 By Pepper Parr
September 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s gone
Two willow trees went first followed by the destruction of the gazebo that once sat in a small bowl of land at the east end of Spencer Smith Park.
The Gazette first reported on this last May when a city staffer quietly mentioned the plans during a Jane’s Walk put on by the Sustainability Advisory Committee,
There are some good reasons for the changes that are being made.
 The old gazebo and the willow trees that used to keep it company are gone. No new Willow trees but there will be a new gazebo and a pathway carved into the park leading to it. The bowl of land tended to collect water – and when we get rain we get a lot of it.
The Gazebo that will go up on the spring will be a little bit bigger and it will be accessible and it will be located a little to the west of where it was and set back further from the water’s edge.
There will be a new pathway leading to the gazebo.
 The new gazebo – slightly larger and accessible will get put up in the Spring in that area in this photograph, upper left.  A new pathway is being cut into the park that will lead to the gazebo’s new location. You would not know any of this had you not been a regular Gazette reader.
But there is a bigger story developing around the changes to the gazebo.
The Waterfront Hotel to the immediate east of Spencer Smith Park, currently an eight story structure will undergo a significant change if the talks underway between the city and the hotel ownership come to a positive conclusion.
The plan it to tear down the hotel and put two – perhaps three structures in place. A new hotel would be something in the order of 20 storeys – similar to what the Bridgewater condominium that is east of the Waterfront Hotel.
The thinking the Gazette last heard was for the hotel property to be re-oriented so that it looked west right down the Naval Promenade at the edge of Spence smith Park.
If all this comes about – the downtown core of Burlington will have a totally different look.
 If the talks taking place come to fruition – this structure will come down and be replaced by two – perhaps three – buildings that will be south of the current Waterfront Hotel. Add to that a dream a developer has to put two – perhaps as high as 40 storey structures – on the north side of Lakeshore Road between Brant and John Street.
For the immediate future – look for a considerably different look to the eastern end of Spencer Smith Park in the spring.
The one thing you will probably not see next Spring is any work being done on those two Windows to the Lake that were supposed to get built between Market and St. Paul.
 The Market Street Window on the Lake and the St. Paul Street Window on the Lake haven’t even been started yet. What’s taking so long? The money for those is in the bank – that came from the sale of an incredibly precious stretch of edge of lake land the city sold to property owners whose land abutted what was once public land – a dream opportunity that got away on us.
 By Ray Rivers
September 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Imagine a Canada where after a lifetime of working everyone could look forward to receiving a guaranteed two percent of the average salary for every year they worked in the form of a pension.
Working for 30 years would earn a pensioner 60% of that old salary or wage. That is what government workers, educators and those who still have defined-benefit company pensions receive. But that last category, those with a defined-benefit private company pension, is getting smaller.
“A stake in the heart of company pensions.” That is how one news outlet labelled the agreement reached between General Motors and its employees’ union Unifor. In exchange for a commitment to expand auto jobs in Ontario, GM will discontinue it’s old lifetime defined-benefit pension for new workers. Low interest rates, which have handicapped earnings for pension plans, is only part of the reason GM made getting rid of pension plans its priority.
 Modern automotive production lines call for a highly skilled labour force – who should be entitled to fair pension plans. In our modern globalized world corporate entities come and go, and can be gone long before all their former employees have departed, for heaven or that other place, and are still claiming the lifetime pension obligations they are entitled to. Just look at Hamilton’s US Steel company, formerly Stelco, which had to be bailed out by Ontario taxpayers. The US corporate giant, snubbed its legal commitment to keep jobs in Hamilton smack in Mr. Harper’s face. And then it walked away from its responsibilities to its pensioners, expecting the Ontario government to pick up the pieces.
 Canada Pension Plan enhancement was a Trudeau election promise – Premier Wynne made sure he stuck to it and that the other provinces came around as well. It is no wonder Premier Wynne was so keen on expanding public pensions for the average working person. And she takes some credit for catalyzing Canada’s leaders into enhancing the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The CPP payments will move up to one third of a person’s former working income (from a quarter) under the recent federal/provincial agreement. Of course CPP enhancement was a Trudeau election promise as well, so it is questionable whether the province really needed to expend the $70 million it did, mainly promoting a program it expected/hoped would never see the light of day.
