Government All « Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community

'I can't talk to you' said the Council member - 'I've been told not to' Really?

By Pepper Parr

May 10th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Media and members of city council have an odd relationship.

We first get to see the people elected to council during the election phase.

Some ask for help – we are generous and tell them as much as we can about the job they are seeking.

We get to know some of them very well. And every time we tell them – “we are not your friends. We are delighted you are running for office and we wish you well.”

The moment we become their friends our usefulness ends and our integrity dies.

The Gazette has always had a strong interest in encouraging candidates for public office that share our view of what public service means – and that is – An informed public can make informed decisions. We are consistent and persistent in digging out information politicians decide they don’t want to share.

Once the candidate is elected the rules of the game change – we are now one of the organizations that works at ensuring the council member is accountable and transparent.

Something happens to people when they are elected. They begin to see whatever they say as important. They expect every word of their media releases to be published just the way they gave it to us.

We point out that they have confused reporting with public relations. The only person who really cares about what a young member of council has to say is their parents.

I was recently covering a photo-op event in the east end of the city – most of the Council members were on hand and the two members of Parliament who represent Burlington.

There was one council member in particular I wanted to talk to. Up until the meeting last week I thought there was a good working relationship but had begun to notice that this particular council member tended to want the conversations to be off the record.

On this occasion, as I approached the council member he said: “I can’t talk to you”. “What” I asked – “what do you mean you can’t talk to me. Why not?”

“Can this be off the record” was the response. “No” was my response. “Then I don’t want to talk to you” and the council member walked away.

I tend to be persistent – and pressed the issue. “Who said you can’t talk to me.”

That’s when the first shoe hit the floor. “I have been advised not to talk to you until your situation with the city is cleared up.”

Where did that advice to the newly elected council member come from?

This was an individual who looked to me for advice, comment and direction while running for office.

This was the individual who asked if we would publish comment and opinion pieces and help him create a stronger profile in the city.

What I found astounding is that an elected member of council decides to heed the advice of an unnamed person (we are pretty sure we know where the advice came from) without questioning the source.

It is a little late in the game for a council member to decide that they don’t want to talk to media.

Anyone who asks what the issue is with city hall has only to read the Gazette. We have been brutally honest – and written at length about just what the issue is.

The details can be read by anyone.

In one of the documents we received from the city the word “vexatious” was used. We had to pull out our Oxford English Dictionary to be sure we fully understood the word.

Vexatious – causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry.

synonyms: annoying, vexing, irritating, irksome, displeasing, infuriating, maddening, exasperating, provoking, galling, rankling, grating, jarring, harassing, harrying, bothersome, tiresome, troublesome, niggling.

That would describe me; something I am proud of.

The council member has less than a year under his belt – perhaps he will learn over time. I’m not betting on it.

We are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette

Young: Can Citizen Action Labs improve engagement where previous efforts have failed?

By Jim Young

May 10th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Recently the Gazette reported that the City of Burlington will seek improvements in the working of Citizen Advisory Committees and Citizen Engagement in general via three Citizen Action Labs.

External consultants will conduct the labs to “Help us shape the way we move forward with citizen committees and citizen engagement at the City of Burlington!” They will pass citizen input and lab results on to city staff.

I want to feel positive about these labs. I have filled out the on-line survey and have signed up to participate. But when our city’s Corporate Communication Group, the department charged with corporate, government and citizen communications, hires an outside group to conduct communication exercises I worry. We have been down this road before.

The City’s Charter Action Team (CHAT), responsible for The City Engagement Charter was formed by Council in 2014 in response to The Shape Burlington Report of 2011.

No doubt CHAT believe they are engaging and communicating well. Yet, most of the anger around citizen engagement and many Non-City Advocacy Groups have sprung up over that same period due to frustration with Citizen Advisories. Some of these Non-City groups have helped shape Burlington more than the city sponsored ones. So the question becomes: Can Citizen Action Labs improve engagement where previous efforts have failed?

The Gazette article provided a link to a delegation I made at council on behalf of ECoB on citizen engagement in April 2018. Re-reading that delegation, not much has changed. However, with a new council, elected on pro-engagement platforms, and apparently committed to that, I am hopeful that things will be different this time.

However, CHAT’s record leaves me looking at Citizen Action Labs through a cautious lens.

Gary Scobie, far right, was a member of the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee which was sunset by the city last December. Scobie went on to sit on the Ad Hoc Waterfront Committee.

Gary Scobie, far right, was a member of the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee which was sunset by the city. Chair Nicholas Leblovic is far right with Michael Sullivan to his left.

So why do some citizen advisory committees work while others don’t? How is it that some non-sponsored advocacy groups are more effective than city sponsored ones? I offer my thoughts based on experience with both types of groups, starting with a general explanation of Citizen Committee workings then examples of what seems to work, what doesn’t and a few caveats for Council, Staff and Citizens seeking greater engagement.

There are currently sixteen Citizen Advisories. Essentially they exist to “Advise Council”. That advice is fed to council via Committee Staff. So city council gets advice from two streams. From its professional departmental staff and from well-meaning, but non-professional Citizen Advisory Committees. If these two advice streams were equivalent, with equal access to council, all might be good. However they are not.

Advisory Committees are made up of citizens and interested stakeholders, appointed by council, who have a vote. Then there are non-voting staff from the department related to the advisory committee’s work. Staff from the city clerk’s department guide the advisory committee through council processes and procedures and record meeting minutes which, as any committee person knows, is a very influential position.

In essence, city departmental staff get two kicks at the can. They recommend actions directly to council then get to weigh in on advisory committee decisions. Citizen members can be, and are often swayed by the weight of staff expertise. This can leave citizen members feeling that unless they are cheer leading for staff recommendations, their views are not valued or appreciated.

Advice from Committees is funneled through staff as guidance or recommendations to council. Unfortunately such guidance often slants towards staff positions. This can be frustrating for citizen members. In instances where departmental staff recommendations are at odds with citizen committees, historically citizen advice is overlooked.

The next piece will be on examples of what seems to work, what doesn’t for committees and a few caveats for Council, Staff and Citizens seeking greater engagement.

Jim Young is an Aldershot resident who delegates frequently at city council. He once sat on the Seniors Advisory Committee.

Related news articles.

News story on the creation of the Citizen Action labs.

Young column on why Advisory committees can never work.

Mayor listens to developers and real estate professionals - asking what can we do for you.

By Pepper Parr

May 10th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Oh to have been a fly on the wall.

There she was at the front of the room asking a group of developers and real estate types – what can we do for you?

Had Jeff Paikin been in the room the Mayor would have gotten an ear full. In a recent communication with us he said:

Jeff Paikin – New Horizons Development.

“Moved to Burlington permanently for our offices just in time to be subject to a council that shuts down our business and a mayor who twice uses unauthorized videos of our site to stand on her soap box and pump up over-intensification even when it doesn’t exist. Nice warm welcoming feeling for a company that pays and has generated hundreds of thousands of tax dollars annually.”

We wonder how Jeff really feels.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward was doing another part of her Red Tape Red Carpet initiative to learn how the city could be what Premier Ford has already declared we are: – and that is Open for Business.

The focus group Meed ward was meeting with was made up of a full-house of over 40 leaders from the development and real estate industry. It appears that the audience was made up of people who volunteered to attend and perhaps a few that were asked to take part.

In her newsletter on what has become known as the RTRC initiative Meed Ward said:

Development in the City of Burlington is a very hot issue: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“As everyone is well aware, development in the City of Burlington is a very hot issue, and was one of the most commonly discussed during last fall’s election campaign.

“My goal is to find a way to help our city grow in the right way and in the right places, and to partner with my colleagues at City Hall, with residents, and with our development community to make that happen.

“With that said, the Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force initiative is not just about development. It’s about helping all of Burlington’s businesses thrive. Developers and real estate professionals are just two industries of many in our city, but they overlap with those of businesses that are growing, relocating, or starting out here. Their struggles become the struggles of other businesses too.

“At the same time, developers are a business like any other, and while they face challenges around permits and approvals, they also have to deal with access to talent, adequate transit, employee parking, and beyond.

