 By Pepper Parr
June 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Are you ready for this?
A budget of $705 million for the Halton District School Board.
That is a whopper of a number and much of it comes out of your wallets. The province provides a significant amount – but that too comes out of your wallet.
 This is how that $705 million gets spent.  The bulk of the school board budget is spent on teaching students – here is a breakdown of that spending. Key expense items:
Classroom Teachers
The $17,870K increase includes the addition of 17.5 Elementary Teachers and 38.1 Secondary Teachers due to enrolment growth, 1.25% across the board salary increase and removal of the delay in grid movement per the central labour agreement. This is partially offset by the reduction of 17.5 Elementary Special Education Teachers to reflect change in delivery model.
Supply Staff
The $1,350K increase reflects the impact of projected rising trends in usage and the impact of the central labour agreement.
Educational Assistants
The $2,200K increase includes the addition of 35 Educational Assistants and 1.25% across the board salary increase per the central labour agreement.
Early Childhood Educators
The $617K increase includes the addition of 1 Early Childhood Educator, 1.25% across the board salary increase and removal of the delay in grid movement per the central labour agreement.
Textbooks and Supplies
The $1,014K increase includes the addition of a new decentralized school budget supplement based on the School Needs index and transfer of Education Program
Computers The $806K increase reflects the acquisition of school technology funded through the Technology Learning Fund 21st Century Learning EPO.
Professionals, Para- professionals & Technical The $1,242K increase includes the addition of .5 Child and Youth Counsellor, 1 IPRC Clerical Support, 1 Applied Behaviour Analysis Trainer and 1 Social Worker for International Students and Refugee Support. This increase is also reflective of central labour agreements.
Library and Guidance
The $1,006K increase includes the addition of 2.5 Elementary and 3 Secondary Library and Guidance Teachers due to enrolment growth, 1.25% across the board salary increase and removal of the delay in grid movement per central labour agreements.
Staff Development
The $260K increase includes professional development and training to increase teacher capacity specifically related to special education.
Department Heads
The small increase of $15K represents the increase of department head allowances based on shifting enrolment between secondary schools and impact of the central labour agreement.
Principals and Vice-Principals
The $643K increase includes the addition of 1 Elementary Vice-Principal and estimated impact of the central labour agreement once finalized.
School Office
The $982K increase includes the addition of 5.2 Clerical Support Staff due to enrolment growth, 1.25% across the board salary increase per the central labour agreement and increase in administrative computer replacement.
Coordinators and Consultants
The $42K decrease includes turnover and job classification savings, partially offset by implementation of central labour agreements.
Continuing Education The $51K increase includes the impact of central labour agreements as well as addition of International
Language Supervisors.
Administration The $420K increase includes the impact of central labour agreements and the upgrade of financial system software. Also included is the continued support for Records Management implementation.
Transportation
The $702K increase reflects an increase in operator costs per contractual agreements and projected service delivery.
Interesting that the Board of Education chooses to show their numbers as $702K – that K actually means 1024 and not a round 1000
Director of Education Stewart Miller expressed some concern over how well the public understands the way education is funded and said he wanted to create a committee that would take on the task of getting a deeper explanation o education funding into the hands of the public.
 By Pepper Parr
June 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Wow – these guys can spend money like a drunken sailor.
The Regional council agreed to purchase all the homes in the Beachway community on a willing buyer – willing seller basis. During the last few years a number of homes have been purchased on this basis.
There are basically two groups in the Beachway – those who do not want to sell – the love the community they live in and want to be left along to enjoy the home and the life style they have.
There are others who are willing to sell and they want to get every last dollar that might be available to them.
With a buyer who has to buy every home in order to turn that part of the city into a park – a very large park and a well-designed park – this put the sellers in a great position.
How great?
The structure at 991 Lakeshore Road went for $535,000. It was described by a Beachway resident this way: “lot size…tiny…probably almost house foot print only…house is an absolute shack!! with no proper septic etc. Almost can’t live in it…it’s an absolute dump inside. When I say shack…I mean it.”
 All the property on Willow is now in the hands of the Regional government. Owning this part of the Beachway is critical to the long range park development plans – a new road is to be along this part of the park. The structure is one of four located on Willow Street, a very short street that runs off Lakeshore.
With prices like this being offered the owners of property in the Beachway will do what is best for them – just sit tight and watch the prices rise. Great for the property owners – brutal on the public purse.
 The house in the center is reported to have been sold for $405,000  The Regional government is in the process of changing the look and feel of the Beachway community – turning it into a park that will focus on the natural elements and make kit into something significantly different than what it is today. While the Regional real estate people pick off the homes one by one people in the Regional Planning department toil away at completing the design of the Beachway Park.
