 By Pepper Parr
March 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a very productive meeting and the Program Accommodation Review heard comments that several thought they would never make – the committee had found its voice – and for the first time ever there was a round of applause from the people – 30 some odd – in the gallery.
The meeting – the fifth to date, started with an overview of the data that was collected through an on-line survey that everyone agreed was not accurate and had no validity in terms of useful information. Nevertheless it did reveal something.
The members of the PARC are not at all excited about closing any of the schools – and they want to take a time out and pause to get a clearer sense of where they are going.
 Cheryl deLugt, a nurse, told the PARC members that she felt they all needed to take a “time out” and determine just what it is they are supposed to be doing. Many other members of the PARC felt the same way. Lester B, Pearson parent Cheryl deLugt, who works as a nurse, told her fellow PARC members that she felt the committee needed a time out and explained a procedure that operating room staff use:
1-is this the right patient, 2-the correct surgery and 3- is it the right procedure.
Many felt that the PARC had not really found its way and didn’t like how the process had gone so far. They want to review what they have done so far and determine how much flexibility they have on what they can put forward.
DeLugt wanted the board to call a time out – pause and look at what has been done and what hasn’t been done and what they might do better. To follow the deLugt dictum they have the right patient; no one is sure they are doing the right thing and few are certain they are doing it the right way.
The Board of Education will meet Wednesday evening and the expectation is that they will revise the schedule that is supposed to have the Director of Education delivering his report to the trustees.
The sense is that more time is needed – quite a bit more, for the PARC people to offer some innovative ideas which they weren’t at all sure they could do.
1611 people responded to the survey. The details on the survey results are covered in a separate story.
 By Pepper Parr
March 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Capturing data that is valid, balanced and detailed enough to tell research analysts what people think and what they would like to see done has been a challenge for the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PAR).
The Halton District School Board hired IPSOS Reid to take on the data gathering and the analysis of the data that was gathered as well as create the questions that would give both the Board, the trustees and the members of the PAR the information thy needed.
If you want to count how many chickens there are in a coop – there have to be some chickens – which is an awkward way of saying that IPSOS Reid was never able to get balanced data.
The first survey they did of parents at a December meeting was so skewered to Central high school parents that it was difficult to project what parents from all seven high schools thought about an issue.
The second survey that ended March 13th does not appear to have been all that much better.
IPSOS Reid presented an Overview of the data gathered on what responders thought of the six options for possible school closing were still on the table. The names given to some of the options were not as clear as they needed to be – for example 7b was to not close any of the high schools and change the Hayden boundaries.
 Most of the options that came forward went through some modifications which added an alpha to the number. Thus 7b had at least two changes made to the original content.
The next piece of data explained who was answering the survey – a parent, a student – who?
 The PARC wanted to know who was responding – – the vast majority were parents.
Which school did the responder represent as the next concern. What surprised many was that more of the responders came from Nelson high school which while on the list of possible closures was not nearly as at risk as Central, Pearson and Bateman.
 Knowing who was responding to the survey, which schools they represented the researched asked the responder what they thought the impact would be for each option from their perspective.
The data for all six options was formatted the same way.
We have set these out for each of the six options.
 Kirk Perris, IPSOS Reid researcher who presented the data on the second survey. There were 1611 responses to the survey.
People completing the survey had seven choices from most positive to least positive. The blue area indicated people saw this as having a positive impact. grey was neutral, orange indicated a negative impact.
Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid researcher did point out that there was no certainty that the responses were all valid by which he meant that he could not say for certain that one person did not complete the survey many times,
He did point out that the average person who did the survey spent 22 minutes doing so which suggested that the bulk of the responses were valid. This wasn’t a survey you could race through.
Perris said the most important part of the survey was the comments people made – that data will be presented to the PARC at their next meeting on Thursday.
 This option is slightly different than the option Board staff originally put forward. It has more to do with boundary changes than the closing of a specific school.  Once this option – closing Nelson was on the table the parents from that high school suddenly got very active. More Nelson parents responded to the survey than any other school – there involvement is reflected in the data.  Closing Bateman and Pearson would solve the 1800 empty seats – Parents at Pearson felt that if they were given the students that were taken from them and sent to Hayden they would be viable.  This option was the one the Board staff put forward. It had much higher negative responses than the option that appeared to be the most favoured which was #7 – don’t close any of the schools.  This option to not close any of the schools had the most or highest favourable response – but it doesn’t resolve the problem of those 1800 seats that are empty.  Closing just Bateman was not a clear choice – the positives outweighed the negatives but people felt neutral about many of the questions.
 By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Spring skiing can be really nice. It’s a chance to get an early start on your tan.
Not much left to the season though and for those in Halton, know that – Glen Eden will reopen for one last weekend of skiing and snowboarding for the 2016/17 season from Friday, March 24 until Sunday, March 26.
 One weekend left in the season. A combination of some recent natural snow, the remaining man made snow and some cooler seasonal temperatures mean the skiing and snowboarding season will continue for a few more days.
Glen Eden is closed this week Monday through Thursday, and is reopening Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lifts will be running from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Lift tickets will be $22 this weekend (rather than $38 for adults and $33 for teens), and all season passes are valid (Super Value, 5×7 and All Access). Glen Eden opened for the 2016-17 season on December 17, 2016.
“We would like to thank all the skiers, snowboarders and lesson participants who visited Glen Eden during the 2016/17 season,” said Gene Matthews, Director, Operations, Conservation Halton. “Glen Eden enjoyed a successful season this past year with visitation returning to typical levels. Our grooming and snowmaking team did a fantastic job with temperatures which were above seasonal, particularly in February.”
The Glen Eden season typically starts before Christmas and Boxing Day and is usually concluded by the end of March Break. Last season, Glen Eden didn’t open until January 8, 2016, the latest start to a season in ten years, and closed on March 12, 2016, the earliest closing in the same time frame. Recognizing the varying winter conditions Southern Ontario receives each year, Glen Eden depends on making its own snow and continuous investments in snowmaking infrastructure
If you want to hit the hills next season there is an Early Bird special for the 2017/18 season on Season Passes and for the first time ever all the Snow School programs. You can register now for the Snow School programs now for next season.
The Early Bird features the best available pricing of the year on all Season Pass and Snow School programs. It closes on April 12, 2017.
 By Staff
March 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bikes that go for $4000 and $5100 a pop have been stolen from garages in the city that were left open. Police succeeded in recovering the bikes.
A thief appears to have scoped out a number of locations that had high end bikes in the garage and then made a trip back to snatch them, load them into his vehicle and drive off.
Didn’t work out as planned.
 On March 7th 2017 between 11:00 AM and 9:30 PM, a black with neon green trim Scott Genius mountain bike valued at $4000.00 was stolen from an open garage on Blue Spruce Ave. in Burlington.
On March 13th 2017 at approximately 1:50 PM, a male suspect was seen stealing a black with white framed Cipollini bicycle valued at $5100.00 from an open garage on Casselman Court in Burlington. The suspect was seen fleeing in a grey Jeep Wrangler and a licence plate was obtained.
