 By Pepper Parr
September 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There isn’t going to be just the one Administrative Review – there will be separate reviews for each of the two high schools that took exception to the Board of Education to close them.
A response from the Ministry said they have “approved two separate requests for administrative reviews of the Halton DSB’s Burlington Secondary Program and Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) involving Robert Bateman High School and Lester B. Pearson High School.
“The ministry reviewed the requests and determined that both met the criteria for the appointment of a facilitator to undertake an administrative review.
 Pearson was at risk from the very beginning. They further advised that the “selection process for the facilitator to lead this review is underway and the successful candidate will be appointed as soon as possible. Once appointed, the ministry informs the lead petitioner and the board.
“The facilitator will be focused on reviewing the board’s accommodation review process and its consistency with the board’s accommodation review policy. Upon selection, it will be up to the facilitator to determine the overall course and structure of the review.
Timelines will depend on the circumstances in each review and the findings of the reviewers.
 Bateman high school had a very tough time overcoming the time they lost during the early stages of the PAR – Program Accommodation Review. They had a strong story – it just wasn’t being told. Sources within the Board of Education said that their role is to comply with the direction from the facilitator and that from past experience that person is usually wither a former Director of Education or a lawyer with experience in administrative law.
There are no public hearings – the facilitator will meet with the parent group from each school and the appropriate people at the Board level.
The facilitator chosen has a considerable amount of leeway in deciding how to proceed.
We are told that these reviews “tend to be paper heavy.
The report prepared usually has two parts: A recommendation as to what if any action should be taken and some commentary on what the facilitator believes actually happened.
One of the concerns coming out of the Board of Education is that the Ministry of Education may be dealing with bigger issues and that the Halton matter might get tangled up in those political machinations.
 Few parents feel the Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon did all that much to advance their cause – something that might be regretted come next June. The Ministry has put a pause on any future PAR’s until there is an internal review of that process which is seen as “fundamentally flawed”. The pause was put in place 22 days after the Halton decision was made.
The timing of the Administrative Reviews could become a concern with a provincial election due in June.
The last Administrative Review hat Halton had to deal with was referred to as a “truncated” event which took just the months.
The Burlington situation is not going to get resolved in two months – six to eight is seen as the more likely time frame which gets perilously close to the election date.
The Ministry might choose to let the election take place and then deliver whatever there is going to be in the way of a recommendation.
 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne speaks at the hearings into the gas plant cancellations at Queen’s Park in Toronto on December 3, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch There are parents that like that idea – hoping they will be able to impact the provincial election in June to change the provincial member for Burlington – which is a very wild stretch of imagination – except that the Premier is in the middle of two rather messy criminal trials that have the potential to change the way the wind blows.
There are parents who believe that if a decision can be put off until the municipal election in October of 2018 they can elect different trustees who could theoretically reverse the decision.
There are people who have already decided to contest several of the Board of Trustee seats.
Sticky wickets indeed.
 By Staff
September 7th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What did we think of this one?
 Not much – we don’t deal with the TD Bank – we didn’t open the pdf either.
Here is what we got:
This Consent to Electronic Delivery of Documents applies to the electronic delivery to you of the statements and other important eDocuments for the accounts listed within your (Web Business Banking) and any extension, renewal, amendment and replacement of any of these accounts.
You must access our Digital Banking Service to review eDocuments. Open the attached eDocument and follow the instructions to access our Web Business Banking Service.
Failure to consent to the electronic delivery of the eDocuments as described in our Digital Banking Service will revoke your access to TD Commercial Banking.
Note: eDocuments are available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and can only be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader Software.
We thank you and appreciate your prompt response.
Relationship Manager; The Toronto-Dominion Bank
Remember and follow the rule – If in doubt, don’t. And ask questions.
The Gazette will be doing a feature length article on the how email like this gets sent to you. Someone bought your email address and sends you email they think will pull you into their web.
 By Staff
September 6, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have arrested a 52 year old Burlington man for indecent act.
 The 52 year old man is alleged to have exposed himself while shopping at the Piggymart convenience store located at 2290 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, on August 23, 2017.
The Halton Regional Police would like to thank the public for their assistance in identifying the suspect.
Tips can be forwarded to Crime Stoppers; “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
No names released – interesting.
Pepper Parr
September 6, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was one of those Receive and File reports – it was hundreds of pages long and it focused on the new Official Plan that is being created by the Planning department with input from anyone in the city who has a comment.
The Tuesday meeting was time for the building industry to speak along with Burlington’s Sustainability Committee that is made up of citizens who advise city Council.
The time frames that have been put in place are extremely tight; the planners want city council to pass whatever the Official Plan is going to be done by the end of November.
The development industry thinks there is some information that should be in the document – specifically, what the population of the city is going to be and where those people are to be housed.
The population of the city is determined by the province – and they are telling us that Burlington has to grow. The province gives the Regional government a number – the Region decides how that number is going to be divided between Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.
Region Official Plan allocates 8,086 new units to be achieved in the built-up area of Burlington over the 2017 to 2031 period. The breakdown is 2,758 new units over the 2017 to 2021 period, 2,669 new units over the 2022 to 2026 period and 2,659 units over the 2027 to 2031 period
 This is where growth can take place in the downtown core.. The development community thinks that growth should take place along Brant street. In the Adi Development report “Staff recognized that the Urban Growth Centre needs to accommodate a total of 22,800 people and jobs by 2031 in order to reach the minimum target set out by the Growth Plan.”
The staff report goes on to say that: “When the estimated 15,417 residents in the Urban Growth Centre as of 2013 are added to the 736 anticipated residents and 702 estimated jobs resulting from recently approved and upcoming developments, the estimated number of people and jobs in the Urban Growth Centre within the next several years is 16,855.
This figure is 5,945 short of the minimum density target. (22,800 – 16,885 = 5,945)
The Places to Grow Growth Plan was put in place ten years ago. Planning staff calculates that, with developments in the approval pipeline included, the Urban Growth is approaching 74% of the minimum density target for 2031.