“The focus group was an important step in better understanding the top issues facing this group, and I appreciated how many leaders from these industries showed up to participate in this journey.

“While the City of Burlington’s current Interim Control Bylaw was top of mind for many in the room, we know that geographically that only applies to 1% of our land in Burlington. Furthermore, we know things weren’t perfect before that was put in place, so we focused on the challenges that already existed and have long-term impact.

“What we heard from this audience was the following challenges – again, many of which were commonly heard at other groups we’ve met with over the past 2 months (common themes from yesterday’s session are highlighted in bold):

The Permit process – flaws and delays
Ability to attain SPAs in a reasonable time
Dealing with the MTO – lack of accountability to timelines, lots of delays
Delays with Halton Conservation
Conflict between the different levels of government
Business mindset is lacking
Lack of accountability with the City
Too many agencies involved
Staff act like they’re afraid of losing their jobs
No incentives to reduce operational friction
Hydro
Inconsistent bylaw/zoning interpretation/zoning uncertainty
Lack of vision
Lack of control over other agencies / influence
Affordability of projects becoming unrealistic: land, construction, time all push up costs
No “leader” to manage applications
Lack of KPIs for city staff (perceived or otherwise)
Provincial policies are shifting / rethinking
Lack of staff knowledge in understanding market forces
Lack of respect for landowner rights
Too in the weeds – focus on important issues
Lack of common sense being applied
Opinions can depend on mood of person who is assessing the application
Building envelopes
No severance / Niagara Escarpment Commission
Environmentals on particular corridors
All the time delays cost money
Political agendas – development applications treated politically instead of on their own merit
Time associated with the severance process (took 2 years)
Zoning inflexibility (ex: Seniors Long Term Care facility)
Timing associated with obtaining a zoning verification letter – used to be 10 days now over 5 weeks
City staff raising issues that do not apply to the application in question
Limited incentives available for developers to build sustainably, and integrate sustainable design features
Public transparency re: cost recovery/recovery funding
Compare to Brampton, where 100 units got approval in less than a year – fast process, open to discussions, and Mayor/Council wanted things to happen
Perception that plants and animals have more rights than people
Hard to get calls returned from City Hall (all departments)
Outdated city standards (ex: Parks)
Lack of downtown parking for offices, bars, restaurants and retail
Transit dead spots

“While it took a few minutes to switch gears and focus on the positives, there are certainly reasons everyone in the room is still doing business in Burlington and we wanted to ensure we clearly understood what those are:

BEDC as a facilitator, expeditor and supporter
Great fast-track process for building permits
Experienced city staff are good to deal with
Online process that shows if a building permit is closed
Mayor seems very on board
Facilitation at this event was great – Interim City Manager was great facilitator at the table
Professional people to deal with
Sustainable design guidelines
Ability to start work early to help shorten delivery sometimes
“None”
Burlington building process is good
Councillor was helpful overriding bad staff decisions
Building department closing out an old permit +
We win most if not all appeals to OMB/LPAT
Development application website is good
Community safety – businesses with shifts / evening hours are less worried for their staff getting to/from work
Burlington’s culture, family-orientedness & energy draws people here to live and work
Access to talent, amenities and housing (high tech talent is easier than other segments though because of housing costs)

“Again, we finished the day by leveraging the knowledge and experience in the room to come up with solutions, ideas and changes that the City can spearhead to make things better:

Some of the comments Meed Ward highlights are:

Support a culture of service and efficiency by ensuring staff have clear KPIs and they are part of their performance reviews

Incentives for hitting KPIs and going above and beyond

Business/file liaison to track, communicate, and shepherd a file to completion in a reasonable time

Leadership needs to stand behind file planner

Encourage staff to learn more as things change to drive subject matter expertise (regulations, etc.)

Leverage better technology to streamline and automate / CRM system / Self-Serve

Customer service training / commitment to customer service

Hire more people if short-staffing is impacting speed of turnaround

Cut the timelines to match the Municipal Act

Apply a stronger sustainability lens and offer incentives

Allow multiple levels of approval to run concurrently

Seniors housing/land zoning strategy

Business advisory board

BEDC needs more influence

More advocacy/upward pressures necessary to other levels of government

Stand firm on the position of what is good for Burlington – don’t sit on hands with other agencies

Be collaborative vs combative

Site visits at properties to understand context and better apply common sense

Create more “fast track” and “premium” services – willing to pay for speed

Do more to educate the public about the benefits of growth to help those inherently resistant to change to see the positives

Make it a priority or essential that new hires in these departments have spent at least some time in the private sector on the other side of the table to provide better perspective and understanding

Next round of comments shouldn’t go back to bottom of the pile

Be ok with weighting the value of certain projects in their worth to the community (jobs for example) and be willing to prioritize those in terms of speed and attention – not every project is equal

Apply Artificial Intelligence / automated processes to remove personal opinion from the process

Shorten time frames for turnarounds of minor revisions

Fees should be payable on approval not all up front (or reimbursed when deadlines are missed)

Empower staff with more decision-making power to apply common sense

Remove height restrictions

Educate the public on good planning practices

Be more consistent – don’t change policies when Councillors change

Leverage tech being used in other municipalities (ex: Mississauga)

Focus group with staff: what are THEIR challenges to moving quickly & how can we help

Provide more info on the steps that happen in the process & why it takes so long. What is happening each day over the course of all those months (and sometimes years)?

Quick morning meeting/daily scrum (15 min) each day by team leaders to set goals with staff: what will you get off your desk today and move forward? Then hold people accountable and recognize good performance. Ask the question “What will it take to get this approved today?”

More of a culture of recognition for making things happen. Celebrate those staff.

The next focus group will include several contributors from the rural business ecosystem who sit on the newly formed Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee with the City of Burlington.

The next step is to take the learnings and information back to the Committee at their next meeting later this month.

Meed Ward has moved with considerable dispatch on this initiative. What is disturbing is that she has ensured there is no media in the room. Why not?

Transit on Rexway Drive will go into a detour from May to December

By Staff

May 10th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Transit Route 4 – Detour in place from May 21 to December 2019

Detour Area: Rexway Drive and Walkers Line

Road rebuild begins May 21st – end in December – this year.

Detour Routes:

• Route 4 will travel along Cumberland Ave. and New St.
Stops not in Service:

• 151 & 152 – Rexway Dr. at Cumberland Ave.
• 178 & 180 – Rexway Dr. at Woodview Rd.
• 189 – Rexway Dr. and Rexway Crt.
• 194 – 3461 Rexway Dr.
• 202 & 805 – 3486 Rexway Dr.
• 212 & 209 – Rexway Dr. at Walkers Line
• 201 – 514 Walkers Line
• 203 – 515 Walkers Line
• 193 – 476 Walkers Line
• 190 – Walkers Line at New St.

Detour due to construction on Rexway Dr.

Rexway from Walkers Line

The BEST Burlington has were recognized last night.

By Staff

May 9th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

It took place in a different location; the Performing Arts Centre rather than the Convention Centre,

And it was to be the last Burlington’s Best Recognition Award until both the administration and city council agreed on what the event should look like.

For the year 2018 the following took place:

There were 28 nominees and seven award winners at the annual Burlington’s Best Awards ceremony on May 8, 2019.

This year’s Burlington’s Best categories include: Heritage Award, Community Service Award, Environmental Award, Arts Person of the Year, Junior Citizen of the Year, Senior Person of the Year and Citizen of the Year

Citizen of the Year Award, sponsored by the City of Burlington
The City of Burlington is a unique city within the Greater Toronto Area that is defined by both significant urban and rural areas. The city is proud of its clean, safe, close-knit neighbourhoods, many employment opportunities and commitment to alternative ways of getting around. The City of Burlington’s vision is to be a city “that grows, moves, is healthy, green and engaging.”

The Citizen of the Year Award is given to a person whose volunteer activity has made a significant and sustained contribution to the vibrancy and wellbeing of the Burlington community in 2018.