Members of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team identified and arrested Trevor ARMSTRONG (30-yrs) of Grimsby in relation to both these thefts.
 He was charged with two counts of break, enter & commit theft and one count of possession of property obtained by crime. ARMSTRONG was released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on April 12th 2017.
Police want to remind residents to take precautions to ensure your homes and garages are secure and to report suspicious people and/or vehicles in your neighbourhood to police immediately.
Anyone with information about this or any other break and enter and/or bike theft is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau @ 905-825-4747 Ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
March 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are into the annual Fraud Prevention Month during which the Halton Regional Police Service Regional Fraud Unit will be hosting a Fraud Awareness Information Session on Thursday, March 23, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the Region of Halton Auditorium (1151 Bronte Road in Oakville).
 Members of the public are invited to attend the free evening event to learn more about the growing fraud trend in Halton Region and how to protect themselves from becoming victims. Officers with the Unit will be discussing typical scams they have encountered and will provide a series of valuable crime prevention tips. They will also review recent criminal investigations they have undertaken in the past year or so. The session will be followed by a question and answer period.
Reservations are not required and light refreshments will be provided.
For additional information on emergency scams, follow us on Twitter (@HaltonPolice) or visit www.haltonpolice.ca/about/specializedunits/fraud.php
Anyone with information pertaining to a fraud or any other crime is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Bureau Intake Office at 905-465-8741 or Fraud@haltonpolice.ca. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
IPSOS Reid will not complete the analysis and formatting of the data on parent views related to the possible closing of two high schools in the southern part of the city. The data was collected during the first half of March.
They will deliver the data to the Halton District School Board on Wednesday in advance of the last PARC meeting on Thursday.
On Tuesday they will give a top line overview and discuss some of the major results from the survey.
There were 1611 responses to the survey which was apparently sent to every parent or guardian the school board had an email address for – seems like a very low response for such a contentious issue.
By Pepper Parr
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If your household is anything like mine the Netflix subscription is key to whatever time there is for home entertainment or the occasional binge on a series you just learned about.
Lie to Me keeps me away from the writing – I tend to take in three or four episodes at a time
So when an email showed up saying there was a glitch in renewing the subscription I pay close attention, I didn’t want to be cut off.
I use a prepaid credit card for everything I buy online; that allows me to limit any loss that might occur should someone manage to actually get their mitts on the way I pay for things.
I thought maybe I had forgotten to top up the amount on the card.
If you don’t know what a prepaid credit card is – talk to your bank manager. A safe proof way to protect your real credit and at the same time limit any loss.
I have taught myself to look at the url on every piece of email that comes in related to money.
The url is the the name of the address the email came from. In his instance it read: (EXPLAIN)
Take a look at the url on this example: Netflix <noreply@netflix.ssl1.com> Anyone could have made up that email address. You could go on line now and create an email address that reads @netflix.ssl2.com
 This notice was not from Netflix; it was from someone who wanted me to click on that blue line which would direct me to a website where they could begin milking me for personal identity information. Don’t get pulled into things like this – look at the url
This is a legitimate Netflix email url: Netflix <info@mailer.netflix.com>
This was a scam – you can teach yourself the same little tricks and keep your bank happy at the same time.
Few people have any idea how much time the banks have to spend handling the return o funds that were taken illegally from an account. That plus the money that have to pay out.
The cardinal rule is this: If in doubt – don’t. And if it looks to good to be true – it usually isn’t true. Trust your instincts and reign in the greed all of us have.
 By Pepper Parr
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The leading news story this past few months has been the work being done by the Halton District School Board to close two of Burlington’s seven high schools and the work being done by parent groups to keep their local high school open.
It is no surprise that the two are at odds much of the time.
Part of the process required to close a school is a Program Accommodation Review (PAR) that crates a committee of people, two from each high school, who are tasked with being the official conduit for information shared between the Board of Trustees and school communities.
They were given a framework to guide their deliberations. They had no input on what those guidelines were.
 PARC members putting their choices and comments on large sheets of paper. This was part of the process of whittling down the 30 options that came forward down to the six that are now before the committee. The fourteen people chosen to do this work, which is proving to be close to exhausting, have a tough job to do – and the HDSB doesn’t make it any easier.
The biggest issue appears to be the data that is collected and the information the Board staff pass along.
 Parents at a December 2016b meeting entering their choices on hand held devices as they responded to the 25 questions that were asked of the audience. The data had little relevance because it lacked any balance – more than 50% of the respondents were from the one school. Two surveys have been done, the first on December 8th at the New Street Educational centre where those in attendance got to use clickers to indicate their choice on 25 different questions.
The problem with the data that came out of that questionnaire was that more than 50% of the people responding were from central high school. The data was severely skewed to the Central high school view of things.
The survey was prepared by IPSOS Reid, a world class organization that found itself struggling to maintain their reputation – admitting that the December 8th event was not one of their finest moments.
The second survey was done on line and ended March 13th.
 The second survey was released at the first public meeting. It turned out to be less than scientific – anyone from anywhere could do the survey as often as they wished, The data was in the hands of IPSOS Reid at the end of that day. Unfortunately the results are not in the hands of the Board yet – this being early Monday afternoon.
That data will have to at least be looked at by Board staff and then sent along to the 14 PARC members who have just the one evening to go over the data and arrive at their own conclusions.
The 14 PARC members are all volunteers with jobs that keep them busy during the day.
It is both unfair and unprofessional to drop a long data dump on these people at close to the last minute and expect them to make reasonable comments. There is no time for them to talk to their parent groups and get feedback.
 Members of the PARC entering data on large posters. These people have worked long hours and are not being given the respect they are entitled to nor the information they need to form opinions and arrive at conclusions. The PARC was created to act as the official conduit for information shared between the Board of Trustees and school communities. In order for the PARC members to do this they need information on a timely basis – and that just is not happening.
The Ministry of Education Guidelines on the PAR process are new and there are clearly some changes needed.
Consideration might be given to changing the timeline these people have been forced to work within.
The Gazette had hoped to have the survey data in hand and be able to do an analysis so that the public could be aware of that the PARC members are working with.
When a public is shabbily treated by a publicly funded organization they get angry, feel they are being mistreated and look for ways to vent that anger and disappointment. That produces events that are pictured below.
 The turn out at the first public meeting where parents could see what the Board of Education wanted to do had hundreds of people show up. The second public meeting has Board staff limiting the number of people who could be in the very large room – they were close to exceeding Fire Marshall limitations.  Unhappy parents who are not given the information they need get angry – resulting in outbursts like this – no one winds and the reputation of the Board gets badly tarnished and the democratic process take a huge hit. Can you imagine what the next election of school board trustees in 2018 is going to look like
 By Staff
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There have been 10 confirmed cases of raccoon strain rabies found in three skunks and seven raccoons in Burlington since October of 2016.
The city is co-operating with Halton Region Health Department and reminding residents of things they can do to help protect themselves and their pets from the threat of rabies.
 They are cute to look at but when rabid these are very dangerous animals. Caution your children. There is a point at which raccoons are cute – when they are infected they are very dangerous.
About rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes severe damage to the brain and spinal cord and, if untreated before symptoms appear, will lead to death. The virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite or scratch.
After someone is exposed to rabies, timely use of the rabies vaccine can prevent the rabies illness. While the rabies vaccine is extremely effective if it is administered before any symptoms occur, there are a number of things you can do to protect your family and pets from the threat of rabies:
 A rabid raccoon. • Avoid all contact with raccoons, skunks and other wild animals
• Seek medical attention immediately if you come in contact with a raccoon, skunk or other potentially rabid animals
• Report all animal bites or scratches to the Halton Region Health Department
• Warn your children to stay away from any wild, stray or aggressive animals
• Do not touch dead or sick animals
• Do not feed or keep wild animals as pets
• Make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up to date
• Keep your pet on a leash when off your property
• Ensure pets that have come in contact with a raccoon or other wild animal are seen by a veterinarian.
This is a serious health issue – children tend to get curious with animals. Not knowing that it might be very sick.
Caution your children.
By Staff
March 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a time that all you had to do was skip town and your problems with the local police force came to an end. The advent of social media put an end to that loop hole.
The long arm of the law stretches from coast to coast to coast. For the 22 year-old male sitting in Hamilton’s Barton Street jail awaiting extradition to California for hacking into the Yahoo web site and making off with billions of names with all kinds of data attached to them, that arm was quite a bit longer.
The police now have tools that are difficult to defeat.
 Halton Regional Police won’t be using motor cycles to bring back the two fugitives from British Columbia. They will be flown and the word will get out that the police are harder to evade these days. Members of Halton Regional Police Service’s Risk Mitigation Team (RMT) announced that they have arrested and returned two wanted individuals to Ontario who fled the province in attempts to avoid prosecution.
Over the past few weeks, RMT officers developed lists of wanted individuals, confirmed that warrants were still in effect, and completed background checks on the intended targets. Working with the RCMP in Surrey, British Columbia, two individuals were identified and arrested. Combined they face 14 charges, including Possession of Stolen Credit Card, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Breach of Probation, Uttering Forged Documents, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to Re-Attend Court.
The names of the two individuals and associated charges they face are:
Joanne WALKER-CALLUM (49 yrs) of Surrey, British Colombia – Possession of stolen credit card X4, Breach of Probation, Theft Under $5000, Uttering a forged document X2, and Fail to re-attend Court.
Blanka DOLEZALOVA (53 Yrs) of Surrey, British Columbia – Possession of Property Obtained by Crime X2, Theft Under $5000, Fraud Under $5000, and Fail to re-attend Court. She is also facing charges with the Ontario Provincial Police
Anyone with information on wanted parties or parties who are breaching their conditions of release is asked to contact Sgt. Paul Harrower (Milton/Halton Hills) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2467, D/Cst. Tim Woollands (Oakville) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2208, or D/Cst Calvin Bulbrook (Burlington) at 905-634-1831 ext. 2387.
Tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
March 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
With Spring Break over and most of the snow melted away the citizens of the city can begin to look for warm sunny days – and fret about just what is going to happen to the city’s high schools.
 Public attendance was good – not huge but those attending paid very close attention. While many parents were out of the city the Board staff were working towards the last two PARC meetings that will take place later this week; one on Tuesday and a second one on Thursday. The Board would love the PARC to arrive at a consensus – the best this PARC is going to be able to do is go for the option that doesn’t close any of the high schools or choose to close Bateman if it is absolutely necessary to get the number of empty seats down.
This PARC has been less than satisfying to the parents and most of the participants. The process followed is a new one issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and it has some, (many?) bumps to be dealt with.
The 14 PARC participants have had a tough time getting a grip on the process and at the same time having to deal with a Board that has not delivered anywhere near enough in the way of data and information.
 PARC Chair Scott Podrebarac on the left with city manager James Ridge on the right. Ridge had very little to say – the public was never told what his mandate was other than to occupy the seat allocated to the city. The PARC was given nothing in the way of historical background and the reasons why the city now has seven high schools with 1800 + seats that are empty and one high school that is close to 150% of it rated capacity.
They were given a template to use as they made decisions on the various options that were put in front of them. That template asked them to consider, but not be limited to the following:
- Range of mandatory programs;
- Range of optional programs;
- Viability of Program – number of students required to offer and maintain program in an educationally sound and fiscally responsible way;
- Physical and environmental state of existing schools;
- Proximity to other schools (non-bus distances, natural boundaries, walking routes);
- Accommodation of students in permanent school facilities and minimal use of portable classrooms;
- Balance of overall enrolment in each school in the area to maximize student access to programs, resources, and extra-curricular opportunities and avoid over and underutilization of buildings;
- Expansion and placement of new ministry or board programs;
- Stable, long-term boundaries to avoid frequent boundary changes;
- Cost effectiveness of transportation;
- Fiscal responsibilities;
- Existing and potential community uses and facility partnerships;
- Goals and focus of the current multi-year
It would take a single edition of the Gazette to pick apart the 13 points in the framework – transportation is one of the better examples. Every time the question as to the cost of busing and the impact busing would have on the students was brought up everyone from the Director on own was told to “don’t go there” it is far too complex.
The issue that is almost as important as what students learn in the classrooms is how we get them there got shoved to the sidelines because it was too complex.
The Board has deliberately obfuscated on a number of occasions and has kept the PARC away from issues that are critical to finding an acceptable solution that is fiscally prudent, take into consideration the importance of community and strives to give the students the best possible educational advantage. Not an easy thing to achieve but there are some very smart committed people on the PARC. They deserved more respect from the Board than they have been given.
The PARC people had to learn new acronyms that the Board uses daily.
 The principals or their proxy were on standby during most of the PARC meetings – they acquitted themselves very well. Not one of them stumbled. The PARC members had to listen to data that was wrong the first time it was given to them and wrong the second time as well.
Parent groups from the high schools most at risk – Central and Pearson to begin with then Bateman and Nelson at a later date.
The public never got the sense that they were really involved. Meetings were held at which the public as not encouraged or given a chance to ask questions.
The five high schools that were not named as possible closure took a pretty relaxed attitude early in the process – when it became evident that Nelson and Bateman were being given a look at for possible closure they got active quickly.
The result was a turf war between the different high schools rather than an open co-operative and collaborative approach to resolving a serious problems.
 Superintendent of Facilities Gerry Cullen gave a report in which he explained what was wrong with the data they were being given – that was the extent of it – other than to say that was what the Board was working with. During all this the elected trustees chose to be mute. They didn’t want to “influence the process”.
The four Burlington trustees were on hand for every meeting – the others popped in on occasion. The city now faces a situation where all four of its trustees could vote not to close any of the high schools but the other seven trustees (there is a total of 11) could vote to close two of the high schools and that is what would be done.
What the PAR committee has to do is:
Remind themselves that while they were brought together to WHAT that they need to do is look at the bigger picture and determine in their minds what is best overall for the state of the high schools in the city.
 PARC committee members from Ward 1 and 2 talking over what was taking place. Both were very direct with the chair. Each PARC member needs to ask themselves why they are there: To fight for the existence of the school they represent or to be involved in a committee that looks at the available data and if it is insufficient then demand that the Board provide factual data.
