 By Pepper Parr
August 17, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is going to be a “twofer” that is two things for the price of one.
And when the one is free – this is an occasion you don’t want to miss.
 The Tragically Hip have spent a lot of time on the road in a bus – they will play in Kingston on Saturday and be simulcast across the country. The final event of the current cross country tour is being done by the tragically Hip from their home base in Kingston, Ontario and is being simultaneously broadcast to a number of cities across the country.
Burlington is one of them.
With the Olympics eating up a lot of television time – the CBC has decided to start the broadcast an hour early – it was originally to begin at 8:30 pm
It will now start at 7:30 pm with the first hour devoted to Olympic events.
This just might mean that the comments local politicians will want to make might get skipped – that would be nice.
The evening is an opportunity to pay homage to a band that as a significant part of the lives of a major demographic – it is also an opportunity to pony up with some of your cash and support the cancer research that may someday come up with a way to treat the cancer that for Gord Downie is terminal – the cancer research people have made tremendous strides – let Downie you know you are going to do your part.
It is going to be an emotional evening.
 Gord Downie Bring your lawn chair/blanket, water bottle & cash/credit for donations to our local charities for brain cancer research and treatment.
Volunteers will be circulating to collect cash; credit card donations will be processed at two booths at the event.
People can also donate in advance.
Joseph Brant Hospital cancer clinic
Canadian Cancer Society – Halton Branch
The city is making it easy to get to the event – they suggest you leave the car at home – finding a parking spot will be a challenge – and take the GO train and use the shuttle bus that will run from the Burlington GO to Spencer Smith Park until 1 am – which gives you loads of time to grab a brew and a bite at one of the local hospitality establishments in the city.
“Tragically Hip Shuttle” is available from Burlington GO station, north side, from 6 pm to 1 am.
This is an alcohol-free, family friendly event that will proceed rain or shine.
By Staff
August 17, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a lot of home buyers that are going to be pleased to see this fovernment regulation come into being.
Home inspectors are going to have to be licensed by the province. Minister of Government and Consumer Services, Marie-France Lalonde announced Ontario’s intent to introduce legislation this fall that would, if passed, regulate the province’s home inspection industry in order to better protect consumers.
If passed, the proposed changes would:
• Require home inspectors to be licensed with proper qualifications
• Set minimum standards for contracts, home inspection reports, disclosures, and the performance of home inspections
• Establish an independent Administrative Authority to administer and enforce the home inspection licensing legislation and associated regulations
 If the provincial government passes it talked about legislation people buying homes like this will be able to get inspection reports completed by trained and licensed people. These changes would ensure consumers benefit from quality advice, are protected from surprise costs and aware of safety issues before buying a home. This will also create a level playing field for the home inspection industry, preventing inspectors with little or no training from competing with qualified professionals by offering lower rates.
Did you know:
Home inspectors are one of the only professionals involved in a real estate transaction who are not provincially regulated.
Approximately 65 per cent of resale homes sold annually receive a home inspection.
There are approximately 1,500 home inspectors in Ontario.
The proposed legislation the government intends to introduce was based on 35 recommendations made by a 16-member expert panel which were then supported by both industry and consumers.
There has been some, not all but too many, really shoddy home inspection reports given to people buying a home. This regulation should weed out the really bad apples.
 By Staff
August 17, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
At approximately 10:00 PM last night an 18-year-old male walked into the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital suffering from deep stab wounds in his chest.
 Two of the HRPS detachments were involved in this incident – Oakville and Burlington. The male was stabilized then transported to the Hamilton General Hospital in critical condition where he underwent surgery. His condition has since been upgraded to stable and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Investigators from the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau have been conducting the investigation and learned that that an altercation occurred in the area of Kindos St and Sutton Dr. in Burlington sometime last evening between 9:30 PM at 10:00 PM.
Investigators from the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau are now working with Oakville investigators and are seeking information from anyone who may have information about this incident and/or witnessed an altercation in this area.
Anyone with information is asked to contact D/Cst. Jack Olewniczak of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2364 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
August 17th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
On July 6, 2016, a fire ban was issued after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry identified a high fire-risk rating in the Burlington area following prolonged hot and dry weather conditions. That ban has been lifted.
“The recent rainfall and slightly cooler temperatures factored into the decision to lift the ban,” said Chief Fire Prevention Officer Joe Wintar. “Though the fire ban has been lifted, residents should still use extra caution when burning outdoors.”
Residents that live in designated burning areas with open air burning permits can resume use of open air fires for controlled brush burning and recreational fires.
 Caution and control should be the approach. The use of charcoal barbecues at designated picnic areas in city parks is also allowed again. Park users are encouraged to book a permit in advance of their preferred dates. Request a booking online at www.burlington.ca/rentals , call 905-335-7738 or visit www.burlington.ca/picnics for more information.
The Burlington Fire Department will continue to monitor and assess the local wildfire threat and provide updates on city open-air burning restrictions. If you are unsure if a fire ban is in effect, please contact the Burlington Fire Department at 905-637-8253.
