 By Staff
September 28th,2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The city has responded to this article. See below.
There are washrooms on the north side of the Snack Shack that remain open throughout the year.
Readers are writing in advising us that the toilets on the Beachway are locked.
“Weather of 25 degrees Celsius and the doors are locked. I saw a dump, I thought maybe we had bears in Burlington.”
Another reader wrote that “toilets at the beach are locked, there are people defecating in the bushes.”
 Washrooms in the Beachway. Locked on a warm fall weekend: why? Not much in the way of bushes for people to drop their shorts in. It was a wonderful sunny day – a great time to get out and enjoy the weather.
Most people know there are some washroom facilities in the Beachway – why in weather like this would they be locked?
The washrooms are a bit of an embarrassment as they are – they are due for a major upgrade.
Does the city follow a rule that once we are into fall weather the washrooms are automatically locked – or maybe someone didn’t show up to unlock them.
Poor policy, lousy public service.
Come Monday we will ask Parks and Recreation and see what they have to say.
The city responds: The washrooms at Beachway Park were open on the weekend. The change rooms are now locked for the season and this may have caused the confusion. The change rooms are located in a separate building on the south side of the Snack Shack also have washroom facilities. The doors for the change rooms were locked while the adjacent washrooms remain open until the water is turned off for the season.
There are washrooms on the north side of the Snack Shack that remain open throughout the year.
 By Staff
September 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Night spots get very dangerous when people feel they can carry a knife and then stab someone when there is an altercation.
The stabbing took place almost a month ago at a local club.
The Halton Regional Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for a stabbing that took place at the ‘Island Nightclub’ in Burlington.
On August 31, 2019 a male suspect got into a physical altercation with another male outside of the night club. During the fight, the suspect stabbed the victim with an unknown object causing a puncture wound to the victim’s shoulder. The suspect then fled the area on foot.
The victim was treated and released from hospital.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for the stabbing incident.
  Suspect is described as a male, black, with a slim build, short dreadlock style hair and unshaven. He was wearing a dark shirt and dark pants. The suspect appeared to be approximately 21 years of age and wore a black satchel slung off of his shoulder.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jared McLeod at the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825 4747 ext. 2385.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
 By Pepper Parr
September 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor stood at the back of the room, glumly listening to a development presentation that, if ever built, would crush the agenda she has had in place from the day she first began to be politically active in ward 2 where she became the Council member, served two terms and went on to get elected as Mayor.
 Design concept principles. The development is in a prime location – at the visual entrance to the city as one drives in from the east.
The shape of the property gave the developer the opportunity to do something stunning and Nick Carnacelli didn’t disappoint.
 Looking at the development as you drive into Burlington from the east. The design is stunning, it sets a new benchmark for excellence in outside appearance and will certainly draw the clientele that can afford what it is going to cost.
The only problem was – no one liked the height – they wanted something lower.
Time may prove that lower buildings will become possible in Burlington but the evidence at this point is that height is a given – the issue will be where that height gets situated.
The city had more than a decade to make it clear that it had different ideas for what it referred to as “the football” because of its shape – enclosed by Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road and limited to some degree by the set back and top of bank requirements along the lake which is yards away from this development and the one proposed next to it.
 Looking west along Lakeshore Road, Martha’s Landing is on the left. The meeting began with Andreas Houlios, a city planner setting out what the zoning was and what the Official Plan that is in place permits. Burlington has an Official Plan that was put in place in 2008.
A new plan was passed by city council in 2017 but not approved by the Region.
The 2018 election brought in a new council that took what they called an “approved” Official Plan and began the process of revising it. The city is waiting for that revision to be made public as soon as it is complete. But right now, today – the Official Plan as it will apply to this development reads like this:
Official Plan designation:
• Downtown Mixed Use Centre
• Old Lakeshore Rd Mixed Use Precinct (Area B – East Sector)
Site Specific Official Plan Policy:
• Building heights up to 10 storeys and 31.5 metres
• Taller building heights up to 12 storeys and 37 metres permitted subject to certain requirements
Subject Site
 What is permitted on this site?
Current Zoning:
• DL-A (Downtown Old Lakeshore Road)
• Permits a variety of retail and service commercial uses, office, hospitality, entertainment and recreation uses, as well as apartment buildings and retirement homes.
• Maximum height of 10 storeys -12 under certain situations.
• The Provincial Planning Act allows applications to be submitted at any time by landowners to change the Official Plan designation and/or zoning on a property.
• The City is required to process these applications following a set of Provincial rules and regulations and with consideration being given to existing Provincial and Regional policy.
• City planners obtain technical advice and public input before making a recommendation to Council.
• If Council does not make a decision on an application within the legislated timeframe, the applicant may be appeal the applications to the LPAT, if desired.
And that is what the developer has done. They are asking for a change to the Official Plan and changes to the zoning on the site.
The property happens to be within the boundaries of an Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) that is currently in place for one year – that year has about eight months left.
