 By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Does the city know something the rest of us don’t know?
Is winter really over?
Meteorologists and climatologists in the northern hemisphere generally consider December, January and February as the winter months – Wednesday is March 1st – so it must be true.
 To make it real the city has officially closed the Rotary Pond skating rink at Discovery Landing.
Mild temperatures have brought the outdoor skating season to a close for the 2016-17 season.
Over the next few weeks, City of Burlington staff will begin preparing for the spring when the 10,000 square-foot (929 square-metre) feature transforms into a reflective pond.
Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation explains: “After a very successful season of outdoor skating, the city made the decision to close the rink at Discovery Landing for this winter. The record-breaking, mild temperatures we’ve experienced this month have made it challenging to maintain skating conditions that are safe and enjoyable. More than 14,500 skaters enjoyed some winter fun this season at the outdoor rink overlooking Spencer Smith Park and Lake Ontario. Thank you to everyone who donated skates to the city’s new skate lending program at Rotary Centennial Pond.”
There were 150 pairs of skates donated skates to the skate lending program; they were borrowed through the skate lending program on 1,200 occasions
The public was able to skate on the pond for 64 days in the 2016-17 season.
And that is more information than you really needed to know – skate loan program was a nice feature though; kudos for whoever came up with that idea.
By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong got a bit of a surprise when they learned that city Council was not going to meet on Monday, evening, which was when they had planned on marching into city hall to voice their complaints about the way the city was handling the meetings over the possible closing of two of the seven high schools in the city.
 Central strong is the group that represents the parents at Central high school who do not want to see their high school closed.
The city has a schedule for regular Standing Committee meetings and then meetings of the city council. The Standing Committee is siting in the afternoon but not in the evening.
 Central Strong might like to think that city council decided not to meet because they were afraid of a demonstration in the Council Chamber- the reality was that there apparently wasn’t enough in the way of matters that needed attention so the meeting was cancelled.
There was an occasion several months ago when citizen delegated before city council to keep the ten minute time allocation they had or delegations.
Council appears to have found a way around the problem of those pesky delegations – just don’t bother to meet at all.
By Pepper Parr
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there anything to the rumour that Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven does not plan to run for office in 2018?
One Gazette reader popped us a note saying he got the information from two sources.
Another contact, a friend of Craven’s, is not getting his telephone calls returned.
 Rick Craven: Best committee chair the city has; not big on the warm fuzzy stuff through. Another media advised us that they were not on the council members “friendly media” list.
The Gazette hasn’t been able to get a word out of Craven for more than a year. He took offence to the story we did on his asking for city hall security to walk him to his car; at that time he was apparently worried that he would be physically harmed by Beachway residents when the debate on clearing out all the homes in that community was taking place.
 Rick Craven knows his Ward, understands what his constituents need and they appear to think he’s great. Is there a life beyond city hall for Craven? There was a point when as publisher of the Gazette I would have lengthy lunches with the council member. We once went on a long drive through Craven’s ward during which he pointed out what made the ward the community it is.
In the past we have described Craven as the most effective Standing Committee chair the city has. He kept people focused. He is still a very good committee chair.
He can be very hard on people who are delegating before city council and was one of the council member who actively promoted getting the delegation time allocation reduced to five minutes.
Brittle he is.
 Councillor Meed Ward sit looking a little glum before she responds to Councillor Craven’s personal attack and asks that he stick to the issue and stop belittling residents, delegations and her as a council member. There is no love lost between these two. He has an acidic relationship with ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward; a woman he once beat when she ran against him in the 2006 election. Meed Ward, who lived in Tyendaga community at the time, moved into ward 2 where she beat Peter Thoem for the Council seat.
There is a nasty police based complaint out there somewhere that we don’t believe has been resolved.
Craven has served the city as a city council member for more than 16 years and has served on the Police Services Board for some time.
Craven studied Communication Arts at Mohawk College and graduated from McMaster University. His previous work experience included five years as a news reporter and two decades as a manager with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
 Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven with Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and Liberal candidate in the 2010 provincial election Karmel Sakran doing a media event outside city hall. He identifies himself as a Liberal and took a long look at running for office in the 2010 provincial election. He would have been running against Jane McKenna and could probably have beaten her.
Craven was at one point a radio announcer. He is a graduate of McMaster University. At a meeting of the Conservation Authority Craven, while the public was waiting outside the meeting room during a CLOSED session, Craven said that he was giving some thought to running for Mayor.
We will have to wait until at least May of 2018 before we know what Councillor Craven plans to do.
By Staff
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong, that Merry Band of “die hards” that are fighting the good fight to keep their school open, have another task that they need help with.
 They are going to walk to city hall and perhaps march into the council chamber. They want you to meet at Burlington Central at 5:15 pm tomorrow, Monday, February 27th. They will be walking along Brant St to raise awareness and bring attention to their cause and will end at City Hall where they will greet City Councillors and Mayor prior to the city council meeting.
They want everyone to bring their Save Central signs or the signs that reflect your thoughts on what City Council should be doing.
Part 2 of this initiative is some canvassing of downtown streets, so that they can gather data on what they know to be the changing demographics of the core.
They have seen numerous infill developments all around the core of the city and believe they are seeing a lot of housing turn over with many new families moving in when empty-nesters and retired homeowners move out (some of them moving to the new downtown condos).
 However, maintains Central Strong, the Halton District School Board doesn’t seem to have heard of this phenomenon.
The Board is about to do an on-line survey of parents relating to the options on the table at the Program Accommodation Review. Central Strong makes reference to a comment made by Kirk Perris that this is a “non-scientific survey”. That isn’t completely true.
Those parents responding to the survey sent to them by the board will produce results that are “scientific” in that the only people who can respond to the survey sent to the household will be people from that household.
There will be a second survey, identical to the one being sent to the households, that anyone can respond to – that version of the survey will not be scientific – anyone from Pakistan will be able to respond was the way Kirk Perris put it.
The Gazette expects to have the link to the public survey late Monday afternoon and will publish that as soon as it is received.
Households will get their link directly from the board.
The door to door survey work the Central Strong people want to do might reveal data that has not been known up until now. And getting all the data possible is well worth the effort.
Central Strong is asking that “as many of you as possible to pick a street, perhaps your own street or another nearby street, and do a simple checklist for us and send it in to us. If we can get a good number of streets done, that would be great.”
 The first public meeting on the closing of Burlington high schools didn’t go all that well. Specifically, include:
Street Name
Number of Homes Canvassed
How many homes have changed from seniors/retirees to families with children in last year, 3 years, 5 years.
How many have been family homes for more than 5 years
How many are empty nesters/retirees
Of the empty nesters/retirees, how many plan on selling within 1-5 years; 5-10 years
You might know the answers for some of the homes on your street without needing to ask.
It would also be helpful if some people could canvass an apartment or condo building floor or two so that we can see how many children are living there now and extrapolate that to the number in the total building.
Central Strong wants to be able to show that the downtown core is expanding as we know it is, that the development coming to the core will bring families and children, but also that the houses that are here are turning over to more and more families.
