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August 24, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Alzheimer’s Society of Hamilton and Halton in partnership with JBH will be holding monthly information sessions at Joseph Brant Hospital aimed at family caregivers learning to cope with the people who suffer from Alzheimer disease. To register for a session please call (905) 632-3737 ext. 5689. Sessions will take place on the last Tuesday of every month, excluding May and December – in the Gordon Room of the main hospital building from 4:00 – 5:00pm. 
August 24, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Redevelopment and Expansion of the Joseph Brant Hospital is the biggest redevelopment that Burlington has ever seen. So big that is got a line all of its own on your tax bill – the taxpayers are putting up $60 million to get the hospital built. The new hospital will be completed in two distinct phases, with an estimated completion date of 2018.  When completed the orientation for the hospital will have the main entrance on Lakeshore Road facing the lake. The road is being raised by as much as a full metre in places to accommodate the changes. Phase One is complete. The Halton McMaster Family Health Centre is open and already welcoming patients! Construction still continues on the new parking facility and the administration offices of JBH. Highlights of our new building include: Halton McMaster Family Health Centre – the Burlington Family Health Team are operating clinics within the centre; Teaching classrooms for McMaster Residents as part of the McMaster University Department of Family Medicine; Administration offices for Joseph Brant Hospital and Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. Phase Two: The new seven-storey patient tower will be built on the existing parking lot at the back of the existing hospital and will be connected to the parking facility by a foot bridge. The main highlights of the second phase of the project include: A new Emergency Department  The new entrance to the hospital will be on Lakeshore Road facing the lake with the parking garage yards away on the west side. There will be a walking bridge from the garage to the second level of the hospital. The hospital is being much more proactive with the information they are making available. They have installed a camera that lets you pop in and see what is being done on the construction site – live. Interesting to watch. There is a video of the project overall – a little on the long side but if you want a full sense of what they are setting out to do and you have three minutes you don’t know what to do with – click to see the project – no popcorn.
August 22, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Jenn Street pedestrian bridge, connecting Norton Park and Jenn Street will closed starting Tuesday, Aug. 25 through to Thursday, Aug. 27 for work to replace the surface of the bridge. The bridge is expected to reopen on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015.
August 21, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Region’s A team headed for Niagara Falls and met with provincial ministers and their aids to explain the problems they are having with the provincially mandated growth targets set out in the Provincial Places to Grow Act.  Regional Chair Carr tasting honey on a farm tour. Few realize just how big and diverse the Region actually is – the Chair covers all of it. Chair, Gary Carr and members of Regional and Local Councils were at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference to discuss the critical issues facing the Region. “We continue to emphasize to Provincial leaders the pressing need to find solutions to ensure the Region can meet provincial growth targets,” said Gary Carr, Halton’s Regional Chair. “Halton is mandated to grow to 780,000 by the year 2031, which means the Region needs long-term funding and legislative tools to ensure that taxpayers are not responsible for the financial impacts of growth.”  The population growth is very aggressive. Much of it took place in Milton – Burlington is going to have to absorb a significant portion of the 278,000 people we have to take in. The Region currently uses the figure 500,000 when it talks about the size of the population it serves to grow by an additional 280,000 people in 16 years is aggressive to say the least. What Burlington needs to know is how many of that more than a quarter of a million people are we going to have to take make room for and where in the city will they live?  This is where the Region gets its money: Where will the revenue growth come from – user fess, property taxes and development charges – they are all part of your wallet. What are we going to have to provide in terms of services and how do we upgrade the transit service we have to move people around the city because there is no room for additional road capacity. Chair Carr, Regional along with the mayors of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville and a number of Regional and local Councillors met with several Provincial leaders: Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ted McMeekin, to discuss the need to create affordable housing solutions and conformity with Provincial growth legislation; Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris, to discuss funding for public health programs, ambulance off-loading delays, enhancements to the Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) and community mental health services; Minister of Education, Liz Sandals, to discuss the need for long-term funding to support new schools; Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca, to discuss Halton’s community infrastructure needs including GO train service in the Town of Milton and Town of Halton Hills; Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and Burlington MPP, Eleanor McMahon, to discuss Conservation Authority funding and aggregate resources legislation; Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Yasir Naqvi, to discuss the upcoming review of the Police Services Act; Attorney General, Madeleine Meilleur, to discuss Halton’s immediate need for a new courthouse in the Town of Milton; and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, to discuss waste management legislation and adapting and responding to climate change.  Municipal leaders argue that they deliver most of the services that citizens want yet get the smallest amount from taxpayers. They want a bigger slice of the pie – or better yet – a bigger pie. Several of the meetings related to near critical needs; the Court House in Milton is a mess; long term care is heading for crisis if something isn’t done and affordable housing needs very serious attention. Transportation and transit are going to gobble up millions and the damage from the August 2014 storm is but a sign of things to come. No one knows yet just how much it is going to cost to upgrade and in some places perhaps have to rebuild the waste and storm water system we have in place. Halton is fortunate in that it has a Regional chair with experience at Queen’s Park and the resources within his own administration to advocate with strength and authority. The Region continues to advocate to both the Provincial and Federal governments as part of the Region’s Advocating for a Strong Halton campaign. The Region wants changes to the Development Charges Act, there is draft legislation now being debated at Queen’s Park. The province wants development charges that support the recovery and collection of growth related costs to ensure that Halton’s taxpayers do not bear the financial impacts of growth. What those development charges do however is increase the cost of new housing which for Burlington are high as it is.