The constantly updating data on the part of the Board is unprofessional and unacceptable and the PARC needs to tell the Board as much.
The PARC members need to demand that they have some direct input into the report that goes to the Director of Education. They should also demand that they be given the time and the resources to critique the report the Director gives the trustees March 29th.
Demand that the Board not rush the PARC – these 14 people have full time jobs that require time – as volunteers their time needs to be respected. The PARC should not be made slaves to a time line the board created.
 Somewhere in this crowd are a number of Board of Education Superintendents explaining as best they can what the preferred school closing option is and why it makes sense. Many of the parents weren’t buying it. The PARC has yet to find its voice – hopefully the Spring Break will have given everyone some time to catch their breath and provide the city with the service each one is capable of giving.
There is a lot more riding on this decision than most people realize.
 By Pepper Parr
March 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
She was born in Burlington, graduated from Lester B. Pearson High School and went on to the University of Guelph where she earned an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and a second degree in Landscape Architecture..
Tamara Kwapich then realized that unless she learned to drive a cab she wasn’t going to make much in the way of a living and took a course in Computer Aided drafting at Mohawk College, then toiled for a number of years and put oil on canvas while developing her art style.
 Tamara Kwapich She married her high school sweetheart (set her eyes on him when she was 14) and got to know him much better when she was 18.
Upon graduation Tamara and her husband spent eight months in Poland teaching English.
Now an established artist with two grown boys Tamara looks around her and wonders – “what’s next”?
She has been part of the Art In Action tours and was selected as one of six people to do a mural in a specific ward of the city.
Tamara chose Ward 5, the Orchard and, in a light almost whimsical way, she caught what the Orchard once was; acre upon acre of fruit trees that made Burlington the produce capital of the country.
The Orchard mural is on a field house beside Alexander’s public school on Sutton Drive. You can’t miss it.
When one stands back from the mural and glances to the left and the right you can imagine what those fields of fruit trees used to look like.
 The Orchard. If you are in he area pull over and take a close look at the faces down into most of the apples. The community wasn’t called the Orchard because someone liked the name – that is what it once was. The day we took the photographs it was cold, blustery with the few people that were out walking quickly to keep warm. One wonders if the earth did not ask – what did you do with the trees that used to be here?
 The Owl and the Pussy Cat. Kwapich currently has an exhibit of her work on display in the Fireside Room and the Art Gallery of Burlington. The style she used in those painting is considerably different than the orchard mural. Her “The Owl and the Pussy Cat is one the best we have seen.
Big art however seems to have gotten a grip on Kwapich; she has entered the competition for public art on sports facilities in the city. She wants to paint large air balloons and have them floating along the side of the Mainway arena.
Kwapich wants to paint big – “I want more physicality in my work”, she said and dreams of being hoisted up on a lift and so she can paint away at a large picture that will be seen by thousands of people
The big big murals are not the only thing that interest Kwapich – she is thinking about doing paintings of older people, portraits that show the wrinkles and the character in people’s faces.
Kwapich doesn’t have much interest in the photo-shopped look that is sought by people who want to control what an artist creates.
 Boy on a roof near a cherry tree – the boy happens to be one of Tamara Kwapich’s sons Making art in Burlington is not an easy row to hoe. Kwapich is aware of the city’s cultural stagnation and also very aware of how difficult it is to find affordable studio space. Burlington didn’t have very many factories that could be converted into loft for artists and musicians. Imagine what could have been done with the Aylmer canning factory that used to sit at the bottom of Brant Street – what an artist colony that could have become.
The saving grace for the arts community in Burlington is the amount of money the city is prepared to spend on public art.
There are murals, there is a nice piece of sculpture that was unfortunately out in the wrong place but that doesn’t take way from the quality of the art.
 Tamara Kwapich’s submission for the art competition to celebrate what sports has done for the city. There are plans to put murals on the sides or th grounds of sports facilities around the city. The Spiral Stella outside the Performing Arts Centre is a treasure that doesn’t seem to get the public exposure it deserves
 Is the boy the prey? Or is the fox wondering why he is there? And what does the owl have to say about what is taking place? There was a bit of a hope at one point that space would be available in the Beachway Park that is still in the design stage but it looks as if the plan is to ‘Disneyfy’ that part of the city and make it a destination of some sort. Artists done grow in that kind of environment and while there is a segment of every population that will always buy Elvis on velvet – it isn’t what Kwapich sees herself doing in the years ahead.
The city is still groping and trying to find the artist in itself; no clear direction yet.
Kwapich sees artistic growth for herself in those large murals the city is putting real coin on the table to have done – and she kind of likes the idea of doing portraits that are different, something that is more interested in capturing the character rather than the look of the person.
Certainly something well worth trying – is Burlington ready for that level of art?
The Kwapich art is on exhibit at the AGB until the end of the month.
 By Pepper Parr
March 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir’s bottom line is that “the Board is cooking the books”.
 Tom Muir at a downtown planning discussion put on by Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. Muir, is a Burlington resident who lives in Aldershot. He is a retired federal civil servant and a trenchant observer of what goes on in his city. He was once described as an “acerbic” personality which Muir thought was pretty accurate.
The Board cited two reasons for asking the trustees to hold a Program Accommodation Review:
Condition 1: Low Utilization, Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
Condition 2: Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
The first citing under-utilization of two schools at or below the 65% level is because the Board has cooked the boundaries and feeder distributions to produce that result.
They have done this, says Muir because the 1800 + empty seats in the seven high schools are the result of what the Board did back in 2009 to fill the new high school they convinced themselves was needed for neighbours close to Dundas Street and the homes being built in the newly created Alton Village.
Muir maintains the Board didn’t explain this to “the public or parents”. He adds that the PAR should have held the Bord accountable for that failure because the under-utilization of the existing six schools was part of what the Board knew was going to happen. The Board knew that surplus seats would be produced.” Muir adds “that was known, and part and parcel of the plan, at the time that the Hayden school was being planned.”
They made a deal with the Ministry, claims Muir, to at least partly fund new seats at Hayden by a “future disposition of surplus assets” which would be school properties – which they later identified as Central and Pearson high schools. “This is what they are trying to do now” said Muir.
The overall utilization is 75 to 80%. The new seats in Hayden are at 118 to 150 % – over-utilization of 214 to 604 seats.
 Stuart Miller during a Q&A that was webcast by the school board. According to the Directors Preliminary report, this will only get worse with growth, infill, and other development that is presently assigned to the Hayden boundaries and feeder distribution. These distributions are part of the recipe used to cook the result the Board wants.
In addition, the Board’s population and pupil yield models are projecting enrollment that is too low. The Board knows this but it still using a an enrollment model that produces bad projections. This happened when they did projections in the Alton Village, and this is known, but are still being used.
Muir believes this can be fixed. He suggests a “reshuffle of the city-wide boundaries and feeders can keep all schools above 65%, and move the average utilization toward the 75 to 80% level.
Muir opines that this is not what the Board wants. Not only that, but they are using the cooked books to show only the part of the feasible options that favor what they want, which is closures.
