Late in April Jennifer Soukup writes the Mayor. She is unhappy with what the bylaw enforcement people are doing to her.
Jennifer Soukup expects city hall to do something about the sign bylaw – she went to the very top expecting help. His Worship doesn’t have her vote yet.
Jennifer operates Boston Fish and Chips, located on Guelph Line just a bi south of Dundas. She has been there for more than six years and has a consistent walk in trade – regulars that come in because they like the prices and the service. Jennifer is chatty and remembers her customers.
Mr. Rick Goldring-
I have owned a small fish and chip shop in the Guelph line and Dundas street area for the past six and a half years. I use a sign that’s small to attract traffic. Subway has recently moved into our plaza and puts a flag out as well; and also a beauty parlour. While I was away I had the by law officer take my sign and give it to one of my girls saying the city doesn’t want there to be signs out because it looks messy. That we are able to rent signs for 45 days a year. (Three two week periods a year). What about the other 325 days? How is that acceptable?
I depend on that sign. I hire people from the community to work at my restaurant. It’s shocking to me that we have to pay to advertise for only three two week periods. A magnet sign costs three hundred dollars for 2 weeks. Ask Al at Magnet signs. His phone number is 905.332.5291. To advertise in the Burlington post is almost 800 dollars for a half page ad one advertisement. The city allows all of the franchises to advertise. Drive down Guelph line and upper middle and there’s a huge billboard for McDonald’s. All of the traffic in the summer is directed to every weekend down by the lake, billboards up for sound of music, lobster and beer fest all hung around the MM robinson school fences. So tell me how is this fair? I work ten to twelve hours a day, I pay my taxes, my business permit, and I volunteer, I help the Ronald mc Donald charity in Hamilton by doing food drives and give back to other local charities. Why am I not allowed the same as all the other franchises? It’s extremely unfair. You don’t want it to look messy huh? Well I think all the attention put towards the downtown core and “the community” looks messy. It’s a garbage excuse that’s what it is. The by law officer, even said he feels bad because he has to sit in his truck all day and take signs away from people who work really hard.
I don’t know how many more hours you’d like me to work to be able to pay for all the advertising you’d like us to be able to afford, but your suggestions are welcomed. Perhaps 24 hours a day would be good enough, I am not quite sure.
Gator Ted’s just opened a new bar and they’ve had a huge billboard up for about 4 months advertising their new restaurant Barra Fion. No one has said anything to them. Fion McCools on Appleby and upper middle has billboards out and no one says anything to them either. The list is endless and perhaps one day when all the small businesses aren’t around anymore, you can sit and reflect on why. I understand that rules are rules, but sometimes they need to be changed. Small businesses make up a lot of Burlington, and I see fewer and fewer each day. Makes me sad to work in a community where no one stands up for small businesses and signs look messy. What sort of a community are we? -Jennifer Soukup.
On May 2, 2016, at 4:23 PM, His Worship responds:
I appreciate you taking time to write and share your concerns regarding signage to promote your business. It is my understanding that somebody from our by-law enforcement staff has connected with you and provided reasonable signage suggestions to you. Could you please advise me where you are with your specific concerns? Are you comfortable with the discussion you have had with city staff?
At 7:31 PM the same day Jennifer Soukup responds – they are now on a first name basis:
A smile comes with those Fish and Chips.
Hi Rick-
Thanks for writing me.
My concerns are as follows:
I’m in a plaza on Guelph line and Dundas, pretty far from the street. People drive past but don’t really see me.
I’ve been putting my sign out for the last 6.5 years that I’ve owned Boston and no one has said boo to me.
Then subway moves in and gets their sign taken away from them, so they call on another company. While that other company is getting their sign taken away mine has to as well. (He can’t just leave mine).
I spoke with the by law officer and he totally understands why I’m upset.
I started my business when I was 24, and I’ve worked really long and hard to have it. Now that my sign isn’t out there it’s not as busy. That sign is a little reminder to people that I’m here. A hello! Eat fish and chips!
My other concerns are: why is the entire downtown core allowed to have sandwich signs but we are not. Why are there banners spread around the city stating lobster fest/Ribfest etc and I can’t have one measly sign out. The bylaw officer explained to me that you make special provisions for the businesses downtown and the festivals to have signs. Why? Why are they allowed but I’m not. Who cares who has signs out. More people coming into my plaza means more possible business for me. 3 people coming to subway, maybe one person would like fries etc, etc.
The bi law officer said its complaint based only, so that means they only come if someone complains. He stated I’m allowed to have a flag and gave me the measurements etc. So I ordered one. However my landlords are not okay with me having one, so total waste of money.
My landlords are totally cool with me having a sign. They are super nice people. It’s the city that takes it. It’s even on our side of the sidewalk. I am just really frustrated with this situation in its entirety, I work so hard to do what I do.
If you drive down Appleby and Dundas street or the longos plaza on walkers, everyone has a sandwich sign. So I asked the by law officer, and he said well there are only 5 of us in the whole city.
The point of the matter is- we should all be able to have them. Or we should all not be allowed to have them. The end. No exceptions.
You can change this as well. Allow everyone to have them, or stop the bylaw officers from driving up Guelph line, as they don’t seem to drive up any other street towards Dundas.
Please please please change your provisions.