 This doesn’t look like a home that is being readied for sale to the Regional government who will eventually tear it down. Regional planners are working up a plan that will turn what was once a community that had its own newspaper and was home to hundreds of people. The plan for the park is a splendid piece of planning – but will it meet the longer terms needs of the city – and will it b a safe place?
Some of the properties in the Beachway were not much more than shacks that probably didn’t meet all the by laws. Other homes are lovely buildings carefully and lovingly maintained by their owners – and they don’t want to move.
 One of the nicest properties in the Beachway – but if the plans for the park are to be fully realized – this house can’t remain  Do homes like this have to be torn down? If the current Beachway park plans are to be realized the has has to go. There isn’t anyone thinking about changing the park plans – at this point. The Region however is run by elected officials – and plans do change but it is going to take a lot of political courage and leadership to make that happen. Some people are upgrading their homes. There will come a point where the wishes of the Region, solidly backed by the vast majority of Burlington city Councillors, will clash with the property owners. That;s many years away – but that day is coming.
By Staff
June 2nd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Municipalities across Ontario are asking the province to reform the Ontario Municipal Board, and severely limit its power over local planning decisions. More than 80 municipal councils have passed resolutions seeking OMB reform, including Toronto, Markham, Guelph, Newmarket, York Region, and Oakville.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward thinks the Ontario Municipal Board should be abolished – it was put in place years ago for good reasons – do those reasons no longer matter? Burlington is not one of them.
The resolution began in Aurora and asks the province to “limit the jurisdiction of the OMB to questions of law or process” and to “require the OMB to uphold any planning decisions of Municipal Councils unless they are contrary to the processes and rules set out in legislation.”
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward supports this kind of change
A resolution passed by Oakville council asks the province to: exclude the board from hearing appeals of applications for amendments to provincially approved official plans; require the OMB to show deference to the decisions of local councils subject only to the test of reasonableness; and require the board, as an appellate body, to implement the concept of precedent in its decisions.
The province has said it will look into OMB reform this year.
In May, Meed Ward joined over 100 municipal representatives (the only one from Burlington) at a Municipal Summit on OMB Reform. The consensus from the Summit was to request that the province forbid any appeals to the OMB of local Official Plans that have already been approved by the Province. This would dramatically reduce the number of appeals, save time and money, and free up time for the OMB to deal with other matters within its jurisdiction in a timely fashion.
 Councillor Jack Dennison appealed a Committee of Adjustment decision that went against his request to sever his property. The Ontario Municipal Board sided with Dennison and allowed him to sever. Another recommendation arising from the Summit was to remove appeals to the OMB for Committee of Adjustment decisions on minor variances, and instead direct local councils to create an appeal body or let the local city council be the final appeal body (which would be more time and cost effective).
These and other recommendations from the Summit will be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the province. A representative from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario attended the summit, and AMO will discuss OMB reform at its annual conference in August.
Meed Ward said she “whole heartedly supports reform, and wouldn’t miss the OMB if it were abolished.
The OMB has become, in effect, the local planning departments for municipalities, creating duplication of services, overriding decisions of locally elected councils by an unelected tribunal, and costing hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars to defend Official Plans that have already been approved by the province and conform to growth requirements. These costs, borne both by municipalities and the development industry, are built into taxes and into the cost of housing. OMB-driven municipal planning is expensive, wasteful, time-consuming and unaccountable, and must change.”
 The ADI development group is before the OMB not because they didn’t like the decision the city made but because the city did not make a decision within the required time frame. Meed Ward wants Burlington to join the call for a change and plans to introduce a moption at Council. When? She isn’t sure. “Hard to say anything about timing at this point. Would either be July or September.
Introducing this kind of motion in July just before the August break when a lot of people are away might not be the best time to go public with something like this.
Whichever, we will be hearing from Meed Ward on the role the Ontario Municipal Board should play in the affairs of the city in the not too distant future.
 By Staff
May 30th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Detectives from the Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault (CASA) Unit have charged a Burlington man, Joseph Robert Angel (25 years of age) in connection with two separate sexual assaults committed on May 24, 2016.
The two incidents took place at the Longo’s grocery store located at 1225 Fairview Street in Burlington between 8:45pm and 9:30pm.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Matt Cunnington at 905-825-4747 ext. 8978 or Detective Constable Alanda Prescod at 905-825-4747 ext. 8977 of the of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit, 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 Pepper Parr
June 1st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Not quite sure what this means but the Mayors of Burlington, Ontario and Apeldoorn, Holland signed an Expression of Interest today at Burlington City Hall to promote economic development opportunities between the two cities.
