 By Pepper Parr
June 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you looked out over the Lake from Lakeshore Road at Brant you could see them off in the distance – they seemed lined up with a lot of space between them.
They looked like ship under sail.
And indeed they were – a collection of Tall ships had rendezvoused in Burlington Bay and lined up to enter the canal and proceed into Hamilton Harbour.
 They were there in the thousands – on both side of th canal THE place to see the majestic ships was at the canal – each eased into the opening and headed towards the lie bridge which was up for more than an hour.
 They were almost close enough to touch as they slid by – those with big Canadian flags got a round of applause. The crowds were huge – it was as if the fleet had come home and the families of the sailors were on the dock ready to greet them.
It was standing room only on either side of the canal.
 People parked wherever there was a patch of grass It wasn’t all festivities and celebration. A Beachway resident summed up the feeling many had when the saw a parking control officer walking from car to car doing a brisk business
 His job was like spearing fish in a barrel – a shameful cash grab on the part of either the city or the Conservation Authority. This resident known for her very pointed use of the English language wrote in and said:
“What a shit show this city is…parking enforcement officer immediately giving out parking tickets near lift bridge area. People are furious.”
 By Staff
June 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The picture that tells the city’s story today?
Those tall ships sailing through the canal on their way into Hamilton Harbour where they will be on display for Canada Day.
Thousands gathered on both sides of the canal to watch these majestic ship slide by. Those with massive Canadian flags drew rounds of applause.
By Staff
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
While the Board of Education staff get on with the process of closing Lester B. Pearson in 2018 and Bateman high school in 2020 parents from both schools have taken a “not so fast” approach and are seeking an Administrative review of the process that was used to make the decision.
 Steve Armstrong, the lead from Pearson high school on the request for the Administrative reviews reports that they are “well along the path on getting our documentation together for submission.”
“On the signature front we have greatly exceeded our minimum required. We have two piles going one for the official qualifying signatures, and a second for those such as students who wanted to show support, but don’t count against the required number. We’re going to send both as a show of support.
 Bateman students and parents protesting. Armstrong reports that “Its been everyone’s interpretation of the procedure that each school slated for closure needs to request an Admin Review so team Bateman is also well along. We are conversing with them to make sure that were appropriate there is overlap, and in some areas there will be individual school issues
 Pearson high school parents asking for a review of the decision the Board of Education made to close the school. “Yesterday’s announcement putting future PARs on hold was interesting, but it remains to be seen if it has any impact on us….assuming for now it doesn’t so we’ll keep pushing.”
And push they will.
Expect more on this in the months ahead.
 By Staff
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The House of Commons rose for the summer last week. It is out to the BBQ circuit for most of them.
 Oakville Burlington North MP Pam Damoff lets it rip in the House of Commons. When Pam Damoff the Member of Parliament for Oakville Burlington North, meets with her constituents during the summer, they might want to know a bit more about what she has done on their behalf.
One of the things she did was give a very short but rip snorting speech about decorum in the House of Commons.
Click to her what she had to say – You go girl!
Damoff will be reading from Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, a novel by Drew Hayden Taylor that weaves a story of magic, the bonds of family and a mysterious stranger that appears one day in a sleepy Anishnawbe community. July 12 from 7:00 – 8:30pm at Tansley Woods Library in Burlington.
By Staff
June 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be exciting!
Eleven magnificent Tall Ships will gather on Lake Ontario near the entrance to the Burlington Bay Canal on Friday, June 30 beginning at 2:00 p.m. with all ships docking at Pier 8 at 4:00 p.m.
In order to get to that canal – you gotta sail past the Burlington Pier, the most expensive chunk of concrete in the province – but we digress.
 Where you park and where the ships are. Burlingtonians can watch the ship sail towards the canal
Prominent vantage points to watch the parade of ships on the Burlington side of the Skyway are|:
Burlington Canal
LaSalle and Bayshore Parks in Burlington.
And of course from the Pier and from a number of vantage points in the Beachway.
 The Empire Sandy Access to vantage points will be affected by the closure of Eastport Drive at the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to enable the ships to enter Hamilton Harbour.
With the ships in Hamilton, tied up at Pier 8 the Parade of Sail launches the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta at Pier 8, Discovery Drive, on July 1.
This will be a rare opportunity – and the only place in the GTHA – to witness the spectacle of 11 Tall Ships touring Hamilton’s beautiful Waterfront.
• Free deck tours are offered from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (first come, first served – no guarantee of access past 5 p.m.)