August 21, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton Regional Police are looking for a fugitive who has skipped bail three times – when they catch him – and they will – does a Judge give him bail again? Probably because it costs too much to keep these people in a jail On week 18 of the Fugitive Friday program the police are looking for Matthew PARSONS  Matthew Parsons – skipped out on his bail three times – police want him in custody. Each Friday the police ask the public for help finding people who have chosen to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place. The police share “Fugitive Friday” information on their website and through social media – Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice. The 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Matthew PARSONS, 30 years old, of Burlington, ON. It is alleged: – In November of 2014 the accused attempted to steal various items from a store in Burlington – The accused was stopped by store security outside when he attempted to flee with the stolen items – The accused was detained until police arrived and continued the arrest – During the arrest the accused was found to be in possession of Crystal Methamphetamines – The accused failed to attend court in February and was arrested again and held for bail – The accused was later released on a Recognizance and was to attend court in July, which he failed to do and a warrant was issued for his arrest He is now wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for: Theft under $5000 x 2 PARSONS is described as 5’9”, 190lbs, blue eyes and brown hair. PARSONS has a tattoo of an “Aquarius” symbol on his left arm. PARSONS is known to frequent Burlington and the surrounding areas. Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist investigators in identifying him are encouraged to contact D/C Bulbrook – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
August 21, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Two of Halton Region’s popular fall waste diversion events are fast approaching. The fall Compost Giveaway event will take place on Saturday, September 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton.  Regional Councillors showing off the larger size blue boxes. The Region is very proactive with its waste diversion programs. The Region is also hosting the two remaining Special Waste Drop-off Days on Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sheridan College in Oakville and on Saturday, October 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mohawk Raceway in Campbellville. Compost Giveaway Event Residents attending this event are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or cash donation, which will be distributed to Halton area food banks.  Composting – best way to get a garden to really produce – and this time it is free. During the spring Compost Giveaway in May, 3,610 residents picked up approximately 1500 tonnes of compost created from all of the leaves, brush, tree and garden trimmings collected curbside and dropped off at the HWMS. Residents also donated $7,878 and 3,640 kilograms of food to local food banks as part of the event. Visit halton.ca/compost for more information. Special Waste Drop-off Days At this year’s two remaining special waste events on September 19 and October 24, residents are welcome to drop off acceptable items such as: pesticides, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, computers, stereos, TVs and DVD players. Residents who are unable to attend the Special Waste Drop-off Days may drop off acceptable hazardous waste (20 litres per trip, no commercial materials) and electronic items, free of charge at the HWMS, 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton, Monday to Saturday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For more information on the upcoming waste diversion events and a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable hazardous items, contact Halton Region by dialing 311 or 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-422-5866 or visit halton.ca/waste.
August 20, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The City of Burlington has installed an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station in the parking garage at 414 Locust St. in downtown Burlington – the first EV charging station in a municipal parking lot in the city.
Located on floor 1A of the parking garage, the recharging station allows electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars in a central downtown location. Two electric vehicles can be charged at one time. The EV charging station is part of the Community Energy program that was endorsed by city council some time ago and developed with community groups, agencies and businesses. The plan is an holistic view of how energy is used, conserved, generated and distributed with a focus on how community partners can work together to improve and integrate community energy systems.
August 20, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Part two of a two part feature on how the Conservation Authority explains The Flood. There are no streamflow gauges located along Roseland Creek, Tuck Creek, Shoreacres Creek, and Appleby Creek. Flow rates for the event were estimated by comparing high water marks that resulted from the storm event with other data. Crews from Conservation Halton conducted field investigations during the week following the storm. They identified locations of high water marks and debris lines at the upstream and downstream sides of culvert and bridge crossings, through parks and other public lands, and on private properties where permission had been provided.  The 407 became a catch basin for the water cascading down from the Escarpment creeks. The rainfall totals are higher in the sections of the watersheds upstream of the QEW than rainfall totals downstream of the QEW. This generated a trend of decreasing flow rates relative to return period flows where considerable storage and flow attenuation was available within creek and valley areas upstream of road and railway crossings. Runoff rates generated by the storm are a function of both total rainfall, and rainfall intensities. Generally, average watershed rainfall totals are higher than 100 year values used in the computer simulation models, and less than the Regional (Hurricane Hazel) Generally, estimated flow rates are less than the computer simulated and higher than or equal to the 100 year simulated values. The areas of most significant impacts associated with riverine/flood plain flooding are located in portions of the City of Burlington that were developed prior to the application of Provincial and Conservation Authority flood plain planning policies. Areas in which these policies were applied as part of the development process experienced significantly less erosion and flood damages demonstrating their effectiveness.  Tuck Creek days after the rain had stopped. The Hager-Rambo Diversion Channel afforded a significant level of protection during the event for those portions of the City below the channel, south of Fairview Street and east of QEW Niagara to Drury Lane. Conservation Halton staff received reports that the diversion channel was flowing near capacity. Staff also received reports of the Upper East Rambo Creek spilling along the CNR (Halton) tracks from the East Rambo Pond (north of the QEW/403) and flooding several properties along Plains Road.