 The development will dominate the entrance to the city. The Planning department will receive the application but will not begin a Staff Report until the ICBL is lifted.
With that background in place the audience of about 40 people got to hear what NAME had to say about the merits of the development. He did not get a round of applause and he was interrupted a number of times.
Mark Bales, a vice president with the developer Old Lakeshore Burlington Inc., stood a few times to elaborate on a point and to answer questions from a less than friendly audience. Mr. Bales at one point chose to hold his open hand up facing Councillor Lisa Kearns in an effort to stop her from speaking – an atrocious bit of behavior that we have seen before.
Nick Carnecelli, standing at the back of the room signaled to Bales to tone it down.
The audience the developer was dealing with did not want what was being proposed – they wanted the 12 storeys the Official Plan permits.
There were some ideas put out on how traffic might be managed and the wish for a more “village like” setting. Nothing the developer was going to do anything with.
It is now a waiting game until the ICBL is lifted.
 By Staff
September 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Beginning Monday, September 30th, a section of King Road will be closed between Plains Road East and North Service Road to allow for underground utility connection work. The closure will be in place until Friday, October 4th, 2019.
 King Road before the grade separation went in. Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained up to the closure points throughout the duration of the project. A detour for through traffic will be in place via Plains Road, Waterdown Road, North Service Road.
 By Staff
September 26, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor’s office now has a full compliment. Her new Executive Administrator and Constituent Liaison started 0fficially on September 23rd which means Georgie Gartside can hopefully return to working as the Administrative Assistant with ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.
The newbie to the Mayor’s office is Darian Mills who brings a highly-relevant background as an assistant for the Member of Parliament for Brantford Brant.
 Darian Mills – Executive Administrator and Constituent Liaison The Mayor points to Darian’s “unique combination of government experience, customer-service skills, administrative excellence and positive energy.
“She has an Honours degree in Criminology and a passion for politics, and all things dogs-related. Darian is focused on serving the people of Burlington and helping me, as your Mayor, realize our collective vision for our City.
The Mayor thanks Georgie Gartside, “who was my assistant when I was a Councillor, for stepping in during this transition period and helping the Mayor’s Office run smoothly for the past few months.
It was a busy summer and a busy start to the fall in the Office of the Mayor, and Georgie’s skills and experience were appreciated more than I (and the rest of my team) can possibly say.”
The Mayor also thanked Councillor Shawna Stolte and the entire team of councillors’ assistants for being so flexible and collaborative, pulling together to cover the workload while we searched for this new team member.
The Mayor also set out the procedures for communicating with her office. For an efficient response continue to email mayor@burlington.ca.
The Mayor’s Office Team:
Victoria Al Samadi, Mayor’s Chief of Staff; Victoria.Alsamadi@burlington.ca; 905-335-7600, ext. 7703 (contact for policy and strategy);
Darian Mills, Executive Administrator and Constituent Liaison; Darian.Mills@burlington.ca; 905-335-7607 (for general enquiries);
John Bkila, Media and Digital Communications Specialist; John.Bkila@burlington.ca; 905-335-7600, ext. 7478 (for media inquiries).
The online process for all inquiries related to the Mayor’s Office with regards to event invitations, requesting a proclamation, congratulatory letter or certificate, a flag-raising, or a meeting have been streamlined.
For events, proclamations, letters/certificates or flag-raising requests, please head to https://webforms.burlington.ca/Mayors-Office/Invite-the-Mayor.
For requesting a meeting with the mayor, please visit https://webforms.burlington.ca/Mayors-Office/Request-a-Meeting-with-The-Mayor.
By Staff
September 26th, 2019
Burlington, on
Burlington Transits route 4 has a detour, between Dynes Rd. and Cumberland Ave.
starting September 30th through to October 5th due to construction in the area.
The following stops not be serviced.
• #148 – Prospect St. at Dynes Rd.
• #159 – Cumberland Ave. at Woodward Ave.
• #160 – 3232 Prospect Ave.
• #164 – Cumberland Ave. at Northgate Dr.
• #168 and #174 – 3270 Prospect St
Route 4 will travel along Dynes Rd. and Woodward Ave.
 By Pepper Parr
September 26th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a meeting taking place this evening at the Central Arena, on Drury Lane road, across the street from the YMCA.
 The public will get a look at what the developer wants to do with the southern end of the “football” the land between Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road. It is a pre-consultation meeting, a non-statutory meeting to obtain community input on all of these elements prior to the submission of an application. Planning staff will be in attendance to provide information on the development application review process and next steps. The owner and consultant team representatives will also be in attendance to listen and collect ideas and input from the community.
Old Lakeshore Burlington Inc. is the owner of lands located at 2107-2119 Old Lakeshore Road. The City’s current policies provide for the potential development of a tall building of up to 12 storeys on these lands. The owner is currently considering the redevelopment of the lands with a mixed-use tall building of up to 26 storeys.