• Ticketed Harbour Cruises available for purchase online at www.hamilton.ca/tallships. See website for cruise times and pricing, including the evening fireworks cruise that boards at 9:00 p.m.
 The Pathfinder • Family-friendly and nautical-themed activities
• Music on the Waterfront Stage featuring great musicians from Hamilton’s thriving music scene
• Numerous food vendors
• The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Avro Lancaster will conduct multiple fly-overs of the Waterfront between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on July 1st.
This event is organized by the City of Hamilton in association with Le Rendez-Vous Naval de Quebec, Sail Training International, the Hamilton Port Authority and the Hamilton Waterfront Trust.
 The Niagara More than 40 Tall Ships will be sailing Canadian waters to honour the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 2017, with stops in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes
It is a Hamilton event – but they do have to sail past Burlington to get to Hamilton Harbour.
 By Staff
June 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board announces that the graduation rate of Halton students continues to exceed that of the provincial average.
In 2016, 90.7 per cent of Halton District School Board students graduated within five years of starting Grade 9, exceeding the Ontario average of 86.5 per cent.
The Board’s four-year graduation rate for students in 2016 (Grade 9 students enrolled in the 2012-13 school year) is 83.3 per cent compared to the Ontario average of 79.6 per cent.
 The Robert Bateman High school graduation class of 2017 “The progress represented in the graduation rate indicator, both provincially and locally, is reflective of the efforts and leadership of many people including our students, staff, and families,” said Julie Hunt Gibbons, Superintendent of Education (Secondary Programs) for the Halton District School Board. “We will continue to support all students through our various Student Success initiatives so our graduation rate continues to trend upward.”
“The Halton District School Board provides innovative Specialist High Skills Majors, dual credit options, apprenticeships and cooperative education opportunities that help students customize their high school experience,” said Julie Hunt Gibbons, Superintendent of Education (Secondary Programs) for the Board.
No mention that there will be fewer high schools for these students to graduate from starting next year when Lester B. Pearson sees its last student accept a diploma.
 By Staff
June 26. 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The following media release was received from the Save Bateman Committee four days after it was released on June 17th.
Members of the ‘Save Bateman’ Committee have filed a complaint against Burlington Ward One and Two school trustee Leah Reynolds regarding her unprofessional conduct during a school board meeting and are demanding her immediate suspension until the issue is resolved.
Trustee Reynolds’ conduct at the June 7th meeting was not in accordance with the Halton District School Board trustee’s code of conduct, specifically point #5 relating to Integrity and Dignity of Office and Civil Behaviour.
 Meed Ward working on her IPad during a school board meeting. The incident occurred at the board’s head office on 2050 Guelph Line in Burlington during a critical meeting that was to decide the fate of two high schools. Several members in the audience watched as Ward Two City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward used her iPad to text instructions to Trustee Reynolds on how to block a motion that was introduced to save the closure of Bateman High School.
The motion was put forward by Ward Five trustee Amy Collard who represents the area where Bateman is located. The texting began between Reynolds and Meed Ward soon after the meeting began and continued for almost one hour. It was noticed by those in attendance and (later) by members of the public watching the online live stream.
The Gazette adds that: Meed Ward has since said she did send Trustee Reynolds text messages but that the messages related to procedural matters only and that when the procedural matter was resolved she no longer sent messages to Reynolds. The procedural issue took up about an hour of the meeting that ran to well past midnight.
 City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and Leah Reynolds at a nomination meeting. Trustee Reynolds, who had campaigned on a platform of ‘no school closures’ fumbled to read words on her laptop while putting forward reasons why Collard’s motion should be struck down. It is critical to note that Meed Ward helped Reynolds in her election campaign and that Meed Ward served as a committee member on the school closure (PAR) committee, an involvement which received much criticism.
A parent took a photo of Meed Ward’s iPad screen that clearly showed she was instructing Reynolds. In one line, Meed Ward wrote; “DON’T VOTE IN FAVOR” and in another, “Do not uphold the Chair’s ruling.”
The same parent emailed chair trustee Kelly Amos to alert her to the incident and also talked to the parliamentarian who was present. Trustee Amos’ response was that trustees get lots of emails from their constituents so it was not deemed to be a concern.
Members of Save Bateman are demanding a full investigation into the incident because they believe that Meed Ward’s actions in which she appears to be directing Reynolds, unduly influenced the outcome of the vote.
‘Save Bateman’ members are also demanding an investigation into whether Meed Ward attempted to direct and/or influence the vote of other HDSB school trustees.
