They are currently one place away from the bottom of the league. However, Barrie took a 4-3 lead the very next inning on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Conner Morro and didn’t look back.
Bandits reliever Brandon Hillier (0-1) took the loss despite allowing just one hit in his 2.1 innings of work. Starting pitcher Jack Dennis (0-1) looked strong in his 7.2 inning outing for the Bandits, with Castaldo’s long-ball being his only blemish on the day.
“Our starting pitching has been great and our bullpen has done a great job,” Lounsbury said. “You could tell we were a little tired today energy-wise, but that’s no excuse.”
After Baycats starting pitcher Matthew St. Kitts (1-0) left the game with an injury in the 6th inning, three Baycats’ relievers combined to limit the Bandits to just four hits, with Chris Nagorski (1-0) getting the win. The Bandits once again struggled with their plate discipline, striking out 16 times on the day.
“We’re continuing to work on it,” Lounsbury said of his team’s strikeout frequency. “We’re starting to barrel up the ball a little bit better.”
Burlington will look to break back into the win column on Thursday, June 2 when they welcome the Guelph Royals (2-5) to town.
First pitch will be at 7:30pm at Nelson Park.
The Bandits are putting on a Youth Baseball Day Saturday June 4th starting at 9:00 am
Pancake breakfast
Skills and drills with Bandits players
UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, May 31
Guelph at Hamilton; 7:30 pm
Barrie at London; 7:45 pm
Wednesday, June 1
Kitchener at Toronto; 7:30 pm
Barrie at Brantford; 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 2
London at Kitchener; 7:30 pm
Guelph at Burlington; 7:30 pm
By Staff
May 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
If you’re Dutch – you already know about this event.
 Lead piper of the Dutch 48th Highlanders who will perform a concert in Civic Square May 31st at 11:30 am. If you like the sound of bagpipes and military style events – you will want to know about it.
Burlington’s Mundialization Committee will host a delegation from Burlington’s twin city, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands from May 29 to 31.
 Mayor Rick Goldring in Holland with Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends during the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Holland. The delegation includes the 48th Highlanders of Holland, Pipes and Drums, who will perform a special concert for Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and Burlington Mayor Goldring during the farewell reception on Tuesday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m. in Civic Square.
By Staff
May 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
What is it like to make a significant difference to the lives of more than 1000 children?
Tomorrow, Saturday, Canadian Tire holds their Jumpstart Day and the local Canadian Tire store in Burlington will be celebrating with a fun-filled day of activities for the community.
 An impressive growth rate – raising funds for kids who can’t afford sports equipment. Jumpstart takes place at Canadian Tire this Saturday. Jumpstart Day is an annual fundraising celebration to help kids from financially disadvantaged families across Canada, participate in organized sport and physical activity. Jumpstart Day kicks off Jumpstart month in June, and last year, more than $1 million was raised in Canadian Tire stores from coast-to- coast across Jumpstart Day and Jumpstart month.
Since 2005, Jumpstart has helped more than 1 million kids across Canada, including 4,500 in Burlington alone. Last year, more than $100,000 was disbursed to help 1,050 kids in Burlington get involved in their favourite sports and physical activities.
The all-day event will feature fun games for kids and a BBQ from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
By Staff
May 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
What did you do on the holiday weekend?
Some people took in the pier.
How many? Not as many as one might have expected – but see for yourself.
There is an eye in the sky –
https://vimeo.com/167814015
By Staff
May 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Symphony on the Bay: The Orchestra for Kids.
May 28 11:00 AM
Admission is $10 + HST for children (one free chaperone per child).
This program was sold out last year so buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
 All this – for $10
By Staff
May 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The position on the score board is looking quite a bit better.
The Burlington Bandits scored four runs in the ninth to break open their game against Hamilton and win 10-5.
Julian Johnson had three of the Bandits’ 15 hits. Justin Gideon, Shawn Mayhew, Kevin Hussey, Carlos Villoria and Nolan Pettipiece all had two hits. Pettipiece added two RBI, Villoria and Mayhew each drove in a run, and Gideon scored three runs.
