 By Staff
April 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The transit people aren’t going to give up on getting your attention.
Burlington Transit is looking for feedback from the public about significant transit changes proposed to take effect in September 2019. Transit riders and non-riders are invited to share their feedback at an upcoming open house session on April 8, 9 and 11, or online at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca until Friday, April 19.
 Has anything changed? Funding has certainly improved. At the drop-in sessions, attendees will have an opportunity to share feedback on proposed changes that will help Burlington Transit move toward a grid network that operates buses along the city’s most-travelled roads in an east-west and north-south direction.
Some of the proposed changes include:
• the relocation of all transit stops at the Burlington GO station to the south side, off Fairview Street
• the introduction and expansion of weekday 20-minute service on routes, including 1, 10 and 25
• the discontinuation of routes with low ridership, including 15, 40, 83, 300, 301 and 302, to improve frequency on grid network routes.
Open House Dates
• Monday, April 8 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Central Arena, 519 Drury Ln
• Tuesday, April 9 – 3 to 6 p.m., City Hall, 426 Brant St.
• Thursday, April 11 – 6 to 9 p.m., Tansley Woods, 1996 Itabashi Way
A series of drop in sessions in March held at three different locations didn’t get much in the way of a response from Gazette readers.
Two readers had these comments:
Let’s see how this next drop in session woks out. They are being held at the same locations – which are accessible by transit,
There has been a significant change on the part of city council and the amount of money they are prepared to spend on transit to meet what they believe is going to be a much needed change in the way people move around the city.
Now it is up to the residents to look over the ideas and comment – dialogue runs in both directions.
Charles Stolte, Transit Operations Manager explains that: “Establishing a grid network to meet the mobility needs of the city’s population over the next 20 years is not something that will happen overnight, but there are improvements to our current transit service that we can make in the short term that will help lay the stepping stones of what is to come. In making these improvements, we need the thoughts and ideas of transit riders and non-riders to learn more about what’s important to them.”
 Over the next 20 years, the City of Burlington will grow in its urban areas, with 193,000 people expected to live in the city by 2031. As the population grows, ensuring people can move around the city easily and conveniently, whether by foot, car, bicycle or Burlington Transit, is important.
In the last two years, the city’s budget has made investments to enhance public transit, including $1.9 million in the 2019 capital budget and $1.55 million in the 2018 operating budget.
The free transit service that will start in June and run from 9:30 to 2:30 Monday to Friday is part of a pilot program to see if people will use transit if there is no fare to pay.
 By Staff
April 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Provincial government announced in January that there would be a review of eight regional municipalities (including Halton), Simcoe County and their lower-tier municipalities to ensure they are working effectively and efficiently, and to assess whether the two-tier structures should continue or whether amalgamations are recommended.
 Is this the future for the four municipalities that make up the Region of Halton? Where are the benefits? A potential outcome is the amalgamation of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills into the City of Halton.
There are people in Oakville and Burlington who aren’t all that keen on seeing this happen and have organized “We Love …” groups in Oakville and are in the process of putting one together in Burlington. They are looking for your support.
We Love Burlington – STOP Amalgamation has created a mailing list – touch base with them at weloveburlingtonasis@gmail.com.
They are a group of Burlington residents concerned about the Province of Ontario’s regional government review and the distinct possibility of the amalgamation of Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills into the City of Halton.
They are Oakville counterparts (We Love Oakville – STOP Amalgamation) who are a strong citizen-led group focused on the same issue and with identical goals. The Burlington “chapter” has just been formed but, with the help of our Oakville colleagues, has hit the ground running. We just opened our Facebook page and already we have 150 followers, 675 page views and we have reached almost 2,500 people.
 What would Burlington be in the City of Halton? We have a twitter account WeLoveBurlington, and will be regularly issuing email updates such as this. Unfortunately, we have limited time, limited resources and need your help and support. For a start:
• please order a lawn sign by responding to this email with your full contact particulars (direct donations are most welcome to defray our costs). Signs will be available soon.
• write a letter to our MPPs Jane McKenna and Effie Triantafilopoulos, with copies to Premier Doug explaining why you are against amalgamation.
• watch and “like” our Facebook page for regular updates and news: https://www.facebook.com/weloveburlingtonstopamalgamation/
• share our posts with your friends and colleagues
 Would Oakville become the “rich” part of the city of Halton? The Burlington group will be meeting with Ms. Jane McKenna, Burlington’s MPP at Queen’s Park on April 18. Ms. McKenna was unable to meet with us at her constituency office until late June, so we will travel to Queen’s Park instead. We will also seek a meeting with Oakville/North Burlington MPP Ms. Effie Triantafilopoulos.
It is worthwhile to note that Ms. Triantafilopoulos has already met, together with Oakville MPP Mr. Stephen Crawford, with the We Love Oakville group.
 Most people don’t even know amalgamation talks are taking place – order a lawn sign – help spread the word. We Love Burlington has registered to delegate to the regional government review advisors on May 17th at the Halton Regional Meeting being held specifically for consultation on the review.
 Halton Hills, the smallest of the four municipalities has significant potential for growth in the next decade. On February 13, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr sent a letter to Premier Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, signed by all four Halton Mayors declaring “A change to the structure in Halton by the Province would be disruptive and wasteful given the Province would be trying to fix something that is not broken.”
On February 25, Burlington City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the current two-tier municipal government model in Halton and stating that Burlington residents value the distinct identity of their community and do not wish have their voices diluted within a larger and less directly accountable municipal governance structure. The other three Halton mayors passed similar resolutions.
 Milton was at one point the fastest growing municipality in the province -probably the country – that was until Premier Ford pulled the plug on the idea of a university setting up shop in the town. Many believe that the review process is also seriously flawed. There is a lack of transparency with respect to the Province’s mandate and intentions; the study involves two individuals looking at 82 municipalities with vastly different circumstances, issues and challenges, in a period of only six months, which does not allow for a fulsome and detailed inquiry, assessment and analysis; and there is a lack of meaningful public consultation. A survey the Province has prepared does not go nearly far enough to inform the public and gather their feedback.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
They are sometimes referred to as “unintended consequences” and that appears to be the kind of hole that the very successful Molinaro development on Fairview next to the Burlington GO station has fallen into.
 Towers 1 and 2 when they were under construction. The development is going to be a five story project with building 1, 2 and 3 clearly visible on the city’s skyline.
The structures are bold and have been selling very well.
The development was planned as one that would be completed in phases.
The company is now ready to begin the final phase – the last two building that will front on Fairview.
When the Interim control bylaw was dropped on the development community with no notice everyone assumed the Molinaro project would not be included. They were well past the site plan approval stage which was the cut off stage.
Ed Fothergill, the planning consultant who spoke for the firm on Tuesday, explained that complex projects that are approved in principle go through several site plan approvals – partly because as a project is built some things change – mostly minor in nature but the kind of thing for which approvals are required.
 Layout of the five tower Paradigm project on Fairview. The size, nature and scope of the Paradigm project meant there would be several site plan approvals. One would like to believe that the intention was not to shut down everything that moved on a construction site in the Urban Growth Centre while the city figured out just what it wanted to see done with the land within those boundaries.
The Paradigm has been described as the largest residential property development the city has ever done and may well be the largest for a some time.
When it was first taken to the public the Molinaro’s met with the area residents; they listened carefully and went back to the drawing boards and made some significant changes.