In a media release city hall said an Expression of Interest focuses on advancing potential partnerships in three specific areas, including:
• Clean technology sector development;
• Trade partnerships;
• an exchange program for post-secondary students.
The word that matters here is “potential” for that is about all we have seen in terms of new development in the city.
The Burlington Economic Development Corporation will lead discussions on behalf of the City of Burlington.
 Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring “expressing an interest” in each other Mayor Goldring said: “Based on conversations during our visit to Apeldoorn last spring, as well as meetings this week, we have agreed on three specific areas of opportunity we are looking to pursue. Apeldoorn is a natural economic partner due to our twinning agreement, as well as its prominent clean technology sector as it relates to Burlington’s Community Energy Plan.”
The Mayor went on to say that: “Today’s signing furthers the twinning agreement established between the cities of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands and Burlington, Canada on May 6, 2005. The twinning agreement states that the cities will explore economic development and new business opportunities.”
And that is about all the two cities have been able to do “explore”.
“Apeldoorn is interested in furthering business with Burlington,” said Mayor John Berends. “Several of our companies are interested in Canadian partnerships, especially in a city like Burlington where we have already established a good working relationship.”
There has been some relationship development between Apeldoorn and Burlington but just at a mid-management staff level. Rob Peachey, Manager Parks & Open Space in the Capital Works Department, was part of the delegation that went to Holland to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland and he said at that time that he expected to exchange ideas and processes with his peers in Holland, particularly as it related to parks and recreation.
Holland is a country where bicycles are a large part of the movement of people. Burlington is still struggling to get to the point where bicycles are more than a form of weekend recreation.
 The Economic Development Corporation shows land that is vacant and for sale. New Regional Court House is to be built on part of the property. Burlington’s Economic Development Corporation hasn’t had much in the way of real economic development to report on – they list future conferences on their web site and, we stand to be corrected, but there hasn’t been a new business of any size or significance brought to the city since the BEDC was reorganized and new management out in place.
Fresh Insights Consulting was created to do some market research for the local business community by MBA students from McMaster University and that operation appears to percolate nicely.
If the objectives and targets in the much touted Strategic Plan are to be met there is going to have to be something significant happen in the next 25 years, which is the length of the dream contained in that document.
Both the Economic Development Corporation and the city’s Strategic Plan appear to be pretty well reflected in the image on the BEC web site – lots of colour but pretty confusing looking.
 Image on the Economic Development corporation web site, while colourful, is confusing – reflecting that state of economic development in the city. Has there been any? The development taking place in Burlington is residential – with million dollar condos on Lakeshore Road and small residential on Fairview next to the GO station – plus the ADI development on Dundas and Sutton.
The ADI development on Lakeshore and Martha street is still being actively marketed and still working to get through the Ontario Municipal Board hearing that is due to come up for air sometime in June.
Hard to see where those high-tech, high paying jobs are going to come from – if they do arrive – there should be a places for people to live.
 By Staff
May 31st, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
On Sunday June 5, 2016 Appleby Line will be closed from Fairview to New Street from noon to 6 p.m. for the “Appleby Line Street Festival” affecting detours on routes 4, 10 and 20.
Bus stops within the road closure area will be bagged. For service, please proceed to the Appleby GO station or bus stops along New Street.
By Staff
May 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
On Friday, June 10, 2016, students from the Halton District School Board will participate in the 29th annual Special Athletes’ Track Meet at Craig Kielburger Secondary School, 1151 Ferguson Drive, Milton. The track meet for athletes with physical and developmental challenges will take place from 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
 When the event initially began, 29 years ago, there were only 12 special athletes participating. Coaches, school staff and home school peers, friends, family members and volunteers provided support and encouragement for the athletes. This year, more than 300 special athletes are expected to participate – a remarkable increase in participation during the event’s 29-year history.
The Special Athletes’ events will include 50m/100m/400m races, softball throw, slalom – wheelchair or ambulatory (non-wheelchair), long jump – wheelchair (independent) or ambulatory, precision throw beanbag, precision Bocce, T-ball, traditional Bocce and Frisbee.
This event provides Special Athletes with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and celebrate their successes with fellow students, friends and family.
 The Optimists Clubs of Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville and Burlington will once again be donating and serving hot dogs, hamburgers, cold drinks, and freezies at the meet.
