 By Pepper Parr
July 26, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is difficult to find a developer in the Burlington area who will say great things about the city. It is easy to find developers, particularly the smaller ones, who do not have a complaint they are quite ready to share with you.
The “counter” – that’s the place developers first go to when they want to talk to people in the planning department, is often the focus of the complaints.
Developers will complain that they can never get a straight answer from the planning department and that just when they think they have everything the city needs in the way of reports – they find that yet another report is needed.
The planning department doesn’t see it quite that way – but they didn’t want to talk for attribution.
 Scott Stewart loves that sweater – has he had it since 1967? Scott Stewart, the General Manager for Infrastructure and Development is serving as the Interim Director of Planning – and he is a lot different from the recently retired Director of that department.
Stewart wants to see a culture change within the department and has moved some people around and adds “there are some noses out-of-place” in the department but there will be a change”.
The bringing in of a new director for planning is a Stewart hire to make and he is pretty clear in his mind what the city needs.
James Ridge, city manager, has some planning experience in his background – he and Stewart should be on the same page on this one.
Burlington’s city council members don’t, at times, fully appreciate the command structure at city hall. Council hires the city manager and he runs the city for them. Council creates policy and issues Staff Directions – the city manager follows those directions.
The city manager is there to advise and guide council – but the marching orders come from Council. Decisions get made by city council based on policy and specific votes made by the seven council members.
They don’t do the actual hiring – a source has suggested to the Gazette that the Mayor wanted to be in on the actual interviewing of the short list for the director of planning – that shouldn’t happen.
The story is told, from a sterling source, of the Council member who said he thought Council should be involved in the hiring of everyone down to the Director level. The person who told the story said to the council member: ‘You clearly have no concept of what staff accountability is all about.’ With this Council it is referred to as “getting into the weeds”.
Most municipal governments have well qualified, committed professional staff. They do have a pension that is not available to most people and it might seem as if they get a lot of time off. When senior staff are taking part at public meetings in the evening – are they required to be at their desks first thing the next day? Many people in Burlington think they should.
When the budget is going through its final phases – the team that creates that document, based on instructions from city council, work well into the night frequently to complete the budget.
Whoever the city hires as its next Director of Planning, hopefully will be with the city for several terms of office. The elected officials come and go – in Burlington they don’t seem to go very often which is unhealthy but until the voters in town decide they want different leadership we’ve got what we elected.
There is a bit of a leadership crisis at city hall; there are culture changes that need to be made in several of the departments.
 Scott Stewart on the left,and former city manager Jeff Fielding, put a number of major changes in place – but then Fielding saw a greener pasture and headed west for Calgary. Burlington has had three city managers in five years plus an interim filling the chair until a new city manager was hired.
Every management leader needs time to create the kind of work force and working environment that results in the kind of service delivery the public wants. Some good people have left the city for other jurisdictions because the lack of solid consistent leadership that would allow them to grow as civil servants wasn’t in place.
Burlington now has a city manager who has yet to make his mark. James Ridge isn’t a Jeff Fielding, his predecessor. He is more cautious and quite a bit quieter and appears to be a stickler for the rules. A deal maker he isn’t.
We need another year of observing Ridge to get a clearer sense as to what kind of a staff he wants to have in place to deliver the program he understands the city council wants.
We have watched Ridge admonish this Council ever so slightly when they appeared to be resisting the making of a decision. Ridge will, in his quiet way, hold their feet to the flames.
Ridge is not a big believer in the concept of Master Plans – Burlington has been in love with the things for years.
Ridge thinks they create silos and he seems to want a more homogenous approach to the way staff think through their problems. It is going to take him some time to determine where staff changes have to be made and then implement those changes.
Fielding was exceptional at getting out and talking to people; you always knew when he was in the room. Ridge is a quieter person – we are only beginning to get a sense of his decision making process.
Council has handed him a hot one – the Code of Conduct that has been kicking around for far too long and should have been agreed upon by this Council at its last meeting. Some fancy procedural foot work on the part of Councillor Sharman, aided and abetted by Councillors Craven and Lancaster, to reverse a change that had been agreed upon at Standing Committee preciously resulted in the whole matter being referred to the city manager who would work with it as part of the governance section of the Strategic Plan.
Strategic Plan sessions are frequently, if not always, done off site or in a room at city hall where there is no web casting capacity.
The scallywags on this council like it that way. It’s going to be messy.
Staff observes these changes and turn to their city manager to save them from this kind of unprofessional behaviour.
 James Ridge the day he was introduced to the public at a council meeting – he didn’t say a word. Is Ridge up to the job – can he manage the Mayor and the rest of |Council and hold a draw a clear line or will he choose to become “friendly” with council and fetch water for them rather than pour cold water on silly, expensive ideas that they come up with and expect him to find the money to pay for
James Ridge has the summer to work this one out. How he resolves this will tell what kind of a city manager we have; what kind of a culture will prevail at city and what kind of a city we end up being. This assumes that he completes his five-year contract.
 By Staff
July 24, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Work to resurface Dundas Street will take place near the 407 ETR west ramp starting July 27 to Aug. 12, 2015. The work will be completed at night.