A national universal pension program is the ultimate in pension evolution, particularly in a more globalized work economy. The days of the paternalistic company, managing pension plans and other aspects of their employees lives, are so yesterday. In this vein the former Harper government may have been uncharacteristically progressive, mulling a shift of federal pensions to the defined-contribution model. However, his reluctance to even budge the CPP upwards at the same time argues that he was just being mean-hearted, again.
These so-called defined contribution plans are not anything like a substitute for a guaranteed pension, as one heads into the down-days of one’s life. For one thing people become more risk adverse as the the sands of time trickle down that hour-glass. And there is nothing like knowing you’ll be able to budget for that next trip to see the grandkids in Calgary when you are seventy-five years old. It’s the pensioner’s money except that the financial institution contracted to prepare and hold the plan is not doing this out of the goodness of its heart – like everyone who touches gold expect some of it to rub off on its hands.
 Figuring out what you are going to actually have when retire isn’t supposed to be as difficult as it appears to be. These defined-contribution plans gobble up retirement tax-credit space. And since they are employee contributory, in most case, they use up money they might use to buy other investments.
Defined-contribution is an awkward and unfortunate name since these financial instruments are nothing more than an RRSP bought on your behalf by your company.
And the truth is that RRSPs can turn out to be a curse, as many pensioners with respectable incomes post-retirement are finding. Those forced to cash in their RRIFs seem to paying more taxes now than when they were actually employed.
Someone in the Department of Finance should run the numbers. I’ll bet that eliminating RRSPs and raising the CPP to an even more respectable level might just net-out financially. But that would mean making our tax system less complicated. And what about the pensionable earnings of tax accountants and lawyers who helped create this morass?
 Ray Rivers is an economist and author who writes weekly on federal and provincial issues, applying his 25 years of involvement with federal and provincial ministries. Rivers’ involvement in city matters led to his appointment as founding chair of Burlington’s Sustainable Development Committee. He has been a candidate in a past provincial election.
Background links:
GM/Unifor –
More GM – Even More GM –
Defined Contribution – Stelco Bailout –
Defined Benefit Plans –
By Staff
September 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The province released the results from the Ontario Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) which show Halton District School Board students continue to perform above the provincial average, with significant gains experienced in Grade 3 Reading and Grade 6 Writing levels.
These results were based on assessments completed in the 2015-2016 school year for primary and junior students in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
The results in 2015-16 are being compared to results in 2013-14, as EQAO was not administered in public school boards last year.
 These scores are nothing to shout about – surely this isn’t the best our teachers can do? In Grade 3:
• Reading: Results show a three-percentage point gain in Reading from 76% to 79% of students achieving at or above the provincial standard, while the provincial average was 72%.
• Writing: 78% of students attained the provincial standard, a decrease from 81%. The provincial average was 74%, decreasing from 78%.
• Math: Overall, provincial results declined from the previous EQAO assessment. In Halton, 70% of students – compared to 74% – exceeded the provincial standard. The provincial average was 63%, a four-percentage point drop. The decrease in Halton and Ontario was the same.
In Grade 6:
• Reading: Results remained at 85% of all students achieving at or above the provincial standard, while the provincial average was 81%. The past five years have seen growth of 6% overall in Junior Reading.
• Writing: Results showed an increase to 85% from 82% of all students achieving at or above the provincial standard, while the provincial average was 80%. The past five years have seen an increase of 8% overall in Junior Writing.
 We hope no one sees the reading and writing scores as acceptable – 90+ should be the goal that is reached. Math is terrible – expect the province to create a task force to up those numbers. Expect the Halon District school Board to move faster than the province. • Math: Results decreased by five percentage points to 56% of students achieving at or above the provincial standard. The province saw a decrease of four percentage points in Grade 6 Mathematics with 50% of students achieving at or above the provincial standard.
While the Board is pleased with the overall EQAO results, having achieved higher than the provincial results in all six categories of the primary and junior assessments, HDSB recognizes the need to improve particularly in the area of math.