This is the way development takes place in Burlington.
 The properties the CORE development group want to put 26 storeys on. A number of months ago there was another such pre-consultation public meeting. This one was at the Art Gallery. It went through the same process; there weren’t a lot of people in that room with much in the way of appetite for the development. The developer in that case was the CORE group.
When the Gazette asked for a copy of the presentation made by the developer – they promised to send it along the next day, we are still waiting for that one.
 A 3D model of what the south eastern core of the city would look like if the CORE development on the table is approved and built. Another developer wants to build a high rise at the eastern end of the Lakeshore and Old Lakeshore intersection. Both developments, the CORE development and the Old Lakeshore Burlington development, are in the same part of town – what is sometimes referred to as the “football” – referring to the shape of the property that exists between Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road.
 Former Mayor Rick Goldring sits beside former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to listen to members of the Waterfront Advisory Committee. A number of years ago, when there was a Waterfront Advisory Committee chaired then by Nick Leblovic they invited former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to talk to them about how development can be managed so that the wishes and the will of the public are at least heard. Crombie at the time said: You need to put together a committee and ensure that you have a couple of oddballs at the table – they are the people that pop out the interesting ideas.
Then Mayor Goldring sat in on that meeting; nothing ever came of the idea. Sometime later the Waterfront Advisory was put to rest.
Any development ideas were going to come from the development community. And that is what we are looking at today.
The very significant sized developments that abut each other on what is now the most valuable developed land near the lake, across from Emma’s Back Porch and a football field length away from the Bridgewater development which appears stalled.
There is no public protesting; there is no group formed to suggest that this is not the way this part of the city should be developed.
Other than saying the city doesn’t want this type of growth in this part of the city Mayor Meed Ward hasn’t said very much.
 All the land within the red outline was public. The city went along with the sale of the pieces in the middle that abutted houses – they kept the piece of land at each end and turned them into Windows on the Lake. A Crown Jewel had been sold. Burlington lost the opportunity to keep a large part of the waterfront in public hands when it went along with the sale of that land between Market and St. Paul.
Meed Ward, as a Councillor fought a valiant battle to maintain ownership of that property – despite her efforts then, Crown Jewels were sold for a pittance and the province got most of the money.
George Santayana, a noted philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist who once appeared on the cover of Time magazine wrote that: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
It is going to take a lot more than people who attend the meeting this evening saying this is not what the city wants – it is going to take real leadership – not from just the Mayor but from every member of council.
 This is the crowd that is going to have to step up, get creative, be bold and find a better way to develop the land in the “football”. Time for the newbies to step up to the plate – let’s see what you are made of.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council
 By Ray Rivers
September 26th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
“But if you can look past the anecdotal evidence — a hard feat for everyone, no doubt — you’ll find an economy performing pretty well. And in a world full of turmoil and trouble, pretty well is pretty good.” (Peter Armstrong, Senior Business Reporter CBC)
The folks that gave us Doug Ford are at it again. Like the fabled Don Quixote thrusting his lance at imaginary enemies, we hear the NDP and Conservatives complaining about the lack of economic progress over the last four years.
The facts are:
1. Gross disposable personal income in Canada reached an all time high this year;
2. Inflation is almost negligible mainly hovering at less than 2%;
3. Unemployment is at a four decade low;
4. The median after-tax income for 2017, $59,800, was the highest in Canadian history;
5. The number of millionaires continues to grow; and
6. Almost 900,000 Canadians were lifted beyond the poverty line between 2015 and 2017, the greatest ever reduction of poverty in the country’s history.
This last statistic is most noteworthy as the Liberal government exceeded its own goal of reducing poverty by 20% by 2020. This reduced the percentage of people living below the poverty line to less than 10% for the first time in our country’s history. 52,000 single seniors were brought out of poverty.
This was a remarkable feat given that the economy had been teetering on recession when Trudeau took over as P.M. Increasing the progressiveness of our income tax system and choosing to invest in both structural and social programs has paid off. Canada’s economy, despite some trade challenges, such as US steel and aluminum tariffs, uncertainty over a new NAFTA, the continued depression of oil prices, and China’s banning meat and soybean imports, has continued to propel forward.
 The public loved the name, they loved the image and he campaigned very well. The question now is: did he deliver on the promise and what are the options for voters. Much of this growth was accomplished only because our government borrowed money to finance its programs rather than levy new taxes or do nothing at all. Canada’s deficits have become the tools which allowed us to achieve our economic progress. But, of course, Mr. Trudeau’s 2015 election promise of eliminating the deficit by this year is unrealized- lost in the inevitable trade off.
And yet despite large deficits, not only has the economy progressed but the economic significance of the deficits has diminished. Canada’s total debt as a percentage of its gross domestic product has been declining. And that, for anyone who understands debt financing in business, is the most important metric. Our economic growth more than pays for the debt financing.