Important Dates
Public Meeting #2 (North Burlington schools) February 28, 2017 at 7:00 pm at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School, 3040 Tim Dobbie Drive
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools) March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm at New Street Education Centre, 3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #4 March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm. J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Members of the PARC will be given the data from the surveys taking place between February 27th and March 13th
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line.
 This is where the buck is going to stop. The 11 elected trustees will make the final decision. Will they prove to be independent or will the people that elected them see a decision to go with the staff recommendation.
 By Staff
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is blessed with readers that have sharp eyes.
 Image of the flag used in the tweet from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. One of the people following the twitter feed coming out of the office of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdewell, who pre-announced her visit with a tweet that included an image of Burlington’s flag, thought he spotted a problem with the flag contained in the tweet.
 Burlington’s corporate flag. Burlington actually has two flags. One that has just the word Burlington in blue on a white background.
There is a colour blue that is actually named Burlington blue. You can see it on the rails of The Pier.
The truly observant reader will want to point out that Burlington is a city – it was a town when the Coat of Arms was created.
There is a second flag that has the city’s Coat of Arms along with the motto Stand By
 Burlington Coat of Arms. This “official” flag features two vertical stripes of blue outside a gold square. In the center is a stylized image of Burlington’s Coat of Arms. The arms, as seen in front of City Hall features four symbols to represent the history of the town: a brown cow, sailing ship, beehive and an apple. Underneath is the motto “Stand By”.
 Flag with the city Coat of Arms flying outside the fire hall on Fairview. This is the flag that flies in front of Burlington’s Main Fire Hall on Fairview Street with the bridled heifer proudly in the upper left corner.
Which flag is the correct flag?
The Lieutenant Governor out ranks the fire chief but in this instance it is the fire chief flying the correct flag.
Does Burlington have three official flags? Why was the cow re-moo-ved? Where does the Lieutenant Governor get her information on Ontario’s Best Small City to live in ?
We have no beef with the highest office in the province, however we do want to hear what the Lieutenant Governor has to say for herself.
Stand By.
 By Pepper Parr
February 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is almost as if the parents who want to keep their local schools open have to do the job with one hand tied behind their backs.
Changes in provincial government legislation has reduced the number of public meetings a school board has to hold and it removes any focus on what happens to the community.
Director Miller has been saying from the get go that the interests of the students is his primary focus – that comes straight out of the provincial government play book.
 Parents from different high schools watch the PARC deliberate; they have held four meetings to date. The Ontario government is speeding up the process for closing schools, as part of a crackdown on publicly funded boards with too many classrooms sitting empty.
Ministry of education guidelines defines schools less than two-thirds full as “underutilized” and are candidates for either closing or changes to their boundaries or programs they offer. The ministry now has new guidelines for community consultations that must take place before a school can be closed. Critics say the guidelines limit public engagement and make it easier to close schools.
A committee reviewing the fate of a school is required to hold two public meetings instead of four under the new regime, and the time frame for conducting a review is cut to five months from seven. Another major change causing considerable angst for municipal officials is a shift in emphasis toward student achievement and away from considering the impact of closing a school on the well-being of a community and the local economy.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), said focusing the review process more narrowly on the interests of students might help school boards solve their fiscal challenges. But it comes at the expense of the longer-term interests of a community, including the impact closing a school could have on residential real estate values.
The new process gives municipal governments a formal role for the first time, providing an opportunity for school boards to collaborate with municipalities in making the best use of school space.
 Mayor Goldring may have thought he was dodging a bullet when he had his city manager sit on the PAR committee. Mayor Golding, who sits on an AMO committee, is treating the closing of high schools like a roaring fire – something he isn’t going to get very close to – he accepted the offer of city manager James Ridge, who apparently volunteered for the task of representing the city on the PARC. Ridge has said very little.
An AMO spokesperson said: “A school is the hub of a community. When you close a school, that community has lost a draw for anybody to ever come back.” It is self-evident that property values in the community that loses a school will fall.
Then Minister of Education Elizabeth Sandals said that she wants the school boards and the municipalities to have an ongoing relationship where they are sharing their planning data so that the municipalities are aware of where there are clusters of underutilized schools.
The reality many school boards are facing is that there are too many empty seat and they are under pressure to address the financial drain.
The Halton Board seems to have decided it will follow the provincial guidelines and almost bulldoze the PARC parents into accepting the option the board put on the table; close two of the seven high schools.
We now have a situation where the Program Accommodation Review Committee currently looking for options it can give Director Miller is facing a board administration that fudges data and doesn’t work in a collaborative way with the PARC. It amounts to a lost opportunity for everyone.
 Aldershot High school PARC member Steve Cussons and Central high school representative Ian Farwell on the left. Miller is quite right when he speaks of the significant time and effort the 14 PAR committee members are putting in. They have had to climb a very steep learning curve and have found on too many occasions that some of the data is incorrect.
Miller seems to have lost the opportunity to harness the energy and creativity of the PAR committee. Is it too late for him and his team to make a mid-course correction and put some substance into the words, “collaborative” and collectively?
This is a shared problem and there is an opportunity to work as a community that understands and respects each other.
Michael Barrett, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, said in many heavily contested cases in the past, it was often a municipality that was fighting to prevent a school from closing.
That certainly isn’t the case in Burlington.
By Staff
February 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Gary Scobie Burlington resident Gary Scobie wants the school closing process now asking place in Burlington halted. Here is what he had to say the provincial Minister of Education.
Dear Minister Hunter,
On February 16th I sent an email to Mr. Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board (HDSB), on which you and other officials were copied. I discussed the how the PAR process happening in Burlington for our high schools has been mismanaged by the Board, leading to a probable conclusion to close our oldest school, Central High, in the downtown core while leaving our newest school, Hayden High, north of the QEW over-filled into portables and over-bussed.
Other schools are still in the mix for closure and catchment alterations. I have no vested interest in the outcome (our daughters were well-educated in Burlington and now live elsewhere as adults). I do not live in the downtown core, but see the possible loss of our oldest school, Central High, as damaging to the future prospects of our downtown residential, commercial and cultural livability.
In real estate, they say the three most important things are location, location, location. This could not be truer for any other high school in Burlington. Central High is part of the fabric that makes our downtown attractive to families. Having a local school that is walked to by 92% of the students means it is a school that deserves to stay and be refurbished to meet all accessibility and program requirements. The alternative, being promoted by the HDSB is to close it and bus the students to the far reaches of suburban Burlington in the east and the west, thereby gutting our downtown of any future attraction to families.
Our downtown is the key intensification area in the future, as directed by our Provincial Government. There will be more condos and stacked townhouses built as re-development occurs under provincial mandate. I believe we all want families to move into existing housing and these new forms of housing to be built in the downtown core, keeping it vital both commercially and culturally. Removing one distinctive hub (Central High) will do much to defeat this goal. Once it is gone, it will never reappear as land in the downtown will be too expensive to re-assemble by the Board.
There are other alternatives, but they have been given short shrift by the Board in this mismanaged PAR process. I therefore am requesting that you, as Minister of Education, investigate this PAR process as soon as possible and request a halt to it before irreparable damage is done to our student experience in Burlington. This process is, after all, to benefit students. In doing so, it should not damage forever the most important neighbourhood in our City, our downtown core neighbourhood.