 David Boag, Associate Director of Education “The Board continues to focus on its robust early literacy plan in all schools and is proudly making continuous gains in Grade 3 Reading,” said David Boag, Associate Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “The Board’s Junior Reading and Writing scores improved as well, with the highest results ever in Grade 6 Writing.”
Junior Math results continue to decline for the Halton District School Board as well as for the province. While Halton continues to achieve above the provincial average in this category, the Board recognizes Junior Mathematics is an important area of focus.
“To improve math results, the province announced a revised math strategy this past spring. Halton is revising its Math Plan to reflect that strategy by developing goals to close the student achievement gap,” Boag said.
 By Staff
September 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 Opening day delayed until late October. The opening of Aldershot Arena will be delayed until late October because of a delay in the manufacture and shipping of a new heat exchange unit for the arena’s ice plant.
For recreational skating, please check our calendar for skate times at other locations.
 By Staff
September 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Grade 9 month doing fine ‘’’
The province might be having problems with the mathematics scores for grade 6 students but the Halton District School Board is pleased with the scores for the grade 9 math.
Today the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released results showing Halton District School Board students well outperforming the province in Grade 9 Academic and Applied Mathematics, and on the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Secondary students must write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) as a requirement of graduation.
 There is clearly a lot of work to be done on the Applied side. For Grade 9 Math, there are different assessments for students in the academic and applied courses. On the Grade 9 Academic Math assessment, 90% of students achieved the provincial standard, unchanged from the previous year’s result. The provincial average decreased by two percentage points to 83% of students achieving the provincial standard. In total, there were 3,302 students enrolled in the Academic Math course in 2015-2016.
For the 655 HDSB students in the Applied Math course, 55% attained the provincial standard in 2015-2016, a one percentage point increase from the previous year. The provincial average decreased by two percentage points from 47% to 45% from the previous year.
 Literacy results are strong – are we seeing much in the way of creative writing at the high school level? The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) results for 2015-2016 were also released today. The Halton District School Board’s success rate for students writing the test for the first time remained unchanged at 88%, while the provincial average was 81%, a drop of one percentage point from last year. The overall results for the OSSLT in Halton continue to demonstrate remarkable consistency.
This year, the OSSLT participation rate was 97% and the success rate was 88%. Both of these Halton results are above the provincial average, showing Halton students continue to demonstrate strong literacy skills.
 By Staff
September 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 Regional chair Gary Carr tasting honey on a farm tour. “Agriculture is important to Halton, and Harvest Halton and the Pumpkins to Pastries Trail provide us with wonderful opportunities to showcase our local farmers, retailers, restaurants and attractions,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “These events are a great way to bring family and friends together to enjoy locally-grown food and help us support our local agricultural community and our regional economy.”
The preview Harvest Halton event kicks off the start of Halton’s popular Pumpkins to Pastries Trail, running from September 12 to October 31, 2016. Join the Trail and experience the best local cuisine, on-farm markets, specialty shops, events and attractions in Halton.
Click on the LINK to see just how many stops there are along the trail or visit: www.halton.ca/p2ptrail for the interactive online guide
 Click on the LINK above and play with this map interactively. Lots to do – and don’t forget the selfie contest. This year’s Trail participants can also snap and win with Halton Region’s Selfie Contest. Simply snap a selfie on the Trail and post the picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #p2ptrail to enter for a chance to win a prize basket of fantastic local offerings.
Prizes will be awarded weekly and your picture could be featured on Halton’s trail gallery. Visit halton.ca/p2ptrail for contest rules and to view the gallery.
 By Staff
September 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
How did Halton Regional Police officers get involved in a shooting near Avenue Road and Bloor Street in the City of Toronto?
 The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has invoked their mandate. No further information will be released at this time. Please contact the SIU for further information.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating after two people were injured when gunfire erupted on Bedford Road on Tuesday afternoon.
The SIU investigates any incident involving death or serious injury involving a police officer, though it’s unclear how police were involved in the incident. One witness said he saw at least two men open fire.