 Lisa Bull said she was shocked when she read the message she is believed to have read and photographed on Marianne Meed Ward’s iPad.  Denise Davy, a former journalist has delegated at city council to urge the city to involve itself in the school closing debate. Davy has been instrumental in getting the Bateman high school story news coverage at CHCH television. Bateman parents have filed complaints with the HDSB as well as through the Ontario Ombudsman, the City of Burlington, The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, he Canadian School Boards Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
This group of concerned parents believes this to be an issue of integrity and honesty and argue that both Reynolds and Meed Ward failed to behave in accordance with what is expected from elected officials – particularly during such a significant process focused on closing schools.
Throughout the process, Meed Ward also used her Ward Two e-newsletter to communicate about the PAR process and reported unvalidated information/data that many believe influenced the decision to close Bateman.
 Leah Reynolds talking to Central high school students at a public meeting. This formed the backdrop of the June 7th incident and further escalated the public’s concerns around Meed Ward’s involvement in the closure process.
Reynolds had campaigned on a platform of ‘no school closures’ yet voted for the closure of two schools.
 By Pepper Parr
June 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone is blaming the eleven trustees for the decision they made to close two of Burlington’s seven high schools.
 The trustees needed a clear signal from the parents – they didn’t get one. All they did was their job. The signals they got from parents were pure self-interest. Central fought like crazy to get their name off the close list. They did that by organizing and putting facts on the table.
Lester B. Pearson put very solid facts on the table – they had the best of the arguments to not lose their school.
 The Board staff did everything they could to tell parents that changes were in the wind. The Bateman parents at first paid no attention whatsoever about the school closing issue – they saw themselves as safe and did nothing.
When they realized they weren’t safe at all – that they were at serious risk they had to scramble to get their story out. It was a very solid story – few people outside Bateman knew how successful a school Bateman really is. The closing of that school is going to be very disruptive for families that have had more than their share of disruption.
The trustees were faced with a situation where the Board made a recommendation, then changed that recommendation and then proceeded to hold several meetings that left few parents happy with the way things were going.
 It was too little too late – Bateman parents who deserved better treatment got caught up in a turf war they didn’t see coming. Many of the students at the school will suffer because of their individual circumstances. It didn’t need to happen this way. What was clear during the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) process was that no one really wanted to see a school closed. It took a bit of time for the PAR committee to coalesce as a group and when they did it was evident that they had within them the capacity to come up with some innovative ideas. They needed more time.
One Gazette commentator pointed out that the city spent more time on deciding what to do with the Freeman Station than the school board allowed for the parents to have a meaningful input on the school closing decision.
When city hall made the wrong decision citizens moved in and got it right – on our sesquicentennial next Saturday you will be able to tour a really well preserved Freeman train station that served this city well. Citizens inevitably make the right decision – they just need some leadership.
The PAR committee learned, much to their surprise, that what they understood innovation to mean was not what the parents meant. What we saw was the size of the divide between a protected part of the economy (school board staff) and the private sector that has to earn its bread every day.
 Option # 7 don’t close any of the high schools.  Option 19 – the Staff recommendation,  What turned out not to be possible for the PAR committee to do was to settle on just the one recommendation and that was to not close any schools and to change some of the school boundaries.
It was there for them to choose – #7.
But instead the different communities chose to protect their own turf and do whatever they could to save their school.
Imagine – just imagine if the PAR had settled on the one option – # 7 and then said to the trustees – don’t you dare close any schools until this issue has been thoroughly reviewed and the community agrees on what is best for the whole community.
 Delegations argued their individual school case and in doing so lost an opportunity to put a collective case in front of the trustees and direct them to listen to the parents. And imagine if every one of the 50+ delegations had said the same thing – don’t you dare close any of these schools. Direct the staff to do a better job of coming up with a better solution.
Had the PAR committee and the delegations done what they could have done – do you think the trustees would have voted the way they did?
And had the community pulled together the way they could have we would not have the rancour and really bad feelings between the parents at one school feeling as aggrieved as they have a right to feel.
The matter of those 1800 empty seats is a concern – the world is not going to come to an end if many of those seats remain empty for a while. The 1800 number isn’t apparently the real number – it is somewhat less but it is an issue that needs serious attention.
The trustees had little choice – they didn’t fail – the parents failed. What the trustees got was a set of very mixed messages – close theirs but don’t close mine. Some argue that the Board of Education set things up so just this would happen. I don’t believe they did – but if they did – did we have to follow that direction?