If we divide the approximate 5,945 people and jobs by the 17 years remaining to reach the target of 22,800 we get an average annual target of approximately 350 people and or jobs per year that will have to be created for each of the 17 years remaining between now and 2031.
Some members of city council will tell you that we are at the 75% point of that growth target. Some in the development community say the number is at the 66% level.
With the need to grow very clear the developers are beavering away at what they do – building housing. What kind of housing – not single family detached homes – the city managers claims we aren’t going to see a net increase in single family dwellings – for a number of reasons.
One – we have no more land on which to build and the cost of those homes is getting to be well beyond the ability of young families to be able to afford.
 Upper Middle Road looking east towards Burloak – prime commercial. No takers. Developer wants some of the land converted to residential use. Add to that the – the tussle over land in the city that is zoned employment lands which the developers want to build houses on. That stretch of land along upper middle Road where it curves into Burloak is seen as land that should have residential land.
If not single family detached homes then apartments or condominiums.
Mark Bales, one of the decision makers at Carriage Gate, the company that is currently building the Berkeley at the corner of Maria and John street where there 17 storey condominium, is part of a development that is to include a parking garage and Medical Centre.
Bales told council that Carriage Gate wanted to support the draft Official Plan but couldn’t do so because it wasn’t complete enough.
 Graphic of the downtown core boundaries. City Council recognizes that new growth is to be directed to a series of nodes (especially the Downtown) and along important transportation corridors within the Built-Up area.
The new Draft Official Plan is in many respects a characteristic urban structure plan with growth being focused to a series of nodes that are knit together by connecting corridors. The success of the plan will be contingent upon the ability of the Urban Growth Centre, the other mobility hubs and transportation corridors to accommodate assigned amounts of growth by 2031. “We agree with this focus” said Bales, but the draft of the Official Plan fails to propose effective growth management strategies and the policy framework necessary to bring the Plan to life.
Bales added that the draft was released in March and that Carriage Gate has submitted comments. Staff said we would receive responses yet to-date we have not received a response, said Bales.
During the council meeting the planers did say that answers would be forthcoming.
 Mark Bales Bales wants to see a plan that does more than simply paint a pretty picture of what the City might generally like to achieve. He said: “Municipalities are required to encourage and facilitate residential intensification.”
For Bales and other delegations the draft of the Official Plan fails to assign population and employment distribution targets to each of the Mobility Hubs and the Downtown Urban Growth Centre in particular.
“No one can figure out how much of what is intended to go where. Even if we knew, the guts in the Plan to make it happen are missing” said Bales.
“Without assigned population and employment targets for each of the mobility hubs and the corridors, it is impossible to determine whether or not the underlying principles and policies of the Plan are appropriate or if success can be reasonably achieved.”
Bales went on: “We recognize that redevelopment and intensification projects within existing urban areas can be some of the most challenging that a city will experience. This is precisely the reason that new planning policies must focus on matters of “fit” and not sameness. “The current Draft Official Plan fails in this regard” he said.
“To be successful, the new Official Plan must not only provide clear policy directions for new development but must also foster an environment that will bring it to life.”
Bales brought to the attention of council that city planners said at a recent Ontario Municipal Board hearing that Burlington is 66 percent of the way towards meeting its required minimum target for 2031. Staff also confirmed that the existing planning policies for the Downtown will not enable the City to reach its required minimum population and employment targets by 2031.
Ward 2 Councillor Meed Ward said she believed the city has “blown past” what it needs to have achieved in terms of meeting the 2031 target.
Bales is concerned that the city’s incorrect messaging continues and that the city’s additional growth requirements have yet to be presented to Council and the public.
“You may ask why this is so important” said Bales. “It is important because not only are appropriate planning policies required for the Downtown, but these policies may impact other Official Plan policies and those being developed for other mobility hubs, nodes and corridors – in other words, the policy framework being prepared for the entire Plan may be flawed.”
Flawed or not – the construction of the high rise in the downtown core is well underway. Set out below are the projects underway,before the planners or in front of the OMB.
 The Bridgewater development is under construction – it is a done deal approved in 1995.  The Berkeley is under construction. Another done deal.  421 Brant – in the hands of the planners who will issue a report in the near future.  The Nautique – the OMB hearing has taken place – report might be seen before the end of the year. Council and the planners appear to be prepared to settle for an 11 storey structure – developer wanted 28. Bales made reference to a consulting report Carriage Gate had done that sets out some mind boggling numbers. The Gazette will report in detail on that document. To give you a sense as to what it had to say Bales told council the report concludes that within the Built-Up area, 45 new tall buildings are required between now and 2031 with 23 of those to be located within the Urban Growth Centre/the Downtown.
To put this into perspective, said Bales, the residential housing supply in the Downtown is required to expand by over 40% between now and 2031.
The report adds that “In addition, we are challenged to find any locations in the Urban Growth Centre that are currently designated and zoned to reasonably accommodate this scale of redevelopment.”
23 new tall buildings – you can guess what that is going to do to the look and feel of Burlington.
Looks like an election issue to us.
 By Pepper Parr
September 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Ken, an intelligent citizen who comments in the Gazette from time to time, made an interesting comment earlier this week.
Burlington Citizens are in charge of their future, he said. “If the people of Burlington want to build to accommodate more people then let’s see how the voting goes in 2018.”
That election is more than a year away but some of the ducks are already being lined up.
 Cute – why doesn’t the man just come out and say that on May 1, 2018 he expect to file nomination papers. There are three who covet the Mayor’s chain of office: The current occupant who has said in a very coy way that he is in the race.
Mike Wallace has been telling anyone who will give him 15 seconds of their time that he too is in the race.
And we assume the ward 2 council member Marianne Meed Ward is still in the race. She was running for Mayor when she ran in 2010. Meed Ward had run previously in Ward 1 against Councillor Craven.
