They are now off for six weeks – except for a three day municipal conference in August the magnificent seven that lead this city of ours will be taking it easy.
During their last city council they came close to making absolute fools of themselves over a code of conduct that we doubt will be followed – and if it is – it will be used to continue the petty games we saw at the Wednesday night council meeting.
After what the Mayor called a “sloppy, messy” debate council put back in a section of the Code that had been taken out at a meeting May 12th.
There was all kinds of fulminating about principles and professionalism and the need to work as a team which isn’t what your Council did Wednesday evening.
After some discussion between Councillors Craven and Sharman in the foyer outside the Council Chamber, Councillor Sharman returned to his seat, said a few words to Councillor Lancaster and the meeting began.
Councillor Sharman tends to advise Councillor Lancaster on issues and directions.
Councillor Lancaster introduced a motion, seconded by Councillor Sharman to replace wording in the Code of Conduct that had been taken out at that May 12th meeting.
No one had seen the motion until it was introduced – not the Clerk or the Mayor. All the chatter about professionalism and respect for each other got blown out the window.
There is precious little respect between Councillors Craven and Sharman for Councillor Meed Ward. Councillor Lancaster tends to go along with whatever Sharman suggests.
The issue was about whether or not a council members can involve themselves in matters that are outside their wards.
The Gazette will report on that part of the meeting in another piece.
The final vote was to refer the revised Code of Conduct to the city manager where it will get debated under the Governance section of the strategic Plan. One of the problems is that Strategic Plan meetings are for the most part not recorded or broadcast on the city’s web site.
They now have a Code of Conduct – will it make any difference as to how they behave with one another? Don’t expect any changes – the behaviour for most of these men and women is deeply rooted.
The Gazette will report on that part of the meeting in another piece.
Council goes into Closed Session to hear what city solicitor has to say.
Council went into a closed session to talk with the city solicitor about the latest move on the part of the ADI Development Group and the 28 storey project they want to build at Martha and Lakeshore Road. We have no idea what they talked about but the length of the closed session suggests that it was complex.
Earlier in the week the Ontario Municipal Board Commissioner who will be hearing the ADI application set a date for in March for the hearing.
The OMB meeting on Monday was, we are advised, a meeting to set out what the issues are and to narrow the focus – to determine just what it is ADI is asking the OMB to do.
It is going to take some really fine lawyering to prevent this 28 storey structure from going up at the corner of Martha and Lakeshore. OMB hearing expected to take place in March of 2016
The Gazette was not able to attend that meeting but our colleague Joan Little, a former city and regional Councillor and a columnist for the Hamilton Spectator, said she didn’t hear any discussion that had to do with the narrowing of the issues.
These preliminary meetings are held to get some sense as to how much time the Municipal Board should allocate for the hearing. The one looks like it is going to be long and contentious.
ADI has hired Weir & Foulds, a Toronto firm with an exceptionally strong pedigree – these guys don’t take any prisoners. Based on the two occasions the Gazette listened to one of their lawyer’s the city has its work cut out for it.
New Court House for Provincial Offenses gets the go-ahead.
There was more – the construction of a court house on Palladium Way at Walkers Line is now a go. The intention is to have a court house built that will hear Provincial Offenses only.
At least two more years for this Provincial Offenses Court House.
Citizens in the Alton Community were concerned with people being tried for criminal offenses being in the area. Provincial Offenses are things like Highway Traffic Act cases; charges laid against people who have been charged with a provincial law offense. They aren’t going to see men and woman in handcuffs and shackles being led into that court house.
While the province is responsible for running the courts in which criminal cases are heard – the building that is being planned will not hear that kind of case
Council approved the issuing of a Request for proposals (RFP) to private sector investors/developers inviting them to purchase or lease the site the city owns and build the court house.
Transit issues got a very small mention – there are going to be talks with Oakville transit to look into what might be done to get some public transit to the court house.
City Manager James Ridge did say that there was some public education needed and that there would be public consultations in September.
The Court House to be built is expected to serve the needs of Region foe the next 25 years. The intention is to have the court house ready for occupancy in January of 2018.
King Paving & Construction has been awarded the Forest Glen and Shadeland Avenue Resurfacing and Reconstruction project.
Project limits are as shown in the attached map.
Road/Lane Closures
Throughout the project, the traffic will be restricted to local traffic only. Every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum. Construction signs will be posted and the site will be barricaded.
Please exercise caution and obey all signs placed for your safety.
Preliminary work is scheduled to begin early July and will continue through to the end of September.