As developers they have set the standard for listening to the public.
Because of the way the development was structured the approval of the site plan for the last two buildings was on hold – there weren’t any problems with the development – it was always understood that there were to be five towers and that the site plan approval for the final two towers would get taken care of when the company was ready to begin construction.
 A massive concrete barrier had to be built between the development and the GO train tracks. Much of the infrastructure for the final two towers is already in place – that work was done when the three towers on the north side was being done.
But – the Interim Control bylaw is clear – if the site plan of a project has not been approved the project cannot go forward.
The ICBL was put in place for very good reasons – no one fully understood what this would do to the Molinaro’s.
Mayor Meed Ward didn’t have all that much to say about the implications on the Molinaro’s at the Standing Committee meeting yesterday afternoon and there wasn’t a word from Lisa Kearns, the ward council member.
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith made it very clear that he understood what was happening and that he would do everything he could to correct the situation.
The Molinaro’s are getting ready to put together the marketing plan for the last two towers and expected to be able to begin work on those two towers next year.
 Marketing campaigns don’t get written on the back of an envelope over a weekend. Marketing plans don’t get put together on a weekend. They are carefully crafted using the most recent data to ensure that the product they are going to market meets the needs of those buying condominium units.
There are additional issues. The actual registration of the condominium units gets held up as well.
City planner Heather MacDonald didn’t appear to be all that sympathetic to the problem.
The new city council had very solid reasons for putting a pause on the rate at which developments were flooding into city hall.
The Councillor for ward 2 said she has had conversations with people who are thinking in terms of towers that are in the 50 storey range – and along the GO station mobility hub this kind of intensification might make sense.
Burlington was seen as the place to make a killing in development; firms with cash and the kind of in-house expertise needed to put projects together quickly couldn’t get to the city fast enough.
The Molinaro’s aren’t a Toronto based operation – they built most of what we have on Lakeshore Road and have plans in the works for developments on Brant street north of Prospect where many felt high rise construction should take place.
There is a solution to the Paradigm predicament – the brain power in the Planning can find it. It may include an exemption.
By Pepper Parr
April 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It is now close to crystal clear that there will not be any exemptions to the Interim Control bylaw that froze all development in the Urban Growth boundary in downtown Burlington for one year and possibly two.
It is also crystal clear that when the Mayor is angry – she lets you know just how angry she is. That was something Cindy Prince learned yesterday afternoon at a Standing Committee meeting where the matter of allowing exemptions to the new bylaw was debated.
There are not going to be any exemptions approved by this council at this point.
None – even though there is at least one that has to be given a hard look if developers are to be treated fairly. The Molinaro development on Fairview has run into a snag related to site plan approvals for its five tower Paradigm project.
 Site location: an awkward piece of land that was made usable when the co-op to the east was acquired. Project looked great – until the interim control bylaw froze everything within the Urban growth boundary – the development is on the very western edge, Cindy Prince spoke for Amica, the retirement home operator that wants to build a rather large retirement home on the North Service Road where it intersects with Hwy 403 – right across from the Joseph Brant Hospital.
 Amica made what they described as generous offers to the owners of the co-op units – that offer may not close. The plan has been in the development stage for more than three years and started when Amica made an offer for the 56 residents at the co-op that is presently on the site.
The deal, which Prince described as a “premium + + +” offer to the residents over the market value at the time was to expire on May 17th. Amica is also reported to have paid the co-op residents a non-refundable deposit.
 One resident called it a “warehouse” for older people”. Amica doesn’t want to close on that deal unless it can be assured that city council is going to give them an exemption from the bylaw that has frozen development.
The owners of the co-op units just want to get on with their lives and have the deal close. Amica said they were prepared to make changes and that they had been meeting with the Planning department.
Ward 6 Councillor Angelo B asked if there were any drawings to show just what any changes might look like. No one seemed to be able to say that there were renderings of possible changes.
There was considerable public comment on the size of the development – one Burlington resident called it a “warehouse” for older people”.
Based on what the mood of Council was on Tuesday no one is going to get an exemption.
 Mayor Meed Ward – not the lady you want to attempt to mislead. Mayor Meed Ward was close to scathing in her comments. She said she felt Amica should not use the co-op owners as hostages while the the corporation works to get an exemption.
Meed Ward also took issue with the way Amica made statements in the Planning Justification report they provided when they found them useful and then changed direction when they found that the comments no longer served their purpose.
It has been some time since Burlington has heard very direct and pointed comments about both a development and the people behind the development.
If there is ever a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of a retirement home on the site – don’t expect the current Mayor to be a participant.
Councillor Sharman pointed out that the development freeze is highlighting a serious problem for the city. There is a serious shortage of space for seniors to live in when they get into their late retirement years. Sharman said that “intensification is not the issue” – the lack of space for seniors accommodation is the issue for the city. It is coming at us and we are not prepared.
Council was meeting as a Standing Committee where they voted 6-1 to take a pass on any exemptions. The matter goes to a city council meeting at the end of the month.
 By Staff
April 2, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is going to be packing her wardrobe, including those high heels, and hitting the road during the summer.
 Marianne Med Ward the evening she was sworn in as Mayor. She will be traveling in Canada and then around the world: Japan and then France. It is a solid schedule with a lot of work to do.
First trip is to the FCM conference – a critical event for the municipal sector.
May 30 – June 2: Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference (FCM)
The annual FCM conference is where Mayors from across the country “shape and vote on advocacy items for the federal government, which in the past has succeeded in federal commitments to significant municipal infrastructure funding.”
There are also professional development sessions and “study tours” , where Mayors get to see how things are done in the host city which this year will be Quebec City.
The cost to the city: Flights for Mayor and 2 staff members, Hotel rooms in Quebec. Meals and Taxis. Mayor’s expenses paid from a Regional government budget. Staff expenses from Mayor’s office budget account and are expected to amount to approximately $2500 total.
The next trip is one that is international in scope and something Burlingtonians have dozens of reasons to be proud of.
June 3-9: Juno Beach 75th Anniversary Event
The purpose of this trip is to honour Burlington’s D-Day veterans, Burlington’s connection to the Juno Beach Centre, which was the result of some very hard work by Burlington resident Garth Webb.
 June Beach Centre, Normandy France where thousands of Canadian Armed Forces came ashore to begin the assault that eventually won WW II There will be performances by the Burlington Teen Tour Band, our Mayor will meet the meet the Mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer and attend the commemorative event on June 6th with other VIPs and dignitaries.
 Sculpture at the Juno Beach Centre, Normandy France Costs: Economy flight for Mayor and 1 staff member, AirBnB shared accommodations, Car Rental and meals. The Mayor’s and staff member’s expenses paid for from Mayor’s office budget account. Flights $2450. Accommodations $1400. Car Rental/Gas $600. Meals per diem $1400. (Total: $5850)
July is a quiet month for the Mayor from a travel perspective. In August she travels to Ottawa for the annual AMO conference where some major issues have to be dealt with
August 18-21: Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference (AMO)
The annual conference of Ontario Mayors is a must event – particularly given the decisions that are expected out of Queen’s Park in the months ahead. The Provincial Review that could change the way Burlington is governed – we are currently a two tier government with the Region handling services that are region wide.
The AMO conference is where the Premier usually speaks and the Mayors get to meet one on one with provincial ministers and advocate on behalf of the City and Region.