Mike Wallace was a member of council for a number of years and expected to be the Mayoral candidate but found himself in a federal election where he won and was off to Ottawa.
Greg Woodruff, an Aldershot resident, has run some numbers based on the votes he got when he ran against Regional Chair Gary Carr and figured out that he has a chance of winning. Will he toss his hat in the ring? Who knows?
 Meed Ward loves her job; she revels in pulling people together. During her first term of office she spent her annual postage allotment in a couple of months – she was mailing everything to almost everyone. At the Mayoral level there is an interesting situation. Meed Ward has her tribe’ they will stand by her – the question is – does she have enough people in the other five wards that will be with her?. If she has – and she seems to believe she does – then the question becomes this – is her vote bigger than what Wallace and the Mayor have to split?
The Meed Ward vote is not going to go to either Wallace or the Mayor. Those two will have to share what Meed Ward doesn’t get.
 The Mayor spent the night of the federal election watching he vote come in at Mike Wallace’s headquarters. Mike must feel that he can pull in more of the vote that Meed Ward doesn’t get than the Mayor can.
 Wallace congratulating Gould on her defeating him for the Burlington federal seat – it will be interesting if Wallace becomes Mayor and has to deal regularly with the woman that beat him. Mike has profile, he has been around a long time and he wants the job – close to desperately.
The Mayor chose to go the photo op route – he couldn’t sustain the approach his Chief of Staff Frank McKeough developed for him during his first term.
The Mayor has gone through four Staff Chief’s. He hasn’t delivered on any of his environmental issues – still no private tree bylaw – and he hasn’t been identified with an issue that the public is fully in support of. And he seems to have to cling to the New Street Road diet.
Meed Ward is described as “divisive” – she is focused. She knows where she stands and sticks by her decisions. There isn’t the understanding of the economics of land values that the job needs.
 Often, whenever ward 1 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward appears at events with the Mayor she sounds more “mayoral” than the man who wears the chain of office. Should she win her first two years will be hectic – she will want to do everything at the same time. Meed Ward believes she will be a great Mayor. Whether she is not will become evident in the third and fourth year of her first term.
At the council level – no one is going to beat Craven in Ward 1; Leah Reynolds was being primed for the ward 2 seat by Meed Ward but the fiasco with the texts sent between the two during the school closing debate might put a wrinkle in those plans
There is a credible candidate for ward 3 – the issue there is whether or not John Taylor is ready to retire. He has deep deep support in the community but 30 years is a long time. At some point the harness has to be put away – and if Taylor likes the look of the candidate he might decide to support the person and mentor him during the first term.
The potential candidate was raised in the ward and currently holds a very important job at another level of government.
 Jack Dennison the day he announced the sale of Cedar Spring. his health club operation. Ward 4? Can Dennison be beaten – Of course he can but not by a candidate who comes into the race late in the game and doesn’t have a team or the funding. Dennison has name recognition – some think the recognition is past its best before date.
Ward 5 – Sharman holds sway there and there doesn’t appear to be any one in the trenches prepared to do the work to take him on.
There is hope for a change in ward 6 – there is at least one very credible candidate who would do a superb job of representing the residents. Career options are a family issue there.
Do a head count at the council level: Craven, Dennison and Sharman are close to a given. If the right people are elected in wards 2, 3 and 6 – and Meed Ward is Mayor – Burlington will be a much different city.
We thought we saw it that way in 2014 and we were dead wrong. No predictions at this point – but the possibilities are intriguing.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column written by the publisher.
 By Staff
September 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
“The Halton District School Board received notification today from the Ministry of Education, granting Administrative Reviews of the Burlington Secondary School Program and Accommodation Review (PAR) undertaken by the Halton District School Board during the 2016-2017 school year. Requests for these reviews were submitted to the Ministry of Education by the Lester B. Pearson High School and the Robert Bateman High School communities.
“According to Ministry Guidelines, an administrative review is a process by which an independent, impartial facilitator reviews that the Board has followed it’s pupil accommodation review policy. An administrative review is not an assessment of the decisions made by the Board of Trustees. In the near future, a facilitator will be appointed by the Ministry of Education.
 Halton Director of Education Stuart Miller “We welcome an independent review of our process,” says Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “Having an independent third party review of our Program and Accommodation Review Policy and the Burlington PAR ensures that we have followed our processes and provides an opportunity to address community concerns. It is important for the HDSB, the community and the Ministry of Education that the process is thoroughly examined and reviewed.
“During this review period, the Halton District School Board will continue to keep student needs at the forefront. As such, we will continue to collaboratively plan for and implement the Board’s decisions made in June 2017. We will, however, be cognizant of minimizing the expenditures of the implementation during the review process.”
What does this mean?
It does not mean that the decision to close two of the seven high schools in the city is now reversed.
The review is a review of the process that was used and followed by the Board. One of the decisions could be a requirement that the Board do the PAR all over again because the view of the facilitator is that the process was badly flawed.
 Will the 14 members of the PAR get called back to do the job all over again? Nope. That is a stretch but it has happened to Halton before. Given that the province has sort of admitted that the new PAR process, which was revised considerably, has some serious flaws there is an outside chance that the facilitator might send everyone back to square one.
There may be a number of people asking that they not rush into this and give some time to elect some new trustees.
What the two parent groups now have to do is lobby effectively at several levels.
Related news story:
Director of Education has been through a review before.
By Pepper Parr
September 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
“We are done!”, said the city manager.
 City manager James Ridge In addressing the Planning and Development Committee City manager James Ridge said that in his talks with people he points out three facts that Burlington is up against.
The city is not only going to grow – it has to grow- “we are mandated to do that” he said.
We are looking at between 15,000 and 18,000 new people every decade.
There is not going to be any net new supply of single family homes
And there are not going to be any new roads built for the next hundred years.