Christian Huack (1-0) picked up the win with three innings of relief. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, walking three and striking out five.
Finally – a win on the scoreboard. Starter Ryan Beckett went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
For Hamilton, Chris Beer had two hits, two RBI and two runs. Kyle Adoranti drove in a pair of runs, Darek Bishop had an RBI, and Marcus Dicenzo had two hits and two runs.
Benson Merritt (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs (none earned) on four hits in five innings of relief, walking two and striking out two.
Tim Black started, going three innings and giving up five runs on eight hits, striking out one and walking one.
Burlington improved to 1-3, and Hamilton fell to 0-5.
Toronto Maple Leafs won 8-6 over the Brantford Red Sox Sunday afternoon.
Toronto improved to 3-1 and Brantford fell to 2-1.
The Kitchener Panthers kicked off their home schedule with 21 runs and 27 hits in a 21-1 rout of the Guelph Royals Sunday afternoon.
Kitchener improved to 4-0, while Guelph dropped to 1-3.
The London Majors and Barrie Baycats split a doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Barrie.
Baycats took the first game 3-2
In Game 2, London starter Elis Jimenez (1-0) threw a seven-inning four-hit shutout as the Majors won 4-0. Jimenez struck out three and walked four.
London is 3-1 and Barrie 2-2.
Upcoming games:
Monday, May 23
Kitchener at Guelph, 1 p.m.
By Staff
May 20th , 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Teresa Seaton has invited her friends to see Tamara Kwapich’s ” Feathers Fur and Fables” Exhibiton on Sun June 5th form 1pm – 4pm.
She will tell you it is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
 Michele VanMaurik’s peonies We will take her word for it – what we can tell you with much certainty is that you want to get to the gallery before May 29th –which is when the Michele VanMaurik exhibiton comes to an end.
If you haven’t had a chance to see her flowers you are really missing something.
Kwapich’s was one of the artists chosen for the mural project – she did the apple scene for the Orchard community.
Tamara Kwapich – self portrait Her self portrait is an interesting piece of work.
By Staff
May 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This is nice news – the arrival of some warmer weather means the opening of the city’s splash pads on Saturday, May 21 followed by pools beginning June 18.
 The Nelson pool – which won’t be open this year. “Splash pads and pools provide a fun way to spend a summer day,” said Chris Glenn, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “As the warmer temperatures return, the city’s nine splash pads and six pools will provide families with a quick and easy way to cool off all summer long and to stay active together.”
A complete list of splash pads can be found at www.burlington.ca/swimming.
Pool Openings
The summer swimming season opening dates include:
June 18
• Mountainside Recreation Centre – Outdoor Pool and Splash Park
• LaSalle Outdoor Wading Pool and Splash Pad
June 30
• Angela Coughlan Pool
• Burlington Centennial Pool
• Tansley Woods Community Centre
July 4
• Aldershot Pool
 Michelle Benoit – getting in some pool time last year.  The outdoor pool and splash pad at Nelson Park will be closed this summer for construction. All swimming programs have been accommodated at other city facilities. For updates about the replacement of the outdoor pool at Nelson Park, please visit www.burlington.ca/nelson.
If you have questions contact staff at swimming@burlington.ca.
By Staff
May 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This does not look good for the Burlington Bandits – two games played; two games lost and two games rained out.
 The Brantford Red Sox plastered the Bandits 6-0 Thursday night.
Brantford used five pitchers to scatter five hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Matt Martinow pitched the first three innings, giving up one hit while walking a pair and striking out three.
Tanner Guindon (1-0) picked up the win, striking out three without walking a batter over two innings. He allowed one hit.
Brantford improves to 1-0, while Burlington drops to 0-2.
Upcoming games:
Friday, May 20
Hamilton at London, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 1 p.m.
Hamilton at Brantford, 2 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
May 19th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Introducing new technology into a retail operation with a very strong brand has to be managed very very carefully. There can be no glitches.