Costs: Flights for Mayor and 2 staff members, Hotel rooms in Ottawa. Meals and Taxis. Mayor’s expenses paid are paid by the Region, staff expenses from Mayor’s office budget account. Staff member expenses estimated at approximately $2500 total.
October 15-20 – Itabashi Anniversary Trip to Japan
 The trees in Spencer Smith Park were a gift to Burlington from a resident of Itabashi, Japan. The purpose of this trip is to continue to strengthen our relationship with our twin city, Itabashi, and return the courtesy of the trip they made here in July of this year for the same reason. The Mayor will travel with other members of the Mundialization Committee and have support from a person travelling with the group from the Clerks department.
Details: Flight for Mayor (economy) to Japan, hotel, meals, taxis. Costing: Mayor’s expenses paid for from the Mundialization Budget/Reserve fund.
Total expected expense is estimated to be $3,151 per person for flights/accommodation/airport transfers.
These are dollars well spent. This Mayor will deliver strong message at the Canadian events and make us proud internationally.
 By Staff
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
With the Interim Control just a couple of weeks old there is word that a number of exemptions are being considered. The pressure on individual members of Council will now increase.
 Lisa Kearns will face a lot of presure to approve exemptions to the Interim Control bylaw that was passed recently. Lisa Kearns, ward 2 is reported to have told a ward meeting that the gas station on Lakeshore/Locust has been sold.
She is also reported to have told the audience that exemptions to the recently passed Interim Control bylaw are being sought.
Kearns outlined the exemptions that had been brought forward and her views on the merits of each.
Three developments that were inside the Urban Growth boundary. She explained that these developments were providing services to the residents.
 The developers appeared prepared to do anything Council wanted to get an approval. The Amica Development, the redevelopment of Maple Villas and the expansion of ROCK on James/Martha Street were the developments Kearns said were under consideration.
The justification for the Amica Development exemption from the Interim Control Bylaw was that it would serve a very small demographic of seniors. It would also serve the interests of Amica and provide some relief for the people in the co-op who sold their homes and are now in a no man’s land.
 Publicly supported long term care space will be replaced by private providers. The location is magnificent – it won’t be inexpensive. Maple Villas, that will become known as “Better Life Retirement Residence” was in desperate need of repairs, it is reported to be in terrible shape. It does however provide affordable/Provincial long-term care for seniors. The new building will be an 11 storey rental building, with no long-term affordable care.
The extension of ROCK on James/Martha has been on hold for years.
Exemptions are possible – but once that door is opened – expect a flood of requests. The pressure on Council members is something they are not prepared for.
One resident put it very when saying: “…the message it will send to developers – once again they can manipulate Burlington. This new council campaigned on reasonable, sensible growth. They finally take a bold step in trying to control unbridled growth – ICBL and now are considering backing down.”
 By Staff
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mother’s Day is taking on a different meaning at the Performing Arts Centre this year.
The first clue is the warning at the end of the media release: This performance contains mature language.
Girls Nite Out is an all funny, all female troupe consisting of some of Canada’s top stand-ups and comedy improvisers. After over ten years together, these comedic superstars are still making people laugh and on Mother’s Day they will be delighting BPAC audiences.
Individually they have won Canadian Comedy Awards, performed on Second City stages around the world, and been featured on TV (NBC, CBC, The Comedy Network) & radio (CBC). But trust us; you’re going to want to see them all together!
 Girls Nite Out stars Elvira Kurt, Jennine Profeta, Diana Frances, and Karen Parker. You will remember Elvira Kurt from our 2018/19 season launch, but she is also a Canadian Comedy Award and Cannes Film Festival award-winning stand-up comic and a The Second City veteran. Her credits include: Baroness Von Sketch Show, Iron Chef Canada, The Great Canadian Baking Show (Canadian Screen Award nominee), Master Chef Canada, The Debaters, Degrassi, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, Cook’d, Popcultured with Elvira Kurt, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Ellen DeGeneres’ HBO special, Just For Laughs, and, of course, Elvira’s unforgettable stint on both of CBC Radio’s hit show, ‘Q’ and, ‘q’.
Jennine Profeta is a performer, writer, corporate workshop facilitator and MC/host. She has performed with The Second City (National Touring Company, Theatricals) across Ontario and aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. As a writer, Jennine has penned scripts for television – Ollie The Boy Who Became What He Ate (CBC), Opie’s Home (TVO), Gemini and Genie Awards, and CBC Radio, and waxed poetic for Chatelaine, Today’s Parent and Best Health magazines.
Diana Frances is an award-winning improviser and comedy writer. Originally from Vancouver, she now calls Toronto home and is a writer on Corner Gas: The Animated Series (Comedy Network,) Still Standing (CBC), and The Beaverton (Comedy Network). Diana has been nominated for 8 Canadian Comedy Awards for ‘Best Female Improviser’ and has entertained our Canadian troops in Bosnia, Egypt, Israel and Afghanistan.
Karen Parker is a three-time Canadian Comedy Award winning/Dora nominated actor and an alumna of The Second City Toronto. Selected film and television credits include: Designated Survivor, People of Earth, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Hemlock Grove, Beauty & The Beast, The Firm, Saving Hope, Being Erica, The Jon Dore Show and Instant Star.
Comedic legend Norm Foster calls Girls Night Out “[f]unny, smart and energetic. This show was everything I like in my comedy.” This is a performance you don’t want your mom to miss! Make sure to get your Mother’s Day tickets now as seating is very limited. Show Sponsor Amanda Steene Cosmetics & Cocktails will be on site offering a selection of custom lipsticks for sale, so come early and really treat your mom!
Sunday, May 12, 2019, 7:30pm
Limited tickets remaining.
This performance contains mature language.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Community Studio Theatre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, ON, L7S 1T7
Tickets:
$49 Regular
$44 Member
Group pricing available
*All prices include tax and fees.
To Purchase Tickets:
Online: www.burlingtonpac.ca
Over the Phone: 905.681.6000
By Staff
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Meed Ward reports on her Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force, an initiative she announced at the State of the City address in January 30.
“The purpose was to use a series of events (town hall, focus groups, and task force sessions) along with other studies, surveys and anecdotal feedback to identify the challenges and obstacles facing growth and relocation of businesses in Burlington, and develop actionable solutions that can be presented to City Council for approval and implementation as soon as possible.”
 Just over 85 people took part in facilitated table sessions where they set out what they liked, didn’t like and how they felt the city could do better. There were few surprises. The event held last week was open to all business owners in Burlington, with postcard invitations mailed out in February to all those who are registered as local businesses with Canada Post, along with the event being promoted on both the Mayor’s and City’s website and social media.
Tickets were free although seating was limited in the venue chosen: The Waterfront Hotel. The turnout was a few seats shy of capacity, with approximately 85 attendees from various industries, business sizes, and backgrounds. It was a diverse crowd ranging from local lawyers and award-winning architects to creative bakery proprietors to entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space and beyond.
Along with co-chair, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, the first event launched into a 90 minute session that had city hall staff acting as table facilitators to guide attendees through a series of questions aimed at collecting stories, ideas, and insights to better identify what’s working and what’s not when it comes to doing business in Burlington.
Three questions were put to the participants:
What challenges or obstacles have you faced doing business in Burlington?
What are some of the successes you have had?
