 By Staff
July 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
She wants you to join her on the Pier for a bike ride and a chat next week.
 Eleanor McMahon before she was elected to the provincial legislature. Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon has used riding a bike to great advantage in her political career – she was one of the driving forces on Share the Road before she was tapped to run for public office in Burlington where the Tories had owned the seat for more than 70 years.
There is a provincial election on its way – June 7th, 2018 and McMahon, like every MPP, is out and about meeting people.
She is a strong campaigner, one of the best in the Region and bonds well with people.
 So – if you want a couple of minutes with your MPP and can get out on your bike – be at the Pier on Wednesday, August 1st at 6:00 pm.
But don’t drive your bike – that’s a no no. Not sure the MPP was fully aware that bikes are not permitted on the Pier
 By Pepper Parr
July 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They just wanted a retirement home.
In a nice quiet community – not too far from the downtown part of the city.
Their daughter was a real estate agent and was able to help them out with the purchase of the home they bought in the west side of the Tyandaga neighbourhood.
They bought, arranged to have some renovations on their new home done and were beginning to get a sense of the neighbourhood they had chosen to move into.
The road into the neighbourhood cuts through a small section that has nicely treed property on either side of the road. You have no idea if that land is public or private – it’s just there.
You come around a bend in the road and the street stretches out before you with a bit of a gradual slope that lets you see the city, the bay and the bridge almost as if it was a picture framed by the houses.
It was while the renovation work was being done that Heather found a letter in her mail box from a company that was doing some quarrying in the area.
 The homes are shown upper right. The quarries are above Bayview Park with the brick manufacturing operation below the park. “Quarrying” asked Heather. “Where is the quarry – and why didn’t I know this when I bought my house?”
Those questions were the beginning of a process that has brought a community into pretty direct conflict with their Mayor, the city council member, the province and a corporation that is a major manufacturer of a vital construction product – clay bricks.
 This berm is about 25 yards from the back yard of the homes on the west side of West Haven Drive. That quarry was just behind a huge Bern that had been built behind the homes when they were initially built in the late 1990’ss.
Heather wasn’t the stereotype suburban dweller who tends to pay little attention to what the city does as long as the garbage is picked up and the roads are plowed in the winter and the tax rate is reasonable and the streets are safe.
She wanted to know more – and she made it her business to learn more and then gather her neighbours together and begin asking questions.
And learn more they did.
The notice Heather got from the mining company was from Meridian Brick advising her that they were going to begin a shale quarrying operation in the eastern cell of their property. There are three cells: western, central and eastern. The western cell is reported to have 3 to 5 years of production left; the central cell has 6 to 8 years of production left. The direction is evident – the eastern cell will need to be opened up in the not too distant future – and that eastern cell is less than 100 yards from the back yards of the people on the western side of West Haven Drive.
To do that excavation mining they would be cutting down most of the some 9000 trees in the area.
Heather sent letters out to the 80 some neighbours asking them to meet. Close to a dozen showed up. Out of that meeting came TEC – Tyendaga Environmental Coalition Inc.
 Part of the quarrying operation couple o hundred yards from West Haven Drive homes. These were not a bunch of people who didn’t fully understand the issues – these, for the most part, were professionals who had succeeded in their careers – they’d have had too – the homes in the community aren’t cheap.
They were smart and had connections – and they knew how to make things happen.
The created an organization – asked each member to pony up $500 – 30 did – so there was now a bit of a war chest.
They then hired David Donnelly to help them through the bureaucracy.
Donnelly was the lawyer that PERL – Protecting Escarpment and Rural Land – used when they fought the expansion of the Nelson Quarry on Colling Road. That case went before a Tribunal hearing that found the Jefferson Salamander, an endangered species, lived in that part of rural Burlington – more aggregate mining could not take place.
 In the middle of the picture some of the shale mining quarry can be seen – Burlington Bay can be seen on the horizon, When the TEC took their concern to the Mayor and the city Councillor they were told that the company had a permit and that there was a notation on their deeds and they should have known that some mining was going to take place.
In a media release the Mayor said:
“After extensive review by staff in several city and regional departments, we have come to understand that Meridian Brick is within its legal rights and that the Province of Ontario, not the City of Burlington, has jurisdiction over this matter.”