For more information about open air burning in Burlington visit: www.burlington.ca/openairburning
 By Pepper Parr
August 17th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Revised
Media releases that come out of the provincial government will be about creating jobs, doing something about climate change or improving the transportation system.
Getting new employers into a community is the raison d’etre for the people in economic development and there are perhaps 50 communities in the province looking for that company that is ready to move or expand.
Frank McKeown, the fellow hired to do the thinking at the Burlington Economic development Corporation, will tell you that not very many companies move their offices or plants – although International Harvester did move their distribution depot out of Burlington to Hamilton.
 Bronte Meadows – a large swath of land that borders on Upper Middle Road and Burloak – should it be residential or employment lands? The province has been putting resources into helping property owners get their land ready for development using what they call a Certified Site Program to help municipalities attract new jobs and investment
The objective is to help municipalities compete globally and attract new jobs and development by enhancing a provincial program that certifies industrial lands as ready for development.
McKeown adds: “We have been aware of this program for some time. The revisions announced reduce the size of the applicable site. Burlington has few sites that it would apply to. We have had little interest. The amounts are so small compared to the cost of land and development that the local market has indicated that it is not that relevant.”
The Investment Ready: Certified Site program can help get projects off the ground faster by marketing sites that have undergone rigorous due diligence to international investors. It gives potential investors easy access to important property information such as availability, completed environmental assessments, utility costs and transportation access.
The Bronte Meadows site, shown in a photograph above has drawn some comment. Former Mayor Walter Mulkewich commented: ” Your question re “Bronte Meadows” as to whether it should be “residential or employment” is a provocative question, the answer to which has been clear – that the economic future of Burlington will depend on those lands remaining “employment” as designated many years ago – and which City Council will surely maintain.”
There are those on this city council who are being heavily influenced by the property owners to convert at least some of the land to residential. Based on what the Gazette sees and hears at council meetings – keeping this land as employment lands is not a certainty.
Ontario is making several changes to the program to make it easier for businesses and municipalities to participate:
Expanding eligibility to include smaller, non-contiguous lands within business and industrial parks, not just large contiguous industrial lands of 10 acres or more
Doubling the amount of eligible certification expenses reimbursed to municipalities, from $25,000 to up to $50,000
Increasing the range of eligible expenses to cover the full certification process, including application, post-certification site changes and marketing activities
Doubling the certification designation, from two to four years
Introducing a pre-application consultation to help provide municipalities with quick answers to questions about the program before applying
Ontario now has 16 certified sites. None of them are in Burlington.
However, McKeown points out that his office has handled 63 site selection responses this year. About 80% of inquiries are lease opportunities. Hence zoning is a bigger focus for us.”
“We have been trying to create our own “ready to go” model.”
 Zoned commercial, spitting distance to the QEW, minutes from downtown – owner wants to rezone and make it residential. The program recently led to retailer Giant Tiger buying one of these sites in the Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in Eastern Ontario. It is building a 600,000 square foot state-of-the-art distribution centre on the property, which is expected to support up to 300 jobs in the region.
The location of the sites certified to date can be seen on the map. CLICK HERE:
•Ontario has the only province-wide site certification program in Canada. This strengthens the province’s ability to compete with the United States, which has more than 35 certification programs.
• Certified sites are integrated into Ontario’s investment attraction strategy, and receive top consideration for strategic investment opportunities in the province.
• Pre-application consultations for the next intake round are open until December 31, so municipalities can find out more about how to be top-of-mind for potential investors.
By Pepper Parr
August 17th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a two part series.
When you pick up the phone and dial 911 – or you call the police station – few people realize just how many wheels begin to turn.
It all gets to the Halton Regional Police Service communications department run by Staff Sergent Dave Cross – who is very quick to tell you that he has an office with a window and ensures the place runs smoothly but adds: “I don’t do a thing on the actual communications work side. I administer the operation and ensure that the 66 people who handle those telephone calls are trained, supported and appreciated.”
They are certainly well trained. Cross explains that everyone is cross trained in everything. This is a 24 x 7 operation. It is always up.
The communications people are tied in very tightly to the Bell system’s 911 call service which is immensely complex.
 Shift supervisor’s work station – notice the three difference mic on the desk top – can you count the number of screens? Communications at the HRPS is broken into two parts; those people who handle the incoming calls. Every call to the police comes into the third floor operation at the police headquarters in Oakville. The lights are always dim with the operators, mostly woman, glued to the three, sometimes five, very large computer monitors in front of them and a telephone set with more buttons that you can even imagine.
There are usually two different mouse’s at the ready.
There is very little idle chatter.
On the incoming side the calls that come in are distributed to the first available operator. There are two kinds of calls – a regular telephone call and a 911 call.
 The operators can pull up maps fr any part of the Region and zoom in to whatever they want – all at the click of the mouse. A large television screen in a spot on one of the walls where all of the four to six incoming call operators can see it at a glance, tells them how many calls there are in the waiting que. When the board changes to blue they know that a 911 call is waiting.