Burlington is well-known as one of the best cities in Canada to live and age in. I want to protect that reputation. The changes in the schooling of our students have the power to either damage or promote this reputation going forward. The issue is too important to be decided only by the HDSB in a poorly executed PAR process. I ask that the PAR be halted and the catchment areas be adjusted to distribute students fairly in the neighbourhoods where they live, using all the existing schools for now. Take a break from the PAR, step back and consider if a PAR is actually in the best interest of Burlington students, and if it is, begin again, with all of the data accurate and complete this time and treat every school and every student in a fair manner from the beginning. Thank you for your consideration.
Gary Scobie
Burlington ON
 By Ray Rivers
February 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Canada’s Criminal Code prohibits hate propaganda of all kinds. The Canadian Human Rights Act forbids discrimination, including race and religion. All provinces and territories have human rights legislation which mimics the federal act in matters of provincial or territorial concern, as for example, in areas of employment or accommodation. And overriding all of this is the Charter of Rights and Canada’s constitution.
 MP Iqra Khalid introduced a Motion in the House of Commons. So why is Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, so driven to get her motion on Islamophobia passed by the House? And why is she having such a tough time, including receiving death threats? In part the problem lies with the title – ‘Anti-Islamophobia’. Nobody seems to really know what that term, invented only a couple decades ago, even means. A phobia is an irrational fear. Yet, the outcome we are most concerned with is hate, and not fear – anti-Islamic.
Former Liberal MP and respected statesman Irwin Cotler had pushed through an independent motion on anti-semitism under the former Harper government. But then anti-semitism is a pretty well understood matter, we have only to think about the holocaust. And Cotler’s motion was pretty clear about its aims and objectives. So he is not impressed with Khalid’s motion – particularly regarding that term in its title.
There are some folks concerned that this motion is the proverbial camel with its nose in the tent – eventually the rest of its body will follow. The fear is that Sharia law and blasphemy legislation are just around the corner, ready to spring into the law books, once this motion gets passed. The opponents argue that this will legitimize further infringements of our rights to free speech, or worse. That may be a reach, but I’ve heard people being accused of anti-semitic bias for merely protesting against Israel’s settlement policies.
 A little shoving people around on the floor of the House of Commons. There is a lot of silly stuff that goes on in Parliament and politics makes strange bed fellows. MP Michael Chong, who gave up his Cabinet post over Mr. Harper’s Quebec-as-a-nation motion, stands almost alone in his party in support of Khalid’s motion. But then he is running in the Conservative leadership race, so why not rush-in where the other Tories fear to tread.
But it’s not like these motions are ever anything but gratuitous fluff, a pandering by MPs to the demands of some loud voices back home. It is doubtful that Canada’s neo-Nazis immediately ripped the swastikas off their chests once Parliament had passed Mr. Cotler’s motion. And this motion introduced by Ms. Khalid is unlikely to erase the public’s fears about a next jihad coming to a neighbourhood near them, irrational or not.
 Public funeral for some of the Muslims murdered in Quebec. We are all united in the horror we witnessed last December in a Quebec city mosque. Condemnation came from everywhere, MPs, political parties and community leaders across all of Canada. But Ms. Khalid’s motion was actually introduced before that tragic massacre. A motion condemning such an event is always appropriate. But that isn’t Khalid’s motion. Instead, her’s threatens to divide Canadians, something that Mr. Trudeau had hoped to avoid during the course of his sunny ways government.
As we look at what is happening in Europe and south of the border, it is hard not to have doubts and questions about Canada’s policy on refugees and immigration. Canada has generously opened its door to thousands of refugees coming from places where this religion, which most of us don’t really understand, plays a significant role in their daily life. But tolerance in an open society has its limits.
The coming of the Trump presidency and his Muslim travel ban to the USA has poured ice-water into the hearts of all non-Christians and non-citizens there. Those not being deported are fearful that this is just the beginning, and that far more draconian measures are on their way. As a consequence Canada is now seeing the start of the kind of illegal migration across its borders which has plagued its southern neighbour for years, and which ultimately led to the creation of the Donald.
 Police officers helping immigrants cross the border into Canada. Many Canadians are still apprehensive of just how many refugees are to be allowed into this country. The Manitoba crossings are an elephant in the snow fields, and that has forced the opposition parties to take a stand. One of them is chastising Trudeau for not upholding the law and the other demanding he rip up the agreement which identifies the US as a safe nation for refugees.
Ultimately, an unregulated flow of migrants is a problem. It’s the very reason that Angela Merkel will lose her re-election this year as German Chancellor. So Mr. Trudeau needs to pay attention. The public mood is shifting from wanting to helping those in need, to a wariness and the need to seal the borders.
Mr. Trudeau has made consensus among Canadians a touchstone of his policies. He recently tore-up his promise on electoral reform for that very reason – saying it lacked consensus. In that vein, he needs to take a long and hard look at the divisiveness being created by this motion now before the House.
 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:
Anti-Discrimination and Hate – Motion 103 – More Motion – Anti-Islamophobia –
More Anti – Camel in the Tent – US Muslim Ban – Opposition – Support – Border Chaos – Manitoba Crossings –
By Pepper Parr
February 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
With the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) having gone through a long and very arduous process that some of them are not suited to they can now rest on their oars for a few weeks and see what the public has to say about the six options they have decided should be looked at seriously.
The vast majority of the members of the PAR committee are doing superb work.
 The 14 members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee are all volunteers who have put in some long hours and exchanged thousands of emails to get to the point where there are six options for the public to review. The disappointing aspect of the PARC process is that we now have parents from different schools battling with other parents to ensure that their school does not get closed. The process that Burlington has had to follow almost guaranteed this outcome – the PARC members find themselves between a rock and an even harder place – they have not had an opportunity to frame the debate and discussion and have not had the benefit of adequate an accurate information.
 The PAR committee members are fully immersed in the process. For several this is going to be a very dis-satisfying experience. They deserved better treatment. These people volunteered – put in hundreds of hours and their work is not finished yet. There are some very talented people on the PAR committee and for the most part the ideas they have put forward are commendable.
They had hoped to have some input on the on-line survey that is going to be done – no such luck. One PARC member expressed some concern with the survey that is being put together. The one done December 8th was described by Kirk Perris, the man who put it together as “not one of his better efforts”. That wasn’t an understatement.
The public meeting plan explained to the PARC members was for an event that is to be as interactive as these things can be.
There are two parts to the public engagement: an online survey and public meetings where people can look at the details and ask questions. There will be one public meeting in the north end of the city and a second, with identical content in the south of the city.
 Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid facilitator hired by the board is designing the public meting content and the on-line surveys. He and PARC chair Scott Podrebarac are guiding the process. Perris intends to set up information stations for each of the six options. Board staff will be on hand to explain the details of each option. PARC members will be on hand as well to give their take on how they got to where they are.
The on-line survey will be opened on the 27th of February. It will be sent out to all parents and there will be an on-line version for anyone else who wants to participate.