“I would add that the path the Board is on leads to another key logical implication, not yet in people’s consciousness, which is due to the overflowing utilization, portables, and over-directing of new pupils to Hayden” said Muir.
He adds: ” In time, with no boundary and feeder changes to balance things, the stated continued growth there, and actual population and pupil yields that have been over the Board estimates used, there will be another over-utilization based demand for another school. It’s a clear consequence of not changing how the utilization is managed and balanced.
 Central high school is the oldest in the city – and needs a lot of repair work. Parents ask why that upgrading work was not done during the past 10 years. Director of Education Stuart Miller responds with: It doesn’t matter where we put the boundaries or how we organize the feeder schools – none of these is going to produce students to fill those 1800 empty seats. And the Ministry of Education is not going to give the Halton District School Board any money to pay for maintaining those seats.
It appears however that funds will be available to do all the work that will come about should the Trustees decide to approve the closing of schools.
There is some hard number crunching to be done to determine just how much it is going to cost to close schools and what is really involved financially long term to keep them open.
Condition 2: Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
The second condition cited in the Directors report to the trustees was that reorganization involving the school or group of schools could enhance program delivery and learning opportunities for students.
“Director Miller repetitively says, and told me personally, that this PAR is only about the students and what is good for them.”
 Director of Education Stuart Miller preparing for a public meeting at Central high school. “I have asked Director Miller, the Board, Trustees, and the PARC for a detailed accounting of how much money will be saved, how many new courses will be offered, what will the courses be, how will the courses benefits the students, to how many new students, at what schools, and so on, in a detailed accounting.
“This information has never been provided and doesn’t seem to be in the offing.
Muir wants to know how if no such information is provided can the PAR condition be met.
“Also, maybe people don’t know, but the Board doesn’t have to spend the savings from closures, or other measures, on providing these additional classes and opportunities.”
Before we make such decisions based on assumptions, the PARC and Trustees should be asking for the information I asked for, and for Board and Director assurances that this will be delivered.
Muir maintains “this cooking of data and misinformation by the Board was started and done to get Hayden opened. They are doing it in order to smokescreen the options toward the closures they want and that were agreed to with the Ministry in 2009.
This means that all feasible options, of which there are many, are not being explored and explained.
All management and cost-benefit data and information is not being provided.
Muir argues that “the Board has no credibility and cannot be trusted. He told the PARC and the Trustees at the start of this PAR process, “that this is what the Board staff will do to them, and that if they tolerate it, they will be led down the garden path, which is what is happening. The Director is not their friend. The Board are not their allies.”
 Parents listening to the proceedings of the PARC Muir believes that the only thing that will save all their schools is solidarity. “You have to pull together. You have to demand the information you want and need to meet the PAR conditions and as many criteria as you set to meet yourself.
At bottom, the only power, and this is the real trump card of the Trustees, is that they have the power of the law.
No matter what anyone says or does, Board or Director, Ministry, the Trustees decide with their votes what will actually done.
 Four of the eleven Halton District school board trustees listening to the presentation given by Board Staff early in December. The Trustees are the law.
Muir pleads that PARC members not “waste this power fighting among each other, because you are all at risk, either now or in the not too distant future.”
Muir believes all the misleading misinformation, and the way the system talks in code, and partial truth is at the root of the problem the community faces. “Remember” advises Muir,” every partial truth is the beginning of a new lie.”
 Catchment boundaries are complex – the PAR committee was faced with 30 options to deal with. The prime concern for many was the lack of a high school that would serve the families in the downtown core. Aldershot on the left appears to have the balance needed – in the east end of the city Nelson and Bateman have catchments that overlap – which raised the question: Should either Bateman or Nelson be closed? Tom Muir is not the easiest man to get along with. He is direct, being polite is not his objective. Facts looked at logically will produce results that can be lived with is where he comes from.
Several months ago when Muir was delegating at city council, when Council wanted to reduce delegation time from 10 minutes to five he said:
“I would hope that Council votes in favor of the 10 minutes unanimously, as a show of good faith. I will say that a vote to reduce to 5 minutes is something I see as an insult to citizens and their possible contribution to what we do as a city – our city.”
“Further, if Councillors still want to vote down the 10 minutes, I say this. If you are so tired of and frustrated by, listening to the views of the people that elected you, then maybe you have been doing this job too long and should quit. I mean that, and will not forget how this vote goes tonight. “
“This Council is not your Council; it is the people’s Council.
“And these Council Chambers are not your Chambers, but are equally, the people’s Chambers. All the Councillors and Councils hold these offices and chambers in trust. A vote to reduce the people’s time to speak in these chambers is to fail in that trust.”
City council kept delegations at the 10 minute level.
The Halton District School Board exists to serve the needs and desires of the public not the wishes of the Director of Education and senior staff.
 Muir thinks quiet, polite demonstrations (the Burlington model) are not the answer. Demanding accurate data on a timely basis so that people can make informed decisions is the only way parents are going to be heard is Muir’s advice. When the closure of high schools in the city became a public issue Muir had some advice for the parents that were going to be impacted.
“If parents don’t let their outrage loose, and in mass numbers demand answers to their key questions, on a schedule parents set, to the Board, and the Trustees, and your Councillor and Mayor, and right now, immediately, then the trip down the garden path will continue.
“Parents have to self-organize and go to war for what they want. Sheep are for slaughter. They are the big bad wolf.
“If parents don’t do this, then give up, because they will just put you down slowly, on their schedule, with their information driving the bus your kids are on.
“Don’t kid yourself, and don’t go quietly.”
By Staff
March 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The arrest earlier this week of Karim Bartov. a technically brilliant young man, who lived in Ancaster is both sort of local news and a look into how thieves steal your money and when they can your personal identification.
They use a process call phishing – which is basically an email sent to you, which you might want to respond to if you think it comes from an organization you do business with. Your bank, Netflix, Canada Post and Apple are just a few of those we have seen used.
 Karim Bartov flashing a big handful of $100 bills. The thieves buy tens of thousands of names and fire off an email to see who might bite – thus the word phshing.
Where do the names come from? – the young man from Ancaster arrested earlier in the week had hacked into the Yahoo web site and took hundreds of millions of names and sold them to others.
Those names were your identity which they were selling to people who would use them to send out those emails that pop up in your incoming email.
 The cars were fast -hat about the women? There is almost no limit to what they creeps will do.
Karim Bartov was arrested earlier in the week on a warrant from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for breaking into the Yahoo computer servers where billions of names and all kinds of personal identity information was stored.
Bartov’s skills were such that he was able to actually take over the operation of the software that controlled the servers. He is accused of working with federal Russian agents
The following is an example of a phishing attempt:
With the introduction of our company into the US and Canada markets, We are currently seeking services of a Representative and Accounts Receivable Personnel/Manager. These positions are on part time bases, requires less than 4hrs weekly and pays between 5,200 to 10,000 monthly with other benefits.
If you are interested this position, visit our website below and click on BECOME A FIDUCIARY AGENT fill out the form and send to us for more information
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Willaim Gifford.
www.the-ggallery.net
giffordgallery@protonmail.com
If you no longer wish to receive information regarding this offer, please reply to this message with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.