Operators will put a regular telephone call on hold – they are pretty abrupt at putting a caller on hold and say to the 911 caller – “Do you want the police, fire department or ambulance.”
The moment they know which, they transfer the call. If it is an ambulance call it goes to the Emergency Measures people and often gets passed along immediately to the police detachment as well.
“Sometimes” said Zee, the operator I sat in with for a stretch “a police cruiser is needed to help clear the roadway for the ambulance.”
While sitting in with Zee things were pretty relaxed – then a call from Fearman’s hog processing plant in Burlington about a protestor who had gotten into the property and was pretty close to the hog chute; they wanted her removed from the property.
Zee was talking to both the person from the hog plant and the police cruiser that was on the way.
A call came in a little later about a house in Oakville where the door was thought to be open. When Zee brings up a screen showing all the police incidents in the area she notices that there had been three breaks in in the area. She passes the call along to a police cruiser and then the call gets transferred to the dispatch side of the communications operation
I will come back to the Dispatch people – they do a decidedly different job.
Zee has directed one cruiser on the way to the open house door scene and is in the process of getting a back up car in place as well.
While directing the first police car she gets a call from the police officer asking if she can send someone else to the open house door call and asks if she would run the plates from a car the police officer spotted and was just a little suspicious about. Zee taps a couple of keys and reads out the name of the owner of the car. The police officer asks her to run the name of the owner – a few more key get tapped and Zee is able to tell the police officer that the driver’s name has been has been queried by police in London and a few other surrounding areas. That’s enough for the police officer to know that his suspicions were right and he pulls the driver over.
The people in the communications division have an amazing array of information sources at their fingertips. They can be in touch with other local police forces – they can be in touch with any police service in the province.
Screen upon screen of information is a fingertip away – and their fingers skip across their keyboard in a flash.
 The information available to the operator is almost unlimited – and the speed at which they can access that information is close to stunning. Calls from cell phone are a little harder to work with explained Zee. However, when there is a call from a cell phone she is able to flick to a screen that will show her which cell tower the call came from is located and then see a circle around the cell tower and tells me that “the call came from within that circumference”.
All this information comes up in an instant.
A little later there was a call from a person with an accent that was difficult to understand – but the words Old English kept being heard. Zee goes to the map and keys in the words – and up comes a street name – she has begun to narrow down the location of the caller.
Another operator hearing part of the conversation pips up and adds some information she had on the caller.
When Dave Cross said these people were cross trained – he wasn’t kidding.
An operator will work at a station for a couple of hours and then shift supervisor Terry will switch them around. No one stay at a particular station for a long time – they get moved around.
I sat in with Zee on the incoming call side and with Nicole and Sam on the Dispatch side.
Terry, the supervisor is a woman with one of those voices that lets you know she has a firm grip on the conversation; you know she is going to guide every word of it. That sense that there is someone really in charge but not bossy in charge becomes very clear.
 Data on screens and telephone sets with instant links – note the two telephone sets. Calls on the incoming side involve a lot of what get described as “domestic matters” which can be pretty hum drum but have the capacity to escalate very quickly; the operators listen very keenly to not only the words but the tone. I could almost hear Zee tuning into one callers breathing.
There was a 15 year old calling from Belleville who wanted the Halton police to call her Mother and advise the Mother that she could not throw the daughters possessions out on the street.
It took Zee seconds to realize that she was working with a distraught teenager and needed to work with the Belleville police to ensure they were fully aware of the matter and then with the Burlington detachment to bring them into the picture.
A call from a resident at a community home who said he was told he had to call in and cancel a complaint he had made earlier had Zee looking a little askance at the phone – she asked if she could speak to the person who had instructed him to cancel the call and got passed along to care giver who explained the background.
 The new police headquarters – communications will be on the top floor – is scheduled to open July of 2017. The operators are trained to listen with almost a third ear. They don’t miss much. The quality of the work done by the people I listened to was a lot better than what you hear on some news reports where callers are over excited and very emotional.
Zee was always able to keep the conversation flowing and draw additional information out of a caller – all the while keeping things calm and under control.
The call board goes blue and the number 1 pops up –a 911 call was coming in.
Zee’s body stiffens a bit and she is suddenly all business – her hand goes up telling me not to talk:
“Police, fire department or ambulance – how do you want me to direct this call” she says in a confident voice – she gets some detail and the call gets passed over to the Dispatcher from Oakville and Zee falls back to a supporting role.
What the people on the Dispatch side is covered in our next report to you.
Part 2 – Dispatching police officers.
By Pepper Parr
August 16th, 206
BURLINGTON, ON
Owners of a Burlington multi-unit residential building, that the city chose not to named were convicted on six counts of failing to comply with the Ontario Fire Code, resulting in fines totaling $30,000.
“Compliance with the Ontario Fire Code is the building owner’s responsibility,” said Fire Chief Tony Bavota. “We work with apartment owners and property managers to educate them on their responsibilities to provide and maintain all life safety equipment in our city’s buildings.”