The first public meeting in the north end of the city is on the 28th – at Hayden high school, the second is on March 7th at the Gary Allan educational centre on New Street. Both start at 7:00 pm
The survey goes off-line on the 131th of March. There will be print versions of the survey available.
It would be advisable for anyone responding to the survey to wait until they have had a chance to attend one of the public meetings.
Perris talked in terms of questions that would be open ended as well as questions that would be closed ended.
He described the meetings as an exercise in public engagement – there are a lot of smart people who are looking very carefully and closely at the process so far and they do not feel engaged.
One PARC member wanted to know how the data collected is going to be used: “is this a popularity contest or are you going after data that is quantitative or qualitative? Why are we doing this?
 Burlington trustees Andrea Grebenc, on the left and Leah Reynolds have attended all the PARC meeting. Trustees Papin and Collard’s antecedence has been more sporadic. There are some serious concerns in the minds of those people who are following this issue as well as members of the PARC.
The trustees who will make the final decision are sitting on the side lines – observing. One cannot envy them for what is coming their way.
 By Staff
February 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Spirit of Sport public art project is now at the point where the city wants to know what people think of the ideas that have come from the three short-listed artists. Their work is now on display at Brant Hills Community Centre, Nelson Recreation Centre and Mainway Recreation Centre until Friday, March 3, 2017.
About Spirit of Sport Public Art Project
The Spirit of Sport public art project aims to celebrate Burlington’s long history of sports excellence, on both an amateur and professional level. A series of three small-to-medium-scale, exterior public artworks will be installed Mainway Recreation Centre, Nelson Park and Brant Hills Park. These locations were selected as they represent a broad range of types of sport as well as different levels of play, ranging from children and youth to competitive play.
A community jury has selected artists: Blue Republic, Ken Hall and Tamara Kwapich to move forward to the short-list and develop preliminary design concepts. The information collected from residents will inform the jury’s final decision.
Each artist has developed a proposal for each of the three locations.
Artist: Blue Republic
Title: Stuff of Dreams
Artist’s Description: The goal of our design is to create a highly visible, playful, landmark series of works about inclusiveness, togetherness, play and fearlessness. Our work is addressed to the local community and especially young people. The look comes from graffiti and street art and children’s drawings. Here, ideas are often given a surprising visual creation, not stopped by self-consciousness. Our three projects speak to the act of thinking, or dreaming, about the sports we love. Our heads are ‘full’ of the game, of being outdoors and of playing together.
Artist: Ken Hall
Title: Spirit of Sport
Artist’s Description: The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating participation in community activities.
Artist: Tamara Kwapich
Title: Moments Great and Small
Artist’s Description: The mural “Pick up Game on Sunfish Pond,” proposed for Nelson Recreation Centre, speaks to those small moments spent with family and friends—moments that are unorganized, spontaneous and joyful.
“Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals.
“What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes.
BurlingtonPublicArt.com.
Concept #1
Blue Republic, Stuff of Dreams
 Blue Republic # 1  Blue Republic # 2 – Mainway  Blue Republic # 3 Sport is the most democratic activity in the world. While we all know of the great iconic sports figures found everywhere in the media, the three fields and facilities in Burlington where these art projects will be located are here for all to enjoy.
Whether it’s a father coaching his kids, two girlfriends running together or a group playing wheelchair basketball, the camaraderie and sheer joy that come from improving our skills belongs to everyone. At a time when most of us spend long hours sitting in front of a computer, facilities like these are vital in maintaining life’s balance.
The goal of our design is to create a highly visible, playful, landmark series of works about inclusiveness, togetherness, play and fearlessness. Our work is addressed to the local community and especially young people. The look comes from graffiti, street art and children’s drawings – where an idea is not hindered by self-consciousness.
We chose to position the artwork on buildings, crowning each one at the entrance. This will make the artwork resistant to theft and vandalism. Our three projects speak to the act of thinking, or dreaming, about the sports we love.
Our heads are ‘full’ of the game, of being outdoors and of playing together.
Concept #2
Ken Hall, Spirit of Sport
 Ken Hall # 1 Spirit of Sport – Mainway  Ken Hall Spirit of Sport # 2  Ken Hall – spirit of Sport # 3 To honour this Spirit of Sport, red, ribbon-like sculptures will celebrate active living and inclusive community particip-ation, while engaging and welcoming the public to the recreation centres.
Celebrating the combination of balance, strength and co-ordin-ation required in sports, the red ribbon sculptures are an explora-tion of space and movement.
The red ribbons reflect key components of many activities, such as the flowing rhythm of gym-nastics; the curved, red stitching on a baseball; the goal line in hockey; and the finish line in track and field, among others.
The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating particip-ation in community activities, such as awareness walks for issues like breast cancer.
The association with medals is particularly relevant given the City of Burlington’s rich history of sporting innovation, which includes: Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the International Special Olympics Movement; Melville Marks Robinson, founder of the Common-wealth Games; along with numerous Olympic athletes and coaches, including Melanie Booth (soccer) and Angela Coughlan (swimming).
The rolling ribbon also celebrates a heart-healthy, active lifestyle, calling to mind the visualization of a heartbeat on an EKG machine.
The red colour represents the circulation of oxygenated blood, reminding us that regardless of age, ethnicity or gender, we all benefit from active physical and social participation.
Concept #3
Tamara Kwapich, Moments Great and Small
 Pick up game on a sunfish pond is Kwapich’s proposal for the Nelson recreation centre. Kwapich # 2  “Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals. Kwapich # 3  “What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes. Kwapich #1 What is the Spirit of Sport? It is the expression of our highest aspirations. It is the moments, both great and small, lived on the fields, ponds, courts, and in the minds of our community. We can participate at any level and feel the exhilaration of winning and the humility of losing a well-played game.
Our emotions rise and fall as parents on the sidelines and as city or nation watching our represent-ative athletes.
In Burlington, we are fortunate to have many opportun-ities to pursue sport as play—non-competitively, competitively and professionally. It is in these moments, big and small, when we use our bodies, minds and our hearts, that we are part of something larger: the universal joy of movement and striving for something better.
It is with profound gratefulness as a Burlington resident, artist and “sport mom” that I propose these three mural projects that represent the Spirit of Sport, from the small moments found in our own backyards to the world stage.
The mural “Pick up game on Sunfish Pond,” proposed for Nelson Recreation Centre, speaks to those small moments spent with family and friends—moments that are unorganized, spontan-eous and joyful.
“Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals.
“What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes.
Sport is about competition. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Often the effort put forth determines the outcome, but sometimes not. Sport is also about play—the pure joy of physical exertion and the pure beauty of sportsmanship. We are not all Olympic athletes but we can all be, in some way, as great as they are. What we learn in pursuit of the Spirit of Sport strengthens not only our bodies but also our minds and our community.
Share Your Feedback!
Unfortunately, the people at Cobalt Connect facilitating this selection process have done a terrible job of allowing the public to actually make a selection. And the Manager of culture affairs at city hall hasn’t done much better.
If you want to let the city know which piece of public art should be at which location you need to do the following.
