 By Pepper Parr
March 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There is something wrong with the schedule.
The 14 members of the PARC are going to meet on March 21st and again on the 23rd.
 Superintendent Scott Podrebarac, Chair of the PARC, will write the report on what he determines the PARC members arrived at in the way of conclusions and any recommendations they might make. Then the Chair of the PARC, Scott Podrebarac is going to write a report on whatever conclusions he thinks the PARC arrived at and turn it over to Stuart Miller, Director of Education who will in turn craft his report to the trustees which they will receive on March 29th.
The Director will have less than six days to write his report, review it with staff and do a couple of re-writes.
Where is the time to reflect on the months of deliberations the 14 PARC members put in.
Will individual PARC members be putting together their comments and sending them along to the Director of Education?
 PARC members will have deliberated for more than six sessions, some of which went for more than three hours – they exchanged hundreds, probably more than 1000 emails and debated vigorously. Might the PARC itself file a minority report to give some balance to what Scott Podrebarac, Chair of the PARC produces?
There are many who think the work that PARC was asked to do is a farce.
At some point the people paying for the operation of a school board, that’s you the taxpayer, have to stand up on their hind legs and declare that enough is enough.
 Parents listen intently at what the PARC members have to say. Many feel the completing of the PARC report allows the Director of Education to tick off a box on his to do list and move on to the next task which is to shut down two high schools.
There was a point at which the Halton District Catholic School Board (HDCSB) was in serious talks with the public school board for a possible purchase of Pearson high school. The Gazette has been told that Fred Thibeault, one of the HDCSB planners, exhausted all possibilities with coterminous, (that would be HDSB) French Catholic, French Public and the City and wasn’t able to work something out – they didn’t really go anywhere was the comment the Gazette got from a former chair of the HDCSB
The Catholic school board held a Program Accommodation Review for the elementary Burlington panel of schools. The Board staff had St. Paul slated to close; the vote to do that was lost – so it can be done.
 By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is pretty quiet on the QEW.
 Almost eerily quiet for 4:00 pm in the afternoon of a weekday.  Spring Break is keeping things very quiet  A frequently busy ramp area – jut very quiet. The plowing of primary roads is complete. Secondary and Residential road plowing is ongoing and will continue through the night.
Sidewalk clearing on primary sidewalks is ongoing.
The city asks that people remove any parked vehicles from the roadway, during snow clearing operations.
Toronto got a “dusting” of snow; Hamilton got 30 cm with more on the way. Blowing and drifting snow in the forecast for Wednesday morning.
 By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What in heavens name did John Tirone think he was doing when he tried to enter a court house with a weapon.
At 10:28am on Monday March 13th, 2017 a male was entering the Milton Courthouse located at 491 Steeles Avenue in the Town of Milton.
 Milton Court House hears all the criminal and family law cases along with civil matters. The male was being screened through a Security checkpoint. That’s when Halton Regional Police Court Officers noticed the firearm. The male was immediately arrested without incident. A search incident to arrest of the male uncovered some knives, one of which was a prohibited weapon. A further search of the male’s motor vehicle resulted in the seizure of a second loaded firearm.
A follow up investigation has revealed that there was no intended action to target any persons. Detective Sergeant Dave Costantini of the One District Criminal Investigations Bureau said, “We are extremely confident that there was no plan to harm any individuals at the Courthouse.”
What was the reason for even trying to take a weapon into the Court House?
A public safety search warrant was conducted on the male’s residence and resulted in the seizure of an additional 7 firearms.
John Tirone, 40 years of Burlington has been charged with several firearms related offences. He has been held for a bail hearing.
• 4 counts of Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose
• 1 count of Unauthorized Possession of Weapon
• 3 counts of Carry concealed weapon
• 8 counts of Careless Use of Firearm, Weapon, Ammunition (Included in these charges are the unsafe storage and transport of the firearms and ammunition).
• 2 counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm/ammunition
• 2 counts Possession of Firearm at Unauthorized Place
 Doesn’t everyone know that security screening is done at every courthouse? Apparently not. There is a psych evaluation test to be done somewhere in the process of this case working its way through the judicial system.
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact Detective Skoularicos of the Milton One District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747, ext 2420. 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 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington has begun construction on an exciting new project. “The Knot” (or Elgin Promenade) is the name of an urban pathway connecting the downtown to the Centennial Multi-Use Pathway. It might have been called “Shortcut to the Poacher” but that would have been too exciting for Burlington, the town the late Jane Irwin, the city’s best advocate for keeping our heritage once referred to as ‘Borington’ when she delegated to city council.