There is a reported notation on the property deeds that: All purchasers are informed of the following warning clause registered on title:
“The purchaser acknowledges the presence of a future extractive industrial land use to the west and that extraction may take place during the daytime only.”
No one with property deeds could find any notation on their documents about any rights the mining company had.
That a company had the right to mine a hundred yards or so from their homes and that there was a notation to this effect on their property deeds which they couldn’t see was more than enough to mobilize the neighbourhood.
These people got serious – especially when they learned that the mining company had a permit – given to them in 1972, to mine for Queenston shale, the only type that is used for brick making in Ontario. And there aren’t many places left where that shale can be extracted.
The TEC people say the issue is that they “… need, at a minimum, to have the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) decision (to issue the original quarry license) to be re-evaluated in the light of the ‘HERE and NOW – 2016’. We appreciate that the MNRF does not have a history of reviewing their decisions but in this case we believe that the area under question has undergone such a dramatic change in the last FORTY-FOUR YEARS with the enormous growth in industry, schools, residences, traffic, etc. that it would warrant an exception to their rule.”
Brick making had been taking place in North Aldershot since the early 1900’s and it is now a large industry and a significant tax payer.
 West Haven Drive looking south. The West Haven Drive point out that the assessed value of the 141 homes on the street (these are million dollar homes) is just as big as that assessed value of the mining lands – and that residents pay higher tax rates than a mining operation.
The two politicians, the Mayor and the ward Councillor may come to regret the way they blew off the residents.
This is going to be an ongoing story – there are a number of interests at play – one being the importance of the brick manufacturing operation to the economy of the city and its importance to the residential construction industry in the province. Meridian manufactures an estimated 55% of the clay brick produced in Canada and 45% of that is made in Burlington. Tough to fight an industry with that level of market penetration.
Related story link:
What’s going on at West Haven Drive?
 By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Region Retains Distinction as Canada’s Safest for Eighth Straight Year
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is pleased to announce that Halton has retained its distinction as Canada’s safest regional municipality with a population of 100,000 or more for the eighth straight year, according to Statistics Canada’s annual report on crime in Canada. The report, entitled “Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2016”, provides a detailed overview of crime statistics as reported by police services across the country.
According to the recently-released data, Halton Region:
 • Had the lowest Crime Severity Index* (CSI), Violent Crime Severity Index and Non-Violent Crime Severity Index when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
• Maintained the lowest values for each of the indices for eight straight reporting years (2009 – 2016);
• Had the lowest overall crime rate, violent crime rate, and property crime rate among Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
• Had the highest weighted clearance rate (49.8 per cent) of the same ‘Big 12’.
Nationally, Halton ranked 298 out of a total of 305 police services in terms of its overall Crime Severity Index. Only seven communities in Canada with populations greater than 10,000 have lower overall CSI values.
 Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner “This longstanding distinction could not be achieved without the continuous efforts of our uniform officers and the support of, and strong partnerships with, Halton’s citizens – the true ambassadors of our great Region”, said Stephen Tanner, Chief of Police. “Through effective and efficient police operations and citizen engagement, we are well positioned to maintain our reputation as Canada’s safest regional municipality to live, work, raise a family and retire for many years to come.”
The Regional Police force budget is $144,940,030. As of June they have 695 Sworn Members and 279 Civilian Members.
A detailed overview of crime statistics by type and district was published last month as part of the Service’s 2016 Annual Report. The report is available online at www.haltonpolice.ca under Services -> Publications.
Policing fundamentals such as crime prevention and enforcement remained a mainstay of everyday operations in 2016, HRPS has enhanced its capacity to serve members of the public through new, community-based approaches to issues related to traffic, crime, mental health and addiction, crime prevention and vulnerable persons.
This innovative and integrated strategy is the foundation of Halton’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan, which the Service has been developing in collaboration with its valued community partners, and which is slated to officially launch later this year.
HRPS is committed to a Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of (community) safety and well-being into Service priorities: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development. More information can be found at www.haltonpolice.ca under Community or by following @HaltonPolice on Twitter or Facebook.
 By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Becoming a pilot is more than just learning how to fly. It also takes hard work in learning and understanding how the aircraft works and is put together.
Air Cadet Alexander Lundy from 715 Mohawk Squadron in Burlington, Ontario has been selected for the Advanced Aviation Technology – Aircraft Maintenance Course at Canadore Cadet Training Centre.