Winner: Karen Phelps
Karen is truly inspired by helping others and encourages engagement in the community. She has contributed to Alderfest, Aldershot Community Honor Roll, Next-door Social Space and Burlington Age-Friendly Council. Karen founded the Warwick-Surrey Community Association, the Partnership West Food Bank and Partnering Aldershot. She also organized the Aldershot Garden Festival and the Melon Ball. Karen dedicates herself to any task and stays connected throughout a project to ensure success is achieved. Karen has impacted others, made a significant difference in the community and enhanced the quality of life for residents in Burlington.

Heritage Award
This award is sponsored by Heritage Burlington, a City of Burlington citizen advisory committee made up of 14 volunteers who provide advice to City Council on issues related to the conservation of Burlington’s cultural heritage.

The award goes to an individual or group who has demonstrated a commitment to the preservation of Burlington’s heritage, and has volunteered their time in an effort to support the preservation of Burlington’s heritage in 2018.

Winner: Joan Downey
Joan is a passionate volunteer who supports the community with her efforts. She has been a member of the Burlington Historical Society for over five years and is a strong and reliable volunteer. Joan has transformed the archives into a well-structured, meaningful archival system. With teamwork as one of her strengths, she coordinates and supports the archival volunteers. Joan performs an essential and much needed function for the Burlington Historical Society as a key member of the outreach team and has been involved with various projects such as oral histories presentations.

Joan has a willingness to serve, has excellent relationships with others and a pleasant demeanor that is truly appreciated.

Community Service Award
This award is sponsored by Cogeco, a diversified communications company that strives to meet the communication needs of consumers and advertisers through cable distribution and radio broadcasting.

The Community Service Award is given to an individual or group whose volunteer activity has contributed to the betterment of the Burlington community in 2018.

Winner: Greg and Andrea Howard
Greg and Andrea Howard are passionate and dedicated in supporting their community. They responded to a tragic loss by creating a way to make the community more informed about mental health. Greg and Andrea organize an annual hockey tournament called Ty’s Tourney in memory of their youngest son Tyler who died by suicide. The tournament planning includes player registration, sponsorship, prize donations, volunteer management and promotion. They have raised funds for over six-years that has been donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Halton Region Branch. Through their contributions, free walk-in counselling has been made available throughout the Halton community. The Howards saw a need and put forward an incredible amount of work to help address this and make the community aware of mental health. Greg and Andrea’s generosity and selflessness have supported many.

Environmental Award
This award is sponsored by Walker Environmental Group, a leading waste management company that develops solutions for environmental challenges—solutions that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable—including aerobic composting, alternative energy production and environmental project management. The company’s diverse range of services provides sustainable solutions that reduce waste, improve energy efficiency and enhance the environment.
The Environmental Award is given to an individual or group that improved and/or protects Burlington’s environment in 2018.

Winner: Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club

The Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club’s local volunteers are a dedicated group of individuals who are passionate about the environment. They maintain 36 kms of trail in Burlington and they are the largest non-governmental organization preserving natural lands in Burlington. In 2018, they were able to purchase Fisher’s Pond Nature Reserve, which permanently secures 1.1 km of the Bruce Trail and preserve 87 acres of significant Niagara Escarpment habitat in Burlington. Volunteers of the club are a group of dedicated individuals whose efforts are beneficial for all. The Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club maintains the trail along the Niagara Escarpment for the enjoyment of the community.

Arts Person of the Year
THE K.W. IRMISCH AWARD

The Arts Person of the Year Award was donated to the City of Burlington by the Irmisch family to recognize the importance of the arts in the community and to recognize all the volunteers who work so hard to showcase the amazing talent and culture of Burlington.

The award is given to an individual who has contributed to the arts in Burlington as an artist, patron or advocate, including, but not limited to, visual arts, media arts, musical arts, performing arts and literary arts in 2018.

Winner: Hayley Verrall

Hayley is a dedicated individual whose talents in art and passion for performing have contributed to Burlington. She has been an active member of the community, using her talents to support local individuals and organizations. Hayley has performed at several nursing and long-term care homes as part of her Singing for Smiles program, aimed at bringing classic country music to individuals who are unable to travel easily. She was chosen by Ontario Country Music Associations – International to represent Burlington in Tennessee, USA. Hayley is a very community-centric artist whose talent and heart are always present.

Junior Citizen of the Year
Youthfest was founded in 2002, and avidly promotes the importance of youth in our community, develops youth responsibility and action in the community and connects youth to meaningful volunteer opportunities and available supportive service.

The Junior Citizen of the Year Award is given to a youth, 14 to 18 years of age, who has made a significant contribution to the Burlington community in 2018.

Winner: Keziah Oduro
Keziah is committed to the community, shows empathy and is confident in her abilities. She is a leader amongst her peers and is dedicated to attaining a high-level of achievement. Keziah has been the elected representative for her grade and sports liaison at Notre Dame High School. She was elected co-Prime Minister by her peers in high school. Keziah has worked collaboratively with teachers, administration, council and students to encourage school spirit and motivate change. She also volunteers at Joseph Brant Hospital and at her church. Keziah strives to see the changes she believes in and is a resilient individual who has shown perseverance in the face of adversity.

Senior Person of the Year, sponsored by the Village of Tansley Woods
The Village of Tansley Woods offers a rich selection of programs and activities year around. The Village is designed to build a community while serving residents’ personal needs and wants.

The Senior Person of the Year Award is given to a Burlington resident aged 55 years or older who has made a significant contribution to the Burlington community and/or advocated on behalf of seniors in 2018.

Winner: Trudy Csernyei
Trudy is an inspiration for our community and sees the need for bringing citizens together. She has organized a group of seniors and offers activities that allows them to use their skill sets and offers a sense of togetherness. Her group has grown to 180 seniors who gather on Monday afternoons. Each week, Trudy and the group gather items for children in need overseas for Canadian Food for Children. She also collects and distributes clothing for those in need. Trudy goes above and beyond to make a difference in our community and is an inspiration.

The Burlington’s Best Awards are managed by a citizens’ committee established in 1965 with the mandate of recognizing Burlington residents who bring honour to the city and make a difference in the community.

Quotes
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, in congratulating the winners, pointed out that ”
The ripple effect of your actions will carry beyond the people and the communities you’ve served and benefit the city as a whole.”

Calah Brooks, Chair of Burlington’s Best Committee, said: “The quality of nominees never ceases to amaze me. In the end, they’re all winners and we’re so thankful for all the work they’ve done to help make Burlington the best place to live, work and play.”

burlington.ca/best

'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.' But a Burlington coyote is another matter.

By Staff

May 9th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

A Goodram Drive resident sent us the following:

I thought I would share this interesting letter that I received from Canada Post yesterday at our home on Goodram Drive in Burlington.

There are coyote dens in the ravine behind us explained Jeff Leedale and they are often seen in the front yards of homes.

I’ve attached a picture I took while putting my toddler into his car seat. I wish the City had the same level of concern that Canada Post has.

More than a Canada Post Driver wants to handle.

Baseball diamonds and sports fields still spongy - closed.

By Staff

May 9th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Sport Field Status

All Grass Multi-use Fields and Ball Diamonds are closed, due to extreme water saturation.

Additional rain in the forecast for Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10.

Grass Multi-use Fields and Ball Diamonds will be assessed on Friday for a decision regarding weekend play.

Artificial Turf Fields remain open.

Burlington MPP gets a wiggle on to help residents with their Petition after neighbouring MPP takes the first step.

By Pepper Parr

May 9th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Burlington MPP Jane McKenna – wasn’t able to help her constituents – until a neighbouring MPP did.

It took a little doing but Burlington’s MPP Jane McKenna finally saw the light and agreed to make a petition available to the public at her office. The Petition opposes a possible realignment of the Region of Halton as a political entity and merging the four municipalities that make up the Region today: those being Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.

Citizen groups in Oakville and Burlington created local organizations that set out to get signatures on a Petition as a starting point.

The Burlington people had a difficult time getting a meeting with Jane McKenna the MPP who at first said no to the idea of having the Petition in her office for people to sign.

The Burlington group did manage to meet with the MPP at Queen’s Park .