 By Staff
July 25, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
 Karina Gould, federal Liberal candidate for the Burlington seat in the House of Commons. Perhaps the Gould Liberal campaign for the Burlington seat in the House of Commons thinks the Prime Minister might pull a quickie and call the election before the October 18th date – or maybe they got a great deal on the office space – whichever Karina Gould will open her campaign office at 3350 Fairview Street, Unit 2
The ribbon cutting will take place this Saturday – the 25th between 11:00 am and noon.
Gould has had teams of volunteers doing the door to door thing for the several months. She has a young team, people full of energy and the ongoing support of Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon who took the Burlington provincial seat after more than 70 years of Conservative representation.
By Staff
July 24, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
 Westbound Fairview Street, near Walmart, will be reduced to one lane for construction starting Monday, July 27 until Friday, July 31.
By Staff
July 24, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Uber has launched its UberX ride-sharing service in Waterloo Region, Hamilton, Guelph and London Thursday, according to a release from the company.
Can Burlington be far behind?
 Uber had announced it was planning on launching in Waterloo Region by the end of the year. That plan changed when, according to Uber Canada’s general manager Ian Black, interest from social media came pouring in over the last week because of media coverage.
“Interest has been building to a place where residents and drivers in the Waterloo Region wanted Uber to come and wanted more transportation options,” said Black.
 There are tens of thousands of people who use the Uber service – is Burlington a fit for this kind of taxi? We may well find out very soon – they are operating in Guelph. “We’ve been hearing from our riders that they’re in need of more reliable, more affordable transportation. We’ve been hearing from drivers that they’re looking for a way to earn more money in a flexible way. And also, just generally, I think [the] Kitchener-Waterloo region being such an innovation and tech community, it’s a group of people who are naturally plugged into the next big thing.”
Black said even before today’s launch, tens of thousands of Waterloo Region residents had downloaded the app; some in anticipation of its local expansion and some who had used it other cities.
He added that several hundred drivers in the area have gone through a vehicle inspection, a background check, as well as a motor vehicle record check.
OK – that’s the Uber side of the story.
What would happen if they began operations in Burlington? A city with basically just the one major taxi service – there is a second taxi company but it doesn’t have all that much in the way of market share – Uber would see Burlington as prime pickings.
Uber offers three types of services:
Uber Taxi, which allows existing taxi drivers ways to find fares.
Uber Black and Uber SUV, for limo and large vehicle drivers.
UberX, for private vehicles and drivers.
UberX is the cheapest option for users of the app, because UberX drivers use their own cars to drive passengers and aren’t affiliated with taxi companies.
The app, available on iOS and Android, and accessible on BlackBerry through the mobile site, allows users to order rides and see the driver coming by following on a real-time map in the app that uses the smartphone’s GPS to determine the rider’s location and find the nearest available driver. It then lets the user pay through their smartphone, meaning no physical money or credit card information changes hands in the vehicle.
The company claims it will create over 2,400 jobs for drivers in southwestern Ontario over the next year.
Uber has come under fire in other communities for everything from concerns over how drivers and their vehicles are vetted to failing to collect HST.
Uber was exiled from Vancouver in 2012 because of requirements by the BC Passenger Transportation Branch. Recently, 36 UberX drivers in Toronto were charged with operating unlicensed transportation services and Toronto city councillor Jim Karygiannis warned passengers could face fines of up to $20,000.
Waterloo Regional councillor Sean Strickland, who has been a proponent of the service, said staff will now review bylaws to determine whether the company is in contravention of the laws.
Black said Uber is prepared to work with the Region, repeatedly emphasizing a recent decision by an Ontario judge that came out in Uber’s favour.
The city of Toronto sought a permanent injunction against the company’s operations, arguing that Uber is a taxi company and must abide by the city’s regulations. But Judge Sean Dunphy dismissed the application, saying there is “no evidence” the company is operating as a taxi broker.
“The Ontario courtroom…clearly points that ride-sharing is a new model that is outside the regulations, but certainly completely legal,” said Black.
“For those regions that do want to update their regulations, I think there’s a lot of lessons to be learned from the hundreds of cities around the world where ride-sharing already exists. And many of those jurisdictions, including 50 in the U.S., have created new regulations for ride-sharing.”
 Burlington Taxi has strong ties in the community – is that enough to overcome a cheaper service? Burlington Taxi has a strong local profile and in the past has piloted several new services. Their rates are determined by city council where Scott Wallace, owner of the company, has very strong relationships. The company has been pro-active in the community.
Scott Wallace said: ” The UberX taxi service is already operating illegally in Burlington and most every other city if Ontario.”
The Gazette has not been able to get any comment from city hall.
If Uber announces the service is going to be available in Burlington – it will be interesting to see how it works out. City council might have to return from their holidays.
Uber is apparently available from the Pearson Airport.
 By Staff
July 24, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington detachment of the Halton Regional Police have issued their fourteenth “Fugitive Friday” report that asks the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.
There are numerous people who continue 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.
Every Friday, the Burlington Offender Management Unit shares information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.