This one is filled with red flags.
The amount they are offering to pay for a few hours work appeals to the greed that we all have.
The Christian name of the sender is spelt incorrectly.
 Karim Bartov – a selfie of a selfie The final insult was the line saying you could unsubscribe. When you do that you have given the thief a name that he knows will respond to something,
When you see what to you doesn’t look right – respect your instincts – delete the email – and remain vigilant because there will be more of them.
The Gazette was talking to a bank manager on Friday who casually said he had cleared an Identity Theft claim for more than $7000 – “and that was just one” he added.
Bartov is now in a Hamilton jail cell awaiting a bail hearing.
By Staff
March 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Police in Burlington are seeking assistance from the public to identify four persons responsible for a series of thefts from vehicles overnight on March 14/15th from rural driveways in north Burlington. One victim had credit cards stolen which were used fraudulently at several locations in the City of Burlington. Four suspects were observed at the various locations.
Theft from autos continue to be a concern in Burlington, particularly when windows are smashed to gain entry.
A second series of thefts from vehicles occurred in the same rural area of Burlington overnight on March 16/17th. Police would like to remind people to avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view. Police also encourage citizens to report any suspicious persons.
 Anyone who can identify these suspects is asked to contact Det. Ellie Bale of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Property Crime Team @ 905-825-4747 ext 2312. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Ray Rivers
March 17, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Globe and Mail journalist John Ibbitson sees little daylight between the foreign policies of Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister Harper. Ibbitson should have an inside track on something like this given his extensive record as a journalist and someone who recently completed a biography on Mr. Harper.
 A Canadian soldier explains the conduct of a patrolling raid to a Ukrainian platoon during small team training at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine. And the proof. Canada hasn’t yet reopened the embassy in Iran, which Harper had closed. The Liberals have extended Harper’s military mission in Ukraine, and like the former government are providing training but no serious defensive hardware. The European and other free trade deals are moving ahead as if Mr. Harper were still in charge. And Harper’s pet Keystone XL has been blessed with the go-ahead by the new US president.
But seriously, Harper would never have supported the recent UN motion condemning Israel’s ongoing settlements on Palestinian territory. Nor would the former PM have been seen signing onto the Paris climate change accord with such determination. Our immigration and refugee policies are at a significant distance from where Harper was taking Canada. And Trudeau has now granted our NAFTA cousins in Mexico visa-free entry.
 Justin Trudeau campaigned on Real Change – the exact definition of what that meant wasn’t clear – what we are getting may not have been what we thought we were being given. Trudeau was the candidate of change, so one should expect to see some daylight between him and the others. He out-flanked the NDP on the left and he turned conventional thinking on its head promising to run deficits, legalize pot, open the nation’s gates to Syrian refugees, do something serious about climate change, reform Canada’s indigenous policy and change the way MP’s get elected.
But some folks are losing their religion, getting anxious, frustrated, disillusioned, or worse. Time has a habit of eroding promises and dreams – like sand on a hillside on a windy day – or the brash and bold promises made on a campaign pulpit on election eve.
And a year later, there are business folk still waiting for that massive deficit-funded stimulus to kick-in. Aboriginal leaders are wondering when they’ll see real change in their lives and their place in Canada. Environmentalists, enthused with the declaration of a nation-wide carbon tax, are licking their wounds after the rash of pipeline announcements, and worrying about how the dinosaur leading the lemmings south of the border, might affect environmental policy in the Great White North.
 Federal Ministers Jane Phillpot; Health and Jody Wilson-Raybould, Justice And then there is that marijuana wannabe crowd. They know that pot is the biggest cash crop in the United States. So they’ve got the business munchies – eager to start making money by selling dope. But Mr. Trudeau has made it clear that legalization is mainly about keeping weed out of the hands of children. So he has smoked the wannabe vendors by sicking the cops on them – telling the police to enforce the law, even though everybody knows the law is slated to change sometime soon.
Well it is slated to change unless that particular promise gets deferred or cancelled. Folks are nervous after the PM dumped his promise on electoral reform into the trash bin of good intentions. We may recall that his father had commissioned a study back in 1969, the Le Dain Commission, which recommended removing criminal penalties for simple possession and allowing the cultivation of marijuana for personal use.
There may not have been broad consensus on pot then. Decriminalization may not have been the highest priority for the government of the late Pierre Trudeau at that time. And perhaps Nixon got in the way with his ‘war on drugs’. Still, decriminalizing Mary Jane would have kept a lot of harmless people out of jail, and would perhaps do more for the economy today than the billions Mr. Trudeau is pumping into infrastructure,
 Marijuana – the new cash crop  Canola – an existing cash crop. which of the two is healthier? Stephen Harper used to argue that the best way to keep narcotics out of the hands of young people was to just do what his government had been doing – throwing people in jail. But nothing could be further from the truth if the experience in US jurisdictions holds up.
Marijuana use among America’s youth has fallen dramatically since states started legalizing the substance. And that would put Trudeau definitely on the right track to meet his objective. And that, Mr. Ibbitson, would be a lot of daylight between him and Mr. Harper – at least on this file.
 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:
John Ibbitson – Trudeau’s Foreign Policy – Enforcing the Law – Electoral Reform –
Indigenous Policy – Cannabis in Colorado – Legalized MJ – Le Dain Commission –
Youth Trends – USA Drug History –
 By Pepper Parr
March 17, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Run that by me again – Why are we doing this ?
According to the Board’s Program and Accommodation Review (PAR) policy, a Program and Accommodation Review is initiated if one of the five conditions listed in the policy are met. Out of the five conditions, two have been met which justifies the PAR.
Director of Education Stuart Miller. There are five conditions but no one at the Ministry of Education wants to say what the five are. Director of Education Stuart Miller uses two of the five to justify his report to the trustees asking that a PAR be held on the Burlington high schools.
The HDSB web site has details on how the two conditions the Director refers to were met – they are set out below.
What the Gazette cannot find out is – what are the other three conditions. Director Miller used two of the five. What the other three are is not known to us. A call to the Ministry of Education got nothing but a statement on how much money they are spending in Halton. It was an almost pure piece of public relations fluff.
Condition 1: Low Utilization, Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
Condition 2: Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
Condition 1 states that the school or a group of schools has/have experienced or will experience declining enrolment where On-The-Ground Capacity (OTG) utilization rate is below 65%. Currently two secondary schools in Burlington have utilization rates below 65%, and one school is approaching this threshold. It is projected that all three schools will be below 65% utilization by 2020:
School OTG (Building Capacity) 2015 Enrolment, 2015 Utilization, 2020 Enrolment, 2020 Utilization
Condition 2: Enhance Secondary Programming and Learning Opportunities
By reorganizing the school and creating larger grade sizes and enrolments, the Halton District School Board can enhance program delivery by offering more courses and a variety of courses using funding that would otherwise be spent on maintaining empty spaces. The benefits of each school type are highlighted in the table below.