The group visited MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos who represents North Burlington in the Legislature, at her office. Triantafilopoulos had already supplied a petition for Burlington constituents to sign, similar to the petition she is hosting for We ❤️ Oakville group.

MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos understands how to meet the needs of constituents.

Triantafilopoulos went one further – she said she would read the Petition into the record at Queen’s Park.

The Triantafilopoulos move seemed to spark something in the McKenna office; she is now willing to host the petition in her Constituency Office because she does “not want citizens of Burlington to have to travel to another municipality if they want to sign the petition”.

The We ❤️ Burlington petition will be available in MPP McKenna’s office at 472 Brock Ave., Unit 104 between 9:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Make sure to visit and sign this document to indicate your concern with the Province’s efforts to force amalgamation in the Region of Halton.

For those in North Burlington, please visit MPP Triantafilopoulos’ office located at 2525 Old Bronte Rd., Suite 570 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday to sign.

Further good news, MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos has agreed to read the petition in the Legislature. We will advise when we know the date. She plans to stand with Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and together read the Oakville and Burlington petitions. MPP Crawford previously read the Oakville petition in the Legislature on March 27, but plans to do so again as more signatures are received.

Poor Jane McKenna seems to have been forgotten by her collaugues.

The Petition reads:

Petition is now at the MPP’s Burlington office.

To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Whereas, the Government of Ontario has announced a review of Ontario’s eight regional municipalities, the County of Simcoe, and their lower-tier municipalities, including Halton Region and the City of Burlington; and

Whereas, Municipal governments are responsible for funding and delivering crucial local services on which residents depend; and

Whereas, 97 per cent of residents are satisfied with the quality of services delivered by the Region; and

Whereas, 95 per cent of the City of Burlington residents rate their quality of life as excellent or good; and

Whereas, Halton Region has maintained an AAA credit rating for 30 consecutive years due to effective governance and prudent fiscal policies; and

Whereas, Burlington has a proud heritage that goes back to 1798 and its founding father, Six Nations Captain Joseph Brant; and

Therefore, we the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows: That the City of Burlington remain a distinct municipality within a two-tier Region of Halton municipal governance structure.

There is an old maxim in the world of citizens who engage their governments: If you persist there is a better chance of prevailing. That certainly appears to be the case with the matter of the Petition.

Halton could be spared any changes:

In a conversation with a colleague in Hamilton, John Best, publisher of the Bay Observer, a monthly newspaper that has some reach into Burlington, he suggested that Halton and its municipalities will be spared – “it is Niagara and Peel that are going to get the close look. Niagara has 127 elected officials – the Premier has never liked large representation at the municipal level – he made that abundantly clear when he chopped away at the size of Toronto’s city council.

The Premier also has an interest in the Region of Peel where Patrick Brown is the Mayor. Peel is made up of Mississauga, Caledon and Brampton. Mississauga has indicated that it would like to be re-constituted as a single tier government – it is certainly large enough.

What happens to Caledon and Brampton? It would be one way of getting rid of Patrick Brown – wouldn’t it?

Public loves what they are hearing about an improved transit service - finally.

By Jan Mowbray

May 7th, 2019

BURLINGTON, on

Doug Brown and that band of merry men who have been advocating for better transit celebrated their fifth Bfast Transit Form and were able to publish a report card they weren’t sure they were ever going to be able to issue.

It was a stellar day for transit users who realize now that there is a different city council in place with a mandate to improve both the funding for transit and making it more usable with schedules and equipment that will allow the transit staff to operate the kind of service they think the city needs.

It was a full house with the more than 100 people who took part listening intently to the speakers. The interest in a better transit service is palpable.

Sue Connor has been with the transit department for three years now and has needed time, patience and quite a lot of forbearance to get the departments needs through committee and approved by council

The free transit service for the 65+ crowd that will begin June 1st and operate from 9:30 to 2:30 Monday to Friday for an 18 month trial run was approved by the new council is a battle that took years to win.

Burlington MPP Jane McKenna, on the right, poked her head into the meeting, lingered for a few minutes and left.

Most of the council members were on hand, Burlington MPP Jane McKenna, poked her head into the packed room, looked about, listened for a few minutes and was able to tick of that box and went on her way. McKenna said she was there just to listen.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward told the audience that
“This year’s budget made incredible strides for transit,” and she thanked those colleagues present for their support. This year’s budget contained additional dollars for more buses and drivers. “We want our transit system to be something the public chooses because it’s the best way to get around”.

“No change would have happened without your advocacy. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” She had advised them “to keep speaking up, and you did! We can’t do our job without you.”

The mayor thanked Bfast for never giving up, keeping up the feedback to staff and advised everyone to keep good ideas coming.

Brown thanked the various financial and in-kind supporters: Burlington Seniors’ Centre, Poverty Free Halton, Burlington Age-friendly, Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee, Customer service at the Seniors’ Centre, Community Development Halton, Poverty Free Halton, and engaged citizens and Councillors in attendance.

Brown told the audience (he’s done this for the past four years) that Burlington spends less per capita than comparable communities. He said the city manager of the day managed to get Sue Connor from Brampton to help turn Burlington Transit around; she became a powerful voice for council in 2017.

Ward 4 city Councillor Shawna Stolte and Director of Transit Sue Connor engage in a conversation with a transit user at the 5th Annual Bfast Forum.

Referring to drivers having to work excess hours contrary to driver standards, Brown said “transit is still in a crappy situation but at least we will be running within the law; we still have a long way to go – it’s a long journey. Bfast is still pushing for a comprehensive transportation plan; we need to break out of the silos that limit a transit plan”.

Brown noted that Waterloo had developed scenarios, then put them out for public comment; and went with the preferred plan – Regional Transportation Plan. “Municipalities can make no better investment than in transit.”

Director of Transit Sue Connor mentioned initiatives for 2019: Free Srs Pilot starting June and running for 18 months; free split pass. She welcomes feedback from the public; acknowledges that there will be changes, that change is hard for everybody. Community Connection Routes will be changed, and that staff will be on board those buses to help explain the need for change.

Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte is turning out to be the voice for transit on council – a bit of a surprise there.
While researching transit she told the audience of an article she came across in an American publication
that acknowledged the rock star status of “Sue Connor and her premier leadership for a successful transit system that works for everyone” in Brampton.

Doug Brown, who has laboured on transit issues for more than a decade and Collin Gibbons wore smiles at the 5th Annual Bfast Forum.

Bfast Forums are two way events – Doug Brown and his side kick Collin Gibbons make plenty of time for questions and have transit people on hand to give answers.

Transit staff are a happier bunch of campers as well. They are keen and are enjoying their work. Strong positive leadership will do that. One transit staff member transferred out of city hall where he worked on communications: he was wearing a very visible smile while putting together a bus model made out of cardboard.

One staff member told the Gazette that whenever Sue Connor opens up a staff meeting she starts by making sure staff know that they are there to make city council look good.

Don’t hear words like that from other departments at city hall now do you?

Transit users wanted to know why there was:

• No connection between Via rail and Burlington transit at the Aldershot station; service for seniors is needed.

• There are no guides at Burlington GO for Burlington Transit. Staff will rectify that.

• Request that bus motors be turned off rather than idling for extended periods.

• One senior said it was going to be strange to get free transit and must pay for her grandchild. Response from Connor is that services must be balanced. The more free services provided, the more it will cost to deliver the rest of the service.

• To a response about using the service, making some sense as to just how the Presto Pass service works (good luck on re-loading your card the first time you try) – Connor said staff is looking for ways to provide videos on the city website, and travel training on the buses and in the schools. It will take some time she added – and her audience seemed ready to give her all the time she needed.

• A young man asked that at some point service be provided free for 18 years old and younger rather than current 13 limit, that subsidized fares for his generation would help them to get around, get jobs, etc. Connor said staff is working with the school board.

• A request that electric buses be used to help control green house emissions. Electric buses are part of the future but it was noted that the mere fact of using transit is helping to reduce those emissions; also that the current buses are cleaner and greener than they used to be.

• Sue Connor said Burlington was part of Phase II list for 8 electric buses, which come at a much higher cost. Funding was pulled back by the current provincial government but again emphasized that public transit is a greener option.