 Ahmad ALAMI, 34 years old, of St. Catharines, wanted by Halton Regional Police. The objective this week is to find Ahmad ALAMI, 34 years old, of St. Catharines, ON.
It is alleged:
– In August of 2014 the accused was working as a sub-contractor at the Joseph Brant Hospital in the City of Burlington
– The accused stole several cheques from the hospital, forged the signatures of various hospital staff members and attended Cash Stores in the Niagara Region to cash the fraudulent cheques
– The accused was identified and contacted by police however he was uncooperative and refused to turn himself in
– A Warrant in the First was issued for the accused
He is now wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for:
Fraud under $5000 x 4
Uttering Forged Documents x 4
Possession of Stolen Property
ALAMI is described as 6’, 175lbs, brown eyes and black hair. Alami was born in Afghanistan and has ties to Niagara, Peel and Markham areas
Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist investigators in locating him are encouraged to contact D/C Calvin 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).
By Pepper Parr
July 23, 3015
BURLINGTON, ON
While picking up the morning paper I bumped into a Roseland resident who said he too had that disgusting piece of paper stuffed in his mailbox – and he, like many others wanted to know why nothing could be done.
For some reason everyone is saying they are powerless to do anything – that’s not true.
Like many, I’m not prepared to listen to someone’s free speech rights – this is not free speech – this comes close to hate mail – and there is something that can be done.
 There may well be security camera in the Roseland community that captured images of the people delivering the hate mail Regular Gazette readers will recall an article the Gazette ran recently about the police asking people who had outdoor video surveillance cameras if they would mind registering their location with the police.
The idea was to give police a list of places that had outdoor video cameras. The police plot all the locations on a map and when looking into crime in an area they know that there are specific homes that have outdoor video surveillance.
The police can then contact the owner of the equipment and ask if they can review the video. The owner of the video can always decline. The purpose from a police perspective was to be aware of a possible investigative resource. The program was called SCRAM
There is an opportunity here for the police to see what they have in the way of people in the Roseland community who have outdoor video surveillance equipment and who have registered it with the police and see what there is on those cameras.
Is there a chanced that good visuals of people going house to house putting papers in mailboxes?
This would be an interesting Fugitive Friday subject for the Burlington police unit to look into.
Original article on the hate mail stuffed in local mail boxes
Story on the police surveillance program
By Staff
July 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, voted on Wednesday, July 22, to accept a new collective agreement that includes significant wage increases and other improvements in their contract.
 Thirty three unions workers care for the acres of plants at the Royal Botanical Gardens. They settled with management on a new wage package “We are happy that we were able to secure significant gains for our members in this round of negotiations,” said Sandra Walker, president of CUPE 5167, representing RBG workers. “Over the years, our members have fallen behind in wages and were forced to accept minimal increases to keep the RBG afloat.
For this round of contract talks, we were very focussed on rectifying this problem – the employer also recognized that this was a recurring issue and worked with us to address the wage issue for our members.”
The new five-year contract includes wage increases of 10.75% over 5 years with a $1.00 hourly wage enhancement, for all workers, effective immediately.
The new agreement also includes improvements in education funds for the workers, increased meal and clothing allowances and other improvements. The new contract will expire on January 15, 2020.
“In the past, there were lean years at the gardens and our members suffered economically,” continued Walker. “But, now, RBG is on a better financial footing and we are glad that workers are benefiting from that as well, as our members worked hard to ensure the success of RBG.”
“We want to thank supporters from the community and RBG patrons for helping us achieve this contract,” concluded Walker. “Our members take great pride in working for the RBG and will continue their work to tend and maintain the ecological jewel that attracts visitors from around the globe.”
In addition to representing the 33 RBG workers, CUPE 5167 also represents 4200 workers who work with the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton International Airport, DARTS (Disabled and Aged Regional Transportation System), Good Shepherd Women’s Services, and the Macassa and Wentworth Lodges.
 By Pepper Parr
July 23, 2015 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette has received two reports of an absolutely disgusting piece of paper being stuffed in mail boxes in the Roseland community.
This is not literature. This is not a political statement.
This is garbage; this is disgusting and belittles everyone in the community.
Someone created a document with graphics about Justin Trudeau and abortion.
There is nothing political about the document.
There is a sick mind out there – the people who did this need help.
Politics is the exchange of ideas and ideologies. Differences of opinion are healthy; they are necessary for am society to grow.
What was stuffed in mail boxes in Roseland yesterday is a society at its worst.
We are better than this. Someone should be ashamed.
We are not going to reproduce the document – not because it is about a Liberal and we do have a liberal bent of mine but because it is disgusting.
No one has the right to foist this kind of garbage on people.
Those who received a copy of the document should turn it over to the police.
By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
 Traffic alert – Pine will be closed while a waste water main is replaced For the months of July and August there will be construction on Pine Street in Burlington from Elizabeth Street to Pearl Street, due to the relining of a wastewater main.
 One of the best coffee shops in town might experience a little less traffic – there is a back door from the Village Square We are halfway through the month – the construction hasn’t started yet – going to be tough on Tapp Coffee and that great cigar store on Pine Street.
Son of a Peach I say – they might take a bit of a hit – Paradiso too.