What are some ideas, solutions or suggestions that can be considered to remove the obstacles?
Meed Ward told the audience that she understands some things that are already working well for you many of you felt you have given the City feedback about your challenges in the past and are frustrated that it did not result in action or improvement. We hear you – and we are committed to doing better. That’s the whole purpose of this initiative.
The Mayor provided a summary of the common themes and feedback heard.
What challenges or obstacles have you faced doing business in Burlington?
We definitely saw some common themes here, and I’d like to mention that although we had some developers in the room today, we parked the recent Interim Control Bylaw that pauses development in the downtown area and near the Burlington Go station for a future focus group to better explore that with a targeted audience.
• Construction during high season impacts my business
• Being part of a BIA for easier cross-promotion would be helpful
• Transit limitations
• Challenges with other agencies (ex: Conservation Halton)
• Dump Site/Transfer Station
• Lack of affordable housing to help attract staff
• Downtown traffic during the rush hour / traffic volume / traffic signals and timing
• Bylaws: responses to changes take a long time and are hard to plan
• Not enough parking – especially in December – deliveries are also hard
• Cost of parking passes, pass renewals/tickets (especially downtown for staff of businesses)
• Lack of incentives for sustainable business practices
• BIA events – not great return for services businesses
• Bylaws don’t feel like they are “common sense”
• Lack of vision
• Outdated Official Plan – not reflective of market
• Too many approval agencies
• Sign bylaw – permitting too complex / unclear and costly for businesses – inconsistent too
• Development approvals process is too long – shorter in other municipalities
• Connection to businesses from Go stations aren’t timely enough to get people to work
• Talent attraction
• Lack of community spaces / public spaces
• High fees combined with lower levels of service
• Snow removal and how it impacts accessibility
• City staff interference with consultants
• Spent too much time looking for office space / lack of affordable or big enough office space
• Need better staff knowledge
• Lack of street visibility – need better tree clean-up, trimming
• Railroad noise at night / Road noise / Go Train noise
• Lack of amenities in Aldershot
• Neighborhood redevelopment and reno rule enforcement
• Tax audits
• Locations available for expansion are not suitable – don’t know where new development lands are
• Challenge to get word out about new businesses
• Land conveyance for site plan approval
• Newcomers – not knowing where to start and how to find information
• Need more collaboration with other businesses and networking events
• Erosion of property rights
• One window for development applicants
• Small home development processes very flawed / mess
• Inconsistent application of zoning bylaws by staff
• Conservation authority should not be able to expand their restricted areas w/o notice
• Special interest directing City Hall / Cronyism
• Sign permit request denied with no explanation
• Development Charges
What are some of the successes you have had?
Attendees told us they were happy with some of the following initiatives, practices and processes that either directly or indirectly helped their business launch, grow or thrive:
• Shuttles from the Go station to busy public events
• New Private Tree Bylaw
• Access permits are timely
• Ability to use public spaces
• City staff being accessible and responsive and engaged with us
• Community spirit
• Openness to change
• Events like this – reaching out to businesses – proactive and forward-thinking
• Clean, safe
• Permitting
• Transit
• Quality of employable people
• Capital $ / Taxes
• Demographics of clientele and its growth
• Connecting with the right people / networking / dealing with other local businesses
• Messages around healthy living
• Public events like Ribfest and Sound of Music and festivals bring business/attention
• Social events are very well organized and engaging
• High amount of people downtown = consumers!
• Longevity and brand recognition downtown
• Intensification downtown brings new customers although issues with parking
• Partnership with City re: “clean up green up”
• Great location for growth – 40min to US, 40 min to Toronto
• TechPlace and Burlington Day at Mohawk and International Student Job Crawl
• Support from BurlingtonGreen
• Councillor support
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce Awards
• Smooth site plan approval process
• Change in leadership – new Mayor
• New license application – fast to process
• There is positive potential here
• The City listens
• Citizen committees that help bring different perspectives of residents to City
• Flexible parking on weekends and holidays
• BIA support
• Good use of social media from Mayor’s office
• Good communication
• Diverse technology culture in Burlington – great for high-tech industry and hub – TechPlace
• Understanding property values vs rent/lease
• Love that our Mayor is looking to improve
• Still affordable (although worried about future rent)
• No problem finding tenants downtown
• Revitalization of Village Square
 What are some ideas, solutions or suggestions that can be considered to remove the obstacles?
• More frequent transit/Improve transit (intensification will help) + regional connections
• Fire/Ambulance/Police in one building downtown
• Incentives to complete construction on time to minimize disruption to services
• Less steps for approvals / improve flow / speed
• Shuttle buses from core to core and from North Burlington to downtown events
• Help With / Facilitate meetings with other agencies to help with development approvals
• Dedicate a brush site for landscape maintenance companies
• Bus from Go station to downtown when it arrives (timing better)
• Incentives for affordable housing
• Lights timing (to help traffic flow) and more parking
• Need marina at Spencer Smith & more waterfront features/restaurants/shops
• Be open to change – think of solutions to get to “yes” before saying no
• Stop comparing Burlington to Oakville
• More public engagement with all points of view – surveys, etc.
• On-site visits by City staff
• Improve messaging that we’re open for business
• Clarify if taxes will go up if we don’t have significant intensification & what are benefits of development
• Spread events around the whole town
• More interdepartmental cooperation & get all staff on the same page
• Deal with panhandlers
• Provide a directory of consultants to help (ex: in the planning department)
• Concierge for businesses based on size of business and type
• Talent attraction strategies for graduates
• Better distribution of amenities including groceries and hardware esp. around aging pop’s (ex: Aldershot) – perhaps incentives for that
• Maintain employment lands
• Control high-rise development
• Weekend/Friday afternoon permit advice from different departments on application process
• Provide estimation on time needed for processes incl. permits, site plan, zoning, etc.
• Stronger partnership with City, School Boards, other community sports clubs
• One-stop shop for parents looking for a place their kids can play sports
• Grants / incentives
• Online marketplace
• Live weekly streaming show for businesses
• Getting to know our Mayor better
• Online building permits
• Dress code for staff
• Improve website search engine
• Need a mediator to move issues forward
• Mayor should go through building and application process anonymously to audit it & see problems
• More diversity and inclusion in city staff
• More BIAs
• Better snow removal
• Preconsultation meetings
• Expand rezoning for downtown and flexible zoning for senior living
• Business permits for home businesses – they should pay some fees that other businesses pay
• Hire private sector people at City Hall
• Tax holiday for new businesses
There was a lot of feedback – and a number of inconsistencies as well.
Meed Ward set out the next step: a series of focus groups to delve more deeply into some of the key segments and stakeholders in our City. We will be inviting smaller groups of individuals to facilitate more intimate conversations about issues specific to these industries and organizations.
Focus Groups (all taking place at TechPlace in Burlington):
A. Small Businesses – April 8th from 2-3:30pm
B. City Staff and Partner Organizations/BIAs – April 9th from 3-4:30pm
C. Large Businesses / Manufacturers – April 29th from 2:30-4pm
D. Developers and Real Estate Industry – May 1st from 2-3:30pm
After the focus groups have completed their work, the Mayor reported that: “we will take that feedback, along with that from our Town Hall, and review it with our smaller Task Force of local business leaders, myself, and Councillor Galbraith to identify actionable recommendations to bring to Council this June.”