Ridge then said that this could put an additional 50,000 cars on the existing roads at some point – and if that happen “We are done!”
Ridge seldom gets excited about anything – but there was a sense of foreboding in his voice.
 Even in their wildest imaginations – the Alton family would never have thought those farm fields would look like this – imagine the increase in value. He could see the apocalypse coming and he knew what the impact would be – but he wasn’t sure that the public he has to deal with can see or wants to see what our future as a city is going to look like.
Ridge was speaking at meeting that had more than 250 pages of material to wade through.
Much more to write about.
Question we have is: Is there a difference between “we are done” and “we are toast” and if there is which is the more serious?
Sounded like done to me.
By Staff
September 5th 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On Sunday September 3rd 2017 shortly after 2:00 AM, police were called to the Maria and Elizabeth intersection in response to a report of a stabbing.
On arrival, police located a 23-year old male victim from Burlington with a laceration to his left bicep. The victim went to Joseph Brant Hospital where he received 10 stitches to close the wound.
Police learned that the victim and his girlfriend were walking home after having attended a downtown bar when they came across a group of 3-4 males and a female.
One of the males was alleged to have made an insulting remark to the victim which started a fight between the victim and the group of males.
During the fight, the victim was stabbed by one of the males who brandished what was described as a black handled knife.
The only descriptions at this time are that the males were all white in their twenties and the female was white with long dark hair, thin build and a half or full sleeve tattoo.
Police are asking for anyone with information to contact D/Cst. Erin Toth of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2313 or Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS, through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
September 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
For the most part the students who rely on school buses to get them to the class worked smoothly.
 The consortium that runs the school bus service for the two school boards reports that: “The vast majority of delays this morning were caused by high traffic around schools, construction and some mechanical issues with buses which is typical for the first few days in September.
“Minimal delays were a result of school bus drivers not being available.
“Thirteen of the of HSTS’s 860 runs, which include runs for both the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board, that were late this morning (approximately 1.5 %) could be attributed to a shortage of school bus drivers. ”
 By Pepper Parr
September 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington, in collaboration with Craft Ontario, are presenting the first Canadian Craft Biennial. It is open now and will run until October 29, 2017. The launch of this inaugural event during Canada’s 150th anniversary will serve as a spotlight to celebrate and educate on the importance of contemporary craft throughout Canada’s diverse history and future. Under the theme Can Craft? Craft Can! the Biennial will explore What and Who is ‘Canadian Craft’?; the Biennial will analyze ideas regarding the agency of craft.
 This piece needs a slow look – see if you can see what the artists wants you to see. The Opening Celebrations are being held on Friday, September 15, 2017; 6:00pm-9:00pm in the Lee-Chin Family Gallery at the AGB
This Biennial is made up of several events:
 A Craft Symposium taking place on Friday, September 15 (Holiday Inn, Burlington) & Saturday, September 16 (OCAD University, Toronto)
Eleven sessions covering a variety of themes and approaches will be presented by forty-four scholars and makers from around the world.
Professional Ceramics Workshop being given by Anton Reijnders.
September 11-14, 2017; 9:00am-5:00pm/day
This event is open to professional ceramists only. Participation is closed at this point. Prospective participants were asked to submit a one-page letter of interest outlining what they intend to gain from their experience.
Exhibitions
 National Craft Exhibition: Can Craft? Craft Can!; August 19-October 29, 2017
Bringing together seventy makers from across Canada, Can Craft? Craft Can! will present works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fibre that address three sub-themes exploring ideas of Identity, Sustainability and Materiality.
Craft Ontario Provincial Exhibition: Nothing is Newer than Tradition; August 19-October 29, 2017
Craft Ontario’s Nothing is Newer than Tradition will present the work of emerging Ontario makers that reflect a dedicated engagement with specialized skills and materials. The exhibition will explore how craft materials, tools and processes are creatively reiterated through the hands of a new generation of makers.
 Mason jars put to a different use. AGB Provincial Exhibition – Setting Ontario’s Table: Once Upon a Time; August 19-December 31, 2017
Drawing from the Art Gallery of Burlington’s Permanent Collection of Contemporary Canadian Ceramics, Once Upon a Time will present a special exhibition exploring functional ware from Ontario ceramists. Each artist selected will be represented through both a piece from their early years, juxtaposed against a recent work to explore the progression in their practice.
 Anton Reijnders International Ceramic Exhibition – Anton Reijnders; September 9-October 29, 2017
Dutch ceramist Anton Reijnders will present his new work in a solo exhibition. Anton Reijnders graduated at the Fine Art Academy in Hertogenbosh in 1981. He participated in exhibitions throughout the world and contributed to conferences and symposia and has given lectures in Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA. He has contributed to the creation of what in 1991 was to become the European Ceramic Work Center (EKWC)—Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
He has been the visiting professor at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University three times.
By Pepper Parr
September 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The debate on the construction of a 26 storey mixed-use development at the corner of John and Brant Street opposite city hall is getting tied up in the debate over the Grow Bold discussions that are ongoing.
There is a meeting Thursday evening at the AGB, that will look at the public reaction to the plans for what gets done with the downtown mobility hub.
The city prepares the 3D renderings as part of its engaging the citizen’s program. The 3D renderings give viewers a sense as to what a community would look like when a development is completed.
The view is close to what you would expect from a drone that was flown over a community. It will take several viewings to see what is being proposed.
Click for a fascinating view of what is being proposed.
 By Pepper Parr
September 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Construction cranes in the downtown core – a welcome sign of growth to some, and intensification that isn’t welcome to others.
The provincial government has said we are going to grow and that the population of Burlington is going to rise – those are facts that we have to live with.
While construction crews put rebar in place and pour concrete the citizens gather in meetings across the city to give their views on the Grow BOLD initiative the city has undertaken to create four mobility hubs in the city around which the growth is to be contained.