McDonalds took a bold step and put in large screens at which people could place their food orders – the device covers all the bases and accommodates just about every need you can imagine.
 Some people prefer the smile that comes with the service from a person behind the counter. But at some locations – the devices don’t get used. “There are people who would rather talk to the person behind the counter” explained Ryan Sgro who has the ability to hold a conversation and at the same time constantly scan the service counters.
“Each McDonalds has its own environment – some get more traffic at the drive through – others have line ups that lead out the door” added Sgro.
The McDonalds on Plains Road and King Road intersection in Aldershot is one of those place people drop into – quite often a group of people getting together to have a cup of coffee. The windows on the western side draw those who want to read a newspaper in the sunshine.
For those who decide to use the screens – they are actually fun.
You sort of talk to the screen by just touching it.
 Eating in or taking it home?  I wanted an Angus burger and the options available to me were right in front of me – all I had to do was touch the screen.  I could tune up the taste as well – give it a little zip.  The result of the Angus Burger I created can be seen by the smile on my face. My friend was just as pleased with her salad The Sgro family operate six franchises in Burlington and one in Waterdown. Ralph, who started out with the McDonalds corporation a long time ago as an employee where he once worked at the Guelph Line location, drops by and remind son Ryan of a task and then nods to a customer who has been coming to the Plains Road location for years.
There are a lot of young people in Burlington who got their first job at McDonalds, said Ralph. “I’m pretty certain that we trained a lot of the people who now work at Canadian Tire because when I go in there to make a purchase I see a lot of my former staff working there” he added.
Ralph talks about the value of community for his locations. “There was once a serious fire at Walkers Line and Upper Middle Road – we made up meals for the firemen (and women) who had to battle that blaze – we ended up feeding some of the people who had to flee their homes.” Ralph explains: “We had a kitchen and food – they were hungry – we fed them.”
Ryan comments on the view some people have that the technology is taking jobs away from people.
“Nothing could be further from the truth” explains Ryan. The technology allows us to handle food orders faster which means more volume which means needing more people in the kitchen.”
Also, people can take their time in front of the screen and they usually aren’t holding anyone up – there are two of the large screens in each location. Once you get the hang of the things they are pretty easy to handle.
 The burger I created was so good – they named it after me. But the Sgro family nixed that idea – they did let me have the picture. McDonalds calls the technology – “Create your taste”.
It worked for me.
By Staff
May 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington public art program is inviting professional artists and artist teams to submit expressions of interest for an Artist-in-Residence program.
Working with the city’s Arts and Culture staff, the selected artist(s) will conduct a 6-month residency to research the existence of ‘cultural nodes’ in Burlington.
In addition to attending planning meetings and consulting with key stakeholders, the selected artist will create temporary public art interventions to engage and interact with the community.
This is a non-live-in residency however the selected artist is expected to visit Burlington frequently and must live within easy travel distance.
The city’s public art program, funded for the most part from Planning Act Section 37 funds (these are monies developers give the city for additional height and density among other things). The city puts $50,000 of its own money into the public art plan.
The opportunity is made up of a $10,800 artist fee and up to $10,000 materials
 Early in the creation of the Cultural Action Plan people were asked to indicate where they saw culture taking place in th city. The next step is to build on the knowledge gathered. The city has a Cultural Action Plan as well as a Culture manager and of course there is the robust arts collective that leans on city council every opportunity it gets.
Burlington hired Hamilton resident Jeremy Freiburger to craft the Cultural Action Plan. The work leading up to that document included asking people to map out where they “do” culture and how they define culture. Links below on those new stories as well.
The focus appears to be looking for ways to better define cultural nods. We are not sure that research actually makes that kind of thing happen – when people find a place they want to be they gather at that place and it just becomes a node. The approach this call is using sounds and feels a little like “social engineering” – and we know where that kind of effort gets us.