Halton Regional Police officers were involved in the incident, a police source told CBC News.
Chief Tanner will be asking a lot of questions.
 By Staff
September 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Order of Merit was created in 2000, to honour a career of exceptional service or distinctive merit displayed by the men and women of Canadian police forces. The primary focus is on exceptional merit, contributions to policing, and community development.
Last Friday the Governor General of Canada made Halton Deputy Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah a member of that Order.
 His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presided over an Order of Merit of the Police Forces investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday, September 16, 2016. During the ceremony, the Governor General, who is chancellor of the Order, bestowed the honour on 1 Commander, 4 Officers and 46 Members including Deputy Chief Nishan J. Duraiappah
Credit: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau, Rideau Hall Deputy Chief Nishan J. Duraiappah
Deputy Chief Nishan (Nish) Duraiappah was introduced to the Halton Regional Police Service as high school student in its inaugural Police Ethnic and Cultural Education Program (P.E.A.C.E.) in 1991. The experience inspired him to pursue a career in policing, and he was sworn in as a constable assigned to uniform patrol in Halton Hills in December, 1995.
Since then, Deputy Chief Duraiappah has amassed considerable operational expertise as a member of the Regional Drug & Morality Bureau, Guns & Gangs Unit, District Criminal Investigations, and with the RCMP Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. He has also served as Operations Commander for Milton and Halton Hills, the Commander of the Office of Continuous Improvement and Strategic Management (OCISM), and the Superintendent in charge of the Chief’s Executive Office.
Duraiappah was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in October, 2015 and now leads District Operations for all our municipalities as well as the Regional Community Mobilization Bureau, Information Technology and OCISM.
Throughout the course of his career, Deputy Chief Duraiappah has remained committed to proactive, innovative policing, and to maintaining strong relationships with the Region’s diverse, cultural and faith communities. He is also involved with several sports and hobbies, and is a volunteer board member for the Milton United Way, and a South Asian Autism Awareness Centre in the Greater Toronto Area.
Deputy Chief Duraiappah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Toronto, and a Diploma of Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario.
Halton Regional Police Service Chief Stephen Tanner, himself a former recipient of the Order of Merit said “Deputy Chief Duraiappah is an exceptional leader and tireless community advocate who is a most deserving recipient of this prestigious award. It is my honour and pleasure to extend my congratulations to him on behalf of our Service and the people of Halton.”
Governor General David Johnston awarded the Order of Merit during a ceremony at Rideau Hall.
At the risk of being critical – could the Governor General not have buttoned up his suit jacket?
By Staff
September 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service arrested Joseph Stanley DREXLER (44 yrs) of Hamilton in connection with a fraud investigation into his company operated both as “Be the Game” and “Kind Every Time”.
DREXLER has been charged with one count of Fraud Over $5000 and will appear in Milton Court of October 5th 2016.
In the spring of 2015 Joseph DREXLER attended a Burlington, Ontario business and obtained sponsorship in excess of $40,000 to present his anti-bullying program at over 30 schools in Halton Region and Hamilton.
Joseph DREXLER failed to present this program at the sponsored schools and in several cases did not even attempt to contact the sponsored schools to try to arrange the presentation.
Despite the lack of presentations being arranged, DREXLER continued to mislead the sponsoring business that several presentations were arranged and about to go ahead.
Should anyone have information that may assist in this investigation please contact D/Cst Lorena Mallinson #5852 of the Halton Regional Police Service Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825 4747 Ext 2334 or by email at Lorena.mallinson@haltonpolice.ca
By Staff
September 19, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service would like to make the public aware of an arrest in a sexual assault investigation in effort to identify any other possible victims.
 Sexual assault took place Sunday afternoon at Spencer smith Park. Police looking for possible additional victims. The incident took place on September 18th, 2016 at approximately 8:30 pm, along the shores of Spencer Smith Park in south Burlington where the adult female victim was attacked by a male stranger. After the female made her escape, police were contacted, and with the assistance of tactical and canine officers the accused was located in the area and arrested.