 Owners of Lilnan Court apartment building, as yet identified, were fined $30,000 in provincial court. Earlier this year, the owners of the Lilnan Court apartment building appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice, Provincial Offences Division in relation to these charges that were filed in connection with a fire inspection of the property after a complaint was received.
The inspection revealed several issues including lack of maintenance and failing to provide records of various life safety systems and equipment in the building.
The Burlington Fire Department conducts more than 75 proactive multi-unit residential building inspections each year. Since last spring, the fire department has been working with local apartment owners and managers to create a public safety outreach program that will target 91 high-rise buildings over the next five years. The objective of the program is to educate residents living in condos and apartments about escape planning and reduce the number of preventable fires.
The Gazette will try and dig out the names of the owners. Quite why the information was not made public is difficult to understand – what happened to transparency?
By Alison Webster
August 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The road re-building work taking place on Lakeshore Road at Maple Avenue and North Shore Boulevard in Burlington, Ontario, may have many residents wondering what this means for September’s 36th Annual Terry Fox Run, which usually starts at Beachway Park.
The Burlington Terry Fox Committee is proud to announce that for this year’s run, on September 18th, 2016, we will be starting and finishing at The Brant Street Pier, near the Waterfront Hotel at the east end of Spencer Smith Park. The route will remain roughly the same, only the starting point will differ.
 These ladies are in the homestretch of the Terry Fox 5k run. The Terry Fox Run promises to be the same family-friendly event participants and spectators have come to expect year after year. With face painting, balloon animals, and loads of other fun activities, the Terry Fox Run is not only a great cause, but also a fun annual event that is always a crowd pleaser.
We have music, a performance from the M.M. Robinson Drumline, food, and so much more!
Have you seen the Terry Fox monument yet? If you haven’t, make sure you check it out the morning of the run. Located near Spencer’s on the Waterfront restaurant, at the west end of the park, the monument marks Terry’s run through Burlington on July 13th, 1980. The structure is actually a distance marker, indicating how many kilometres Terry Fox had run by the time he reached this spot on Lakeshore Road.
 A monument put up by citizens to mark a point where Terry Fox paused during his Marathon of Hope run in 1980. The stone marker just to the left is where the famed Burlington Inn was located. Want to get involved? There are many ways you can participate in The Terry Fox run this fall. You can sign up to run or walk, collecting pledges from family, friends, and co-workers, you can create a team, and set a larger fundraising goal, or you can volunteer and help us make this year the best event yet!
If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the Burlington Terry Fox Run Committee Chair, Craig Gardner at the email address set out below or find our Facebook page to learn more!
Parking will be available in a variety of city parking lots downtown, including the parking garage located on Locust Street. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the 5 and 10k run will start at 9 a.m., with the walkers and groups going at 10 a.m.
Craig Gardner: scraiggardner@sympatico.ca
By Staff
August 16, 216
BURLINGTON, ON
New Street, between Guelph Line and Walkers Line is going on a road diet reducing the road from four lanes to three, and adding buffered bike lanes.
“The one-year pilot allows the city to collect data and listen to feedback on whether the painted bike lanes result in a positive experience for people who want to ride their bicycles, while causing a minimal impact for drivers who also need to get where they are going in a timely manner,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “Our new 25-year strategic plan identifies investing in convenient, affordable and green forms of transportation for everyone.”
 During a public information meeting the city provided pictures of the different options for they were considering for bike lanes on New Street – bike lanes will be put in on both sides. New Street currently has two eastbound and two westbound lanes east of Guelph Line. During the one-year pilot road diet, it will have one eastbound and one westbound lane, a two-way left-turn lane and the two bike lanes. City staff will use the year to collect data that includes average speed, number of collisions and cycling usage.
Road marking removal will take place starting Aug. 22 to prepare the roads for lane-painting, which will begin on Aug. 26. The road is expected to be ready on Aug. 27.
“We want to see everyone share the road in Burlington, and ensure that we all get around safely and can enjoy the streets where we live and work,” said City Manager James Ridge.
City Council approved the New Street Road Diet pilot on July 18, 2016. At the same City Council meeting, the Share the Road Cycling Coalition recognized Burlington as a silver-level bicycle-friendly city, an increase from a previous bronze. There are 31 communities in Ontario that are bicycle-friendly, according to Share the Road.
The province’s Book 18: Ontario Traffic Manual defines a road diet as using spare roadway capacity, such as extra lanes, for other modes of travel, such as public transit or cycling. The hope is to encourage a shift in road use to reflect the changes.
“Burlington has put road diets in place in other city locations, including in downtown Burlington on Lakeshore Road and on portions of Guelph Line, Walkers Line and Appleby Line,” said Vito Tolone, director of Transportation. “Our findings are that the number of car crashes is reduced and that there is better interaction between pedestrians, cyclists and the street.”