 The Knot – no idea why that name was chosen – will create a pathway linking the Centennial Trail in the east to streets that will get a bike rider as far west as the canal – basically the city limits. This multi-use pathway will service more than 10,000 people every year and provide public space for a wide range of leisure activities, community events and easy access to shops and restaurants. It will also ensure that public space is preserved and celebrated for years to come.
 Al the property inside those yellow lines once belonged to the city. Ownership of the middle section was shared with an Ontario Ministry. The property was sold for a pittance. The two pieces at either end were turned into Windows on the Lake. Many would have loved to see the same approach taken to some of the most precious land the city once owned – that stretch of property between Market and St. Paul Streets on the south side of Lakeshore Road.
The location of this new pathway is where the city’s transit terminal was once located
The design of the new park will be led by a team of architects – yet to be named – who will work with the city’s Capital Works Department and provide input into the overall design of the pathway with specific attention paid to core place-making elements.
 Preliminary design of the pathway will begin in early April 2017 with construction expected to be complete by March of 2018. This project is on an accelerated timeline due to Federal Canada 150 funding. The selected artist(s) must be available to attend regular meetings in Burlington, Ontario from late April – August 2017.
Deadline for Expressions of Interest is March 31st.
The project has a budget of $20,000
Click HERE to download the Request for Expressions of Interest.
Related news story.
By Pepper Parr
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller is not wrong – but he isn’t right enough either.
Miller is an educator. He is not a sociologist, he is not a politician. He is a lifelong teacher who grew into an education administrator.
Mention a student he taught 15 years ago at a school in Oakville and he will tell you things about that student they may have forgotten. He is passionate about the work he does.
 Stuart Miller works from his smile – open and very much the professional educator who wants nothing but the best for his students. Whenever there is an event that will have more than 25 students on a Saturday morning and he will show up – coffee cup in hand.
He slips out of his office at noon frequently to drive over to Bateman and have the lunch that comes out of the excellent kitchens the students run. Then he sits and eats his meal with the students.
He is exceptionally open: not everyone will agree with that statement but he is a lot more open to media than any one of the politicians in the Region. Many parents don’t feel he listens well enough; just because he doesn’t agree with them – that doesn’t mean he is not listening,
 Miller is fully aware of the world his students are going into – and he wants as prepared as he can make them. He listens to the parents that want to keep their local high school open and he is mindful of their concerns but for Miller his job is to give the students he is responsible for the best education possible and that means offering every course he can in every school.
In order to do that Miller believes he needs larger high schools with more teachers to give more versions of the same course so students don’t lose out due to class conflicts. Those are the well-developed views of a professional administrator.
Parents appear to be Ok with their children going to a different school for some of their courses and Miller does what he can to make that possible.
He believes that a big high school with a lot of staff is the route to go – so when he says he wants what is best for the students he is talking about the course offerings.
 Miller with the ever present coffee cup. That a school has some history the students can attach themselves to is something Miller grasps but he doesn’t understand why a person would put a first class education before having a school they can walk to.
Miller doesn’t live in Burlington. He commutes to Burlington from High Park and uses the 45 minute drive to think through the day he is getting into.
Miller is all about education – he could have a stronger team supporting him but he hasn’t been the Director of Education for two years yet – the public might yet see him as the person who creates a team of Superintendents for the Halton District School Board that are second to none. He doesn’t have that yet.
The team he has is made up of decent people but they have not given Miller anything in the way of new ideas or innovative approaches to solving the problem he faces.
The lens Miller looks through is those 1800 + empty classroom seats and from his perspective it doesn’t matter how he re-arranges the boundaries or the feeder elementary schools – he still has those 1800 empty seats.
What Miller and his staff have not done is come up with proposals or initiatives for the trustees to consider. The province doesn’t fund empty seats.
While Miller has said again and again that the issue is not about money, from his perspective but it is in reality a money issue.
If the trustees decide to not close any of the high schools and to shift boundaries so that the pressure is taken off Hayden and Pearson gets back the population it once there will be more balance – but the city will still have high schools with considerably less than the 1000 students Miller thinks are needed to be able to offer a full palette of course offerings.