I’m trying to keep a good thing going, something that I love. I’m not trying to bother anyone; just do what I do and mind my own business. I want to be successful and that sign really helps me.
I’ll even throw in some fish and chips!
Many thanks,
His Worship gets back to Jennifer at 9:09:13 PM the same day with:
Hi Jennifer,
I will be meeting with staff and I will get back to you.
The Mayor does get back to Jennifer, he visits the shop, pops in but doesn’t take her up on the free lunch. “He stayed three minutes” said Jennifer.
So far – nothing from city hall – maybe they need more time – that’s reasonable. We will watch to see how this turns out.
Question? Where was the ward Councillor in all this?
Our interest in this situation is this – I am one of those consistent drop in for a good meal customers – she has a really neat collection of root bear soft drinks and the food portions are more than decent. We did a small article on the shop a while back – and we paid for our meal. The Boston Fish and Chip shop is one of those places that is just plain nice to go to.
We were driving north to take some pictures of a barn that is being rehabilitated for a beef operation and wanted to see how it was progressing. Lunch time and we hung a hard left at Driftwood and settled in for a good lunch and a chance to finish the Globe & Mail – when Jennifer pops out of the kitchen to tell of her visit from the Mayor.
For those who survived phase 1 of the New Street construction project – feel some compassion for the people who live within the phase 2 boundary.
Local traffic has to bob and weave to get through New Street – phase 2 starts on Monday.
Gary Carr, Regional Chair, owes everyone near the New street Guelph Line part of the city at least one car wash. The dust is terrible – progress they say.
Mayor Goldring was once heard to say that New Street is the one he drives along most frequently – hopefully he shares our pain.
Phase 2 of the construction project begins May 9, 2016 affecting detours on Burlington Transit routes: 4, 10, 50, 52, 300, 301 and 302.
Route 4 and the Community Connection Routes: 300, 301 and 302 will not have access to the bus stop on Teen Tour Way during this time.
The New Street construction project is scheduled until September 2016.
During this time, Burlington Transit has had to re-route and provide new schedules for Routes 10, 11 and 20 to allow for connections at the Appleby GO Station.
Route 10 no longer becomes Route 20 at the Appleby GO Station which means a transfer is needed when going between Routes 10 and 20. The new Route 20 schedule has increased to every 15 minutes.
PAYBYPL8 – means you need to know your license number to use the new parking meters. And you will be able to pay with your credit card AND merchants will be able to pay for your parking if they want your business. Things are getting better.
Ideally the city will hood the old parking meters on Monday and explain to people that the new parking meters are where your money should go.
It will take a few tries to get the hang of the things – they are different – the biggest difference is that you will need to know the license number of the car you are parking.
Let us say that again – YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER FOR THE CAR YOU ARE PARKING.
Does anyone remember why the Harper government decided to cancel the long form census in 2011 and replace it with a voluntary survey? It wasn’t to save money because, when adjusted for inflation, the 2011 census exercise cost more than its predecessor, the 2006 census. It wasn’t, as they argued at the time, about privacy. There had been no cases or serious complaints about census questions violating our rights to privacy. The Supreme Court had not charged the government to change how and what data it collects.
The law requires everyone to fill in the census form sent to them.
And it wasn’t to improve the quality or degree of information gathered. That is the information used by governments to influence a wide range of policy and program decisions, as well as the many private companies and organizations who had complained of the changes at the time. And those complaints were warranted, given the general conclusion that the 2011 census was largely a wasted exercise.
Doesn’t conservative have something to do with retaining tradition, and what could be more traditional and time honoured than establishing accurate census information. The first stock-taking in our nation’s history, in fact in North America, goes back to the one undertaken by the New France Intendant, Jean Talon, in 1666. As the Canadian colonies came together to form our nation, section 8 of the British North America Act required a ten-yearly census to be undertaken. So in 1871 the new confederation of four provinces conducted its first national census.
Reproduction of the cover page from what is seen as the first census – the Domsday Book.
The 1086 Domsday Book is heralded as the first census, though there are biblical era references to surveys conducted well before that time. Still, William the Conqueror’s effort to establish his rightful tax base and various property holdings across Great Britain holds its place in history and was only replicated some eight centuries later, in 1873, through the so-called Modern Domsday Book. The title itself had little to do with doom or disaster, but rather was a derivation of the old English word “doom” meaning law or judgement.
It may have been ‘Tea Party’ Ideology, a disdain for science and knowledge, or just a bone-headed mistake. One can only speculate as to why the former PM was so determined to fix something which wasn’t broken, in fact had been working well and serving us well.
Census map with population data
So one of the early actions of the new Liberal government was to give Statistics Canada the right to return to traditional data gathering with the 2016 census.
And Canadians have responded overwhelmingly, in fact overloading and crashing the census website with their enthusiasm, and their determination to be counted.
I received both the long and short form, went on line, and had them each completed on-line in a matter of a few minutes. And, as I recorded my confirmation number I couldn’t help asking myself – what was all the fuss about?
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party.
What started out as “unforeseen maintenance” issue has grown into a full blown electrical upgrade that is going to shutter the Aldershot Arena until the week of May 31 as the city replaces the electrical system on site following a transformer issue.
The power was shut off on April 22 in response to a problem with a transformer that supplies Aldershot Arena. The replacement of that hydro transformer means the city needed to upgrade its electrical service to meet Burlington Hydro’s current standard.
