 By Staff
September 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Sarah Sabihuddin, Director, Community Engagement, Halton Poverty Roundtable has written an Open Letter to Lisa MacLeod, a Minister in the Ontario government about the provinces decision to Basic Income Pilot Program in Ontario.
Dear Minister MacLeod:
We are writing in response to your government’s decision to end the Basic Income Pilot Program in Ontario. We strongly disagree with your decision to end this Pilot prematurely and without regard for the demonstrably positive impact that this program was having upon the lives of people living in poverty in our Province. As such, we respectfully urge you to reconsider a policy decision that will only serve to deepen the experience of poverty for millions of Ontario’schildren, families and seniors.
 Minister Lisa MacLeod The Halton Poverty Roundtable is a registered charity who is a leader in connecting, educating, and acting on issues related to poverty in Halton. In our community, 1 in 10 of our neighbours do not know where their next meal will come from and 1 in 3 seniors are living below the poverty line. Our communities of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills have over thirty seventhousand individuals who struggle daily to survive on low incomes, or who live in poverty.
Minister MacLeod, the conclusion of the first phase of the Basic Income Pilot in April of this year, brought with it an abundance of first-hand accounts of the difference that Basic Income had made to people’s lives. The decision to abandon the Pilot will cause needless difficulties for the participants struggling to escape poverty. Given the initial success of the program, we cannot understand the immediate need for cancelation. Surely, it would have been prudent to conclude the Pilot and use the resulting data in the development of social policy.
We are hopeful that your government’s announcement to reform Social Assistance in the next 100 days includes an inclusive and transparent process, collaboration across all sectors, and a fulsome consultation process including those living with the challenges of poverty. As you may know, having a 100 day timeline to reform the entire social assistance program will be met with challenges including: the potential for increases of punitive and ineffective approaches and models being implemented, the reduction of supports under the guise of decreasing resource costs and a lack of understanding of the lived experience of being on Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
As you embark on this reform, we would like to draw your attention to the living wage in Halton Region. In order for a family in Halton to cover their basic living expenses, a family of four would have to have both adults working 37.5 hours per week making $17.95 per hour. Clearly, minimum wage, Ontario Works and ODSP do not come close to affording recipients a basic standard of living in Halton. Your government’s proposed 1.5% increase in social assistance will do little to assist the most vulnerable people in our communities.
The Halton Poverty Roundtable respectfully requests that the Government of Ontario continue the Basic Income Pilot through to its conclusion before making a final decision as to the efficacy, both socially and financially, of the basic income concept.
In light of the current economic climate in Ontario, the low Canadian dollar, the ongoing trade tariff situation with the United States, combined with the cost of living, this is driving uncertainty for the most vulnerable. Bottom line, you know that it is harder for families to survive and the cancelation of the basic income pilot and the cut to our current social assistance program puts far too many at even greater risk.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced details of its first Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy (CPRS) – a national poverty plan that many in the non-for-profit and social services sector alongside people with lived experience have called for.
The Halton Poverty Roundtable, a regional organization, welcomes the launch of the CPRS and calls for the strategy to serve as a platform for further development of significantly stronger poverty elimination measures, policies, and programs at the federal level. In Halton, more than 13,500 children live in low income households, representing one in ten children. Many in our community have to decide between paying their rent, buying fresh food for their children, and paying for necessary medication.
The release of this strategy is a good start, although it does not allocate new funding nor did it announce any new initiatives. However, the CPRS provides a solid starting point as it introduces Canada’s official measure of poverty; concrete poverty reduction targets; and a National Advisory Council on Poverty.
If the CPRS strategy is going to work for those in our community, it must have full provincial support.
More importantly, we will only see measureable and long lasting results if municipalities and regional levels of government are engaged in the national conversation. All levels of government need to come together to create supports dedicated to addressing the underlying issues of poverty such as: mental and physical health, affordable housing, food security and a robust income security program, such as a basic income.
We are certainly excited that the vision of this strategy includes working towards a substantial reduction in poverty in Canada and recognizes the role that systemic discrimination plays as a barrier to people living in poverty. We are looking forward to participating and continuing the push for full elimination of poverty in our communities.
About Halton Poverty Roundtable:
The Halton Poverty Roundtable (HPRT) is a local non-profit and registered charity; a leader in connecting, educating and acting on issues related to poverty in Halton. For the past 7 years, we have been dedicated to shifting the conversation in Halton towards acknowledgment that poverty exists in our community, increasing education and awareness of poverty and then creating opportunity for community action.
 By Pepper Parr
September 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Paul Sharman has once again confused the forest for the trees.
He has said that he is not going to attend the debate for the ward 5 candidates until he knows who the Directors of ECoB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington.
Sharman wants to know:
Who are the directors of the incorporated ECOB entity? I understand the original participants have resigned.
There has been no information about the ECOB “organization” on the website.
In the short history of ECOB there has been a continuous demonstration of divisiveness, disrespect of Council / City management, inflammatory misinformation and partisan posturing.
If the CFUW or any other respectable, objective, well established organization with a properly elected Board of Directors were to sponsor the September event, I would participate.
Otherwise, I will not participate in any event sponsored by ECOB.
I will post this message on all my public communications with respect to this event.
Does an organization that is organizing a debate have to respect the elected members of council when most of the members of this council have very little respect for the citizens who stand before than as a delegation.
 ECoB’s first public meeting attracted more than 100 people. Would that be enough to make them credible? If Sharman would do his homework he would know that ECoB held an event for anyone interested in becoming a candidate for a seat on city council or serving as a school board trustee.
More than 100 people turned out for the first event ECoB held – they raised a significant amount of money at that event. Some of those funds are being used to organize the debates. Church hall rentals being one of the costs.