School Type/Benefits
Small Secondary School (Enrolment of 600 or less)
Staff tend to know each student better and may be more able to proactively intervene to support a student who is in need of assistance;
Extra-Curricular Participation – while the number and types of activities available to students may be fewer in a smaller school, students are more likely to make a team/activity because there are fewer students interested in participating in each team/activity;
 Trustees Grebenc and Grey – are they listening t the students – and the parents? Higher ratio of service area staff to students – to maintain core functions in the area of Special Education, Guidance and Library, smaller schools have a significantly richer staffing ratio than larger schools. This however comes with increased costs to the Board;
Less pressure on the physical space in the building e.g. less scheduling challenges on gym space.
Large Secondary School (Enrolment of 1000 or more)
More course options available to students to support different learners, interests and pathways.
Fewer scheduling and timetable conflicts – In the 2014/2015 school year, 39% of students at smaller schools had timetable conflicts while at larger schools 19% of students had timetable conflicts. Timetable conflicts often result in students not being able to take a course they had selected because two or more of their selected courses are running in only one semester at the same time.
Fewer “shared” students – a shared student is a student that is registered in more than one school. These students register for a course they require/want that is not available in their home school. In 2014/2015 12% of students (234 students) were considered a shared student in small homes schools. 4% of students in a large home school were considered shared students (169 students).
Fewer Early Leavers in larger schools – An Early Leaver is a student that leaves school prior to graduating. In 2014/2015 the percentage of early leavers prior to graduation was 1% at large schools and 3% at smaller schools. This in turn affects the graduation rates at high schools.
 Bateman students in the cooking class. More teacher subject specialization – more classes mean more teachers, therefore it is more likely to get specialized teachers while smaller schools with limited classes have less diversity in staff. For instance in larger schools there may be 4-5 science teachers, a biology specialist, physics specialist , a chemistry specialist and two science generalist, while at a small school there may be only 2 science teachers to teach all science curriculum areas.
More opportunities for Extra-Curricular participation – in larger schools there are more staff and thus more opportunity for greater special interests and skills and thus a greater offering of extracurricular activities.
More funding for students, less spent on maintaining empty spaces.
That’s two of the five conditions. We want know what the other three conditions are.
By Pepper Parr
March 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The issue of land fill dumped on the Air Park on Appleby Line back in 2013 will become part of the news cycle on March 28th when the Ontario Court of Appeal hears arguments from Burlington Air Park Inc. to overturn the decision of Justice M.R. Gibson who heard a case in which the city of Burlington asked the Ontario Superior Court to compel the Air Park to file a site plan. It is this second Superior Court decision that was appealed
 A truck dumping land fill on the Air Park site in 2013 In an earlier court case the city sued the Air Park for allowing land fill to be dumped on their property and the Air Park sued the city saying they had no right to sue the Air Park because they were regulated by the federal Department of Transportation and did not have to comply with city bylaws.
Justice Murphy ruled in favour of the city on that case. The Air Park appealed that decision and lost the appeal in one of the shortest hearings heard in some time.
Justice Murphy decided that the Air Park had to comply with city bylaws except for that part of the aerodrome that was a runway or a taxiway. That called for the Air Park to provide the city with a site plan. The Air Park hired consultants to put together a site plan but a document never got to city hall.
 Land fill was brought onto the 200 acre Air Park site, ostensibly to level the land. After numerous delays the city decided it would ask the Courts to compel the Air Park to file a site Plan. That court case was heard by Justice Gibson who decided for the city. The decision was not all that clear cut however the intention was evident.
The Air Park didn’t like the decision and they took Justice Gibson’s decision to the appeal Court of Ontario.
 Vince Rossi, president of Burlington Executive Airpark Inc., at a meeting with members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition that took place in a barn a couple of hundred yards from the end of his largest runway. That appeal will be heard at Osgoode Hall in Toronto on March 28th.
Three Burlington residents and the publisher of the Burlington Gazette were sued for Libel by the Air Park.
That case has yet to get to the doors of a court room
Several weeks ago, Parr, Dennis and Warren along with the Burlington Gazette were sent an Offer to Settle by the Air Park.
The offer made to Parr and the Gazette had several element.
One was payment of $2500 to the Air Park, an apology and a settlement offer.
The apology was to read as follows:
I wish to express my sincere apology for having published material suggesting that the manner in which fill was placed by Burlington Airpark Inc. (“Airpark”) at its aerodrome in the City of Burlington raised issues of environmental concern. In part this arose from my reliance on a report commissioned by the City of Burlington based upon a review of soil test data obtained by the City from Airpark. I now understand that these data included data for soil that was rejected by the Airpark’s contractors as it did not satisfy the applicable Ontario guidelines and that there is no basis for the concerns that I expressed.
Yours truly [Settling defendant]
The Offer to settle was worded as follows: (it is filled with dense language; Shakespeare may have made a point when in Henry VI, Part2, Act IV, Scene 2 he wrote “Let’s kill all the lawyers“.)
TO: [the Settling Defendant] and each of his/her/its employees, partners, associates, agents, affiliates, attorneys, insurers and representatives and beneficiaries, heirs, executors, devises, personal representatives and administrators, successors and assigns, as the case may be;
FROM: BURLINGTON AIR PARK INC. on behalf of itself and its present and former officers, directors, shareholders, beneficiaries, employees, servants, agents, attorneys, insurers, heirs, executors, devises, personal representatives and administrators, successors and assigns as the case may be, and any parties who they represent or who claim a right or interest through it or them (collectively, the “Burlington Airpark”)
 For a short period of time in 2013 trucks were operating all day and into the evenings with loads of fill that no one was able to say where it came from. The Burlington Air Park earned a fee for every truckload. In consideration of the payment of TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($2,500) by the [Settling Defendant], and in consideration of the terms and conditions of the Rule 49 offer to settle that was made by Burlington Airpark Inc. in an action commenced in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice under Court File No. CV-14- 2290-SR (the “Action”) (together, the “Settlement”), and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged,
1. Burlington Airpark hereby releases [the Settling Defendant] of and from all manner of action, causes of action, demands, suits, debts, dues, accounts, bonds, covenants, contracts, invoices, orders, complaints, claims, counterclaims, third party actions or proceedings of whatsoever kind or nature that Burlington Airpark now has or has ever had by reason of any cause, matter or thing whatsoever, without exception or limitation, whether in law, equity, contract, tort or by virtue of any statute, for any and all remedies, damages, monies, charges, losses, indemnity, costs, expenses, disbursements, fees of any kind whatsoever (including without limitation, legal, accounting, tax or any other professional advisory fees), controversies, set-offs, taxes, penalties, interest or injuries which hereto may have been or may hereafter be sustained by the Burlington Airpark or any one or all of them (collectively, “injuries, losses, or damages”) arising from the defamatory statements that are the basis for the Action (collectively, the “Released Matters”).
2. Burlington Airpark further agrees not to make any claims or take any proceedings against any other person or corporation who might claim, in any manner or forum, contribution or indemnity against the persons discharged by this release in connection with the Released Matters. In the event that [the Settling Defendant] is added to any such claim or proceeding commenced by any Burlington Airpark, Burlington Airpark agrees to immediately discontinue or have dismissed that claim or proceeding and shall fully indemnify [the Settling Defendant] for any legal costs incurred in respect of said claim or proceeding pending its dismissal or discontinuance.