 By Pepper Parr
May 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be decades before people fully realize and appreciate what the planting of trees BurlingtonGreen has been doing along the Beachway.
 Plants that are known to grow in the sandy soil that make up much of the Beachway are carefully placed and then nurtured by Burlington Green volunteers. The soil is very sandy, and it shifts and because no one has been looking after the land all kinds of invasive species have settled in and gone wild.
The invasive plants often choke out the plants that should be growing in that part of the city.
Beachway has gone through a number of evolutions – it was the part of the city where Joseph Brant started building his house in 1789 and in 1803 he moved into the house which was described “commodious”. Aboriginals camped in the area. In the late 1800’s there was a pretty well defined community along that part of the lake.
It was seen as a very tony part of town. At one point there was a vibrant community with more than 200 families living in the areas.
They had their own stores and Lakeshore Road was once the way to get across the canal.
The old Grand Trunk Railway had a single line into the city – that got doubled when the amount of produce that was exported from the Vineland area and Burlington required more in the way of rail capacity.
The Freeman Station that a group of citizens work tirelessly to ensure was not cut up for kindling, is a vital part of the Beachway story.
That the station isn’t within the actual Beachway is unfortunate but at least saved from the wrecking ball.
 Grasses and shrubs that are invasive and crowd out plants that should be in the soil. The red markers define areas that are to be cleared. The Beachway is now going to begin a new phase and be developed as a large park that is being designed by the Regional government. The intention is to eventually remove all the homes left in the Beachway – 25 at this point.
The design appears to have reasonable public acceptance but the removal of the houses is still very controversial and we certainly haven’t heard the last of that argument.
 Carefully potted.  Gloria Reid pulls invasive plants. Burlington Green focuses on ripping out all the invasive stuff they can find and planting trees that will keep the soil in place. The work done for the past three years is beginning to show results.
Each year they use a half day when 100 volunteers show up to pull the unwanted plants and patiently plant new ones.
The trees going in are white oak, bur oak and trembling aspen: 125 were planted this year. Chokecherry and heart leaved willow shrubs were planted along with five different kinds of grasses.
It is hard but satisfying work – and in the years to come it will have been well worth the effort.
By Staff
May 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
On Saturday June 4, 2016 Brant Street will be closed from James Street to Caroline Street from 4 – 11 p.m. for the “Moon in June” road race. Routes 3 and 5 will be detoured.
For access to stops serving these routes, please proceed to the John Street Bus Terminal or Brant Street north of Caroline Street.
 By Pepper Parr
May 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It wasn’t hard to see this one coming.
At a Sustainable Committee tour of Spencer Smith Park a few weeks ago, quiet mention was made of some problems with the giant willow trees next to the Gazebo close to the foot of Brant Street.
Now comes the announcement that the trees are beyond saving and are going to be cut down.
 They lasted 70 years. Willows to be cut down.
The city announce earlier today that: “Two weeping willow trees near the gazebo in Spencer Smith Park will be removed starting June 7 to ensure public safety in the waterfront park.
The city’s arborists found significant rotting and areas of decay in the trees during a recent investigation. The city will bring tree removal equipment into the park on June 7 to remove most of the two trees. The trees’ eight-foot-high (2.4-metre-high) stumps will be removed after the Sound of Music Festival, which runs from June 16 to 19.
“The trees are beyond saving, unfortunately,” said Mary Battaglia, director of Roads and Parks Maintenance. “The trees need to be removed to ensure branches and limbs do not come down and cause injury.”
The two trees were from clippings transplanted in the 1950s by Spencer Smith, a local entrepreneur and long-time member of the Burlington Horticultural Society.
“The city recognizes the significance of the trees to the community, and to the park’s heritage,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “I think we can be grateful that the trees have served us so well over the years.”
 Spencer Smith, the man our lakeside park is named after, planted the willow trees 70 years ago. The city will keep 70 clippings of the willow trees for rooting and replanting, one for each year of the trees’ lives. The healthy portions at the base of the trees will be kept for future art or woodworking opportunities.
“I am very sad that we are losing these willow trees that have framed so many memories in Spencer Smith Park. I am pleased we will take cuttings and are exploring ways to repurpose the wood to preserve the legacy of these trees planted from cuttings by Spencer Smith,” said Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. “I invite everyone to join me for a goodbye ceremony to share our collective memories.”
Councillor Meed Ward will host a ceremony on Monday, June 6 at 7 p.m. near the gazebo in the east side of the park. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
Who was Spencer Smith?
By Staff
May 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
GIS mapping at Burlington city hall will be unavailable on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The service and the system will be down for maintenance.