 By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington is now hiring school crossing guards for the upcoming 2015/2016 school year.
 Areas of the city in the greatest need of crossing guards are the Orchard community and southeast Burlington, near Mohawk Public School and Pineland Public School.
“Burlington’s crossing guards play an integral role in our city, working tirelessly to keep our children and pedestrians safe,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure. “We are looking for dedicated leaders to help fill this important role in the community.”
The city’s crossing guard program includes full training, a uniform and reimbursement of mileage. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to complete a police check. All successful applicants will be paid for two hours of work a day.
For more information on how to apply to be a crossing guard in Burlington, visit www.burlington.ca/crossingguard.
By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Authorities across the province will participate in a discussion and review of the Conservation Authorities Act as announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
“The role of Conservation Authorities around Ontario’s natural resources has changed significantly over the years in response to increasing challenges to our water and land resources,” said Kim Gavine, General Manager of Conservation Ontario.
“Stresses such as climate change, rapid growth, and changing land uses significantly challenge the health of Ontario’s watersheds. The work of Conservation Authorities has had to change in order to reflect this and we expect to see this discussed through the review of the Conservation Authorities Act.”
Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities are local watershed management agencies that deliver a wide variety services and programs that protect and manage water and other natural resources in partnership with all levels of government, agencies, industry, and landowners.
 Conservation Halton is a lot more than the Escarpment and Crawford Lake – just how much more? The original Conservation Authorities Act was established in 1946. Some amendments have been made over time, including those in the 1990s which addressed local programs, fees, partnerships and other areas. In 2006, the scope of Conservation Authorities’ regulatory responsibilities changed to encompass additional water related hazards.
The Minster of Natural Resources and Forestry has posted a discussion paper for a 91 day comment period. The Ministry states that the objective for this review is to ‘improve the legislative, regulatory and policy framework that currently governs the creation, operation and activities of conservation authorities that may be required in the face of a changing environment’.
The discussion paper highlights and solicits feedback around three areas of interest: governance, funding mechanisms, and roles and responsibilities of Conservation Authorities.
 Eleanor McMahon will play a leading role in the review of the Act that controls the 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario. “We look forward to having discussions with many different partners throughout this process,” said Gavine. “Conservation Authorities are committed to improving and streamlining watershed management in Ontario in order to ensure sustainable natural resources which are needed to support a vibrant economy, strong environment, and healthy people.”
Burlington’s MPP Eleanor McMahon is Parliamentary Assistant to Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry; THE Ministry that is conducting the review.
Discussion Paper
 By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The following is as dry as toast.
You have to be a bear for punishment to read through it all.
We have highlighted what we think is really relevant in bold
What you are about to read is the publication of changes the federal government wants to be made applicable to WORDS
The federal government recently released a draft of new rules and regulations that will apply to air parks and aerodromes once the public comment period has ended.
 The photograph is dated – the runway cutting across the north south has been upgraded considerably and the land leveled for planned development. No one other than the imagination of Air Park president Vince Rossi knew what the plans were – and they kept changing. These proposed Regulations would address the current identified gap in regulatory requirements by ensuring that there is a consistently applied notification process in advance of aerodrome work. This proposed amendment introduces clarity, predictability and increased communication for all stakeholders. The proposed Regulations are expected to provide an overall benefit to Canadians directly impacted by aerodrome work as the Regulations would compel proponents to engage stakeholders and solicit and mitigate their concerns in advance of construction. Industry will experience greater planning and cost certainty. A consequential benefit is an increase in coordinated land use between proponents and land use authorities.
These new rules will impact the ongoing legal battle between the city and the Burlington Air Park that has been in the court for close to three years.
Operators wishing to develop a new aerodrome or to significantly modify an existing aerodrome, whether it is certified or not, are not currently required to conduct consultations with affected stakeholders. Matters integral to aviation fall under federal jurisdiction, including aerodromes. However, the federal authority, unlike municipal and provincial authorities that have consultation processes in place for significant changes to land use likely to have an impact on the community, does not have a public engagement requirement to identify and mitigate stakeholder concerns in advance of aerodrome development.
The municipal and provincial stakeholders do not necessarily have to be consulted prior to the development of a non-certified aerodrome within their own jurisdiction. As a result, the lack of coordinated development planning can lead, for example, to inefficient land use and increased complaints from local constituents due to the impact of unexpected development.
 Vince Rossi, in the red sweater on the right sits next to ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster at the only community Rossi attended. His comment to the many requests made at the time was that he would “take them under advisement”. Operators and stakeholders seeking aerodrome certification are required to have a consultation process but do not have a federal standard to guide them on what constitutes meaningful consultation. The implications for industry and other stakeholders include inconsistent approaches to consultation, insufficient information shared with affected stakeholders, and costs and delays for proponents or operators who, upon completing what they deem to have been an appropriate level of stakeholder engagement, find themselves caught in legal disputes over the validity of their process instead of commencing with their development.