There is a public that is concerned about what is going to happen to their community and a Mayor who does his best to soothe the concerns and explain that intensification will only impact 5% of the city.
 In the meantime the Bridgewater project rises out of the ground – a 22 story condominium; an 8 story hotel and a seven storey condominium tucked in behind the hotel – and the Berkeley on John Street become visible as it rises to the 28 storey height that was permitted.
That John Street construction site is to include a public garage and a medical centre – they will follow the construction of the condominium.
 Medica One or the Carriage Gate project – pick the name you like best – will go up at the top of John Street and consist of a medical offices building, an above ground garage and an apartment/condo complex. It will bring significant change to the intersection and drive redevelopment of the plaza to the immediate north, A transit hub a couple of blocks to the south then makes a lot of sense. This rendering is from the Caroline – Elizabeth Street intersection. The city expected all three projects to rise at the same time – and were worried enough about the construction actually taking place that they had the developer commit to coughing up $300,000 if the project doesn’t proceed by March of 2020.
City hall does appear to fully appreciate the market forces the developer has to contend with.
 The utility poles will disappear – all the cable will be underground. Getting that decision in place was no simple matter.  Maria Street, currently closed to the public, will be the entrance to the Berkley condominium. Carriage Gate, the developer, has had their share of grief with both the city and Burlington Hydro over the existence of utility poles on John Street. A hydro line had to be pulled in from Lakeshore Road to the site – an expensive job. There was much discussion over whether or not all the hydro wires would be underground.
The developer was prepared to pay for the cost of burying the cable in front of their project but wasn’t prepared to pay for the cost of burying the cable for every foot of the distance from Lakeshore Road.
And they didn’t like the price for doing the work that Burlington Hydro had put on the table.
It’s getting resolved – with the developer trying hard to keep the lawyers out of the room.
When completed John Street will take on a much different look. Other developers have already begun to acquire and assemble property on the street.
As construction continues the planners are looking for ways to improve the look of the rest of the street and bring more activity to the area.
There are parts of John Street that are really the back alley of some of the properties on Brant Street – the top end of John Street isn’t even a street – it is designated a lane-way that leads to a supermarket.
 By Pepper Parr
September 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Households throughout the city begin to get into the routines that are part of getting the kids back into the classrooms.
How well did they do last year and how can parents help their children improve? Just how did your child do last year is a question some parents don’t really know.
 Are the students in the Halton Region measuring up to the needed standard? EQAO – the acronym for the Education Quality and Accountability Office has published the provincial-level results of the primary- and junior-division 2016–2017 Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics written by students in Grades 3 and 6, and of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.
For the second year in a row, 50% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in math. Among Grade 3 students, 62% met the provincial standard—a one-percentage-point decrease since last year.
Not quite sure why that 50% seems acceptable – the number has to be a lot closer to 70% if those students are going to get jobs in the world they are going into.
The breakdown of the numbers by Board of Education get released September 20th – we are told by a source that should know that Halton has done very well – which we hope doesn’t get translated into the complacency that tends to prevail in this part of the world.
 Results at a glance – are they good enough? Are the best we can do? Elementary school reading results for Grade 3 students have increased to 74%, an increase of two percentage points since last year, and reading results for Grade 6 students have remained at 81% for the second year in a row.
Those are good numbers; the minimal decline in writing at the elementary level should be noted and then produce different ways to keep the number at the earlier levels.
Achievement results in writing at the elementary school level have declined since last year by one percentage point for both Grades 3 and 6, and stand at 73% and 79% respectively.
Eighty-three percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in the academic course were successful on the assessment, a result that is identical to last year.
Meanwhile, 44% of Grade 9 students enrolled in the applied math course were successful on the math assessment, marking a one-percentage-point decrease since last year, and continuing the trend over the last five years whereby less than half of students enrolled in the applied math course met the provincial standard.
Applied mathematics are critical for many of the jobs that are going to solve the problem we have as a society. The academic course is producing the needed results – someone wants to be looking at what needs to be done at the applied level.
Some facts to worry about and the focus on finding solutions:
In math at the elementary level, 62% (82 928) of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard, compared to the 67% who did on the 2013 assessment. Of Grade 6 students, 50% (64 686) met the provincial math standard, compared to the 57% who did on the 2013 assessment.
Results from EQAO’s student questionnaire show that a large number of students in Grades 3 and 6 (77%) are motivated to do their best when they undertake math activities in class. Despite this high motivation, only 56% of Grade 3 students and 53% of Grade 6 students believe they are good at math. It is encouraging that motivation remains high, now to translate that into better results.
The gap between motivation and results suggests different approaches might be needed by dthe teachers.
The majority of students who had not met the math standard in Grade 3, but who were able to meet it in Grade 6, carried that success forward into Grade 9.
In math at the secondary level, 83% (80 350) of Grade 9 students enrolled in the academic math course met the provincial standard, compared to the 84% who did on the 2013 assessment. Of Grade 9 students enrolled in the applied math course, 44% (15 321) met the standard, the same percentage of students who did in 2013.
In elementary-school reading, 74% (93 130) of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard, compared to the 68% who did in 2013. Of Grade 6 students, 81% (106 135) met the provincial reading standard for the second year in a row, compared to the 77% who did on the 2013 assessment.
In elementary-school writing, 73% (92 372) of Grade 3 students met the provincial writing standard, compared to the 77% who did in 2013. Of Grade 6 students, 79% (103 450) met the provincial writing standard, up from 76% in 2013.
EQAO is an independent agency that creates and administers large-scale assessments to measure Ontario students’ achievement in reading, writing and math at key stages of their education. All EQAO assessments are developed by Ontario educators to align with The Ontario Curriculum.
 Some of the conclusions on the grade 9 literacy testing made by the EQAO researchers The assessments evaluate student achievement objectively and in relation to a common provincial standard. EQAO is undertaking a multi-year project to move the provincial assessments online.