• A request around shelters that have advertising covering a whole wall: that they have a clear narrow band so that people can see in each direction – that it’s a safety issue.

• There was a request for heated and lit shelters. It has been considered but apparently the hydro that is provided to shelters is very minimal. Staff is setting a standard for shelters; will be assessing need and demand, and reasonable placement of shelters.

• A request that drivers be more considerate of passengers when using their brakes, that it’s particularly hard on those less-mobile.

• The public was advised to put suggestions in writing.

• Complaint that too many people talk too loud on their phones on the buses – perhaps bus drivers could remind people of common courtesies.

• Many issues around the Handivan – that there used to be quarterly notices, that there have been none in several years; that notices posted on Handivans are sometimes 3 years and older; and request that notices that are placed in the big buses, also be placed in the Handivan buses. These issues will all be reviewed by Sue and her staff.

• A comment from one attendee that it was a shame not all Councillors stayed for the whole event and asked about providing presto cards to each of them so they can better assess the service.

Something few people knew: Burlington Transit had provided each Councillor with a Presto pass when the service first started – a question that might be asked is how many actually tried the system out.

Collin Gibbons told the Gazette that Mayor Meed Ward has signaled that she will propose the re-establishment of a Transit Advisory Committee, chaired by new Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.

“It will be a rebirth for the Committee, said Gibbons, “which was axed by the old City Council and supposedly rolled into the Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee (ITAC). But nothing useful on transit ever came out of ITAC. Bfast made the re-establishment of the Transit Committee one of its key proposals in the civic election.

As reported in the Gazette, previously, the Transit Advisory Committee will be part of a shakeup of the City’s advisory committees that the new Council must approve.

Gibbons added that the Mayor is recommending the transit committee cooperate with the Cycling Advisory Committee and the Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee.

“We have over 1 million rides annually on our transit system but no dedicated citizen’s advisory voice to council on transit,” said Meed Ward’s report. “Establishing a committee honours the importance of transit in the community expressed during the election campaign and honours the direct request for a stand-alone transit advisory committee from Burlington For Accessible Sustainable Transit and others”, said the Mayor

Halton Police Service able to work more closely with ROCK - a win, win, win situation.

By Staff

May 7th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

This is a really nice news story.

Not too many of this kind of story comes out of the police service.

Halton Regional Police Service and Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) Partner Sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Halton Regional Police Service and Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) have a long history of partnership and collaboration in responding to and supporting youth in Halton who experience mental health issues.

ROCK is a community based, multi-service organization that works to promote and achieve optimal mental health in children and youth from birth to 17 years of age and their families.

Members of the Halton Regional Police Service experience many mental health related interactions with youth. Police are often called to, or become aware of, youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis, or in need of mental services.

Currently, Police can facilitate mental health services through referrals to the Halton Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST).

However, COAST services are not generally available to youth under the age of 16.

Rendering of an enlargement to the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) facilities on James at New Street,

Together, the Halton Regional Police Service and ROCK have developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed by both organizations on May 7, 2019 during Children’s Mental Health Week. This enhanced partnership will allow Halton Regional Police Service members to directly refer youth under 17 and their families to ROCK, with their consent, in an effort to provide improved mental health support.

For questions regarding this initiative, please contact Inspector Sue Biggs of the Regional Community Mobilization Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 4754

Piano Series ends on the 26th - new season at Performing Arts revealed on the 28th.

By Staff

May 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

The last of the 2018/19 Piano Series takes place on the 26th. A few days later the public will learn what the Performing Art Centre line up is going to be – that events takes place on the 28th.

Anagnoson & Kinton, one of the world’s finest piano duos, will be closing out the piano series on May 26 at 4:00pm.

The Piano was invented in the 1700s and is considered one of the most important instruments in Western music of all genres. Throughout the 2018/19 season, BPAC celebrated The Piano, presenting a four-concert series showcasing this magnificent instrument in distinct piano presentations, with some of Canada’s keyboard masters: music from Schubert, Ravel, Dvořák, and Stravinsky.

Anagnoson & Kinton: talent of this caliber on the stage of the Performing Arts Theatre is one of the reasons the place was built.

With over 1000 performances throughout the duo’s 40-year history, Anagnoson & Kinton have been repeatedly met with great critical acclaim across North America, Europe, China, and Russia. In addition to traditional recitals, the duo has commissioned numerous compositions, expanding the boundaries of traditional piano-duos.

Music of this caliber and quality is seldom available in smaller cities.

The tub thumping for the 2019-20 season follows.

In the past there have been some pretty limp performances at which the forthcoming Performing Arts Centre program was announced. There was one season when it was positively embarrassing.

Performing Arts patrons going over the offerings for the year ahead before heading for the box office.

The event could be a show in itself. The regular theatre goers – and Burlington has a lot of them – turn out in droves with their programs in their hands and wallets open to ready to book their tickets.

The full extent of the season offering is set out – some promotion and a bit of razz-a-matazz is what show business is all about.

Hopefully, the people who run the Centre will break out the mold that has prevailed in the past.

Show a little leg!

Cherry blossoms at RBG bursting out all over the place - they don't last long - four to five days. Something worth going out of your way for.

By Staff

May 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

It’s a sure sign that spring has finally sprung—Royal Botanical Gardens’ (RBG’s) flowering cherry (Prunus) collection is reaching peak bloom. The collection can be located at various areas of RBG with greater concentrations in the Arboretum and Rock Garden.

Once the blossoms are in full bloom – they last four to five days.

Cherry blossoms last an average of four to five days once in full bloom, so those wanting to experience the collection will have to act fast.

RBG records the flowering times of its cherries on an annual basis as part of a biological science known as phenology, an important tool in helping to track climate change.

In 2010, the Gardens added 34 trees to this collection, donated to RBG as part of the Sakura Project, an effort from members of the Japanese and Japanese Canadian communities to plant over 3,000 cherry trees across Canada. These trees are planted at both the Arboretum and Rock Garden sites.

Chefs at RBG’s Rock Garden Café are offering special menu items to mark the occasion. Visitors can sip cherry blossom tea and enjoy salmon poke bowl and matcha semi-freddo as part of their cherry blossom experience.

Absolutely magnificent

One of the most iconic spring sights at RBG is the flowering cherry circle in the Arboretum. The trees planted in this circle are Prunus ‘Accolade’ and were accessioned in 1966. P. ‘Accolade’ is a spectacular pink semi-double flowered cultivar that has achieved the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit (AGM). These trees look most spectacular when viewed against the backdrop of a pure blue sky. Once the flowers begin to fade and fall the surrounding grassy area looks like it is covered in pink confetti.

For those that like to dig into the details – more than you may ever want to know appears below. Walking amongst those trees is to live for – don’t miss the opportunity.

Japanese flowering cherries within RBG’s collection are some of most treasured and appreciated of these trees. These cultivars have been bred for centuries in Japan and play a hugely important role in Japanese society and culture. The Japanese name the flowering cherry sakura and the art and celebration of viewing sakura is known as hanami (flower viewing) during the day and yozakura (night sakura) at night. The short-lived flowers are particularly important in Japanese culture as a symbol of the ephemeral and impermanent nature of life.

The colours of cherry flower petals can vary considerably with the colour of the same flower changing from first emergence through maturity to blossom fall. Typically flowers are darker in bud becoming paler as they age and expand. Seasonal conditions, climate and soil type can also all have an influence on the annual colour of flowers.

What a great place for a Spring Wedding – can’t you just see a bride and groom walking down that path?

Cherry flowers are divided into four different groups which are based upon the number of petals. Whilst nature isn’t always perfect and variations occur as a rule:

• Single flowers have five petals
• Semi-double flowers have between 10 and 20 petals
• Double flowers have from 25 to 50 petals
• Chrysanthemum flowered cherries have more than 100 petals

The scientific name for flowering cherries is Prunus. The genus Prunus is in the Rosaceae or rose family. This family not only includes roses and flowering cherries but other notable ornamental plants such as Chaenomeles (Flowering Quince), Crataegus (Hawthorn) Fragaria (Strawberry), Malus (Crab apple) and Pyrus (Pear). As well as flowering cherries the genus Prunus also encapsulates plums, peaches, apricots and almonds. The Rosaceae family, as a result is one of the most economically important crop families.