The program runs from July 9th to August 18th in North Bay where Lundy will install and remove rivets used in aircraft metal structures, performing a landing gear retraction test on a fixed wing aircraft and assemble an input driveshaft from a turbine powered helicopter.
 Air cadet Alexander Lundy. Photo credit: FSgt Kendra Gardner Cadet Lundy’s favourite part about the training so far has been, “learning about the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) trade. I want to be able to teach younger cadets at my home squadron.”
There are approximately 60 air cadets who complete the program in a setting that Lundy describes as just fine – “the rooms are air conditioned and the beds are hotel quality; it’s an excellent training centre”
Canadore Cadet Training has provided this elite training since 2007 where hundreds of cadets have completed their training. They bring their new skills back to their local squadrons to share with their peers and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
The cadet program is open to all youth between the ages of 12-18 years old with a focus on leadership, citizenship and healthy living. Anyone who feels they are ready for the challenge, visit www.cadets.ca and click on “Find Us” and visit our Facebook page to see their adventures! www.facebook.com/centralregioncadets
 By Pepper Parr
July 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
School is out and not for just the students.
Much of the staff at the Board of Education are taking their vacations, however there is work that has to be done – one of those tasks is responding to the requests for an Administrative Review made by parents from both Lester B. Pearson and Bateman high school.
 It took Bateman some time to organize themselves – were demonstrations like this effective? Each parent group is preparing their requests separately and when completed they file the request with the Ministry of Education. That was dine early in July.
The Ministry sends a copy to the Board of Education and gives them 30 days to prepare the Board staff response to the parent request for the review.
Board communications people advise use that the task of responding was assigned to a number of senior staff.
That document is due in the hands on the Ministry during the first half of August.
When the Ministry has both sets of documents they sit down and do a review to determine if they, the Ministry, should appoint a facilitator who will be given the task of reviewing the documents and making a decision.
The facilitator can decide that there was nothing wrong with the Program Accommodation Review that took place or he can decide that there were flaws and order the Board to hold another Review. There is a considerable amount of latitude for the facilitator.
Halton District School Board has been told in the past that the process they used to decide to close a school was not acceptable.
Sometime in September the public should learn what is come to come out of the request for the Reviews.
The Gazette recently published the request that was made by the parents at Lester B. Pearson. It is a strong document and has merit.
We were not as fortunate with our request for a copy of the document prepared by the Bateman high school parents.
Responding to our request, Lisa Bull, a Bateman parent and a member of the Program Accommodation Review committee, who was a strong and very vocal advocate for more innovation in the thinking from the Board staff, said the following:
You continue to call out/blame the parents of Bateman for not getting into the ‘fight’ soon enough. This is problematic for several reasons. First, it ignores the fact that few parents from any schools other than Central and Pearson attended the first public meeting. How about blaming the HDSB for not adequately or competently explaining WHAT the PSR process was and how it could potentially impact schools and communities? I am an engaged and informed parent and I wasn’t at that first meeting. I did not understand, at that point in time, what PAR was about or why I should care. As you know, the more I learned the more active I became as was the case with many in our community. I blame the HDSB for their lack of competence in community engagement. Not the parents who have proven that they can and will show up when needed.
Ward 5 school board trustee Amy Collard told the Gazette that “communications to parents come directly from the HDSB. All Burlington parents with an email address in our system would have gotten the emails through our synrevoice email system.
Ms Bull, the excuse you give just doesn’t hold water.
For many of the parents of special needs students at Bateman, getting to additional meetings is incredibly difficult. Many of these parents are exhausted by the daily challenges of caring for their kids. To blame them for not getting into this sooner is victim blaming and is behavior that is just as shameful as that of the HDSB.
I know that you believe that our Admin Review document should be made public and that this should be done via the Gazette. This is your opinion and desire but is not a requirement. Given the position that you have taken and the opinions you have published about the Bateman community, our Committee will not be sending our report at this time.
Responses like this are often described as “shooting the messenger”
Bateman parents have struggled with getting their response out which is unfortunate – they have a very strong case but instead of making their case they fell back on emotional arguments and claimed that the Central parents had ‘thrown them under the bus’.
 Sharon Picken, a PARC member – never gave as much as an inch in her argument to keep Bateman open. The Central parents fully understood the risk and pulled together as a team, raised $14,000 in a silent auction to ensure they had any funds they might need and then dug deep and pulled out all kinds facts that the Board staff had missed.