 Burlington city manager at the time, Jeff Fielding, taking a strip off Glenn Grenier, who was advocating for the Air Park corporation at a city Council meeting. City lawyers stand aside at the right. The Government of Canada has exclusive jurisdiction over aeronautics in Canada and has established a legal framework through the Aeronautics Act (the Act) and the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) that sets out robust safety requirements for the civil aviation industry. There are approximately 2 000 registered aerodromes, of which 547 are certified, and there are an estimated 5 000 unregistered aerodromes.
It is understood and recognized that aerodromes are engines for nearby communities, that they are vital to the growth of a number of Canadian industries, and that the current legislative framework for activities at aerodromes has generally worked well, particularly during the initial growth of aviation in Canada.
What has bothered the economic development thinkers in Burlington is just what does the Burlington Air |Park have planned. Almost everyone has found it very difficult to get any useful information from |Vince Rossi, president of the Air Park corporation.
These factors, coupled with the need for a strong aviation transportation system, illustrate the need for increased communication in advance of aerodrome development to help understand and mitigate public concern, promote Canada’s aviation sector, and satisfy the growing need to keep moving people and goods.
A common concern raised by stakeholders to the Minister is the absence of a regulatory requirement for proponents and operators of aerodromes to notify affected stakeholders prior to aerodrome development, including the establishment of new aerodromes and expansion at existing aerodromes.
In 2014, the federal government amended the Aeronautics Act to provide the Minister of Transport with the authority and necessary tools to effectively respond to an increasing number of aerodrome issues pertaining to development, location, land use and consultation. The amendment also provided the Governor in Council with the authority to make regulations to prohibit the development, expansion or a change to the operation of aerodromes, as well as the authority to require proponents and operators of aerodromes to consult stakeholders prior to the development, expansion or change to an aerodrome or its operations.
The federal government wanted to encourage responsible aerodrome development and operation by requiring proponents and operators to consult affected stakeholders in advance of undertaking aerodrome work through a structured notification process.
 Vince Rossi, president of Burlington Executive Airpark Inc., at a meeting with members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition that took place in a barn a couple of hundred yards from the end of his largest runway. To strengthen the consultation process for aerodrome work by providing details within the CARS that will introduce greater clarity and predictability around developments, compel increased communication to identify and mitigate concerns in advance of development, reduce post-construction complaints from affected stakeholders, reduce the chance of delay and costs associated with process-related challenges brought on by affected stakeholders, and allow for better coordination of land use by all interested stakeholders.
The proposed Regulations amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations were born out of the concerns raised by interested parties adversely affected by aerodrome development, by proponents and operators frustrated by costly administrative and legal delays, and by the general aviation community concerned for its future in Canada. The nature of the concerns centre on improved communication in advance of construction between proponents of aerodrome development and those most likely to be affected by the development. Requiring consultation in advance of commencing construction will allow for many concerns to be proactively raised and mitigated.
Residents of ward 6 have been arguing this point from the day they learned of the tonnes of land fill that was being dumped on the air park property. Both the citizens of that ward and the Gazette were very pro-active, a little too proactive for the owners of the Air Park who sued Pepper Parr, Denis Monte and Vanessa Warren along with the corporate parent of the Gazette – that case is winding its way through the judicial process.
The current regulatory requirement to consult is limited to those seeking to certify an aerodrome, and they are only required to consult local land use authorities. The proposed Regulations broaden the requirement to consult by way of notification to include anyone seeking to undertake a prescribed aerodrome work, whether creating a new aerodrome or making a significant change at an existing one, certified or not. The Regulations also provide minimum expectations for how the notification process should be conducted, including timelines, whom to notify and under what circumstances.
The proposed Regulations define aerodrome works that require advance consultation as constructing a new aerodrome and building a new runway at an existing aerodrome. The lengthening of an existing runway has also been included but, in recognition of the differences between small and large aerodromes and so as not to capture all extensions as well as to focus primarily on those likely to lead to an increase in level of service, only extensions in excess of 100 m or 10% of overall length (whichever is greater) will be subject to the proposed Regulations.
To ensure that those most likely to be affected by proposed works receive information about them and have an opportunity to share comments and concerns, proponents and operators of aerodromes will be required to notify interested parties prior to undertaking the prescribed aerodrome work. The proposed Regulations outline a list of interested parties to be notified, which is geographically determined as follows.
In the case of an aerodrome work that is located in or within 4 000 m from a built-up area of a city or town, notice must be given to
the Minister; the local authority responsible for collecting property taxes; and the public within a radius of 4 000 m from a built-up area of a city or town.
This will certainly be good news to property owners on Appleby Line and Bell School Road who have been glamouring for an opportunity to get their comments on the record. The city of Burlington will also take some comfort as well from these proposed changes
 Minister of Transportation Lissa Raitt attended an Air Park social function. Vince Rossi wears a red sweater, second from left. The proposed Regulations prescribe minimum requirements for consultation. Although flexible enough to accommodate the differing complexities of projects that could be undertaken at Canada’s 7 000-plus aerodromes, the minimum requirements are prescriptive enough to introduce certainty for proponents and for stakeholders alike, so that engagement is conducted in a meaningful manner. The proposed Regulations allow all parties to understand under what circumstances consultation is required, what information about the aerodrome work must be shared and the manner in which it is shared, what the opportunities are for affected stakeholders to provide feedback, how concerns are dealt with, and that the Minister will have the responsibility for making decisions on unresolved objections. It is anticipated that, by increasing the amount of information shared in advance of construction, most concerns can be heard and addressed proactively with the goal of mitigating negative impacts to the greatest extent possible.