Charged and held for a bail hearing with the following offences is Vezio CARDULLO, 34 years of No Fixed Address:
• Robbery
• Utter Threats to Cause Death
• Forcible Confinement, Sexual Assault
• Overcoming Resistance to Commission of an Offence
• Sexual Assault with a Weapon
• Sexual Assault – threats to a Third party
• Assault
The police apparently believe there might be more victims and encourage anyone who may have been assaulted to be in touch with the police.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Alanda Prescod or Detective Dan Ciardullo of the Child Abuse Sexual Assault Unit at 905 825-4747 ext 8970, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 TIPS, or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
September 19, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette slipped a little on this one – the city issued a media release early in August; it took a little time to get caught up.
Here they go again – the Airpark has decided to appeal the Judgement handed down by Justice M. R, Gibson who, on June 30th sided with the city that asked the Court to compel the Airpark to comply with a city bylaw that required them to file a site plan.
The Airpark has dumped tonnes of landfill on the 200 acre air park property as part of a process to level out the land for future development.
The city had been battling this situation since 2013 when the Gazette first brought to city halls attention that trucks were rattling up and down Appleby Line with loads of landfill that was being spread on the property.
 Trucks loaded with land fill that no one really knew where it came from worked for months without any intervention from the city. A Gazette story put the issue on the front burner. At the time the Air Park argued that they came under federal jurisdiction and did not have to comply with municipal bylaws. That argument got shot down when Justice Murphy said that the Airpark did have to comply with city bylaws on those part of the Airpark that were not runway or taxiway features.
The Airpark appealed the Justice Murphy decision – that appeal lasted less than an hour – the Airpark appeal was dismissed and they were required to pay the city’s legal costs.
 Heavy construction equipment parked on a 30 foot + hill 50 yards from the kitchen window of the Sheldon property on Appleby Line next door to the Air Park landfill operation. The next step was for the city to chase the Airpark to have them file a site plan. The Airpark hired consultants to prepare the document but they never did file what Justice Murphy and the Court of Appeal said they were required to file.
Many months later the court case asking the court to compel the Airpark to file took place in one of the smallest court rooms one can imagine. Members of the north Burlington community and just about the complete executive of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition, squeezed into the room where lawyer Ian Blue, acting for the city, marshalled all kinds of court decisions – most which, it appeared, counsel for the Airpark didn’t appear to know anything about.
Justice Gibson handed down a decision that wasn’t quite as clear cut as the Justice Murphy decision. It was complex.
That appears to have been enough for the Airpark to appeal that decision as well.
 This Regional government map shows what the plans were for the Airpark. The Region had bought into the Vince Rossi argument that the Airpark was federally regulated. The City of Burlington is now going to discuss next steps. We looking at another 18 to 24 months for a decision from the Appeal Court.
The appeal, asks that the Gibson judgment be set aside and judgment be granted declaring City of Burlington By-Law 64-2014 to be ultra vires, or inapplicable to the operations of the Appellant, Burlington Airpark Inc., and in particular to the placement of soils in and about aircraft runways and aircraft taxiways at the Burlington Airpark (the “Airpark”) prior to April 27, 2013.”
The City of Burlington site alteration bylaw 64-2014 regulates the placing, dumping, cutting and removal of fill or the alteration of grades or drainage on a piece of land. Individuals doing this type of work must first submit an application to the city for a site alteration permit.
 Vince Rossi, president of the Burlington Executive Airpark and believed to be the sole shareholder of the private company, met with north Burlington residents. He took all the comments made “under advisement”.. On June 30, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled in favour of the City of Burlington’s application to compel Burlington Airpark Inc. to submit an application for a site alteration permit to comply with the bylaw. With the court ruling, the Airpark was required to file an application for a site alteration permit for the fill deposited between 2008 and 2013 before Aug. 31, 2016. The court has also ordered the Airpark to pay the city’s court costs.
It is that decision that is now being appealed.
“The city will be looking at its options, and will update the community as soon as more information is available, “said Nancy Shea-Nicol, the city’s solicitor and director of Legal Services. No date has yet been set for the appeal.
A favourable Appeal Court decision is vital to the Airpark. Once all the appeal option are exhausted the air park is expected to have to file a site plan – and that is when their fate is in the hands of the planning department.