The Central case was so compelling that the Director, with the support of his staff, decided to change the recommendation and ask the trustees to close Bateman and send some of the students to Central and others to Bateman.
Bateman parents weren’t prepared to accept that the Director of Education did what any intelligent person would do – review new information and if the information was valid and relevant change the decision.
The Bateman parents had only to look at the map that showed the distance between Nelson and Bateman to realize that they were at risk for closure.
When the Director of Education revised his decision the Bateman parents began to say that it was because Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, who had a child at Central high school and was made one of the Central high school representatives on the PARC, had undue influence with the Director.
They alluded to meetings Meed Ward had with the Director of Education and all the communications tools she had as a city Councillor.
What Meed Ward had going for her was her skill as a community organizer. She worked hard with a dedicated team that was focused and supported by a community that was going to do whatever it took.
 PARC member Lisa Bull who was one of the better thinkers on that committee. Bateman had skills of its own. Lisa Bull was also a member of the PARC and she was consistent in her drive to get the Board staff and the trustees to look at the problem the Board faced with fresh eyes and not take a simple solution: – too many schools – close a school or two and the problem is solved.
The Bateman parents know it is n’t quite that simple and the tragedy for this city is that the trustees were not able to see a solution within the more than 50 delegations made.
Bateman was fortunate in that they had the best trustee there is on the Board. Amy Collard bust her buns to sway her fellow trustees and gave the Director of Education more than one uncomfortable moment when she did her level best to get her motion on the table and ensure that it was properly and fully debated.
Collard, serving her second term as a trustee, was acclaimed on both occasions. She should be acclaimed a third time.
When Bateman realized it had a fight on its hands they did some superb community grass roots work. They got excellent television coverage but they were not able to catch the ears of a majority of the trustees.
It was at this point that the public began to get a glimpse of just what the Community Pathways Program was really about and how unfortunate the impact was going to be on the parents who had children in those programs.
We don’t know what the Bateman parents chose to say in their request for an Administrative Review. The document is public and the Gazette will use the provincial Freedom of Information process to get a copy and publish the details.
 Ward 5 school board trustee Amy Collard. The tragedy in all this is that there are several hundred students who will experience significant upset and turmoil in their lives. There are parents who believed they had finally found a school that met the needs of their children. All that is at risk.
The Board staff has said they will provide the Bateman parents and their children with facilities and a level of service that will be better than what they currently have.
The saving grace in all this is that the Bateman parents have a trustee who will be watching very closely to ensure that the students don’t go without.
What Collard is not going to be able to change is the social environment in the school they are being transferred to – that is the real challenge for everyone.
 By Staff
July 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Ken Hall has been selected by a community jury, with input from public engagement, for the Spirit of Sport public art project.
Born in Toronto, and educated at the University of Waterloo in Mechanical Engineering and Fine Arts, Ken’s work is characterized by his ability to exploit a wide range of media, allowing him to seek out the fundamental form of expression for each piece; ranging from public sculpture to interactive digital artwork.
 Ken Hall explaining a piece of his work to students The project is part of the City’s ongoing Public Art program.
Online and in-person public engagement took place in February and gathered feedback from 135 residents, which helped inform the jury’s decision.
The Spirit of Sport public art project aims to celebrate Burlington’s long history of sports excellence, on both an amateur and professional level. A series of three small to medium-scale, exterior public artworks will be installed at the following: Mainway Recreation Centre, Brant Hills Community Centre and Nelson Recreation Centre.
 The front of the Brant Hills sports complex with its red ribbon These locations were selected as they represent a broad range of types of sport as well as different levels of play, ranging from children/youth to competitive play.
The artwork is being created over the summer and will be installed in fall 2018.
Artwork Concept
To honour this Spirit of Sport, red ribbon-like sculptures will celebrate active living and inclusive community participation, while engaging and welcoming the public to the recreation centres.
 A free standing sculpture that will be part of the Mainway Recreation Centre The red ribbons reflect key components of many activities, such as the flowing rhythm of gymnastics; the curved, red stitching on a baseball; the goal line in hockey; and the finish line in track and field, among others.
The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating participation in community activities, such as awareness walks for issues like breast cancer.
