 By Ray Rivers
March 12th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
“Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt.”
( William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)
Even though Doug Ford claims to have been brother Rob’s brain, advising him daily as Rob ran the city of Toronto, I keep coming across articles which refer to Doug as stupid.
Perhaps people are being prejudiced, swayed by his appearance, a likeness to that high school bully which we all had to confront or accommodate. You know the tough guy who always struggled with his grades, had trouble attracting the right girl for some reason, and who always spoke in monosyllabic superlatives.
 Doug Ford – expect to see a lot of him in the next 90 days. Yet it is possible that this so-called ‘dummy’ has just pulled off the biggest coup in Ontario’s political history, thereby lifting himself to the top of the roost in the respected party of John Robarts, Bill Davis, and Mike Harris. If true this would have been a plot to equal the best scripted by that genius Shakespeare.
The story starts in the aftermath of the 2014 election. The Tories had been devastated by their loss and vowed never again as they licked their wounds. They needed a change of direction and a leader to take them in that direction. Enter Patrick Brown, someone with no apparent dirty laundry, no enemies and no friends in provincial politics, but with the kind of credentials one earns hanging around Stephen Harper’s backbench.
 Patrick Brown gaining the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. He had a vision – a pathway to victory – growing the party membership, filling the war chest, and creating a platform which had something for everyone in Ontario. It was close enough to the status quo to appeal to left leaning Tories and right thinking Liberals alike. And the people responded in numbers large enough to promise a landslide if the polls could deliver for him. True enough, the party’s popularity wasn’t all his doing, but he was at the helm and the PCs were headed for a victory not seen since Mike Harris.
But things didn’t work out that way for our young hero. The right wing of the party establishment violently disapproved of the newly adopted platform’s policies, which appeared to be carbon copies of those of the stinking Liberals they wanted to replace. Why would the public want to change horses when the one they were on is already going in the right direction. And how could anyone take the PC’s seriously when they were parading themselves as nothing more than blue Liberals.
The right wing establishment must have been AWOL, or fast asleep, when the party membership unanimously approved Brown’s platform just last November. But clearly there was a sense that Brown didn’t deserve to lead, hadn’t been in the trenches, and must have pulled a fast one to slip by Christine Elliott in the leadership vote.
 It came down to these four – what happened in the back rooms can only be imagined. This upstart had offered himself up as another social conservative but now was behaving like it was his personal party and he and it had undergone a metamorphosis from red neck to red Tory.
Doug Ford had trumpeted his ambition to one day be the leader of this land – Canada. Ambition is a powerful motivator, especially for a man trying to live up to all that he believed his father could have been. It was Ford’s time, if only he could get rid of Brown. Elliott wanted revenge and Mulroney was simply Mulroney – owed the title by divine providence. If the young Brown got in he might remain premier for a decade or more, and then the time might have passed for these pretenders to the throne.
The flash point in Brown’s platform was his acceptance of the provincial sex-education curriculum. At least it was for Tanya Granic Allen whose extreme religious persuasion propelled her directly onto the war path against Brown. She was not going to stand for it – after all she hadn’t seen the word ‘love’ in the sex-ed program.
Brown may have been gaining popularity among the people but was losing respect in the minds of his peers and the old Harris guard – the right wing of the party. They have always been clear that less government is better government. Tax cuts are good and regulations bad. The primary role of the provincial government is to stop social creep, especially when it comes to matters of sex.
 Patrick Brown resigning. So is it possible that these unlikely wannabe leaders, and a few more of the party’s neocon class, teamed up, conspired to bring down the new king, figuratively, as Julius Caesar’s stalwart’s had taken him down. A couple of shaky accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour, some innuendo about fake membership numbers and some suggestion of financial irregularity – that Brown was pilfering funds from the PC trust fund – would be enough to smear him. Then he’d have to resign and one of their kind would take over.
Of course this is all hypothetical and in this hypothesis it’s possible that only one or two of the candidates may have been aware of the planned political assassination of Brown but it is inconceivable that the others wouldn’t have been able to figure it out. The chief protagonist may not even have been one of the candidates. But if this story is accurate there was a plan to win and Ford won.
And the party echelon had to be eager to rid themselves of a leader bent on a mission to forever shift the party to the centre of the political spectrum and betray those who are have spent their lives arguing right from left. So somebody got to Brown’s old girl friends and then Randy Hillier complied a list of wild accusations and the party was ready to perform political assassination as Brown whimpered ‘et tu Brute?’.
Oh what a tangled web we weave. It wasn’t long before the fangs came out as our lovely snakes engaged in tribal cannibalism. Ford, jumped in feet first calling Elliot his friend, even as he ripped into her over her flip flops and her government job. He was, after all, the only fellow who had demonstrated real leadership – the first to hit the road and set the pace – trashing the carbon tax promise and attacking the morality of allowing teachers to explain sex to students.
That is what likely drew in co-conspirator Tanya, an eleventh hour entry into the pack. She was there to eat into the female vote so Ford would have a better chance of slithering past Elliott. And she did and he did. And ironically Ford, hardly a pinnacle of godly behaviour in his earlier street life, entered into an unholy alliance with Allen. Her reward was that damned sex ed thing, and ending renewable energy and maybe opening the debate on abortion again – from his pulpit as leader of Canada’s most populist province
 Their will be more than one book written on “what really happened” – will we ever know? Conspiracy theories come along all the time about one thing or another. Still there is no other logical explanation for the rapid demise of an elected leader only a few months before an election. There is no rational for the almost panic-like urgency to replace him. And what else explains the chaos that has ensued and will no doubt continue for some time.
If not a conspiracy the only other explanation is sheer incompetence. If a party can’t manage itself choosing a leader does anyone believe it can manage the affairs of the province?