Parks and Recreation has temporarily moved its programs, including ball hockey, lacrosse and the No Socks for Ivan program, to other sites until the arena reopens.
“We are doing our best to make sure that all activities, including lacrosse, ball hockey and the No Socks for Ivan youth drop-in, have space in other arenas or buildings,” said Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation.
“We are informing people who need to know, and we want to thank everyone for their patience as we manage this temporary closure.”
Successful Commercial Motor vehicle blitz By Staff
May 4, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Over the course of a two day period a joint commercial motor vehicle blitz was conducted in partnership with the Halton Regional Police Service (20 and 30 Division District Response Team), Peel Regional Police Service, Guelph Police Service and the Ministry of Transportation Ontario.
Police officer doing a safety check on a truck.
The May 2nd and 3rd blitz received an overwhelming success, 91 trucks were inspected resulting in 187 charges being issued with 53 commercial vehicles being removed from the roadway for unsafe violations. 2 drivers were suspended and 5 licence plates were removed. In one circumstance officers prevented a possible critical situation when they identified one commercial vehicle that had all its lug nuts loose permitting its tire to come unfastened.
These are astounding numbers – more than half the trucks inspected were taken off the road – one had wheels that were close to falling off!
As describe by Sergeant Bistas of the Oakville DRT Team, “taking these trucks with major defects off the road makes our community a safer place to drive”.
Tougher decisions and higher fines are in order here. We share the roads with those trucks.
If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern in Burlington or Oakville they can do so by calling (905) 878 5511 or visiting our website and submitting an online traffic complaint at https://www.haltonpolice.ca/services/reporting/trafficcomplaints.php
Hoosgow: a correctionalinstitutionused to detainpersonswhoare in thelawfulcustody of thegovernment
I think most of the people who attended John Taylor’s constituency meeting at the Conservation Authority office on Britannia Road Monday evening expected to get a really clear explanation as to why the city decided not to go forward with the Mt Nemo study that started back in 2013.
There was an explanation – sort of. A combination of the things the study didn’t have going for it and the amount of money it was going to require (that is more speculation than fact – no one was able to say during the meeting just how much had been spent).
Director of Planning Mary Lou Tanner – joined the city six months ago.
The explanations – three city staff people took a crack at it – was that they were going to go back to all the feedback that came from the Rural Summit in 2013. That event certainly produced a lot of comment – what disturbs is that neither the current planner nor senior policy planner Don Campbell were in place at city hall when that meeting was held.
Staff would have collected a lot of notes and there were probably a number of briefing papers prepared but there is nothing like being in the room to get a sense of what really happened.
It sounded as if the planning people – with a lot of input from the city manager – had decided that everything should come under the Strategic Plan umbrella. The Mt Nemo study didn’t appear to do that – so it got the hook.
Rural Burlington residents look over a large aerial photograph of their part of the city and wonder how ling it is going to remain the way it is.
The Official Plan Review – that is now on again – is to comply with the Strategic Plan. A significant statement in that Strategic Plan is to manage and protect our rural environment. Manage it for who and protect it from what was a question residents asked on several occasions.
The city set out what had been done when the Heritage Character of the Mt Nemo Plateau was being studied.
1. Preliminary Study of the Heritage Character of the Mount Nemo Plateau
2. Heritage Conservation District Study
Assessed character and heritage.
Identified options for the long-term conservation and enhancement of the character and heritage.
Recommended further study.
Key Finding
‘…a distinct historical community represented by a range of heritage features and elements…bounded in such a clear physical manner…the study area can be identified as an organically evolved, continuous Cultural Heritage Landscape’
What is a Cultural Heritage Landscape? A collection of related built form, landscape, vegetation, archaeological resources and other elements that have heritage value.
What is a Heritage Conservation District? What would it do for people within the district. Most felt that all it really was – was another layer of regulation.
Geographically defined area Protects from unsympathetic alterations Applies to a collection of historic buildings, streetscapes, landscapes Areas are referred to as “designated” Tool to manage change in accordance with a set of Guidelines (Heritage Conservation District Plan) Plans are unique and is developed with the community
Chronology:
June 2013 Council direction to undertake preliminary research January 2014 Preliminary assessment presented to Committee January 2014 Council direction to consult with public February 2014 Public consultation event shared findings of the preliminary assessment April2014 Public consultation event to discuss the preliminary study, proposed next steps in starting a Heritage Conservation District Study May 2014 Council Decision: To proceed with the Heritage Conservation District Study October 2014 MMM Group retained to complete the HCD study February 2015 Public meeting to present research and field work completed by MMM Group to date February 2015 Council direction: Place Official Plan Review reports and Mount Nemo on hold pending start of the new city manager and Strategic Plan. January 2016 Official Plan Review restarted.
Between February of 2015 and January of 2016 city council was working its way from what started out as a four year Strategic Plan to a document that covers the next forty years.
Rural Burlington residents wanted to know what the benefit was for them from this new approach. The comment was that while downtown grows “up” – the result of intensification, the rest of Burlington would grow outwards which would have more people using the rural part of the city.
The early draft of a vision got put on a huge board and for the most part the community liked the look of what they had said to each other.
Most residents resented the layers of regulation they had to deal with: Conservation Halton, Niagara Escarpment Commission, the Region and then the city. It was too much.