Was it a useful exercise? Certainly was. Was there a good reason for keeping media out of the room – none that we could see.
By Staff
April 1st, 2019
Burlington, ON
 With information coming at you faster than a mile a second – it is a challenge to keep up – and an even bigger challenge to get the attention you want.
 There are all kinds of graphics tools that can help you make a point. Strong graphic presentations are part of that “a picture is worth a thousand words” phrase. The trick is to know just what kind of graphic to use.
Community Development Halton is running a class on Letting Data Tell Your Story.
In this workshop you will:
• Understand the changing demographics of Halton based on Our Halton 2018 series
• Discuss where to find specific data, how and when to use data
• Learn how to start building a data culture in your organization
• Discover what data to collect and the application of it.
TED HILDEBRANDT, Director of Social Planning at Community Development Halton, oversees the acquisition and analysis of data, including the publications of Halton Social Profiles, Community Lens, and the Our Halton 2018 series. Ted also works with other nonprofit organizations addressing their specific issues such as diversity, poverty, and housing affordability. Ted will be the class presenter.
 Registration at cdhalton.ca/events ; Limited space available.
$50 CDH Members; $60 Non-members
Contact: office@cdhalton.ca or 1-855-395-8807
 By Ray Rivers
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
 Former Clerk of the Privy Council – Michael Wernick chose to resign. Former Justice Minister and Attorney General (AG) Jody Wilson-Raybould (JWR) has given us her last word on the SNC matter. Along with a final memo, she has forwarded a secretly recorded telephone conversation with the Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, whom she accuses of pressuring her.
In addition, she offered relevant emails and text messages for the Justice Committee, regardless that they had already concluded their deliberations on this matter. The text message, from her former chief of staff notes that former PM Brian Mulroney had once strong armed his then AG, Kim Campbell, to intervene in a legal case.
Rather than just complain about ‘being pressured’ Campbell did intervene, then went on to become PM herself. That choice might have been instructive for JWR had she been considering running for the PM’s job, as some have suggested. Except that Trudeau had never directed her to intervene.
 Jodi Wilson Raybould – consistent and persistent – is there an end game? Experts will debate the ethics of the former AG secretly recording a conversation with her client (link is below). But the good news, at least for Mr. Wernick, is that there was not even a veiled threat in that conversation. There was an exchange of views and JWR can be heard warning Wernick, but neither party even raised their voices and they both concluded amicably.
One wonders why JWR returned the call in the first place, given that she had been anticipating what Wernick wanted to say. And why did she talk for 17 minutes rather than just hang up at the very mention of SNC? There was nothing he could have said that was going to change her mind.
There has been speculation about whether the AG herself had been the source of the leak to original Globe and Mail article on this issue. JWR has now clarified that it wasn’t her. So who did leak the story? And was it the same person who then followed up, just this past week, with the story about the PM and his AG wrangling over the choice of chief justice for the Supreme Court.
 There was so much hope and promise. Now that JWR has indicated there is nothing more to say, one wonders what else Jane Philpott has to add. It was only a few days ago that she explained to Maclean’s Magazine that “there’s much more to the story that needs to be told”. And so the question is why she isn’t telling it. Constitutional experts and even the PM have said that she could do so under parliamentary privilege.
When the Globe released this story the PM and his staff seemed to be dumb-struck, caught off guard. It was as if the paper had not bothered to contact them to authenticate the facts in its rush to release a juicy story. And if the goal was to stir the pot, the article certainly did that.
On the up side, Canadians are now thoroughly versed in the Shawcross principle, and have a healthy appreciation of Quebec based icon SNC Lavalin and its corrupt past.
 The expression says sit all. But this exercise has not been consequence-free. Two Cabinet ministers have resigned, one Liberal MP has left the caucus, The PM has lost his principal secretary and Clerk of the Privy Council (essentially his deputy minister). The Liberal’s popularity has plummeted and attention to other matters, like the budget, have taken a backseat.
Internationally, Canada’s reputation has been tarnished, with the OECD even issuing a statement of concern. And two very significant ongoing court cases, Mark Norman and Huawei, may have been made more complicated over what is essentially a tempest in a tea pot.
Even the opposition parties have suffered. Andrew Scheer has performed poorly, foolishly demanding the PM’s resignation and brashly inviting the RCMP to investigate. His child-like antics in the House of Commons should have made responsible Tories wish they’d elected the more competent Lisa Raitt as their leader.
Of course the indigenous community has lost a champion or two at the Cabinet table. And if that sets back reconciliation, then we all have lost. JWR or Philpott are unlikely to be able to represent their preferred Liberal party in the upcoming election, – bitterness on all sides will remain.
SNC might get their DPA (deferred prosecution agreement) anyway, or the charges might just get thrown out by a judge, as has happened before with SNC. Judges dislike cases like this one which has taken so long for the public prosecutor and RCMP to get their act together.
And in any case, the decision to grant a DPA can be made any time before a final verdict is declared. So we might see a DPA offered by the next Liberal or Conservative government, or even the one after that.
 The Gadafi yacht – Reported to have cost $160 million – paid for by SNC Lavalin The crimes being prosecuted go back almost two decades. The charges are four years old and the likely court proceedings could easily take another four years. This is the first such case being prosecuted in Canada’s history, but that hardly excuses the delays. And SNC was not the only company paying bribes to the Gaddafi clan, so should we expect more?
The USA is primarily responsible for the OECD focusing on international corruption, in part to ensure that US companies get a competitive chance at international projects. And US companies have not been slouches when it comes to bribery. So the US has led, and even the UK, France and Australia are way ahead of Canada in setting tough compliance regimes against domestic companies bribing to get foreign business.
But all of these countries rely on a DPA instrument to punish almost 80% of their corporate bribery perpetrators. In fact an estimated 96% of US prosecutions end up there. The reality is that SNC Lavalin would have a better fighting chance of being appropriately punished for its past misbehaviour were it located in the USA. And given the mess we’re in now that may very well be where it ends up. And that will be the last word on that.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
Background links:
Kim Campbell Pressured – JWR Voice Recording – About Recording –
No Heroes – Why Not DPA – Philpott’s More to the Story –
Speaking Out – Trudeau Never Briefed – Shawcross –
 By Staff
March 30th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
A head on collision on Walkers Line Friday evening resulted in criminal charges being laid against a 73 year old male person.
The Halton Regional Police Service investigated a head on motor vehicle collision in the City of Burlington that has resulted in criminal charges being laid against 73 year old William Leslie Stiffl
 Just before 9:30 pm Friday evening, Stiffl was operating a white 2007 Chevrolet van southbound on Walkers Line. He attempted to turn left to proceed eastbound on Flemish Drive; did a wide turn and lost control of his vehicle and went up over the curb and onto a lawn of a residence on Flemish Drive.
Sriffl then accelerated and entered back onto the roadway. The vehicle then collided head on with a black Dodge Caravan vehicle that was travelling westbound on Flemish Drive.
The collision was significant and the male driver attempted to keep driving and went a short distance away from the collision scene. The Dodge Caravan vehicle was driven by a 43 year old adult female and had her 3 year old daughter who was a passenger. Both mother and child examined by Emergency Medical Services and had no apparent injuries and were not required to go to hospital.
Stiffl was arrested for impaired operation at that time. He suffered an injury to his face and was taken to the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital for treatment for minor injuries. Breath testing was completed and it was determined that his blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit of 80 mgs.