Conspiracy or incompetence, take your pick. Either way the people of Ontario deserve better.
 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 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. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Ford- Elliot – Detailed Results – More Leadership –
 By Staff
March 12th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
While Burlingtonians argue for a delay in the adopting of a new Official Plan and its impact on the downtown core their Regional government is trying to convince the provincial government that the greenbelt should include the white belt in the rural and semi-rural parts of the province.
Halton regional and Oakville city councils are calling on the province to expand the Greenbelt.
Oakville Mayor Rob Burton brought forward a motion at a Regional Council meeting asking the province to extend its study area for Greenbelt expansion and to expeditiously grow the Greenbelt by incorporating appropriate Whitebelt lands within the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s “inner ring” to protect Ontario’s limited freshwater and natural heritage features.
 About 500 ha of white belt land exists in Burlington. The Neptis Foundation, an independent, privately capitalized charitable foundation describes Whitebelt lands as those located between the outer edge of approved urban settlement areas surrounding the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton and the Greenbelt Plan area.
The Greenbelt is seen as an integral component of land use planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, complementing the Growth Plan to encourage smart planning, the reduction of sprawl, protection of natural and hydrological features and agricultural lands.
They are currently undeveloped, but are not protected from urban development in the future.
 Are there parts of rural Burlington that are in the white belt zone that should be moved into the green belt zone where they can be fully protected? The Ontario government is currently seeking input as it considers expanding the Greenbelt to include areas most in need of protection, including moraines, cold water streams and wetlands located in the outer ring of the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Burton said with these votes the councils have sent a clear message that they are against sprawl.
He noted sprawl not only causes traffic congestion and overcrowded schools, but also additional unwanted intensification in communities that are mandated to grow under the province’s Place to Grow Act.
“The Greenbelt is an integral component of land use planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, complementing the Growth Plan to encourage smart planning, the reduction of sprawl, protection of natural and hydrological features and agricultural lands,” said Burton.
“It’s important that a fulsome study of all potential Greenbelt expansion areas should be undertaken as part of this review in order to make the best, most consistent land use planning decisions across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.”
“Moving the Whitebelt into the greenbelt will protect agriculture which is viable employment in Halton,” he said.
Opponents of the motion at regional council argued it was rushed, that there wasn’t enough background information provided, that no consultation had been done with the public and that it was unclear what the possible implications could be.
Supporters argued a report had been provided, that regional council had been aware of the motion since January and that consultation had taken place.
The Burlington Regional Councillors were not unanimous in their support for motion. Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring and Burlington Councillors Rick Craven, Marianne Meed Ward and Blair Lancaster supported the motion.
Councillors Jack Dennison, Paul Sharman and John Taylor did not support the motion. Surprising to see the Taylor vote
 Councillor Jack Dennison  Councillor Paul Sharman  Councillor John Taylor, a surprising vote against an important Regional motion.
The resolution has been sent to the premier of Ontario, the minister of municipal affairs, all Greater Golden Horseshoe municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Environmental Defence, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, the Ontario Greenbelt Association, Ontario Nature, Earth Roots, Eco Spark, and Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM).
The distribution of the whitebelt lands is
Region of Halton; 11,700 ha
City of Burlington; 500 ha
Town of Halton Hills; 6,800 ha
Town of Milton; 4,300 ha
Town of Oakville; 100 ha
 By Pepper Parr
March 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
As publisher it is no secret that I am a Liberal but that does not mean the Gazette is a Liberal newspaper.
 John Robarts – one of the best Premiers the province ever had: knew how to balance a budget. The first political event I attended in Ontario was in 1967 while I was at university. I watched a debate between John Robarts and Robert Nixon at the Grand Theatre on Princes Street and turned to my friend and said “Robarts is a very impressive candidate”; he went on to win his eighth election to remain one of the best Premiers the province has had. He was more than the leader of a party and the Premier of the Province, he was also an outstanding Statesman. His Confederation of Tomorrow Conference was about two things: leadership and dialogue.
He was replaced by Bill Davies as Premier. Davis was a little on the bland side but he represented what the province was at that time. The changes he made to the province’s education system is something we are still benefiting from today.
 Bill Davis had problems learning how to balance a budget; never really did learn. His brilliant decision to cede a couple of metres of the Spadina Expressway stopped that road driving into the center of Toronto.
Ontario had good government – we were all well served. Think really hard to recall anything that either man did to embarrass the province.
Fast forward to David Petersen. A Liberal; how did he compare with Robarts or Davis ? – not all that good.
From a purely Conservative political perspective – Doug Ford is just not cut from the same cloth that Robarts and Davis came from.
To be completely honest Dalton McGuinty wasn’t cut from the same cloth either.
 Kathleen Ford will have to give the performance of her political career to win this one. The choice for the public is crystal clear. Too early to say anything as definitive for Wynne. She realized that Canadians had to save more for their pension years; her push to create a pension fund for Ontario forced the federal government to change the Canada Pension Plan. She was willing to abandon her proposal to create a provincial pension plan when the federal government went along with a deal to make improvements to the Canada Pension Plan.
The way Wynne bird dogged Stephen Harper into meeting with her was impressive. How does the leader of a federal government ignore meeting with the Premier of the biggest province in the country.
Let’s be clear however – Ms Wynne has some explaining to do – how she hopes to get away with presenting yet another deficit budget at the end of the month is a stretch.
 Will Doug Ford be the next Premier of the province? The point here is – what has happened to the quality of the men and women who put themselves forward as leaders?