 The Halton District School Board in session. Eight of the 11 trustees have just a little over two years experience. A number of them may not have the depth of experience to handle the task ahead of them. A couple have been on the Board far too long. The trustees need to instruct Miller to give them financial options. If every high school is to be kept open the money to pay for those empty seats has to be found somewhere. The trustees need to direct the Director to find the savings within the budget they now work with.
The philosophy board staff appear to work from is bigger schools mean better educations at the high school level.
It is the trustees, serving the people who voted for them that make the final decision – and if the parents want all the school kept open so that a sense of community is kept with the schools we have and they want students walking rather than spending a significant part of each day on a bus – then that is what the trustees should be expected to deliver.
Miller is open to new ideas – he welcomes them and he listens intently – but he doesn’t appear to be a new idea kind of guy.
He spent some time in Africa with his wife but other than that his career has been with Halton where he started out as a teacher and grew into a bureaucrat who now faces the biggest administrative challenge of his career.
 Why is this PARC not leading more instead of following a process that the smarter members believe to be seriously flawed? The Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) is not coming up with much in the way of new ideas – they have become a group that is squabbling with the different high school representatives fighting for their own turf.
Board staff are leading the PARC through a process and the members of the PAR are putting up with it. There are voices on the PARC that can and should be showing much more in the way of leadership.
Miller will serve as the Director for perhaps another ten years. He doesn’t appear to be the kind of guy that will go up against the Ministry of Education. He doesn’t appear to have any aspirations to become part of the provincial government bureaucracy either.
A strong board of trustees can develop their Director of Education into the kind of person the city needs. The Director can then develop the staff that he needs.
Stuart Miller is a passionate advocate focused on giving the students in Halton the best education possible.ll about the students.
What he needs to appreciate is that those students have parents who also have a say, the say for that matter – at least in a democracy.
He is not wrong, but he is not right enough on the community element which is a large part of an education.
 Salt with Pepper is an opinion piece by the publisher of the Gazette who has been covering Boards of Education since the Living and Learning document was released when Bill Davis was the Minister of Education.
By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Bfast, Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit, perhaps the most effective citizens voice in the city, has been holding annual events that review the state of public transit and gives people an opportunity to voice their views – and voice them they do.
April 1st Bfast will be holding their third conference in what is billed as a Transit Users’ Forum will grade the performance of the system through the second annual transit report card.
 User voting will determine the results of this year’s report card, an initiative that was promised several years ago at city council but never implemented.
Burlington Transit staff are slated to make a presentation to the forum on the upcoming Integrated Mobility Plan that will help guide the direction of the system. Using interactive technology, staff will conduct an instant poll of transit users that will help shape the conclusions of the study, mandated in December by Burlington’s city council.
 City manager James Ridge on the right with the former Director of Transit listening intently. Transit staff were missing in action during the first conference; the city manager attended the second conference with the Director of Transit sitting beside him. Several months later the then Director of Transit departed for an easier working climate.
“Burlington Transit is reaching out to its users, and we are more than pleased that the opinions of the people who use the system will be a part of the Integrated Mobility Plan,” said Doug Brown, chair of Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST). “We find it very encouraging that the staff of Burlington Transit want to engage users in the process of establishing a system that will better serve our community.
 Seniors discussing what transit hasn’t been doing for them – the third annual conference will give them an opportunity to comment directly to transit staff who will be attending. “For too long, transit users have lived with continuing cutbacks which have hurt our city. We welcome the opening of a dialogue about the growth of transit, the major component of a greener transportation system in Burlington.”
BFAST is taking the lead in organizing the forum, which has thus far been endorsed by 10 community organizations, including:
· Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council,
· BFAST,
· The Burlington Gazette,
· Burlington Green,
· Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee,
· Canadian Federation of University Women Burlington,
· Community Development Halton,
· Halton Environmental Network,
· Poverty Free Halton, and
· Voices for Change Halton.
As in the past, users will have the opportunity to discuss system-related topics in detail in smaller breakout groups that will cover the needs of seniors, commuters, the disabled, underserved northeast Burlington and the system in general.
Organizers are looking forward to another large turnout for the meeting, which begins at 10:00 am April 1 at the Burlington Central Library. Last year, nearly 100 people attended the forum. Doors will open at 9:30, when a free continental breakfast will be offered.
Mayor Rick Goldring addressed last year’s forum and has been invited to do so again. Will he take the bus to the event?
Members of city council and area MPs and MPPs have also been invited.
The conference will wrap up at 12:30.