All you had to do was say No! Every one of you – just say No! That didn’t happen and the trustees went to the safest corner they could find – the wishes of the staff. One Burlington trustee who campaigned on no school closures went along with her colleagues and voted to let Bateman high school close.
The upside, and it is small, is that trustees get chosen again in just over a year and maybe someone will find a way to get something on the agenda that takes a second look at the decision made June 7th, 2017.
The properties are not going to be sold to developers for years – if they are sold at all. Right now the plan is to close them and that is a decision we have to live with because we let it happen.
Those who buy into the belief that Burlington is the best mid-sized city in the country are probably the same people who claim downtown Burlington is vibrant.
We are really better people than this.
Work together, work for each other and make the place the city that has more than a wonderful waterfront and a magnificent escarpment going for it.
By Pepper Parr
June 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This article was revised. In the original version we said Marianne Meed Ward sent just the one message to trustee Reynolds during the school board meeting. Meed Ward advised us that she sent several messages all of which were related to procedural matters.
Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward admits that she did send ward 1 and 2 school board trustee Leah Reynolds messages electronically advising her not to vote on a motion that was before the board.
 “Don’t vote … Let it go” said parent Marianne Meed Ward to school trustee Leah Reynolds. The message was seen as private and was an acceptable practice? Meed Ward adds that the messages she sent – there were several had to do with a complex procedural situation that the Board of Education debated for an hour.
Meed Ward’s view appears to be that a comment or advice on a procedural matter is acceptable.
The Chair of the Board of Education Kelly Amos said that trustees get messages from people in the public gallery all the time.
Meed Ward maintains the message was private and that it is being misrepresented and that false allegations are being made about her motives.
Meed Ward asks people to look at the facts and not come to a conclusion without all the facts.
The difficulty with this is that the facts are complex, confusing and that there are several sets of facts.
 Chair Kelly Amos and vice chair Kim Graves trying to figure out just what the rules require when there are two different motions on the floor. The issue before the board was which motion was going to be heard first. A Parliamentarian who was brought in by Board staff took the position that two motions could be on the floor at the same time.
The Boards lawyer saw it differently and said the Board could debate just the one motion at a time.
In matters like this – the Chair rules and Kelly Amos went along with the opinion given her by the Parliamentarian.
 People in the public gallery at the June 7th Board of Education meting – this shot is of a mostly Central high school people For the Bateman parents it was all about a trustee who voted for the closure of their school getting advice from a member of city council who was also one of the parent representatives from Central, a high school that was originally recommended for closure.
It is not a pretty picture and it certainly smells. It was a complex issue and feelings were running very high. They were just as high at Central high school when they were recommended for closure.
When the closure recommendation was changed to closing Bateman rather than Central – attitudes changed in minutes and everyone began behaving badly.
One has to take Meed Ward at her word. She says she sent messages that to a procedural matter. If there is evidence to the contrary that should be brought forward.
Meed Ward told the Gazette that what she did was the right thing to do and added that it has been a very tough situation.
 Meed Ward sitting as a parent representative at the PAR meetings. Asked if she regrets accepting the role of being a member of the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) Meed Ward said she had no regrets.
What she does regret is the lack of respect for differing opinions. “I have empathy for the parents at Bateman” said Meed Ward. The decision to close a school has real impact on a community and it is hard for people to accept changes like this, she added.
What bothers Meed Ward most is the disregard and damage being done to civil discourse. The public drops out of public debate when the respect for the views of each other are disregarded, she said. People don’t want to become involved when there is so much misrepresentation and distortion of the facts.
What is bothering people who are not directly involved in the school closings is the acceptance of a practice that has people in the public gallery sending electronic message to trustees with advice and direction – even if it relates to just a procedural matter.
What also bothers some is why the parents who had the evidence showing a person sending a message to a trustee waited more than two weeks before releasing the information they had.
 Is what is on that computer screen public or private? A further concern is the matter of what is private and what is public: When a city Councillor attends a public Board of Education meeting and is seen sending a message electronically to a trustee – is the sending of that message private or is it in the public interest for that message to be made public?
Trustee Leah Reynolds was asked to make herself available for an interview. So far there has not been a response.
The Board of Education has begun the transition process and appointed Superintendent Terry Blackwell to oversee the process.
The Board announced that it will hire architects who will do the design work on Nelson high school for the transfer of the Bateman students to that location in 2020.
By Staff
June 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington just loves being on lists where the city is named the best of this or the best of that.
 Canadian Automobile Association recognizes a Burlington street. An observant ready recently came across a mention the city got from the CAA – the Canadian Automobile Association.