EQAO provides results to each student who writes an assessment. Its personalized reports help support individual student learning. The agency provides schools and school boards with detailed reports about their students’ achievement, as well as contextual, attitudinal and behavioural information from questionnaires, in an interactive online reporting tool. These data are used to improve school programming and classroom instruction.
EQAO also reports the results of the provincial assessments publicly. This helps keep the public education system accountable to taxpayers.
By Pepper Parr
September 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The material that gets pumped out of the constituency offices of the federal and provincial politician’s is usually about an opportunity to take their picture,
We seldom see a document that has information that is focused and informative.
 Oakville Burlington North Member of Parliament Pam Damoff. Pam Damoff, the federal member for Oakville Burlington North sent out both a comment and a document that many of the professional class who have incorporated their operations for tax purposes and most of the small business who have questions about changes in the tax act will find useful and interesting.
Damoff refers to an announced set of proposals aimed at reforming the tax planning options available for private corporations. Since the changes were released Damoff reports she has heard from a number of incorporated professionals, and small and medium sized business owners in Oakville and Burlington.
The proposed changes will bring reform to rules that have been unaltered since the 1970s and people rightly have a lot of questions about how these changes will affect their businesses. The proposed changes are complex, and Damoff believes there is misinformation that has been circulating.
The document she refers to can be found at;
Damoff believes the document will help to set the record straight.
The first thing Damoff wants people to do is inform themselves and learn how these changes will affect them personally or their business. She claims that once they did this, they discovered that the proposed changes do not have any impact on them at all.
 She was a replacement nominee who had no plans to run for a federal seat – she was content with being a member of Oakville town council. The document compiled by the Department lays out the current tax planning strategies that corporations are currently using, some problematic elements found in these current strategies and the rationale for why new legislative measures are needed.
You can read the document in full by clicking on this link;
Damoff encourages constructive and actionable feedback: The consultation will be open until October 2nd .
Within the newly proposed rules corporations will continue to be able to take advantage of the lower corporate tax rate to expand their offices, hire more staff, and purchase more equipment. Additionally, the government has no intention of going back in time.
The proposals would only be applied going forward. All existing savings will be unaffected. Small and mediums sized business owners can continue to use all available, tax-sheltered savings plans such as pension plans, RRSPs and TFSAs. Less than 3% of wealthy individuals max out their RRSP, TFSAs and pensions.
The proposed adjustments to the tax laws that allow unlimited tax-sheltered accounts within a business over and above the limits that apply to everyone.
 Pam Damoff letting a senior explain to her how a piece of equipment works. Damoff says that: “If you own a business and are saving against a possible downturn or to invest in your business, these changes will not affect you. As I mentioned above, changes will only be applied on a go-forward basis – all existing savings for personal use in a business will be unaffected. Our proposals will only impact a business owner if the savings are used for personal use moving forward.”
Damoff points to a Special Employment Insurance Benefits that since 2010 have been made available to people self-employed on a voluntary basis. Prior to 2010 the self-employed were not eligible for any EI benefits. Now, however, for individuals on maternity leave (including small business owners), EI provides a 55% replacement rate on employment income, up to a maximum salary of $51,300.
Damoff encourages those who have questions to reach out to her office at pam.damoff@parl.gc.ca or at 905-847-4043.
 By Ray Rivers
September 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s the gift that keeps on giving – for journalists anyway. I’m talking about Mike Duffy who has put himself back into the spot light by suing the Canadian government, RCMP and Senate for close to $8 million in total. One would think that once he had been acquitted on all 31 charges the RCMP had filed against him, the man would count his lucky stars and lay low.
 Mike Duffy, toasting – on the public’s dime? But not the Duff. Never shy of being a spectacle, he actually thinks we tax payers owe him something. First of all, being a senator is hardly a real job in any meaningful sense of the word. Even after Mr. Trudeau has tried to make that body of political hacks appear non-partisan, it is still a political body without a functional rationale. All the PM has done is further emasculate it – which is probably a good thing. And besides, when it comes to being owed salary, it wasn’t like Duffy was ever known for doing anything but attending Conservative party rallies.
Second, Mr. Duffy accepted the senate seat for PEI even though he wasn’t qualified. He apparently had pointed out that he really didn’t live there. But when it was PEI or nothing, he went for the lie and used his vacant cottage there as his pretext.
And then there were the expense claims. That he had to return bags of money is a pretty clear indication that even Duffy knew he was in the wrong. Sure the Senate rules may be fuzzy about entitlements for expenses, but he should have known he had been pulling a fast one.
 Mike Duffy and the Judge who sent him home. He was a lucky man to find a judge who obviously felt sorry for him. Or perhaps, as was suggested in his decision, the judge needed to make the point that the RCMP had missed the real perpetrators – Mr. Harper and his henchmen in the Senate and the Prime Minister’s Office. And though Duffy was mainly just a patsy in the whole messy Senate-gate that is hardly an excuse.
So while Duffy may have been set free, nobody really believed that he was innocent. Except for Duffy, that is. So having been expelled from the Senate, he felt he was still owed his back pay and that riled the man. Whether righteous indignation or greed, or both, Duffy believes, that obtaining lots of taxpayer money will restore a reputation that he never had.
 Mike Duffy with Stephen Harper when he was Prime Minister; it was a contentious relationship. It was the same argument that Omar Khadr, the former self-confessed terrorist, used to extract over $10 million from the taxpayers. He needed a big chunk of change to restore his reputation. What reputation? Duffy, was a retired journalist who was put into the Senate on a lie. His biggest contribution was in raising funds for the Conservative party, and he used his position to reward himself.
The RCMP had been suitably chastised for doing the PM’s bidding, instead of upholding the law of the land. And so they dropped the rest of the investigations against the other errant senators who had also padded their expense claims. And that was that bit of justice done.