Charges:
1. Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
2. Failing to remain at the scene of an accident
3. Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol
4. Operation of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration in excess of 80 mgs
He will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in the Town of Milton on May 1, 2019.
The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to road safety through prevention, education and enforcement initiatives.
Members of the public are reminded that driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime in progress and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report a suspected impaired driver.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to contact Constable Erin Toth at 905-825-4747 ext. 2305 or ext. 2310.
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 Staff
March 31st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
 The snowfall in the Escarpment was a lot heavier than in the urban areas on the weekend – that snow is going to melt and work its way through the 13 creaks that run though Burlington to Lake Ontario.
Conservation Halton advises that a Low Pressure System has already brought upwards of 30mm of rainfall to our area with numerical weather models suggesting an additional 20mm of rain mixed with some wet snow could fall this evening, overnight, and into tomorrow morning.
The rainfall combined with the high soil moisture conditions has resulted in increased flows and water levels in many of our creeks, which are now near bank full capacity. Flow and water level increases are expected to continue into tomorrow, particularly in our larger watercourse systems (Grindstone, Sixteen Mile and Bronte Creeks).
Widespread flooding is not anticipated. Our reservoirs are still in range of our seasonal holding levels and have storage capacity available. However, fast flowing water and flooding of low lying areas and natural floodplains may be expected. Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should be on alert.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to keep a safe distance from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
 Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream flow and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary. This Flood Outlook Statement will be in effect through Monday April 1st, 2019.
By Pepper Parr
March 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Red Tape got a little sticky this morning.
During the address she gave to the Chamber of Commerce crowd on the State of the City, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward told the audience she was going to do something about the complaints she was hearing about problems at city hall.
In her address she said: “… the goal of the task force is to bring businesses together to talk about what’s working, what’s not working, where do you need our help, so that we can eliminate the obstacles to doing business. That’s the red tape part.
“This is about a very focused task. We want to bring people together, and by the summer, have this group give council, and the province where appropriate, advice on what we can do better.”
The announcement was positively received and the event was an announced – it was billed as Red Carpet – Red Tape – the first of several scheduled meetings took place early this morning at the Waterfront Hotel where about 90 people gathered around 10 to12 tables to address three issues:
What isn’t working; What is working – and what are your ideas.
I was in the room standing quietly in the corner taking pictures and listening to the proceedings when I was approached and told that I couldn’t be in the room because I wasn’t registered to attend.
The Gazette was aware the participants were asked to register so that the Mayor’s office could determine how many people were going to show up – they also wanted to cap the audience at 100 people.
The material we saw about the event said nothing about it being media free. We published several articles on the event which is usually a sign that we have taken an interest.
My conversation with Victoria Al-Samadi, the Mayor’s Chief of Communications & Strategic Advisor was interesting – if a little confusing. Her concern was that the business people in the room were not aware that media was going to be in there and she felt that participants would not be as fulsome in their comments as the Mayor wanted them to be if media was looking over their shoulders.
None of the participants said a word while we were in the room. They weren’t expected to talk – they were participating in conversations with colleagues at each table.
Marianne Meed Ward prides herself on her experience as a journalist – she was more of an editor and a columnist rather than a journalist chasing a story – but let us not quibble – the Mayor understands media and uses it very effectively.
The Communications advisor then slipped back into the room (at this point she and I were outside the room) to have a few words with the Mayor – returned and said that I could be in the room once the wrap up began. So the Mayor was Ok with keeping media out of the room. There goes the claim to being transparent.
The conversation with the communications advisor was polite but animated. She talked about having her announce that media would be in the room and they could approach us if they wished. Journalists don’t stand in a corner waiting for people to approach them.
I had some difficulty understanding why the Mayor’s staff felt they had to protect the business people from media.
In correspondence later in the day the Communications advisor said: “I think we can work together very collaboratively in the future and ensure that you have access to the events you would like to cover. As I said, my intention today was simply to ensure our attendees were informed so that they have all the information they need to decide how much they want to share, and the words they use to share it, regarding their own businesses while they were in the room.”
Journalists refer to this as “news filtering” that gets done to control the message. The Region of Halton has more than half a dozen communication advisors who send out media releases about things like the opening of a new traffic round about or that the Region has a better corporate credit rating than the United States.
Fluff for the most part.
The Mayor’s Communications advisor did assure us that we would get a copy of the summary of the material that was produced by each table and we trust that she will follow through.
There is a movement taking place around the world to limit the role media plays. It is rampant in the United States – hopefully Burlington will not take up the practice.
The Gazette is a member of the National News Media Council that advocates for strong local media.
Related news story:
Red Tape issues discussed.
Salt with Pepper is the thoughts, opinions and reflections of the Burlington Gazette publisher
By Staff
March 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It was billed as a major part of the way Marianne Meed Ward was going to serve as Mayor when she addressed the Chamber of Commerce with her State of the City address in January.
She was going to listen; she was going to get right in the bull rushes and listen to the croaking frogs and learn what was working and what wasn’t working in terms of the way city hall serves the interests of the business community.
Early this morning some 85 people gathered around tables at the Waterfront Hotel and were taken through an exercise that was designed to pull out the pluses and the minuses of working with the bureaucracy at city hall.
The Mayor knew there were some horror stories, she hoped there were some success stories – and she wanted to hear them first hand.
People were not able to stand up and talk – these were business people gathered around a table with a facilitator in place to help the process move forward.
The crowed was asked to set out the challenges faced when working with city hall; then they were asked to talk about the successes and then asked to put some ideas on the table.
There were no verbal reports from the 12 or so tables – the notes were gathered up and would be made public once the mayor’s office had gone through the contents of the notes people wrote.
Mayor Meed Ward brought ward 2 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith in to help her – Galbraith is the only member of council who has significant experience at the small business level.
Billed as a Red Carpet – Red Tape event designed to get at the problems, the event was described to the Gazette as a “registered” business people only event when we began to take notes.
We were edged out of the room, nicely by Victoria Al-Samadi, Mayor’s Chief of Communications & Strategic Advisor
We got back in when the Mayor was doing the wrap up and explaining that the event was the first of several phases to get at the root of whatever there were in the way of problems.
The next step is meetings with specific groups who would be invited to take part: Small business; groups that work with the city on behalf of membership, the Downtown Business Development Association, Chamber of Commerce, parking advisory group; big business corporations including manufacturers and finally the development community.
These will be on an invitation only basis.
The Mayor intends to create a Task Force that will look at the issues that become evident and task them with taking part in preparing a report that will go to city council sometime in June in time to include any spending that might have to be done in the 2020 budget.
Meed Ward made two significant comments: “If we find that Yes – there are problems, we want to move on them quickly. If there aren’t any problems – we want to move on and not waste any time.”
It was a decent crowd – the plan was to cap it at close to 100 people Three of the city Councillors were evident. Angelo Bentivegna has been working the audiences at every event he attends – there is an agenda there.
That is certainly the language the business community wants to hear.
There are always people who complain about the pace at which things get done at city hall. The Gazette is aware of a vinyl record pressing company that had to wait months to get permits while more than $5 million worth of equipment sat shrink-wrapped on the floor of the space they had rented.
Then there was the dry cleaner who had to wait six months to get the permits he needed when he opened a dry cleaning operation.