Once the planners had determined what the pros and cons were – the decision was pretty easy to make.
The planning department had two new staffers: a new director and a senior policy advisor – they reviewed everything they had and came to the conclusion that a Conservation Heritage District wasn’t needed, didn’t fit in all that well with the Strategic plan and certainly wasn’t’ what the residents wanted. Their graphic setting out the pros and the cons was enough to convince the politicians.
Staff saw the killing of the Heritage Conservation Districts as an opportunity to refocus; build on community feedback received to date and find the local vision that they believed came out of the Rural Summit in 2013.
Keep you and your loved ones safe and dispose of old prescription medication.
The Halton Regional Police Service would like to remind everyone that the annual Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016, between 10 am and 3 pm.
Members of the public are encourage to drop-off their old and unused prescription medication safely and confidentially at one of several locations throughout the Region of Halton.
HRPS Headquarters: 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville Acton: HRPS 10 Division, 315 Queen Street Halton Hills: Halton Hills Town Hall, 1 Halton Hills Drive Milton: Milton Sports Centre (rear lot), 605 Santa Maria Drive Oakville: Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road Burlington: City of Burlington Operations Centre, 3330 Harvester Road
The Halton Regional Police Service also has Prescription Drug Drop-Off Box located at every police station in the Region of Halton providing the public an opportunity to safely disposed medication prior to them falling in the wrong hands.
Thanks to the drop-off boxes, the Halton Regional Police Service has collected an incredible amount of prescription drugs. The following is a list of the most common prescription drugs collected between June 2015 to April 2016: –
2500 Oxycodone pills – 750 Morphine pills – 40 ml Morphine – 2350 Lorazempam pills – 260 Hydromorphone pills – 15 ml Hydromorphone – 390 Codeine pills – 140 ml Codeine – 115 Fentanyl used patches* *Used Fentanyl patches are strongly sought after in the illicit drug market.
Burlington has thousands of people who volunteer – and it could use an additional thousand tomorrow – there is no reason to be at home doing nothing in this city. Volunteers make the place work.
The Art Gallery of Burlington has 300 + volunteers and they wanted to find a way to thank them in a very special way.
They found a way – they are sponsoring a PRIVATE performance of the Hayley Marie Remple concert at the Performing Arts Centre.
Volunteers only –
The performance – named “An Evening in Paris” is a combination of superb flute playing by Hayley Marie interspersed by short gossipy videos of the men who composed the music she will be playing.
Remple has certainly done her research – she tells all kinds of little known facts about some of the greatest composers the world has ever heard.
While Beethoven is not one of the composers she will be playing – the video on him is a delight– Remple calls them Two minute Talks.
As of noon on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, riders can call 905-639-0550 – there they can enter the bus stop I.D. number to get real-time bus arrival time.
Bus stop I.D. numbers are displayed on the bus stop signs across the city or riders can search by route through the new Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system phone line. In June, real-time information will also be made available online which will feature a new mobile friendly website.
Phone disruption
In order to prepare the system, there will be a temporary shut-down of the customer service phone line (905 639-0550) at 10 a.m. for approximately 15 minutes. Please plan ahead by accessing the printable schedules online at www.burlingtontransit.ca under Schedules and Maps or if you need to contact us for urgent matters that are not schedule related, please use this temporary phone extension: 905-335-7869 ext. 6602.
NOTE: This extension will only be serviced during the temporary customer service phone line disruption.
The Summer Live & Play Guide is one line and available in print now.
Registration for the recreation, fitness, sports and culture programs listed in the guide opens on Saturday, May 14 for adults 19+. Registration for all other programs is open now.
“We wait all year long for our great summer weather and now is the time to get out and play,” said Chris Glenn, director of parks and recreation. “The city and its partners have something for everyone with programs and events ranging from swimming lessons and splash pads to camps, concerts in the park, bocce ball and so much more, all offered at multiple locations around Burlington.”
Mountainside Recreation Centre is featured on the cover of the summer guide. Recently renovated, this facility features a 50-meter outdoor pool with a one metre diving board, a double loop waterslide, shade structures, and a splash park, set to open on June 18. The park area of Mountainside features two playgrounds, a skateboard park, a basketball court and nature trails. A virtual tour of Mountainside Recreation Centre and park is available online.
The Summer Live & Play Guide is the City of Burlington’s guide to recreation, sport and culture programs and events offered throughout the city. The online Live & Play Guide allows residents to view available activities and register for programs directly. The online guide is mobile-friendly and allows pages to be easily searched and shared through email and social media. To receive future copies of the online guide by email, subscribe to the Live & Play e-newsletter at www.burlington.ca/enews.
Hard copies of the guide, printed on recyclable paper identified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, are available at City Hall, 426 Brant St., Burlington Public Library branches or any city recreation centre.
For details on how to register for summer programs and events, see page three in the guide or visit www.burlington.ca/play.
The Nelson pool will not be among the locations available for the summer program.
Halton District School Board announces a new award program launched this week by Trustees to recognize and honour “unsung heros”.
The Inspire Awards are designed to acknowledge the contributions and effort of ‘unsung heroes’ including staff, students, school volunteers, parents and community members. Anyone can be nominated for an Inspire Award and nominations can be made by anyone from any organization. The Inspire Awards launch today (May 2, 2016), as part of Education Week in Ontario, held May 2-6.