The project goals include:
The integration of an artist’s perspective into planning cultural nodes
Create opportunities for street-level cultural engagement through unique public engagement activities and temporary public art installations
Make recommendations on ways to link identified cultural nodes
Make recommendations on future permanent public art installation(s) related to cultural nodes
The deadline for this opportunity is Monday, June 20, 4:00 p.m. Artists wishing to learn more about this project are invited to an optional information session on Wednesday, June 1 (7:00 to 8:00 p.m.). The presentation will be followed by an open Q&A session with the public art manager.
 From the left – three people heavily involved in the cultural community: Deb Tymstra, Teresa Seaton and Donna Grandin. Artists interested in learning more about this project are invited to an optional information session at the Halton Hive, 901 Guelph Line, Burlington. Loads of parking. The Hive is just south of Harvester Road . A brief presentation will be followed by an open Q&A with the public art manager.
Those wishing to attend must RSVP by Monday May 30th at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artist-in-residence-information-session-tickets-25377297179?aff=mcivte
For more information contact:
Kim Selman, the Public Art Manager over at Cobalt Connexts is the lead on this. You can reach her at
kim@cobaltconnects.ca or at 905-548-0111
By Staff
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Tansley Woods pool is closed for the remainder of the day due to an unforseen maintenance issue. The pool is expected to reopen at 6:00 a.m. on Friday May 20, 2016
The following programs are cancelled:
• Combo Lap Swim 10:30am-noon
• Lap Swim Noon – 1:30 p.m.
• Water Running 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Swimming lessons 5 to 8:30 p.m. Information on make up options will be distributed at next week’s lesson.
• Aqua Boot Camp at 7:35 p.m.
• Leisure Swim 7:30-9:00 p.m.
• Swim Training 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The Aldershot pool closing announcement used the same wording – they were close for several days.
They rarely say what they mean by an unforeseen maintenance issue.
By Staff and Pat Shields
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits (0-1) will have their fingers crossed for clear skies when the Brantford Red Sox (0-0) come to town on Thursday night.
The Bandits have played only one game in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) regular season thus far, thanks to inclement weather on the weekend. The Red Sox are in a similar position as both of their opening games last weekend were postponed.
Although the Bandits showed signs of rust in their home opener against the London Majors (1-0), simply getting back on the field and seeing live pitching should help their cause significantly.
 Bandits would like to get out of the dugout and onto the field – 0-1 so far this year. Burlington will have their hands full with the perennial powerhouse Red Sox, who have won 15 IBL championships since joining the league in 1934.
Brantford finished 3rd in the IBL last season with a solid 22-13 record. Their playoff run ended early though, as they fell in Game 5 of their first round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bandits fared well against the Red Sox last year posting a 2-3 record in five closely matched meetings, including taking the final two contests.
To notch their first win of the 2016 season, the Bandits will need to get to Brantford pitcher Nathan Forer. The 4-year veteran finished 2nd in the IBL last season with a 2.51 ERA, to go alongside a 6-2 record.
Burlington and Brantford will begin play at 7:30pm at Nelson Park on Thursday. The Bandits will be back in action on Saturday, May 21 when they clash with the league-leading Kitchener Panthers (2-0).
Elsewhere in the league:
The Barrie Baycats and the Toronto Maple Leafs game saw the Baycats record an 8-5 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.
Barrie and Toronto are both 1-1.
Upcoming games:
Thursday, May 19
Brantford at Burlington, 7: 30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Hamilton at London, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 1 p.m.
Hamilton at Brantford, 2 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Have you herd of the Eddies?
The 15th annual Eddies Gala Awards evening – a popular festival celebrating student filmmaking – will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The theatre doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the awards celebration begins at 7 p.m., followed by screenings of this year’s winners. This event is open to the public, no tickets are required and admission is free.
 A clip from an Eddie winning entry. The Eddies, the Halton Student Film Festival, celebrates student success in filmmaking by recognizing technical and creative achievements and is open to all elementary and secondary students. Previous Eddies award winners have gone on to achieve success in the film and television industry, with some capturing prestigious awards for their work.