Provide you email address, and your postal code.
Then indicate your choice for Mainway,Nelson and Brant Hills.
Something like this should do it (this is just an example)
We have created a number for each piece of art which you can use to indicate your choice – hopefully the people getting your responses will figure out what you are trying to say. They don’t make it easy.
pepper@hwkp.com
L9H 6e6
Nelson – Kwapich # 2
Mainway Kwapich # 3
Brant Hills Hall #3
Send your selection to both Cobalt Connects at
info@cobaltconnects.ca
and city hall at
Angela.paparizo@burlington.ca
 By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Transit has made the following changes to the schedule – effective March 5th.
Route 1: weekend timing adjustments to improve schedule accuracy
Routes 2, 3, 10 and 20: weekend timing adjustments and an added morning trip to the Route 3 Saturday schedule
Route 25: weekend schedule adjustments in addition to a routing change which will travel in and out of the Burlington GO station using Queensway – Guelph Line – Prospect
Late night service Routes 50, 51, 52: last trip time adjustments Monday through Saturday
Route 80: weekday schedule adjustments
Routes 300, 301, 302: service will now run from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Not all that much detail – we will dig and bit and see what else we can provide.
 By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
At the Burlington Public Library! Central Branch
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, Abigail Richardson-Schulte will be giving an informative and engaging talk hosted from the piano.
This musical journey takes us through Germany, Russia and Spain from the Romantic period through to the early 20th century.
Tuesday, February 28 at 2pm
 Monique De Margerie Principal Trumpet Michael Fedyshyn, accompanied by pianist Monique De Margerie will be part of the program.
 By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
3 District Street Crime Unit concluded a three week investigation into a crack cocaine trafficker operating in Burlington and Hamilton.
 Evidence seized by police – included a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix – a 15 year old vehicle! Two CDSA search warrants were executed at residences in Stoney Creek & Hamilton and as a result, police seized the following:
• 12.2 grams of crack cocaine
• 45 Percocets
• 14 grams of marihuana
• $1140 Cash seized
• Indicia of drug trafficking
• 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix as offence related property
Estimated street value of seized drugs: $ 1,540.00
The following persons have been arrested and held for bail:
Jonathan HELLAM (28 years) of Stoney Creek
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Crack Cocaine (two counts)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Percocets
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marihuana)
John MCKENNA (33 years) of Hamilton
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Crack Cocaine
• Breach of Probation (two counts)
Investigators remind the public to utilize Crime Stoppers to report any illegal drug, gun or gang activity at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crimes) “See something, Hear something, Say something”
By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s going to be the best photo op the Mayor is going to have this year – unless Joseph Brant is resurrected on Canada Day – than all bets are off.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, will head up a Round Table discussion on seniors’ housing needs in Burlington on Friday.
 Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell The event is to take place at the Art Gallery of Burlington with the Town Crier leading the welcome to the Lakeshore entrance of the AB.
The Burlington Teen Tour Band will perform foe the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Burlington has of the largest seniors communities in the province from a percentage of the population aspect.
By Pepper Parr
February 22nd 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We recently published two articles that lead us to this third article.
In January we published the Mayor’s State of the City in full. The Gazette has done this for the past five years – it gives citizens the opportunity to review just how the Mayors sees the city he governs.
Earlier this month we did an article on the Friday Night Community event that takes place at Wellington Square United Church where some 300 people gather for an evening of fellowship and a meal that gets put together by one of the more ambitious bunch of volunteers from different faith communities in this city.
 Setting up a food table at Wellington Square United Church Friday Night Community event. Lisa Lunski co-ordinates the event at Wellington Square. Glad Tiding Pentecostal church in the Guelph Line – Upper Middle Road part of the city also has a program where more than 300 people gather regularly.
St. Christopher’s Anglican Church also has a program.
These are not “soup kitchen” operations. These events are intended for people who, while perhaps marginalized, are active and have the same social interaction needs as any other group.
Some people meet regularly at the Legion, others go to one of the four Rotary clubs in Burlington – everyone needs to be part of something.
Spend half an hour at a Friday night community at Wellington Square United church and experience the caring, the sharing and the fun that goes on. I’ve never seen anyone at a Legion hand out a birthday card to a member.
Someone at Wellington Square seems to know when a birthday is taking place – and it gets remembered.
The crowd in the Wellington Square kitchen is a marvel – some arrive as early as 7:00 am to get the food preparation rolling. The menu has been worked out and most of the food has arrived – and it all gets done by people that show up regularly as volunteers.
 Glad Tidings runs a community program twice a month. You want to hear this crowd when they sing. Glad Tidings does this twice each month and it becomes a placed where a man named Luke makes a point of standing by a street crossing and pressing the button that will activate a change in the traffic lights so people can cross – that’s the contribution he can make. He also walks up and down |Palmer Drive and caries waste bins from the sidewalk to the door of many homes,
When Mayor Goldring gave his State of the city address he said:
 This interview was the first time Mayor Goldring wore his Chain of Office outside the Council chamber. He was getting used to the job. “I want to take time today to talk about the whole issue of housing affordability. When I say affordable housing, I am not talking about subsidized or social housing; I am talking about housing that is affordable for the vast majority of people, from millennials to seniors, and everybody in between.”
One got the impression that the Mayor wasn’t interested in social housing – it doesn’t quite fit the image he likes to project of the city. He seemed prepared to leave them at the curb while he does something to make “housing that is affordable for the vast majority of people from millennials to seniors and everyone in between.”
Our Mayor at the same time tells his audience that “we are all in this together”.
And indeed we are all in this together.
Shortly after we published the article on Wellington Square a colleague wrote and pointed out where she felt the need was:
“We need a dialogue on the difference between charity and social development, one meets immediate needs (food banks and food cupboards) and the other changes the structural causes of poverty and marginalization;
“We need a dialogue on community building and inclusive neighbourhoods that create a space for human interaction and belonging, a lot of that interaction starts around food.”
 Now into its 12th year The Gift of Giving Back is Burlington at its best. We are doing pretty well on the charity side – much of the food used at the three churches is raised by high school students as part of the marvelous 10 year Giving Back program. These are great band aids – what we need are fishing rods so these people can take care of themselves by fishing for their own needs – that is what structural change is all about.
The space between the thinking that was heard at the Chamber of Commerce sponsored State of the City address and the comments made about inclusiveness is very wide.
We do not yet have a table at which all are welcome.
What do we have to change to make that happen?
Related articles:
State of the City 2011
State of the City 2012
State of the City 2013
State of the city 2015
State of the City 2016
Wellington Square United Church – Friday Night Community
 By Brian Dean, Executive Director
Burlington Downtown Business Association
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) is a not-for-profit, incorporated organization that represents the interests of its business membership in the downtown core of Burlington. We undertake multiple roles including event management, communications, marketing and advocacy on behalf of the 435 business and commercial property owners in the downtown.
 BDBA Executive Director Brian Dean – is that parking meter on his desk as a keepsake? We are interested in all issues that affect the present and future health of our unique community of small businesses.