The results of the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership are now official- Doug Ford will lead the Progressive Conservatives in the June election
A John Robarts he ain’t. He has a lot to explain. Has he ever said anything contrite about the much reported drug dealing he was involved in? We don’t believe he has ever said he did not deal drugs.
We hear much about the business successes – the family labeling business is not something he is involved in on a daily basis. He benefits from the profits.
Our issue is not that he is a Conservative – it is that he is Doug Ford.
 By Staff
March 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Ray Rivers, our political columnist, plays a guitar in a small band and from time to time takes to the stage.
He and I were in pretty much constant contact during the afternoon watching the CBC’s excellent election coverage of the Progressive Conservative leadership contest.
For political junkies it was pure oxygen.
Rivers had to get to the theatre in Oakville where he has a part in a play before he could write his column.
The play, Dead Men Don’t Itch, is nearing the end of its four – day run. There is a Matinee on Sunday – show up and he will autograph your program for you.
 Rivers performs on stage on a ‘noir’ comedy. His column should be up for you on Sunday – assuming Ray remembers to set his clock ahead one hour.
 By Staff
March 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Trust the ECoB people to come up with a solution – they have managed to keep at least a half a step ahead of the Planning department.
ECoB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington is a community grassroots organization that has been fighting city hall to give the public more and better information.
Many people wanted to get some idea as to just what the downtown core would look like when there are two towers across Brant street from city hall.
 The view is from Locust street looking east. The white part is city hall, the tall light grey is the approved 23 storey structure on the NE corner of James and Brant, the dark grey is a proposed application on the SE corner of the intersection. The small grey building on the right is the Queen’s Head City Manager James Ridge told city council that he couldn’t provide what people were asking for: Rubbish said the ECoB people and they looked to their youth for an answer.
Two young people came up with a really simple idea – use Lego to make a model. One hopes that the city manager will pose with the builders of the model and set it up in city hall – better still set it up inb the lobby of the Performing Arts Centre.
In a media release ECoB said: “The LEGO model is the idea of Remi and Dezi, the kids from the lemonade and flower stands at the Sunday Centro Farm Market in the downtown.
“They’ve been worried about the proposed builds downtown and what it will do to the place they love to live as well as the disruption of the lives of their shop friends.
 Looking north on Brant with city hall in white on the left and the two towers on the right. Queen’s Head is in the forefront. “Hearing through many dinner table chats that a lot of people still don’t know the size and scope of the builds and what areas will be destroyed – such as the farm market itself – they wondered if it would help to make a model out of LEGO.
“LEGO being these kids obsession, their parents suggested they should work together as a family to build a scale model and include the approved and proposed builds against the backdrop of the existing downtown that we all love.
“Realizing that the model would potentially be too much to complete on their own, they decided to reach out for other kids and families around the area to assist in completing the model. The activity is called “LEGO my Downtown”.
 By James Smith
March 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s very refreshing to see both a City Manager and a Transit Director with a commitment to Transit after decades of administrative incompetence and political dogmatic undermining of the file. While competent management is welcome it will take citizens committed to having new civic leadership with some vision and spine this fall to really improve transit.
Perhaps if folks decided it was time for most of the tired old fogeys on city council to retire; real change might come to transit in Burlington. Hope springs eternal for competent civic leadership, but history is a cruel master.
 Burlington’s Friend and Supporters of Transit has been a consistent and positive voice for better transit. They did more to make the issue public than the Transit service did. The challenge for all cities right now on the transit file is confronting the big lie of “doing more with less” that has become gospel. Municipal councils will claim to keep their taxes to the rate of inflation. Sounds good, nobody wants to pay more taxes, but the largest single budget envelope under municipal control, police budgets, continue to expand. The obvious result is every other item faces a cut to service as other wages, fuel and capital costs continue to rise.
Without a commitment to Transit, and the will to fund it properly, little wonder transit in Burlington is where it is today. Burlington has dishonestly claimed for years that it has “kept taxes low”, while seeming true on the surface this is the result of Burlington getting a free ride from the Region’s budget take of massive, one time, development charges from the rest of Halton. These development charges continue to pay for services in Burlington keeping tax increases artificially low.
Cities such as Burlington could potentially be entering into a very dark period, not just for transit but for all city services. There is a very real chance the Conservatives may come to power at Queen’s Park. There’s no coincidence that a lost decade of transit in Ontario was the direct result of the hit transit took during the Harris/Eves administration. Provincially it has taken more than a decade to fix many files that were cut or ignored during that time, this is especially true in the case of transit. Part of the likely Conservative agenda is the big lie that “tax cuts will spark the economy”.
So read this as Conservatives cutting funding for many programmes, will transit escape the knife? Look at their leadership hopefuls and their track record.
 City manager James Ridge with former Director of Transit Mike Spicer at an event organized by citizen transit advocates. Spicer resigned as Director not that long after this picture was taken. In the past few years, Ontario has had a government that’s at least has claimed to have been committed to transit and has gotten the province back in the game. Given Burlington Transit has just managed to kept the lights on under this regime it begs the question: How bad will it get for transit with a Provincial administration that doesn’t have this commitment to Transit? How bad will it get for transit if we have a provincial government that denies the validity of climate change science?
How bad will it get for transit with provincial leadership hopefuls who think of transit as the enemy of drivers? Given the city of Burlington’s track record on transit, and the potential of a conservative provincial government, I suspect that the light seen from the new city manager and new transit management at the city of Burlington is that of an oncoming freight train; no passengers allowed.