 A room full of people who wanted to know more about running for public office. The event was organized by ECoB who had former council members and school board trustees on the panel. Would this make ECoB credible? Sharman is using the credentials of the people organizing the event – the people doing the hard work to make the debates happen and to deal with the antics of the sitting members of council who are doing nothing but making the job of volunteers that much harder.
What Sharman is doing is creating a phony reason to not attend a debate where he will have to face candidates that have done their homework.
 Ward 5 candidate Wendy Morghan squaring of with Councillor Paul Sharman  Mary Alice St. James talking to people outside a public meeting in the Lakeside Village Plaza where an massive change to the community was being presented.
 By Staff
September 6th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The staff at the Nelson Youth Centre tell the story about Ben, a young boy who was rapidly losing his way.
He was 13 years old with a long history of failures when he came to the Centre. He was very angry and defensive and was not about to trust anyone. Ben had no friends and too many people had let him down in his young life. In addition, his teachers and school were not feeling hopeful that he would be able to continue in the main stream. His mom loved her son but was at loss on how to help him. We knew that Ben desperately wanted to fit in and have a friend of his own but lacked the skills and confidence to make this happen.
Over time while attending the program and with the support of the Centre’s staff Ben was able to figure out who he was and what he wanted. Ben found his voice. During the 6 months he was in the program, Ben began to connect with his peers and express himself in a healthy and socially acceptable way. He was also able to connect with his teacher in a way that allowed him to benefit from the learning environment. He was finding hope and a place for himself in this world.
Ben was given the task of mentoring new children coming into the program; he now had a purpose and a way to share with others what he had learned about himself and what he needed to be successful. He successfully graduated from the Centre’s program and was unrecognizable as the boy who first came to our door. Ben was now seen as a leader in school, had multiplied his friends, and was moving in a positive direction.
A year later, in high school, Ben returned to the Centre as a volunteer. Nelson Youth Centres had made such a difference in his life, connecting him to school, family and friends he wanted to pay it forward. Ben was able to help others a see a future as bright as own!
 By Staff
September 6th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It was forty years ago when Ron Gardner founded the Nelson Youth Centre.
It has been serving the children and youth ages 6 to 18 in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.
Nelson Youth Centres is an accredited children’s mental health centre.
The occasion is being celebrated with a party on September 15, 2018, 10:30 to 3:00 at our home base on New Street.
Current and Past Board Members will be taking part; they include Burlington philanthropist Susan Busby (retired school principal), Chris Lawson (Halton Regional Police Services), Martin Venema (Sr Director RBC), Ron Gardner (Founder, Funding Innovations). Activities for the day include tours of the newly renovated building.
 The Nelson Youth Centre on New Street in Burlington, Nelson Youth Centers started out in a community room in Port Nelson United Church in 1978. The Church provided a space to turn our vision into reality for youth and children in our community. In 1982 with the support of the City of Burlington Nelson Youth Centres moved into our current home on New Street, where they are able to offer group therapy. The Centre has developed an After School Treatment Program.
 Over the next 40 years and with the generous and ongoing support of our community, the Centre expects to expand their services. The Centre now has thirteen full time staff members.
Every year, the Centre changes the lives of over 300 children.
Nelson Youth Centers started out in a community room in Port Nelson United Church in 1978. The Church provided a space to turn the vision into reality for youth and children in our community. In 1982 with the support of the City of Burlington Nelson Youth Centers moved into their current home on New Street.
 By Staff
September 5th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The city is upgrading the mapping and open data technology application.
You will not be able to upgrade, interactive maps and open data will not be available on Thursday, Sept. 6 and Friday, Sept. 7.
These services will be available again on Saturday, September 8.
 By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
After giving ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison six days’ notice to confirm that he will take part in a debate with his opponent and failing to confirm his attendance, ECoB reluctantly made the changes it had to make to its schedule and published the dates of each ward level debate and the location.
The very reasonable deadline Dennison was given ended at noon.
The Gazette published the dates and location Tuesday afternoon.
 The problem arose when ECoB realized that there was a city council meeting on the 24th, which was a serious conflict for Dennison. ECoB offered to change the date, which meant making changes in several of the other ward debates and asked Dennison to advise that he could and would attend on the second date they chose.
Dennison was given six days to decide. ECoB needed conformation by noon of the 4th. They didn’t hear from Dennison so they proceed to publish the dates so that all the other candidates could organize their time and prepare for the debate,
At just before 11:00 pm this evening, Tuesday, ten hours after the deadline, Dennison informed ECoB by email, that he would attend on the revised date and wanted the debate date changed – and he wanted all the questions he would be asked provided to him beforehand.
ECoB has been put in the awkward position of looking like a bunch of amateurs who can’t organize an event.
 The people that make ECoB work are, from the left Dania Thurman, Lisa Kearns and Penny Hersh. Kearns resigned from the organization and registered as a candidate for the ward 2 city council seat. They have decided, as they should, that they will not change the dates. Dennison is free to attend on the 24th at 7:00 pm. ECoB has said they welcome his participation.
As for getting the questions in advance – not a chance Mr. Dennison. For two reasons – that is not what a debate is all about and ECoB doesn’t have all the questions yet.
The questions that will be asked will, for the most part, come from the audience who are at the meeting.
Why did Jack Dennison change his mind – hard to tell but the behaviour is consistent with the way Jack Dennison sees his world.
By Pepper Parr
September 5th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman listening to east end residents. Councillor Sharman wasn’t certain that ECoB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington – had the legitimacy or credibility to organize a series of debates for residents in each of the city’s six wards.
 Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison Councillor Dennison chose not to take part in the debate opportunity.