 The country had tired of Harper and didn’t believe that Mulcair could run, never mind form a government. It was an unusual campaign promise last election. Contrasted with the NDP and Tory promises of balanced budgets, Mr.Trudeau argued that, given this period of low interest rates, now was the time to invest in Canada’s economy and enhancing its structural and social infrastructure – building for the future while money is still cheap.
And clearly it worked, propelling the country which had been teetering on recession during the last Harper year, to a pathway of solid growth and prosperity. In the end this has been a truly enviable record of economic achievement. Also, since most of the money borrowed is from Canadians, we are reasonably insulated from the vagaries of international currency manipulation.
But despite the best political wisdom, a restored and booming economy won’t ensure a government’s re-election. Otherwise how does one explain what happened in Ontario in 2018?
The opposition PCs made the election about hydro rates and the deficit, detracting from the province’s economic recovery and virtual boom.
 Don Quixote thrusting his lance at imaginary enemies. Mr. Ford inflated his estimated deficit numbers to scare the public into thinking the bailiff was at the door. It is the same bogey man Mr. Scheer is using in the federal election, although like Mr. Ford, he has no intention of deficit elimination. And as for hydro rates – it’s just another broken promise.
But just like Cervantes’ anti-hero these hapless politicians are also tilting at windmills – pointing at problems which don’t really exist.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Don Quixote – Millionaires – Lowest Poverty Rate –
Social Development – Cost of Living – Disposable Income –
Labour Productivity –
 By Pepper Parr
September 25, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is where I wonder what some people think they are doing.
We get literally hundreds of comments each day. More than a third are just plain foul, filled with nasty comments about other people. We don’t publish these – straight to trash.
About one quarter are good and of that half are superb. I am proud to publish those comments. On occasion we take a well written, soundly argued point of view and turn it into an opinion piece.
There is another bunch that come in. The name of the sender doesn’t match what we have in our data base so we send out a test email to see if the address is valid. All too often the email is illegitimate and we get a message like this.
<mariememe1965@gmail.com>: host gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[74.125.142.27] said:
The email account that you tried to reach does not exist. Please
try 550-5.1.1 double-checking the recipient’s email address for typos or
550-5.1.1 unnecessary spaces.
Our testing the email address was because we saw something suspicious in this one that said the following:
I’ve met her and I liked her! I felt a genuine concern and nothing scripted. Hoping that this paper writes articles on ALL candidates – fairly.
The comment was related to the article we wrote about Conservative candidate Elizabeth Jane Michael in which we reported on her deciding not to take part in the planned election debates.
We will write fairly about a candidate – we would like to speak to them.
Stunts like this hurt a candidate – it is clear that someone wrote a comment that was designed to leave the impression that the candidate was worth voting for – but they weren’t prepared to say who they were.
You can’t do that – at least not in this newspaper.
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington City Council approved a new organizational design which will position the City to meet its strategic goals over the balance of this term of Council and beyond.
 City manager Tim Commisso. Since beginning his appointment as City Manager in July 2019, Tim Commisso, along with Human Resources Director Laura Boyd, have been meeting with staff to get their input into the organization redesign recommended to Council.
This new organizational design, which is effective on September 24, puts more emphasis on strategic management, risk assessment and public accountability; while also positioning us well to attract and retain employees in a growing and competitive marketplace.
The new structure will also enhance and highlight the City’s attention to City-wide customer service and public engagement through business process improvements, corporate-wide training and ongoing transformations such as digital service delivery.
 This shift has got the Mayor’s finger prints all over it. There were people that she wanted to see moved out of city hall – mission accomplished. Further, these changes better enable staff to implement City Council’s four-year work plan entitled “Vision to Focus.” An update on Council’s work plan will be shared in the near future.
Highlights of the organizational design changes include:
The new organizational design has been approved by Council within the current staff complement, no additional staff positions were added.
Overall, we are moving forward with an organizational structure led by Executive Directors which will be responsible for providing ongoing leadership and strategic management to the following:
“Service Groups” comprised of the City’s community focused operational departments.
The two “Service Groups,”
Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services
and
Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility,
also align more closely with the focus areas in Council’s 4-year Work Plan.
“Corporate Strategic Support” functions including Finance, Legal, Human Resources and Information Technology
City Manager Office realigned functions focusing on the corporate priorities of strategy, risk, City-wide customer service and public engagement; this realignment also responds to a Council direction given to the City Manager in February 2019 to review and realign the functions of the City Manager’s Office.
Allan Magi has been appointed Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services. The Roads, Parks & Forestry, Recreation Services, Fire and Capital Works departments will now report to Allan.
 Heather MacDonald has been appointed Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility with the Transportation Services, Transit, Community Planning and Building departments now reporting to Heather.
A new position of Customer Experience Manager-Business Development has been created in the City Manager’s Office and will play a key role in the implementation of the Mayor’s Red Tape Red Carpet recommendations including working directly with BEDC to provide enhanced support to businesses looking to grow and bring new jobs to Burlington.