Through the Inspire Awards, Trustees aim to recognize all voices as a way to celebrate recipients who support staff and students through caring and innovative ways. Nominees can be honoured for their work in a number of areas including achieving diversity and equity, promoting 21st Century learning, encouraging environmental protection action, and supporting student achievement, among other themes. Specifically, this award will be given to an individual or group, formally or informally associated with the Halton District School Board, who has through their actions fulfilled the following criteria in an exemplary way:
• demonstrated caring, initiative, innovation, creativity; • inspired others; and • supported students and contributed to their achievement.
Board Chair Kelly Amos.
“We are thrilled to introduce the Inspire Awards to recognize those who go above and beyond to support our students,” says Board Chair Kelly Amos. “The definition of inspire is to excite, encourage or fill someone with the urge or ability to do something positive. In keeping with the Board’s multi-year plan, Trustees felt it was important to encourage and recognize the many unsung heroes who either work or volunteer in many capacities to support student achievement and learning in the Halton District School Board.”
Inspire Award nominations will be reviewed by a committee of Trustees. Each nomination will be evaluated on its own merit. The award recipient can choose to accept the honour during a Board of Trustees meeting or by any other way of their choosing.
Nomination forms, general information and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Halton District School Board website, www.hdsb.ca, under the ‘Boardroom and Trustees’ tab on the homepage.
There is an opportunity for you to travel to Paris – basically free.
Yes there is a catch – you have to attend the one night only Hayley Marie Remple performance at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and buy at least one of the $2 raffle tickets.
The Eiffel Tower
Should your ticket be drawn – and you must be in the theatre when it is drawn at the end of the performance – you will have won a trip to Paris put together by DH Tours.
Hayley Marie Remple will be at the Performing Arts Centre May 12th
The idea came out of one of those late in the day conversations – Mary Mazur, Executive Assistant to the AGB CEO Robert Steven were going over details of the Evening in Paris event that is scheduled for mid May when Robert asked: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could raffle off a trip to Paris the night of the concert.”
They approached DH Tour who said they would be happy to support the AGB with a trip. And what a trip it is going to be.
Return flights from Toronto to Paris Return transfers from Charles de Gaulle airport to/from hotel 6 nights, central, 3 star hotel in Paris with daily continental breakfasts Hop-on/Hop-off city sightseeing tour, 48 hour pass 3 day Metro Pass 2 day Musee Pass All hotel taxes and service charges All Air taxes Paris maps and information package.
The concert is part of a month long five province tour Hayley Marie is doing. She has performed in southern California, Germany and France
What does it mean to be “sustainable” – why does it matter and if it matters that much – why isn’t every one doing it?
This was a question the Gazette put to Jim Feilders, a committed environmentalist and an engineer with a private practice. Here is what Feilders had to say:
By Jim Feilders
May 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A general definition of sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. This can apply to everything from keeping your body alive to the survival of the universe. But most of us think about it in terms of maintaining our lifestyles in the environment in which we live.
The three most common aspects of sustainability are environmental, economic and social. Some like to include culture as a separate item but it generally is included under the social umbrella.
There was a point when the cod fishery in Newfoundland was a massive industry until the Grand Banks were fished out – it took years to get back the balance that was once in place.
For the environment to be sustainable, the planet has to be able to respond to the human use of resources and pollution created. An example of this gone wrong is over-fishing of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland that resulted in depletion of cod. Wildlife species are becoming extinct by direct killing of animals and destruction of habitat. When the balance of nature is upset, significant changes occur.
We want to know that the planet will be around for future generations. If we don’t maintain a balance between what we do to harm the planet and the capacity of the earth to recover from it, we will find ourselves living on a dying planet. Evidence exists that we are on that path and a global initiative is underway to try to do something about it. Sending too much carbon into the air and oceans is causing global climate change with disastrous impacts. Information is available on the major countries of the world in terms of their biocapacity versus their environmental footprint. It’s just a fancy way of describing whether the environment can absorb all the pollution being produced. Not surprisingly, the US and China are in the red while Canada still has room left over after sucking up all we spew out.
Each of us has an ecological footprint – how big might yours be?
Economic sustainability deals with the ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely. The most common expression of this is balanced budgets where countries do not spend more than they bring in. As we are all aware, balanced budgets are not common and the devastating effects on the human population are obvious.
Socially, we can be sustainable when the country functions at a defined level of social well being indefinitely. This includes health care, recreational amenities, schools, good transportation, religious buildings and other institutions in a manner that creates a sense of community.
Most of us agree something should be done to keep us sustainable but how we can contribute on an individual basis is perplexing. Governments, particularly local municipal ones, have the greatest role to play through passing legislation to control services, development and pollution. This makes it easier for people to do their part as they are forced into it. Garbage recycling is a good example. Providing a balanced transportation system is another. But government can only push so hard. We live in a free country and have to let our citizens decide on what kind of place in which to live.
Why we don’t do more as individuals has been a topic of discussion for decades. Recently, a Canadian entrepreneur and author, Tom Rand, with degrees in both engineering and philosophy, discusses environmental sustainability in his book “Waking the Frog”. In essence, we are reluctant to change. With our busy lifestyles, we give little thought to what we can do. It is probably not a mass conspiracy of the oil companies. The affluent especially, see no benefit because maintaining their lifestyle is usually just a matter of spending more money when pollution penalties arise.