 By Staff
March 14, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington invites artists to submit Expressions of Interest to create a permanent public artwork for a traffic island located at Plains Road (QEW Ramp, West of Plains Road QEW Overpass) in the Aldershot community of Burlington, Ontario.
The deadline for submissions is April 28th, budget for the project is $25,000
 Plains Road – no longer just the highway to Hamilton but now a Main Street in a part of the city with an identity of its own Plains Road has undergone significant revitalization and growth in recent years. The City of Burlington undertook a Functional Design and Implementation Strategy in 2011 for the Plains Road Corridor.
 Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven, at a stone marker identifying the participants of the Plans Road Village Vision. This process resulted in a number of suggestions including widening bike lanes, beautifying the area, roadway improvements, and increasing the number of pedestrian crossings and islands.
A significant portion of this work has been completed and additional improvements will continue over the next 10 – 20 years, with the goal of transforming Plains Road from a thoroughfare into a main-street corridor.
 Engineering drawing of the location of the public art. Public art will play an important role in this transformation. The median project will add to the street’s public art collection and will be used as a pilot project to consider the integration of future public artworks into additional medians on Plains Road.
 Civic officials and politicians gather around the $100,000 piece of public art on Upper Middle Road. Locating public art is an art in itself. About five years ago the city commissioned a work of art that was interesting enough – but located the work on Upper Middle Road in a median just before a railway underpass. There isn’t much time for drivers to see the art and there is next to nothing in the way of pedestrian traffic.
This competition is open to all professional Canadian artists. An artwork proposal is not requested at this time. Artist applications will be reviewed on the basis of artistic merit, professional qualifications and experience. Short-listed artists will be paid an honorarium of $750 to develop a preliminary design concept.
 Google view of the Plains Road location for public art. Download the Request for Expressions of Interest (pdf)
By Staff
March 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
How bad is the morning commute going to be?
An early look at the QEW shows roads that are pretty clear and the snow looks as if it has stopped falling.
 QEW between Walkers Line and Appleby Line just before 6 am this morning.  QEW at Guelph Line just before 6:00 am this morning.  QEW at the 403 intersection just before 6:00 am this morning, City streets have had their first brush with the snow plows and the buildup of snow on those cars that are parked outside is not all that bad.
Drive carefully and everyone should get to where they want to go safely.
The City of Burlington is open for business during today’s storm.
At this time, all early bird swims have been cancelled
All city facilities running March Break programs will open at 7:30 a.m. for drop-off and other facilities will open at the regular scheduled time.
Burlington Transit buses are running and crews are beginning to clear bus stops.
The plowing of primary roads is completed and work continues to clear secondary roads. Sidewalk clearing will begin at 7 a.m. It is anticipated that the plowing of locals roads will begin later today.
 By Staff
March 13, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Tomorrow, (Tuesday, March 14, 2017) the Halton District School Board office and all Board-related sites will be closed due to significantly poor weather conditions that are forecast to track into the region over the next several hours.
 Trucks will be out in force. The city has its plows on the road – snow continues to fall. Significant snowfall is predicted.
By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What does it look like out there?
At 9:20 pm on March 13th traffic on the QEW is moving
 QEW between Burloak and Bronte.  QEW at Guelph line Salters are currently out across the city.
Snow plows are ready to go once accumulations reach 5 cm on primary roads.
This snowfall might be the last of the season. Snow clearing to date has been very good on the snow clearing budget – unless we really get wacked there should be a surplus in the account at the end of the fiscal year; of course there is always the first three months of 2018 weather.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is following a snow and wind storm that is forecasted for this area. The snow has started falling and is expected to be heaviest between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14.
In this type of extreme winter weather, the city considers closing city buildings that may include City Hall, pools, arenas and community centres.
At this time, all early bird swims and early program rentals have been offered the option to cancel their bookings.
All city facilities running March Break programs will open at 8 a.m. for drop-off and other facilities will open at the regular scheduled time.
The Gazette will follow the storm as it approaches the city.
At 4|:00 pm this afternoon
Weather conditions continue to be monitored.
Salters are currently out across the city.
Snow plows are ready to go once accumulations reach 5 cm on primary roads.
Please assist our operators by removing vehicles from the road during winter operations.
By Staff
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s Fraud Prevention Month (#FPM2017) and the Halton Regional Police Service released the second of four scheduled Frauds of the Week: Emergency Scams. Emergency scams typically target older individuals and play upon their emotions to steal their money.