The proposed Regulations prescribe a minimum of 75 days between the notification and the commencement of the aerodrome work. Transport Canada recognizes that more than 75 days may be required for more complex works and the Regulations allow for additional time to be added as needed. The proponent is required to notify all interested parties by way of a notice and by placing a sign in plain view of the public where the aerodrome work will be undertaken. The notice and the sign must include a drawing and description of the proposed works, the estimated start and completion date, the contact information of the proponent and the deadline for comments to be received (which must be at least 45 days from the initial date of notice).
Within 30 days of the end of the notification period, the proponent will be required to prepare a summary report of the consultation and submit it to the Minister. It must contain a description of the proposed works, the persons who were notified, a summary of the comments and objections received and the proposed actions, and any objections that were not or could not be addressed. The report must also be available to anyone who requests it for a period of at least five years.
Within 30 days of receiving the summary report, the Minister will send the proponent a notice that either provides confirmation that the works may begin or that requests information required by the Minister to be able to evaluate any outstanding objections or measures for the purpose of making a decision. The proponent of the aerodrome work may undertake the aerodrome work at the end of 30 days if there are no outstanding objections or on a date specified by the Minister. The proponent must start the aerodrome work within five years of the submission of the summary report. If more than five years pass, the proponent or operator will be required to undertake a new consultation.
 A drawing showing the location of what are believed to be helicopter landing pads less than 25 yards from a residents drive way on Appleby Line. Transport Canada recognizes that there are some circumstances in which these Regulations should not apply. The following exceptions are therefore provided: Heliports and aerodromes primarily used for helicopter operations;
This exception will put the willys into Barbara Sheldon who has property cheek by jowl to the air park; there were plans to located a helicopter facility beside her front yard.
Through its principal means of reaching out to industry — the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC) Web site and by way of email to 525 stakeholders — Transport Canada shared a preliminary assessment document to determine how best to proceed with the creation of the proposed Regulations. Based on the significant feedback received from stakeholders, a focus group was established. The primary purpose of the aerodrome focus group was to discuss the regulatory proposal that would require an aerodrome proponent or operator to notify affected stakeholders prior to undertaking prescribed aerodrome work.
Transport Canada held a number of focus group meetings; June 2014 to have a policy-level discussion on the regulatory proposal and February 15thl.
One of the concerns was about the subjective nature of the wording, including the lack of definition of certain terms, such as “reasonable” and “acceptable.”
The association groups and the municipal governments highlighted an issue with the definition of an “ad hoc aerodrome,” stating that there is no outlined responsibility for tracking the 30-day period, which would cause issues with enforcement. Individual organizational comments are highlighted below.
Municipalities want to be included in the consultation process even if the aerodrome is proposed in a neighbouring non-built up area, i.e. they want the radius to be increased.
They felt the duration of the consultation process was too short; Transport Canada should require land owners adjacent to aerodromes to consult with operators before any new land use activity commences to assess the impact on aviation safety and aerodrome operations.
A second focus group meeting was held at the end of March 2015 to modify the proposed Regulations in response to industry concerns regarding the scope, applicability and prescriptive nature of the requirements. Transport Canada addressed these concerns by clarifying the intention of the proposed Regulations and working with focus group participants to make changes to the scope, applicability and prescriptive nature of the NPA. For example, the kinds of developments or changes at existing aerodromes that would trigger the notification process were defined and the requirement to have a community meeting as part of the process were dropped, since it was felt that the result of sharing information and soliciting feedback could be achieved without it. To address the concerns raised by provincial officials and Canadians relating to aerodrome work in or near protected areas, the requirement to notify nearby federally protected area authorities was added.
The majority of the annual aerodrome work will be undertaken at smaller aerodromes, not at the major international airports. Of the 13 major international airports in Canada, only 3 have planned future development expected to take place over the next 15 years.
For proponents of aerodrome work at smaller certified airports or registered aerodromes outside of 4 000 m of a built up area of a city or town, the c
 The Air Park has yet to file a site plan with the city of Burlington which would suggest that anything they want to build going forward would have to be discussed with the city and the property owners close to the air park. A sign indicating work was planned would have to be erected on this location, among others. These amendments will be enforced through the assessment of monetary penalties imposed under the Aeronautics Act, which carry a maximum fine of $5,000 for individuals and $25,000 for corporations, through suspension or cancellation of a Canadian aviation document, or through judicial action introduced by way of summary conviction.
Interested persons may make representations with respect to the proposed Regulations to the Minister of Transport within 30 days. The regulations were published July 11 which gives people until August 11th to comment. All representations must be in writing and cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice and be sent to Marie-Anne Dromaguet, Chief, Regulatory Affairs (AARBH), Civil Aviation, Safety and Security Group, Department of Transport, Place de Ville, Tower C, 330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5 (general inquiries – tel.: 613-993-7284 or 1-800-305-2059; fax: 613-990-1198; Internet address: https://www.tc.gc.ca).