A new position of Executive Director of Strategy, Risk and Accountability has been created in the City Manager’s Office and will lead the strategic planning/management, business performance and enterprise risk functions for the organization and ensure the implementation of the many initiatives and actions included in Council’s 4-Year Work Plan.
 City of Burlington organizational chart. Will it work – does the bench strength needed exist? The lead of the Customer Experience Manager-Business Development unit was not named nor was the Executive Director of Strategy, Risk and Accountability
With the change to an Executive Director structure, the City has also transitioned away from the Deputy City Manager model; as a result of the redesign, Mary Lou Tanner is no longer with the City. The City of Burlington thanks Mary Lou for her leadership and service to Burlington and wishes her all the best in the future.
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
In a media release the city informed the public that: “
“With the change to an Executive Director structure, the City has transitioned away from the Deputy City Manager model; as a result of the redesign, Mary Lou Tanner is no longer with the City.
“The City of Burlington thanks Mary Lou for her leadership and service to Burlington and wishes her all the best in the future.
“There is a group in Burlington that has spent a significant amount of time and quite a bit of their own money (more that $700) to learn just how Tanner got hired.
“She came to Burlington from Hamilton.
 James Ridge was dispatched in December.  Mary Lou Tanner dispatched in September. “There will be a hefty severance package involved. This one plus the one that was paid out to former city manager James Ridge will probably set a record for severance payments in Burlington.
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The city made it official – the LaSalle Park Marina Association will operate the marina but the city does expect them to change the name of the organization and get the word ‘community’ in there somewhere.
 Peace, tranquility and good governance have settled on the marina. The next step is to put a business case together. There was some additional positive news – the wave break that is being installed looks as if it is going to come in at less than the $4 million and the city think the Marina association might be able to come up with a bit more than the $2.7 million in fees to the city.
It has taken years to get to this point – council is as pleased as punch with the way it worked out. Mayor Meed Ward said she was pleased to see nothing but smiling faces watching the proceedings in city council chamber.
The Friends of Freeman Station are going to get the $150,000 needed to relocate the steam engine and the two rail cars that are currently located at the St. Lawrence Parkway facility in Morrisburg, Ontario.
 Steam engine plus tender and two rail cars could be set up at Freeman. The city will actually own the rolling stock – the FoFS will get to do all the cleaning up and refurbishing of the equipment.
Hopefully the people giving the rail equipment away won’t have any problems with the city owning the asset.
It was a busy city council meeting with much more news to follow up on.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Council took a break and when they returned the Mayor dumped all over the Burlington Post over errors she said they made in a story about how the city wants to manage the pan handling situation at major intersections in the city.
“They got it wrong” said the Mayor, “completely wrong”
By Pepper Parr
September 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Nelson Aggregates announced today it will host an Open House at its Burlington quarry on Saturday, October 5, from 1pm to 4pm.
The Open House will feature bus tours of the quarry and interactive exhibits, including quarry machinery such as crushers, loaders, bulldozers and excavators. All are welcome, including children.
 The Open House tour will cover the existing quarry operation. “We welcome our neighbours to visit, as well as anyone interested in how we balance the industrial process of producing limestone with the sustainability needs of the environment in which we work,” said Nelson President, Quinn Moyer.
The Mt. Nemo quarry has played an important role as Burlington’s main source of limestone for more than 50 years. Its aggregate forms the foundation of most roads, buildings and infrastructure in Burlington.
 The long term plan is to complete mining in the current quarry – outlined in blue and at the same time begin mining in the south extension and ta a later date in the west extension. A proposal is underway to expand the quarry over the next 30 years, and to donate the rehabilitated land in parcels over that time to form the largest park in Burlington.
The proposed park would be nearly six times larger than Burlington’s City View Park. The size and scale of the park would allow for abundant recreational opportunities, from biking and swimming to rock climbing and soccer.
Information on the expansion plans and park proposal will be available.
The Gazette will provide an update on the tour when details are available.
We have learned that the ward 3 city Councillor, Rory Nissan has yet to meet with the quarry operators but that there are plans to do so in the very near future
By Pepper Parr
September 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Update: We are advised that Jane Michael does have a campaign office on Brant Street.
 Elizabeth Jane Michael Where is Elizabeth Jane Michael? When will the public get to see her and hear what she has to say?
Michael is the Conservative candidate for the riding of Burlington. Her nomination was a squeaker. It was sort of done in private.
Then there were the serious concerns over some of her business failures that she chose not to report to the team that was vetting her as a candidate. The failures weren’t the issue, it was the failure to be honest and report them to the people who were looking her over as a candidate.
Public office is just that – PUBLIC.
Elections are public. Burlington has a strong tradition of holding public debates. The Chamber of Commerce has sponsored these debates in the past, the Canadian Federation of University Woman has also sponsored debates.