 (James is an award winning Contract Designer, Past member of BFAST, Co-author of the 2014 Western GTA Move Taskforce Report, and Former President of Friends of Freeman Station. James Smith and his wife were 27 year residents of Burlington and now make their home in Guelph.) Smith ran in the 2014 municipal election against Paul Sharman
 By Staff
March 10th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
On March 7, 2018 shortly before 11:00 pm, Halton Police officers responded to the area of Maple Avenue and Plains Road East in Burlington, in response to a citizen-initiated traffic complaint. As a result of an investigation, Joseph Vaccaro (37), of Oakville was charged with driving while ability impaired and driving over 80 mgs.
On March 8, 2018 shortly after 8:00 am, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of King Road and Plains Road East in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Christopher McBride (30), of Burlington was charged with driving while ability impaired.
 The Regional police issue regular reports on people who are charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) as part of their program to keep the roads in the Region safe.
That task is going to get a lot more difficult when the federal cannabis legalization allows for the sale of cannabis in retail outlets across the province.
At this point in time the police just have to deal with alcohol related offences. When the federal government decides to permit the sale of cannabis related products it will be a much more complex.
Ontario is stepping up support for municipalities and law enforcement to help ensure communities and roads are safe in advance of the federal government’s legalization of cannabis.
The province will provide $40 million of its revenue from the federal excise duty on recreational cannabis over two years to help all municipalities with implementation costs related to the legalization of cannabis. The amount of money each municipality gets will be determined by population size with no one municipality getting less than $10,000
In addition, Ontario is taking further steps to ensure a safe and sensible transition for communities and people by:
 Coming to a neighbourhood somewhere in Burlington. • Increasing the capacity of local law enforcement, including the Ontario Provincial Police, by funding sobriety field test training for police officers to help detect impaired drivers
• Creating a specialized legal team to support drug-impaired driving prosecutions
• Increasing capacity at the province’s Centre of Forensic Sciences to support toxicological testing and expert testimony
• Developing a program to divert youth involved in minor cannabis-related offences away from the criminal justice system
• Creating a Cannabis Intelligence Coordination Centre to shut down illegal storefronts and help fight the unsafe and illegal supply of cannabis products
• Providing public health units with support and resources to help address local needs related to cannabis legalization
• Raising awareness of the new provincial rules that will take effect when cannabis is legalized federally.
Might be time for families to have one of those around the kitchen table talks on what the legislation is going to mean to high school students who get to drive the family car.
By Staff
March 9th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The annual closure of King Road to allow for the safe passage of the endangered Jefferson salamanders during their breeding migration will begin on Monday, March 12 for three weeks.
King Road will be closed from the base of the Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road.
The City of Burlington has closed the same section of road since 2012, for an approximate three-week period, to allow for the safe passage of the endangered Jefferson salamanders during their breeding migration.
 The Jefferson salamander, native to the northern part of the city appears to have become a mascot for the Region. The Jefferson salamander is found in Southern Ontario in select areas of deciduous forest, mostly along the Niagara Escarpment.
These salamanders spend the majority of their lives underground. As the weather warms up and the spring rains begin, the salamanders emerge and migrate to breed in temporary ponds formed by run-off, laying their eggs in clumps attached to underwater vegetation. Adults leave the ponds after breeding. By late summer, the larvae lose their gills, become air-breathing and leave the pond to head into the surrounding forests.
Adult salamanders migrate to their breeding ponds during wet rainy nights. They show a strong affinity for the pond in which they hatched and can be very determined to reach it, sometimes requiring them to cross busy roads.
Since the first full road closure in 2012, there has been no road mortality of Jefferson salamanders observed by Conservation Halton staff during the road closure.
Jefferson salamanders have a grey or brown-coloured back, with lighter under-parts. Blue flecks may be present on the sides and limbs. These salamanders are 12 to 20 cm long. The long tail makes up half this length. Unlike most small animals, Jefferson salamanders can live a very long time, up to 30 years of age.
While the city accommodates the Conservation Authority to close the road for a three week period – the Jefferson salamander has been very good for the people who opposed to expansion of the Nelson Quarry on Collings Road.
 It took $2 million out of the legal department’s budget to pay for the year long tribunal that decided the Jefferson Salamander was important and that an expansion of the existing quarry should not be permitted. The expansion was to be in the smaller outlined area. The larger area is the quarry that is reaching the end of its productive days.  The existence of the salamander and its possible extinction was a large part of the argument for not allowing the application for an expansion.
Much of North America has a groundhog day – Burlington owes the Jefferson Salamander some significant recognition – a future Mayor could declare a Salamander day and perhaps revise the city crest to include the critter.
By Pepper Parr
March 9, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
“Why don’t you write about what the developers have to say on the growth that is taking place in this city” said a usually reliable source within the corporations that do the building and take the financial risks.
We responded with: The developers tend to be media shy, they don’t think they are going to get a break and their skill set usually doesn’t include much in the way of media savvy.
They build, they know what the rules of the development game are; they understand, in a way that few citizens do, just what the requirements are from the province, the region and the city planning department.
 The height for a future tower went from 22 to 17 then to 15 and then back to 17 at a Committee meeting. It will get settled at the April 4th council meeting when the Planning department hopes to get the Official Plan they have written approved. There is a property in the downtown core that had a 22 storey height designation, then in a single meeting it went down to 17 because a member of council had said he would clip the height in that part of the city because he had gone along with more height than many expected in another part of the city.
At the same meeting another member of council wanted to clip an additional two storeys off the building.
Developers wonder why they get treated this way.
Our source said the development community can’t have a balanced conversation with groups that don’t want to accept the fact that the city has been told its population must grow.
The developers don’t make the rules. Yes, they do look for ways around the rules – isn’t that what everyone does? When you are filing your tax return – don’t you take advantage of every deduction possible? If you got caught driving too fast and find yourself in a court room – do you not look for a lawyer who can ‘get you off’?
The difficulty the development community has is they haven’t managed to create an image of what they do?