On the matter of report cards and how to ensure that your municipal government is held accountable.

By Pepper Parr

May 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Bringing about change is not an easy process – nor does it take place very quickly – if it takes place at all.

A newly formed transit advocacy will be known as Bfast – they intend to inform the debate on transit and insure the issue of transit service doesn’t get lost.

A small group of people formed Bfast in 2013 – called themselves Friends and Supporters of Transit and designed a slick logo.

They brought in speakers to educate the public on just how bad transit service was in Burlington and put facts and hard data on the table to make their point.

The city went through two transit directors while Bfast battled a city council that would tell delegations that they either didn’t like what they were hearing or didn’t believe the data that was being put forward.

Former Mayor Rick Goldring on the day he took the bus to work – took a selfie to prove he actually rode transit.

Petitions with hundreds of signatures were treated as suspect by some members of Council

At the time few people knew that every member of council had been issued a free Presto pass which gave them the right to hop on any bus going their way. While it would be an invasion of their privacy to dig into the Presto data and see just which Councillor actually used the pass it would be nice to know – wouldn’t it?

The Mayor at the time probably did and then released a rather unfortunate picture of his riding the bus to work.

That picture appears in the Gazette for the last time.

The city once had a Transit Advisory Committee that was disbanded – it never had much in the way of traction with senior management at city hall. Council at the time wasn’t in the least pro-transit. Funds that were expected to go to transit to improve the quality of the fleet was spent instead on a “shave and pave” program designed to get longer life out of the roads. It was tough times for transit advocates.

Bfast decided early in their life that they would issue a report card that ranked both performance and how well the service was funded.

There is a bit of a shift in 2018 – reflecting the arrival of Sue Connor as the Director of Transit but it wasn’t until 2019 that Bfast could issue a strong report card reflecting real change and the promise of even more to come.

The evidence is clear – if you pound away and continually appear before council you will eventually prevail – even if you have to elect a new more responsive council in the process.

You can beat city hall – the issue for Burlington is – can you re-educate staff and create a culture that puts the public first.

The one metric that was consistently high was the drivers – even though there was a time when the collective agreement they had was terrible and the overtime hours they were required to put in was on the wrong side of provincial legislation rules.

As Doug Brown put it so well at the 5th Annual Bfast Forum – “we aren’t there yet.

Related news story:

How sweet it was – the 5th Annual Bfast Forum.

Bfast give transit A+ and B+ on their report card. Not a C in sight.

By Collin Gribbons

May 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

Transit users in Burlington are happy with the improvements made over the past year and eager for more changes scheduled for the year to come. That’s the main takeaway from Burlington’s Fifth Annual Transit Users’ Forum, held May 4 at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre.

More than 100 people packed the room at the Seniors’ Centre on Saturday to listen to the good news and celebrate the tremendous strides that are being made in the city’s transit service.

Another capacity crowd of more than 100 packed the meeting room as bus riders heard Mayor Marianne Meed Ward promise more improvements over the coming years. In addition to the mayor, five of six city councilors attended the meeting, showing support for a bigger role for transit as the city grows.

This year’s transit report card, an annual feature where riders vote on various aspects of the system, reflected the new optimism, with a much improved overall grade.

“You are the reason why transit is better in this city,” Meed Ward told the attendees.

“We have made some incredible strides forward on transit” in the 2019 city budget, she said. She thanked Council members for their support for free transit for low-income riders and for supporting an 18-month pilot project that will see seniors travel free in off-peak hours. “We’re going to make it permanent,” she stage whispered.

“We want people to be able to choose transit because it’s the best way to get around our city. We are not there yet,” she said.

“But the bottom line is that none of these changes would have happened without your advocacy. And along the way we’ve had some bumps. So I’d say, ‘Just hang in there. Keep advocating. Keep talking about transit.’ You did. You never stopped. And because of that, we’re here today with such great news. And there’s going to be more. We’re not done. This Council is just getting started in making sure that transit is the transportation option of choice.”

She thanked BFAST (Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit) for activism on behalf of transit.
“You have been in the trenches advocating for a long time, when it wasn’t a very popular message,” she said.

Not there yet

Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people.

BFAST Chair Doug Brown praised Council’s new commitment to transit but reiterated Meed Ward’s sentiment that “we’re not there yet.” He pointed out that Burlington would still be below the GTA average municipal per-capita contribution to transit after this year’s budget increases.

He said BFAST rejects the recommendations of a transit consultant hired by the old Council that the city must choose between coverage of all areas and more frequent service on main routes. “Burlington needs both,” he said.

He also asked that the city meet its own long-established transit-service standards for frequency and availability.

Brown once again urged that the city examine transportation as a whole, rather than isolate elements like roads, parking and transit. He pointed to studies by Waterloo Region and the Canadian Urban Transit Association that showed transit can save cities money on road work and bring huge returns on investment for the local economy.

Burlington Transit Director Sue Connor outlined improvements that will begin in September, including more frequent, improved service.

Keep in touch
She asked users to keep in contact through the transit system’s customer service line and make suggestions for improvement. “We do take that feedback and we do look at it. We make service changes about six times per year so there are opportunities to change something that’s not working right.”

Shawna Stolte, Councillor for ward 4 and a bigger advocate for transit than many realized sits with Director of Burlington Transit Sue Connor during the 5th Annual Bfast Forum.

More than half of the meeting was given to the users themselves as they made comments and asked questions to a panel made up of Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, Connor, BFAST Steering Committee member Glenna Cranston and Burlington bus driver Slawomir (Swav) Ozog.

Stolte said that after she was elected, she was researching other transit systems and came across an American article featuring the significant improvements made to transit in Brampton, where Connor was director at the time.

“We are so lucky to have Sue [Connor],” she said. “And what I am personally committed to, and I know the rest of Council is, is to working hard with Sue and to making sure that our Burlington Transit system is also one that eventually gets written about in articles across North America as a premier, leadership public transit system that’s working well for everybody.”

Doug Brown, on the left, and Collin Gribbons – wearing smiles – not always something seen at BFast events in the past.

Questions and comments came thick and fast on everything from electric buses to getting younger people to ride transit to service problems. Stolte noted that Connor took pages of closely written notes from the session.

Connor herself promised that she would take the comments to a meeting of transit staff in the coming weeks.

Attendees also paid tribute to Mike MacDonald, a transit activist and BFAST member who passed away recently.

This year’s forum was endorsed and supported by 14 community organizations.

Majority of Halton is a risk area for ticks carrying the bacteria which causes Lyme disease.

By Staff

May 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

On March 27, 2019, the Halton Region Health Department reported the majority of Halton is a risk area for ticks carrying the bacteria which causes Lyme disease. This is a result of active tick surveillance (tick dragging) conducted by the Health Department in 2018 and Halton has been included in Public Health Ontario’s updated estimated risk area map.

Nothing cute about this creature. The black laegs are what xxx

“Halton Region supports the health and well-being of all residents,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health. “Like many municipalities throughout Ontario, most of Halton is considered a risk area for ticks and Lyme disease.

While the risk remains low, residents should be aware of areas where ticks may be present and how to protect themselves and their families from tick bites.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, which are usually present in wooded, brushy or tall grass areas.

Residents throughout the region should continue to take precautions to prevent tick bites when enjoying the outdoors. Here are some steps to protect your health:

• If possible, avoid known tick areas (such as wooded, brushy or tall grass areas) and stay on trails when outdoors.
• Cover up by wearing long sleeved, light coloured shirts and pants with tightly woven fabric.
• Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pant legs into your socks to keep ticks away from your bare skin.
• Wear shoes that cover your entire foot, avoiding sandals or open shoes.
• Spray clothing and exposed skin with an insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin.
• Check your clothing and body for any ticks after spending time outdoors, especially around the groin, armpits and hairline. Carefully remove any ticks from yourself or a family member.
• Check your pets regularly for ticks as they could carry ticks inside your home.