Chris Ariens, Burlington Cycling Committee said: “New Street connects existing cycle lanes on Walkers Line and Guelph Line to shops, recreation facilities, schools and the Centennial Path. It is a key link in the cycling network in south Burlington. It is our hope that by introducing lanes separated from car traffic—by more than just a painted line—residents will feel safe and comfortable riding their bicycles for more of their daily trips. This pilot project should result in a street that is safer for pedestrians as well as cyclists and motorists.”
James Schofield, Burlington Cycling Committee added: “It’s exciting to see New Street being transformed into a complete street. This reconfiguration gives people more choices to move around Burlington, and makes the street safer for everyone, whether on foot, on a bike, on a bus, or in a car.”
The city did not provide any comment from those who drive New Street on a regular basis.
By Staff
August 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Kinark Child and Family Services, an agency providing children’s mental health services and support for children and youth in Halton Region and elsewhere in central Ontario, has been fined $125,000 following a workplace violence incident where a staff member was physically assaulted by a youth.
 Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville. On May 4, 2014, at Kinark’s Syl Apps Youth Centre facility on Iroquois Shore Road in Oakville, a youth worker who had recently started an employment contract on the detention and custody unit for boys was directing a youth to return to his room for the night. The youth became agitated, entered the staff office and repeatedly struck the worker. A co-worker also located in the staff office intervened in the assault and was also injured. Both workers suffered physical and psychological injuries.
Kinark pleaded guilty to failing to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect a worker from workplace violence or the risk of violence from a resident.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Liisa Ritchie in Burlington court on August 16, 2016.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
 By Staff
August 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This soggy weather is mucking up a lot of programs.
The city announced that the following Sportfields are closed Tuesday August 16th
All baseball diamonds
Maple Park – F1
By Staff
August 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Oakville Transit has moved into the Burlington market and now offers a pretty full schedule with stops from the Oakville GO station to Dundas and Appleby and to the 407 GO station car pool lot
 Full details at the link to the schedule set out below.
The service begins September 4th,
Oakville Transit # 5 Dundas line – schedule.
By Pepper Parr
August 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It has been that kind of a weekend – and it isn’t over yet – many are waiting to see how Andre De Grasse does again Usain Bolt in the 100 metre dash in Rio.
 August storms make people in Burlington very wary – they remember 2014. Trees were damaged this weekend. The United Way decided to call off their plane pull at the Hamilton Airport; Trevor Copp knew he had to cancel the Saturday evening performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Inter County Baseball League semi – final between Toronto and Brantford got cancelled for the second time.
It is certainly a change in the climate – but we have had this kind of weather before – back in the 40”s we had very high summer temperatures – just sayin.
 Councillors Sharman and Lancaster – will represent Burlington at the Association of Municipalities conference in Windsor. This is the week that our city council attends the Association of Municipalities in Ontario (AMO) conference in Windsor.
Representing Burlington will be the mayor, and Councillors Paul Sharman and Blair Lancaster.
Big issues? Money for infrastructure, what shape is the province in financially? Changes to the Ontario Municipal Board will certainly get discussed as will climate change and what the legalization of marijuana will do to us.
Preparing for disasters, the sustainability of the current municipal pension program and the way in which municipalities settle their wage differences with the fire fighters.
These are all financial issues – and it is your money they are talking about.
It might be quiet in Burlington – it will be less so in Windsor.
 By Ray Rivers
August 13, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
For a mouse sleeping next to the elephant, we Canadians are pretty nonchalant about who our neighbours elect to be their president every four years. Or perhaps we know we can wait out a noxious US leader and hope for a better one the next time. Tensions got pretty high when an angry Richard Nixon lost his patience with Pierre Trudeau, calling him a “son of a bitch”, “asshole” and “pompous egghead” – not to his face of course.
 Former US president Richard Nixon and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, prime Minister of Canada. Not much in the way of trust between these two men.  US President Ronald W. Reagan (L) posing with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney before talks in Ottawa, April 1987. Then a little over a decade later Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan were in ideological bed together singing about Irish eyes. Their strong personal friendship enabled Mulroney to disarmed Reagan, and convince the old gaffer, or was that Gipper, to do something about acid rain, a problem Reagan was sure was caused by trees.
Clinton and Chretien, two middle-road liberals, engaged respectfully and warmly with each other throughout their time together. With Mexico they forged the North American Free Trade Agreement which has continued until today. And Clinton convinced Chretien to join him in intervening in the aftermath of Yugoslavia, using Canadian warplanes to help the Americans bomb the hell out of Serbia.
Once Dubya came on the scene, the romance with Washington came to an end. Chretien refused to support GW Bush’s insane adventure to take down Saddam. However Canada’s response would have been different had Canadian neo-con, and Bush admirer, Steven Harper been in power at the time. And Harper did spend a couple of years during Bush’s reign before the leadership changed again south of the border. But it soon became evident that there was no love lost between Obama and his Canadian counterpart, as he stared down Harper’s idle and useless threats over the Keystone pipeline.