Are they just out there to make a killing financially? Some are.
Are they there to create great communities? Is that there role in society? What do we expect of developers and is our expectation realistic?
 Nick Carnacelli of Carriage Gate Listen to Nick Carnacelli of Carriage Gate and ask him how he felt when he walked across the street to city hall with a cheque for more than $3 million and at that point he had nothing on the way pf permissions to build anything.
To Grow Bold all the players have to collaborate. That means the politicians have to play their part which isn’t to represent the interests of the developers but to represent the interests of their constituents – the people that elected them.
Those politicians have to hold the Planning department accountable and be prepared to send them back to their desks and re-think the recommendations they are sending the politicians.
Citizens have to inform themselves – understand what is happening and to hold the men and women they elect accountable.
The Planners have to up their game. The Mayor has said every opportunity he gets that the city has run out of space for the traditional single family dwelling with a back yard big enough for a swimming pool. We’ve know this for some time.
Has the city Planning department been grown to the point where it can handle and cope with the need to now deal with high rise developments? The rate at which development applications are being submitted is swamping the department.
Has the city done any polling to find out just what the people of the city think and feel about growth and where it should take place. If they ever do, or have done, any polling let us hope that they bring in outside third party pollsters and not rely on their in-house questionnaires that don’t reach all that much in the way of population.
The city is at a very critical point in its growth.
The development community has to be more open – it needs to get its story out and defend what they are doing.
There is the chance to get it right – but only if all the players are at the table and only if the level of transparency is higher than it has been so far.
Troubling times ahead, cloudy skies with a silver lining in there somewhere.
Salt with Pepper are the opinions of the Gazette publisher.
By Staff
March 9th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Ministerial Statements are usually about matter of State.
Burlington’s Member of Parliament has broken new ground just about everywhere she has walked – so announcing the birth of her son shouldn’t be any different.
Today, Minister Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington, issued the following statement:
 Oliver, Karina and Alberto. The husband looks more tired than anyone else. Congratulations to all of them. My husband, Alberto, and I were thrilled to finally meet our son, Oliver, earlier this week. We are grateful to be able to say that everyone is happy and healthy.
I would like to extend a special thank you to the Burlington & Area Midwives – particularly the amazing Lucia, Sarah, Diane and Paige – and the nursing staff at Jo Brant Hospital for their care and support during my pregnancy and delivery.
I will be spending time with my family now, but I look forward to returning to work when I am ready to resume my duties as Canada’s Minister of Democratic Institutions. The Democratic Institutions portfolio will be in the good hands of Minister Scott Brison, assisted by Parliamentary Secretary Andy Fillmore, while I am on leave. Burlington constituents should continue to contact my MP office for any assistance or services they require.
As we join so many other Canadian parents who juggle the responsibilities of career and family, Alberto and I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support.
By Stephen White
March 8, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Admittedly I’m not a big fan of the City Manager’s style, but James Ridge isn’t the only problem or the biggest one.
Continuity and consistency is the hallmark of a good organization. If the City of Burlington were a publicly corporation, and that corporation had gone through four CEO’s in six years, someone on the Board of Directors would be asking the inevitable question: why?
 Jeff Fielding got an offer he couldn’t refuse – Calgary; the city with one of the smartest Mayor’s in the country.  Roman Martiuk a former Burlington City Manager was given a one way ticket out of town.  Pat Moyle came to town to do a job, got it done and went south – it was getting cold. Turnover is usually indicative of a much broader problem. That, in itself, presupposes an investigation, and truthfully, that is best conducted by a neutral third party who, ideally, would probe for reasons, issues, concerns as well as solutions.
Based on what I have seen a big part of the problem at City Hall comes down to a lack of alignment, a lack of genuine engagement, and a dysfunctional corporate culture. You have a Mayor and a City Manager who, frankly, have a vision that does not strongly resonate with many citizens. Public trust is seriously lacking.
You have a Council with a very broad array of personalities and personal agendas, many of whom have been on Council way too long, are seriously disconnected from mainstream opinion, and often appear to be mouthpieces for special interest groups.
You have a Planning Department spearheading a major initiative that, to put it kindly, has gone seriously awry.
 Finally, you have an electorate that is growing increasingly militant and is uncomfortable with not just the vision ( OP, intensification, Mobility Hubs) but with a perceived lack of receptivity and understanding from both elected and appointed officials.
This is not a good dynamic, and it does not bode favourably for those at City Hall. If you can’t change the culture and you can’t change the behaviour then the only real option is to change the players. Since the Mayor and the City Manager set the tone for the organization that’s usually the place to start.
Stephen White is a Human Resources specialist with experience in the finance sector – banking and the civil service – provincial. He is a resident of Burlington.
By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s a go!
Superintendent of Education Terri Blackwell and her team got the vote she needed to begin the really hard work to create a new program with a decidedly different and very innovative approach to the way we teach high school students.
 Superintendent of Education Terri Blackwell with Superintendent Gord Truffen during their presentation to school board trustees When the Halton District School Board (HDSB) was going through the very painful Program Accommodation Review (PAR) exercise that resulted in the closing of two of the city’s seven high schools they also agreed to look at some different pedagogical approaches.
The original driving force was to do something to increase enrollment at the Aldershot high school – it was low enough to think about possibly closing the school.
The idea for something different at Aldershot came from the community with PAR Committee member Steve Cussons leading the drive.
 Steve Cussons The community came up with a number of themes that could be used for a new program. The parents chose Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – ISTEM
The Board voted to implement a program incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at Aldershot High School that will begin in September 2019, with the students who are entering Grade 9 at their March 7, meeting.
The decision involves the spending of $1.7 million to upgrade some of the classrooms and cover the cost of teacher training.