 Another public mention for Burlington – joins our being the BEST small Canadian city to live in We are number 3 on the CAA’s 2017 Worst Roads list.
The CAA has New Street as the recipient of that distinguished mention.
If you drive that road today there is a nice new layer of asphalt with bright white lane markings. A worst designation can’t be about the quality of the surface – must be about the lane markings or the reconfiguration of the traffic lanes.
 White blotches of paint show where the bike lane lines are to be located. New Street will have one lane in each direction, a turning lane between the two traffic lanes and a bicycle lane on either side of the road.
The bike lanes are the issue. City hall just hasn’t been able to get a grip on a problem that is perhaps not clearly understood.
The city’s transportation department is trying to deliver on a city council objective – do a pilot study and see what happens when the traffic lane configuration is changed and bike lanes are added to each side of the road.
The cycling community wants bike lanes, which they argue, will be heavily used once there is a network of bike lanes that allow a person to actually get somewhere.
The car drivers want their traffic lanes back – something about a God given right Burlingtonians have to roads to drive their cars on.
Those who like driving a bike and would use it as a mode of transportation providing there are barriers that protect the cyclists from the cars or the buses and trucks.
New Street has become a thorn in the side of the Mayor – he seems to be the lightning rod for the issue.
Poor man gets button-holed by voters when he is at the Y exercising – they want him to do something about the road.
In the world of politics skill at managing issues is vital – and having departments that can put together plans to manage the way an initiative is rolled out is critical. Both communications and transportation get a thumbs down on this one. One wonders where the communications people in the Mayor’s office are on this one.
Everyone seems to be adrift.
The pilot study that was supposed to start last fall got derailed. It is set to begin in the very near future. Let’s see what the data looks like when it becomes available.
Can’t wait for those eager citizens to claim that the data was rigged to give the city the results it wants.
There is some doubt that the people at city hall really know what they want – on this project at least.
 By Staff
June 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Movies under the Stars returns on Thursday, July 6, featuring free outdoor movie screenings at 9 p.m. every Thursday until Aug. 17.
The films in the family movie series were chosen by residents through a weekly online poll earlier this spring.
The selected movies and their locations are:
Date Location Movie
Thursday, July 6 Nelson Park Stuart Little
Thursday, July 13 LaSalle Park Finding Dory
Thursday, July 20 Central Park Bandshell La La Land
Thursday, July 27 Emerson Park The Good Dinosaur
Thursday, Aug. 3 Lowville Park Shrek
Thursday, Aug. 10 Ireland Park Mighty Ducks
Thursday, Aug. 17 Spencer Smith Park Lilo and Stitch
 Good clean family fun. Each movie will begin at 9 p.m. and will be shown on a large, inflatable screen.
Healthy Kids Community Challenge will be at each event with fun activities and information on healthy snack choices for kids.
Viewers are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.
By Pepper Parr
June 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The fat is in the fire.
And it is going to severely burn a number of elected officials.
Bateman high school parents have been fighting doggedly to keep their high school. They have presented evidence that a member of the PARC and a city Councillor has been coaching a school board trustee on what to say during the critical June 7th meeting at which the trustees decided to close Bateman and Pearson.
The parent group has had the information since June 7th – and have held it while they strategize and determine how best to have the biggest possible impact.
They went for a TV interview with CHCH – they dropped the bomb in a Thursday evening broadcast that could derail the plans Meed Ward has had for running for the office of Mayor in Burlington.
 Trustee Leah Reynolds working from a well marked copy of Roberts Rules of order during the crucial June 7 vote on high school closings. Leah Reynolds, the school board trustee who was being coached had plans to run or the ward 2 city council seat.
Meed Ward said she was not coaching anyone – but rather making comments on procedural issues.
Kelly Amos, the chair of the Board of trustees said no rules were broken and the Code of Conduct was observed.
When the Director of Education, Stuart Miller, advised the Board trustees last October that there were something in the order of 1800 empty high school seats in Burlington and that as Director he wanted to Board to do a Program Accommodation Review of the Burlington high schools.
The Board agreed and created a PARC (Program Accommodation Review Committee.
Those committees have two representatives from each high school in the city who look at all the information available and if they can make a recommendation to the Director who in turn makes his final recommendation to the trustees.
 Burlington city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. Marianne Meed Ward, the city Councillor for ward 2 in Burlington has a son at Central high school; she was asked by the Parent Council if she would represent them on the PARC. She said she would which raised both eyebrows and hackles amongst many.