The association with medals is particularly relevant given the City of Burlington’s rich history of sporting innovation, which includes: Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the International Special Olympics Movement; Melville Marks Robinson, founder of the Commonwealth Games; along with numerous Olympic athletes and coaches, including Melanie Booth (soccer) and Angela Coughlan (swimming).
The rolling ribbon also celebrates a heart-healthy, active lifestyle, calling to mind the visualization of a heartbeat on an ECG machine. The red colour represents the circulation of oxygenated blood, reminding us that regardless of age, ethnicity or gender, we all benefit from active physical and social participation.
 By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They have been bringing Broadway to Burlington since 1978.
This week they will be bringing you Hairspray!
 Burlington Student Theatre, where children and youth can participate in a range of performing arts opportunities.
The programs focus on the wellness and development of our young people, fostering empathy, courage and critical thinking within a safe and nurturing environment. Participants practice the tools and transferrable skills they need to feel good about themselves and act with confidence in their everyday lives.
Student Theatre brings out the best in youth through experiences in the performing arts, building confidence and developing the tools and transferrable skills to help youth feel good about themselves, while empowering them to create their own lives. With your support, youth are empowered to create a better world.
Later this week – on Thursday, the students will perfrom HairSpray, the story of a 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on “The Corny Collins Show” …and wins! She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny’s reigning dance queen and lead society into a new age!
Tickets: Adult $18 Youth $15 Click to get to the box office
By Staff
July 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has partnered with officers from the O.P.P., Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, Ministry of the Environment (Vehicle Emissions Enforcement Unit) and Ministry of Transportation Halton Enforcement Team to combat street racing and aggressive driving in Halton. During the crackdown a Ferrari was seized.
 A Lamborghini Huracan valued at approximately $230,000.00 and a McLaren Spider valued at approximately $260,000.00 were stopped by Police at Guelph Line and Colling Road in Burlington during a May 2016 crackdown. Officers from participating services were supported by uniform Halton members as they patrolled the Towns of Milton and Halton Hills, Oakville and the City of Burlington from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on the 21st of July.
This joint effort to combat street racing and aggressive driving (dubbed Project ERASE) is part of a commitment by GTA policing partners to work together in 2017 and beyond.
Friday’s enforcement blitz was one of three planned GTA-wide joint operations that will take place this year to deter, disrupt and detect illegal racing activities that place all road users at risk.
More than one hundred charges were laid over the course of the six-hour initiative. One stunting charge resulted in a Ferrari being seized and the driver receiving a seven-day licence suspension.
A breakdown of the most significant charges laid is as follows:
• 48 Speeding
• 5 Distracted driving
• 2 Careless driving
• 1 Suspended driving
• 8 vehicles inspected with one being taken out of service
• 1 driver received a roadside suspension for providing a “warn” range BAC sample into an approved screening device
Members of the public are encouraged to call 9-1-1 if to report vehicles racing or driving aggressively.
Motorists are reminded that community safety is a shared responsibility and road users need to eliminate distractions, obey traffic control signals and speed limits and drive according to traffic, road and weather conditions.
Citizen wishing to report a traffic concern can do so by visiting www.haltonpolice.ca and submitting an online Traffic Complaint.
Project ERASE reflects HRPS’ Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of (community) safety and well-being into Service priorities: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development. More information can be found at www.haltonpolice.ca under Community or by following @HaltonPolice on Twitter or Facebook.
 By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Blathwayte Lane from Elgin Street to Ontario Street will be closed daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for two weeks beginning Monday July 31, 2017
Local access will be maintained from Ontario Street.
 Construction adjacent to Blathwayte Lane
By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Clublink Corporation ULC, a corporation that owns and operates the Rattle Snake Point Golf Club in Milton was fined $50,000 after a young worker was injured by a wood chipper.
On May 27, 2015, two Clublink workers were operating a wood chipper at the golf club. The first worker started the chipper and began feeding wood while the second looked for a place to put down a coffee cup. Placing the cup near a vent on the back of the chipper, the second worker tried to feel if air was coming out of the vent that would knock the cup over. The second worker’s hand was pulled into the vent and injured.
 Rattle snake point golf course club house. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that a guard that should have prevented access to the vent was not in place at the time of the incident. This was in violation of section 25(1)(b) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Clublink Corporation ULC was fined $50,000 by Justice of the Peace Margot McLeod. The court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Services Board passed a resolution at its February 23, 2017 meeting that the Board undertake a review of how sexual assault cases are handled by the Halton Regional Police Service, including policies and procedures and the classification of sexual assault occurrences.