Councillor Lancaster took issue with Mark Carr moderating the ward level debates – ECoB arranged for a different moderator.
What is it about these three statement that are similar?
All three are members of a city council that has been in place for eight years and they aren’t interested in debating the issues.
Sharman and Dennison face very serious challenges – Lancaster has a battle on her hands. All three could be collecting pension before the end of the year.
The people of Burlington are now at a point where they want to be at the table where the decisions are made. They have trusted their members of city council to act in the best interests of the electorate. Many think that trust is now misplaced.
We have a democratic process where the elected go before the electorate and defend what they have done in the past and explain what they propose to do in the future.
Instead, Lancaster takes issue with Mark Carr being the moderator – and what might the basis of that concern be? Carr has been moderating the panel discussion The Issue on Cogeco TV for years. No one has ever suggested that he has shown any bias.
 Ward 6 Councilor Blair Lancaster chairing a Standing Committee Just what could Mark Carr do in a public debate that would harm Lancaster’s interests? This is a candidate who has come up with a case of the jitters.
Lancaster did much the same thing when the Gazette sponsored a debate in ward six when she was up against nine other candidates in ward six. On that occasion Lancaster didn’t have the “cahonies” to complain directly – she had her sister Brenda do the complaining. Slimy stuff.
Sharman has no use for any citizen group that he doesn’t control. And he doesn’t like situations where he can’t control the agenda. Ward 5 has two female candidates who are going to be in his face demanding answers to their questions and explanations behind some of his questionable behaviour during this election and that is taking far from his comfort zone.
Poor Jack Dennison – he hopes that if he can do his door to door campaigning and continue to charm the residents he can squeak through. It doesn’t look as if he is going to get away with that approach this time.
The beauty about the democracy we have is that the voters put an x mark on a piece of paper and put their marked ballot in a box – it’s a secret ballot. By the end of the election eve – the voters will know if their will was focused enough to bring about a change.
Councillors Taylor and Craven chose not to run for re-election. Craven has never been beaten – and he would probably win another term of office had he chosen not to retire. No word yet on what he wants to do next.
Councillor Taylor came to the realization that it was time to put the gauntlets on different hands. A wise decision on his part. He has served well for the most part and should be recognized for his contribution. Did he stay too long? The voters didn’t think so. He never lost an election and was acclaimed on at least one occasion.
Residents have been complaining for more than a year about the absence of the kind of engagement they want to see in the direction the city grows.
 Gary Scobie has delegated to the city in dozens of occasions – doubts he has ever been heard. Council has failed to hear what the citizens are saying and staff, who serve at the will of Council, take their que from city council.
The public is very unhappy with staff, particularly with the Planning department and the Office of the City Manager.
Should there be a new city council – there will be changes at the senior staff level.
 In the meantime there are going to be debates in every ward of the city so that citizens can hear what those who want to serve have to say for themselves. Those who have served will be asked why they should be re-elected.
Three of those seeking re-election: Sharman, Dennison and Lancaster are being dragged into the debates kicking and screaming.
Same thing happened in the French Revolution when the guillotine was put into almost daily use.
Salt with Pepper are the opinions, reflections, observations and musings of the Gazette publisher
By Staff
September 5, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A Gazette reader advised us that parents were getting notices about the amount of lead in the water in Halton Board of Education schools.
We asked Director of Education Stuart Miller the following questions:
What’s with the lead in the water at MMR?
How bad is it?
When did the Board learn about it?
What is the Board doing about it?
The Board of Education has it all under control.
David Boag, Associate Director of Education told that Gazette that lead testing occurs throughout the school year in all our schools.
 David Boag, Associate Director of Education at the Halton District School Board In each school testing occurs at several locations (different fixtures) within the school. This testing occurred this summer and in some schools, lead concentrations were above allowable limits. Where this occurs, we inform families. This often occurs in the summer when water is allowed to sit in pipes and our regular flushing routine is not in effect at many sites.
Wherever there is a lead exceedacne, flushing occurs and the water is tested again. If the fixture where the test was done does not pass after flushing, the fixture is taken out of service and further maintenance or replacement occurrs.
All other locations must achieve a passing test for the fixture to be put back in service. Prior to school coming back for September we resume our daily water flushing to ensure water quality for staff and students in our schools.
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks requires all sites to be tested annually between May and October. The Halton District School Board hires an independent, certified third-party to gather water samples and send to a certified laboratory to perform the analysis. Under the regulation, if an exceedance is detected, the lab is required to inform the Ministry of Environment Spills Action Centre, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Halton Region Public Health Department, the Ministry of Education and the school board.
If a fixture’s standing sample laboratory test results indicate an unacceptable concentration of lead and the flushed sample shows acceptable lead concentration levels, staff at the school perform a five-minute daily flush of every water line, and a ten-second flush at every fixture before school starts. This ensures the standing water condition does not occur. If a fixture’s flushed sample laboratory test results indicate an unacceptable concentration of lead, water supply to the fixture is shut off.
 Pure clear water – tested regularly The water supply is not turned back on until two consecutive tests are conducted and the results show the lead concentration within the water is safe to drink. Adjacent water fixtures are also tested to ensure the issue is not present within the supplying water line. If subsequent test results show unacceptable concentration levels, the fixture is either removed entirely or replaced and retested. In the event that there has been an exceedance, flushing will occur daily for a period of two years as a precaution. This applies to both standing and flush test results.
The drinking water at schools within the Halton District School Board follows stringent water testing in accordance with Ontario Regulation 243/07 and under the direction of the Ministry the Environment, Conservation and Parks. All sampling, testing and any remediation is completed before school commences to ensure the health and safety of students.
They’ve got this one under control.