 According to the Better Business Bureau of Canada, the total amount lost to emergency scams in 2016 was $1.9 million. Since January 1, 2017, eight to ten victims in Halton alone have been defrauded of funds. One of these victims lost $14,000. Like romance scams, actual figures are believed to be much higher as victims often feel too ashamed to report fraud to police.
“Emergency scams work well because fraudsters throw victims into a state of mini-crisis,” according to Staff Sergeant Chris Lawson of the Regional Fraud Unit. “When this happens, the ability to think clearly or assess a situation is hampered and the first inclination – to help – kicks in.”
In a typical emergency scam scenario, an older person receives a phone call from someone claiming to be their grandchild, neighbour or friend of the family. The caller goes on to say that they are in some kind of trouble, a car accident, stranded in a foreign country or in jail, and need money immediately.
Some victims may get calls from two people, one purporting to be their loved one and the other a police officer or a lawyer. The caller will ask potential victims a series of leading questions which prompts them to volunteer personal information. Callers say that they don’t want others to find out what has happened. Typically, they will ask for money to be wired through a money transfer company.
More recently, victims have been asked for gift cards, known as “steam cards” as payment instead of money. In this variation, victims are asked to purchase the cards and read their serial codes to the caller over the phone.
Victims often don’t verify the caller’s story until after the money has been sent or the gift card information shared and cashed in.
The following tips to protect yourself from emergency scams have been provided courtesy of the Better Business Bureau and Royal Canadian Mounted Police:
• Remember: Scammers count on the fact that victims will want to act quickly to help their loved one in an emergency.
• Caution: Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify the person’s identity before you take any steps to help.
• Think: Don’t give out any personal information to the caller.
• Investigate: Ask the person questions that only your loved one would be able to answer. Call someone you both know to verify the story. Scammers can learn a lot about you from social media, or while talking to you on the phone.
• Ask yourself: Does the caller’s story make sense?
• Important: Police will never ask you for money, steam cards or other forms of payment.
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 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is accepting nominations for its 2017 Hall of Fame Inductee.
 Bob Missen, 2016 inductee into the Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame. Missen joined Gordie Tapp (2013), Rainer Noack (2014), Lawrence Bonanno and Stewart Laughton (2015) Established in 2013, The Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the performing arts in Burlington. Recipients of this award demonstrate the diversity of artistic accomplishment that comprises the rich cultural tapestry of the City of Burlington. The Hall of Fame Inductee will be announced at the 2017/2018 Season Launch event held at The Centre on Tuesday, May 17.
Nomination applications must be submitted by noon on Monday, April 10th, 2017. The nomination form can be downloaded from The Centre’s website.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre recognizes individual and group artists contribution to Burlington’s reputation as a city with a strong, long-term commitment to the development of cultural excellence.
The Centre’s Interim Executive Director, Brian McCurdy notes, “Year after year, we receive so many nominations for individuals who have made an impact through their work within or for the performing arts in our Community. It is a statement about the community as a whole and the overall commitment to Arts & Culture that we receive so many quality nominations.”
McCurdy went on to say, “This is a meaningful way to recognize those who have distinguished themselves by making the performing arts a part of our lives in a significant way.”
Hall of Fame Inductees include Gordie Tapp (2013), Rainer Noack (2014), Lawrence Bonanno (2015) and Stewart Laughton (2015) and Bob Missen (2016)
 By Jay Fallis
March 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
My grandfather led a very healthy life. He exercised every day, followed a strict diet, and only ate chocolate ice cream once a year. At the age of 94, doctors were in awe of the fact that he did not take prescription drugs.
His story is certainly unique. For most of us, prescription drugs, are, or will become, essential for treating illness or physical ailments.
However, for many Canadians, prescriptions are difficult to come by. Stories of patients re-using needles and parents having to choose which child to buy medication for have become all too common in this country.
Unnecessary struggles of this nature lead one to ponder why Canada does not have some form of a universal drug plan.
It seems that politicians in Ottawa have begun to question this as well. In recent months the Standing Committee on Health began discussing the possibility of developing some form of a National Pharmacare Program, and began to look at what such a program might entail. To understand the committee’s progress so far and the issue a little further, I spoke with a member of the Health Committee and Oakville MP, John Oliver.
To start, Oliver discussed Canada’s unique situation.