The resolution further set out that the Board undertake this work in collaboration with local community and justice partners. The ultimate goal of the review is to ensure victims of sexual assault are provided a timely and dignified response, the best support possible from the police service, and that the process is comprehensive, fair and respectful.
As part of the review, the team is seeking comments from sexual assault survivors on the treatment their cases received. This information is crucial to the work of the review team and will help inform its findings. It is the intent of the review team to submit a supplementary report to the Halton Regional Police Services Board by the end of fall 2017 that captures survivor feedback – individual input will remain anonymous in the report.
Specifically, the review team is seeking answers to the following two questions:
1. If you are a survivor of sexual assault and reported the crime to the Halton Regional Police Service, what was your experience?
2. If you are a survivor of sexual assault and chose not to report the incident to the Halton Regional Police Service, what were the reasons why?
Individuals are invited to provide input directly to Julie Moscato, Executive Director of the Halton Regional Police Services Board by July 31, 2017.
This input can be provided by phone (905-825-4747 Ext. 5014), by email (Julie.Moscato@haltonpolice.ca), by letter (addressed to 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, ON, L6M 3L1), or in person, by appointment, with Julie Moscato.
Feedback can also be submitted through an anonymous online form by clicking here or copying the link into your browser: https://www.haltonpolice.ca/about/psb/sexualassaultreview.php .
If individuals would like support while providing input, they may wish to contact any of the agencies listed below, who are also a part of the Sexual Assault Case Handling Review Team. These agencies will also accept input into the review.
Nina’s Place, The Regional Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre, Joseph Brant Hospital –
905-681-4880,
Thrive Counselling – 905 845-3811 Ext.117,
Halton Women’s Place – 905-332-7892 or 905-878-8970, or
The Victim Services Unit of the Halton Regional Police Service – 905-825-4810.
If individuals are unable to provide input by July 31, 2017, input will be accepted on an ongoing basis as part of a continued commitment to ensuring the voices of survivors are heard.
By Staff
July 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Splash Pad at Nelson Pool will be temporarily out of service from 10:30am to 2:00 pm, Monday July 24, 2017 for maintenance.
The pool will remain open for all scheduled swims. Service to the splash pad will resume at 2pm.
By Staff
July 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge will be closed in the evenings to vehicular and pedestrian traffic in both directions between 8 pm and 5 am from Monday, July 24, to the morning of Saturday, July 29
Marine traffic will not be affected.
The closures are required as part of the project to replace the bridge’s controls, drives and cables.
 By Staff
July 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit have concluded an investigation into an incident of sexual assault.
The assault took place at Mall in Burlington on July 4, 2017. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on that date, an adult female was shopping in the mall when she was approached by a male. A short conversation ensued in the mall, followed by the accused sexually assaulting the female.
The accused fled on foot once a passersby was alerted by the female. As a result of an investigation, police identified Ramesh Kukreja, 51 years, of Burlington.
Kukreja was arrested on July 20, 2017 and is charged with one count of sexual assault.
Anyone with information relating to this incident, or other incidents of sexual assault are encouraged to contact Detective Constable Adam Groulx at 905-465-8976 of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
July 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
An event next Thursday is going to pull together a number of interests in the city and give people an opportunity to get outside and do some fixing up of a facility that has been home to baseball since it came to the city six years ago.
The Nelson Baseball Park Neighbourhood Group wants to celebrate the completion of the Nelson Baseball Park beautification and fencing improvements project at the Burlington Herd baseball game on Thursday, July 27.
 The Herd will be playing the Toronto Maple Leafs – the team that broke the 25 game winning streak the Barrie Baycats had achieved – those guys play some serious baseball.
The pre-game ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to come early to get a seat and participate in some of the pre-game fun.
Entrance to the ball game will be free, a 50/50 draw and a BBQ in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.
The beautification and fencing improvements were done with the support of community volunteers and funding from the City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund program.
That fund is a favourite of the Mayors and was part of an initiative that the Parks and Recreation department dove into a number of years ago when they brought in Jim Diers who had done some incredible work in Seattle to juice up the thinking at Parks and Recreation.
Burlington was not able to get community responses that were as involving as those in Seattle but the program has begun to take hold.