By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The signs on the side of the roads told part of the story – not in our part of town. A lot of people in the Region did not want to see CN Rails Logistics Hub built in Milton.
On July 20th, the federal Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Leona Aqlukkaq, ordered that a panel review of CN’s proposed Milton Logistics Hub project be undertaken. The Halton Municipalities (the Town of Milton, the Town of Oakville, the Town of Halton Hills, the City of Burlington and Halton Region) are pleased to learn that the Minister has referred this project to a panel.
 Protesters make their opinion known – they don’t want to the truck part of the train-truck transfer hub on their roads. In accordance with federal environmental assessment legislation, a panel is composed of independent experts who review an environmental assessment, convene public hearings and make conclusions and recommendations on whether or not a project should proceed and if so, under what conditions.
Previously, the Halton Municipalities had written to the Minister and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency expressing their joint interest in ensuring that there is federal-municipal cooperation in carrying out a full review of this rail-truck intermodal facility.
The Minister’s announcement also expanded the scope of Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines to be issued by Canada for the project. These changes respond to several concerns raised by the Halton Municipalities in recent letters to the Minister and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. In particular, the Minister expanded these information requirements to expressly include:
municipal land use, including present and approved land uses;
human safety in relation to motor vehicle safety and pedestrian/bicycle safety; and
human health, including potential changes in air quality, drinking water quality and noise exposure in the Project vicinity.
The Minister has also set timelines for the environmental assessment. The review panel is to be established within 150 days, (December 17th, 2015). The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will be asking for comments from the public on the Terms of Reference for the establishment of the review panel, details of which will be announced at a later date.
The presentation CN Rail made to Burlington’s city council left a lot of questions unanswered.
 Site rendering of a proposed Logistics Hub in Milton. Too many unanswered questions for the Region’s municipalities. Councillors did not like the noise abatement plans they saw; there was one part of Milton that was far to close to the yards where the transfers from train to truck were to take place.
Another major concern was just which routes the trucks were going to take once they were out of the yard – no one had answers to that question. Councillors could see trucks using Regional roads that were not intended for large volumes of traffic. “Once a truck leaves that yard. we have no idea what route it is going to take” said Councillor. “They are on the clock and they will take whichever route cuts down on their travel time”, he added
By Staff
July 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Yesterday Halton Regional Police arrested and charged the following persons in relation to a robbery at the Esso Station at the intersection of Locus and Lakeshore Road.
Kyle Andrew BAKER (34 years) of Pearl Street in Burlington
• Charged with: Assault
Thomas James LUNDIE (36 years) of New Street in Burlington.
• Charged with: Robbery
 The words “On the Run” on the carpet at the entrance to the Esso station seem somewhat appropriate. Kyle Baker and Thomas Lundie were captured by a video camera. Do theses people not know that everyone now has a video cameras installed ? Both were released from custody on Promise to Appears and are scheduled to attend Milton court on August 19th 2015.
The robbery took place on July 12 at 2:50 am but the video was not released by the police until Monday July 20th.
The news report almost went viral. The Gazette received a number of direct calls from people who identified the suspects and the news piece we published ranked exceptionally high.
One caller said “Kyle was basically a decent guy”
The victim is a 21 year-old male visiting from Toronto./ He was attacked by those charged and robbed of his property.
Link to the original piece
 By Staff
July 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
This summer, Halton Region is offering funding and mentor-ship to thirteen student entrepreneurs through the Summer Company program. A provincial entrepreneurship initiative, Summer Company helps youth between the ages of 15 and 29 run their own summer businesses. The competitive program is co-ordinated locally through the Halton Region Small Business Centre annually and participants are selected from across the region.
“Entrepreneurship encourages innovation, job creation and economic growth, which is a part of Halton Region’s four-year Strategic Action Plan,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Supporting today’s youth with the tools and guidance they need to bring their business ideas to life will provide a strong economic future for the region.”
 Madeline Webb, The Alternative Baker sells her gluten free product at the Burlington Farmer’s Market. Three of the thirteen are Burlington students: Evan Attard, Art Hero Summer Camp: Marlee Armour, Summer Swim Academy and Madeline Webb, The Alternative Baker. There was no photograph available for Evan Attard
The other entrepreneurs in the Region are:
Darryl Apple, InFaction Studios, Oakville; Leslie Ashworth, Suite Melody Care, Oakville; Neha Bhasin, Summer Soaps Co., Oakville; Michael Clegg, Clegg’s Athletic Program, Oakville; Julia Dedic, Jewels by Julia, Oakville; Lucy He, Keys to Success Piano & Tutoring, Oakville; Emily Hollick, Golden Years Training & Care, Oakville; Stephen Johnson, Jeunessis, Oakville; William Lomoro, Glen Valley Photography, Oakville; and Nia O’Brien, Nia O’Brien Creations, Oakville
The Summer Company wouldn’t exist without the expertise and support from the local business community.