By Staff
September 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Shawna Stolte, a candidate for the ward 4 city council seat said today that she was “So disappointed in Jacks decision to not participate in the Ward 4 Municipal Debate.”
Jack Dennison the day he announced thee sale of his health club. Dennison did not advise ECoB that he would participate within the very reasonable deadline they had given him (five days)
Stolte added in her prepared statement that: “Is it from a fear of being faced with questions he can’t answer? Or a fear of a strong challenger who may demonstrate the skills and experience to be a better option for voters in Ward 4?
 Ward 4 candidate Shawna Stolte at the Farmer’s Market. “If Jack believes he has done a good job for the voters over the last 24 years then he should have no trouble attending a public forum and defending himself. I believe he is well aware of the mounting frustration that Ward 4 residents feel about all of the time and money he has cost the city pursuing his own best interests while ignoring his constituents concerns…and he is now taking the easy route to avoid having to explain himself publicly.
“One would like to think that a career politician such as Jack would have more respect for his constituents and the democratic process, and understand that it is his obligation to allow voters to express their questions and receive the information they need to make an informed decision on Election Day.
 Jack Dennison wants to get re-elected – he just doesn’t want to debate and tell voters what he has done to deserve their vote. “Jack knows full well that the fewer people who are introduced to his strong challenger, the better it is for him…so once again he is choosing what is in his own best interest above what is best for the constituents of Ward 4.
“The question is…will the voters of Ward 4 allow him to get away with this for the seventh time?
By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting public attention in Burlington for the election of the people who will serve on city council and the Board of Education is not an easy task.
There have been elections in this city where the turnout has been as low as 13%.
It doesn’t look as if that is going to be the case for the October 22 civic election. With a record 63 candidates filing nomination papers, a small but very effective group of citizens have organized debates in each ward of the city.
Getting this done has not been easy.
ECoB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington – set out to organize debates in each ward for the candidates running in that ward and then a debate for the four people running for the Office of Mayor.
There are not that many venues that these events can be held in – churches, schools, library, service clubs – wherever there is a large room that will hold those interested in hearing the debates.
ECoB has not been able to convince the city that they should be allowed to use public property. The Clerk’s office, which oversees the election process, has told ECoB that city property could not be used because candidates might choose to solicit votes while the debates are taking place,
Heaven forbid that such a thing should happen in Burlington.
 Mark Carr will moderate most of the ward level debates. The ward level debates are being moderated by Mark Carr – with the exception of the Ward 6 debate where Councillor Lancaster took issue with Carr, saying she didn’t feel he was as unbiased as she would like him to be.
The biggest headache for the people organizing the event was the refusal on the part of Councillor Dennison to take part. The original date chosen happened to be the date city council was meeting.
Dennison never had any problem missing a council meeting when the Committee of Adjustment was hearing his application to sever his Lakeshore Road property. He sat in the room next door to the Council Chamber defending his right to sever his property but forgetting that as an elected member of council he was sworn to defend the city’s bylaws.
The ECoB people understood and arranged for the ward 4 debate to take place on another date. Dennison would not commit to attending – so the debate for ward 4 citizens will be just Shawna Stolte, the only other candidate on the ballot, on the stage by herself.
 Ward 4 candidate for city council Shawna Stolte Stolte had some choice words for Dennison and his decision. “Is it from a fear of being faced with questions he can’t answer? Or a fear of a strong challenger who may demonstrate the skills and experience to be a better option for voters in Ward 4?”
The dates and locations for the seven debates are:
Ward 5
Wednesday, September 19th
ROBERT BATEMAN HIGH SCHOOL
5151 New Street, Burlington
Ward 6
Thursday, September 20th
THEATRE AT HAYDEN HIGH SCHOOL
3040 Tim Dobbie Drive, Burlington
Ward 4
Monday, September 24th
NELSON HIGH SCHOOL
4181 New Street, Burlington –
Ward 3
Wednesday, September 26th
MM ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL
2425 Upper Middle, Burlington
Ward 2
Monday, October 1st
BURLINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH
2225 New Street, Burlington –
Ward 1
Thursday, October 4th
EAST PLAINS UNITED CHURCH
375 Plains Road E. Burlington –
MAYOR
Tuesday, October 9th
BURLINGTON CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
1433 Baldwin Street, Burlington
Make a note of the date for the debate in your ward.
All the debates start at 7:00 pm
By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
They will stream into the school by the hundreds.
The changes to the outer appearance of M. M. Robinson will be noted and the students transferring in from Lester b. Pearson high school will settle into their new surroundings.
 M. M. Robinson high school being “spruced up”. The building was looking a little worn – it was time to spruce the place up a bit. Some of the work was done during the summer- the balance will get done before the end of the year.
Getting to this point has been a huge task that pulled on most of the resources that exist at the senior levels of the Halton District School Board.
 Superintendent Terri Blackwell talking to Pearson high school during the formal school closing. Several of the Superintendents were on call; Terri Blackwell was leading the drive to ensure that Pearson fit into MMR perfectly; that every possible and reasonable need was met.
Many of the teachers from Pearson came over with the students.
The closing of Pearson was contentious and might well result in at least two of the trustees losing their seats in the October municipal election.
School closing are not the concern of Claire Proteau, the principal at M.M. Robinson high school. Her job is to make the school work and ensure that each student gets the education they need and deserve.
She brings both an eclectic and colourful background to the task. She is not your cookie cutter idea of a principal. Very very hands on with an understanding that students today are different and that the world they are going into is equally different.
 Claire Proteau stands outside her high school while students take part in a program run by the Halton police. Claire graduated from high school and went to a community college because, as she put it, her marks were not good enough to get into university. She studied behavioural sciences at community college and went to teachers college as a mature student.