The work being done at Nelson Park is a good example. It is similar to what a bunch of elementary students did with their ball diamond at Lakeshore Road elementary public school.
 Site lines and picnic tables have been improved. If you know Casey Cosgrove then you know that there isn’t a baseball game he can avoid. All it takes is the crack of a bat to shift his focus. When his community of “baseball enthusiasts” heard about this baseball ‘gem’ we have in our neighbourhood park and learned that the sight lines were in need of improvement so that a baseball game could be viewed clearly, without obstruction they gathered to tackle this project together.
The City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund provided much of the financing and they have been able to improve the fencing and freshen up the baseball buildings, stands and picnic tables in Fenway green, a famous baseball colour, to make the neighbourhood baseball park a first- class facility for players and spectators.”
Will someone be throwing the ceremonial opening pitch? Don’t let the Mayor near the ball. When he took on that task back in the days when the team was known as the Burlington Twins he let fly and the ball dug into the ground a couple of yards before the plate.
Nelson Stadium, part of Nelson high school facilities, which is adjacent to Nelson Park, has plans of its own to improve those grounds.
 By Ray Rivers
July 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Canada’s aboriginal leaders have once again demonstrated how they sometimes don’t do themselves any favours. Last week, having been invited to attend the Council of the Federation where the provincial and territorial leaders meet biannually to discuss national issues – they staged a perfect no-show. Their boycott was put down to their offence at not being given a voice at the ‘Table’ equivalent to that of the premiers.
Unlike the premiers, charged with managing Canada’s sub-national governments, aboriginal self-governance, at best, approximates the authority given to municipalities. So it is unfortunate and dysfunctional when indigenous leaders take their adopted First Nations misnomer to heart. In a united Canada, these First Nations, comprising a million and half people, about 4% of our population and widely dispersed throughout the country, will never be more than a notional nation, as important as they were to our past and should be to our future.
 First Nations’ authority comes from a patchwork of treaties signed with the Crown over a century ago and the Indian Act, an even more inappropriate misnomer. Although there are some very successful reserves operating, as for example Walpole Island and our neighbours in the Six Nations, many are poorly managed and dependent on federal largesse for their survival, especially those in remote northern locations.
Back in 1969 Pierre Trudeau tabled a white paper proposing to repeal the Indian Act and scrap all of the historic treaties. He would have given the reserves to the individual band members and closed down the Department of Indian Affairs realigning health care, education and welfare to the appropriate provincial authorities. His proposal, a response to the failure of aboriginal policy and the Indian Act over the previous century was widely opposed by the aboriginal community itself, and he dropped the idea.
Canada’s earliest parliamentarians considered the native population uncivilized. The real purpose, arguably, of the Indian Act, which received royal ascent sometime between Louis Riel’s rebellions in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, was to civilize them. It was racist and sexist and designed to promote assimilation of the native population, though officially its purpose was to oversee and administer the welfare of the 600 or so native tribes and bands, and attending to the requirements of the treaties they signed with the Crown.
The Fathers of Confederation envisioned a future where aboriginals would eventually be integrated into mainstream Canadian society, they called it enfranchisement. That would eventually negate the need for an Indian Act – once there are no longer any ‘Status Indians’ -those covered by the Act. Bribes were offered for band members to relinquish their status. Anyone attending a post-secondary institution, serving in the military, joining the priesthood or just wanting to have the right to vote had to surrender their Indian status.
 Women who married off the reserve would lose status, but men didn’t. And then some rocket scientist figured that snatching children from their parents and placing them miles away in ‘residential schools’ was the ultimate approach to achieve assimilation – though admittedly no one could have imagined the sexual and other physical abuse the children would be exposed to in schools operated by religious orders.
Canada’s First Nations’ development has not been a happy story. We hear all too often about how they generally experience lower income levels, poorer health, higher incarceration rates and shorter life expectancies. We cringe when hearing the horror stories of life at Attawapiskat and Davis Inlet. We find it hard to fathom this whole ugly matter of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), currently the subject of a national inquiry.
There is a long laundry list of recommendations coming out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the residential school program, though interestingly none of the recommendations effectively deal with what inspired that program in the first place, the Indian Act. The Commission referenced the need to pay attention, if not adopt, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada was one of only four or five nations which voted against it and we had little choice given the blatant conflict with our current policies under the Indian Act.