An investigation should be conducted in partnership with the City of Burlington to determine what mitigation measures can be implemented to reduce future riverine flood damages along Tuck Creek upstream and downstream of New Street. An investigation should be conducted in partnership with the City of Burlington to determine the extent of runoff diverted from Shoreacres Creek into Tuck Creek at Highway 407 during the August 4th, 2014 storm event. Also, the investigation should determine what mitigation measures could be constructed to prevent or reduce any future spills from Shoreacres Creek into Tuck Creek in this location. An assessment should be conducted in partnership with the Regional Municipality of Halton and the City of Burlington to inventory the number and location of telemetered rainfall and streamflow gauges within their respective networks to identify potential gaps. Expansions to the networks should be undertaken in a collaborative and coordinated manner to facilitate data sharing and enhance flood forecasting and emergency response capabilities within the City of Burlington. These improvements will help to better equip all agencies to respond to similar events in the future as more frequent short intense storms are expected as a result of a changing climate. Consideration should be given to updating the watershed studies for Roseland, Tuck, Shoreacres, Appleby and Sheldon Creeks in an effort to explore opportunities to reduce storm runoff rates and volumes. To the absolute amazement of the Conservation people was the fact that the storm, which was in fact three separate storms, came in from the northj west and hovered over three different creeks from approximately 1:15 pm to about 9:00 pm. The two closest water depth collectors were to the east and the west of the storm – the data from those two devices normally tell the environmental staff at Conservation Halton what is going on but there wasn’t any significant rainfall outside the narrow SIZE band of the storm. From a data point of view – there was nothing abnormal – which wasn’t the way people south of the 407 who were experiencing the storm saw things. The data from the collectors basically said – there was no rainfall here. Part one of a two part feature on how the Conservation Authority explains The Flood
August 20, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Part one of a two part feature on how the Conservation Authority explains The Flood. All most people have are memories of the flood we had more than a year ago. Any claims that were made for financial support under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) have been paid – although no one has yet been able to say just why the provincial government held back 10% of the money it put up for what they called “risk mitigation”. MPP Eleanor McMahon has made it a practice to continue to call on some of the people who were badly flooded to see how they are doing. The province has announced major changes to ODRAP that will be ready sometime in 2016. The only thing ahead is the celebration of the $5,000 + donours and the placing of a plaque, that will take place September 15th at the Performing Arts Centre where a documentary done by Cogeco will be screened. Reports on what actually happened have been prepared and while they are public – they haven’t been given all that much attention. Those reports have costs buried in them – the flood is going to cost taxpayers millions. City hall seems to have forgotten that there is a public out there that does want to be informed.  The rain clouds settled over Tuck Creek and remained there for seven and a half hours flooding the basements of more than 3500 homes in the eastern side of the city. The centre of the August 4th, storm occurred just downstream of Highway 407 along Tuck Creek. The rainfall that occurred at the storm centre was approximately 190 mm, and is similar in total to the Regional Storm. That Regional storm is a benchmark used for comparative purposes – the public knows it as Hurricane Hazel which took place in 1954 The Halton Conservation Authority released its report in which they set out what happened based on the data that was available; they also provided a number of recommendations. The Conservation Authority is responsible for what they call the riverines and how the water moves through them. Their report sets out the bigger picture and some of the reasons why the flood did the damage it did –– they make it very clear that global warming is something very real and something we have to accept as part of how we plan for adverse weather. Heavy rain fell on Burlington during the afternoon and evening of August 4th, 2014. The storm extended from roughly Mountsberg Road in the north to Lake Ontario in the south, Burloak Drive in the east, and Brant Street in the west. A band of thunderstorms continued to develop and intensify during the day over the area. The eastern part of Burlington was about to be engulfed by a storm that would cause havoc, significant financial loss and change for decades the lives of some families. The part of the city that was deluged with rain came from a storm aligned in a northwest to southeast direction. The area was elliptically shaped with a length of approximately 25 km and a width of approximately 9 km. The area of the storm was approximately 200 square km. The storm was centred over the middle and upper portions of Roseland Creek, and Tuck Creek just east of Highway 407. Its intensity is seen in the videos taken that day. Dundas looking north on Guelph Line, and Palmer Drive. The watercourses most impacted were Tuck Creek, Shoreacres Creek, and Appleby Creek. An additional feature of the storm was that it hovered in place from about 1:30 pm through till just before 9:00 pm. There were actually three storms separated by short periods of time; never more than 45 minutes. The significant runoff in a short period of time, basically a flash flood, hit homes, businesses and parks. The flow of water overtopped watercourse crossings, closed roads, and flooded motor vehicles. Homes were flooded by runoff that entered the buildings through the sanitary/storm sewer system, and from runoff that overflowed watercourse banks. Incorrectly installed downspouts added to the problem. Reports were released by both Conservation Halton and the city of Burlington. The Conservation report deals solely with runoff that overflowed watercourse banks (riverine flooding). The Region of Halton and the City of Burlington have the task of assessing flood damages from storm and sanitary sewer systems which they did through separate studies. It is the city report that sets out the extent of the damage to property and homes and sets out where changes need to be made – including the need to remove some homes that are now at risk. An additional financial result for the people of Burlington is going to be a Storm Water Management tax that is going to hit the malls with those large parking lots quite heavily. Think in terms of at least a 4% tax increase each year for perhaps two years.  