 By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you do what many of us do – plan your week on Sunday you might want to give some thought to slipping up to Lowville to take in a performance of Othello at Thinkspot where you can sit outside on a large large lawn and watch gifted actors perform one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Getting out in the middle of the week to watch a play isn’t the way most people spend their time – unless of course they are on vacation.
 Driftwood Theatre performing at Thinkspot in Lowville Whether you are on vacation or putting in time at the office – Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm the Driftwood Theatre Company will take to the outdoor stage and give you an interpretation of Othello that you will not have seen before.
Lowville has been the locale for a number of artistic endeavours. The annual Lowville Festival is now an established event that has shown admirable resilience getting off the ground. With three years behind them and respectable sponsorships in place – they can be expected to do nothing but grow.
Thinkspot has been welcoming the Driftwood Theatre to their location for a number of years. Lowville has become one of the more than 20 locations that Driftwood performs at each year.
At the end of the production, always to boisterous rounds of applause, some of the deeply committed audience for the works of William Shakespeare gather around a fire place and talk about the merits of the performance and the how’s and why’s of what the director chose to do.
 Using Canada’s United Nations role in Cyprus as the backdrop for a production of Othello is both a brave and audacious decision.
The experience is well worth the time and the locale is one to be treasured.
This is a Pay what you can event with a suggested $20.
 By Ray Rivers
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In a first-past-the-post parliamentary system only two political parties will ever predominate. That potentially limits the development of ideas and policies since the tendency is for the parties to become entrenched. We see this in spades south of the border where their famous time-honoured arcane system of checks and balances has devolved into little more than a battleground for partisan bickering over established positions.
That is where third parties come in – to generate new ideas and expand the discussion. Of course a proportional representative electoral system is natural habitat for third parties. But we’ve also seen the successful co-operation and contribution of third parties during times of minority government. In fact these were periods where some of our best legislation has been created.
Third parties, especially those with little hope of ever having to actually govern, can push the envelope of what is possible and make the unimaginable imaginable. That is how we got universal national health care. But once a mainstream party adopts a good out-of-the-box idea it gets the credit and power, and the third party continues to linger in the shadows. That is the story of Canada’s NDP. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride.
 Jack Layton took Quebec with his Orange Wave but died before he got a chance to really wide that wave. Jack Layton tried to change that scenario. Coming up to the 2011 election, Layton sold his soul to the Quebec separatists, all but promising them political sovereignty. And it worked. Disillusioned with the Bloc Quebecois and not inclined to support Harper or Ignatieff, voters in that province went Orange (NDP) in droves, and almost as a protest vote. For the first time in their 50 year history – and beyond their wildest dreams – the New Democrats got into the game as Canada’s official opposition.
 Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair one of the best Opposition speakers the House has seen in some time. He reminded one of the great John George Diefenbaker with a beard instead of jowls. Thomas Mulcair, replacing Layton, chose his own version of the ‘Third Way’, the political philosophy that led to Tony Blair’s string of victories in the UK. There is no right or left only the correct, the Third Way. So while he may have planned to govern from the left, he campaigned from the middle – campaigning as if he were Stephen Harper light. And he lost in a political arena filled with voters wanting a change from the previous decade of ho-hum, nasty and back-from-the-past.
So at the first gathering of the faithful, the NDP rank and file showed Mulcair the door as the party once again sought to discover its old activist self. Fresh from the pen, the elite radical left tossed the Leap Manifesto and its visions for a carbon-free Canada onto the table, as a starting point. The NDP had come home to the fringe after its brief sojourn in the big leagues.
So there are four candidates in a race even more subdued than the Tories just ran. There is less oxygen in the room now when they meet. Already a couple of potential candidates have dropped out, some have been disqualified by the onerous rules, and a whole raft of potential candidates are sitting it out. The truth is Justin Trudeau has stolen their traditional place as Canada’s left-of centre party, at least for now, and the NDP needs to go back to the drawing board… and maybe change their name.
The NDP was an experiment from the beginning, a 60’s merger between a populist agrarian-based socialist party, the CCF, and a large labour movement, the Canadian Labour Congress. After all, this kind of marriage had worked in other Commonwealth nations, Britain in particular, propelling a workers’ party into power. But Canada is a different political animal.