There was no love lost between the Airpark and the Planning department who feel they have been jerked around by the Airpark.
 Airpark dumped more than 30 feet of landfill without a Site Plan. Owner of the adjacent property stands on her property line and wonders why anyone can build a “small mountain” next to her property without getting approval. She is also terrified over what the hill is doing to the value of her property and what the leaching out of the landfill is going to do to her well water. One possibility is for the city to demand that some, if not all of the land fill – some of which is believed to be below the required standards – be removed.
That has the potential to put the Airpark out of business – at which point investors who are believed to be waiting in the wings will make an offer for the property.
 By Staff
September 19, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
It was put together in 2102 to provide support for police officers who were killed or injured during the line of duty and whose families needed bridging support until pension and other benefits kicked in.
When a police service member is injured or killed in the line of duty, his or her family often requires immediate financial assistance, and cannot wait for insurance and other benefits to kick in.
 Keith Strong; the driving force behind the creation of the Halton Heroes Fund. It was discovering this gap between the timing of a serious incident and receipt of funds that inspired Keith Strong to lead a group of like-minded philanthropists, including Jim Frizzle, Cheryl Goldring, Dorothy Borovich, Les Vass and a community-based board of directors to act.
They provided their own resources and encouraged others to donate money, products and services to create The Halton Heroes Gala.
 From the left: Deputy Nishan Duraiappah, Tiger Ali Singh Jr., Tiger Jeet Singh Sr. and Chief Stephen Tanner (Photo by Halton Regional Police Service). The purpose of the event was two-fold: to raise awareness of the selfless work done every day by members our Halton Regional Police Service, and to generate money for an endowed fund, called the Halton Heroes Fund, that is held in trust by the Burlington Foundation.
The annual Gala was held last Friday
By Staff
September 19, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The numbers were nothing to be proud of – dismal is perhaps the best description for the 2,299 Provincial Offence Notices handed out by the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) Traffic Services Unit during the week long Project Safe Start road safety initiative.
Now in its tenth year, Project Safe Start is a highly visible reminder to drivers that children are back in school and they need to slow down in and around school zones, watch for pedestrians, and pay attention to school crossing guards escorting children across busy intersections.
Over the course of the week long campaign, which ran from September 7 to 13, officers focused a number of dangerous driving behaviours, the top four of which were:
 Missed that stop sign – didn’t see it.
- 1: speeding,
2: disobeying stop signs,
3: distracted driving and
4: administrative offences.
Provincial Offence Notices were issued for these and other violations.
“Traffic safety is a Service and community priority in Halton Region,” said Sergeant Ryan Snow, Traffic Services Unit. “While Project Safe Start formally ends, officers will continue to enforce the rules of the road in a bid to make ours safer for everyone.”
Half of 1% of the Region’s population chose to put the lives of children going to school at significant risk.
Residents are reminded that they can file driving complaints or request enforcement of a particular area online at www.haltonpolice.ca under Most Requested Information -> Roadwatch or Traffic Complaints respectively.
Criminal/dangerous driving should be reported immediately by calling 9-1-1.
Related article:
Stories people tell police when they get pulled over – and the language they use.
By Staff
September 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
You are going to have to hold it for just a little longer if you are out for a stroll at Ireland Park –
the Washrooms and Concession closed until further notice –
 This is not Ireland Park – yet. due to a water main break.
By Pepper Parr
September 19th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Tempers flare, fists fly and suddenly there is a Mother with two children looking for a safe place to say. Another family is in the process of destroying itself and the net that we call out social network has to be brought in to prevent things from getting any worse.
Diane Beaulieu, Executive Director of Halton Woman’s Place knows the way these things are going to roll out – and she doesn’t have anywhere near the resources she needs to handle the problems that come her way.
 Reception area – designed to put women in crisis at ease and assure them they are in a safe place. My job is a 24/7 operation” she said. And all she has to meet the need is 52 beds and it just isn’t enough; the 30 beds in Burlington and another 22 in Milton are always in use. Beds is making it sound like a flop house – rooms is the better term – but no matter what name you place on them – there aren’t enough to meet the needs.