More than a handful of weather elements combined to create a very small in area storm that flooded thousands of basements. Approximately 6000 properties were flooded within the City; roughly 3500 of which reported basement flooding. On August 4, 2014 the atmosphere over south central Ontario in the afternoon was very moist and unsettled making it favourable for storm development. People were out and about enjoying the holiday. Joseph Brant day was being celebrated at LaSalle Park, which turned out to be well outside the part of the city that got drenched. There were strong winds but not much more than that. The winds aloft were generally light and from the west, meaning that if storms were to form, they would drift slowly from west to east allowing notable amounts of rain to fall on the areas they passed over. The general light wind pattern also made it a day where a lake breeze circulation could set up and, by early afternoon, the surface winds began to blow inland from Lake Ontario. As the afternoon progressed, these factors came together to generate shower and thunderstorm activity. The lake breeze circulation combined with outflow winds from other nearby storms resulted in a series of storms over the Burlington area. There was a repeated development of storm cells to the west of Burlington which the weak winds aloft caused to drift continually over the eastern part of the city. When the storm arrived it just hung in the one rather narrow area and didn’t move. The Conservation Authority measures storm activity using data from approximately 34 rainfall gauges and two radar stations. The Region of Halton had 11 gauges There were only three gauges close to the storm centre. Due to the narrow width of the storm cell, most of the rainfall gauges within the Burlington area didn’t catch any of the rainfall. Radar data was used to refine the rainfall distribution across Burlington. NexRAD radar data was obtained for the Buffalo station through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Radar data was also obtained from the King City (Environment Canada) station. A storm that did very significant damage to property on the eastern side of the city was so small in area that it slipped through the gauges that were in place to record and report on the rainfall. The only people who were aware of the storm and its intensity were the people in the middle of it. Water began to accumulate along the side of the escarpment and worked its way into the creeks and came cascading into the city using creeks that could not handle the volume which meant water was pushed over the creek banks, flooding into streets and lawns that could not absorb all the water in such a short period of time. This video was taken at Eaglesfield Drive south of Dundas . This footage taken at UpperMiddle Road – Headon – Centennial is almost entertaining; they both show just how much water there was on the streets. Rain from the roofs of housing poured through downspouts – with thousands of them draining into the waste water system that was not built to handle that kind of volume. The rainfall that started at approximately 1:30 pm and ended by 9:00 pm was measured at approximately 196 mm – it all came down in a seven and a half hour time frame.  The bars show the time that the three main storms hovered over the city and their intensity. The line is the measurement of the rain that fell in the Mainway arena tipping bucket. The data collected revealed that there were in fact three separate storms – all three hovered over the same areas and each had its own intensity. It was the accumulation of the three storms that the creeks and the water run off could not handle. The closest rain gauge to the centre of the storm that recorded the distribution of rainfall was located at the Mainway Arena. The maximum rainfall recorded at the Mainway gauge was approximately 124 mm. The device at Mainway was a “tipping bucket” design – something that when it is full tips over and empties. “The rain was coming down so heavily that the bucket filled very quickly and would tip over and empty – making it difficult to get really solid data.  This chart compares the rainfall during hurricane Hazel with the August 2014 storm that Burlington experienced. Conservation has a benchmark they call a Regional storm (Hurricane Hazel which hit Etobicoke in 1954) that is used for comparative purposes. Average rainfall for each watershed was: Roseland Creek 120mm That rainfall tore through the creeks which is some cases had a lot of vegetation and tree limbs that should have been cleared out regularly. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reported that the preliminary estimate for insured damage caused by heavy rains and flooding in Burlington was just over $90 million. Insurance did not cover the cost of all damages. Some owners received full coverage while others were only partially covered or not covered at all. Approximately 6,000 properties were reported to have experienced flooding, some caused by overland flow roughly 3,500 from basement flooding (storm water or sanitary sewer backup). The Conservation Authority was focused on damages as a result of floodwaters overtopping the banks of watercourses. Specifically, the Conservation observed and/or reported riverine (creek-based) flood damages for each watercourse. This list does not include flooding associated with storm water (from roadways, ditches, etc.) or sanitary sewer backup as these flood impacts are being assessed by others. Roseland Creek: Two (2) commercial buildings flooded; approximately two watercourse crossings overtopped; QEW closed; and Watercourse scour and erosion. Tuck Creek: Approximately 65 residences flooded; One commercial building flooded; approximately 13 watercourse crossings overtopped; Highway 407 ETR closed; The data available places the centre of the storm downstream of Highway 407 along Tuck Creek. The rainfall that occurred at the storm centre was approximately 190 mm, and is similar in total to the Regional Storm. Estimated flow rates upstream of Upper Middle Road are slightly greater than the Regional Storm while flow rates downstream are roughly equal to the 100 year simulated event. Flow rates decreased substantially downstream of Upper Middle Road. This is likely due to the availability of flood storage within the wider and more defined natural valley features along the upper portions of Tuck Creek. Shoreacres Creek: Approximately 2 residences flooded; One industrial building flooded; approximately 5 watercourse crossings overtopped; Rural ditch erosion repairs; driveway culvert repairs/replacements at washout locations; QEW closed; pumping Station flooded; underpass flooded; and Watercourse scour and erosion. Appleby Creek: Approximately 3 watercourse crossings overtopped; Underpass flooded; trails and pedestrian crossings flooded; and Watercourse scour and erosion. Several debris jams were identified during field investigations after the storm. These occurred in the following locations: Section of Tuck Creek between New Street and Regal Road  As the water roared through the creeks it pushed everything in front of it – including vegetation and tree limbs which did much of the damage to pedestrian bridges. While the debris jams were not the cause of flooding in these highlighted areas (given the significant flows within creek systems during the storm), their impacts may have contributed to localised flood levels on adjacent properties. Given the unprecedented nature of the storm event and the significant flows generated, a substantial amount of woody debris and creek substrate was mobilized during the storm. This was particularly pronounced in the older portions of Burlington in which the creek widths were narrowed by historic development and flood plain/overbank areas were not readily accessible to flood flows. This configuration caused flood depths in the creeks to be higher and erosive forces to be more damaging. Part two of a two part feature on how the Conservation Authority explains The Flood
August 20, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON It took a while but the Halton Regional Police determined that a 40-year old Burlington man is to be charged with a number of offences following a serious collision in Burlington on Saturday August 1st 2015.