By Pepper Parr
May 30th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
In a daily newspaper report Halton District school board chair Kelly Amos said she was only made aware of the report on Friday (May 27th) that was going to debate a significant shifts in the way French Immersion is managed within Halton schools.
Stewart Miller, Director of Education has been faced with a task that apparently cannot be resolved – it has to do with the number of students wanting to be enrolled in the French immersion program and the number of qualified French teachers that are very difficult to find.
 Stewart Miller – Director of Education Halton District School Board Add to those two problems the difficult this has with class sizes in some schools. Miller said several months ago that he found himself faced with situations where there were less than ten students in a regular class (a non-French immersion class) which from a teacher student ratio just wasn’t something he could afford to do.
Staff worked up a report and set out a series of motions that were published in the agenda for the boards June 1st meeting.
The Board created a Program Viability Committee (PVC) that has been in existence for just over a year to review both English and French program viability in HDSB elementary schools. Considerable stakeholder consultation was done and feedback was brought to the PVC for review, analysis and recommendations.
After careful analysis of the feedback provided, the PVC identified a number of options. The one they are recommending will provide an additional year for parents to understand their child as a learner prior to making a decision to enter French Immersion, it provides a relatively early entry point as preferred by stakeholders and provides for a greater intensity in the first two years of the program which supports French language acquisition. The recommended model also requires few if any additional boundary reviews, maintains our current dual and single track school configurations and as such will provide for a simpler and less disruptive implementation plan and transition to the new model.
The Gazette has not had an opportunity to study the report that trustees received on Friday. We are providing the outline that was published without any comment or analysis.
Be it resolved that effective in the 2014-15 school year, the Halton District School Board introduce 40 minutes/week of Primary Core French beginning in Grade 1 in 24 Halton District School Board schools, with a commitment for a full roll-out by 2017-18, with an annual review of the roll-out to be brought back to trustees each year, and;
(a) THAT schools selected for the initial phase of this program represent a variety of school organizations
(K-8, K-6, Dual Track, Single Track English, large and small enrolments) across the four geographic areas within the Halton District School Board, (Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville, Burlington).
(b) THAT students in these schools will receive the following minutes of Core French instruction between Grades 1- 8:
40 minutes / week Grades 1-3
120 minutes / week Grades 4
160 minutes/ week Grade 5
200 minutes / week Grades 6-7-8 (Appendix 5)
(c) THAT no later than June 2018, the Halton District School Board will assess the impact of this Primary Core French experience in relation to student engagement, student attitude, English proficiency and the impact on Grade 1 French Immersion uptake associated with these schools.
 (d) THAT under the leadership of the System Principal for French Second Language, School Programs and Human Resources, the Halton District School Board will develop a long-term recruitment and staff development plan to ensure the Halton District School Board hires and retains the highest quality French teachers available and that this plan is shared with the Board of Trustees.
(e) THAT the Halton District School Board continues to provide staff development programs that include teaching strategies, modifications and accommodations to address students with diverse learning needs and students who arrive in Halton without prior experiences in either French Immersion and Core French.
(f) THAT the Halton District School Board develop and implement a 5-year plan whereby all Halton District School Board elementary schools with Intermediate Divisions have one classroom dedicated for the teaching of Grade 7-8 Core French whereas if it will not require additional portables.
Be it resolved that effective in the 2014-2015 school year, wherein a triple grade configuration has been possible (due to 23 or fewer students enrolled in three consecutive grades), the School Superintendent will assess the impact on the learning environment and opportunities for students and will consider and recommend for Board approval one of the following strategies;
staff as a Grade 1-2 blended class;
staff as a Grade 1-2-3 blended class;
redirect the Grade 1 students to a neighbouring school for their program and;
Wherein a triple grade configuration has been possible (due to 23 or fewer students enrolled in three consecutive grades for two consecutive years) the School Superintendent will consider and may recommend for Board approval a boundary review.
Be it resolved that effective in the 2014-2015 school year the Halton District School Board:
a) establish and communicate a consistent Grade 1 French Immersion February registration deadline for current Halton District School Board families, with a review of the effects of this procedure be undertaken by September 2014.
b) allow students who have not been in Senior Kindergarten within the Halton District School Board, register in Grade 1 French Immersion up to the first week of school.
c) communicate and implement the assessment and admission procedure for students with French proficiency arriving in Halton after the registration deadline.
d) All elementary schools that offer Grade 1 programming must host a Grade 1 Information Evening that includes information about English program, French Immersion program and Special Education placements. If the home school does not offer French Immersion, the school their students would be directed to for French Immersion cannot host their Grade 1 Information Evening at the same time. The Special Education presentation is to be scripted by the Board’s Special Education department, to include a description of all elementary Special Education placements.