 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US president Barack Obama Trudeau and Obama found a sweet spot in their relationship early on, though Obama is now a ‘lame duck’ president awaiting replacement this November by former First Lady Hillary Clinton or real estate mogul Donald Trump. Given generational factors alone it will be challenging for Trudeau to find a spot so sweet as before with either of these candidates. But as everyone should expect, Mr. Trump, the red neck, would prove the greater challenge.
Clinton is proposing a reasonably left wing agenda, swept even more in that direction by a compromise kiss she accepted from contender Bernie Sanders, in order to keep peace on the home front. Income-geared free tuition, campaign expense reform, equal pay for women, taxing the rich, breaking up the banks, killing the TPP trade deal, increasing the federal minimum wage, background checks for gun purchases, and massive federal infrastructure spending.
Her policies roughly parallel those of Trudeau, as well as some of the provincial Liberal governments. This platform in fact ups the ante for social progress and equality, giving more credibility to Canada’s current political direction. And Mrs. Clinton’s opposition to the TPP would allow Canada to escape from what many consider a bad deal, providing welcome relief to a PM ministering to a divided parliament on this matter.
 American Democratic candidate for the office of the president of the United States Hillary Clinton. Otherwise, Clinton would be expected to continue to follow Obama’s policy framework. Commitment to common defence through NATO, for example, would be maintained consistent with Canada’s current objectives. This is a framework in which Canada’s current leadership would find compatibility, despite questions around ongoing trade irritants, such as softwood lumber or beef. But then those irritants have persisted almost regardless who sat in the white House or whether we had a ‘free trade agreement’ or not.
The future would be way more exciting, albeit more uncertain, under a Trump presidency. Early promises to build a wall with Mexico and ban Muslim immigrants, also raise concerns about potential limitations to free access for Canadian businesses and snowbirds. Trump’s musings on NATO and Russia could, ironically, push the EU into a Eurocentric defence posture, possibly leaving Canada to fend on its own when it comes to arctic sovereignty.
And of course Trump’s proposed trickle-down Reagan-style tax cuts would lead to more articles from the Frazer Institute and National Post decrying how poorly the 1% are being treated here in Canada. Meanwhile his massive deficits and increased debt would tend to bring down the US dollar and bring us closer to parity, albeit in a currency market once again looking for stability.
Trump would mark another US turnabout on climate change and would rupture the recently announced North American commitment to control that global threat. Trump says that everything would be negotiable. This is not an unexpected response from a man who has shown so little sophistication in matters of foreign or domestic policy. To mis-quote Bob Dylan, when you don’t know nothing, you got nothing to lose. Everything is up for grabs.
 Donald Trump, Republican candidate for the office of the President of the United States From what he’s said, Trump’s presidency would be a crap shoot, and it could be uncomfortable for us here in Canada. After all, the USA is our largest trading partner, we share our defence policy with them and our cultures and history are heavily intermingled. And for an independent Canadian leader looking to keep our fences in good shape there can be a fine line between dialogue, sucking up or talking back. Still our PM’s have always held their own, including during those rough patches with Harper and Obama and Trudeau and Nixon.
Should Canadians be worried about a Trump presidency? Only in as much as almost everybody else on the planet would be. Despite all his rhetoric, as president he would be limited by his country’s constitution, its current laws and a Congress, which even if it remained Republican would not likely go along with most of his nutty notions. And the way things go in Washington he’d be out of office before half of his really idiotic proposals hit the road.
Oh sure Trump would have access to the nuclear codes – but like Putin and other national leaders with nuclear weapons, he would quickly learn that the nukes can be more of a constraint and liability than an asset.
 Ray Rivers 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 was also a candidate in the 1995 provincial election
Background links:
Nixon and Trudeau – Mulroney/Reagan –
Clinton’s Promises – Trump’s Promises –
Motor Vehicle Collision at North Shore Boulevard and QEW Off-Ramp
By Staff
August 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
On Friday August 12, 2016 Halton Regional Police Service responded to a personal injury collision on North Shore Boulevard, near the QEW – Niagara bound off ramp in the City of Burlington.
At approximately 5:40 pm, an eastbound Red Chevrolet Malibu traveling on North Shore Boulevard was struck in a T-bone style collision by a Grey Honda Pilot exiting the highway. The Pilot entered the intersection on a red light.
The Honda Pilot had 6 family members traveling in it ranging in age from 11 months old to 56 years old from Markham. All were transported to Joseph Brant Hospital with injuries ranging from minor to moderate.
The single occupant of the Chevrolet Malibu, a 37 year old West Lincoln male was transported to Hamilton General Hospital with life threatening injuries.
Due to the nature of the collision, the Halton Regional Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit has taken carriage of the investigation. North Shore Boulevard was closed for approximately 8 hours in both directions for the collision scene investigation.
Charges in the collision have yet to be laid.
Witnesses to the collision are asked to call the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 905 825-4747 extension 5065 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
August 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington – Hamilton United Way fund raising drive is about to begin with a plane pull – yes an air plane pull at the John C. Munro airport in Hamilton.
There is an impressive line-up of 17 teams that are going to try and pull a cargo plane 50 yards across the tarmac – the Gazette will be there to report on this event.