In January 2017 our Board of Directors met with two representatives from The Halton District School Board at our request. Mr. Stuart Miller, Director of Education and Mr. Dom Renzella, General Manager of Planning attended to brief our Directors with a presentation entitled “Program and Accommodation Review Burlington Secondary Schools”.
 The Downtown Business association calls Central high school a venerable institution. The representatives shared the fact that two of the five conditions have been met to trigger a Burlington Secondary PAR. Further that the present recommendation includes the closure of Burlington Central High School, and, that a Program and Accommodation Review Committee had been struck. We understand that this PARC is actively reviewing information and garnering feedback from the broader community.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association would like to be considered a community partner to this consultation.
Of the high schools in the City of Burlington none is more venerable or as embedded within an established community of business as Central High School. The BDBA and its member businesses have developed a symbiotic relationship with the student body at Central High School over many decades.
The Downtown business community has a primary trade area, within a two kilometer radius, of approximately 24,497 people. Bounded by a stable residential neighbourhood, our draw includes approximately 1,200 people in the age range 15-19 years. We have observed the value of the student economy to the continued health of several of our member businesses.
Local high school students are patrons of several businesses in the downtown core. In fact, we are aware of some entrepreneurs that have adapted their business models to accommodate the cycle of student schedules. Several businesses have elected to open in the downtown because of the proximity to the high school population which is a primary market for their business model.
 There is hardly a storefront on Brant Street that doesn’t have a Save Central sign in their window. More than 1200 of the signs have been distributed. These same students provide reciprocal value to several downtown businesses as a ready source of labour. Given that Central High School students are generally in the school’s geographic catchment area they are a reliable source of employment for businesses that value a proximal, walk able labour force.
Our business community benefits from the rich group of student volunteers that are critical to the success of our events, arts and cultural programming and other animation. The BDBA in particular, as a chief event organizer has provided Central High School with countless opportunities to explore the forty hours of community service required per student each year.
Further, both public and private sector groups within our downtown have been advantaged by the co-op and intern programs offered to the wider community by Central High School. We value the opportunity to mentor young business leaders and students similarly gain invaluable experience by liaising with community leaders.
The downtown business community has developed an appreciation of the mutually rewarding relationship with our students and the student economy. Toward our goal of making the downtown a “complete neighbourhood” we believe that Central High School plays a key role in ensuring that we cater to patrons at all stages of life.
Evidence of this is the BDBA’s observation that a number of downtown business members have elected to post signs in support of the movement to keep the high school open. As a body that advocates for the best interests of our small business community, the BDBA feels compelled to acknowledge this groundswell of support.
In a broader context, the BDBA has concerns about the potential cultural and historical impact of folding such a storied institution. As a community building organization we value the fact that parents are the city’s primary work force and a key market demographic for many small businesses. Families with school aged children are an important part of the diverse economy downtown; this diverse economy fuels our city centre’s economic resilience. High schools in downtown cores remain powerful agents in creating social networks. It would be unfortunate for families of school aged children to relocate to other parts of the city as a result of a lack of quality schools in their neighbourhood.
 How big will the hit to this Tim Hortons be if central high school is closed? Central High School students and families benefit significantly because of their location within a downtown district. Concerted efforts by community builders to make the downtown safe and livable for young adults results in a higher standards of livability. The result is enhanced facilities like accessible parks and public areas, traffic-calmed streets, better public transportation and other amenities.
In the coming months the BDBA will be canvassing its membership to quantify the value of the student economy to their businesses. We will also endeavour to learn from our business members the value to the students of their high school being located in the downtown core, on the doorstep of 435 businesses as well a several public institutions (City Hall, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Art Gallery of Burlington, Museums of Burlington etc).
Benefits to students include enhanced opportunities for a wide range of co-op placements, work experience, and volunteer service – all within walking distance. The BDBA believes that there is neither this number nor variety of both public and private institutions available to students within walking distance of a high school anywhere else in Burlington.
The BDBA will be assembling survey feedback in anticipation of a revised statement for review by the Program and Accommodation Review Committee.
 By Tom Muir
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
I had a good hour long conversation with Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board earlier this month.
He told me he saw this Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) process as being about students, about what is good for them. However, when I raised some questions about how these benefits to students were being measured, this goal was not supported with data.
I asked for several forms of data (see below) but have not heard back from him.
 Hayden High, named after a Burlington leader in the development of sport for the disabled. Grades 9 and 10 show up on Tuesday. The building of Hayden he agrees is the main driver for the mess. That is something that everyone knows, but unfortunately, for the credibility of the Board and the process you are in, nobody is talking about this. This needs to be rectified as it is key to the legitimacy of what you are doing.
Director Miller said he doesn’t want to go into how Hayden was justified – too political for him, he said. I asked for the paper trail, saying there had to be one, and I want to see it. I intend to follow up on this, and I ask for the paper trail below, but my own inquiry of all the available LTAPs finds that it smells bad.
I have looked into this deeper and it’s not transparent and there is no accountability. There was no justification, except, as Mr. Miller opined, the Ministry was talked into a new school there because the students up there should have a school. There is no justification in New Pupil Places, and Growth Pupil Places, using ministry concepts, anywhere in the LTAPs or Capital Plans.
There is no mention of a need for new pupil places, as the long term enrollment trends were consistently flat to trending down.
In fact, there was scarcely a mention of a new NE Burlington Secondary School to be found anywhere in the LTAPs, just that something about getting one was afoot.
It was clearly a transfer of students from the six high schools to Hayden that was used to fill it. Changing feeders to add to Hayden from Pearson. This much is mentioned, but very little attention was brought to bear.
There was no explanation that I found of why the school was needed, despite stable to falling enrollments, and no rationale was offered.
 Gerry Cullen, Superintendent of Facilities and Services; The complex that is made up of the Public Library, the Haber Recreation Centre and Hayden high school was his baby. The significant issue here is that the staff people who planned and delivered Hayden are not being held accountable, or even explaining, but they are the staff body that is doing the analysis and providing information to the PARC right now. I don’t think you are getting a real drill down and detailed set of options.
The evidence in the LTAPs shows that Board staff basically and covertly fabricated a false rationale, to build student spaces that are not needed, for the opening of Hayden.
So my deep concern now is, that it’s not unexpected that these people can also design and fabricate a false rationale and process to close student spaces – to close schools.
As far as I can see this is what is happening.
All this does is cover up their gross mistake that created the situation, and they are just evading it in order to escape accountability.
Unfortunately, Director Miller, the boss of all this, is too politically shy to bring this accountability forward to the table, and so he countenances and approves this evasion of responsibility.
This leads directly to the conclusion that the Board lacks credibility, which depends on coming clean and being contrite.
Everyone needs to see this, and understand why I persist in raising it as a key issue in the resolution of the PAR.
We discussed information needs and what I would like to see.
 Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller. 1. I essentially demanded the accountability paper trail and business plan of how Hayden was approved.
2. I suggested that empty seats be divided between all seven schools, and then six schools. Analyze what is needed to do this (boundaries), and the relative or net money savings compared to the closure and other options.