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board present the following options for the delivery of French Immersion to the public in the Fall of 2015 for the purpose of receiving feedback, considerations and comments. Feedback will be brought to the Board for consideration in the delivery of French Immersion programming:
1. Option 1: Grade 1 (early) French immersion remains a 50% French 50% English delivery model, but entry to FI would be capped. The method of capping would be determined at a later date.
2. Option 2: Grade 1 (early) French Immersion remains at 50% French and 50% English, however all FI programs would be delivered in single track FI schools. French Immersion would be phased out of dual track schools and no new dual track schools would be considered. The location of the single track schools would be determined at a later date.
3. Option 3: French Immersion would commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This would result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI would occur in dual track schools only.
4. Option 4: French Immersion would commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This would result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least an 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI would occur in single track FI schools only.
The Halton district school board has approximately 63,000 students in 86 elementary and 18 secondary schools. This enrolment projection results in an overall increase of 1.5% as compared to the 2015/2016 school year.
 Board chair Kelly Amos expressed some disappointment at the short amount of time trustees have been given to review the recommendations and discuss concerns with their constituents. The trustees had less than five days to review a complex document. What the board appears to be suggesting is that the roll out of French Immersion classes be cut back to create some time for parents to think about just what it is they want to do and then allow the board the time it needs to make it all happen.
It is messy – but there is some progress.
Stewart and the trustees that direct him have their hands full. It may not be that quiet a summer on the education front.
The Board will vote on this recommendation on June 15th. The board expects there to be a number of delegations – there will be a special delegation night on June 13.
By Staff
May 29, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Maybe they took a taxi home or perhaps the police took them to the local station and booked them for their offences. Whichever, two very expensive cars are sitting in the police pound where they will remain for the next seven days.
 A Lamborghini Huracan valued by police at approximately $230,000.00 was impounded for seven days after being clocked at 135 kmh in a 60 kmh zone On May 29th 2016 at approximately 4:00 pm, a Lamborghini Huracan valued at approximately $230,000.00 and a McLaren Spider valued at approximately $260,000.00 were stopped by Police at Guelph Line and Colling Road in Burlington after HRPS #3 District Response Unit measured their speed at 135 km/hr in a posted 60 km/hr zone.
 A McLaren Spider, stunt driving with the Lamborghini was estimated to cost $230,000 it also sits in the police pound for seven days. The exotic cars were impounded for seven days and the drivers’ charged with stunt driving.
The police media report did not release any names. They did say: “If you observe a vehicle being operated in a manner which places you or anyone else in danger, please call 911 for an immediate police response.”
 Police loading $230,000 worth of car onto a flatbed truck to be taken to the police pound and held for seven days. Owner charged with stunt driving. Someone obviously made such a call.
 By Pepper Parr
May 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The annual Art Sale raises a lot of money. As an event is draws a piece of work from Robert Bateman – he has donated a piece of his art every year for the past 38 years.
What do they do with the funds raised?
Plenty!
In 2015..
 There was a time when art was taught in schools – not any more. If a child is to get an art education and the sense o accomplishment that goes with it – they head for the art gallery. 2,751 school’s children’s horizons were expanded
1,374 participants in course found fulfillment during 24,108 participant hours
1,383 participants delighted in art through outreach to 86 community groups
94,837 life enhancing excursions in the sanctuary of art and culture
Over 400 artists contribute to the culture of our community, while making their own dreams come true.
Important initiatives:
School outreach programs, affordable art classes and camps, art therapy for seniors with dementia and children/adults with developmental disorders
Over 20 regional, national and international exhibitions a year, as well as the world’s largest collection of Canadian contemporary ceramics.
 Former Member of Parliament Mike Wallace on a tour of the kilns at the art gallery. Add to that the Annual Soup bowl event.
And of course the Art Gallery is home to the Guilds that were the reason the place came into being. There are over 300 volunteers in a building that has had pieces added to it over time – it is quite easy to get a little lost.
 Johnathan Smith, curator of the permanent ceramics collection watches artist Peter Powning making clay impressions of artifacts. The Art Galley was the place Peter Powning took clay impressions of objects brought in by citizen that were later cast in bronze and placed on the spiral Stella that stands outside the Performing Arts Centre
The gallery is open seven days a week – and there is no admission.
The city provides just under $1 million as a grant to the Art Gallery each year.
By Staff
May 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
If you’re Dutch – you already know about this event.