The woman in the shelter stay there until they can find affordable housing in a safe place. “We plan on having the women with us for six weeks but it often turns into a six month stay” adds Beaulieu. “There just isn’t enough affordable housing in the Regional system and the market for affordable housing in Burlington is priced beyond the reach of most single parents.
Women in crisis go to the top of the list for affordable housing but that still means many months – years in some cases.
The shelter in Burlington was purpose built in 2001 – it is located in a nice setting, tucked away from the mainstream.
As part of a pilot project the province has put up $875,000 in funds into a program that will give funds to women to pay their first and last month rent in private sector housing.
The program is being run by the Region’s Employment Housing & Social Services Division, located at 690 Dorval Drive, 7th Floor, Oakville.
Many feel the solution is to work with the developers who are working close to flat out on more than five different projects in Burlington that are condominium developments for the most part and look for ways to involve them in the creation of housing space that is affordable. This is a complex social issue and solutions are not going to be easy to find. Hard to get elected on doing something for the disadvantaged.
Beaulieu has a staff of 52 people who do case work management and operate what is a very tight security system at the Burlington location.
 Purpose built in 2001 the 30 room residence is a safe haven for women while they re-orient their lives. The Region could use five more like this tomorrow. Violence against women is serious stuff – there are women who have lost their lives as a result of physical abuse. The emotional damage to women who are abused and their children is incalculable and it is expensive.
Included in the staffing compliment are four people who do educational work in the high school system
There is a senior police official assigned as the liaison for the shelters.
Along with public education and the need for more affordable housing there is a need for a stronger buy into the needs from the general public.
“We aren’t all that high on the top of mind scale” said Beaulieu. “And we need to be.”
By Staff
September 15, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Hearing that – Starting today, the shingles vaccine will be available across the province for people 65 to 70 years of age might get little more than a shrug from most people.
For those who have experienced shingles it is no laughing matter.
 Shingles is a very painful condition – it isn’t limited to people over 65. “Shingles is a painful illness caused by the chickenpox virus that can reactivate without warning later in life. The shingles vaccine lowers the risk of getting shingles significantly and reduces the chance of complications from this disease for people without medical contraindications.
The government is investing $68 million over three years in order to publicly fund the vaccine, which will reduce the likelihood of Ontario seniors developing the painful infection, and reduce visits to emergency rooms and hospitals.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, affects more than 42,000 people every year in Ontario and can cause complications such as loss of vision and debilitating nerve pain. Studies show that the vaccine is highly effective when seniors are vaccinated between the ages of 65 – 70, and this new program aligns with scientific and expert recommendations from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization and Ontario’s Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee on Immunization.
Those who are eligible for the shingles vaccine should contact their primary care doctor or nurse practitioner to receive the vaccination.
Approximately 850,000 seniors between the ages of 65 and 70 years are expected to be eligible to receive the publicly funded shingles vaccine.
 By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
How would you describe getting the kids to drink water and give up sugar-sweetened beverages?
Some would call that a “challenge” which is exactly what city staff and Community Development Halton are going to try to do at the Healthy Kids Community Challenge that will take place Tuesday, September 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mountainside Recreation Centre.
Residents are invited to a community workshop to share ideas on how to encourage children and families to drink water as a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages.
 Mayor Goldring was on hand for the launch of the Healthy Initiatives program. He didn’t try the hoola hoop but he did draw in chalk on the sidewalk. “Having a city that is healthy and green is one of the four key objectives in Burlington’s 25 year strategic plan,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “We want to help motivate kids to drink water when they are thirsty and make choices that will lead to good health.”
Ideas generated from the community brainstorming event will be used to support the second theme of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, Water Does Wonders.
Burlington is one of 45 communities selected to take part in the Province of Ontario’s Healthy Kids Community Challenge program, created to support healthy and active lifestyles in children zero to 12 years old.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will launch a new theme related to physical activity or healthy eating about every nine months and Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington will work together with local organizations to develop programs, policies and initiatives that promote and enable healthy behaviours.