This year the event is highlighted by an impressive list of professionals who will judge the submissions. They include:
• Mandy Holyoke – Production Coordinator for Little Charmers, a popular Nickelodeon animated series.
• Kyla Springall – Assistant Production Manager at Cineflix, has been Production Coordinator on Property Virgins for 84 episodes and is now coordinating a Property Virgins spin-off series.
• Vaishni Majoomdar – experience includes casting on Good Witch, Reign and Schitt’s Creek.
• Omar Salama – Creative Director at Block 94.
• Jeff Bowman – retired Multimedia Administrator and co-founder of The Eddies.
• Ana Yavari – Editor on The Tudors, The Borgias and the Showtime series Penny Dreadful.
“Approximately 500 students participated this year from various subject areas making this a true display of how technology can be integrated in all academic and technical subjects,” says Dale Andrews, teacher at White Oaks Secondary School and co-organizer of The Eddies.
For a look at one of the entries that won last year CLICK here
By Pepper Parr
May 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The question was – what will she have to show us when the Performance Arts Centre reveal takes place? Will it compare favourably with the superb program Brian McCurdy delivered before he took leave of running the Centre?
And would there be room for the local talent – and not just shows that were travelling and could spend an evening in Burlington?
And is the lineup for 2026/2017 a good line up?
 Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines chatting with a patron after the presentation. Suzanne Haines delivered.
It’s a more than decent line up – and if the VIP members who lined up to buy tickets are any indication – the year will keep city council happy, meaning that BPAC won’t be back asking for more money – they already get close to a million dollars as it is.
A VIP member is a patron who has purchased 4 or more shows in the previous season and the capital donors and supporters.
There are a couple of boffo stand outs to comment on. The Shanghai Acrobats from China are astounding – a cultural circus if you will.
 Two Performing Arts Centre patrons flipping through the program book. The Aga Boom – three clowns that will delight both parents and the children they bring with them. The pricing on this one is great $15 if you bought a series.
Series pricing is $5 off the regular price if you buy tickets to four or more events. If this show doesn’t sell out – turn the Performing Arts centre into a day care centre.
A lot more jazz than one might have expected – most of it top rank
A solid family program for the Christmas season.
Some greats – Les Grand Ballet out of Montreal, the Nylons Farewell tour, Piaff! The Show (expect this to be a stunner) The popular Gerry Dee and
There wasn’t as much local talent given an chance to grow on the stage. There are going to be what are commercially called Added Value events – which will be performers in the Family Room entertaining theatre goers before and after different shows. That’s a start.
Last summer the Performing Arts Centre put on free Jazz on the Plaza concerts that were a huge hit. They have expanded the program to include a Tuesday night live, a Friday Jazz on the Plaza and Sunday Family Fun.
The presentation of the 2016-17program however was weak – it lacked any pizzazz.
 Patrons lined up to get their tickets booked. Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines stood on one side of the stage and Director of Programming Costin Manu stood on the other side and read from telepromters. One would speak and then the other – as they passed the job back and forth.
There was an opportunity for the two of them to ham it up a bit and become part of the entertainment. At one point Costin was dancing away in small circles on his side of the stage – while Suzanne tapped her toes on the other. They could have danced towards each other and made their presentation much livelier.
Costin Manu can be very funny – he should have been given a writer to provide him with a bit of a script. It is after all show business.
 Ilene Elkaim, chair of the Theatre Board listens to a patron The “reveal” as many people chose to call the event closed with a nice touch. Haines announced that Royal Wood would return to the stage on October 1st – the 5th anniversary of the opening of the venue.
The Gazette was there that evening, which was described as a soft opening. The house wasn’t packed but the attendance was more than acceptable.
As Wood was taking his final bow two of what I describe as the “blue rinse” set strode up the aisle muttering about the lousy performance. They proved to be completely wrong – the place works – now to keep the costs in line and the content current, popular and just a little edgy at times.