This year Burlington Green is sponsoring an all candidate debate – but Ms Michael will not be on the stage.
ECoB is filming short presentations from each of the candidates and has invited every candidate to take part. Ms Michael has taken a pass on that as well.
The big question is – why does Ms Michael not want to be an active participant in the debates?
As yet there isn’t a campaign office for the Conservatives in Burlington. There is a Facebook page and we assume that at some point there will be some campaign literature.
Burlington has a strong Liberal candidate in Karina Gould; being a member of Cabinet won’t hurt her chances of being re-elected.
The New Democrats have a new face in Lenaee Dupuis, who is said to be very good at the door when she is talking to people. Gareth Williams, who was not able to take ward 3 in the last municipal election is the candidate for the Greens; he will certainly put up a strong fight and should the country decide that they no longer like what the look of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his recent problems, may prove to be a strong choice.
Andrew Sheer doesn’t appear have the believability the public wants – but this election has only begun and one never knows what is going to come to the surface.
Burlingtonians would like to see the Conservative candidate come to the surface.
Related news stories:
Lost the nomination
What Patrick Brown had to say
Michael acclaimed as the federal Conservative candidate.
By Staff
September 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
A Gazette reader sent us a copy of a letter he got from the Oakville North Burlington MPP
Effie Triantafilopoulos that he thought would interest readers.
“I thought it might interest you that I received a reply from Effie. If the criteria being considered are actually as listed in Effie’s reply, Halton should be left alone. I live in hope.”
“Our government is committed to improving the way regional government works and is looking at ways to make better use of taxpayers’ dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access important municipal services. The review is considering whether changes are needed to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively so they can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on.
 Michael Fenn and Ron Seiling, the members of the Provincial Review panel put in place by Premier Ford are expected now to see their report, which is believed to be complete, made public in 2020 “Ontario’s system of regional government has been in place for almost 50 years. The review is examining Ontario’s eight regional municipalities (Halton, York, Durham, Waterloo, Niagara, Peel, Muskoka District, and Oxford County), the County of Simcoe, and their lower-tier municipalities. I believe it’s important to remember that these regions are very different and what is recommended for one region may be completely different from what is recommended for others.
“In consultation with municipalities and the public, the Special Advisors will work with the province to determine:
• If the way regions are governed is working for the people;
• How to make it easier for communities to access municipal services, such as public health, public transit, and building permits;
• How to deliver efficient and effective local services that respect taxpayers’ money;
• Ways to make municipalities open for business; and
• Opportunities to cut red tape and duplication and save costs.
 The Region of Halton as it is today.  Region of Halton, which some think might become the city of Halton and look something like this. “I am grateful that you shared your views with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of assistance to you.”
Residents who live in the Burlington riding where Jane McKenna is the MPP wish they could get replies like this from their MPP. Those who have actually received a reply complain that they are being misled or lectured.
We have a federal election to deal with before we hear anything from the Provincial Review Panel Premier Doug Ford put in place.
Most recent word is that there will be something made public early in the New Year.
By Pepper Parr
September 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The city has been transparent about the more than half a million dollars that got sucked out of an account and sent along to someone it didn’t belong to.
They were a little short on the exact amount that was taken – it was $503,000 – does $3000 make a difference.
Mayor Meed Ward issued another edition of her Newsletter and explained in the following material that will be published in another news media later this week.
“In order to provide transparency and accountability to residents, I asked our staff to provide a public update at the Sept. 11 Audit committee on what we’ve learned and how we’re protecting ourselves. The public report is available online (https://bit.ly/BurlingtonFraudUpdate).
“We learned that a single transaction was made to a falsified bank account as a result of a complex phishing email to City staff requesting to change banking information for an established City vendor.
“Upon learning of the fraudulent payment, the City immediately contacted our financial institution and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS). A criminal investigation is underway, and as soon as we can share more about that, I will.
“The city also immediately started an internal investigation, which confirmed that our IT system was not compromised, no employees were involved in perpetrating the fraud, and no personal information was stolen or shared. Further, the city made immediate changes to our internal protocols to prevent this in future.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward – would love to get that money back – chances are slim. “I’m confident we know what happened and have made the necessary changes to protect the city. Our goal is to recover the funds and work with police to hold those who did this accountable, so they can’t target anyone else.
We know cyber fraud is a growing area of risk for municipalities, and there have been recent reports of other cities across the country falling victim to a similar scheme that ensnared Burlington. I will be raising this matter with my fellow mayors at the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario when we meet in November, so we can share our experiences and expertise to protect all our citizens.
“Cyber fraud is also a growing area of risk for organizations and individuals. One way you can protect yourself is to never share financial information online. If you get an email asking for password changes, seeking banking or other financial information, even from an agent you may do business with, call first. I also recommend visiting the HRPS website for some tips for fraud prevention and protection against cybercrime (https://bit.ly/HaltonPoliceFraudPrevention).”