 Charlie Angus – As solid a Socialist as you will find in this country. Can he win the NDP leadership and then do something with the party? Popular northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus is the person to beat as they move towards the October vote. But as we saw with the recent Conservative leadership contest nothing is a given, especially when the NDP, like the other two main parties in their own leadership races, are using a preferential ballot. But whoever wins this contest will have an uphill climb to re-invent the NDP if it is to remain relevant as a political force.
Among other matters the party needs to consider its relationship with labour. The long-standing linkage with labour unions has likely hurt the party as much as it has ever helped, particularly as Canada continues to de-unionize. And in recent times so much of its traditional labour support has drifted to the Liberals, as unions seek to increase their influence with a sympathetic governing party.
Of course the NDP have formed sub-national governments across the country, and are currently in charge in BC and Alberta. There is a strong political following in BC, though the Greens are biting at their feet. And Alberta is a work in progress, with enough promise to force the parties on the right into a marriage of convenience. These governing experiences serve to perpetually push the national third party to become more centrist and broaden its appeal.
Yet these broadening efforts have also cost the NDP support. Others, like the Greens have sprung up with single issue campaigns which typically erode NDP support as they more effectively focus on an issue. And perhaps there is a better future jointly for both of those parties on the left.
 Rachel Notley – strong enough as the Premier of Alberta to force the Conservative interests in the province to join forces to beat her. Alberta’s loss if they do. Or the NDP might consider jumping into bed with the Liberals who had, after all, stolen much of their traditional thunder in the last election. But there must also be resentment and disappointment with Mr. Trudeau’s betrayal of those dippers who voted Red as the best hope ever of achieving electoral reform, and converting their popular vote into its equivalence in seats in the national assembly.
Still, even if the New Democrats never make government, they need to take heart that they have and do make a difference. As indeed have all the other third parties who have been elected to Parliament, be they Reform, Social Credit/Creditists, Greens, or even the problematic Bloc Québécois. And for that reason alone this leadership contest should be important to all of us.
 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:
NDP – Leadership – BC NDP – NDP Historical Support
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The southbound lane on Brant Street, just south of Victoria Avenue, will be closed on Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for excavation work.
 Brant Street – looking south – part of the road will be closed for some excavation work.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Some 450 athletes, coaches, managers, support staff, technicians and mission staff from across Ontario are set to represent the province at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Games begin today in Winnipeg.
 It is at events like the Canada Summer Games that athletes get to test themselves; do they have what it takes to move on to International events? Most, if not all, of the Canadian Olympians took part in the summer games – an event held every four years.
Every sport imaginable is played giving young Canadians to move from beyond their community or province to a national stage.
The list of sports played is exhaustive. It includes: Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Diving, Golf, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling
Competing at the Canada Summer Games allows Ontario’s athletes to gain the elite competition experience that they need to excel on the world stage. More than 4,000 athletes from all of Canada’s provinces and territories will compete in 16 sports at this year’s Games, which take place from July 28th to August 13th, 2017.
 Ontario’s year-round support for its high performance amateur athletes is part of Game ON: The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan. A key priority of Game ON is our Quest for Gold support for athletes, which provides direct funding to high performance athletes to help with the costs of living, training, sports equipment, coaching and travel to competitions. 105 athletes competing at this year’s Canada Summer Games are receiving Quest for Gold funding.
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games, this country’s largest multi-sport event for young athletes.
Ontario placed first at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with 213 medals – 95 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Two batches of mosquitoes trapped this week in the City of Burlington have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
These are the first batches of WNV positive mosquitoes confirmed in Burlington this year.
In 2017, an additional four batches were confirmed in Oakville and one batch in Milton, for a total of seven WNV positive batches in Halton to date.
“The Halton Region Health Department works diligently to reduce the risk of West Nile virus in our community through both education and preventative programs such as larviciding,” said Dr. Julie Emili, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Halton Region. “We can all work together to keep our community safe and protect ourselves from West Nile virus by removing standing water sites that breed mosquitos and covering up or applying DEET or Icaridin when outside during dusk and dawn.”