In our post-Khadr Canada would anyone bet that those senators don’t also start suing for ‘damages’ to their reputations? And that would make the Senate even more a waste of money than it already is.
 Smiles – much to be happy about. As for Duffy, if he gets his Senate back pay reinstated, he’d be lucky. But when going to court can be akin to rolling the dice at a casino, who knows? I recall watching former PM Mulroney following his admission of accepting envelopes of cash from that slimy Karlheinz Schreiiber character.
Going to court on this ridiculous $8 million claim might make good theatre and a nice diversion, but I’m guessing it would do as much good for Duffy’s reputation as the Oliiphant Commission did for Mulroney. And on the upside, were this matter actually allowed to go to court, Mr. Duffy might finally have to face real justice.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington in 1995. 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:
Duffy’s Lawsuit – Justice in the Trial – Eight Million Cool Ones –
Mulroney’s Inquiry – Senate-Gate –
 By Staff
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Get used to the idea that the parking lot off Elizabeth Street isn’t going to be available to you on Tuesday of next week and won’t open up again until sometime in the winter.
 Parking lot between John and Elizabeth Street will be closed while a pathway is built at the north end of the lot. The City is building a new multi-use pathway in downtown Burlington core and the phase that will complete the path between John and Elizabeth begins on Tuesday.
Running east/west, the new connection will cut across the heart of downtown Burlington and accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists safely, providing access to shops, restaurants and services.
 Lot 4 will be closed starting Tuesday. Work on putting in the pathway at the north side of lot 5 will follow. The construction project is to build the second phase (between Elizabeth Street and John Street) and the third phase (between John Street and Brant Street) of the new pathway.
Parking lot 5, located on Brant Street will have quite a bit of work done and will not be open at all until the work is completed.
Lot 4 on Elizabeth Street will have work done on the northern portion – the rest of that lot will be open.
Works starts on Tuesday the 5th and is expected to be completed by winter time.
Alternate parking areas available during the closure are located at the waterfront parking garage at 414 Locust St. and parking lot 3 located on John Street.
 Parking options while lot 4 is closed.  Now the Queen’s Head minus the balconies and Elgin Street minus the street car. Construction Details
Construction of phases 2 and 3 will include:
• resurfacing and widening of the multi-use pathway
• resurfacing of the parking areas
• replacement of the bus shelters on both sides of John St.
• new urban trees and plantings
• new benches, lighting, and a bike shelter
• a 300m2 public space beside Brant Street that will provide additional areas for seating, entertainment and the installment of public art.
Few people know that there is a pipeline beneath the pathway to be built that carries jet fuel to Hamilton. The parking lot was once going to be the location for part of McMaster University that was being built in Burlington. The South Service Road was the eventual location choice.
Phase 1 of the new multi-use pathway between Pearl Street and Elizabeth Street was completed earlier this summer.
 By Staff
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Things to see and do.
If you overdo it a little at the Ribfest and need to walk some of it off – wander along to the Art Gallery and slip into the Dan Lawrie Family Courtyard and have a look at the collection of chimes that have been set up.
 Part of the collection of chimes that decorate the Dan Lawrie Family Courtyard. Visitors are invited to give the chimes a gentle touch.
 Some of the chimes are nestled into the plants and might be mistaken by some to be a plant. Just outside the entrance to the Courtyard is a small but impactful exhibit focusing on the Terry Fox epic 143 day, 5,373 kilometer journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
 The exhibit includes a replica of the brace and prosthetic Terry wore as he loped across the country with what was part walk and part skip.
The exhibit explores Canadians’ deep and abiding affection for Terry and examines his unique place in our collective memory. Developed in partnership with the AGB and Terry Fox’s family, the exhibition shows part of the impact Terry Fox has had and continues to have on modern Canadian life.
For younger people who ask: “Who was Terry Fox?” The exhibition is the answer. Closes September 10th, 2017
By Staff
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Mildred was found in the backyard of a residence a short distance away from where she went missing. She was found in the area of Appleby Line and Longmoor Drive in the City of Burlington. She appears to be in good health and will be examined medically.
Mildred Blemmings, known as “Mickey” is an 88 year old Burlington resident who needs a walker for mobility support.
The police are asking for help in locating the woman who is described as a white female with grey hair and a slim build. She was last observed to be wearing a white sweater, black shirt and blue pants.
She is believed to have left a seniors residence at Appleby Line and New Street.
 Mickey with her walker.  Mildred Blemmings – recent photograph Anyone who has information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Halton Regional Police Service communication bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 5170.
Tips can be forwarded to Crime Stoppers; “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The A team in the Administrative offices at the Halton District School Board has been meeting to ensure that everything is in place for the Tuesday re-opening of schools for the approximately 64,000 students, more than 4,200 elementary and secondary teachers and the 221 principals and vice principals who keep order and ensure that the educating gets done.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller listening to students. Bateman parent Denise Davy. who pushed hard to keep the school open, watches how Miller handles himself, Director of Education Stuart Miller goes through his check list – will there be enough bus drivers in place? Burlington appears to be Ok – Oakville is where the problem exists.
The high school closing decisions made late in June don’t impact the system this year – that’s a bridge to be crossed next year. The Board administration has however begun the process of putting together the team that will oversee the transition from a five high school organization to a five school set up.
 Board of Education Superintendent Terry Blackwell Miller told the Gazette that Terry Blackwell has been tasked with overseeing the transition from seven to five high schools. That is going to keep her hoping as she deals with what Gerry Cullen comes up with on the building facilities side and what Superintendent Zonnefeld does with the CPP program that Bateman has been running. There are a couple of hundred parents very anxious about what is going to be available to their children and how their integration to a new school is going to get managed.
Zonneveld has said that much of this work is going to be on a case by case basis – there is not that much commonality with these children. Each of those students face challenges that are unique to them.
The people who look after the actual structures have begun their work – figuring out just what is going to be needed at Nelson high school when the bulk of the Bateman students start showing up on September of 2020.