Claire treats her students as young adults and works with them at whatever level they are at. She has bounced around the Halton District School Board and worked in some challenging situations. She was at the Syl Apps Youth Centre, a 48-bed, Secure Residential Forensic Mental Health Facility for Ontario male and female youth. The Halton District School Board provides the educational component.
That job pulled on Claire’s experience in the federal correctional service – penitentiaries – where she found the inmates to be people she could work with. “It was the custodial staff – guards – that I couldn’t take. It wasn’t where I wanted my career to begin and end.”
Life in Kingston came to an end – Claire and the family moved to Burlington where she joined the Halton District School board.
She was on staff at Bateman when the Elgin/Brock students were integrated into the new school.
She worked at Central high school where she was a vice principal.
The opportunity to move to MM Robinson was too good for Claire to miss – she asked for the job and got it.
That’s when the challenges began – integrating several hundred students from Pearson which was a very small school. They are coming into a school that you can actually get lost in. It is the largest high school in the HDSB system.
It is a composite school – offers everything.
It has a student body that is defined by the part of the city they live in; north of the QEW east of Tyendaga. Middle class families in a quiet neighbourhood.
MMR has two vice principals, 50 teachers and 26 educational assistants.
There is a Community Pathway Program at MMR that is visible, the CPP students are fully integrated.
Students who have mobility challenges are helped by other students. While it is a big school with a large student population everyone seems to know everyone else.
 Claire Proteau in her office – where she is open and engaging with her students. There is a very healthy relationship between the student body and the Pathway program. It’s one big family.
The administration offices are on the second level of the school with an awkward set of stairs that gets you to that space. There is a small gallery, almost a balcony that let’s Claire look out over the gathering area inside the front doors where the students meet and lounge around.
The gallery area let’s Claire see what is going on – she has a very keen eye. Is there a principal that doesn’t have eyes in the back of their head?
A high school is a big operational challenge. Young people finding themselves, figuring out who they are and what they think they want to be is a big task in itself.
Every year new students arrive and go through that process of fitting in.
This year the Pearson students are added to the mix.
Given the discord that surrounded the decision to close Pearson and moving students from a small school to a really big school adds to the challenge.
How do you make that work?
The prep that was done to get to this point was huge. Pearson students visited the high school many times; parents met with MMR staff – every question asked had to get a satisfactory answer; the students and the parents had to know that Pearson students were going to a new home that would include their character and values.
Two of the Boards Superintendents were assigned to ensuring that everything went smoothly.
 MM Robinson high school is the only one in the city with formal art work at the entrance to the school. Claire decided that the Student Theatre should be renamed and called the Pearson Theatre. Some students objected – Claire asked them what the name of the Theatre was now – they weren’t able to tell her. The theatre is on the left hand side of the main lobby just inside the entrance doors to the school. Pearson students will know the moment they walk into the building that part of their heritage has been transferred to MMR.
The new home for the Pearson crowd is a lot different than the small school they left; it is bigger, offers far more in the way of program and has its own culture.
The MMR space is organized as hallways; there is the French hallway – the space where the French classes take place, a hallway for English, Math, science, phys ed, the arts.
Students move from hallway to hallway – they meet with their friends who are taking math in that part of the school and meet with their friends in the phys ed hallway.
It’s a little different – but it works.
Two students were assigned the task of taking a Gazette reporter on a tour. We asked that students handle the tour – it was their school and we wanted their take on the place.
 Students catching up on what’s going on in the school lobby. We went from classroom to classroom: the phys ed set up is great; the photography class still uses film, they recycle the silver that is part of the celluloid. The money earned from the sale of the silver is rolled back into a fund that is used to purchase new equipment.
The automotive shop had just as many females as males in it.
Claire has worked to ensure that the school was not a collection of silos – with one group having no idea what another group was doing.
Her approach was to run a school that was as open as she could make it; as much a school that was totally focused on students – a place teachers come to each day to serve and meet the needs of the students.
Not always easy – something every parent can attest to.
The Angela Coughlan Pool is attached to the school and used by the school but is more a city facility that the school makes extensive use of.
Noted was that the high school does not seem to have a stellar swimming team. Nor does it have a student council.
 Students taking part in a police class where they learn what the influence of substances does to their ability to drive a vehicle. Principal Proteau take part Discipline is always a problem in a high school setting – one could well expect Claire to be a very strong disciplinarian – she isn’t. She is a strong believer in second chances – and third chances if that is appropriate. She is there to listen to the students and understand where they are coming from and what they are dealing with.
Rules are necessary but Claire doesn’t treat them as the end all and be all.
She has a sense of humour and is there to be approached and engaged by her students – and her staff.
Some members of the staff chaff a little at Claire’s approach – but they too adapt or they look for a situation that better meets their approach to teaching high school students.
 Claire Proteau in the courtyard waving to students. A lot is riding on how well the Board of Education staff have prepared for the integration of the former Pearson high school students. Will it work? It will work, if only because of the commitment Claire and her staff have made to merging the two student bodies. MMR isn’t Pearson but part of the heart and soul of Pearson will be in the building and the students that graduate will be the
Closing a school is never easy for the Board administration, always difficult for parents and hard for some students to understand.
Claire Proteau is doing what has to be done to make it work. You can bet on this one.
By Staff
September 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
George Ward reports that when he sent his complaint on election survey work that was being done to Market Research Intelligence Agency,(MRIA) the email was refused.
He got a “refused acceptance” from both knoel@mria-arim.ca and info@mria-arim.ca
Telephone calls went to voice mail.
Ward reports that “It appears to me that any submission or complaint I try to make is blocked.”
Now why would that be?
Ward is indefatigable if he is anything – a Registered letter is on the way.