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas, typically in places that hold water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
Residents can take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
 • Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric.
• Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin.
• Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas.
• Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
• Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects, where possible. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week.
To report standing water at public facilities or for more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv, call 311 or e-mail wnv@halton.ca.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In the last week Halton Regional Police Service have seen another variation of the commonly known CRA scam.
Victims are being told that they have outstanding debt with the CRA and in order to avoid arrest they are now being directed to local “BITCOIN” ATM machines to deposit cash funds into anonymous digital wallets, thinking that they are paying off the alleged debt and avoiding arrest.
 Investigation into one such digital wallet revealed that 17 deposits had been made in one 24hr period, with an equivalent amount being $11,900 dollars USA. The source of all these deposits is not known, but police suspect they are all victims to fraud related scams.
Many people will have no idea what a “digital wallet” is. The cardinal rule is that if it doesn’t sound right to you – then it is probably wrong. If in doubt – don’t.
The Halton police would like to again warn the public about the CRA scam and remind them that the CRA would never ask for payment to be made through gift cards or Bitcoin and would never use the phone as a first point of contact when dealing with clients.
If contacted by the CRA in such a manor police recommend hanging up the phone, and if in any doubt to source the true number for the CRA and make your own enquiries about the status of your account. Do not call the caller back on any phone numbers that they themselves have provided you.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was MP Karina Gould’s job to fill in for her Cabinet colleague The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and deliver the announcement that The Centre for Skills Development & Training (“The Centre”) in Burlington was going to be given $1,931,884 over a three year period.
 From the left: Burlington MP Karina Gould, Lisa Rizatto, Centre CAO and a Get in Gear student during the funding presentation. The funds are to be used to assist youth in determining a career path, introducing the skilled trades, building confidence and getting a paid work experience are the hallmarks of Get In Gear (GIG) – a program funded by Skills Link, part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, and delivered by The Centre for Skills Development & Training.
Skills Link supports projects that help young people who face more barriers to employment than others develop employability skills and gain valuable job experience. This helps them in making a successful transition into the workforce or to return to school. These youth could include those who have not completed high school, those who are unemployed or underemployed, low-income single parents, Indigenous youth, young persons with disabilities, youth living in rural or remote areas, or newcomers.
In a media the federal government explained that “Developing Canada’s youth is a priority. This project is a concrete example of what we can achieve for youth by working in partnership with organizations across the country. Projects like this one can help put regular paycheques into the reach of those who need it. But more than that, they give young Canadians the chance to change their future.”
 Lisa Rizatto – The Centre’s CAO, The Centre’s CAO, Lisa Rizatto said the “program is a solid stepping stone. The three-year funding represents a strong investment in our youth. It provides them with choices to gain valuable real-world experience and to make informed decisions to positively impact their future, which not only improves their lives but also gives life to the economy.”
The working title for the program is Getting in Gear (GiG); it is free with a limit of 15 seats per session. Participants interested in the 10-week, in-class program which is followed by a 10-week paid work placement, can call 905-333-3499 x182 to find out more about the application procedure, or visit thecentre.on.ca/SkilledTrades/GetInGear/
Eligibility requirements for Get in Gear participants include:
· Between 17-30 years old
· Legally entitled to work in Canada
· Not attending full-time school, work or training
· Not in receipt (or never have been in receipt) of Employment Insurance benefits
· Motivated to succeed
· Looking for help to overcome difficulties finding and keeping a job
Graduates of the GIG program have many options from pursuing full-time employment to undergoing formal training such as The Centre’s pre-apprenticeship skilled trades programs. The next GIG session will run from September 25.
The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a not-for-profit incorporated affiliate of the Halton District School Board with locations in Burlington, Milton, Oakville and Mississauga. The Centre helps people at all stages of life get on a path to career success—from youth just starting out, to older workers who have been laid off; from newcomers to Canada who need to improve their workplace English, to people interested in the trades who need to build their technical skills; and from small business owners looking to hire staff, to large companies who need help developing and transitioning their workforce.
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.
|
|