3. Show how any money savings will be spent for the benefit of students. I asked for detailed data on; number of additional subject offerings, in what schools and how many students gain. I want to see the entire accounting balance.
4. What are the variable operating costs of the empty seats in Central and Pearson.
5. Revisit student number projections downtown. It is another error to discount families moving into condos as affordable.
These are all essential questions I think.
Beyond these outstanding issues and questions, I have a few things to say about the progress I read about in the Burlington Gazette in the first two PARC meetings.
I think the options outlined so far are directing the PARC to closures. The dot-mocracy process from the Gazette’s latest story suggests to me that the PARC is voting, not to the student benefits, but to save their own schools. I think this is due to the framework the Board is using, that frustrates people to exercise the only power that appears available to them.
Two options that close both Central and Pearson are essentially the same in the biggest and most important outcomes and consequences. People are essentially voting for the same thing.
Having these two options and giving them votes, is like rigging the candidate list so the same candidate can be voted for twice.
You can’t add these votes to get a legitimate result.
This is pretty obvious, but perhaps not to everyone.
These closure options are the worst possible results for students, residents and the city of Burlington.
 Muir argues that the PARC members are being herded into choices that are not in the best interests on the students and the city of Burlington. Just look at the criteria met, and criteria not met. Those met by closures are most often expressed in general, vague non-specific terms – there are no details. For example, the “no closures” option; “Does not meet a range of outstanding issues, which prompted the PAR.”
Those criteria unmet by closing schools obviously impact the students directly, in concrete and definitely negative terms. This happens in many ways that you are aware of and I will not repeat here.
These options are definitely not about the student’s welfare.
Unfortunately for the people of Burlington, in my opinion, the Board staff seem to excel at providing rigged and manipulated information and choices to get what they want. They did it for Hayden for seats not needed, and now they are doing it again to get rid of schools.
They have boxed you in to a process that is narrowing and focusing you to vote for what you see as the interest of your school and keeping it open. Since the five schools not really named seriously for closure outnumber the two focused on, you can see how the potential votes are translating to actual results reported in the Gazette.
By way of this message I am asking Director Miller, the Board, and the PARC to request and/or provide answers to my questions, explanations, and requests for information.
If you people want this, you will very apparently have to go after it and demand this accountability.
How else can the Board ever be credible and able to be trusted?
 Tom Muir is a resident of Aldershot who has been a persistent critic of decisions made by city council. He turns his attention to the current school board mess. He recently suggested to Burlington city council that “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.”
Muir challenges the decision to build Hayden high school and asks that the Board of Education accept responsibility for the mistake.
 By Staff
February 21st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s public art program would like people to describe Burlington to a ‘tea’.
Beginning, Feb. 25, 2017, the city is launching an exciting new project designed to learn more about Burlington’s neighbourhoods and its unique culture. Over a six-month period, artist Lisa Hirmer will be conducting research into Burlington’s ‘cultural nodes’.
Cultural nodes are areas within the city where residents can experience and share culture.
 As part of her work, Hirmer will be presenting a series of temporary art installations and performances.
The first event is Burlington Tea! This project will invite participants to warm up while they share their experiences of the city. Residents will be tasked with designing a tea flavour that reflects their experience of their neighbourhood. Participants will then get to enjoy a cup of the tea they designed.
This event is free and you do not need to register in advance! Please join us at the following locations:
Feb. 25, 2017
10 a.m. to noon Haber Recreation Centre and Norton Park
2 to 4 p.m. Brant Hills Community Centre and Park
Feb. 26, 2017
10 a.m. to noon Tansley Woods Community Centre and Park
2 to 4 p.m. Lowville Park
March 1, 2017
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Civic Square, Burlington City Hall
Lisa Hirmer is an interdisciplinary artist who has created publicly engaged projects across the world and has worked with University of Lethbridge Gallery, Peninsula Arts (U.K.), Flux Factory (USA), Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Nuit Blanche (Toronto), CAFKA (Kitchener-Waterloo) and Doris McCarthy Gallery (Toronto) amongst many others.
 Lisa Hirmer is going to work with groups to describe Burlington to a tea! Hirmer is a Guelph-based inter-disciplinary artist whose work combines visual art, design, social practice, performance and art-based forms of critical research. She is the director of DodoLab, an experimental project-based practice focused on exploring and responding to the complicated reality of public opinion. She was selected as the Artiss in Residence for rhe city of Guelph in 2016
She has a master’s degree from the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture, and her work has been shown across North America, Europe, Australia and the UK. Locally, she has created projects with The Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of Guelph, the Musagetes Foundation and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
For Burlington Tea! She is joined by award-winning environmental designer, Glynis Logue.
Angela Paparizo, Manager, Arts and Culture sees this initiative as something that will be “fun, intriguing, artistic and cultural. Tea is a drink that spans across so many cultures. A cup of tea can break down barriers, start conversations or more simply, warms you physically and emotionally.”
By Pepper Parr
February 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The bureaucrats use the words “transparency” and “accountable” when they talk about the work they do. It is the citizens that employ these bureaucrats that insist on both the transparency and for the bureaucrats to be accountable.
Dave Myers, a retired senior who gets away to ski a little from time to time has sat in on all of the Program and Accommodation Review (PARC) meeting and found himself wondering about some of the data the public was being given.
Myers was in sales and marketing and the costs of a product or service are things he can get his head around.
Burlington is currently undergoing a Program and Accommodation Review that may lead to the closure of one or more high schools in the city. A PARC with two parents from each of the seven high schools has been meeting to discuss closure options. The meetings are open to the public.
Myers, a parent, not on the PARC, who has attended these meetings and reviewed the information provided to the PARC believes there are several concerns about the renewal costs for Burlington High Schools.
 Gerry Cullen, Superintendent of Facilities and Services with the Halton District School Board. He apparently has funny numbers. On Thursday February 17th at the Burlington Secondary High School PARC meeting, Halton District School Board Superintendent, Gerry Cullen explained how high schools are maintained and upgraded.
Myers believes Cullen clearly recognized that there was an error in the data presented in the November 6thSchool Information Package (SIP). SIP’s are documents that have more information than anyone could want on the condition of a high school. The data is available on the school board web site.
Adding to the confusion Myers says PARC members were told previously that the January 24th SIP renewal costs, that were hugely different than they were on November 6th, were incorrect and new data would be forthcoming.
At Thursday’s PARC working meeting #4, Cullen said, that actually the January 24th SIP renewal costs were correct and expressed 100% confidence in this information.
So, wonders Myers: “the data’s correct, sorry that data is incorrect and here’s the new data, no it’s incorrect, more new data coming, no, no, sorry the data is correct, and we’re 100% confident this time. Confused? Trusting?”
In the HDSB’s January 24th SIP both historical and projected renewal costs are presented, let’s look at those historical costs.
Are these in fact “actual real costs” or historical budgeted costs?
Myers took the HDSB’s historical costs and compared them annually by school.
 Notice the exact same “costs” for MM Robinson in 2012 and 2013, these look like budget numbers vs. actual real historical costs. When the information is presented this way, a few other observations and questions arise. Myers points out that:
This is a 10 year view (2004 – 2013), why is data included for 2015 for two of the schools only?