The male sustained serious injuries in the collision, which was witnessed by a number of passers-by. As a result of the subsequent investigation by the Halton Regional Police Collision Reconstruction Unit, Edward LEE of Burlington has been charged with Driving while Disqualified, contrary to the Criminal Code, along with Careless Driving, Red Light-Fail to Stop, and Failing to Wear a Proper Helmet on a Motorcycle, all contrary to the Highway Traffic Act. Halton Regional Police wish to remind all users of power-assisted bicycles that it is their responsibility to ensure that their vehicle, and the manner in which it is used, conforms with all legal requirements
August 19, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Youth from across the Burlington have been invited by the 3 Things for Burlington team to hear what the Federal Election Candidates have to say about issues related to young people and to learn how a federal election works. There will be an interactive discussion designed to ensure the politicians hear the voice of youth and understand that youth issues are important. The event takes place Monday, 31 August 2015 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Burlington Public Library – Central Branch Centennial Hall. The event is being put on by 3 Things for Burlington, a youth led initiative that wants to inspire others, initiate change, and impact our community. Free tickets can be had by clicking on the link to the left
When two members of the group, Bryan Giron and Chris Choi, delegated before city council they got a very enthusiastic response – didn’t see any kind act in the days that followed – maybe the concept doesn’t apply to elected officials. Randi Minaker is the project lead with a group of teens that sit on a Steering Committee who plan all of the events, and discuss how they could better spread the word about the project. These teens encourage every citizen in the City of Burlington, no matter age or ability, to take part in 3 random acts of kindness. Once people complete a kind act we ask that they either check out our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to share their story with us. By sharing your story with us we believe that it will inspire others to take part in this initiative. After all, 3 Things for Burlington is all about inspiring others, initiating change, and impacting community. 3 Things for Burlington has been around since early 2015, their official launch party was in July. A youth committee came up with the idea for the election related event and they were able to get funding for the project through the Laidlaw Foundation.  Some of Burlington’s youth will be taking part in an event where candidates for federal office will be speaking directly to youth and there issues. The 3 Things for Burlington Steering Committee decided that they wanted to host a Federal Candidate Discussion for youth as one of their 3 Things. They noted that young people tend not to vote when they come of age because they are not educated enough on what their candidates stand for. At this event, which all candidates from all parties have been invited, youth will be educated on the political platforms of our candidates, and have the opportunity to ask any questions. They will be learning about issues that directly impact youth, and how an election works. This event is politically neutral, none of our team is a part of any political party; they have made sure that all candidates were invited. The format will have each candidate addressing the people who show up followed by time for questions as well. They will also have a welcome package with information about the upcoming election, how it works, and other important info. Minaker helped the teens set up the event. She works for Community Development Halton.
August 19, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Maple Skate Park will be closed from Aug. 31 to Oct. 17, 2015 for park improvements. Construction to update the park will include the installation of a new feature called a “wedge roll-in”; unveiling of the improvements is scheduled for mid-October.  Ward Councillor Blair Lancaster and Mayor Rick Goldring put their political reputations on the line and stand on skate boards. Is there one foot on the ground there? The improvements to the park were made possible with the support of the GWD Foundation for Kids, the City of Burlington and the Maple Tribute Project community group. They raised more than $10,000 to honour the memory of Andrew McKay, an avid member of the Maple Skate Park community, who passed away in 2013.  This is how they do it. During the closure, the City’s other skate parks will remain open. Visit www.burlington.ca/parks for locations
August 19, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON When something happens in Hamilton it sometimes impacts Burlington. Temporary changes to the bus service to Hamilton; Detour Routes: 1, 1X and 101 Express on Aug. 20, 2015 • Regular routing to King Street and Bay Street,
August 19, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON What do the aboriginal people have to teach us? Is there something in their teachings that can be applied to the world we live in today?\  Inside the Deer Clan Longhouse – this is not the kind of dwelling the aboriginal tribes lived in. The event will take place in the Deer Clan Longhouse, a stunning modern space located within a reconstructed 15th century Iroquoian Village. The three workshops are on: how traditional ways can be practiced in an urban world; the importance of the teachings of the drum and song in building strength and community for Anishinaabe people. Choose from three workshop themes; Anishinaabe Drum Teachings, Anishinaabe Songs, or Urban Indigenous Ways of Knowing, or join us for all three. These workshops offer the opportunity spend an evening learning about our collective history while joining in on music and traditions that enrich the soul. “Through stories and song, Eddy works towards a day when the power of knowledge, inclusiveness and sharing of First Nations cultures helps our nation and all its’ people become connected and stronger.” Saturday, August 22 Saturday, August 29 Workshops tickets are $25 per person (+HST). For more information or to register visit www.conservationhalton.ca/events. Eddy Robinson is Anishinabe (Ojibway/Cree) and a member of the Crane Clan, a leadership clan for the Anishinabek. Born and raised in Toronto, he is a First Nation citizen of the Missanabie Cree First Nation. It was in the city that he found his cultural identity and got in touch with his spirituality through spending time with Traditional Healers and Elders visiting Toronto. Over the past 20 years, Eddy has worked in Indigenous communities throughout Ontario, striving to improve the quality of life for his people. Eddy has evolved into a noted Anishinaabe artist, musician, activist and educator, and is a member of the National Speakers Bureau. About Crawford Lake Conservation Area  Conservation Halton is the community based environmental agency that protects, restores and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science based programs and services. You can step back in time and explore the 15th century Iroquoian Village that has been reconstructed on its original site at Crawford Lake. The spirits still sing in the longhouses where tools, animal hides and the smell of smoke let you experience the rich history of Ontario’s First Peoples.