The work includes: Forest Glen Ave & Shadeland Ave • Road reconstruction includes storm sewer and curb and gutters from Northshore to approx 300m north. • Remainder of the roadway (to Townsend) is resurfacing only. Ascot Place • Road resurfacing with culverts installation in various locations Access
Vehicle access to and from your properties may at times be difficult, additionally; driveways will be temporarily closed when work is being carried out in the immediate vicinity. Either the inspector or the contractor will notify you of access interruptions prior to the closure.
Parking on the street
For the duration of the construction, on-street parking will be relaxed for the “5 hour limit and overnight between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.” in your area, when your driveway is not accessible or if the street is closed. However, vehicles will be subject to enforcement of all other parking offences where:
• Signs are posted, i.e. prohibited parking, prohibited stopping, etc • Signs are not posted, i.e. obstructing sidewalks, facing the wrong way, parked within 3 meters of a fire hydrant, etc Garbage
Please continue to put your garbage and recycling out on the usual day. It is the contractor’s responsibility to move your garbage to a location that it can be accessed by the garbage truck and return your garbage containers. In order to help the contractor we would ask that you indicate, on you garbage cans and recycling bins, your house numbers.
Lawn Irrigation Systems
If you have a lawn irrigation system, we recommend you disconnect and remove any sprinkler heads within the City’s road allowance. As well, please have your system flagged that is near and City road works.
He doesn’t stop – every idea is a great idea.
He’s been in show business forever and knows all the players – he drops names like rainfall.
Bob Missen – one of the founders of the Lowville Festival – which takes place this weekend
The arts, the arts, the arts – they are what Bob Missen lives and breathes and if there is an opportunity to advance a cause or an idea or an event – he will be at the front of the line
When he delegated during one of the Stakeholders meetings that were held to ”inform” the Strategic Plan, the people in the room had to lean back a little to absorb the flow of words.
Missen knew that this was his opportunity to state his case – and he didn’t miss much of that opportunity.
Missen doesn’t speak from a script – he does wave his hands a lot and the passion just flows out of the man.
He promoted the Lowville Festival and certainly had the ear of the people who were in the room.
Missen’s mission if you will, goes far beyond the limits of Lowville where he is hosting the inaugural Lowville Festival; he sees no reason why the Nelson Quarry that is close to the end of its productive life can’t be converted into a park with an amphitheatre set beside the lake that would get formed when the quarry eventually fills with water.
Can the city get it hands on the quarry and turn the site into a healthy addition to the economy and social activity in rural Burlington – will the locals go along with such an idea o do they want to be left along to enjoy their piece of paradise?
Missen is talking the language that John Taylor lives – there are already people planning on a second conversation with the Nelson quarry people about having the city acquire the property.
A quarry in Action was recently acquired by the Region for a reported price of $1 – Missen likes that approach.
Burlington’s city council did a bus tour of the quarry site and were briefed on the time frames the Nelson quarry people were looking at – Councillor Marianne Meed Ward came away from that event feeling that there were potentialities.
The Lowville Festival event is pretty catholic in its breadth – there is just about something for everyone. “We are not at all sure where this is going to go” said Missen. “We just saw the locale as something with great potential and we put out the word and are now bringing all the wonderful talent this city has and letting the citizens hear for themselves.”
Teresa Seaton, centre, discusses where her cultural hot spots in the city are located. Donna Graddon, on the right is thinking that one over.
Missen is convinced there is great potential for an explosion of artistic activity and it doesn’t all have to take place on the edge of the lake. The Escarpment is just as big a part of the city adds Missen and we want to take advantage of that setting.
“Losing Brian McCurdy as the executive director of the Performing Arts centre is close to tragic” said Missen “but there are some very good people in place and their focus now on community groups and encouraging local talent is something Burlington has needed for some time.”
“Hopefully” adds Missen, “McCurdy will be deeply involved in the selection of his replacement – he knows everyone and can be of immense help.”
Missen is of the belief that Burlington will create an Arts Council and that the city will fund it on an ongoing basis – and go so far as to give the Council a significant sum to be handed out to different arts groups – an amount of $100,000 has been floated.
The discussions taking place at the Strategic Plan sessions make mention of a role for the arts but the focus there is on vital neighbourhoods.
There was a time when individual council members listened to requests for funding and some dollars were handed out – it is unlikely that any of the seven politicians that lead us through the darkness are going to give up that perk.
The Collective had done their homework – they knew what they wanted – now to actually get it – that’s their challenge.
The arts community has certainly come to the surface and are now clearly visible on the radar screen – what kind of influence they can have on the bureaucracy is another story.
Culture Days is taking place in the city in September. Missen takes a lot of the credit for getting the city on board with that program which was a success last year.