No renewal work was done for Pearson and Nelson in 2008, and for 2 consecutive years at Bateman and Pearson?
The total cost for Aldershot does not balance with the January 24th SIP data.
Almost $8M was spent on renewals in 2005, then only $821,000 in 2013, a ten-fold decrease?
Cullen explained that renewals were managed and planned to take out the yearly ups and downs.
There are more questions that can be raised, but scratching at the surface suggests a data quality/data integrity concern said Myers.
Some have already questioned the projected renewal costs for our high schools by. Myers looked at this information closely and has questions regarding its quality and accuracy.
First of all, according to the foot notes in the January 24th SIP the data for renewals is based on inspections completed in 2011, so the information is 6 years old as of today! I don’t recall Mr. Cullen communicating that to the PARC representatives.
The inspectors at the time were making predictions of renewal costs for 10 years into the future or to 2021 – how good was their crystal ball?
Why would the HDSB not complete a more recent series of inspections in, say 2016, knowing it was going to undertake a PAR?
But most interestingly, only Central shows work for 2020 and 2021. How is it possible that there is no identified renewal work for Aldershot after 2014; Pearson after 2018; MM Robinson 2015-2020; Nelson after 2015; Bateman after 2018?
Is data missing, or not being reported? Or has the HDSB completed work for other schools that were lower priority than renewal required work for Central?
Myers also looked closely at the actual renewal costs that Cullen has put forward for Central:
$1.9M for a new roof at Central, Historical SIP and Google Earth shows that some roof sections are new – has this been accounted for in the estimate?.
The SIP data also shows that roof replacements (if accurate) had been completed at Nelson, Bateman, Pearson and Aldershot with Central being one of the last in the cycle. So are we making decisions for students based on scheduled roof repairs?
Why did the HDSB put a brand-new roof on portables at Pearson with enrollment at 392 students in a school with a student capacity of 642 students in the permanent building and 936 students when the portables are included. Would it have been more cost efficient to remove these portables as they were not needed, not to mention an eyesore and detract visually from the school?
Fittings Auditorium Seating – $159,000; the auditorium at Central was completely renovated five years ago for $120,000 and largely paid for by fundraising at the school. All the seats are new. Fittings for the seats are budgeted to cost more than the entire renovation?
$280,000 for roadway and parking lots and Pedestrian walkways at Central. Myers inspected the asphalt surfaces at Central and all other high schools and found Central to be typical in condition to the other schools, and in fact more than acceptable. Nelson and MM Robinson appear to require more pavement work yet Nelson shows $0 and MM Robinson only Shows $96,000?
It appears most if not all windows at Central have been replaced, yet $38,000 is called out for new windows.
$1.6M is required for various heating and ventilation system renewals at Central, a boiler was replaced and much work was done to the heating system historically.
Studies – $71,000 for Central, albeit a small item, approximately $30,000 is carried for studies for the other schools, so studies at Central are twice that at other schools?
So what, asks Myers, is the PARC supposed to do with this data? It is clear that the data is incomplete and inconsistent among schools at best, and potentially prejudicial to a few schools at worst, especially one of the schools named in the original closure recommendation (Central).
 The 14 parents who serve on the PARC are being smothered with data that is correct one meeting, incorrect the next and difficult to comprehend. As such, the PARC should be very careful about making any decisions based on these numbers. In fact, they have been advised by the PARC chair “not to focus on the numbers.”
That is all well and good, however, says Myers, the “bell has been rung” already by providing these numbers, and it is very difficult to walk it back and for PARC members to un-hear or forget the costs they have been given for the five year renewal costs.
 Cold, dark conditions don’t stop the parents from Central and Pearson high schools from demonstrating outside the School Board offices on Guelph line. Further, the HDSB has not taken significant efforts to correct this data and provide a more complete, consistent set of numbers for the PARC to review. That remains a significant problem with this process, one of many already raised about the quality of the information being provided to the PARC on which they are to base their deliberations.
If the data cannot be trusted and if the Board of Education chooses not to respond or provide valid data is the PARC process Burlington is currently going through valid?
Is it transparent?
Are the bureaucrats accountable?
Doesn’t look that way does it.
All the data, the debate and the serious citizen concern are headed towards the trustees – one can only hope that they will be both transparent and accountable and put a stop to this farce.
By Staff
February 21, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police, 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau – Vulnerable Persons Unit have identified and arrested two males who are alleged to have targeted an elderly female resident in the City of Burlington and subjecting her to prolonged financial abuse spanning between 2011 through to 2016.
The two accused have worked as high pressure door-to-door salesman, specializing in the installation of water and air filtration systems. The accused individuals rendered services to the elderly victim and subsequently gained access to her banking, credit card and other financial information. Presently, the financial loss to the victim exceeds $210 000.
Accused # 1: Derek CALVIN (38 years) of Hamilton is associated with a number of businesses: Pure Air Clean, Worldwide Industries, Eagle Water and Indoor Air Care Products. He has been charged with three counts of Theft Over $5000 and two counts of Theft Under $5000 contrary to the Criminal Code, in relation to the elderly female victim. He was released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on March 15th 2017.
Accused # 2: Edgordo CASTRO (41 yrs-old) of Brantford is associated to his company, Universal Water Technologies has been charged with Fraud Over $5000 and Unauthorized use of Credit Card Data, Contrary to the Criminal Code, in relation to the same elderly female victim in the City of Burlington. He was released on a Promise to Appear in Milton Court on March 8th 2017.
Citizens are reminded to be vigilant when engaging with any high pressure door-to-door salespeople. and to protect their financial data and identity information, especially when entering into contracts for products and services.
Citizens should ask questions, review and receive a written contract for products and services, control access to their financial information and only deal with contractors they have sought out to complete work in their home.
If citizens of Halton Region have concerns with these individuals and/or the identified businesses, you are encouraged to contact Detective Constable’s Nadine Clarke or Derek Gray – 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau – Vulnerable Persons Unit – Elder Abuse and Frauds @905-825-4747, Ext 5345 or Ext 2344.
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).
For any other Fraud related matters please contact the Halton Police Fraud Intake Unit at: 1-905-465-8741 or on-line at:
https://www.haltonpolice.ca/about/specializedunits/fraud.php
For information about Contracts and Consumer Rights please contact, The Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Protection at 1-877-666-6545, or on-line at:
https://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/pages/default.aspx
For more information about Consumer Protection and to search Ontario businesses complaints please contact, Consumer Protection Ontario at 1-800-889-9768, or on-line at:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/consumer-protection-ontario
For more information about Frauds, Scams and Counterfeit merchandise, please contact: The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501, or on-line at:
https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
March is Fraud Prevention Month – Recognize It! Report It! Stop It!
March is National Fraud Prevention month and the Halton Regional Police, along with numerous government, law enforcement, consumer and volunteer groups and private sector firms will be sharing fraud prevention information to raise public awareness and educate the public to prevent them from becoming victims of this increasing crime.
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By Staff
To make it real the city has officially closed the Rotary Pond skating rink at Discovery Landing.