August 18, 2105 BURLINGTON, ON The fate of tar sands pipelines across the country – including Enbridge’s Line 9 that runs through Burlington – is now in the hands of whoever wins the October 19 federal election. Despite full support from the Harper government and direct Conservative assistance to Enbridge via Mike Duffy, no increase in pipeline transport of Alberta bitumen anywhere in Canada has occurred since the Conservatives won a majority four years ago.  The Enbridge pipeline monitoring site on Walkers Line – looking west. Enbridge can control the flow of oil through this location from their control rooms in Edmonton. Does that make the line safer? The satellite dish in the upper left handles the signals Enbridge officials have now acknowledged that they won’t be able to submit hydrostatic testing results of Line 9 until the end of the year to the National Energy Board (NEB). Analysts calculate that the repeated delays to the project launched three years ago have added $100 million to the company’s costs of reversing the direction of flow in the 40-year-old pipe and increasing its volumes by 25 percent. Since the NEB ordered the hydrostatic testing in three small sections of the pipeline in response to pressure from municipalities and the Ontario government, another huge pipeline leak in Alberta has business commentators suggesting that further oil sands pipes “look doomed”. The 5-million litre Nexen spill from a brand new state-of-the-art pipeline leaked for up to two weeks before being discovered in mid-July. The 1200 km proposed Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline across northern BC to Kitimat has NEB approval but faces multiple First Nation lawsuits and is widely seen as having no hope of being built. The Keystone XL pipe across the border into the United States has been waiting more than three years for a decision from President Obama that’s predicted to be a refusal. A plan to twin a Kinder Morgan pipe from Alberta to Vancouver is tied up in an NEB review and has seen dozens of protestors arrested and vows from municipal mayors that they will prevent the project from proceeding.  Part of a May 2014 demonstration against the upgrading of a pipeline. The main blockage has been massive public opposition, especially in British Columbia and particularly from First Nations. The dismantling of federal environmental laws and the discrediting of the National Energy Board (NEB) have also played a part in delaying or halting projects that appeared almost certain to proceed. Provincial and municipal governments as well as federal opposition parties are saying thorough environmental reviews must now occur including consideration of both upstream and downstream climatic impacts of expanded tar sands extraction. Those factors have converted municipal and provincial governments into pipeline obstacles – with the most recent evidence filed last week when the Ontario Energy Board concluded that the risks of the proposed Energy East pipeline from Alberta to New Brunswick outweigh the benefits to the province and that it will drive up natural gas prices. “There is an imbalance between the economic and environmental risks of the project, and the expected benefits for Ontarians,” warns the Ontario regulator. “The primary concerns of Ontarians are about pipeline safety, and the impact of Energy East on their lakes, rivers and drinking water in the event of a spill.” The report puts additional pressure on the NEB which has elected to proceed with a review of the 4600 km pipeline despite not yet receiving complete information from the proponent, TransCanada Pipelines. The credibility of the NEB continues to be severely challenged, with another hit last week over the withdrawal of 25 participants in the Board’s review of the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline from Alberta to Vancouver.  It has not been a good time for pipe line companies anywhere in the country – Enbridge’s Line 9 was to be upgraded to handle chemically altered bitumen from the Alberta tar sands is going nowhere fast. This NEB review had earlier been denounced by the mayors of Vancouver, Burnaby and several other municipalities as well as by the former heads of both BC Hydro and the Insurance Corporation of BC. The most recent accusations of unfairness came after a Kinder Morgan consultant was appointed to the Board by the federal government. Other recent blows include revelations of spying on peaceful pipeline opponents that have led to a lawsuit against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and last week’s Guardian expose that the federal government has secretly spent millions on tar sands advocacy. Court disclosures of Mike Duffy emails show him secretly meeting with Enbridge apparently on behalf of Prime Minister Harper. The Gazette is indebted to CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) in Hamilton who publish regularly about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media.
August 18, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON This one didn’t take very long. Two robberies took place last Saturday in the wee hours of the morning, one in Georgetown and the other in Burlington by what police believed was the same person.  Naji DAWOOD, age 22, of Etobicoke arrested by Durham Regional Police The pictures they released made it very difficult to identify the robber who was believed to be armed at the time. A 22-year-old male from Etobicoke has been charged by Durham Regional Police in relation to nine armed robberies across the GTA including two robberies that occurred in Georgetown and Burlington on August 15th,2015. Anyone with further enquires is asked to call the Durham Regional Police Major Crime Robbery Unit.
August 18, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Part two of a two part feature on the development potential for the city Way back in 1985 council approved the building of what was then referred to as a legacy building that would soar 22 storeys into the sky. One wonders if Niagara Falls could be seen from the top floor. It took several decades to get the project to the point where all the regulatory hurdles were overcome. There still isn’t a shovel in the ground but there is a sales office and the look of the project is out there for all to see.  Architectural rendering of the Bridgewater development that will consist of two condominiums, owe 22 storeys and the other seven storeys and an eight storey hotel. The view is from the lake looking west. It will be a three structure development that will change the look and tone of the downtown core more than anything has since Joseph Brant had his house built on the edge of the lake. Immediately to the west of the development there are plans to re-develop the Waterfront hotel and replace what is there now with a possible three structures. The arrangement in place was to have the city come up with two plans and the developer come up with a plan of his own. If the projected plan for the Waterfront hotel site is done properly Burlington will have a cluster of hotel locations all within a city block of each other sitting on the edge of the Lake with the pier as a place for people coming to conventions to stroll along. Spencer Smith Park will be laid out before people in the hotel; some of the early thinking had the new hotel that would be built opening to the west.  The potential that two quality hotels in the downtown core is hard to fully grasp – but it is there. When? One of the sites was first approved in 1985. Different players may manage to get some wiggle into the process. There is tremendous opportunity for everyone here; Burlington needs a downtown core that will attract people, give people a reason to come to the city and take in an event at the Performing Arts Centre and tour the world class ceramics collection. The Bridgewater development – that is the two condominiums and the seven story hotel – is now in the hands of a quality developer. Jeff Paikin has done some fine work in the past and while this development is quite a bit larger than anything he has done in the past in Burlington – he has the executive capacity and the vision to make this happen. He also has a sincere desire to make his hometown a better place.  Think in terms of the Waterfront Hotel being torn down and the site having three buildings using up some of the space to the rear of the hotel.  