A Gazette reader said: You make a lot of assumptions in this article and I prefer the facts. the media’s job it appears is to make a mountain out of a mole hill and cause this to be blown up more than necessary. The authorities will figure out the culprit. And now back to the election of which we have 4 candidates running for mayor.
Another Gazette reader responded: How do you know the “authorities will figure out the culprit”? Has the OPP or any other law enforcement group announced this? Without the exposure by the press, this sordid incident would simply slither away.
There is more to this than some people want the public to know.
Related articles
Follow the dots
George Ward files a complaint with Market Research Intelligence Agency.
By Staff
September 3, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Do not mess with George Ward.
Mr. Ward, a resident of that part of Burlington that lies north o the QEW where life is quiet and sedentary.
Mr. Ward then read about the telephone election survey being done by Campaign Research who said they were doing the survey for a “marketing” organization and couldn’t say who because of a confidentiality agreement.
The survey focused on Burlington residents.
Ward had filed a complaint about the survey to the Market Research Intelligence Agency,
Dear MRIA,
Here is the content of the complaint:
I applaud you as a leading professional organisation representing the Canadian market research industry and the MRIA requirement for your member organizations to hold themselves to the highest level of quality and ethical standards.
 Burlington resident George Ward However your member “Campaign Research” is not holding themselves to your rigorous Professional Standards which creates this complaint.
A lady by the name of “Devon”, who stated she represented “Campaign Research”, contacted my home phone last week to conduct a survey regarding the upcoming Burlington elections. I agreed to participate in the telephone survey. “Devon” then proceeded to ask me questions related to the candidates for the upcoming Burlington election for mayor with my responses to be listed as a 1 to 10 order with 10 being my highest recommendation.
Upon my identification of Ms. Marianne Meed-Ward as a 10 and the other candidates being lower the questions changed drastically to topics including racism related to clothing worn (i.e. hijab, etc.), domestic abuse and other non-appropriate questions which to me were an attempt to cast dispersion along with repugnant, disreputable and scandalous implications onto candidate Meed Ward.
MRIA member “Campaign Research” has seriously violated the MRIA Code of Conduct for Market and Social Research and I will attempt to identify the violated clauses below:
A. The goals of the Common Standard of Disclosure and the Member Declaration are:
I. To support sound and ethical practice in the conduct of survey and public opinion research.
B. We, members of the MRIA, pledge ourselves to … integrity … .
C. We further pledge ourselves to reject all tasks or assignments that would require activities inconsistent with the principles of the MRIA Code and this declaration.
D. Principles of Professional Responsibility in Our Dealings with People
I. We will avoid practices or methods that may … mislead participants … .
II. We will not misrepresent our research or conduct other activities ( … or political campaigning) under the guise of conducting research.
In summary the MRIA has an excellent “Code of Conduct” but it is apparent your membership namely “Campaign Research” has failed to abide by the code and in particular the statements above.
I trust you will take the necessary corrective action to remedy the above non-compliance by “Campaign Research”. Thank you in advance for your attention and you are welcome to contact me for further details.
 The organization George Ward filed the complaint with appears to project the image of a very professional group of people. We will let you know how the MRIA responds to the complaint.
Related news story:
Follow the dots.
By Staff
September 3rd, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Government of Ontario is going to the people for their views on government programs – they want to make the programs in place more efficient and effective.
 Called a Consultation the document is on-line and requires about 15 minutes to complete.
The government has said they will report back on what they heard during the consultation in fall 2018.
Closing date: September 21, 2018
The Ontario government provides a wide variety of programs and services for Ontario residents, businesses and organizations directly or through service partners or third-party service providers.
They want to know, based on your experience, how effective are the government programs and services.
CLICK HERE to get to the survey.
 By Ray Rivers
September 1st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The one thing that all of our federal parties agree on is their support for Canada’s supply management system. Pierre Trudeau may have invented the program for dairy, poultry and turkeys back four decades ago, but Brian Mulroney expanded it in his time. And Parliament unanimously endorsed supply management in 2005. The alternative to supply management is what we saw back in the sixties and what see south of the border now.
 When markets were saturated milk got poured into fields. Supply management controls what is produced and farm incomes are kept stable. Periodically farmers in Wisconsin and other big dairy states will dump millions of gallons of milk out behind the barn and into their plowed fields. They have no other option since the markets are saturated and they couldn’t even give the product away. But it’s no big deal because they know there is a federal cheque on the way to tide them over – until the next time.
It’s about market signals. That invisible hand of Adam Smith which worked so perfectly in economic text books goes numb when put into practice in our imperfect world. However Canada’s quota supply management system gives farmers market certainty, so they can plan their expenditures accordingly. The result has been stability and wealth creation.
But not everyone agrees with supply management. Donald Trump for one, as he has threatened to end NAFTA unless Canada shuts it down. He’d prefer all that Wisconsin milk to be dumped in Canada instead of in the furrow behind the plow so he could get away with paying his farmers a smaller subsidy. But not all Americans agree with Trump.
The Wisconsin Farmers Union, the National Family Farm Coalition and Institute for Agricultural & Trade Policy, support Canada’s right to manage its internal food production system. In fact they have been lobbying for the US to adopt its own comparable supply management system. And they’ll probably have as much success as those Americans advocating the adoption of Canadian-style single-payer health care.
Opponents of supply management argue that the system is inherently less efficient than the unregulated market alternative. Were that true the price of milk should reflect such inefficiency. But that is not the case. The 2018 AC Nielson Fresh Milk Price Report studied what consumers have to pay in a number of countries, in Canadian dollars, over the twelve month period ending in October 2017.