 The program started out as a provincial Healthy Kids Community Challenge, created to support healthy and active lifestyles in children zero to 12 years old. Millions were to be put into the program which the city outsourced partially to Community Development Halton. “Children need a lot of water to stay hydrated and healthy,” said Jennifer Spence, the co-project lead for Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington. “Water makes up more than half of a child’s weight, and a steady supply is necessary to keep bodies working properly.”
When members of city council are deliberating and are in their seats for a couple of hours – they have a small fridge that holds cool beverages. In the five years the Gazette has covered this city council we have yet to see anyone of them come out with a container of water.
The Mayor does bring in his personal water bottle.
City council chambers might be a good place to start this change.
There is more information about the Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington, visit www.healthykidsburlon.ca or like Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington on Facebook, follow @HeathlyKidsBurl on Twitter and @HealthyKidsBurlON on Instagram.
Related articles:
It started out as Run Jump Play
By Staff
September 15, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A Halton resident has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
This is the first reported human case of of WNV reported to the Region’s Medical Officer of Health this year.
The Halton Region Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hamidah Meghani , advises residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites and remove mosquito breeding sites
 “While 80 per cent of people infected with West Nile virus will have no symptoms, others will have West Nile fever consisting of fever, headache, muscle ache and a rash. If residents are concerned or experiencing symptoms, I would encourage them to visit their health care professional.”
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas and in places that hold standing water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
Residents are encouraged to take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
• Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric.
• Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas.
• Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects, where possible. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week.
• Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin.
• Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
As part of its ongoing West Nile prevention program, Halton Region staff continually monitor areas of standing water, eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites and larvicide when mosquito larvae is found. A map showing the locations of standing water sites on public properties that have had larvicide applied this year is available at halton.ca/wnv.
To report standing water at public facilities or for more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv or dial 311.
By Staff
September 16, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Online business licence renewal disruption
Due to some scheduled system maintenance, the online business licence renewals will be unavailable from 6:30 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016.
 By Staff
September 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Last Saturday was not a good day for learning just how unsafe many of the cars seats in Milton are.
Members of the Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Fire and Halton Public Health, along with support from community volunteers, conducted their annual Milton Car Seat Inspection Clinic at the Milton Fire Station on James Snow Parkway. The results were not impressive.
Police officers interacted with all motorists on the James Snow Parkway, performing cursory checks of car seats and identifying those requiring further inspection. Officers conduct these initial inspections The Highway Traffic Act gives police the authority inspect motor vehicles. Car seats located in vehicles form part of a vehicle’s equipment.
 They are not cheap – but they are legally required. Over the course of four hours, police screened more than 1,200 motorists. Vehicles containing car seats were spoken with and observations were made that led 112 of those to be sent to the fire station for further review by qualified car seat installation technicians.
Results:
Booster Car seats
# of Inspections 26 86
# of Fails 13 67
Failure rate 50% 78%
While these are Milton numbers – the law of averages suggests Burlington’s numbers will not be much different.
Some of the more common issues encountered were:
• Inappropriate car seat for the child being transported (car seat, forward or rear facing, or booster seat) – determined by age, weight or height
• Expired seats with obsolete, ‘old-style’ restraint systems
• Missing equipment, including chest clips and tether straps
• Loose installations and harnesses
Police encountered one vehicle with a child seated on an adult’s lap in the rear of a vehicle; both were being secured by one seat belt. The child’s parent (driver) was appropriately charged by police and educated on the significant injuries that could be sustained by the child in the event of a collision. Police were surprised to learn, however, that a second vehicle following behind with other family members was half-empty – meaning this situation was completely avoidable.
 There is a right way and a wrong way to install a car seat. In another instance, clinic volunteers helped an expectant mother, who was overdue, install a new rear-facing car seat. A very teary eyed and relieved mom-to-be thanked technicians for ensuring her new arrival would be safe.
All told, 80 children – among our most vulnerable road users – are safer today as a result of this clinic.
All motorists who transport children – regardless of distance, relationship or destination – a vehicle’s driver is legally responsible for the safety of all occupants under the age of 16.
|
|