 Former Burlington general manager for Budge and Corporate Services Kim Phillips gave it more than the old college try for the United Way. Each team will get one opportunity to pull the plane 50 feet across the tarmac in the shortest amount of time. The fastest three teams will participate in a pull-off.
Prizes will be awarded to the three fastest teams, top team and individual fundraisers, and teams with the most spirit.
Not that much representation from Burlington – the Royal Bank will be there and Cumis is has a team ready to pull but no one else from Burlington that we can identify.
The teams pulling on Saturday are:
Canada Bread – Team on the Tarmac, Cargo Jet, CHAM-PLANERS, Community Living Hamilton, CRA, CUMIS/Co-operators Pulling 4U Team, Dream Team, Eva Rothwell Resource Centre, GBT Canada, Marie Grace, Niagara BD, RBC Burlington, SkyLink Express, State Farm United Way 2016, United Way-Ups, UPS Gateway A-TEAM and UPSBDMISSISSAUGA
 It takes energy and effort to mobilize a community – in 2011 the Clerks at city Hall in Burlington took the best costume prize and the United Way reached its target. It can be done but it has to involve the community if it is going to be done. Burlington city hall staff showed how to do that in 2011. Neither the city of Hamilton nor the city of Burlington was on the list.
Former Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina will be giving the opening remarks
The United Way has decided to move away from creating a target number of dollars and will focus on telling the story of the number of people they help and the many different ways they do so.
Shirley Thomas Weir and Mark Chabot will be co-chairing the drive this year.
 By Staff
August 12th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite some problems the province had with creating a system for the electronic movement of medical records the people building the new seven floor patient tower appear to have a grip on the problem.
 The new communications system will be operational by the end of the year and will be part of the new seven storey patient tower that is now under construction. EllisDon Design Build Inc., the company selected to build the new seven-story patient tower, that is very close to being closed in has chosen Orion Health’s Rhapsody Integration Engine which was designed for rapid interoperability between healthcare IT systems. It has been described as the pre-eminent engine delivering secure patient information among healthcare clinicians, collaborators and patients.
Joseph Brant Hospital’s communication infrastructure is being readied to meet the future healthcare needs of one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities. The system will power all communications and data processing
In a media release Gary Folker, EVP for Orion Health in North America said: “There’s urgency in healthcare for building technology solutions that accelerate the shift towards patient-centric care and away from the traditional disease-centred model of care.
“Partnering with EllisDon to help transform Joseph Brant Hospital into the pinnacle of healthcare delivery, will usher in a new wave of smart hospitals, while allowing us to combine our expertise in healthcare integration with their innovative approach to healthcare planning and design.”
“Rhapsody will be a key component of improving the workflow and communication among the various departments within the hospital, as well as the quality of real-time patient information available to clinicians. This greater access to secure patient data will ultimately result in more timely care and better coordination of care.
“As this is one of the most substantial projects we’ve worked on, our goal was to bring a technology partner on board that can help solidify the collaborative, patient-centric environment we are building,” said Stephen Foster Director, ICAT, EllisDon. “In Orion Health, we have the partner that offers the best healthcare information technology solutions to address the needs of both patients and healthcare professionals – now and into the future.”
In addition to the transformation of the hospital’s administrative, clinical and patient information systems, EllisDon is also spearheading the design, build and financing of a number of renovations and expansions within the hospital:
Construction of a new, seven-story patient tower that will have a new emergency department, nine operating rooms and a post-anesthetic care room that will allow for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgeries
Upon completion of the project there will be 172 modern inpatient beds and 70 per cent of the patient rooms will be private
Expansion of the cancer clinic, enabling the hospital to serve an additional 2,876 patient visits
Modernization and expansion of the laboratory to improve turnaround time for test results
The implementation of Rhapsody will be completed by September 2016, while construction of Joseph Brant Hospital’s new patient tower will be completed in the fall of 2017 and renovations to the existing hospital will be completed in 2018.
By Staff
August 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The 2016-17 Live & Play guide – the City of Burlington’s guide for information on recreation, sport, culture programs and festivals and events is now available online.
Printed copies are available for pick up at recreation centres, City Hall, 426 Brant St., Burlington Tourism and the Burlington Public Libraries.
 The Live & Play online guide allows you to view and share program information as well as register for programs directly from any computer or mobile device. View the online guide… RIGHT HERE
By Staff
August 12th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Traffic officers from across the service worked together to target the “Big 4” driving behaviours that are the greatest cause of concern for road users within the region.
The project ran over a three day period starting on Monday August 9th in Georgetown, in the Town of Halton Hills, followed by the Town of Oakville on Tuesday August 10th and concluding in the City of Burlington on Wednesday August 10th.
Officers targeted sub divisions that had been identified through police analytics as having the highest number of complaints and traffic related occurrences.
Over the course of the three days 371 traffic stops were initiated for Highway Traffic Act violations and 238 Provincial Offence Notices were issued.