The first recommendation from the Director of Education that the PARC had to deal with was to close both Central high school and Lester B. Pearson high school.
Sometime later the Director revised his recommendation and removed Central high school form the recommendation and added Bateman high school.
The Bateman parents were stunned and they weren’t ready for the fight of their lives – which they eventually lost.
Parents at the three high schools have lived through a horrendous nine months. There was a lot of bitterness at Bateman and Pearson.
 Meed Ward at her iPad during a school board meeting. What few knew was that the Bateman parents had captured Meed Ward communicating with trustee Reynolds during the June 7th meeting. Those parents had a member of their committee who could get them in front of the CHCH news people – they knew a hot story when they saw one.
The Bateman parents have filed complaints against trustee Reynolds and city Councillor Meed Ward accusing them of acting unethically during a meeting to decide the fate of two Burlington schools.
 Is this a smoking gun? Going to be tough to explain this one. The Save Bateman Committee say the words of school trustee Leah Reynolds weren’t her own; they claim they could see Burlington city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward typing instructions to Reynolds on her iPad and they have visual evidence to back up their claim.
Lisa Bull speaking for the Bateman parents – She is “shocked’! Lisa Bull, a Bateman parent took a picture where one message said: “don’t vote in favour”. She says she was talking about a motion put forward by another trustee, Amy Collard, to explore a partnership between Robert Bateman and Nelson high school, to save the school and some of its unique programs in skilled trades and special needs.
The chair of the Halton District School Board says receiving emails and texts during a meeting isn’t against the rules but parents say Meed Ward was instructing her on how to block the motion and that Reynolds campaigned on a platform of “no school closures”.
The Save Bateman Committee is also accusing Meed Ward of influencing the decision to pull Central school off the closure list.
CHCH asked Meed Ward for an interview; the normally always available for time on television Meed Ward said she wasn’t available. She sent the TV station a statement saying, “the texts related to procedural matters only and had nothing to do with the content of motions regarding school closures and alternatives…”
Leah Reynolds didn’t respond to the CHCH interview request.
City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward with Leah Reynolds; Best friends forever. The Save Bateman Committee wants the Board of Education to put a pause on the final 10-1 vote to close the school and they are asking that trustee Reynolds be suspended.
It will take some time for everyone to figure out just what merit there is in the parent demand to put a hold on the school closing.
What is evident this morning is that this smells.
Asking Meed Ward to produce a copy of every text message or email she sent trustee Reynolds might clear the air a bit.
Some of the copy in this report is from the CHCH newscast.
 By Staff
June 22, 2017
BURLINGTON,ON
It was after 3 in the morning – two male suspects, one armed with a handgun the other armed with an expandable baton, entered the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 3023 New Street in Burlington.
The suspects rounded up employees before heading for the pharmacy department where they demanded narcotics.
After an undisclosed quantity of oxycodone was provided, the suspects fled the store, running west along the front of the plaza and then north along Guelph Line.
A search of the area by canine and Tactical Rescue Unit (TRU) members was conducted however the suspect were not located.
The suspect armed with the handgun is described as male, hispanic, 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, heavy build, 200 to 250 lbs, wearing a black hoodie with a black & white bandana, dark pants, black gloves and white shoes.
The suspect armed with the expandable baton is described as male, white, 6′ tall, thin build, 150 lbs wearing a dark toque with a beige bandana covering his face and black golves.
Anyone with information about this robbery are asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825 4747 ext. 2343, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
June 22nd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They are sort of like the weather – you can’t avoid them if you use the internet.
Somewhere along the way someone sold an Identity Thief one of our addresses and like clockwork – in comes an email warning about a danger lurking out there for us.
This one was related to an BMO account.
We know what we do with our various bank accounts – but some people think their bank might be trying to tell them something important.
Your bank will never send you this kind of notice – they value you as a customer – they will call you if there is a problem. Because when there is a serious problem the banks end of having to pay out at least some of the loss.
 We removed the name of the recipient. This did not come from BMO. That verify your account now link could wipe you out financially. It is the first step to getting their hooks into you.
 By Pepper Parr
June 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A little over 70 people took in an overview of what the Planning department wanted to put before the public as it works its way towards what will be created in the way of a design concept for the Downtown Mobility hub, which is the buzz word being used by the planners put a name on the Grow Bold directive that has been agreed upon by city council.
 It wasn’t a very large audience – but it was one of the most significant meetings held by the Planning department this year. As significant as what gets done with the downtown core is – it wasn’t enough to draw full council attendance. Councillors Sharman and Lancaster didn’t make an appearance.