The Gazette has been a consistent advocate for more in the way of public awareness. Some of our readers are getting tired of hearing us say: If in doubt don’t.
A number of years ago the Gazette collaborated with Crime Stoppers, the police and a number of the banks in putting the message directly into the hands of bank customers.
 Each bank that participated was given coupons with their corporate logo. More than 15,000 were distributed.
Bankers were explaining to us that they hear about the frauds after they have taken place – they were looking for a way to warn and advise their customers what to be on the watch for.
We devised a program that had coupons the banks handed out to their customers. Whenever a customer was getting cash from a teller one of the coupons was slipped into the bank notes.
The belief was that people tend not to take the time reading literature – but when they opened their wallets or purses they would come across the coupon and pay more attention.
Did it work? It certainly did. One major bank reported that they got a call from a client that prevented a significant scam from taking place.
An additional part of the program had the banks making a contribution to Crime Stoppers.
 By Staff
September 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
 Do you have one? Do you know how to use it – and is it up to date? Fire departments across the country do their best to get out the message – “don’t give fires a chance”. Sure, it is part of their job but for every fire person the fear is that the fire they are racing towards may be the scene of a death from a fire that was an accident and should have never happened.
During Fire Prevention week there is an opportunity for adults to learn how to test and properly use the fire extinguisher they have in their homes – you do have one don’t you?
Disastrous fire do take place. The house fire in Halifax that burned seven children to death has yet to be explained. The father of the seven children is still in hospital in a coma and does not yet know that all his children are dead. His wife visits daily.
 Seven children were burned to death in this Halifax house fire. The Burlington Fire Department is recognizing Fire Prevention Week from Oct. 6 to 12 with its annual fire station open house where residents can learn about key home hazards, how to prevent fires and how to safely escape from the house if they need to be a hero in their own home.
Fire Prevention Week is a province-wide initiative held each year in October. This year’s theme is “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practise Your Escape!™”
Fire Station 1 Open House
Burlington’s Fire Station 1 Headquarters, 1255 Fairview St. will be hosting an open house on Sunday, Oct. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. Burlington Fire Headquarters will be open for public tours and family-friendly fire safety activities, rain or shine.
Please bring non-perishable food items to the event in support of Burlington Food Banks.
Headquarters will feature special activities and live fire demonstrations. The demonstrations start at 2:30 p.m.
• Adult fire extinguisher training
• Truck tours
• Equipment displays
• Live fire demonstrations
• Kids’ fire hose spray
• Fire safety obstacle course
• Kids’ craft table
• Face painters
• Photo booth
• Station tours
 The display of these massive pieces of equipment awes the kids – ensuring that they know the fundamentals of fire prevention can be taught to them when they are at a “touch a truck” event. Fire Prevention Facts
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in Burlington and in Ontario unattended cooking is the leading cause of many fire injuries and deaths. That’s why this year’s messages focus on how to stay safe in the kitchen.
• Never leave a pot unattended on the stove.
• Keep clutter away from elements and heating surfaces.
• Use a heat-resistant surface to cool down cookware.
• Keep young children and pets away from stove tops.
• If a pot catches fire, don’t take any risks. Never try to move a burning pot. Put a lid on it and turn off heat if it is safe to do so. Never throw water over it.
• Don’t tackle the fire yourself – Get out, stay out, call 911.
 Fire Chief Dave Lazenby Burlington Fire Chief Dave Lazenby sets out his approach to running the fire department: “While the Burlington Fire Department family focuses on fire prevention all year long, we’re getting ready to kick off our annual Fire Prevention Week Open House to connect with residents.
“In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out.
“We look forward to meeting with you to share information about fire safety, prevention and escape planning.”
By Staff
September 21st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Can you tell the difference between these pills? Neither can we. One of these is oxycodone, and one is fentanyl, made to look like oxycodone.
 If you have to use the pills – at least know that you are using the right thing. The Halton Regional Police Service and the Halton Region Health Department want to warn the community that counterfeit Oxycocet® (oxycodone) pills containing fentanyl are known to be circulating in the Greater Toronto Area. The pills closely resemble oxycodone pills. The presence of fentanyl in these counterfeit pills increases the risk of overdose among people using them. For context, fentanyl was present in 75 per cent of all opioid-related deaths in Halton Region in 2018.