The southern part of Halton is where the infestation appears to be highest..

The Halton Region Health Department conducts tick surveillance in the spring and fall. Residents should continue to submit ticks to the Health Department for identification.

Provincial policy document: Places to Grow to get an upgrade - it will set out how much more residential growth Burlington will have to absorb.

By Staff

May 3rd, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

The policy announcement made yesterday by the provincial government covered a lot of bases.

It said that: “The Greater Golden Horseshoe is the economic engine of our province, generating more than 25% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product. Right now, approximately 9.2 million people, or 25% of Canada’s population, live in this area and that number keeps growing – fast.

And added that: “To make sure that our policies put people first, we are updating A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It is the product of a broad consultation where we heard from more than 1,100 people and received more than 650 submissions. We heard the government should facilitate the building of affordable housing options near transit to prevent sprawl and protect agricultural lands. The plan will help manage growth so communities in the region develop in ways that expand economic opportunity, while maintaining protections for our environmentally sensitive areas, including the Greenbelt, cultural heritage assets, and key employment and agricultural lands.

“We need to build more housing that people can afford so people have places to live near stable, reliable employment. That’s why we’re creating provincially significant employment zones to make sure that businesses – from manufacturers and industrial parks to high-tech offices – have room to grow.

Toronto Star headline

What do they plan to do?

“Across Ontario, there are empty-nesters who want to downsize, but they can’t find or afford the home they need near family and friends. If they could, it might free up a larger home for a young couple looking for a house with more space for their growing family, close to a park and a great school. Instead, everyone feels stuck.

Approved – across the street from city hall – with the block to the immediate south awaiting a development that will want the same heiight.

“It can take years of paperwork before a shovel ever breaks ground on a new housing project. Some government policies and processes are duplicated and can create delays for no reason, which drives up costs for home buyers.

“That’s why we’re reviewing every step of the development process and every policy, regulation and piece of legislation to eliminate unnecessary steps, duplication and barriers. We are cutting red tape and as we do, we are holding firm to our commitment to ensure the health and safety of Ontarians, and protect the environment, agricultural lands and our rich natural heritage.

Making it easier to build new housing

bring housing to market faster by speeding up local planning decisions and making the appeals process more efficient

make it easier for homeowners to create residential units above garages, in basements and in laneways

help build housing, including affordable housing, near transit

help municipalities implement community planning permit systems (e.g. in major transit station areas and provincially significant employment zones), which will streamline planning approvals to 45 days

simplify how funds are collected for community benefits such as parks and daycares

make upfront development costs easier to predict

give communities and developers more certainty on what they can build, and where they can build it

Increased GO train service and high rise towers – all about being open for business.

“An item sent to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal is still waiting for a decision, seven years later. That’s thousands of homes stuck in the pipeline, waiting to be built, and seven years of rising costs. Getting rid of that backlog will bring new housing to market, today.

“Conflicts can arise during the process of land use planning. The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal hears these disputes, but there is a backlog of Ontario Municipal Board legacy cases — approximately 100,000 units are tied up in Toronto alone. There are also too many complex processes standing in the way of creating new housing.

The province is proposing changes that will:

hire more adjudicators to help address the backlog of legacy cases by investing $1.4 million in 2019-20

ensure the tribunal has the powers and resources needed to make more timely decisions

allow the tribunal to make the best planning decisions in the place of Council

charge different fees and move towards a cost recovery model, while allowing community groups and residents to maintain affordable access to the appeals process

Sport Field Status: Basically wet and sloppy except for artificial turf.

By Staff

May 3rd, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

All Grass Multi Use Fields and Ball Diamonds will be closed May 3, 4, 5, & 6 2019 due to weather.

Fields and Diamonds will be inspected daily and status will be updated each day starting May 6.

Artifical Turf fields remain open.

Where do those who have to rent or choose to rent fit into the new policy?

By Staff

May 2nd, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

The provincial government announced a program that, they say, will allow all Ontarians to find a home that meets their needs and their budget.

The plan that was announced will:

Cut red tape to make it easier to build the right types of housing in the right places
Make housing more affordable
Help taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars

“Housing innovation isn’t just about new designs and materials, it’s about creative partnerships too. By working together, non-profits, co-ops and the private sector can help solve Ontario’s housing crisis.

A 5 point plan – is it really that simple?

“When individuals find a home, they are healthier and more productive. This benefits not only the individual, but also the province, as each person has the opportunity to contribute to our economy.

“More housing that meets people’s needs and budgets boosts Ontario’s economy by helping us keep jobs and support job creation. Businesses – from manufacturers to high tech firms – need employees, and those employees need affordable places to live. By making housing more affordable, businesses large and small will invest in Ontario again.

“More homes, more choice is about unlocking the development of all kinds of housing. From ownership to rental housing, whether built by private developers or non-profits, our action plan will help give people more choice and help bring costs down.

The plan is complemented by our Community Housing Renewal Strategy, which helps people with low and moderate incomes who can’t afford today’s high rents to find affordable housing. It will transform a fragmented and inefficient system into one that is more streamlined, sustainable and ready to help people who need it most.

It also includes early steps to improve community housing across the province:

helping tenants become economically self-sufficient
making it easier to predict and calculate rent
shortening waiting lists
helping people in greatest need
making community housing safer

We will work with municipalities and non-profits to sustain, repair and grow our community housing system.

Together, these plans respond to the diverse housing needs of all Ontarians.

What are they going to do for renters

In today’s market, finding an affordable rental apartment can feel like winning the lottery. People are renting longer and more people are looking for a place to rent, but new construction has focused on condominiums rather than rental apartments.

Many people prefer to rent. But high home prices mean those who want to buy are also renting, or renting longer, which drives rents up. We need more housing – to own and to rent – to bring the market back to balance.

More homes, more choice will make it easier to build rental housing. For example, right now, home builders pay development charges up-front. A developer who builds a house and/or condominium builders can offset these development charges by preselling units. A developer who builds a rental unit can’t.

By postponing development charges until the buildings are rented, developers will be encouraged to start building rental housing again. More homes, more choice will also work to cut red tape around development approvals so new homes will be available to rent sooner.

Making it easier for landlords to navigate the complex building code approvals process will help create more rental housing. In Ontario, roughly 30,000 to 35,000 new homes are built each year, and many of them could include secondary suites, like basement apartments.

We’re encouraging small landlords to create new rental units too, by making it easier to build second suites (like basement apartments) and helping them navigate the complicated building code approvals process. We are also expanding development charge exemptions to include second units in new homes.

As more rental units are built, tenants will have more choices and rents will decrease.

Creating more rental units is an essential part of our action plan. But once they have a place to live, renters shouldn’t have to worry about being treated unfairly or being unlawfully evicted. Ontario has strong protections for renters and we will do more to help tenants and landlords know their rights and how to resolve disputes.

Helping renters and landlords resolve disputes is the role of the Landlord and Tenant Board, but a shortage of adjudicators has created delays – average wait times are more than two months! The government is working with Tribunals Ontario on addressing shortages of adjudicators at the Landlord and Tenant Board. There have been a number of recent appointments and recruitment is underway to fill other adjudicator vacancies.

The government is also providing more than one billion dollars in 2019-20 to help sustain, repair and grow community housing and help end homelessness. Hundreds of organizations across Ontario have long-standing agreements to provide community housing to Ontario’s most vulnerable, and as many of these agreements approach their end, our government’s Community Housing Renewal Strategy will help them become more sustainable.

Can this type of delay be brought to an end.

The changes all have merit. A first read suggests that the delays, the red tape and the costs are all bunched at the municipal end of the spectrum.

There isn’t a thing the province can do about how effective the municipal bureaucracies are.

Skip over to the series of meetings on Red Tape and the attempt Mayor Meed Ward is making to roll out a Red Carpet for people who have to work with city hall to get a sense as to just how bad it is.

A couple of the more painful comments:

• City is too slow to react
• City staff have a lack of knowledge behind the scenes/of private sector and are unresponsive
• Staff are inconsistent in their application of policy
• Turnover of City staff

Big business/manufacturers in the city give the city an earful - it wasn't all bad..