The evening was part presentation and part workshop.
The presentation part was what the planners had come up with based on the input from the public at an April meeting. That public input got worked on by the consultants the city has hired and what the planners took away from the public comments.
All that was boiled down to two concepts – both considerable different.
 Director of Planning Mary Lou Tanner explains a point to ward 3 Councillor John Taylor. Director of Planning Mary Lou Tanner said the concepts were not a recommendations – they were concepts – something that people would discuss at length – or at least that was the hope.
One attendee wondered why there were just two concepts – and why were they both linked to the height of a building approved more than 20 years ago.
It is going to take several articles to cover just how much is involved.
One attendee said the concepts that were put before the audience would amount to “blowing up the downtown as we know it and starting all over again”.
A critical part of the thinking was the way allowable height was going to be determined. Everything would be place on a scale and made relative to the height of the Bridgewater project that is currently under construction on Lakeshore Road.
 Concept 1 at the top with concept 2 beneath. The cross street are Lakeshore Road, Caroline, Ghent and Prospect. That project, referred to as the city’s Legacy development when it was approved in 1995 – the assembly of the property began in 1985 – reflected what city council wanted to do at that time. Times have changed and the intensification the province has imposed on the city are a lot different today than they were in 1995.
Pauline, who was at the meeting had this to say: “Last night the City and its consultant team presented and obtained feedback from the public on two options for “the ultimate build out” of the Downtown. At a glance, it is difficult to see why so many of the unique an special attributes are shown as being replaced or eliminated – Village Square especially comes to mind, our only grocery store is to disappear and ALL of the parking lots are to disappear.
“The suggestion that John Street could be recreated into a new central spine sure has me scratching my head. In addition, to accomplish either of the options presented, the Downtown would be blown up and redone with low rise buildings.
“I don’t know how many sites were noted on the options but it has to be at least 50. Is this realistic? How much growth is proposed to be included in the Downtown? No one told us that! Wouldn’t it be better to limit the disruption and have fewer strategically located tall buildings?
“At least this way, the key elements that make Burlington special will be kept. I sure hope that there is more public consultation on this. It sure is complicated and Planning Department staff have a lot of questions to answer.
Another attendee was more detailed and specific.
“Two concepts were presented at a public meeting for the development around the Downtown Mobility Hub.
“Why two? Why not five? It reminds me of the old sales closing technique…..….”alternate choice close”. Ask the customer if they want the bungalow or the two storey and by forcing them to choose you make the sale or at least it’s a move closer to the sale! But you can make it even more sinister. Make one choice so unattractive, by default, the customer gravitates to the least worst alternative.”
What could the city look like when what was put in front of the audience look like? The following two videos are a visualization of each concept.
CLICK for Concept 1:
CLICK for Concept 2:
By Staff
June 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This scam sounded very professional – almost as if they knew what they were talking about.
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Web Business Banking
TD Commercial Banking
Here was the problem with this one – we don’t bank with Toronto Dominion. Would a TD customer gt taken in by this? Some of them might – when they learn what is behind that file they want you to download it will be a sad day.
Banks DO NOT communicate with their customers this way.
By Staff
June 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This news will keep the lawyers in the region happy.
The province announced the building of a new courthouse in Oakville replace the court house in Milton – something everyone has been asking for.
 Province announces a new court house for the Region – construction slated to start in 2019 – will open four years later. Attorney General Yasir Naqvi was joined by Kevin Flynn, MPP for Oakville, Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP for Halton and Eleanor McMahon, MPP for Burlington, to make the announcement at the site of the future Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse.
The new 21-courtroom facility will offer a broad range of justice, family, social and victim services, bringing the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice operations in Milton and Burlington together at one accessible location.
 Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon at the site o the new court for the Region to be built in Oakville – construction to start in 2019 and open four years later. The building will feature new technology to make the court run more efficiently which will help speed up the criminal justice system in the Halton Region. For example, witnesses and other vulnerable persons will be able to appear before court from remote locations through video conferencing or from a secure room through closed-circuit television.
Construction on the courthouse is expected to begin in late 2019 and be complete about four years later.
The new courthouse will be located at the intersection of William Halton Parkway and Third Line, North and west of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
To get to the new courthouse, people will be able to take the GO bus from Bronte and Oakville GO stations. The courthouse will also be accessible by a rapid transit bus, which is planned to run along Dundas Street from Bronte Road in Burlington to the Kipling TTC subway station.
The site of the future courthouse is provincially owned property.