If you use drugs, or have a friend or family member who uses drugs, these tips may help save a life in the event of an overdose:
Know the signs. An overdose is a medical emergency. Know the signs of an overdose and call 9-1-1 right away:
– difficulty walking, talking, or staying awake
– blue lips or nails
– very small pupils
– cold and clammy skin
– dizziness and confusion
– extreme drowsiness
– choking, gurgling or snoring sounds
– slow, weak or no breathing
– inability to wake up, even when shaken or shouted at
Don’t run. Call 9-1-1. Our frontline officers, and other first responders in Halton, carry naloxone and we want to assist. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides broad legal protections for anyone seeking emergency support during an overdose, including the person experiencing an overdose. This means citizens, including youth, will not be charged for offences such as simple possession for calling 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Carry naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone is available free-of-charge in Halton at:
– Regional Health Clinics (in Acton, Burlington, Georgetown, Milton and Oakville) and Halton Region Needle Exchange Program (Exchange Works)
– Some local pharmacies. To find a pharmacy that distributes naloxone, visit the Ontario government’s Where to get a free naloxone kit web page.
Never use alone. Don’t use drugs alone, and don’t let those around you use alone either. If you overdose when you are alone, there will be no one there to help you. If you are using with someone else, don’t use at the same time.
Go slow. The quality of street drugs is unpredictable. Any drug can be cut with, or contaminated by, other agents or drugs (e.g. fentanyl), which in very small amounts can be harmful or fatal. Know your tolerance and always use a small amount of a drug
By Ray Rivers
September 20th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
After the release of an old photo showing our prime minister dressed up for an Arabian Nights gala at the high school where he taught classes back then, there is only one question on everyone’s mind. Who is the real Justin Trudeau? Is he, indeed, the son of our most celebrated PM, Pierre, or is Justin really Aladdin? Not to start any rumours, but how many of us really knew what went on during those days of Trudeau-mania?
If so why didn’t he use his magic carpet to fly off to chum with his daddy’s old buddy, the Aga Khan, instead of relying on Mr. Khan’s hospitality, and thereby ticking off the ethics commissioner? And when it came to governance, why didn’t he just use his magic lamp on Jodi and Jane – to wish them away instead of suffering through that messy Justice Committee hearing business?
 It did happen; he did apologize: now let’s see how he bears up during the rest of the campaign. But seriously, in today’s world, it doesn’t matter why you do, or did what you did, it only matters that you did it. And historical mistakes are still mistakes. Political parties vet candidates for office; investigating what they had done in their past which might damage them and hurt their chances in the voters’ eyes.
Someone with a criminal record, for example, would likely be rejected by most parties, notwithstanding that they’ve already paid the price of their crime to society. Wearing blackface is not a criminal offence and it may not have been intended to mock or insult. But it is still considered incorrect, since its origins are based on racism.
At one time black performers were excluded from performing before non-black crowds. So white performers emulated them, quite often making them an object of ridicule for entertainment. It wasn’t the Ku Klux Klan and it may have been an America a generation or two ago, but the hurt still continues.
Political correctness is important in politics, almost regardless that the intention may not be to mock, hurt or offend. One needs to be sensitive to the feelings of others.
Mr. Trudeau as PM has been a strong advocate of human and civil rights. And that is perhaps why the revelations of these skeletons from his past, innocent as they may have seemed at the time, are still hurtful, indeed shocking to all of us. And it’s true that he set himself up for the repercussions of this latest outcry – the bigger you are the harder you fall.
Mr. Trudeau recently pulled a candidate’s nomination for comments he made which were considered anti-Semitic. He has attacked Mr. Scheer for his party’s links to apparent white supremacists. He has suggested he might intervene in the Quebec law which bans wearing cultural paraphernalia in the broader public service. And he has attacked Maxine Bernier for his position on immigration as racially motivated.
The revelations of at least three situations in his own distant past, where he wore dark makeup in performances, are shocking for a man with that kind of profile and record. He has fallen off his high horse, tumbled off the pedestal upon which he had lifted himself.
 Trudeau -facing the music But he has apologized for his past actions and asked/begged, forgiveness from the Canadian people. He admits that what he did was racist, though he wasn’t aware of its significance when he did it. The media interviewed people on the street and the reaction was fairly muted. Twenty years is a long time ago after all, and who doesn’t have something in their closet that they’d rather not let out?
But Trudeau’s political opponents are making political hay – and that is all fair in the game we’re in, barely a month from the election. We have come to expect a lot of our prime ministers, not only how they run our government but also who they really are. Does the public really believe that their PM is a racist? After all, wasn’t it his father who gave us multiculturalism in the first place?
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Brown Face in Vancouver – Origins of Blackface –
By Pepper Parr
September 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
ECoB is once again serving the people of Burlington with an innovative approach to keeping people informed on what the different federal election candidates have to say as they strive to get elected or re-elected.
 ECoB filled church halls during the municipal election. This time they are going digital. ECoB, the Engaged Citizens of Burlington who sponsored candidate debates in every ward of the city during the last municipal election. In a number of instances you couldn’t get a seat to hear the candidates,
This time ECoB is going to interview candidates and publish the interview on their Facebook page. They are working with the Gazette who will post the interviews which will allow viewers to watch them at their leisure.
More on this as details and specifics become available.
ECoB does report that the Liberal, NDP and Green Party candidates have agreed to take part. The interviews will take place early in October.
|
|