“Canada is one of the few countries that has a comprehensive universal healthcare plan that doesn’t include pharmaceuticals outside of hospital care. In our current plan today you are [treated] in hospital care, but the minute you are discharged you have to pay for those drugs out of your pocket or through a private insurance plan.”
He went on to suggest that this presents a serious problem for many Canadians
“About 10% of Canadians do not have any form of drug coverage and are unable to afford medications. So about 10% of Canadians show up, have a prescription to fill and they cannot fill it because of unaffordability.”
However, Oliver was clear that this problem was not just limited to those who didn’t have drug coverage.
“Many Canadians have insurance through their employment. But, those private coverage plans are becoming increasingly expensive as new drugs emerge… I’ve heard from inside the industry that there is a concern that private companies won’t be able to continue to afford a drug benefit plan for their employees.” He said.
Essentially, it won’t just be unemployed Canadians who will continue to suffer from a non-existent public pharmaceutical plan. Even those who have pharmaceutical coverage plans through their jobs could be forced to pay for expensive medical treatment themselves.
There are, of course, alternatives used around the world in response to such a harsh reality. Among them is the model used in New Zealand, on which the Health Committee recently heard testimony.
“I think in New Zealand there is a $5 fee that you pay regardless of the value of the drug.” Oliver said.
He went on to describe New Zealand’s model in more detail.
“We did hear that one of the potential downsides of a universal pharma care plan for certain drugs was that there can be delays introducing the drug and making it available to the [distributors] because it’s going through an economic benefit evaluation.”
However, Oliver suggested that despite these occasional delays, New Zealanders appreciate the system.
“There are a lot of left and right leaning political parties in New Zealand. So I asked would any party run on a platform to do away with universal pharmacare coverage and the answer we got was “No””.
Even though New Zealand’s pharmaceutical plan does delay the introduction of some drugs to market, the testimony, that Oliver and the rest of the committee heard, made it clear that this was a popular initiative. So much so, that all sides of the political spectrum wouldn’t dare advocate for its elimination.
Our country has so much to gain from implementing a national pharmaceutical plan. It is popular elsewhere, and it guarantees that no one will suffer because of unaffordability or lack of insurance coverage. While our government still has a long way to go in developing such a broad plan, I am reminded by Oliver’s reply as to whether this was a good time to start this discussion:
“Absolutely, I think it’s past due.”
By Pepper Parr
March 11th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is pretty clear that we are going to build more city; there are construction cranes poking up into the sky in several places in the city and literally dozens of project in front of the Planning department and even more in the board rooms of those developers active in the city.
Some of those projects are mired in the Ontario Municipal Board bureaucracy.
 The first of five towers going in on Fairview has reached its full height. Changing the sky line. Two that are coming along very nicely in the downtown core are the Molinaro Paradigm project on Fairview road next to Walmart and the Bridgewater project that is not above grade yet on Lakeshore Road and Elizabeth.
Some might suggest that Paradigm is not in the downtown core and they would not be wrong – watch the downtown core grow north to Fairview. The projects in the works for Brant street all but guarantee that.
The five tower Paradigm project has reached full height for the first tower – we now know what the skyline along Fairview is going to look like going forward. That project will add some 2000 people to the population of the city and change the Fairview street we used to know to something much more active. It will also change the product offering at the Walmart which is a parking lot away from the five towers that will eventually rise.
 The Bridgewater project has been in the works since 1985 – was approved by city council in 1995. Scheduled to open in late 2018 Bridgewater, which will be the toniest residence in the city is big hole in the ground right now with the four level garage being built and the base put in place for the three structures that will rise out of the ground. A singe garage will serve all three buildings.
 Upper left oblong is where the 22 storey condominium will be, bottom left is where the four star hotel is going to be with the seven storey condominium in below the hotel. The 22 storey condominium the nine storey hotel and the seven storey condominium that will be at the southern part of the property a couple of football fields away from the Pier.
Once the city and the Adi people work out their differences in front of the Ontario Municipal Board we will know what to expect in the way of structures on the north side of Lakeshore Road. If Adi gets the nod from the OMB expect to see at least one more tower on the lots to the immediate east of what Adi wants to do and then some eye popping proposals for the property between John and Brant streets.
 There are many wondering just what the city means when they say they intend to Grow Bold; new office at 1455 Lakeshore Road. If I were a betting man – I’d give odds on the Adi Development being turned down completely. The OMB hearing officer will give it a two thumbs down.