 Canada had the least expensive milk Canada, at $1.50 a litre, had the least expensive milk among the nations surveyed. Australia was next at $1.57, followed by the US at $1.61 for Canadian comparable rBST-free (hormone free) milk. Prices in France came in at $1.77 per litre and export oriented New Zealand surprisingly sold its domestic milk for $1.83 a litre, raising the question of how it manages to sell as much as it does in export markets at that price. Tiny New Zealand owns between 12 to 16% of the global export market, compared to Canada which has virtually none.
New Zealand and Australia have the huge advantage that dairy farmers there don’t require costly winter housing or much stored feed for their animals. New Zealand dairy farm costs may be as little as half those in Canada as a result. But that many dairy cows in the historic land of the flightless kiwi bird has taken it’s toll. It is estimated that 60% of the internal waterways there are contaminated with animal wastes to the point that it is unsafe to swim. And agriculture has become the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for that country.
Methane is over twenty times more powerful a GHG pollutant than carbon dioxide and cows emit a lot of methane as they digest their food. Then there is all the inevitable manure and the extensive application of nitrogen fertilizers used to enhance pastures. As a result, New Zealand has grown it’s GHG emissions by almost 20% just since 1990.
Canadians spend a relatively small percentage of their household budget on food, roughly 10%, down considerably from only a couple decades ago. So perhaps that is why so few Canadians can be bothered learning how their market quota system works. An Angus Reid poll indicated that most Canadians admitted they knew “nothing at all” about Canada’s dairy system.
 The system also takes wide price swings out of an important part of a food source. It is a complicated process with federal and provincial milk boards and quotas for industrial and fluid milk, etc. And that makes it politically vulnerable, as we have seen with other complicated programs – like Ontario’s now cancelled cap and trade system. The general public likes things made simple, and which can be explained in a sound bite. So almost a quarter of ordinary Canadians would be OK were the system scrapped, and almost half would be willing to sacrifice it in NAFTA negotiations.
However there is also a chorus of well educated, vocal and persistent detractors who seriously want Canada to ditch its supply management system. And these advocates span the political divide. Liberal parliamentarian Martha Hall Findlay made scrapping it her major policy plank, which partly explains her loss to Justin Trudeau in the last Liberal leadership contest. And Maxime Bernier, the odds on favourite to win the recent Conservative leadership race narrowly fell on this issue to Andrew Scheer, and was defeated by dairy sector delegates from his home province.
 Maxine Bernier, who wants to abandon supply management, comes out of a province where there are more milk producers than any other province. Bernier, who has been described as a true libertarian, has now left the Tories and is threatening to create a new neo-conservative party of his own. Conservatives can recall how the last right wing splinter party, Reform, helped give the Chretien Liberals three consecutive majority governments, and led to the virtual destruction of the party of Sir John A.
So one can hardly blame them for being a little nervous about Bernier’s intentions and his appeal to the right wing of Canadian politics, joining the Libertarian party and the so-called Christian Heritage. And that should make Mr. Scheer want to reconsider his party’s discomfort with either a preferential ballot or proportional representation electoral system, particularly if Bernier resonates as well as he has in the past.
Friday, August 31 was the deadline Trump gave for Canada to cave into all of the US demands or there’d be no deal and the US would tariff us into oblivion. And if we licked his boots Canada could become a signatory to the deal Trump struck with Mexico. The US was not going to compromise on any of their conditions. Art of the deal or not, if one side won’t compromise it’s called capitulation, not negotiation. NAFTA is kaput unless this Congress, which has the annoying habit of asking ‘how high before Trump can say jump’, is willing to stop him.
The dairy producing sector is declining globally and milk producers everywhere are worried about their fate – except in Canada. Milk is healthy for children but indigestible for many of us once we reach adulthood. Even Trump doesn’t drink the stuff. But milk is entrenched in Canada’s Food Guide and milk protein has been integrated into so much of our food processing and specialty products that it will continue to be with us into the foreseeable future.
Recent polling shows that almost all Canadians are overwhelmingly content with the range and quality of dairy products available in Canada and two-thirds of Canadians are satisfied with the prices they pay.” If it’s not broken we should not be fixing it, no matter what Mr. Trump thinks he wants and how inappropriately he tries to bully us.
 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. He earned a degree in economics. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Supply Management – Bernier – Conservative Policies –
New Zealand and Dairy – New Zealand Emissions –
 By Pepper Parr
August 31stt, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The rule is – you follow the money and you connect the dots.
And follow the facts:
In a statement sent to Meed Ward on behalf of Campaign Research lawyer Evan Presvelos said, “We vehemently contest your characterization of the subject statements as ‘defamatory.'”
“He also said the poll was conducted for “another market research firm, whose identity we cannot disclose due to confidentiality.”
 A rendering of the development Reserve Properties wants to build on the SE corner of Brant and James – across the street from city hall. Reserve Properties has options on a number of options on Brant Street land. The development Reserve took to the Planning department for a 24 storey condominium was turned down. Staff recommended 17 storeys.
Reserve has appealed that decision to the Land Planning Act Tribunal.
KG&A announced recently that Reserve Properties had become a new client. An entry on the KG&A web site states:
“KG&A is an award-winning communications strategy firm.
“Over the last decade we’ve earned a reputation as one of the only in Canada specializing in the urban landscape.
“Our approach is unique. We’re research obsessed media junkies with backgrounds in journalism, digital media, brand strategy and event programming.
“And we believe that strategy should be invisible – that’s why we’re the award-winning firm you’ve never heard of.”
 Sheldon Fenton, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reserve Properties Sheldon Fenton, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reserve Properties. A lawyer by profession, Sheldon launched his career at a top tier Toronto law firm specializing in corporate and real estate law.