 Lead piper of the Dutch 48th Highlanders who will perform a concert in Civic Square May 31st at 11:30 am. If you like the sound of bagpipes and military style events – you will want to know about it.
Burlington’s Mundialization Committee will host a delegation from Burlington’s twin city, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands from May 29 to 31.
 Mayor Rick Goldring in Holland with Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends during the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Holland. The delegation includes the 48th Highlanders of Holland, Pipes and Drums, who will perform a special concert for Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends and Burlington Mayor Goldring during the farewell reception on Tuesday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m. in Civic Square.
By Staff
May 27th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police have arrested a 24-year-old male in connection with child luring and child pornography offences.
David Kron, of Thornhill, has been charged with three counts of child luring, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography. The victims in this matter are 12-14 years of age.
 Snapchat is a mobile app that allows users to send and receive “self-destructing” photos and videos. Photos and videos taken with the app are called Snaps. Snapchat uses the device’s camera to capture Snaps and Wi-fi technology to send them. Investigators say they believe the man was communicating with children online via Snapchat, using the name: myles.erlick. Myles Erlick is a former Burlington resident and a well-known performer. Mr. Erlick has been contacted and is in no way affiliated to this account.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Todd Martin of the Halton Regional Police Service Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE). He can be reached at (905)825-4747 extension 8983.
Snapchat is a mobile app that allows users to send and receive “self-destructing” photos and videos. Photos and videos taken with the app are called Snaps. Snapchat uses the device’s camera to capture Snaps and Wi-fi technology to send them.
By Staff
May 27, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Aldershot Arena has now reopened for scheduled rentals and programs.
The arena was closed on April 22 to allow for electrical system replacement following a transformer issue.
 By Ray Rivers
May 27th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
 A significant document that few have actually read. CBC and National Post political contributor Rex Murphy rants that Ontario Premier Wynne’s climate change strategy is her own version of LEAP. He is referring to the LEAP Manifesto shepherded by author and political activist Naomi Klein and best-friend film maker Avis Lewis. The document came out last year during the federal election, and was presented at the NDP convention earlier this year. It is a strategic document, laying out long term goals for achieving a more harmonious, equitable, and environmentally friendly Canada in the age of global warming.
 Rex Murphy – National Post columnist – CBC on air personality. Rex Murphy apparently considers those goals the equivalent of leaping into hell, as he accounts that, in his view, it would be political and economic suicide to stop using fossil fuels. One wonders if he had actually read the LEAP document as he spreads his hyperbolic poison over a topic he clearly doesn’t understand, and for an issue which he is clearly out of touch with the majority of Canadians. And he is not alone, as Globe and Mail contributors Margaret Wente and Jeffrey Simpson also felt the need to jump into the fray.
But at least Simpson has focused his comment, and legitimately challenges the complexity of the emission trading aspect, rather than criticizing the end goal itself. He gets it – that we need to do more. But because something is complex doesn’t make it unmanageable or bad. It is not clear that Simpson understands what a cap and trade program is, preferring to characterize it as something conjured up by an overzealous environment minister, Glen Murray, and using that as an ad hominem to help discredit the provincial strategy.
Cap and trade, or more generally emissions trading, was first conceived at the University of Toronto by an economist in 1968. Professor John Dales was looking for a way to reduce pollution by making it more expensive for polluters without penalizing the rest of society – an equitable approach to curbing pollution based on economic incentives. And more complexity is required if one is to internalize the unintended effects of human activities into the costs of production, thus making polluting activities relatively more costly.
 Gas fired power station at sunset. In the case of greenhouse gas reduction, as in Ontario’s plan, it is an implicit carbon tax. But unlike the explicit carbon taxes B.C. and Quebec have in place, emissions trading is business-friendly, allowing more emission-efficient enterprises the added incentive of selling carbon credits to those who aren’t – incentivizing as well as taxing.
That explains why the business community largely favours emissions trading over a universal tax, like B.C.’s carbon tax. And that is why this approach can also inadvertently result in an overachievement of its goals, as when the US government phased-out lead from gasoline years ahead of schedule in the 1970’s, one of the first applications of emissions trading.
Since then, cap and trade applied to sulphur emissions from coal power plants led to another remarkable overachievement of US based acid rain emission reductions in the 1990’s. The European Union, Japan and Australia have all used emissions trading in tackling carbon emissions. The 1997 Kyoto protocol, which failed when the US pulled out in 2000, had emissions trading as an inherent tenet of its design.