In a media release the Board described I-STEM as a program that will equip students with global competencies, also known as transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, collaboration and citizenship. Community and post-secondary partnerships will be essential elements of the program to enhance learning opportunities for students.
The program will be available to anyone in the Region – the only barrier is capacity – the number of classroom seats available.
By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Approved – community benefits have yet to be worked out. What is Carriage Gate going to have to give the good people of the city of Burlington for the additional height they were given by city council several months ago when they approved – on a 5-2 to approve a 23 storey building on the NE corner of James and Brant.
The practice is for the city to negotiate benefits for the community based a formula that calculates the additional value of the land the building is on – based on the additional height and density.
The form that value takes could be whatever the city negotiates.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward – taking care of business. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward advises that “Staff are required to consult with the ward Councillor in advance, which they did. I suggested they negotiate affordable/assisted housing (owned and operated by Halton Region), additional parking and a contribution to a downtown waterfront parkland acquisition fund.”
Meed Ward added: “We won’t know till the report comes to us what has been agreed to by all parties.
Committee could turn down what is in the report and direct that additional negotiations take place..
The report on what comes out of the negotiations could be learned at the Committee of the Whole meeting on April 3.
The earliest the Sec 37 report could come to committee is the next Planning & Development Committee which is on April 4 when the Planners hope the report can be adopted and go to city council later in the month.
It could be later than that depending on how negotiations go.
It is complex – the Planning department wants to get this settled while some citizens are saying “not so fast” and asking that the Official Plan be put on hold until after the October 22nd municipal election. A significant number of people want to make the adopting of a new Official Plan an election issue.
In the municipal world city manager’s come and go. Burlington hires city managers under five year contracts. The Burlington experience has seen city managers warming their seats for about three years before they are either asked to leave or find a better opportunity elsewhere.
Roman Martiuk was asked to leave the job in 2014; it does happen.
 James Ridge at his first city council meeting. With three people expected to seek the Office of Mayor; Mike Wallace and current Mayor Rick Goldring have already declared and Marianne Meed Ward is expected to file her nomination papers on May 1st., a reasonable question is – do any of them want James Ridge to continue to run city administration?
The Gazette has it on very good authority that the Mike Wallace people are not that keen on Ridge. Would Meed Ward want to keep him on if she were elected Mayor?
By Staff
March 8th, 2018.
BURLINGTON, ON
Those engaging people at ECoB are holding an information rally on Saturday, March 10th, to remind people of several meetings they feel are critical.
City Meeting March 19, 6:30pm – City Hall
Council Meeting on the Official Plan. They are hoping people will pack the Council chamber, delegate, and support neighbours who are opposed to the draft plan.
April 3rd at both 1pm and 6:30pm there will be a Committee of the Whole that will be the last time the public can address Council before a final vote is taken on the Official Plan.
April 4th; 6:30 pm City Council meeting at which the final version of the Official Plan is to be “approved” and sent along to the Regional government.
ECoB lawn signs will be available at the Saturday rally.
ECoB apparently has some “public” art that will be on display showing a model of what they think the downtown core could look like.
In their media release ECoB said
“City Council plans to vote a proposed draft Official Plan into law on April 4 2018, to govern our City Growth to 2041. They don’t have answers to these vital questions:
Question: Can’t we just say “no” to growth in Burlington?
We all know a healthy city grows, ECoB is not saying NO to growth, we are saying YES to balanced growth. We understand the need for development to accommodate increased population. We want the right type of development, by ensuring the supporting plans for the mobility hub and precinct definitions are in place first.
Question: What are we gaining in a rush for intensification and what tools are available to keep it under control?
We are told by the Mayor that “A new Official Plan means we can move away from the site by site negotiations and instead, bring clear expectations to our planning. This is what residents have been telling us, delaying the Official Plan approval would only create more instances where unexpected outcomes can occur; similar to the reaction which led to 421 Brant Street (Council approved 23-storey building across from City Hall).” Mayors Blog February 8, 2018
This was not an unexpected outcome; the Mayor did not make a case urging any Councillors to support his reduced recommendation of 17 storeys – the draft Official Plan height. An approval for 23 storeys was passed giving residents less retail, less office space and for many a broken trust. The opposite corner and many sites downtown now have applications that start at heights which are 3-4x the current permissions. The Mayor believes it is important to complete the critical work of approving the draft Official Plan, we believe it is important to get it right.
Can we trust Staff and current Council to get the supporting plans right? We are told in the same blog that the supporting plans cannot come in step until the Official Plan is adopted – we are being asked to wait and trust that the concerns expressed will be in the Downtown Area Specific Plan which is a more detailed plan that will include matters such as transportation, transit, cycling, parking and servicing.
Question: What is the Population Growth required in the Downtown Burlington core to meet intensification targets?
The City of Burlington’s Strategic Plan 2015-2040 indicates: “The city will include growth targets and their related opportunities in its Official Plan. This will be complete by the end of 2018”. There are no established minimum population growth targets for the Uptown or Downtown areas. More importantly, once development starts there is no maximum intensification target either; the sky is literally the limit for development. How will the dozens of applications for height and density far in excess of current permissions be handled if we don’t have any limits? It is not only tall buildings, but excessive density in every neighbourhood. What happens in the Urban Growth Area’s affects us all. We will simply not get affordability with this excessive density.
Question: Is Burlington using up all of its green space?
The City of Burlington’s Strategic Plan 2015-2040 indicates: “A City that Grows demonstrates density (intensification) done well. There are green design options, less sprawl, more affordable housing choices and improved public health in a vital, diverse and safe city.”