By Staff
June 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This is good news – timely as well.
The Nelson pool and splash pad are targeted to reopen on Saturday, July 15
The Recreational swims will be held daily between 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Lap time swims can be found at: www.burlington.ca/
 Bigger and better – but no sponsorship. In 2015 the city announced that “with two severe winter seasons back-to-back, the steel tank at Nelson Pool has seen an accelerated rate of deterioration,” said Chris Glenn, director of parks and recreation. “Ensuring public safety is our top priority, and thus the need to keep Nelson Pool closed.”
Getting the pool re-built generated some vociferous debate when Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison wanted to hand the job off to the private sector and have a new pool in for the following summer
City manager James Ridge suggested a plan like that was not very prudent and that 2017 was the more likely with 2018 a possible opening date as well.
When the announcement on the made on the size of the pool and when it was most likely to open the city also released a report on possible sponsorship for the pool.
During a discussion on fund raising for the Nelson pool reference was made to the consultant’s analysis which estimated value for a Facility Naming Sponsor could range between $300,000 to $350,000. It is also recommended that the payment terms could be as follows:
• $30,000 – $35,000* annually for an agreement term of 8 to 10 years
• Incentive to pay upfront: 15% discount = $297,500 – $250,500
• Paid within 3 years: 10% discount = $315,000 – $270,000
There doesn’t appear to have been a taker for this deal.
Look for the photo ops when the pool opens. We recall watching Mike Wallace get himself soaked at the opening of a splash pad in Ward 3 – he was the Member of Parliament at the time.
Perhaps all seven members of city council will take a leap into the water.
 By Stephen White
June 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are far too many initiatives in play, and far too little time to fairly and effectively read, review, understand and absorb the cumulative impact that all of these development proposals will have upon the City.
This process is not being effectively managed and the Mayor and Council need to wake up to this reality.
 Citizens do show up for public meetings and are very willing to participate – but the number of meetings being held now is more than most can manage, Citizens are attending meeting after meeting trying to get a grasp on what is going on. These meetings make a mockery of public participation because they assume the average citizen:
1) has had the time to review materials;
2) is able to attend public meetings and forums despite other personal and business commitments;
3) has reviewed content online; and
4) has had sufficient time to ask and receive informative answers to poignant questions.
Add to this separate meetings and discussions around smaller planning projects, school closures, etc. and it is a lot to absorb.
We are all being held hostage because of Kathleen Wynne’s intensification mandate.
This sad, sorry, pitiful government has one foot in the grave and despite the Gazette’s optimism it is not a certainty that their re-election is assured.
 Citizens are replacing their governments when they are unhappy – Burlington will have its next municipal election in 2018. The Liberals should take a long, hard look at recent results in B.C. and Nova Scotia if they want confirmation of that.
Add to that growing public dissatisfaction with the Trudeau government, and recent policy initiatives that will prove incredibly costly and problematic to implement (e.g. a 32% increase in the minimum wage by January 2019) and you have an election minefield ready to explode.
At a minimum the timeline for review and implementation of these planning initiatives should be extended by a year to eighteen months.
Let’s agree to take the time and do it properly and fairly rather than subscribe to an artificially imposed timeline.
 Stephen White is a Certified Management and Executive Coach and founder of Competitive Edge Coaching based in Burlington, Ontario. Stephen is a member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the Chamber’s Political Action Committee.
By Staff
June 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Thefts from Motor Vehicle Occurrences Significantly Up in Burlington.
The Halton Regional Police Service report a significant increase in reported thefts from motor vehicles since the beginning of 2017.
As of June 18th 2017, there have been 341 reported occurrences of citizens having their motor vehicles entered and items stolen which are up significantly from the 119 reported occurrences during the same time frame last year and represents a 187% increase in this crime.
In 219 of these occurrences, entry was possible because the vehicles were left unlocked. In 59 of these occurrences entry was made by smashing a window and 24 occurrences by forcing the doorframe and/or lock punch. There were 29 reported occurrences of licence plates being stolen from vehicles and 10 “other” occurrences which include theft of vehicle batteries, tires/rims and manufacturer emblems.
Almost every community in Burlington has been targeted by thieves (see attached HEAT Map). These are crimes of opportunity and are preventable.
Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:
• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• Consider installing CCTV / Surveillance cameras which can capture the crime and aid in suspect identification
• Help police catch those responsible by keeping an eye out in your communities and immediately reporting any suspicious activity
Anyone with information about person(s) responsible for these crimes or persons selling stolen property from these crimes are asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
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By Pepper Parr