By Pepper Parr
March 11, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is the message I got – thought I would pass it along:
This Saturday night remember to SPRING FORWARD so you’re not late to church!
 The fire department reminds people that this is a time to ensure that you change the batteries in your smoke alarms.
Today everyone understands that the way we record the time of day is, for the most part, done by everyone at the same time. It wasn’t always that way. There was a time when every municipality could set the clocks that way they wanted which played havoc with railway schedule. What was noon in one town was 1 pm in another.
A man named Sanford Fleming advocated for a system of time zones that would be applied to the whole world. Fleming didn’t get what he thought should exists but he was instrumental in bringing about a standardized system.
 Sandford Fleming (in tallest hat) at the ceremony of the “last spike” being driven on the Canadian Pacific Railway. He advocated for the time recording system we use today. Fleming was an incredible Canadian – he designed the first postage stamp and was at the ceremony where the last spike was driven into the tracks of the Canadian Pacific Railway that ran across the country.
 By Ray Rivers
March 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON,ON
What did you do to celebrate International Woman’s Day? I attended a media roundtable with Ontario’s first female Premier at her office in Queen’s Park. Always professional and direct, Kathleen Wynne should have been facing a potentially tough media presser, the trendy term for press conference. But she got off lightly considering the topic, electricity pricing, has been largely responsible for her party’s position at the bottom of the opinion polls.
The sorry history of the electricity file most recently begins with that common sense guy, Mike Harris, who did to Ontario’s electoral sector what GW Bush had done to Iraq. In his ideological zeal to replace everything government, he broke up Ontario Hydro then banned Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of the largest and most experienced power companies in North America, from developing alternate energy supplies.
 The look pretty well sums it up. His mismanagement spiked hydro rates and led to black and brown outs, even in that brief period of these changes before the Liberals ousted him. But then Dalton McGuinty had also drunk the Kool Aid, and in his passion to keep the lights on while he phased-out the coal power plants, continued writing lucrative 20 year private sector energy contracts like the proverbial drunken sailor. The contracts mostly guaranteed prices and quantities of power delivered, regardless of whether the energy was needed.
It made some sense from the point of view of the small energy supplier who needed market assurances in order to invest. But in the process Ontario not only bought over-capacity, but over-production, which periodically has to be sold at bargain basement rates to utilities south of the border – or spilled.
 Niagara Falls – the source of a lot of the energy that powers western Ontario. It once made the province a leader in hydro generation.
McGuinty and Harris and their cheering section of academics and industry special interests were wrong when they claimed electricity in Ontario shouldn’t be a natural monopoly. It is no secret that those public hydro monopolies in B.C., Manitoba and Quebec have the lowest utility rates in the country. Of course those provinces have vast stores of water power and Ontario did waste a ton of money experimenting with the nukes. But where has all this new alternative private power development landed us? When prompted, the Premier confessed that her staff had considered re-inventing the old Hydro One, but they believe the time for that option is long passed.
We are now stuck with our mixed private-publicly owned system and the consumers are stuck with the big bills we’ve seen of late. So instead of forcing energy users to pay those bills as we go, Ontario’s new ‘Hydro Plan’ involves buying a 30 year mortgage at today’s low interest rates. That way those billions of dollars committed to private sector contracts will spread out over a longer term, and even with the new financing costs, the average utility bill will fall by about a quarter. Of course that presumes that interest rates don’t start to rise.
 Will the arms be as open in June of 2018 – which is when we get to cast a ballot. The government will peg rate increases to inflation for the next few years, while doing something to bring down the outrageous cost of delivery and using more tax-based subsidy to assist households with lower incomes, and small business. Electricity is no stranger to subsidy and debt. We should recall the massive debt the old Ontario Hydro had run up prior to Harris’ version of shock and awe. Almost 30 billion in liabilities exceeded the assets of both Hydro One and OPG.
Wynne may call this a structural change, sharing the financial burden imposed by these contracts with the next generation. But it is really just about moving money around, taking out a mortgage to help cover sunk costs instead of paying as we go. And it’s not like there are any other options to lower the prices, short of tearing up the contracts, something the courts would never allow.
So the Premier got off pretty lightly with the media at the presser. Perhaps they all understand that she is short on options to deal with something that should have been dealt with a decade or two earlier. Or maybe they are just tired of this topic that has been played too frequently by a media looking for human interest stories, and opposition parties looking to raise their own profile.