The goal of the project was to allow officers to have meaningful conversations with drivers who live within these communities and encourage them to drive safely in the future. The number of charges laid demonstrates that officers used considerable discretion and only charged drivers when they felt that it was prudent to do so.
Officers were asked to note the excuses drivers offered in response to being stopped. Some of the comments are being provided here in the hope that this sparks a debate on road safety between family members and their friends. Surely none of these reasons are serious enough to risk getting involved in a collision with a neighbour walking down the street, a child riding their bike or family heading out for dinner.
Stop Sign/Speeding/Cell phone/Impairment statements:
• “Really…. I’m usually the first person to complain about that”
• “OH there’s a stop sign there?”
• “Just let me drive home, I just live around the corner a few blocks, I can make it” This driver failed a road side screening test and his licence was suspended
• “I guess there isn’t enough crime to keep you busy”
• “But I was just involved in a car accident the other day”
• “You’re a F……….. liar”
• “I was just holding it for directions”
• “Please we are very late for the train”
• “I’ve phoned and complained about the traffic on this street”
• “Sorry Officer I’m on my way to get my nails done”
• “I’m speeding because I have an infection and I’m on my way to shoppers to pick up the medication”
Halton police receive many complaints concerning aggressive driving and we will continue to conduct rigorous enforcement where it is required, we do however want to do this in partnership with our community and encourage everyone to Drive Safe.
To report individual driver behaviour, residents can complete a Road Watch complaint at :
https://www.haltonpolice.ca/services/reporting/roadwatch.php
ROAD WATCH© is a community driven program encouraging anonymous reporting of incidents involving dangerous and/or aggressive driving.
By Staff
August 11th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A combination of below-average precipitation this year with hot summer temperatures has resulted in water levels in local streams dropping well below normal.
As a result, Conservation Halton is escalating from a Level I to a Level II Low Water Condition for its watershed, based on criteria set out in the Ontario Low Water Response guidelines.
Conservation Halton’s data for the month of July indicates that like much of south central Ontario, the Halton watershed has received below-average precipitation and an unusually high number of very warm days. The watershed received an average of 43 mm of rain, which is only 54 per cent of the normal July average of 79 mm.
 Bronte Creek isn’t looking quite this flush these days. The three-month total for May to July was approximately 105 mm or 45 per cent of normal for this time of year, and there have been 24 days where temperatures surpassed 30°C during this period of time (compared to an average of six days for the preceding three years). Furthermore, current stream flow data indicates that many of our watercourses are in a Level II Low Water Condition, with monthly July flows averaging 35 per cent of the lowest average summer monthly flow.
A Level II Low Water Condition is the second level of an escalating scale of low water conditions. Under the Level II Low Water Condition, water users in the Conservation Halton watershed are strongly encouraged to voluntarily conserve water with the aim of reducing overall consumption by a further 10 per cent, to a new target total reduction of 20 per cent. Conservation Halton had previously issued a Level I Low Water Condition on July 8, 2016.
 The Halton watershed is comprised of the Bronte, Grindstone, and Sixteen Mile Creek watersheds, which encompass portions of Puslinch, Hamilton, Halton Hills, Milton, Mississauga, Burlington and Oakville, as well as a number of smaller watersheds located in Burlington and Oakville. The last time Conservation Halton declared a Level II Low Water Condition for its watershed was August 20, 2007. This Level II Low Water Condition was maintained until January 24, 2008 when it was reduced to Level I, then returned to normal conditions on February 6, 2008.
“The continued hot and dry weather conditions has resulted in the streams in the Halton watershed being lower than their typical levels for this time of the year and that is why we have moved to a Level II Low Water Condition,” said Conservation Halton Manager of Watershed Engineering Services, Janelle Weppler. “Given the situation, our team will maintain our increased level of monitoring and regular discussions with our Low Water Response Team. We encourage everyone to use water wisely.”
Major water users, such as golf courses, aggregate extractors, farm irrigators and others are asked to implement or continue their water conservation programs to reach the 20 per cent reduction target. Rural water users can lower the demand on the watercourses and aquifers by pumping water at a lower rate, storing it in ponds or by staggering their pumping times in conjunction with neighbours to lower peak demand. A 20 per cent voluntary reduction will help to provide water supplies for essential use and to sustain aquatic ecosystems.
Water users which rely on municipal sources are reminded to follow any water conservation measures as prescribed by Halton Region or their local municipality.
The Halton watershed is comprised of the Bronte, Grindstone, and Sixteen Mile Creek watersheds, which encompass portions of Puslinch, Hamilton, Halton Hills, Milton, Mississauga, Burlington and Oakville, as well as a number of smaller watersheds located in Burlington and Oakville.
• Normal – Normal Conditions are within normal limits.
• Level I – First indication of potential water supply problems, primarily a warning level – key focus is on voluntary conservation of water
• Level II – Indicates a potentially serious problem – conservation of water is extended to restrictions on non-essential uses
• Level III – Indicates a failure of the water supply to meet demand – key focus is on conservation, regulation and enforcement of non-essential uses.
|
|