Dry cleaning involves the use of chemicals – but there many dry cleaning operations – didn’t the city have the staff with some experience, asked the owner?
When he opened the second dry cleaning store he found he had to wait just as long. There were no lessons learned at city hall.
Then there is the developer who said to us just this morning when we were arranging for an interview: “Moved to Burlington permanently for our offices just in time to be subjected 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.”
Our guess is that he won’t be invited to sit on the Task Force.
By Staff
March 29th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service arrested two suspects following a series of residential break and enters across the G.T.A. The investigation commenced after the suspects broke into a residence on Goodram Drive in the City of Burlington.
The investigation led investigators to an address in Mississauga while also linking numerous break and enters that had occurred across the G.T.A from Brantford to York Region.
On March 25th 2019, investigators were conducting surveillance on two suspects when they were observed committing a residential break and enter. Arrests took place.
Following the arrests, investigators sought and executed three Criminal Code search warrants at a residence, a storage locker and a vehicle all located in the City of Mississauga. As a result, a large quantity of property was recovered that is believed to have been stolen from the identified break and enters. Investigators are still processing the stolen property to identify the rightful owners.
Arrested and charged are:
1) Antoni HAL (59 years old of Mississauga), charged with five counts of break and enter, possession of stolen property, possession of break and enter tools, uttering a forged document and fraud under.
2) Leokadia MINKIEWICZ (55 years old of Mississauga), charged with five counts of break and enter, possession of stolen property and possession of break and enter tools.
Both were held pending a bail hearing.
The investigation is ongoing at this time and additional charges are expected to be laid. Anyone who may have additional information concerning this investigation is asked to contact Detective Constable Pam Douglas of the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at (905)825-4747 ext. 2363 or the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau general line at (905)825-4747 ext. 2316.
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 .
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
By Ray Rivers
March 28th, 2109
BURLINGTON, ON
“When students are currently preparing to go off to post-secondary education, we’re hearing from professors and employers alike that they’re lacking coping skills and they’re lacking resiliency….By increasing class sizes in high school, we’re preparing them for the reality of post-secondary as well as the world of work.” (Hon. Lisa Thompson MMP, Ontario Minister of Education – CBC Radio’s Metro Morning).
When it came to appointing Ontario’s new minister of education Mr. Ford had a problem – too many farmers and not enough educators. So Ernie Hardeman got the agriculture ministry. After all he’d been there before, back in the Harris days.
That left Ford with a problem called Lisa Thompson. He could have just left her on the backbench but perhaps the romantic notion of a goat farmer herding those gruff teachers amused him. In addition, Thompson has a certificate in agricultural leadership, so who better to shepherd the province’s kids.
Besides, having scant knowledge of Ontario’s education system might be an advantage. Ontario’s educators would never make the mistake of assuming she’s one of them. And she’d have no reason to feel any collegiality towards them. In addition, having that kind of barrier between knowledgeable teachers and a blissfully ignorant minister, about to shred their future, is probably a good thing. At least from Mr. Ford’s view point.
Her marching orders from the Premier were to chop a billion dollars or so from the provincial education budget. So she followed her instincts and did what she would have done on the farm whenever the budget got tight. It’s obvious. Cutting the herd reduces the feed bill.
 However, the fact is that more teachers and smaller classrooms have transformed Ontario’s education system. Graduation rates have skyrocketed from 68 percent at the end of the Harris/Eves government to over 86 percent today. That is a jump of 18 percentage points in the fifteen years the Liberal government policy of smaller classrooms had been in place.
Even the Fraser Institute, the go to place for your Tory Bible, hasn’t tried to minimize that statistic. They do quibble otherwise about test results, arguably cherry picking their examples. But even they don’t quibble that graduation better prepares our youth for their next step in life.
The Liberals increased education spending by about $6 billion over their time in office. After adjusting for inflation that is less than a couple billion dollars. That was the price Ontario paid for full day kindergarten and to achieve graduation rates approaching 90%. And does anyone, other than the government, argue that early education and completing graduation make for less resilient youth entering the workplace?
Lisa Thompson really needs to go back to class if she wants to understand her portfolio. A simple google search would have unambiguously shown her that the only association between resilience/coping skills and class size is that smaller is always better. Not the other way around.
So she made it up. Those “professors and employers” were fictional, or they, like her, are blessed with a keen ability to shovel goat manure. It’s dishonest at best, and how can we expect our children to grow up to be ethical, with that kind of role model at the highest level of their education system?
Lisa Thompson is supposed to be the minister of education, not the minister of propaganda.
 The grade rates are good for students on the academic side – barely acceptable for the applied level. The billion dollars Ford is after in education pales when weighed against the near $900 billion GDP economy of this province. And that GDP is driven by its human capital. There may not be benefit-cost studies which demonstrate the added contribution to our economy from smaller classes in high school, but it’s not zero. And it’s not negative as the minister would have you believe.
Teachers would rather walk on broken glass than think back on the good old Mike Harris years. How well they’d recall another unqualified education minister, a grade 11 drop out, who deliberately created a crisis and then started a war. And that war between teachers and parents and the Harris/ Eves government lasted until the bums were finally booted from office. Nobody is asking for its replay.
Lisa Thompson stepped in it, as they say down on the farm, when she shot her mouth off about something she clearly knows nothing about. Perhaps it’s time she moved on to something she does understand.
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:
Class Sizes – Resilience – Lisa Thompson –
Smaller Classes – Graduation Rates – Fraser Institute –
 By Staff
March 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The is a small group that has been advocating for a postage stamp that celebrates the creation of the Avro Arrow; a twin-engine, supersonic interceptor, which could fly at more than twice the speed of sound. It is considered one of the greatest technological achievements in Canadian aviation history. Some of its innovative technologies are still in use today.
The Avro CF-105 Arrow was killed by the Diefenbaker government in 1959 to the dismay of many and put an end to Canada having anything in the way of a great aeronautical engineering industry.
Canada wasn’t seen as a player in the field until we invented the Canada arm.
 Next week, April 3rd at 7pm, several people from Canada Post will be making a presentation to the Burlington Stamp Club. It will be a big moment for them – they have been advocating for a stamp for more than 12 years.
They didn’t give up – and now they have a 5 cent stamps about the Avro.
No such thing as sending a letter for five cents but the stamps are nice.
By Staff
March 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It is that time of year again – when we get to take a peek at just how much was earned by the civil servants in our community. It is that nosiness in our human nature.
 If you’re happy and you know it – clap your hands. The report, published each year was started by Mike Harris when he was Premier. It was called the sunshine list and the name stuck.
It is best to start with the big picture: The total salaries cost to the government was $19,207,224,624 in 2018, a 14.1% increase from the previous year.
That is $19 billion, $207 million, $224 thousand and $624 in payroll expense.
The media release refers to this as “unsustainable”. They certainly got that right.
Today the government released the salaries of Ontario Public Service and broader public sector employees who were paid $100,000 or more in 2018. Proactively releasing information on public sector salaries is part of the government’s commitment to being open and accountable to taxpayers.
 City of Burlington Clerk’s department staff doing their bit to raise funds for the United Way. The release shows the total number of employees disclosed under the Act continued to grow in 2018, increasing by 19,131 employees, or 14.5%. A large portion of the increase is attributable to the Broader Public Sector, which specifically saw an increase of 17,792 employees disclosed, or 15.4% in 2018.