We agree with the importance of green space in all of our communities. Planned Green Space is more essential in the designated Urban Growth Centre, where people live in tall buildings. Green space should NOT be traded with developers to gain increased height. Greenspace is not a parking lot or cement view corridor.
ECoB is working with developers and has asked City Staff to collaborate with the Province to not freeze the land from any development and to explore re-designation of some of these lands to balance residential/employment use. This could help create communities within our community and take some of the pressure off over intensification in the downtown.”
 The ECoB flyer promoting the Saturday Information Rally.
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
Got another note from another Gazette reader.
“I will tell you an interesting story” he said. “I was on my way into a conference yesterday in the Big Smoke. Went in by GO Train with a colleague who also lives in Burlington. We got into a discussion about the municipal election. This person isn’t particularly political, but what surprised me was how incredibly knowledgeable she was on the election, how well-versed she was about downtown redevelopment, and how passionate she felt about what was happening to the downtown.
 The Burlington that people like – at least that is what the Gazette is hearing. “As we travelled between Mimico and the CNE Station we were both aghast at the proliferation of high rises condos. All had the same look, feel and style as what is proposed for downtown Burlington. What stood out for both of us was when we saw a mid-sized building and how unique these seemed. They also seemed to fit into the character of the neighbourhood much better.
 A development idea for the south end of Brant at Lakeshore. Those two towers on the left would be opposite city hall. “Coming home I picked up my car at a GO station and drove past Speers and Kerr Street area on Oakville. I grew up about a mile away from this location. The new condos across from the mall south of the railway tracks look overwhelming. I was astounded by how they dwarfed everything around them. Then I looked at the lower level of the complex. Two proposed businesses are both hairdressing salons…in the same complex no less. Bizarre. Didn’t see a grocery store, or a mom and pop store, anywhere.”
Our reader didn’t seem too happy with what was being developed. Change is never easy to accept.
By Staff
March 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Where will the boys go if the Solid Gold adult entertainment establishment gets torn down?
The owners of the Burlington strip club have filed a development application to construct two new rental apartment buildings.
The developer, 71 Burlington Plains Inc., wants to demolish Solid Gold which spans 53 and 71 Plains Rd. E. and 1025 Cooke Blvd., and replace it with two mixed-use buildings at 10 and 12 storeys with a combined 1,208 square metres of retail and service commercial space at grade level and 450 residential units.
 Rendering of what a developer wants to build on the site of the Solid Gold adult entertainment club. The proposal will have 581 parking spaces (91 at surface, 461 underground and 29 lay-by) Accesses will be from Cooke Boulevard and Clearview Avenue.
Ward 1 Councillor Rock Craven has wanted to get the club out of Aldershot – the price he might have to pay is accepting one ten and one twelve storey structure.
Craven is reported to have said that “While some may be pleased with the redevelopment plan, the heights of the buildings are causing some concern”.
 Arial rendering of the site for an apartment development project in western Aldershot Building heights on Plains Road are generally restricted to six storeys, but city planners see this as a part of Aldershot that could handle some intensification – the Aldershot GO station will be within walking distance.
A neighbourhood public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20 at the East Plains United Church, 375 Plains Rd. E. 7:00 pm.
People in Aldershot are not shy about telling the planners and the Council member what they think and feel about development. The set back from the street might become a major factor – and where is the playground going to be?
City staff is also looking for public feedback on the application before a recommendation is made to the planning and development committee of council. Written comments can be mailed or emailed to senior planner of development review Lola Emberson at lola.emberson@burlington.ca.
The submission deadline is April 6.
 By Staff
March 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 The eastbound lanes on Prospect Street at Regency Court will be closed on Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow for crane activity.
Two-way traffic will be accommodated in the westbound lanes on Prospect Street.
 By Staff
March 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
 Spring is about to bloom!
An opportunity to jump into puddles, the sugar bush, hiking, and more during March Break from March 12 to March 16. Mountsberg and Crawford Lake are brimming with activity during Maple season. If you want to go for a quiet hike, you can check out Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo and Robert Edmondson. You can also take your final runs of the season at Glen Eden.
Maple Town is on at Mountsberg Conservation Area
Mountsberg is open daily during March Break from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hike out to the Sugar Bush with the kids to Maple Town. Learn how sap is tapped from the maple trees, and boiled into syrup. Sample ooey gooey maple syrup on thick pancakes at the Pancake House, or try homemade maple candy in the Sugar Shack.
Wagon rides on the Sugar Bush trail occur all day (there is an additional fee for the wagon rides). Once you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth, stop by the barn to see what new baby animals have arrived, and run off some energy in the play barn.
 Want to experience a real nose-to-beak experience? Visit the Mountsberg Raptor Centre, and walk along the Wildlife Walkway for a visit with our resident raptors, like Pip the American Kestrel, or Chomper the Great Horned Owl. During March Break, Raptor Shows will be on at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.
On March 14, you can meet the Conservation Halton Forestry Crew with cross cut saw and tree cookie branding demonstrations.
Sweet Water Season at Crawford Lake
Crawford Lake is open daily during March Break from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the spring, treat your taste buds to Sweet Water Season, the sweetest festival at Crawford Lake in the Iroquoian village. Explore the Turtle Clan and Deer Clan Longhouses. Learn how the Iroquoian peoples prepared ‘sweet water’, before sampling gooey maple syrup in a demonstration. After a tasty snack, feel the return of the birds and nature, and explore the Hide and Seek trail. Along the way, you’ll see complex wood carvings of Species at Risk like the Monarch Butterfly, the Hooded Warbler, and the mascot of spring: the Jefferson Salamander. You can also visit the exhibit First Harvest: Celebrating Sweet Water.