 The trustees are where the buck is supposed to stop – The trustees appear to have decided they didn’t want to take the opportunity for a retreat during the summer break and take a look at how they did their jobs during the past school year. Many in Burlington expect to solve that problem come the municipal election in 2018.
Organizationally the Board administration has a number of key committee: An Administrative Council; an Executive Council
Superintendents are either corporate or academic; both types participate in the weekly Admin Council meetings. Senior managers are also available for specific issues as required. Miller leads these discussions, as he does with Executive Council.
There is a weekly School Operations committee– Associate Director of Education David Boag runs this show.
The corporate side also has their weekly Business Operations meeting. Whatever comes out of these operating level meetings works its way up the Administrative Council meetings and then on up to the Executive Council
The decisions made at the Executive Council are done within parameters the trustees have set. When the tasks aren’t exactly within the guidelines Miller puts it in front of the trustees for clarification or additional authority.
From time to time a requirement crops up that calls for a change in the work load for a Superintendent.
When the decision was made to form a Program Accommodation Review (PAR), Superintendent Podrebaac was tapped to lead that task.
 Superintendent Podrebarac strives to hear a parent with a viewpoint. Scott Podrebaac has a much different view of parent participation than he had before he took on the task.
Miller told the Gazette that Terry Blackwell has been tasked with overseeing the transition from seven to five high schools. That is going to keep her hoping as she deals with what Gerry Cullen comes up with on the building facilities side and what Superintendent Zonnefeld does with the CPP program that Bateman has been running. There are a couple of hundred parents very anxious about what is going to be available to their children and how their integration to a new school is going to get managed.
Zonneveld has said that much of this work is going to be on a case by case basis – there is not that much commonality with these children. Each of those students face challenges that are unique to them.
On top of all this is the request parents from both Bateman and Pearson made to the province for an administrative review of the process that resulted in the decision.
Administrative Reviews seldom result in much in the way of change – however in this situation the province put a halt to all the PAR’s that were taking place 22 days after the HDSB had come out with its decision.
That fact might cause the pooh-bahs at Queen’s Park to stretch the decision to put all the PAR’s on hold and have it include the Halton Board.
 Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon, centre, is good before a camera. It is a stretch but the province is gearing up for an election that is ten months away and while the Burlington seat should not be at risk many in the community feel MPP Eleanor McMahon could have been a lot more proactive.
McMahon has not given her views on the decisions made – she certainly has views but the public is never going to hear them. There is a Minister of Education who will do that kind of talking – McMahon is a member of Cabinet and Cabinet solidarity is a must for political party government.
 A room full of parents, many with different agendas pack a room during the public information sessions that resulted in a decision to close two of the city’s seven high schools. Will this many show up to vote in 2018? Expect either Bateman or Pearson parents to ask some penetrating questions during the public election debates.
There are a lot of balls in the air on the educational front. The bright spot is the hundreds of children who will walk into a school on Tuesday to start grade 1.
Wish them well – they are the people who are going to ensure that you have a decent federal pension.
By Ray Rivers
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Donald Trump calls out the traditional media, labelling them ‘fake news’- all except Fox News, that is. It’s almost like he is preparing a justification for shutting them down.
 Presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) It is almost unprecedented for the CEO of America to be demeaning the nation’s time-tested news networks and it is worrisome. Isn’t that a tyrant’s prelude to quashing any opposition and to avoiding criticism?
At one point Trump shut down the cameras at the regular White House press briefings and at another he actually banned CNN and some other media, while allowing other media outlets in.
 Fred Bracken being arrested in Fort Erie for trespassing Somewhat related, back here in Canada the municipality of Fort Erie has also been trying to muffle a critic. Local resident, Fred Bracken, was banned from showing up at town hall for a whole year. He had been complaining about the council’s approval of a medical-marijuana facility situated across the street from his house, and let them know how he really felt about it.
 Fred Bracken filming at a public meeting. Perhaps he’d watched too many episodes of Miami Vice or was worried that his neighbourhood might become a druggy hangout. But it sounds like the issue became personal and a bit more entangled since he was apparently also being sued by one of the Councillors.
As we know things can get hot in the shark tank of municipal politics and Mr Bracken apparently got a little loud and boisterous one day. And that was too much for a council short on patience and tolerance. So they banned him under Ontario’s archaic Trespass Act when he refused a command to turn off his video camera. They argued that workplace security was in jeopardy by his very presence and called our Mr. Brachen a threat.
And just as well Fred had that camera running because that tape, in court, let the judge see what was really happening. And the judge agreed with him. While Fred may have been angry and annoying, he was neither violent nor a danger to anyone in the Council Chambers. So the judge rescinded the trespass order claiming the council had violated his Charter rights.
I used to post ‘no trespassing’ signs around my farm in Ottawa to keep the fox hunters and their dogs away from my sheep. But then that was my farm. I always figured that public property belonged to the public and that a public council meeting should be open to the public. I mean who pays for these politicians salaries and the venue where they jawbone about public matters.
Fred Bracken had every right to attend a public meeting dealing with matters of governance concerning his interests. He had been a victim of a town council, full of their own self-entitlement as government, trying to shut him up. It was no different than what Donald Trump had been trying to do, nor what we expect to happen in a banana republic or Russia.
When people who have been denied their constitutional rights seek recompense it can get expensive. Omar Khadr got $10 million out of court settlement because the former Conservative government had left him to defend himself in a foreign country.
The Judge who heard the Fred Bracken case ordered the city of Fort Erie to pay him $4000. It will be interesting to see if the good people of Fort Erie decide they no longer want to pay for the mistakes of their politicians’ big mistake or even if they will decide it is easier to just clean house.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington in 1995. 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:
Trump Media Blocking – More Trump Media – Trump Media Attack –
Ontario Trespass Act – Fort Erie – More Fort Erie – Even More Fort Erie –
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