The ADI Group development for Lakeshore and |Martha now has a name. They are running advertising in local media and are in the process of turning a retail location on Brant Street into a sales office. They are very serious. The problem development for many is the ADI Group plans for a 28 story tower at the intersection of Martha and Lakeshore Road which has been named the Nautica. The development is now before the Ontario Municipal Board; Burlington hasn’t done all that well at OMB hearings and ADI have brought in a top notch Bay street law firm. The fly in the ointment for project that are not at the OMB is the pace at which things happen in Burlington – everything just seems to take forever – and we get passed by. The continuity needed to ensure real progress takes place hasn’t existed at city hall. Burlington has been through two city managers with the third just getting the feel of the city. If you add in the short period of time Pat Moyle was brought in to oversee things while General Manager Scott Stewart basically ran the city – the total is four city managers in five years. They seem to stay for just over two years and then move on. One of the four was shown the door. Good municipal people tend to leave the city and look for a location that has more in the way of top level management that provides a setting where they can grow their own careers. There are some exceptionally good people who do fine work on your behalf day in and day out.  If the developments that are well beyond the thinking stage do it right this art of the city could become a new destination which a charm of its own – at least one of the developers just has to do it right and change some of their out of date thinking. A second very good development cluster is coming together on Brant Street at Ghent. The Burlington Square Plaza has announced their plans to significantly upgrade the site and add four levels of residential with commercial at grade level. That site has not managed to attract the commercial tenants it wanted. A new real estate firm has been brought in to rent the space and attract the kind of clientele that can take advantage of everything the site offers. The patio potential for the location is superb. A block north at the Prospect intersection with Brant there will eventually be a development that puts a high rise in place – expect the application to be for more than the eight storeys the Official plan allows. There is an opportunity for the developers of that site to retain some of the city’s heritage by including at least a portion of the GET NAME and date in any development. A shift in thinking about how to work with the member of council who represents the ward would serve everyone much better. There is still an element within the development community that feels council is there to hold up projects – the planning department is in place to ensure that the rules are fair and that the public interest is protected. Land is not there to be exploited by the owners; land is there to be used to the benefit of everyone – not just the owners who are entitled to the best return they can get. Good projects have consistently given a higher return to bot the owners of the land and the community they are located in. It is time for developers to think more about the city that is being developed rather than just the financial return. There is more than ample evidence showing that quality always pays off – anything less than the best that can be done diminishes everyone.  Robert Molinaro works with citizens on some ideas for the property they have assembled at Brant and Ghent The Molinaro Group has assembled properties on either side of Ghent across the Street from the Burlington Square Plaza. The opportunity for a cluster of buildings that will create a destination further up Brant Street offers another opportunity that we should not let get away from us. At least one of the Molinaro brothers has taken part in the working group sessions Councillor Meed Ward held recently. Her final report on what came out of those sessions is due late in September – it will be interesting to see what comes out of those public participation events The opportunity on Lakeshore Road with the planned development s that will put more high end residential development into the downtown core and create a cluster of hotel capacity is only good news. The city will need to upgrade its Tourism department to handle what will become a very different city that needs a more sophisticated approach to promoting the city. With two hotels within a block of each other and a Performing Arts Centre a short short walk away and a patio with several good restaurants looking over the lake – the city will be ready for small conventions.  Residents on the Beachway have spent thousands of dollars to upgrade their properties – this is where they live and where they want to stay. One of the better examples of improved properties is this house on Lakeshore Road. It would serve as an important part of a community park if it were retained. Mixed in with all this is the long range plan to turn the Beachway Park into something that will rival anything elsewhere in this province – indeed in the country. If a way can be found to keep at least some of the residential component in the park we will have shown the world that we understand the importance of community – which translates to having people who serves as the eyes on the street. If one were to stand back and look at the potential – one could get a little giddy with excitement – all we have to do is make it work. The vision is already there – executing on that vision is what the current council needs to do.
Links to related articles in the Gazette. Ward 2 Councillor convinces the developers to take part in her workshops.
August 18, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Part one of a two part feature on the development potential for the city Each city council, at the beginning of its term, meets for a number of weeks and hammers out a Strategic Plan. That Plan sets out what the city council wants to get done during the four years they are going to serve the citizens. There is very little in previous Strategic Plans worth remembering, except for the plan approved in 2011. For the most part they were a collection of pictures and motherhood statements. I had the opportunity to look at six or seven previous Strategic Plans – something I doubt the majority of the current Council bothered to do. Councillors Taylor and Dennison were at the table when those documents were approved. The Strategic Plan approved by the previous council, which was made up of the same people we have in place now, was a very impressive departure from anything done before. Both Council and staff worked very hard – sometimes at cross purposes – to produce a document that served the city well. There were some very moving occasions when we got to hear how Councillors felt about the city they were leading. In the closing session Councillor Jack Dennison spoke very emotionally about the need to ensure that the downtown core was given the attention and the resources needed to grow and become a large part of the focus for Burlington. We also got to see some of the character traits from some of the Council members that were disturbing then and disruptive now. The city was fortunate to have an excellent facilitator who not only led the group but educated several of them on what works and the way Strategic Plan development gets done. Perhaps hoping to build on what was achieved the last time around Council set out to craft the Strategic Plan for this term of office. It is not going very well.  