A role at CIBC followed with a deep focus on strategic financing and institutional problem-solving. It is this entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving combined with an unwavering passion for real estate development that has helped Reserve’s portfolio grow exponentially. Since it’s inception the company’s real estate activities have included more than 8,000 residences, office and retail developments, hotels and retirement communities across North America.
 By Staff
August 31st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board will be welcoming approximately 64,000 Kindergarten to Grade 12 students on the first day of school on Tuesday.
The Board’s 6,507 teachers, 3,117 non-teaching and support staff, and 222 principals and vice-principals are outfitting classrooms, tending to sports fields, polishing floors, cleaning buildings and organizing schedules to prepare schools for another productive and memorable school year.
New cladding on the sides of the high school and repairs to the roof are part of the work done at MMR during the summer. The controversial transferring of Lester B Pearson students to M.M. Robinson High School starts on Tuesday as well. During the summer, MMR underwent some renovations to improve the educational experience for all students as the two schools merge into one community. The school’s Community Pathways Program (CPP) space has been re-constructed, new locker bays installed throughout the building, the theatre’s facade re-designed and renamed the Lester B. Pearson Community Theatre and new cladding added to part of the outdoor front facade, in addition to other improvements.
Students, staff and parents/guardians will also walk into many other Halton schools that underwent various renovations and upgrades this summer. Approximately $25 million worth of construction projects were completed at dozens of elementary and secondary schools. Work included roofing improvements, ventilation, new entranceways, windows, doors, flooring and washrooms, and more.
Over the summer, the HDSB transitioned to a new Student Absence Reporting system called SchoolMessenger. Families can register for SchoolMessenger through the website (go.schoolmessenger.ca) or the HDSB Mobile App. Resources and training videos to support parents/guardians with the transition to SchoolMessenger are available on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca) by searching “SchoolMessenger”.
This new system enables parents/guardians to receive app notifications, text messages, emails and phone calls from schools and the HDSB. Families will now be able to report absences for their child using the HDSB Mobile App, the SchoolMessenger website or a toll-free phone number.
The HDSB Mobile App, rolled out earlier this year, consolidates important information for parents/guardians and students into one easy-to-access location. Report absences, receive school and Board news, social media and calendars all in one place. The HDSB Mobile App is available for download on the App Store and Google Play by searching “HDSB”.
 By Staff
August 31st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Police are seeking witnesses who observed a vicious assault that started at the side of the Island Bar located at 4170 South Service Road in Burlington.
On August 11th 2018, shortly after 2:30 AM, a 19-year old victim was at the side of the premise and began speaking to unknown person(s) in a dark colour pickup truck that had parked in a neighbouring parking lot to the east.
 As the victim was standing near this pick-up truck, four white males and two white females approached from the direction of the Island Bar. One of the males pushed the victim to the ground and the other males joined in on the assault.
The victim retreated to the neighbouring parking lot where the assailants continued to assault the victim by pushing him around and repeatedly punching him in the head. The assault lasted for approximately 5 minutes before the assailants left the area in the dark pickup truck.
The victim was taken to the hospital where he was treated for a broken jaw that required surgery.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed this assault or provided assistance to the victim to contact Detective Constable Erin Toth of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2313.
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
August 31st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton is looking for 50 community volunteers to help plant native trees and shrubs on Sunday, September 9.
The Trees for Watershed Health planting is taking place at the Hopkins Tract, 201 Old Guelph Road in Hamilton.
Registration and check-in will begin at 9 a.m. with planting scheduled to start shortly after 9:30 a.m. Volunteers are reminded to dress according to the weather, wear waterproof boots and bring a shovel. The event will happen rain or shine, unless conditions are deemed to be unsafe for participants and staff.
The welcome to participate goes out to all individuals, families, and small groups. No prior planting experience is required. Space is limited and pre-registration is mandatory, visit the web site for more details and to find registration information.
 Hopkins Tract is in orange Established in 2015, the Hopkins Tract of the Pleasant View Natural Area, is located on the southeast corner of Old Guelph Road and York Road in Dundas. The 24 hectare (59 acre) property contains deep ravines associated with the Pleasant View Tributary lined with mature deciduous oak forests and contains several uncommon and rare Carolinian and savannah indicator species.
This newly formed public natural area has been incorporated into the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System.
The significant parcel was secured to further establish and widen a natural corridor link between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment within the City of Hamilton. The property offers significant opportunities for the restoration of creeks, wetlands and Carolinian forest as well as protection of head-water stream ravines.
 This is some of the terrain that work will be done on. The restoration strategy for the property provides a direction to protect and restore natural ecosystems to ensure the health and diversity of native species, habitats, landscapes and ecological processes.
These strategies will help to improve the natural functions of the landscape and hydrology of the two subwatersheds.
Trees for Watershed Health is a Conservation Halton community outreach program which gets watershed residents and community groups involved in tree planting. The program is designed to bring communities and nature together to increase forest cover in the watershed through volunteers planting trees at selected sites.
By Pepper Parr
August 31st, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
James Burchill released the fourth and final Smart Car Coffee Confidential this morning – and it is a lot different than the first three.
This morning we get to see and hear what Aldershot resident Greg Woodruff has to say as he runs a campaign to become the next Mayor of Burlington.
 Greg Woodruff on the left with James Burchill as they do a Coffee Confidential interview while driving around in a Smart Car He is up against the incumbent Rick Goldring; former city Councillor and former Member of Parliament for Burlington, Mike Wallace and ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward.
In another article we are going to publish all four interviews that were done in the car that Burchill drives around the city.
Greg Woodruff is different – but he is certainly worth a listen. Worth more than one listen.
CLICK HERE for what Woodruff has to say.
If he is right …. Well listen to what he has to say.
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