The earth needs green fields like this – we need them if we are to survive as human beings on this planet. At this point in time we are losing this battle.
To make our planet sustainable, we can start right within our own communities. We can become involved by exercising age old philosophies of democratic voting, donating financially to worthy causes and directly helping others. When we work together and support each other, the job goes faster and easier. Many forums exist that offer something for everyone to use their specific talents. When stories are heard about dramatic changes such as housing of homeless people in Medicine Hat, Alberta, we are spurred on to do our bit. Burlington is at the tipping point of real change in terms of a sustainable community with the completion of its strategic Plan.
With climate change being such a pressing issue, there are two simple things that we can do right now. Many of us think saving the planet means sacrifices such as taking the bus, turning down the heat and wearing sweaters or yelling at the kids to turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms. But modern technologies for electric and hybrid vehicles and electric heat pumps for heating and cooling our homes are available now that do not require sacrifices.
Despite the apparent higher cost of electricity compared to natural gas and gasoline, these more efficient solutions are actually cheaper on a monthly basis to own and operate.
So get involved where your talents are best put to use and encourage others to do the same. To coin the phrase of BurlingtonGreen: “Together we can make a difference.”
There are a number of events planned by various organizations for Mother’s Day.
Teresa Seaton is currently hosting an exhibit of Michelle Van Maurik’s work at the Gallery until the end of May.
While the original of her “White Peonies” is not part of the exhibit there are now copies of a limited edition print available at Teresa Seaton Studio and Gallery on May 7th.
White Peonies was exhibited by invitation at the SNBA Canadian Delegation, Louvre, Paris.
Sizes will include:
Giclee Canvas Print
Size: 24″ X 30″ (same size as the original painting) Limited edition size 100
Size: 16″ X 20″ Limited edition of 200
Giclee Museum grade watercolour paper
Size: 16″ X 20″ Limited edition size: 200
Size: 11″ X 14″ Limited edition size: 200
Michele will be at the Gallery on Saturday May7th from 2 pm – 4pm for signing.
Some days it feels like there might be some snow coming our way. It is certainly confusing – is it spring or isn’t it. This confusion isn’t something that just happened – it is something we have let happen with the way we have treated this planet.
Our behaviour is changing – slowly.
The Regional government has set up programs that allow us to change the way we handle waste. They are committed to diverting waste from the landfill sites and working towards becoming more sustainable than we have been.
Composting – best way to get a garden to really produce – and it is free.
As part of this commitment the Region will once again offer its popular spring waste events. The Region offers these services to help divert waste from Halton’s landfill by making it easy for residents to properly dispose of waste, helping Halton become a more sustainable place to live.
“Regional Council is committed to protecting and enhancing our rich, natural environment by continuing to work with residents to increase the Region’s waste diversion rate,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Our spring events not only provide residents with an opportunity to properly dispose of waste, but gives residents an opportunity to give back to the community.”
This year’s spring waste events include:
Spring Compost Giveaway
Residents can stop by the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS), located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton, to pick up high-quality compost free of charge. Residents are reminded to bring their own bags or containers (maximum seven garbage bags or equivalent per household) and a shovel in order to bag their compost.
If you ever wondered how that compost is prepared – take a peek at the short video – the Region has done some useful educational work. Click here for that video.
Hours of operation are:
Monday, May 9 – Saturday, May 14; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 15, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Last year’s Compost Giveaway events, 4,400 residents picked up approximately 2,000 tonnes of compost. Residents also donated $9,784 and close to 4,500 kilograms of food to local food banks as part of the event.
Special Waste Drop-off
To make the recycling of household hazardous waste and electronic waste more convenient for residents, Halton Region hosts several Special Waste Drop-off Days through the year, free of charge. The first event for 2016 will take place on Saturday, April 30 at Robert C. Austin Operations Centre in Georgetown from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents are invited to drop off acceptable items, including pesticides, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, computers, stereos, TVs and DVD players. This event is for Halton residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. For more information and a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable hazardous items, visit halton.ca/dropoff.
If you need more information visit halton.ca/waste or dial 311.
One of our intrepid readers pointed us to the fact sheet on the ADI web site where they state occupancy will be in November, 2018 – but just 170 suites.
And had they said subject to approval from the OMB the statements would have been completely correct.
The Adi Development Group appears to be doing everything they can to get another construction crane into the Burlington sky line. This one, one of the smartest looking construction cranes we have seen in some time is up at the Linx project in north Burlington.
The Adi development Group appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board to have their application to build a 26 storey condominium on the property at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Martha.
Susan Schiller, the OMB member hearing the arguments has given both ADI and Burlington planners some time to look at the ideas Adi had when they added a significant chunk to the size of the land assembly.
One would think Adi would make this information public so that buyers could make an informed decision.
The piece we published yesterday where Adi announces their aggressive pricing schedule leaves the sense of a bit of a hustle here.
An architectural rendering of the early 26 storey plans for Martha and Lakeshore Road.
Adi had originally said there would be 226 suites; that got reduced to 192 suites for the OMB hearing. That number is now at 170. It isn’t fully clear yet how they managed to do this – we will dig a bit more.