In addition, the data shows that the number of employees earning more than $100,000 at the agencies that make up Ontario Health has grown from 138 in 2003 to 1,469 in 2018, a 964.5% increase.
Between 2003 and 2018, average salaries of all employees in the public sector, including those making less than $100,000, increased by 48.1%. By 2017, the average private sector worker earned $16,049 less than the average Ontario public sector employee. This income disparity has steadily grown since 2003 and the average private sector Ontario worker’s salary in 2017 is now 33.6% lower than the salary for the average Ontario public sector employee.
The 2018 data is available in a downloadable, machine-readable, sortable, searchable table format on Ontario.ca/salarydisclosure, making it transparent and accessible to the people of Ontario. Every disclosure dating back to 1996 is also available in accessible, downloadable, sortable formats.
The Treasury Board Secretariat has paused all pending compensation adjustments for public sector leaders, and all pending broader public sector executive compensation increases, while a full review takes place. Fair and sustainable compensation costs are a key component of the provincial government’s plan to ensure value for money, direct tax dollars towards front line services, and restore sustainability in the province’s finances.
More than half of government expenses go towards wages.
All the gory details can be found HERE.
Correction: In an earlier edition of this story we said the list was introduced by Bob Rae when he was Premier. It was introduced by Mike Harris in 1966.
By Pepper Parr
March 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The early announcement stunned a lot of people.
 26 storeys high – 250 units with a park and retention of the restaurant. A 26 storey tower on the north side of Old Lakeshore Road on a property that would run from Old Lakeshore north to Lakeshore Road at the base of Martha Street was seen as a bold move on the part of the Core Group – a Toronto developer who took their proposal to the public last night and, for the most part, got a decent response.
The height for almost everyone was the issue. Come back with a 15 storey proposal and you might have a deal was the way most people seemed to feel.
Mayor Meed Ward was on hand along with Councillors Nisan and Bentivegna who joined Councillor Kearns who hosted the event.
The existence of a one year development freeze didn’t deter the developers – they were getting their story out and, to some degree, setting the agenda.
Other developers in the room who had property interests in what is referred to as “the football” that stretch of land that is between Old Lakeshore and Lakeshore sat rather glumly as the Core people told their story.
 A 3D model was on display – showing very clearly where the structure would be and its relationship to other buildings in the area. The design is very smart looking, the developer used all the right buzz words – “context” seemed to be the preferred word at this point.
 The Bridgewater, while it has fewer storeys, does loom as large on the horizon The Gazette will report at length on what the plans are all about. The key features were the retention of the Carriage Gate restaurant and the creation of a park that will make the location a place where people will want to hang around and enjoy the setting.
The Core Group brought a team of six people to the presentation. They were professional and answered a lot of the questions – but there were some gaping holes in the context.
More later in the week.
By Pepper Parr
March 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It all started more than two years ago. It was a comment from a trustee who hadn’t managed to be re-elected in 2018 that caught the attention of the Halton District Board of Education (HDSB).
At the time the HDSB had determined that it needed to close some of the high schools in Burlington and the battle between the high schools as to which would actually be closed was fierce.
When the decision to close Central High School was reversed those at Aldershot High School were concerned that their school might have to close.
Richelle Papin, who at the time was the trustee for ward 4, suggested that Aldershot might be a good place for an “incubator” school or a school that would focus on a specific subject area –perhaps a school with a strong focus on sports or the arts.
Papin wasn’t very specific but the mention was enough of a spark to get the HDSB thinking – and think they did.
They researched, asked a lot of people a lot of questions and met with anyone who had something to say about developing new approaches to the way high schools offered curriculum programs.
Turned out that there were a lot of people with something to say.
 At a hands-on meeting of stakeholders everyone got a chance to explain what they were expecting. After a lot of stakeholder meetings and conversations with people who were taking a long, deep, serious look at how high school students were being prepared for university and the work world HDSB decided that STEM – Science Technology, Engineering and Technology was a direction they wanted to go in –then they added an i to coin the phrase iStem which was what would be offered at Aldershot high school.
The standard high school offering would continue – the iStem would be an additional layer that would earn the graduates a certificate which is expected for entry into most universities in the country and position the holders of the certificate with great job opportunities.
iStem students don’t get a pass on the traditional class requirements. To get an iStem certificate they have to complete:
Gr. 9 STEM Math
Gr. 9 STEM Science
Gr. 9 STEM Geography
Gr. 9 STEM Technological Design
Along with
Gr. 9 English
Gr. 9 French
Gr. 9 Arts (Elective)
Gr. 9 Physical Education
 Superintendents Terri Blackwell and Gord Truffen explaining the justification to the Board of trustees who gave the go ahead for the idea. In the early days the Board thinkers were cautious- they thought they might attract 35 – maybe 50 students.
As the staff and the teachers get closer to the September 2019 opening they find themselves looking at 124 students enrolled in the program – far more than anyone was even prepared to even dream of two years ago.
The Superintendent behind the new offering, Terri Blackwell turned over every stone she saw and asked questions.
Getting the word out to the community was the task that teacher Kerry Sager was given. Sagar is one of these people who is best described as a “keener”. Once she has her eyes focused on the objective she is tougher than a dog with a bone.
She used every medium she could find to get the word out – she spent part of a day putting 1000 flyers on the seats of GO trains to get the word out.
And the word did get out.
Sager found that the parents of the students who applied wanted to be in on the process as much as possible – they see this different approach to educating high school students as a path to success for their children.
 Lead teacher for the iStem classes at Aldershot High School Kelly Sagar Deciding who would be a good fit for the program was not a process that went looking for the “best and the brightest”.
“There is nothing elitist about the iStem program” said Sagar. “What we were looking for were students who had ideas; things they wanted to get done and with the capacity to look at problems differently.
One of the problems the students are going to be asked to take on is called: Ship the chip – the exercise is to put a potato chip in a container and ship it to themselves and have it arrive in perfect condition.
In each of the grade levels the focus will be on what is being called a “tool kit” that will serve as a guide.
Year 1 – Engineer’s Toolkit In grade 9, students explore and develop innovation skills related to engineering design and design thinking. Engineers use their creativity and analytical skills to invent, design, and build things that matter. The design thinking process brings the lens of human-centred design to solving real world problems. These design processes will enable students to further develop mindsets that include creativity, critical thinking, strategy, and project management.
 The night that parents with their student children showed up for a briefing on the iStem program stunned board staff. The crowd filled the auditorium, then the cafeteria and then the library. Superintendent Blackwell and Director of Education Stuart Miller were surprised and delighted – they had taken a chance – and it paid off. The program at Aldershot will start with the 124 grade nine students who will progress right through to high school leaving. The difference is that they will have taken an approach to learning that is different than the standard curriculum. In 2020 there will be a new grade nine until the school has a full complement of high school classes.
These students are not top level marks types. There is at least one with a learning disability.
The selection was based on the answers the students gave to the questions they were asked on why they wanted to be an iStem student.
“The answers we got from those that were selected were awesome” said Sagar.
The space in the high school is being renovated to meet the different needs of an iStem teaching environment that begins in September.
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I went to one session and felt it was the same old public meeting. Handed a number of dots to put on various maps. Little interaction. No vision or sense of urgency. No mention of a Master Transit Plan – due Sept. What was the point again?