Although the log jam on Capital Hill has hindered the US from implementing a truly national carbon cap and trade program, some states have moved ahead. The Western Climate Initiative, started in 2007, is one such carbon trading regime which also includes Quebec, B.C., Manitoba and Ontario. And Ontario’s program will ultimately be integrated with that of the other Canadian provinces as well as California and other US states – so we’d better get used to this level of complexity.
And Simpson is wrong about this being something Murray just conjured up. Ontario has been working on emissions trading for decades, and with the blessing of all three political governments over that time. The provincial government supported an early voluntary trading program in the 90’s and developed its own mandatory allowance trading program in 2002 to reduce emissions from coal and gas power plants.
 Exhaust emissions from automobiles are close to the worst polluters. In fact just about all of the provinces and the federal government have been looking at emissions trading systems similar, in some way to what Ontario is implementing as part of a climate change strategy. Alberta had implemented a more limited trading program well before the NDP swept into power last year, and they no doubt will be looking to Ontario’s experience as they enhance their efforts. Indeed Ontario and Alberta have just announced a new clean technology initiative for climate change, a corollary to this discussion.
Alberta, home to Canada’s fossil fuel industry is also home to those other fossils, the dinosaurs. One dominant theory is that these marvellous creatures were the victims of another period of climate change some 65 million years ago. But unlike our modern-day dinosaurs, who should understand that the climate change affecting us today is of our own doing, those dino’s likely couldn’t and didn’t do anything about it. We do know how to start fixing this – it’s right there Rex – in that Leap Manifesto.
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:
Rex on Leap – Rex Murphy on Ontario – Ontario’s CC Strategy – LEAP –
Cap and Trade – Fort McMurray and Climate – Wente – Simpson on Cap and Trade –
Western Climate Initiative – Alberta and Ontario – Dinosaurs –
By Staff
May 27th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
The pests will be back soon – mosquitos.
That bite is a quite a bit bigger than most people realize.
As part of its commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of residents through public education and preventative programs, Halton Region has begun its annual larviciding program to reduce the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) in the community. This program is implemented in public property locations across Halton Region.
 This is how the West Nile virus gets transmitted. Larviciding is the process of applying pesticides to objects such as catch basins, where mosquito larvae have been found. Larvicide is applied when other attempts at reducing mosquito breeding sites haven’t worked to minimize the risk of West Nile virus and is usually applied either in catch basins or in large bodies of standing water on public property. This preventative program reduces the adult mosquito population, helping to stop mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus that are often found in standing water.
“West Nile virus continues to be a concern in communities across Canada which is why Halton Region remains committed to monitoring and implementing programs to prevent and protect residents against this disease,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.
“By working together with the community, we will continue to reduce the risk of West Nile virus and keep our community safe and healthy.”
“Larviciding is just one part of our West Nile virus prevention program which includes public education, monitoring and surveillance, eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites and larviciding,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “By eliminating standing water sites and by covering up outside at dusk and dawn and applying DEET or lcaridin, we can reduce the occurrence of West Nile virus in our communities.”
Halton residents can help reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes by removing objects that may hold water, such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys and tires. If residents see standing water on public property, they can report it to Halton Region by emailing accesshalton@halton.ca or dialing 311.
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. 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.
A map showing the locations of standing water sites on public property where larvicide is applied is available at halton.ca/wnv. For more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv or dial 311.
 By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The line of the song went – “There are 99 bottles of beer on the wall” – the thinkers over at the Art Gallery Burlington took that line and applied it to the low priced art they sell each year at their annual art sale.
 AGB president Robert Steven looks on anxiously as art is placed in the walls of the Lee Chin room. The 99 theme has been adapted to describe the 99 pieces of art that are being sold for $250 during the sale.
Installers were measuring and putting up the pieces in a corner of the Lee Chin Room which at this point is bare – and very empty with art stacked in the corners awaiting their time on the wall.
 The sale of low cost art (there is nothing down market – no Elvis on Velvet) begins on the 29th. At 3:00 pm on the 29th Permanent Collection Curator, Jonathan Smith, will be hosting a talk in the Fireside Lounge on How to Start a Collection.
Smith is a delight to listen to – he has one of those minds that soaks it all up and forgets little. Feel free to ask him anything. He won’t say he will get back to you – he will know.
Learn art collection tips from the master, then head back into the Lee-Chin Gallery to start buying artwork!
 The Bateman piece that will be sold at the 38th annual AGB art sale. The Bateman that will be on sale this year is one of his more traditional pieces – a really fine piece of work. Robert Bateman is reported to have donated an original piece of art every year of the 38th year event.
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