It was suggested that reduced parking and a larger lot with more setbacks may have brought the planners around. We will have to wait until they are all back before the OMB in June for a full reveal.
A young musician who got hooked on history from her music teacher in high school is going to take to the stage of the Performing Arts Centre May 12th and put on a performance that is a combination of her playing her flute and film clips about the composers who wrote the music she plays.
The film clips are not going to be dry or dusty history explains Hayley Marie. The music during the period of time she is focused on – 1870 – 1910 was boisterous, ribald and vibrant and has been with us for more than 100 years. Titled “An Evening in Paris” the performance entertains and informs – you will see classical music a lot differently when you walk out of The Centre.
The classical music we know today came out of that period when Debussy, Ravel, Saint Saens,Faure, Wido rand Satie were both writing and performing.
France had taken a terrible beating during the Franco Prusian War during which there was a 135 siege of Paris forcing people to eat horsemeat. France was prostrate on the world stage.
It was out of that terrible defeat that France rose politically, economically but most importantly culturally.
The world saw the first of the Impressionists –Renoir and Monet were painting during this period. And the music just flowed.
Hayley Marie ties together both the music and the story behind the men who wrote the music. It is fascinating – gossip at its very best. She has a fierce interest in preserving the human side of classical music fired by a desire to show how these musical giants interacted with the society they were a part of – it wasn’t’ always a pretty picture.
Hayley Marie Remple
Concert goers in the Paris that Hayley Marie Remple talks about was not polite society. Applause was loud, displeasure resulted in booing and throwing fruit at a performer. Patrons were known to jump up on their seats and shout. Fisticuffs were not unusual – Passions of people who were fully informed about the music they were listening to rose quickly – and everyone had an opinion.
The composers were real people with real problems, some had significant addictions and some had personal lives that would rival anything you read about Mick Jagger or Elvis Presley.
Hayley Marie, a Governor General Award winner and three time performer at Carnegie Hall walks on to a stage to present a performance that is part of a month long five province tour.
Remple has performed in southern California, Connecticut, Montreal and Winnipeg. In 2009, she completed her first concert tour of Germany and France.
A century after the deaths of these towering composers scholars are still studying their work and music The France she is going to reflect built the Eiffel Tower and created the statue of Liberty that was given as a gift to Americans.
I recall a doctor once complaining to me that his father, also a doctor, used to make ten times the average worker’s salary while he only made five. We all know that doctors generally make good money, which is why we were instructed by our parents to become doctors and why we’ve told our children to do the same.
The medical association will point out that American doctors are even better rewarded in that wasteful multiple-payer system south of the border. Of course some sports athletes, pop musicians, film actors and even senior bankers now make more. Except we don’t pay any of those people out of a public purse. And public financing is the issue behind the Ontario Government’s efforts to trim back potentially out-of-date medical billings.
Most of Ontario’s doctors work on a piece-work basis, charging OHIP for every patient who goes through their turnstile. And how they get remunerated depends on a highly complicated fee schedule, which gets negotiated between the doctors’ union, their medical association and your government, the health insurer. So how did one eye doctor bill $6.6 million in one year, when the average billing is more like three or four hundred thousand dollars?
In the absence of more detailed information one can only speculate – but it might be that the procedures that doctor used can now be performed more rapidly and efficiently than when the billing rate was set. That would allow more patients through the turnstile and into the cash register. And in that case the Minister has a valid point that the rates need to be revised downwards to better reflect the real cost of that medical service.
In the absence of a competitive market for medical services, value is determined by how long it takes, what kind of hardware is needed and how much skill is required. But even in the US, with a more competitive insurance model, services are priced in a similar fashion. So that is what Ontario’s Minister of Health, Eric Hoskins, who is a doctor himself, is trying to do – ensure that we get value for our medical buck by updating the fee schedule.
Of course that doesn’t resolve the issue of how much doctors should be making. My accountant keeps telling me to look at the net, after tax income, not the gross. So if society feels anyone, be they doctors, bankers or sports celebrities, are bring home too much dough, there is a solution. Just tax it back as we used to do in the 50’s and 60’s. And doing that within reasonable limits will also reduce the growing gap between the rich and poor, which everyone claims to deplore.
Trickle-down economics, as ridiculous a term as that sounds, was the rationale that allowed conservative-minded governments to redistribute income from the poor to the rich. Ronald Reagan was the perfect anti-Robin Hood. Canada’s income gap got a new life following the tax reforms brought in by former PM Brian Mulroney and his Bill C-139, which he ironically termed tax simplification.
Ontario’s Minister of Health Erik Hoskins, also a doctor, puts the province’s argument forward – the doctor’s lobby has always been effective.
Mulroney virtually dismantled our progressive taxation system, reducing rate classes to only three from the previous ten. He raised the tax rate for the lowest class from 6 to 17 percent and lowered the highest to 29 percent from 34. This placed more of the tax burden on the middle and lower classes. This huge shift in the tax burden also underlay the poor economic performance that plagued his government and the enormous structural deficit that Mulroney created and ran in every single year of his administration.
Our new PM’s first budget has attempted to address that inequality by lowering taxes for middle and lower incomes, and shifting more of the burden back to the wealthy through a new higher tax bracket. And that has brought out the trickle-down crowd once again. Stomping their feet as they hit the pavement in places like the National Post, warning of imminent doom unless the rich, once again, get more money. It’s as if ignorance, greed and stupidity have no bounds.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party. You can tweet him at @rayzrivers
It’s bold – its brassy and all part of the sales pitch.
Developers like to be able to say – xx% sold – and the closer that xx is to 70 – the better.
$310,000 + will get you a splendid view of the Escarpment.
Development projects have to be sold – and this latest move by Adi Development Group is certainly a sales pitch that catches the eye.
Days before their application to the Ontario Municipal Board AdI Development announced that they had acquired the lot shown as 380 Martha – which changed significantly the size of the property they wanted to build on. Adi is currently in talks with the city’s planning department.
In Burlington the objective is to get in on a property as early as you can – and this pitch makes it a little easier. They are offering units on the north side of their proposed 26 storey tower at the corner of Martha and Lakeshore Road.
The following is an electronic message forwarded to us by a regular reader:
New prices just announced for escarpment facing suites at Nautique Lakefront Residences Downtown Burlington!
Prices start as low as $309,990 (1 parking space included). The suites at Nautique Lakefront Residences have been designed by award-winning Cecconi Simone and feature open-concept layouts to maximize living space. Contemporary European custom-designed kitchen featuring corian countertop and backsplash with five-piece euro-style appliance package along with in-suite white stacked washer and dryer. Spacious lakeview terraces & balconies.
The building features two floors of amenities space with a 6th floor outdoor terrace and 18th floor sky lounge overlooking the lake. Outdoor swimming pool, whirlpool, bbq’s, party room, dining room, library, private lounge, fitness centre, indoor/outdoor yoga studio & more.
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to invest! Inventory won’t last long!
SPECIAL EXTENDED DEPOSIT STRUCTURE $5,000 on Signing Balance of 5% in 30 Days 5% in 120 Days 5% in 370 Days 5% in 540 Days
PARKING: 1 Parking Spot Included In The Purchase Price OCCUPANCY: November 2018
Give Noman Khan, Broker, Loyalty Real Estate, Brokerage 905.330.4077 – vipcondosales@gmail.com
Some questions arise out of this announcement. Does the 18th floor sky lounge overlooking the lake suggest that the building will top off at 18 stories?
Adi is aggressively marketing the condominiums on the north (Escarpment side) of the building.
Adi is currently in talks with the Burlington Planning department to see if they can come to terms on a site configuration that will get them past one of the tougher OMB Board members who has given then some time to see what the city thinks of the addition of an additional piece of land that adds significantly to the size of the footprint they have to work with.
The city’s planners never say a word about how development talks are going – it will be Adi that does all the talking – and this most recent release, which they sent out to selected people, suggests they have run something by the planners and think they might have some buy in.
A portion of the property that Adi Development group wants to put a 26 storey condominium on – he size of the foot print they want to build on has been revised
After the decision the OMB handed down on the appeal Councillor Jack Dennison made to the Board to reverse the decision made by the Burlington Committee of Adjustment that opposed his request to sever his Lakeshore Road property. Many in Burlington shuddered at that decision and wonder what the city’s chances are going to be with the Adi situation is that before them.
We know nothing about the OMB member who heard the Dennison appeal – but we can tell you that Susan Schiller who is hearing the Adi application is not going to be an easy one for anyone.
Susan Schiller heard the application Nelson Quarry made for a permit to expand the quarry they were mining in rural Burlington. The application was denied.
Watch this one carefully. Asking for a different OMB member to hear the ADI application is something that can be expected: such an application would be about a “perceived bias” on the part of the member.
Business is business and you do what you have to do.
By Pepper Parr
Our interest in this situation is this – I am one of those consistent drop in for a good meal customers – she has a really neat collection of root bear soft drinks and the food portions are more than decent. We did a small article on the shop a while back – and we paid for our meal. The Boston Fish and Chip shop is one of those places that is just plain nice to go to.
The New Street construction project is scheduled until September 2016.
Staff saw the killing of the Heritage Conservation Districts as an opportunity to refocus; build on community feedback received to date and find the local vision that they believed came out of the Rural Summit in 2013.
The Halton Regional Police Service would like to remind everyone that the annual Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016, between 10 am and 3 pm.
Bus stop I.D. numbers are displayed on the bus stop signs across the city or riders can search by route through the new Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system phone line. In June, real-time information will also be made available online which will feature a new mobile friendly website.
Mountainside Recreation Centre is featured on the cover of the summer guide. Recently renovated, this facility features a 50-meter outdoor pool with a one metre diving board, a double loop waterslide, shade structures, and a splash park, set to open on June 18. The park area of Mountainside features two playgrounds, a skateboard park, a basketball court and nature trails. A virtual tour of Mountainside Recreation Centre and park is available online.
They approached DH Tour who said they would be happy to support the AGB with a trip. And what a trip it is going to be.
Sizes will include:
The classical music we know today came out of that period when Debussy, Ravel, Saint Saens,Faure, Wido rand Satie were both writing and performing.
In the absence of more detailed information one can only speculate – but it might be that the procedures that doctor used can now be performed more rapidly and efficiently than when the billing rate was set. That would allow more patients through the turnstile and into the cash register. And in that case the Minister has a valid point that the rates need to be revised downwards to better reflect the real cost of that medical service.