Over the years, subsequent governments, including that of Stephan Harper have attempted to make the Act less sexist and more focused on self-help and self-government. But the Indian Act remained a source of discrimination between those with status, primarily those living on reserves and eligible for various federal subsidies, and those without. In a landmark decision last year the Supreme Court struck down that discrimination, now ensuing that all First Nations, Inuit and Metis are subject to the Indian Act.
 Indigenous games – 2017 This decision will be expensive for the government to implement unless we re-invent how we manage our relationship with Canada’s first inhabitants. And it does provide both the indigenous community and the rest of us with a unique opportunity to reset how we live with each other. Perhaps our current PM would benefit from a review of his father’s old White Paper. And what better time to initiate such a dialogue, as we congratulate our indigenous athletes for their participation in the half-century old North America Indigenous games held in Toronto this year.
 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:
First Nations – More First Nations – Canada Day Protests –
Premiers’ Meeting – Truth and Reconciliation – Indian Act –
Status for All – Beyond Indian Act – Trudeau’s Proposal –
Missing and Murdered – Status Indians –
By Staff
July 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Nelson Pool Service Interruption – Lap Swim Cancelled Friday July 21, 2017
 The lap swim at Nelson Pool will be cancelled from 8:30am-10am on Friday July 21, 2017 due to unexpected preventative maintenance.
The pool will be open for regular service at 10:30am.
Hold on – isn’t this a brand new swimming pool that has been operating since July 8th and is getting ready for its official opening in August – with the Mayor and the Ward Councillor in attendance?
What is it this time?
By Staff
July 19, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Last week, the Halton Regional Police received a complaint about an attempted employment scam that occurred during 2014.
The accused, Jagjit SINGH (51 years of Oakville), became acquainted through their mutual association in a religious group. During their contact, SINGH claimed to be a member of the Toronto Police Service. The victim was told that, in exchange for a sum of money, SINGH would be able to secure employment for him with the Police.
After the money was exchanged, SINGH provided various excuses for the delays and the lack of an employment offer.
Detectives believe that SINGH has attempted the same scam with other persons where he may have offered other employment opportunities (also fraudulent) with the Ford Motor Company. Investigators encourage those who may have been victimized to come forward.
Citizens are reminded to be extremely cautious with promises of advantage in any employment situation. Legitimate employment opportunities will NEVER involve the exchange of money.
Jagjit SINGH has been charged with Fraud Over $5000 and Personating a Peace Officer and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on Wednesday August 16th 2017.
The police take great exception to anyone who tries to impersonate a police officer – they make sure they protect the brand. Jagjit SINGH will soon find out just how tough the Courts are this kind of offence.
 By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The city is hosting a celebration to officially mark the opening of the new Nelson pool and splash pad from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Nelson pool grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting. Admission will be free all day, and there will be family activities and giveaways.
 Artists rendering of the Nelson pool which has been open since July 8 – reader says it’s beautiful. The Mayor and Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison will be on hand for the photo op.
The ceremony will take place at noon. The pool party is from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The pool has been open to the public since July 8th.
 That water bucket would be a good place for the official opening photo op. The upside for the public is the free admission. A comment from a reader read: “New one is beautiful! Tried it out yesterday. Pricey, at $6.50/adult swim (Oakville is $4), but what a lovely facility. So glad the city decided to make the investment. Now they just need to make it affordable!”
 By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a lot going on in the city and we haven’t had a chance to drive along the full length of New Street so cannot confirm what one Gazette reader opposed to the New Street Road Diet told us earlier this morning.
Hi I hope one of your reporters have time to do a story on the New Street Road Diet where yesterday they were digging up the brand new paving to install more water lines. Another planning and engineering fiasco.
Sometime after we originally published this piece another reader as:
Has anyone investigated what in blazes is going on on New St?! For months (a year) we’ve endured construction and upheaval. Once it was all nicely paved and the #%^* bike lanes were painted on again, haven’t they gone and torn up the whole thing again (east of Guelph Line). Looks to me like they forgot to lay down some pipe! Honestly, how much is this costing to do the job over? I’d like to know…
 Freshly paved weeks ago- reader reports it is being dug up – again. New Street has become the 2016-17 news story in the public imagination – replacing the 2011-13 Pier story.
Seems the people need to have something to prod city hall about.
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