Sweet Water demonstrations will be at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. Syrup Tasting flights will be at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Come and taste Taffy on Snow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other March Break activities
The ski and snowboard season is winding down at Glen Eden, however they still have a special event this upcoming weekend with food and live entertainment. Check out Glen Eden’s Food Truck Weekend March 10 and 11 and sample some great food from local vendors.
 The view from Rattlesnake Point Rattlesnake Point has a medley of activities during the spring. Book a campsite for the weekend, and bring the family for a back-to-nature experience on the Niagara Escarpment or hike on one of the three trails for a restorative nature walk.
Hilton Falls is an outdoor athlete’s heaven. Rushing rivers and budding greenery are a photographer’s delight. There are three mountain bike-only trails that are a mix of novice level, and technically challenging rock-gardens. Hikers, horseback riders, and families: there are still tranquil trails and water features like the Hilton Falls, or the reservoir to experience quiet nature.
By Doug Brown
March 7th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The transit survey is not a bad idea – but is a very minor item when so much more is needed.
I believe that the City Manager and new Transit Director are committed to improving transit. However, this will require a political commitment for increased long-term transit funding. Will this be possible given that our council that has consistently cut transit and the City now spends less than one half of the GTA per capita average on transit?
 Doug Brown, a relentless advocate for better transit funding is never happier than when he sees a bus – two buses produces a smile. The analysis that James Ridge, Sue Connor and Colm Lynn presented to Council on September 7, 2017 made a very compelling case for immediate money to bring the transit system up to labour standards and provide better safety and reliability. For the first time in recent years, this council listened and approved the emergency funding.
During his September 7 presentation to council, the City Manager made clear that the emergency funding would still leave Burlington with “a crappy system” i.e. with low service levels and long wait times – but at least it would run on time and within provincial labour standards.
So what is really needed now is a comprehensive transportation study that will look at all aspects of transportation, roads, cars, transit, walking, cycling, parking, and development. This study should develop alternative options and evaluate the alternatives against economic, social and environmental criteria. Unfortunately, this is not happening as plans for transit, roads, parking, and cycling continue to be developed separately.
The City must begin to look at the cost of transit with regard to all the benefits that a robust transit system would provide – i.e. large savings in road and parking expenditures; improved air quality; improved road safety; improved social accessibility and equity; and savings in private automobile costs.
The economic benefits of transit have been documented in a number of Canadian studies. A national study of the economic benefits of transit concluded that municipalities could make no better investment than in transit with “a rate of return of at least 12% if not more.” A recent study in Hamilton showed significant economic benefits from transit investments, while in Waterloo Region, their transportation plan determined that a transit-oriented scenario would provide more economic, social, and environmental benefits than the car-oriented scenario.
The financial case for better transit has been clearly demonstrated. The question is not whether we can afford better transit, but whether we can afford not to invest more in transit.
Will “Canada’s Best Mid-Sized City” continue to have a “crappy” transit system or will we build a good transit system to provide accessibility for all our citizens, and make the City truly a liveable, walkable, community.
Doug Brown has been a transit advocate for decades and is a founding member of Bfast: Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit
By Staff
March 7TH, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
This news story has been revised due to an error in an earlier version. That error has been corrected.
A Gazette reader sent the following comment:
 “I’ve been advised and have confirmed that clause 8.3.3.(1)b) is actually a hold over from the 2006 Official Plan. It is inconsistent with the provisions noted by Mr. Skinner and provides a backdoor to intensification in areas in which intensification is expressly discouraged. As such, I believe that it should be eliminated and that it highlights the dangers of a rush to approval.”
Here is what Section 8.3.3.1b says.
“Notwithstanding Subsection 8.3.3(1) a) of this Plan, other forms of attached, ground-oriented dwellings may be permitted on lands designated Residential – Low Density, provided that these forms meet the density as specified in Subsection 8.3.3(1) c) of this Plan, and provided that the development form is compatible with the surrounding area and respectful of the physical character of the neighbourhood, including the provision of a functional common amenity area at grade.”
Our reader adds: “As such, it contradicts at least four (4) other clauses of the proposed new OP, as identified by Jeremy Skinner in his comments to Marianne Meed Ward’s response, that specifically discourage intensification/development in low density residential neighbourhoods. In other words, clause 8.3.3.(1)b) seems to provide a qualified backdoor to intensification in areas that are not intended to be intensified. I believe that this is a product of careless drafting (less haste, more speed) where a holdover clause from the 2006 Official Plan has unintended impacts and is inconsistent with the overall intent of the new plan. If clause 8.3.3.(1)b), as drafted, is an intentional inclusion then I believe that the new plan is not internally consistent and is providing an “open door” to development across all areas of the City.”
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward adds: The clause states in part “other forms of attached ground-oriented dwellings may be permitted” provided the overall density is less than 25 units per net hectare. This allows townhouses and apartment walkups in single family neighbourhoods. During questions at committee about it, staff advised this was a change to the existing OP. Upon further review, however, this clause is in the existing OP. However, with the increased pressure for intensification coupled with land assembly, we will see more of these types of applications (eg. The Blue Water/Avondale application which staff, the community and council rejected and is the subject of an OMB hearing in May). The clause also isn’t in keeping with the spirit of the new OP which directs growth away from established neighbourhoods. I believe we need to take this out of the proposed Plan, or every neighbourhood in the city could fundamentally change due to the pressures of growth.
Meed Ward has said she is going to ask that the section be struck from the draft Official Plan. Hopefully she will ask how the section got past the vetting that usually gets done in the Planning department.
Our reader is quite right – let us take the time to make sure we get it right.
The Gazette doubts that never before in the history of this city have so many citizens actually read the Official Plan.
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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 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. Tweet @rayzrivers