By Pepper Parr

May 2nd, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

It was a major talking point at the State of the City address Mayor Marianne Meed Ward gave to the Chamber of Commerce in January.

There were a number of groups that were to get a chance to pass along their beefs and bouquets to the Mayor and senior city hall staff.

Some Council members too part in the first session.

Previous groups included: City Staff and Partner Organization Focus Group Highlights and Small Business Focus Group Highlights

The focus this time was on the big business/manufacturers in the city.

Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, along with Interim City Manager Tim Commisso and team members from the Burlington Economic Development Corporation took part in the 90 minute session.

Attendees included CEOs, Founders, General Managers and VPs from businesses around Burlington varying in industry and location. There were approximately 20 leaders in the room ready to share insights with us over the 90-minute session.

In keeping with the format of prior sessions, attendees were asked to share the challenges they faced to starting and/or growing/expanding their business, anything they felt was already working well, and ideas they had for what will make things better.

What we heard from this audience” said the Mayor, “was the following challenges, many of which were commonly heard at other groups, with a few new insights and examples.

• The Permit process – flaws and delays
• Dealing with the MTO – lack of accountability to timelines, unwilling to conduct site visits
• City is too slow to react
• City staff have a lack of knowledge behind the scenes/of private sector and are unresponsive
• Staff are inconsistent in their application of policy
• Fees are inconsistent
• Turnover of City staff
• Sense of confrontation with City staff – rational conversation is difficult
• Lack of common sense and practicality in processes
• Commercial/employment zoning needs
• Regional transit connectivity and transportation/traffic overall
• Lack of land availability / larger space for manufacturing
• Sign bylaws are too restrictive
• Access to high tech talent / post-secondary / new fields & areas of study
• Site visits are needed to understand practical issues
• Tough finding the right department at the City
• Incremental feedback on multiple submissions
• Need clear timelines / business timelines
• Ineffective communications
• Lack of incentives if not manufacturing
• Skilled and non-skilled labour/talent

To ensure we don’t try to fix what’s not broken, the audience also told the Mayor about the following processes and issues that were already working from their point of view (common comments are highlighted in bold):

• New council = progressive thinking
• The Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force – appreciate the City is listening and willing to change
• BEDC support, networking events and TechPlace
• Employee retention and recruitment
• Recent immigrants in the area provide a great talent pool
• Success in exporting / export funding was helpful (got cut thought)
• Location: close to highways, the border, and Go train
• Innovation through partnerships
• Growth of manufacturing locally
• Rotational Engineer program uses fresh grads to fill roles
• Product development support funding (SRED, IRAP)
• Access to a huge market next door (Toronto)
• Engineering staff at the City of Burlington are constant, fair, good to deal with, consistent

The following ideas about what can change and improve were put forward:

• Work hard to create a customer service culture at City Hall. Start at the top and trickle down. Help everyone feel good at the end of the day for what they did and how they did it.
• Change how work is assigned: Rather than having work assigned to whoever is next available, have the same person allocated to all permits for the same building so that the familiarity is there to increase speed and customer service rather than have so many different people involved each time and forcing them to start at square one and get up to speed.
• Advocate and influence with other government and regulatory agencies.
• Site plan vs. survey education – field trips and training
• Include copyright protection (not here now)
• Ombudsman backed by Council
• Better performance management of City staff with KPIs attached / measurements
• Consider CRM/Software solutions for better digitization/automation of processes as well as tracking
• Electronic file transfers of documents submitted
• Status on reports on file in less than 3-4 weeks / Customer Status reports conducted by Staff
• Lunch & Learns for Developers
• Exception approvals at the counter
• Staff to ask the question: how can we make this work?
• New City staff should have to have spent time in the industry first (externally)
• Leverage development around Go stations
• List of issues that are black/white – clear & automate (ex: building code)
• Personalization of website – “what are you here for today”
• Self-serve options
• Overall management / admin/ project management for applications
• Business concierge support
• More mixed-use service available without getting in car
• Better marketing and promotion of Burlington to businesses
• Need tax credit advocacy with Minister of Finance
• Review incentive programs to be more accessible
• Incentives to hire new grads
• Need a tech school in Halton (post-secondary)
• Ontario apprenticeship: training and tax credit (needs new process released)
• Increase limits on “Now Hiring” portable signs
• More affordable housing (for employees)
• Foreign worker depository
• All day Go train (24 hours)
• Transparency on timelines / status updates
• Be willing to refund processing fees if deadlines aren’t met by City

Marianne Meed Ward during the Swearing in Ceremony in December.

Meed Ward reports that: “Overall the session provided a forum for this group of leaders to directly communicate with City leaders, and each other, helping ensure our businesses feel heard, valued and supported as critical parts of Burlington’s economic health and well-being.

‘”We are listening at City Hall, and we are thankful for all the insights and ideas that are helping us identify what we can do – or do better – do help our businesses grow and thrive.”

The next group to get the Red Carpet treatment and an opportunity to cut some of that Red Tape will be leaders and stakeholders from the real estate and development industries (May 1st) and on May 15th we will meet with some of our rural business owners to better understand their unique needs and challenges.

The idea certainly had merit. Some of the comment were damning – a sign that there are some serious problems at city hall. The comments (a couple were brutal) don’t get softened by the positive compliment that were voiced.

Media didn’t take part in the event. The Mayor chose not to allow media to hear what was said – one of the concerns was that people who represented a corporation might make a comment that would reflect poorly on that corporation – bad PR isn’t something the corporate sector invites.

‘You can hear what I have to say – but don’t attribute anything to me’ seemed to be the approach.

Steve Clark: 'Ontario needs more housing, and we need it now.' - the government then took action.

By Staff

May 2nd, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

The first word we got on the massive changes the provincial government was planning to make in the way housing is provided came from a reader who was vacationing in Cuba.
It is a whopper of a media release and covers renters, people who want to own and the people who build the homes and apartments. All backed up by 14 footnotes. This was a major policy announcement.

Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said:

Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

“Young families are searching for their first home, close to schools, where they can build a life and raise children. Seniors are thinking about downsizing and want homes that meet their needs as they age, staying in neighbourhoods they love. College and university students need a place to live close to school while they study. So many people want to live where they can commute to their jobs easily, and get home to family and friends faster, so that they can enjoy their down-time.

“Everyone is looking for something different, and each person has a budget. The cost of buying a home is becoming out of reach for many and affordable rentals are too hard to find. Plus, the cost of housing is hurting Ontario’s economy, making it harder to attract investment and create jobs.

“Ontario needs more housing, and we need it now. It’s time for our government to take action.

“We must build smart and we must be flexible. Housing must be built in the right places, so we can maintain Ontario’s vibrant agricultural sector and employment lands, protect sensitive areas like the Greenbelt and preserve cultural heritage. Every community should build in response to local interests and demand, building a mix of housing to accommodate diverse needs.

“Government cannot address the housing crisis on its own. We can make it easier for municipalities, non-profits and private firms to build housing. We can help to boost supply and give people more choice.

“More homes, more choice outlines our government’s plan to tackle Ontario’s housing crisis and encourages our partners to do their part by starting now, to build more housing that meets the needs of people in every part of Ontario.

This infographic details the realities of Ontario’s housing crisis. But how did we get here? To start, building housing takes too long and costs too much. There is red tape, unexpected changes and government fees that add years of paperwork and can also contribute tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of an average home. These layers of regulation and “not-in-my-backyard” attitudes make it hard to build different kinds of homes – the townhomes, mid-rises and family-sized apartments that the people need. Meanwhile, rents skyrocket because it is difficult and costly to build new rentals and to be a landlord.

“The province doesn’t build housing, but we can cut red tape to create conditions that make it easier to build housing and introduce policies that encourage densification. We can also make the most of infrastructure investments and encourage more density around major transit stations. We can do all these things while maintaining important protections for existing residents of stable communities, a vibrant agricultural sector, employment lands, the Greenbelt, our cultural heritage and the environment.”

There are additional news stories on this announcement.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: