 By Staff
March 9th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
These guys
 Heavy construction equipment in place to dig trenches and prepare the necessary parts of the infrastructure. There are 12 pieces of heavy equipment ready to dig.
Are the reason this part of Lakeshore Road between Elizabeth and Pearl have to be closed. Concrete pipes have to be put underground. Announcement from city says road will be closed from the 7th to the 11th.
We are chasing down city hall to get confirmation on those dates.
When it is all done – this is what it is going to look like.
 The Bridgewater project – made up of two condominiums and a Marriott hotel is scheduled to be completed in 2018 – between now and then there will be all kinds o squawking about road closures and inconvenience – the price of progress.
 By Staff
March 9, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Do you know of another city that closes down a road so a slimy little creature that tends to breed at night can cross that road?
It happens in Burlington every year in March.
King Road from the base of the Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road will be closed from March 15 to April 6 to allow the endangered Jefferson Salamander safe passage during its annual breeding migration.
 The Jefferson salamander – He isn’t exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment. Comes in different colours as well. The Jefferson Salamander is a nationally and provincially protected endangered species. Each year, since 2012, the City of Burlington has closed the same section of road for an approximate three-week period.
The city works closely with Conservation Halton to assist in the protection and recovery of this endangered species.
 “Conservation Halton commends the City of Burlington for closing King Road once again to protect the Jefferson Salamander, this is a great example of the relationship we have with our community partners,” said Hassaan Basit, General Manager, Conservation Halton. “It can be challenging to determine when is the best time to close King Road as spring weather can be unpredictable, particularly this year, however we feel confident based on the advice of our ecology staff who make the call on the best science and information available.”
 One of these was enough for the people in rural Burlington. One of the reasons for not permitting an expansion of the quarry was the impact that would have on an engendered species.
The Jefferson Salamander is quite a bit more than an endangered species. A provincial tribunal made a decision a number of years ago to not allow the expansion of the Nelson quarry due in large part to the impact any expansion would have on the existence of the salamander.
In Canada, the Jefferson Salamander is found in Southern Ontario in select areas of deciduous forest, mostly along the Niagara Escarpment. Several forested areas in Burlington provide the necessary breeding, summer and overwintering habitats required by this species.
Jefferson Salamanders spend the majority of their lives underground. As the weather warms up and the spring rains begin, the salamanders emerge and migrate to breed in temporary ponds formed by run-off, laying their eggs in clumps attached to underwater vegetation. Adults leave the ponds after breeding. By late summer, the larvae lose their gills and become air-breathing (like the metamorphosis of tadpoles into frogs) and leave the pond to head into the surrounding forests.
Adult salamanders migrate to their breeding ponds in mid-March or early April during wet rainy nights. They show strong affinity for the pond in which they hatched and can be very determined to reach it, sometimes requiring them to cross busy roads.
 By Staff
March 9th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Police responded to a report of a robbery yesterday at a Shoppers Drug Mart store located at 1011 Upper Middle Road in Oakville. A male entered the store and demanded prescription drugs from staff who handed over a large quantity of narcotics. The suspect then left the store without further incident.
Subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of an Oakville resident who investigators believe is responsible for similar robberies in Oakville and Burlington.
February 21st 2016 – Brant Medical Arts Centre located at 672 Brant Street in Burlington.
February 12th 2016 – Pharma Save store located at 2501 Guelph Line Burlington.
January 28th 2016 – Shoppers Drug Mart located at 1011 Upper Middle Road Oakville.
Investigators also executed a search warrant at a North Oakville address and seized a large quantity of prescription pain killers, notably OxyNEO or Oxycodone. Other items related to the robberies were also seized.
Charged with 4 counts of Robbery and Wear Disguise is:
Richard MATHERS, 36 years of Oakville.
MATHERS has been held in custody for a pending bail hearing.
March 8, 2016
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON
We knew it as the location of the Riviera.
The Riviera Motor Court began operations in 1963. The two level, 32-room motel offered guests a beautiful view of Lake Ontario along the back portion of the motel.
The earliest information for a manager was a Mr. William Dikeman. In 1984 the motel was bought by Mr. John Lee who incorporated it as 558644 Ontario Limited.
 The Riviera on the Lake – lots of stories. The last managers to operate the business were Peter and Yolanda Piekarski. Annual profits were in the area of $242,000.
 The balconies at the rear of the motel made the room rate worth every dime. There was nothing exceptional about the motel – it was the view of the lake from the units at the back of the building.
The 0.7-hectare, block-long property between Elizabeth and Pearl streets just east of Brant was assembled over time. The Lakeshore Road portion was part of a land swap that had the city giving some land in exchange for a shoreline walkway at the edge of the lake which has been in place for a number of years.
 When you reach the 70% plus level in sales you don’t need a fancy demonstration site – it had to make room for the construction equipment. In 2006, Burlington city council approved plans for a new construction project on the property. The project, now known as Bridgewater, has been delayed over the years due to economic factors as well as difficulty in obtaining a developer and hotel partner.
 Construction workers stripping away what is left of the sales office for the Btidgewater project on Lakeshore Road. Bridgewater was to have a 7-storey hotel at street level, that got increased to eight storeys; a 7-storey condo behind the hotel and to the west of both buildings, a 22-storey condo. The condo would obscure the view of Lake Ontario for those living in the condos on the opposite side of Lakeshore. The new buildings would feature a central courtyard open to the public that would lead to the walkway along the water.
The property is owned by Mayrose Tycon who, since 1994, were focused on finding a developer to undertake the construction and to take over the property.
Mady Development Corporation was named but they were taken off the site due to a tricky clause in their agreement with Mayrose Tycon.
 The motel is long gone but the walkway that will eventually run from this point all the way to the canal was built a number of years ago as part of a land swap with the city. The project was “in the works” for the longest time; Conservation Halton had informed Mayrose that if development did not occur on the property by the end of 2012 they would lose between 15 to 20 feet of shoreline property under a new Ontario Regulation.
That got things moving – Mayrose had to get an extension from the Conservation people but that didn’t immediately result in shovels in the ground. It wasn’t until New Horizons was invited to develop the site that one got the sense that this was really going to happen.
Jeff Paikin, known for quality work with a number of solid projects under his belt.
Paikin had bought a unit in the project and was later invited to do the development.
It has been nothing but solid progress since then. Sales of the project are reported to have passed the 70% point. There will a planned 150 units in the two condominium towers.
A collection of 12 pieces of heavy duty construction equipment are on the site – they give a whole new meaning to “shovels in the ground” Paikin’s partner Joe Giacomodonato handles the actual construction work.
At one point the hotel was going to be open for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
As for the Riviera the writing was on the wall in 2010. They began offering rooms on a monthly basis only. The Region of Burlington paid Riviera to house the city’s homeless people and immigrants.
In April of 2012 the municipal building code department and fire department served a notice on the owners that they needed to bring the building up to code or close it down.
The owners decided to close the building which was boarded up.
On August 18, 2012, the building came one step closer to demolition when a fire broke out in the hotel, caused by arson.
The 2015 Pan Am date came and went; the designated developer of the site changed but the project had just too much value built into it to not go forward.
 Three structure project has been the “in the works” since the early 1990’s when developers were given the right to build a 22 storey plus building on the property where the Riviera Waterfront Motel used to exist. Last week the sleek sales office met its turn with the wrecking ball. The south side of Lakeshore Road lost its parking meters and traffic is being restricted for a couple of weeks while large concrete pipes get buried. What was the Riviera is now the construction site for an upscale condominium that will consist of a seven story and a twenty two story structure attached to each other by a four level underground garage.
The site will include a four star Mariott hotel – the opening date is still pencilled in as 2018 – those things tend to be pretty loose until construction is well under way.
The four floors down garage work will get started soon; the grade of Elizabeth will change and slowly but surely the Bridgewater will rise out of the ground and reach 22 storeys into the sky.
 An architectural rendering of an aerial view of the Bridgewater project from the lake side. The view from the top floor be something to experience.
Paikin, who is a marketer at heart will tell anyone who is within earshot that : “The design is so fantastic and the location is probably the No. 1 location in all of Ontario, if not Canada, as a place to live.”
He might be right.
By Staff
March 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington Animal Shelter invites all cat and dog owners to attend its low-cost microchip clinic on Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burlington Animal Shelter, 2424 Industrial St.
 City by law says cats have to have a microchip – did you know that? “The last thing any pet owner wants to experience is the stress that comes with trying to find a missing animal,” said Dave Lake, the city’s supervisor of animal services. “In addition to a dog licence, a microchip is an easy, inexpensive way to ensure owners can be quickly reunited with their pet if they are ever separated.”
The cost for a microchip is $30 per pet and only cash will be accepted. Visitors to the clinic can expect a quick and minor procedure. Dogs attending the clinic should be brought on a leash and cats placed in a carrier. The City of Burlington’s bylaws require cats to be microchipped.
Appointments for the clinic can be reserved by calling 905-335-3030. Walk-ins are also welcomed. Pet owners are asked to bring proof of up-to-date vaccinations.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Paw Fund in support of stray animals.
How do they work?
Microchips can be implanted by a veterinarian or at a shelter. After checking that the animal does not already have a chip, the vet or technician injects the chip with a syringe and records the chip’s unique ID. No anesthetic is required. A test scan ensures correct operation.
 Microchip implanted in a cat – visible near the top of the photograph. An enrollment form is completed with chip ID, owner contact information, pet name and description, shelter and/or veterinarian contact information, and an alternate emergency contact designated by the pet owner. Some shelters and vets designate themselves as the primary contact to remain informed about possible problems with the animals they place. The form is sent to a registry, who may be the chip manufacturer, distributor or an independent entity; some countries have a single official national database. For a fee, the registry typically provides 24-hour, toll-free telephone service for the life of the pet. Some veterinarians leave registration to the owner, usually done online, but a chip without current contact information is essentially useless.
The owner receives a registration certificate with the chip ID and recovery service contact information. The information can also be imprinted on a collar tag worn by the animal. Like an automobile title, the certificate serves as proof of ownership and is transferred with the animal when it is sold or traded; an animal without a certificate could be stolen.
Did you know?
That you must have a microchip put in your cat? In 2005 the city passed a bylaw:
Control and Registration of Cats
30. (1) No person, being the owner of any cat shall fail to have the cat implanted with a functioning subcutaneous microchip.
February 11, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
My colleague, Joan Little, a former Burlington alderman and Halton councillor, writes a regular column for the Hamilton Spectator. We share a table in Council chambers reserved for media.
More often than not, it is just me from the Gazette and Joan from the Spectator – the Post gets a reporter to about half of the meetings.
Little and I share views on what we see taking place – we use each other to check on what we thought a council member said – we confirm with each other how a member voted – there are a couple that you would swear did not want the public to know how they had voted.
In her most recent column, Little wrote the following:
Monday saw the end of the online Burlington Gazette. (Not completely correct Joan – but do read on.)
Burlington’s online news and opinion journal has been produced by resident Pepper Parr for over five years, initially as Our Burlington. Although a resident for under six years, he seems to know almost everyone in the city and at City Hall.
Mayor Goldring once described the Gazette as almost better than sliced bread – he has changed his mind about the Gazette and the Gazette changed its mind about him.
 This is what the original Burlington Gazette office on Brant Street used to look like. The demise of the Gazette is sad, because the outspoken Parr always evoked interesting feedback, and left Burlingtonians with something to mull over. He seemed to be everywhere — city hall meetings, community activities, even sports and arts events. And he strongly promoted local endeavours.
But litigation takes its toll. Always outspoken, Parr regularly made on-the-edge observations. Whether actually litigious, only a court could rule, but he upset companies and individuals enough to attract two challenges over the years, neither of which has been heard yet, according to Parr. They cost money for consultations with lawyers.
He had been increasing the Gazette’s advertising revenue recently, but the time needed, and the confluence of the cost of running an online journal and defending against legal threats took its toll.
One company suing is Burlington Executive Air Park, which itself was sued in 2013 by the City over the amount of fill it imported to its Bell School Line site. The City claimed importation of fill is covered by its site alteration bylaw. The Air Park said it was exempt because airports are under federal jurisdiction. Burlington initially won, but the issue is still before the courts as the result of appeals.
Besides the Gazette, North Burlington citizens Monte Dennis and Vanessa Warren were also sued for comments they made. Dennis wrote a Letter to the Editor to the Spectator in response to a submission by Air Park’s Vince Rossi. The Rural Greenbelt Coalition is raising money to help fund their defence.
Another recent corporate threat was from Adi Development Group. Adi is proposing the 26-storey condo at Martha and Lakeshore, which is the subject of a March OMB hearing.
Adi demanded an apology for comments in two November columns which it claimed damaged its reputation. The apology appeared Monday, and the offending columns were retracted.
A question that troubles citizen activists and journalists is whether they might become the targets of libel chill (the threat of being sued for libel to shut them up). Having a second pair of eyes check columns before publication is a plus. On one occasion my Spec editor was concerned about a column’s content, and cautioned me. Grateful for the advice, I amended it, or could have been in that situation.
Ontario passed legislation in October, “The Protection of Public Participation Act”, aimed at protecting against SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). It reduces the risk of suits (which are often dropped before getting to trial anyway) and fast tracks the process.
Unfortunately it won’t help Dennis or Warren, because they were sued before this legislation was passed. Such suits can cost defendants thousands. How many people have that kind of spare change?
Meantime Parr has shut down the Burlington Gazette. Asked what he will do now, he said he wasn’t sure, but is considering a couple of options, and will enjoy expanded participation in his church community.
Burlington owes him a debt of gratitude for demystifying some of the operations of city hall, and for providing a local sounding board.
Clearly disappointed, he noted that one of the main things he tried to do was educate citizens about how City Hall works, and how to effectively present their positions. In that, he succeeded brilliantly.
He definitely knows more about the internal workings of City Hall than most people as the result of investigations he’s done. And he has acted in the past as a consultant for small business.
Who knows? He could show up on a council ballot.
Little got most of it right. The Gazette has not shut down – it has just limited what it publishes for a very short period of time.
The apology we were required to publish, if we wanted to avoid a very expensive libel suit, which we thought we could win but could not afford to fight, was to be the top story on the paper for a period of forty – eight hours.
If we published our usual daily volume that apology would have been shoved off the front page with a day or two. So we published very little – and let the apology – that we didn’t write, got top billing.
That 48 hours is coming to an end and we will get caught up.
However – and this is critical – the Gazette needs to change its financial model if it is to continue and find a way to get more advertising into the paper so we can pay our bills and have a cookie jar with some fall back on cash.
I have put everything I had into the Gazette – it cost me a marriage that I did not want to see end and it requires me to move from the accommodation I have now to something that is closer to the pension money I get. It is going to be bumpy for a while
 Walter Byj
February 5, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It came near the end of the Wednesday Halt on District School Board meeting when Director Miller announced to the trustee that to date there are 2,000 students at the grade 11 and 12 levels who are not yet fully immunized.
The Halton Region Health Department that requires 100% mandatory immunization for grade 11 and 12 students within Halton. If those students do not get their immunization by the end of March they will be subject to a 20 day suspension beginning April 6th.
The Regional Health department has done everything possible to immunize students – going so far as to set up individual appointments for students to get the needle.
Miller stressed that that this is mandatory by Halton Public Health as they will be suspending the students, not the school board.
Related article:
Parents have to report.
By Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
“We’ve got to get the time line in place” explained Janine Stodulksi. “The funding for the bleachers is in the city’s capital budget – we don’t want to lose that” she added. “We have momentum going here” and when Stodulski has momentum – step aside.
 Janine Stodulski – she keeps things moving. She was talking through where things are with a community initiative to revitalize the Nelson Stadium, a facility on property that is owned by the city and the board of education – and where there are shared jurisdictions – you know there is going to be some friction.
The residents are hoping they can either jump over the jurisdictional issues or do an end run around them.
Six people gathered around a table in the Nelson High school library to go over what they knew and what they didn’t know and to line up their ducks and make something happen.
 Brad Scott, with Cogeco Cable and Jeff Brock with Nelson high taking part in a discussion on the plans their group have for significant improvements to the Nelson Stadium. Jeff Brock, who has Nelson High school football logos all over his laptop, looks at the numbers and suggests that bleacher seating for 700 will work. He thinks the sound system can be fixed.
Brad Scott, he’s with Cogeco, has been making calls to equipment suppliers and looking at prices – he didn’t like some of the numbers he was given.
Chris Zadow is the track and field guy and is working up a document that will show what the new footprint will look like when everything is done.
 Karen Hartman, principal at Nelson High school – explains what can be done and what can’t be done when working with the board of education. Karen Hartman, principal at Nelson, runs interference with the board of education and advises the group on what they might be able to get away with.
Tibor Olah, a soft spoken man, who is in real estate, has to move quickly to get a few words in edgewise.
Janine Stodulski, who serves as spokesperson for the group, is a driven woman who believes she has momentum and wants to see something happen. She is involved with one of the football leagues.
Their goal is a little on the lofty side but they aren’t going to let that deter them.
The Nelson Stadium facility is run down, tattered looking in places with facilities that need a serious upgrade.
They want to re-orient the racing track, add to lanes to the existing six, push back some bleachers on the south side and add a second set of bleachers on the other side of the field and get a decent press box in place.
 A community group made up of every imaginable Nelson Stadium user organization has plans for a much improved facility. They are currently working the city and the board of education and have their eyes on the Region. They see that world class velodrome in Milton and appear to want something just as good – better if Stodulski has her way – for Burlington.
The Haber Recreational Centre, joined at the hip to the Hayden high school has fabulous indoor courts – this group wants to see something as good behind Nelson high school – they want the location to be the place for Regional outdoor sports events.
The group sees upgrades coming at the Skyway facility in the east end of the city, the big, big upgrade done at Mountain side, the City View sports facility in the north east part of the city on Dundas – and note that much of the sports facility growth has been above the QEW – they want the something much better on New Street.
They have a grasp of the city budget that just might be better than that of some council members. They have figured out where their champions are at both the council level and within Parks and recreation – and they have strong connections within the community.
Their next round with the city is in April – it should be quite a delegation.
Odd though that the plans have yet to make it to a board of education level – and trustees don’t seem to have a clue at this point.
By Staff
February 4thj, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
This isn’t a Burlington story – but it helps understand how the identity thieves work – borders don’t matter to these guys.
An alert UPS driver was approached twice in the same day by a male looking to pick up a package from his truck destined for an address in the west end of Oakville on February 3rd 2016.
The UPS driver was suspicious of the identification the male produced, refused to confirm he had the package onboard his truck and continued on his deliveries.
 UPS driver didn’t like the look of the ID he was shown – calls the police who arrest a man found to have numerous fake identity cards. Later in day the male approached the driver a second time and the driver again refused to hand over the package, this time alerting police.
The suspect male was located by police in a vehicle parked in a parking lot at the Burlington/Oakville border, where he was arrested.
Multiple stolen credit cards and fraudulent identity were located in the vehicle.
Charged with Theft Under $5000, Possession of Counterfeit Mark, Unauthorized Use of Credit Card Data and Fail to Comply with Undertaking is:
Ikponmwosa OBAZEE 35yrs of Mississauga ON.
OBAZEE was held for a bail hearing on February 4th at Milton Provincial Court.
Police identified the contents of the package the accused wanted so badly – it was a product from an internationally known electronics Company.
The Regional Police have an excellent working relationship with UPS – when there is suspicion – the police get a call.
 By Staff
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Power Restored at Parking Garage on Locust Street
Power to the parking garage at 414 Locust St. has been restored.
 By Ray Rivers
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
I’m in Nicaragua this week, taking in a little sun and a lot of car exhaust fumes. Even in the picturesque tourist city of Granada, a walk down its narrow streets yields an unhealthy lung full of petroleum byproducts. The privately owned cars, trucks and motor bikes scoot around or get tied up in vehicular traffic on these mostly pot-holed streets, pumping out nasty black fumes and all those other pollutants we don’t see.
It’s a poor country, as I discovered trying to drive on what passes for roads here, before giving up and championing public transportation and my shanks’ mare. And it is a treat to watch the many horse-drawn vehicles and the oxen carts hauling the nation’s produce and its people.
It makes one wonder how these people manage their extensive cane and corn plantations, when not a tractor is to be seen. Oxen technology? One wonders if the exhaust fumes from grass-fed ‘quadro gastric’ ruminants are worse those than from the petroleum-fed internal combustion engines when it comes to global warming?
 Donald Trump It may be a poor country but they do have universal internet, even if it runs a tad slow, in true Latin tradition. So I could hardly avoid exposure to that other hot air activity, the 2016 US primary in Iowa, which was plastered all over the cyber sphere. Our own Canadian-born Ted Cruz managed to trump ‘The Donald’, thanks in part to the flamboyant Trump’s set-to with Fox News and his insatiable appetite to insult and alienate.
One would have thought the endorsement of the unintelligibly rambling Sarah Palin would have pushed him over the top, but not so. Cruz invoked the higher order of ‘The Ronald’ (Reagan) and that must have sealed the deal. Even if Cruz’s own party finds him an unlikeable sort – and if unlikeable, unlikely to win the big one in November – he’s still a more authentic neo-con than Trump, cut in the cloth of his hero Ronnie.
If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on that other Cuban, the handsome Marco Rubio to get the GOP nod, though. Oh and I’d be surprised it Trump doesn’t fall on his promise to the party, and run as an independent along with former New York mayor Bloomberg.
 Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The democrats had a see-saw contest in Iowa with Hillary and Bernie almost equally balanced off. Except it wasn’t supposed to go that way. Iowa should have been a shoo-in for the capable and likeable Clinton, and would have been except for all the baggage she is carrying. No one can blame her for her flirtatious husband’s sexual addiction, and she might get a pass on voting for the Iraq invasion, but it’s her unimpressive record as Madam Secretary which is weighing her down.
And Bernie – God bless his 74 years as a socialist – he is creating quite a stir, especially among those spoiled millennials who need a good reason to vote. In fact Sanders’ impact on the younger crowd hasn’t been seen… since America elected its first black president. Well maybe that didn’t work as well as some of us had hoped, but Sanders like our own Trudeau, is a breath of fresh air in a country on a precipice.
 Marco Rubio The precipice – progress or regress. This is not the first time that Americans have faced that kind of choice in their outdated bi-cameral electoral system, with its archaic electoral college and independent state-managed voting systems, And as often as not they have made the poorer choice, as when they and the Supreme Court elected GW Bush and when Cruz’s hero Ronald Reagan won two back-to-back elections – which takes us back to Nicaragua.
The US has had a long history of helping Nicaragua discover democracy even as the Monroe Doctrine, defining the US role in Latin America, was evolving. In the mid 1800’s an American slavery promoter by the name of Walker, from the great state of Tennessee brought in an army on the pretence of supporting one side in a civil conflict. He was there anyway so decided to make himself president and revoke Nicaragua’s anti-slavery law, just to please his southern state-side supporters.
But all good things must come to an end and eventually the bordering states of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras ganged up to defeat Walker, and with a little help from the Brits, he ended up before a Honduran firing squad. Then a half-century later the marines landed, and using the Roosevelt corollary hunkered down to ensure the US’s Panama would be the only canal in the continent. (Nicaragua had been an alternative route).
 Former American president Ronald Regan In the late 1970’s the Sandinista socialist hoard overran the corrupt dictator Samosa and Reagan’s CIA and Oliver North broke American and international laws, selling arms to Iran via Israel – as incredible as that sounds today. The money was used to train the ‘Contra’ militants to commit acts of terror and human rights violations against the Sandinistas. That included killing over 3000 people and mining the nation’s harbours.
The Nicaraguan government first took and won its case against the US in the International Court of Justice, where the court ordered the US to desist and pay reparations. Then armed with that judgement they went to the UN Security Council, only to be vetoed five times by the US. Eventually, brought before the UN General Assembly, a resolution was passed condemning this act of state sponsored terrorism.
Of course the US approach to Latin America has changed recently with the Obama administration turning the page on the Monroe Doctrine – or as some have observed, returning to it’s original intent. As for Ronald Reagan, the world would be a better place had he stuck to his career as a mediocre actor.
 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 has taken a break to complete his second book – he does dabble in local politics.
Background links:
William Walker ICC Ruling Contra Affair
Sandinistas Monroe Doctrine Terrorism
 By Walter Byj
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON. ON
“Most of the information they need is in the palm of their hand” said Director of Education Stuart Miller “as he held up his blackberry. This was the beginning of his respon as we when asked for a bird’s eye view of the evolution of education.
The teacher is no longer the holder of knowledge he said as the technology explosion has provided information just a few finger inputs away. The teachers role is changing as they transition from imparting information to becoming coaches helping students be critical thinkers of information that is available 24/7.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller chats with Dave Hammel at the Fist Robotics conference recently. He said the nature of the workplace is changing daily with many of the current jobs not existing three years ago. Teachers have to teach today’s students to think through the information they are presented.
Where education was once insular, it is very much in the public domain he said. All facets of society from business, politicians and families need to pool and be involved in educating our kids. Referencing his past as a science teacher, he said biodiversity is key as we approach education.
So how will Director Miller lead the Halton District School Board?
He views the Halton board as a leader of education in Ontario. Although a resident of Toronto, Miller has strong roots in Halton; he has spent the majority of his career in Halton starting as a teacher in 1984 and climbing the ladder through a number of promotions to this current position. This is home away from home.
 Joey Edwardh, executive director of Community development Halton networks with Miller outside city hall. He feels that we have great teachers in Halton and his role is to encourage and stay out of their way. He is not a micro manager.
As a strong communicator, Miller is not only in giving out information, but getting input from the public. He understands that people have busy lives and only when things go negative does the public get involved. That is not good enough he said.
The public needs to know more and be able to easily access what is happening in Halton. We need to reach out not only to parents, but those citizens that no longer have children in the school system. They too have a lot to offer in the educational process. And don’t forget the kids he said, they too can have valuable input.
Though initiated by his predecessor, work continues on the board’s website. He said the site needs to flow more easily so that anyone can easily reference information.
Though not having taught for a number of years, visiting all schools within Halton is an ongoing goal to keep in touch with the classroom. Miller remembers many of his students on a first name basis – those the Gazette talked with love the man.
Many students remember him, a sign of a good teacher.
When asked how much he should keep in touch with the municipalities within Halton, he was a bit cautious as councils tend to be somewhat politicized and that is not his role. However, municipalities and the board should be in close communication on a number of matters and at this time that is missing.
 Stuart Miller makes a point at getting out to the schools as often as he can – he frequently lunches at Robert Bateman. A strong advocate of students speaking more than one language, he reflects fondly on the European model where students speak two to three languages.
And language is one issue on which he and the board will be spending much time.
The French Immersion program within Halton is experiencing extreme growing pains. The large uptake in French Immersion is resulting in small classroom sizes in the English program. In addition, French language teachers are hard to find. This will be the first major test of the director and the board seeking public input into solving this dilemma.
The public hasn’t been nearly as forthcoming as he had hoped. “We need to hear what they think before we make major decisions. Miller wants a community where parents, the commercial community and the students to share insights and the ideas that will keep the Halton board in the number one position he thinks it holds.
They will continue to reach out to the public for their input as they seek an equitable solution. As Miller stated, the solution will require input of all stakeholders, not just the board.
Having a more robust “active transportation “is also key to having a well rounded student he said. We want students to be safe when going to and from school, but studies have shown that some sort of physical activity in the morning leads to a better rounded student.
When asked why the board chose him over other candidates, he replied: “I told them who he was and what I represented. I did not try to guess what they wanted to hear.”
Combined with his most recent experience as Associate Director of Education the trustees obviously liked his message and now it will be his role to prove them right.
 By Pepper Parr
February 3, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a bit of a kafuffle taking place over the idea of a new club house on the Nelson Stadium grounds.
 The Burlington Braves – who are about to roll up their tent and head for St. Catharines where they will start anew, have commented that with the Braves leaving town there is no need for a new club house.
That isn’t quite the way Janine Stodulski sees the refurbing of the stadium. She has her eye on a much bigger prize and is seeing far beyond a single organization using the space. Stodulski is the spokesperson for a collective of more than 20 sports groups who have come together to get a world class stadium for the city in behind Nelson high school.
Early thinking for a refurbished Nelson Stadium They have made impressive yardage with the board of education and have strong working relationships with the parks and recreation department who seem to have found a number of pockets of money they can use to take the project forward.
There will be meeting rooms in the club house that other sports organizations can use and space for equipment storage.
 The existing press box is a hazard – Mayor said the stairs were unsafe two years ago – what did he do then? Not much There is talk of changing the orientation of the track and field area; getting a new press box in – Cogeco TV seems to be on for a big chunk of change for that structure.
The organizing group will be meeting this evening to update each other and prepare for their next meeting with city council.
The group is very much a go-go organization – if it is going to happen – they will make it so.
By Staff
February 4m 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Power Outage at Parking Garage on Locust Street
The parking garage at 414 Locust St is temporarily closed due to a power outage.
Hydro crews are on site.
The estimated time for repairs is not known at this time.
By Staff
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington – On Monday February 1st 2016 at 8:30pm the Halton Regional Police Service were alerted by staff at Longo’s located at 1225 Fairview St., to four individuals who attempted to make purchases in the store using multiple American counterfeit bills. The staff in the store became suspicious of the poor quality bills, denied service and contacted the police.
The four individuals exited the grocery store and fled to a waiting vehicle outside. The vehicle was subsequently stopped by police a short distance from the store, two adults and 3 young persons in the vehicle were arrested.
A quantity of counterfeit American currency, gift cards, stolen property and a small quantity of marihuana was located in the vehicle.
Charged:
Sicetus Olusola AKHINAGBA 18yrs of Brampton was charged with Fraud under $5000, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Possession of Counterfeit Currency, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Obstruct Police. Akhinagba is to appear in Milton Provincial Court for a Bail Hearing on February 2nd 2016
Desiree DU CARMEN-PHELEMBA 18yrs of Toronto was charged with Fraud under $5000, Possession of Property Obtained by crime, Possession of Counterfeit Currency, Utter Counterfeit Currency and Possession of a Controlled Substance. DU CARMEN-PHELEMBA is to appear in Milton Provincial Court on March 9th 2016.
Three other individuals under the age of 18yrs were charged with various offences and released.
 By Staff
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Might be a little early to lay down firm plans for Family Day – it is more than a week away. Some of the event planned at the Art Gallery of Burlington do require pre-registration – so take a look at what they have planned.
 Saturday February 13
An opportunity for parents, grandparents, guardians and young people (ages 8+) to share in some creative time. Our artist instructor will first lead you on a tour of the current exhibition for inspiration and then guide you through an art making workshop, introducing new techniques and mediums each session.
This session the instructor will be leading an activity working in Fibre – introducing the “wet felting” technique. All materials are included in the cost of the program.
Time: from 2 – 4 pm
Must pre-register for Saturday Sessions call 905-632-7796 ext 307
Cost:
• Adult non-member $7.50, Adult member $5,
• kids ages 8 to 14 years $2.50
• Families of 4 non-members $15 members $10
Sunday February 14 – Open Studio
Bring family and friends to AGB’s FREE drop-in art studio. Our artist instructors offer ideas as sources of inspiration to facilitate creative activities and encourage visitors to engage with art and craft making. In celebration of Valentine’s Day we will be making our own cards
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Cost: FREE
Sunday February 14 – Art Therapy Exhibition Opening
Bring family and friends to the Art Gallery of Burlington for the opening reception of “Visual Voice – Art Therapy in our Community” exhibition in the RBC Community Gallery.
Time: 2 – 3 pm
Cost: FREE
 Monday February 15 -Open Studio
Bring family and friends to AGB’s FREE drop-in art studio. Our artist instructors offer ideas as sources of inspiration to facilitate creative activities and encourage visitors to engage with art and craft making.
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Cost: FREE
The Open Studio program was made possible through financial support from the TDBank and the Economical Insurance Group.
The city subsidizes the Art Gallery to the tune of just under $1 million a year.
By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
During a recent city council meeting City Manager James Ridge advised council that he was going to be preparing “mandate” letters for all his Director level staff.
Cathy Robertson, will not be getting one of those letters – the city parted ways with her last week. Our informant advised that she was escorted out of the Roads and Parks maintenance office.
For the record we found Ms Robertson to be accessible, fair and competent. The department now tells people who call that she is no longer with the city.
 City manager James Ridge. Mandate letters are documents that set out what is expected of a Director; Ridge also mentioned that performance evaluations would be based on how well a Director meets the criteria set out in the mandate letters.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne released the contents of the mandate letters she sent her Ministers – will the public have an opportunity to read the mandate letters Ridge writes ? – he should make them public.
The operations at city hall are divided into two units: Development and Infrastruture (D&I) and Community and Corporate Services (C&CS).
Each of those used to have a General Manager that reported to the City Manager. At one point there were three General Managers – today there are none.
The departments within D&I and CCS are run by Directors.
Development and Infrastructure has two Directors:
Director Planning and Building – Mary Lou Tanner
Director of Roads and Park Maintenance – now vacant
Squeezed into D&I is an Executive Director of Capital Works – Allan Magi.
Community and Corporate Services has 7 Directors:
Director of Finance – Joan Ford
Director of Information Technology – Christine Swenor
Director of Legal Services and City Solicitor – Nancy Shea Nicol
Director of Human Resources – Laura Boyd
Director of Parks and Recreation – Chris Glenn
Director of Transit – Mike Spicer
Director of Transportation Services – Vito Tolone.
The corporate structure is such that there isn’t a number two in place to cover for the city manager and there isn’t a strong fall back should we lose the city manager – and with our recent five year record – losing city managers isn’t an unheard of experience in this city.
The current city council has gone through three of them – prior to that the city manager was in place for a decade.
City Council is working its way through the Strategic Plan – the document is full or promises – and we might see a different organizational form once that document is approved.
 City \Manager James Ridge, centre, with one of the KPMG consultants who are writing the Strategic Plan with input and comment from staff. Michelle Dwyer on the right has kept the flow of paper moving smoothly and managed a large part of the public engagement. Ridge has said on numerous occasions that the city is at a point where it needs to be paying serious attention to succession. There is some strong talent within the current manager ranks – female for the most part. There doesn’t appear to be anyone within the Director ranks that is an obvious candidate for either a General Manager level position or ready to move into the job of city manager. Ridge has a five year contract.
Things move at a different pace in the municipal world – but it is reasonable to expect the city manager to bring forward a revised corporate structure – if he is going to do anything – by the fall.
He now has a budget with a number of strong recommendations that he refine the reporting on financial matters.
When Burlington cut over to a Service Based budget model different services were grouped together with a dollar number for each service and a person who is responsible for the delivery of each service.
The problem with that model – which apparently wasn’t evident when it was put in place is that different operations are lumped in together. Paletta Mansion, Tyendaga Golf Club and the LaSalle Pavilion are all lumped into the same dollar allocation.
Councillor Jack Dennison who has the sharpest pencil on this council has complained that with the Service based approach he isn’t able to drill down and get a closer look at the line by line numbers.
For the most part the other members of council either don’t have the accounting smarts to fully understand the various levels of detail or are happy to trust staff to do the right thing and manage effectively.
Oversight of day to day operations can’t be as tight as it needs to be when the city manager has 9 Directors reporting to him. When there were General Managers in place it was their job to ensure that silos aren’t created and that there was real accountability.
Ridge brings a military bearing to his work – he served in the Canadian Armed Forces for a decade. Burlington is the first municipality where he has been the commanding officer.
Comments from people in the city who talk about things like this are neither hugely positive nor is there any negative comment about the man. He professes to be a private person but then has a picture of him and his dog in the personal blog of a local lawyer. Mixed messages there.
He is forthright, a little on the shy side and a hard worker. What we have seen in his personal work plan and what he seems to be advocating for with the Strategic Plan is very ambitious with a tendency to lay down hard promises – which in the world of municipal politics will get you nothing but grief. If the promises are delivered the public will say that is what we pay you for – and if he doesn’t deliver they will want strips of his hide.
Not sure that Ridge can handle hard on the head criticism.
Watching how James Ridge evolves as a city manager is going to be an interesting exercise.
By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Whenever there is weather forecast that relates to rain –there are a lot of people in Burlington who pause – some even shudder.
Environment Canada is advising that our area will be experiencing rainfall amounts in the order of 15 to 25mm this evening and overnight. With partially frozen ground conditions and soils near saturation, water levels are expected rise.
 Widespread flooding is not anticipated, however there is potential for minor flooding of low-lying areas. Water levels in our reservoirs are low and storage is available to manage potential runoff within regulated systems.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to stay away from watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary.
Conservation Halton will issue an update to this Watershed Condition Statement – Water Safety Statement only if significant changes in the forecasts occur. This Watershed Condition Statement will be in effect through to Thursday February 4, 2016.
 By Pepper Parr
February 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
“In keeping with the Liberals’ commitment to ensuring an inclusive and open government” said the media release, “Burlington MP Karina Gould and Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff continued the Finance Minister’s collaborative approach to budget planning by participating in a large number of extensive pre-budget consultations across the ridings in January to gather input from a variety of individuals, groups and organizations on the key issues that should be addressed in the federal governments’ upcoming budget.”
In early January, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau officially launched the Government’s pre-budget consultations and called upon Canadians to share their thoughts on how to better support the middle class, create jobs, and set the right conditions for long-term prosperity and stronger economic growth.
 Burlington MP Karina Gould works very well with people – she listens well. Not widening the pre-budget consultations to include more than the stake holders might have been a lost opportunity. Throughout the month of January, Damoff and Gould participated in consultations with a large number of groups including both Oakville and Burlington Chambers of Commerce, the Town of Oakville and City of Burlington, the Region of Halton, representatives of local unions, businesses, social service providers as well as other local MPs and MPPs. They also invited all residents in their ridings to have their say on the budget through their Facebook and Twitter pages.
And that’s the rub – social media is not consulting with people; it’s sort of like a placebo – something you put in place hoping that the person swallowing the medicine will never know that it isn’t the real thing.
The input the local MPs received during pre-budget consultations covered a number of broad themes, including economic growth, climate change, social infrastructure – particularly housing , public transit, youth employment, a national transportation strategy, local infrastructure including active transportation like cycling and walking, and green infrastructure. Of particular importance to those who offered input was improved local infrastructure to assist and improve economic growth.
Examples of local infrastructure put forward in Burlington included grade separations, LED lighting conversion and active transportation links over the QEW. The Burlington Chamber stressed the importance of small and medium –size business to not only our local economy, but national economic growth. The need to focus on local transit, and integration between municipalities was brought up a number of times. Both Oakville and Burlington were clear that they need stable and sustainable funding for infrastructure, and that the process needs to allow for transformational change in the riding.
 Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff takes part in the annual polar bear dip – she’s capable of doing things differently. “I was very impressed with the high level of input I received throughout the pre-budget consultation process and was particularly pleased to see such a collaborative approach taken to addressing our local and national economic issues,” said Ms. Damoff. “I look forward to continuing to consult with constituents across my riding as the budget process continues.”
“Our government was elected on a platform that promised extensive consultation throughout the legislative process,” said Ms. Gould. “It’s positive that many of the issues stakeholders raised during our pre-budget consultations are in direct correlation with our government’s priorities which I’m confident will translate into results for Burlington and Canada.”
All input received has been shared with the Finance Minister to inform the decision-making around the budget.
Both Damoff and Gould are superb political campaigners – they have a very real capacity to listen to people and they are part of that new wave of politicians who don’t take themselves too seriously and have fun at the same time.
Both members of Parliament could have and should have held an open mike evening where people would have been invited to speak – but out there ideas and see how the meeting reacted to them.
 A grade separation is important and when this one on King |Road was completed it made a difference – but it has yet to result in any new business development along King Road They went to the stakeholders – this with vested interests – did you expect the Chamber of Commerce to advocate for a $20 minimum wage and does anyone think that Community Development Halton is going to get excited about a grade separation at a rail crossing?
There was an opportunity to have them all in the same room where they could mix it up and perhaps, just perhaps hear each other and begin to understand each other.
A missed opportunity. Maybe next time.
 By Staff
February 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
If the numbers tell the story then the data released by the Regional Police on their efforts to reducing traffic behaviour at intersections is compelling.
Operation RISC (Reducing Intersection Safety Concerns) was implemented throughout 2015 by officers from 30 Division in order to maximize police visibility and increase the public’s perception of safety while driving. This traffic safety campaign was created to reduce the number of motor vehicle collisions throughout the City of Burlington.
 Speed limit sign is clear – so are those radar guns in the hands of two police officers waiting for someone to break that speed limit. Collisions at intersections have a high risk potential of serious injuries or even death, making intersection safety a priority for the Halton Regional Police Service. The most common contributing factors are inattentiveness, distracted driving (cell phone use), failing to yield, driving too fast for road conditions, following too closely and disobeying traffic lights signals.
The mission of Operation RISC (Reducing Intersection Safety Concerns) is to proactively reduce the amount of collisions occurring within traffic intersections throughout the City of Burlington.
The goal of this initiative is twofold: To deter drivers from committing the types of offences that increase the probability of a collision at or near an intersection. To educate drivers and promote safe driving habits.
Officers from 30 Division conducted 4,182 traffic stops, issued 5,165 PONS and handed out 672 warnings during 2015. Furthermore, Officers spent a total of 2,343 hours dedicated to RISC Intersections.
As a result of this combined effort from police; property damage motor vehicle collisions were down 6%, personal injury motor vehicle collisions were down 12% and hit and run motor vehicle collisions were down 12% for 2015.
The Halton Regional Police is committed to reducing motor vehicle collisions in an effort to providing a safer community. Operation RISC will be implemented again during 2016 throughout the City of Burlington.
If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern they can do so by visiting our website and submitting an online traffic complaint.
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