 Deb Tymstra who reports on culture for Cogeco took in the evening and chats up a friend. The real test is to see the box office numbers – sales Tuesday night won’t be known until next week – they don’t appear to have adding machine over there.
The Gazette will comment and report on the evening later in the week. It was a fun night, the finger food offering was plentiful – the wine offerings at the bar could do with some expansion. The program book patrons took away with them is a keeper – everything you want to know about the new season is within a well designed book.
By Pepper Parr
May 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Friends of Freeman station have to be nominated next year for one of the Burlington’s Best awards. This is without a doubt one of the best community organizations in the city. They fought hard to overcome serious inertia on the part of city hall and city council to save the Freeman Station.
 Sitting on some “cribbing” with a sign badly in need of several coats of paint, the Freeman Station gets ready for its big move. The city at one point had a very significant federal government grant to move and refurbish the station but couldn’t agree on where it should be located.
At one point the city ran an advertisement asking if anyone wanted the thing – to the best of our knowledge no one responded.
The late Jane Irwin fought hard to find a way to keep the structure that was in very sad shape sitting on cribbings beside the fire station on Fairview.
A city engineer actually told a Standing Committee that it couldn’t be save. That didn’t deter a group of die-hards who were not prepared to let the station get reduced to kindling.
 They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building. Councillors Marianne Meed Ward and Blair Lancaster who don’t agree on very much most of the time did come together and champion the Friends of Freeman Station. Now whenever there is a photo op the rest of council can’t line up fast enough to get their picture taken. Wait until the day the Station is officially opened – they will all be there with their best smiles painted on their faces.
But I digress – the Friends are going to be at Tansley Woods Community Centre, 1996 Itabashi Way, on Wednesday, June 1st – 9:30 – 4:00 to tell anyone who wants to listen about the station.
“Nostalgia… and fun!
— will be the order of the day when the Friends of Freeman Station travelling model railway exhibit is displayed at the Tansley Woods Community Centre in conjunction with the City of Burlington’s Parks and Recreation Department kickoff of Seniors’ Month — Wednesday, June 1st from 9:30 AM to 4 PM.
Nostalgia… “I remember travelling by train from the Burlington Junction Station…” Young-at-heart Burlington seniors recall fondly their experiences, as we re-create the era of steam power. You’ll see a model steam locomotive and passenger train, arriving and departing from a model of the the Burlington Junction Station just as it happened in the early Twentieth century. A beautifully crafted 1/24 scale model of the Station will be part of the display.
Fun! “Look, Grandma! It’s Thomas the Tank Engine!” Bring your grandchildren to see a rare demonstration of Thomas and friends Percy, Annie, Clarabell, Troublesome Truck #1, and Troublesome Truck #2 running on our scale model railway.
 Bob Chambers points to a detail of the Freeman Station model he built in his kitchen in a short 41/2 months. The model will be on display at the Tansley Woods Community Centre. Tansley Woods Community Centre
We’ll be there… to share the amazing story of the relocation and restoration of Burlington’s 1906 Grand Trunk Railway Station, slated for completion in 2017. There, on the Lower Level, we’ll be constructing a historic model railway diorama depicting early Twentieth-century life in the hamlet of Freeman, now a part of Burlington.
This is one of the organizations that deserve whatever you can manage in the way of donations. Every dollar they get does into the refurbishing that are a a 100% volunteer organization –no one is paid – they rely entirely on private and corporate donations to fund the costs of restoring the Burlington Junction Station under an agreement with the City of Burlington.
They are superb at scrounging as well
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By Staff
There will be a Q&A session.
This contest is open to gardeners of all skill levels.
Everyone knows about Canadian Tire and when groups in the community are looking for help and support they frequently ask Canadian Tire.
“We played well – we pitched well and we hit well against two tough teams. Unfortunately, I think our next curve is to learn how to win those games,” Lounsbury said.
The Brantford Red Sox plastered the Bandits 6-0 Thursday night.