3. This Release shall be binding upon Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant’s] and each of their respective successors and assigns and shall inure to Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant’s] benefit and to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
 Heavy construction equipment parked on a 30 foot + hill 50 yards from the kitchen window of the Sheldon property on Appleby Line next door to the Air Park landfill operation. Many thought the overnight parking of the equipment was intimidating. 4. The Burlington Airpark and [The Settling Defendant] acknowledge having had an opportunity to review this release and seek independent legal advice prior to signing it, and acknowledges that they fully understand all of the terms contained in it, are signing voluntarily and of their own free will and without duress or compulsion, and that the only consideration for this Release is as referred to above.
5. [The Settling Defendant] agrees to hold the existence and terms of this Release and the Settlement underlying it in the strictest of confidence and that this Release and the Settlement will receive no publication either oral or in writing, directly or indirectly by them, and agrees that neither [the Settling Defendant] nor his/her/their lawyer shall disclose, reveal, confirm or otherwise communicate the terms and conditions of the Settlement (except that the Action has been dismissed) or the amount of the consideration paid for this Settlement in general or specific terms, it being the intent and purpose of Burlington Airpark to prevent and avoid any publicity regarding the Settlement. Violation of this provision constitutes a material breach of this Release and Settlement, subject only to any disclosure required by law or deemed essential on auditors’ or accountants’ written advice for financial statement or income tax purposes. For greater certainty, the publication of the Apology Letters as required under the Settlement is not prohibited by this Release.
6. [The Settling Defendant] agrees not to negatively comment on, criticize, denigrate or disparage any the Burlington Airpark of any of its directors, officers, employees, representatives, agents or lawyers (either orally or in writing). The bold letters were added.
 These people are not drilling for oil – it is believed they have sunk a drill to test the make up of the landfill dumped on the property. 7. This Release and the Settlement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein. Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant] irrevocably attorn to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in respect of any dispute arising in respect hereto and/or in respect of any of the underlying claims that are resolved by this Release and Settlement.
8. Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant] acknowledge that they have obtained independent legal advice and are represented by counsel concerning the negotiation and entry into and subject matter of this Release and the Settlement. This Release and the Settlement embody and reflect the entire agreement by and between Burlington Airpark on the one hand, and [the Settling Defendant] on the other, and supercedes all prior negotiations and agreements, whether written or oral, relating to the Released Matters. This Release and Settlement may not be altered, amended, modified, or otherwise changed in any respect except by an instrument in writing duly executed by authorized representatives of each of the Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant]. Burlington Airpark and [the Settling Defendant] each acknowledge that no statement, promise or inducement that is not contained herein was made or is relied upon, nor shall any subsequently alleged statement, promise or inducement be valid and binding. If any provision of this Release is held invalid, void or unenforceable under any applicable rule of common law or statute or in equity, only that provision or portion thereof shall be deemed omitted from this Release and only to the extent to which it is held invalid, and the remainder of the Release shall remain in full force and effect.
 Airpark dumped more than 30 feet of landfill without a Site Plan. Owner of the adjacent property stands on her property line and wonders why anyone can build a “small mountain” next to her property without getting approval. 9. This Release may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. This Release may be executed and delivered by facsimile or .pdf (via email) and it is agreed that such facsimile or .pdf email execution and delivery will have the same force and effect as delivery of an original document with original signatures, and that each signatory may use such facsimile or .pdf signatures as evidence of the execution and delivery of this Release to the same extent that an original signature could be used.
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED this day of , 2017.
Witness [SETTLING DEFENDANT]
BURLINGTON AIR PARK INC.
We did warn you about the language.
 Were the settlement offer signed the Gazette would be prevented from fully reporting on the progress of the court cases. What this does is basically expunge from the public record anything the Air Park has done and requires the Gazette to seal their lips and never mention their Air Park again, at least not in a negative or disparaging way. Is reporting that the Air Park lost two court cases and to date one appeal negative … or disparaging?
Not reporting is not what accountability or transparency is about.
Sometime after the Air Park sued Parr, Warren, Dennis and the Gazette for libel the province introduced SLAPP – Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation. It came a little too late for Dennison, Warren or Parr – the legislation would not cover the Gazette.
A panel of experts convened by the Ontario government in 2010 found that the threat of abusive lawsuits claiming massive damages, especially for defamation, is deterring “significant numbers” of Ontarians from speaking out on issues of important public interest.
Known as SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation), these dubious lawsuits are often brought by deep-pocketed companies with the specific aim of silencing resource-poor defendants. And they are very effective. The defendants, usually ordinary citizens or public interest groups, naturally feel threatened by the prospect of massive legal fees, disruption of their activities and the possibility of large damage awards. Even when the lawsuits have no merit whatsoever, they often result in a chill on free speech.
Comments on a wide range of public interest issues have attracted SLAPP suits in the past. These include reporting on environmental violations by large companies, exposing corruption and other forms of wrongdoing, and criticizing the behaviour of powerful individuals. In other words, SLAPPs are an attack on democracy. They undermine the ability of civil society and private individuals to act as watchdogs over the powerful.
A solution was found when the province’s political parties found themselves in rare agreement that it was high time to deal with this threat through strong legislation. The SLAPP legislation is now in place and it is being tested in the Courts
 The cast of characters: On the far left seated, is Ian Blue, the lawyer the city hired. Far right is Monte Dennis and in the second row is Vanessa Warren. Talking to the group is former city general manager Scott Stewart. He moved on to Guelph where he is now deputy city manager The Gazette and Parr are very clear on what they are going to do with this offer to settle. Dennison and Warren will make up their minds in the fullness of time.
An interesting and important point with the Monte Dennis situation. He wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Spectator. They published that letter – they are the organization that made Dennison’s view public – but the Spectator wasn’t sued. The Air Park wasn’t about to take on the Torstar Corporation, owners of the Spectator.
The Gazette has published more than 45 stories on this matter; they first broke the story in 2013 and it is far from over.
By Staff
March 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A usually reliable source informed the Gazette that this was a murder-suicide – both people died.
The Halton Regional Police Service are investigating a double shooting at a Mejilla Chiropractic Clinic in Burlington. Officers responded to the location on Plains Road this afternoon at 12:05 p.m.
Both injured parties were taken to hospital for treatment. Their conditions are unknown at this time.
No suspects are being sought and there is no concern for public safety.
No suspects? More to this story.
Police advise that more information will be issued as it is available.
By Staff
March 16, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On March 14th 2017, Robbery Investigators arrested James Lawrence FAHEY (27 yrs.) of Burlington and charged him with one count of robbery in relation to the robbery of a taxi driver in November, 2016.
He was released on Promise to Appear in Milton Court on April 19th 2017.
 Police want to arrest this man – can you help? Investigators are still seeking the public’s assistance to identify the second male suspect who has a nose ring in his left nostril and what appears to be a tattoo or scar in the area below his left ear.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
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