 Marlee Armour, Summer Swim Academy teaches people to swim in one-on-one sessions in private pools. They also provide lifeguard services for pool party’s Offering mentorship to the Region’s 2015 Summer Company participants are: Tom Cochrane, Retired Businessman with Oakville Business Advisory Group, Oakville; Kathleen Dills, General Manager, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce; Maralyn Ellis, Entrepreneur, FuturesFound; Kelsey Leedale, Youth Outreach Worker, YMCA. Phil Von Massow, Owner of CPL Group, Oakville; Jayme Moorcroft, Senior Account Manager, Business and Personal, RBC; Fatima Pereira, Accounting Supervisor, BDO and Pamela Pereira, Senior Account Manager, Business and Personal, RBC
 By Staff
July 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When we see a fire truck racing through the streets of the city many voice a quiet prayer and hope that no one is hurt, But people do get hurt in fires – especially children.
They may not have physically harmed but the trauma is not insignificant.
Fire fighters are there to suppress the fire and save as much as they can. The fire fighters have families and they understand how harmed some children are – they see it first hand.
 Deputy Fire Chief Ross Monteith, Deputy Fire Chief Karen Roche and Burlington Firefighters Daniel Everett (far left) and Andrew Bourque (far right) joins Aldershot Lions Club members at a special presentation held at the Lions Club meeting earlier this month. The Aldershot Lions Club recently donated 50 stuffed teddy bears that will be placed on the department’s fleet of fire trucks for on-duty firefighters to give to children involved in traumatic emergency response calls.
“We are grateful to the Aldershot Lions Club for providing us with these teddy bears that will help calm children involved in stressful situations, such as car accidents or home medical calls,” said Deputy Fire Chief Ross Monteith.
The Aldershot Lions Club wanted to partner with the fire department to do something special to help children in our community. The club plans to buy more bears in the future by setting up a public sponsorship program.
“We gave each bear a yellow, hooded sweater printed with the Burlington Fire Department crest and the Lions Club logo,” said Ron Hardy of the Aldershot Lions Club. “We’d like to make the bears available for purchase and use the proceeds to replenish the teddy bear stock on fire trucks.”
For more information about the teddy bears, please contact the Aldershot Lions Club at 289-337-5558 or hardy2504@hotmail.com.
By Staff
July 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
On July 12, 2015, at approximately 2:50 a.m. police were called to the Esso Gas Station located at Lakeshore Road and Locust Street in Burlington.
A 21 year-old male visiting from Toronto was attacked by three suspects and robbed of his property.
The three male suspects then fled on foot north on Locust Street. Two of the suspects were captured on video in the Esso station prior to the attack.
Robbery suspects caught on camera entering the Esso Station at Lakeshore and Locust where they are believed to have robbed a person. The first suspect is described as male white, approximately 30 years old, 5’5” tall with a heavy build. He was wearing a green t-shirt and green camo style cargo shorts, with a green camo Blue Jay baseball cap.
The second suspect is described as male white, approximately 30 years old, 5’10” tall with a medium build wearing a black t-shirt that had a “fix it up” logo.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Erin Cooper of 3 District Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 825-4747 ext 2313 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com; or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
July 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Mountainside Pool, Nelson and LaSalle Wading Pools now closed for the day due to rainy conditions.
 Pools closed due to the amount of rain that has fallen. Outdoor pools will reopen Saturday July 18, 2015 weather dependant.
By Staff
July 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is week thirteen of the Halton Regional Police Service “Fugitive Friday” initiative that reaches out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions. The initiative is being run by the Burlington Offender Management Unit
There are numerous people who continue 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.
In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the police are searching for another couple, Ashley Ann JACOBS, 30 year, of Kahnawake, Quebec and Michael William CRICK, 31 years, of Hamilton, Ontario.
It is alleged:
 Ashley Jacobs is alleged to have assaulted a person In October 2013, Ashley JACOBS assaulted a female during an altercation in the City of Burlington, was arrested and released to attend Burlington Court in October 2014. JACOBS failed to appear and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
On two separate occasions in 2014, Michael CRICK attended the Mapleview Mall and the LCBO in the City of Burlington and stole several items. CRICK was arrested and released, scheduled to re-attend Milton court in October of 2014 which he failed to do and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
JACOBS is wanted by the Halton Regional Police Service for:
Assault – Adult female
Breach of Probation Order
Fail to Comply Undertaking
Fail to Attend Court
 Michael Crick CRICK is wanted by the Halton Regional Police Service for:
Theft Under $5000 x 2
Fail to Re-Attend Court
Fail to Comply with Probation
CRICK is also wanted by Hamilton Police Service for:
Fail to Comply Probation
Ashley JACOBS is described as 5’9”, 190 lbs with brown eyes and black hair. JACOBS has pierced ears and a tattoo on the back of her neck of an “Anarchy” symbol.
CRICK is described as 5’10”, 150 lbs with brown hair and eyes. CRICK has scars on his head and left thumb and also has tattoos “Delaware” on his left forearm and “Crook” on his right forearm.
Both parties are known to frequent Halton, Hamilton, Brantford and Six Nations. Ashley has strong ties to Kahnawake, Quebec and may be staying there.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact D/Cst 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).
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