 The Premier explaining … We should all hope that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated and that somebody in the energy ministry is working on a real plan, but that was not revealed in the Premier’s presser. Perhaps that is something she is keeping under wraps until the party’s election platform is unveiled next year? But for now it looks like this is as good as it gets.
 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:
Premier’s Statement – Wynne’s Popularity – Hydro plan – More Hydro Plan –
Voter Anger – Business Perspective –
By Staff
March 9, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The consequences of leaving anything of value in your car were evident when two Hamilton residents were charged with theft from motor vehicle and subsequent fraudulent use of stolen credit cards.
The arrested have been identified as:
 Chantal Cindy BARDY  Allan Edward ALLAN and Chantal Cindy BARDY walking into a retail outlet. Allan Edward ALLAN ( 29 yrs) and Chantal Cindy BARDY (31 yrs) both of Hamilton. They have been arrested and charged with theft under $5000, possession of property obtained by crime and use stolen credit card.
ALLAN will appear in Milton Court on March 22nd 2017 and BARDY will appear in Milton Court on April 5th 2017.
Police would like to remind the public to ensure their vehicles are locked and avoid leaving valuables inside and/or in plain view and to report any suspicious persons.
Anyone who with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mark Urie of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Residential Crime Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2338. 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 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Closing schools isn’t just a Burlington issue.
The Halton District Catholic School board decided yesterday that two elementary schools in Oakviolle would be closed.
Holy Family and St. John’s were both at 75% utilization; staff recommended closure and the board voted for it.
“What happens when the areas north of Dundas in Oakville are wholly developed and we need the schools?” Was a question one board member asked after the decision was made.
It was the largest closure in Board history.
Oakville Trustee, Anthony Danko, voted to close the schools, citing fiscal conservatism for the vote.
With Jane Michael and trustees Paul Marai, Anthony Quinn and Helena Karabela voting against the motion it looked like there was going to be a tie vote which meant the motion would fail.
 HDCSB Director of Education Paula Dawson An observer at the meeting said she overheard Director Paula Dawson, saying to the Chair for this year, Diane Rabenda, to vote for closure. She did and the motion passed.
The Director of Education at almost every school board have a tremendous amount of influence over the trustees. Many Directors cultivate the trustees who are all too frequently in over their heads – to be fair education is big business (the Halton District School Board is the biggest business in the Region).
The province announced late this afternoon that there are 300 schools on the “chopping block”. Having settled their labour issues with the teachers the provincial government now wants to look for ways to cut their costs.
The price for what you expect to get in the way of lower hydro fees might be the closure of your local school.
You get your chance to have your say in June of 2018.
The provincial government is trying to convince the two schools boards, Catholic and public, to share facilities.
Our source said: “Someone brought that up at the meeting – sharing facilities with our Coterminous Board is very contentious. It is akin to saying we are good with One Board for all. All nine HDCSB Trustees would have to vote to even go down that road, and it would never be unanimous. “
 Best time to inflict the pain is right after a win. A long time ago former Premier Bill Davis arrived at an agreement with the Cardinal that the separate school boards would remain. Davis and the Cardinal used to smoke cigars and sip good Scotch together.
Premier Wynn and the current Cardinal will not be sipping Scotch together and she isn’t likely to even suggest that the two boards be merged.
Should she win in June 2018 she just might have to take some drastic steps. Best time to inflict the pain is right after a win – no pun intended.
By Staff
March 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police have identified and arrested two individuals responsible for numerous fraudulent purchases across the GTA of Canada Goose Jackets using digital gift cards issued by a well-known outdoor retail chain, Sail Canada.
 The investigation first began in October of 2016 after two males made suspicious purchases at the Sail store in Burlington, Ontario, using gift cards. With the assistance of the company it was determined that the gift cards had been purchased with fraudulent credit cards and involved a similar pattern that had been occurring across the GTA.
Investigators from the Halton Regional Police Service Fraud Unit continued the investigation that led to the identity of the two individuals involved. A total of 71 digital gift cards were used, these cards were purchased using the credit card data of 19 different victims from both the USA and Canada.
Arrested and charged are:
Li De HUANG (Male) 29yrs of Scarborough
Jun WANG (Male) 27yrs of Mississauga
The charges include Fraud Over $5,000, multiple counts of Identity Fraud, and Unauthorized use of credit card data all contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Both accused parties are to appear in Milton Court, March 29th, 2017 to answer to the charges.
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).
|
|