It may well be 2016 before the Strategic Plan is approved. will it be as good as what this Council did in 2011? The city hired KPMG to direct them in the creation of the Strategic Plan for the current term but did not manage to get the same facilitator. There is now a team in place that is going to do tonnes of research and bring back a large handful of options. Unfortunately,  Georgina Black did a superb job of getting a new city council through the creation of a significantly different Strategic Plan. Councillor John Taylor loved every minute of it. Burlington wasn’t able to get Georgina Black back – she was the facilitator who did such fine work with council in 2011. Much of the work that KPMG is going to do was already being done by Frank McKeown, the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation. McKeon wasn’t able to attend the meeting at which all the research work KPMG is going to do was discussed. McKeown explains that he wasn’t told of the meeting until two days before it took place and that he was already committed to be elsewhere. McKeown adds that he had not seen the agenda. When it was brought to his attention – I think we heard him gulp. McKeown will resolve that problem and will have the needed discussions with KPMG. The creation of the 2014 – 2018 Strategic Plan is not off to a very good start. Council will not meet on this matter until the second half of October. They will have been in office for a year by that time There are going to be some very sticky Governance issues that do not look as if a reasonable resolution is going to be found. Despite the comments made regularly by Mayor Goldring – his is a very fractious council that is deeply divided on some critical issues. The amount of time, attention and financial resources to be given to community based initiatives will be limited by budget constraints due in no small measure by the cost of the 2014 flood. Some exceptional work has been done within the cultural sphere – the city now has two new people running major cultural institutions. Robert Steven is running the Art Gallery of Burlington and Susan Haines will take over the running of the Performing Arts Centre in September. Hopefully the Centre Board has retained retiring Executive Director Brian McCurdy to serve as a consultant for three to six months to oversee the transition. The Performing Arts Centre had gotten itself to the point where it was finally stable financially and the program being offered was working. Community groups were now a real part of the program offerings. There is every reason to believe that Haines can continue the work McCurdy did and eventually grow her board to the point where she can put her own stamp on the place.  The concept might have merit but there is no way this kind of an installation is going to work on a single lane road that is the main entrance to the hospital once the redevelopment has been done. Lakeshore Road has to be widened for the hospital traffic. The Museums have their work cut out for them but it doesn’t look as if they are going to draw on the city for financial support. There is however, some very hard thinking to be done on just what happens to the Joseph Brant Museum. The plans on the drawing board are just not going to work – someone needs to have the courage within the Museum Board to look at the facts and the changes that are going to take place on Lakeshore Road when the hospital re-development is done. Ireland House on the other hand is a gem; it offers some exceptionally good programming. Development: what does the city want and where does it want any development to take place – and what kind of development as well.  Waterdown Road is being widened – a precursor to some significant development. The Aldershot GO station was named a transportation/development hub – the developers may get their shovels in the ground and have walls up before the city arrives at some decisions. There is all kinds of development taking place in Aldershot – there is some dissension amongst the more active citizens and the council member does need to learn to listen a little better. Understanding who he represents would be a useful contribution Rick Craven could make to the quality of civic government in this city. Councillor Meed Ward continues with her, unique for Burlington, approach to involving the people she represents. There are two areas of development that can re-shape the kind of downtown core Burlington is going to have – both are in her ward. Before going into any detail on those two opportunities – the culture at city hall needs a closer look. There are departments that work exceptionally well – finance is perhaps the best run shop at city hall. The team if focused and well led. They were given the task of revamping the way budgets were prepared and presented to the public and told to make personal accountability part of the way city hall does business.  Scott Stewart and former city manager Jeff Fielding – they were quite a tag team for as long as it lasted. Fielding always let you know what was in the works – the new city manager has yet to reveal a management style. Then city manager Jeff Fielding challenged the finance department to bring about the change – then he departed for greener pastures and became the city manager in Calgary to the work that gets done. The finance department did deliver; unfortunately there isn’t a champion on city council to ensure that the work done is continued and that staff get the direction they need. A significant cultural change is taking place within the planning department; the hiring process for the new city planner is at the short short list. That decision may have already been made. This is a critical choice – the department is in the middle of completing a much delayed Official Plan Review; we may not see that document until the end of the year.  A rapt audience listened to an overview of the 2014 budget. What they have yet to have explained to them is the desperate situation the city will be in ten years from now if something isn’t done in the next few years to figure out how we are going to pay for the maintenance of the roads we have. Add in the cost of the 2014 flood and the city has a whopper of a budget to explain. Public engagement is a sorry mess – few remember the recommendations that came out of the Shape Burlington report that every member of this council heartily endorsed and then forgot about. There are reports of an initiative the city will announce in the fall that is neighbourhood oriented – it will be interesting to see the details. The current city manager doesn’t seem to have all that much appetite for real public engagement, the communications department is asking the public what they think about City Talk, a magazine format distributed to every household, that does more for the members of city council than anyone else. Council members love the thing; the communications department spend endless hours making revisions and the public for the most part doesn’t know it exists. There is a savings opportunity there. Now to the development potential in ward 2. Part two of a two part feature.
August 17, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON An MM Robinson grade 12 student has just completed a three week training program and taken part in a very prestigious rifle contest in Bisley, England. Aaron Kurd, proudly represented Burlington and his army cadet corps as a part of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet National Rifle Team (RCAC NRT) competing in the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, England. This is the largest shooting festival in the nation, held annually since 1868, that attracts top marksman from all across the globe. “The training and the potential opportunity to parachute is the reason I joined Army Cadets.” He said, “But shooting turned out to be what I really wanted to do.”  Aaron Kurd accepting the Gold Highest Possible Score Cross presented by Major Bezanson, Officer Commanding National Rifle Team. As part of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet National Rifle Team, Aaron’s score in this competition counted towards the Highest Possible Score award, an award only given to those who earned perfect scores. Over the past 8 weeks, he scored 10 Highest Possible Score, earning the Gold Highest Possible Score Cross presented by Major Bezanson, Officer Commanding National Rifle Team. Kurd, a Grade 12 student at M.M. Robinson High School, spent 3 weeks at Bisley, England competing in the Imperial Meeting hosted by the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom. Upon his return to Ottawa, he also competed in the Ontario Rifle Association (ORA) matches and the National Cadet Full-bore Championship (NCFC). The cadet program includes international exchanges to England, Wales, and Scotland is a free program designed to develop strong citizenship and leadership qualities for youth between the ages of 12-18. The program also aims to promote physical fitness, and stimulate interest in the activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.
August 17, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON  Plains Road has all kinds of work being done and a number of development projects in various stages. It is the busiest part of the city in terms of development work – which means upgrades to the utilities. The red circle on the right is the location for a planned apartment and townhouse project by the ADI Group 0 the while elliptic is a part of the road that was being given a planning review – the residents didn’t like what they heard about either project – but then that’s Aldershot. Waterdown Road is also closed – it’s going through a major upgrade.
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