The city currently has a Culture manager – she was upgraded from a culture planner – but other than a half time helper Angela Paparizo struggles with a large workload without the kind of senior management level support and direction.
Up until the appointment of Paparizo as a cultural manager, arts programs got stuffed in with sports and recreation – the two didn’t mix all that well.
Robert Steven. president of the Art Gallery of Burlington has yet to make any kind of a mark on the cultural scene – he is still working his way through the organization he was brought in to run.
The newly appointed president of the Art Gallery of Burlington, Robert Steven, came to us from Grande Prairie, where he ran a full slate of programs as the Director of Arts and Culture – Grande Prairie had a 2011 population of 55,000 – Burlington is three times its size. That city proved to understand that the arts was not only healthy for a public but was also a real business. Burlington isn’t there yet.
The city struggled with an ongoing subsidy of more than half a million dollars each year for the Performing Arts Centre; when they place first went operational Ward 2 councillor Meed Ward said she wanted the place to be self-sustaining if not profitable – she has since learned the arts don’t work quite that way.
The current council is not likely to lay out all that much money in 2016 – they are still trying to digest the possible 4% tax increase the finance department trotted out a few weeks ago.
Cultural projects manager Angela Paparizo and Trevor Copp have been leaders in pushing for the creation of a Cultural action plan – the task now is to network and create some momentum at the bureaucratic level.
The emergence of a younger active more mobile demographic in Burlington has opened some eyes and resulted in the creation of an art collective that is not shy about getting their story out.
There is a Cultural Action Plan – in print at least – that needs to get some meat on its bones. It was in the hands of General Manager Kim Phillips who has since retired and really hasn’t found a home or a strong advocate. The Cultural manager has some networking to do.
Missen had hoped she would be a very visible presence at the Lowville Festival – Paparizo is on vacation that week.
The one that was approved by the city at a council meeting or the one that is on the sales sign on the property?
The initial proposal was for an eight story building – that got whittled down to seven. Many felt there was still too much massing.
When Maranatha Gardens was first proposed it was a seven story structure that some felt had too much massing.
A lot of jaw boning with the people in the planning department brought about a revision that seemed to keep most people happy. The Mayor said he believed that some of the people who were opposed to the size of the building would eventually live in it – now there’s an endorsement for you.
With even more jaw boning the project got cut down to six floors with a large open space to cut down on what many thought was a massive wall in a location that wasn’t appropriate
A community group took the matter to the OMB – but soon gave that up and for all intents and purposes the project was a go.
The lot has been cleared and there is some kind of a construction schedule.
The what’s being offered for sale sign doesn’t look at all like what was approved at city council – why’s that?
And there is a sign on the property offering units for sale – it isn’t a picture of the building that was approved – it doesn’t look anything like the plan that was approved at city council – so – which one is it ?
If you’re on the south end of Brant on a Friday evening in August you will hear the sweet sound of a saxophone – head towards the sound – t he Burlington Performing Arts Centre will present a free concert on the plaza, featuring a different performer each evening.
The performances take place from 6:30pm-8:30pm and the bar will be open. In the event of rain, the performance will move from the plaza into the lobby.
Performers include Jude Johnson (Burlington), Mike Malone (Hamilton), Joel Haynes and the Jazz Collective (Burlington/Toronto), and Micah Barnes (Toronto).
Jude Johnson a vocalist, songwriter and performer who grew up in Burlington.
Friday, August 7: Jude Johnson a vocalist, songwriter and performer who grew up in Burlington. She moved to Hamilton and is that city’s Special Music Ambassador. He was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction in 2009. He received the Hamilton Arts award for Arts Education in 2011. She has also been the unseen voice on many radio and TV commercials, been featured on CBC radio and sung on over 50 albums with a variety of artists.
Mike Malone: Trumpet player, composer, and arranger. Malone has been part of the Canadian Jazz scene since the early 1970’s.
Friday, August 14:Mike Malone. Trumpet player, composer, and arranger; Malone has been part of the Canadian Jazz scene since the early 1970’s. From 1986 until retirement in 2011 he taught at Mohawk College including trumpet and composition courses. In 2013 he became Director of the Jazz Band at McMaster University.
Haynes and the Jazz Collective
Friday, August 21: Joel Haynes and the Jazz Collective. Based in Toronto, the Jazz Collective serves up their own unique jazz compositions penned from each member with elements of high energy jazz and contemporary harmonies. The group is a “wish list of jazz musicians” put together by Joel Haynes (Burlington) & Jeff King (Toronto). The players: Alexis Baro (trumpet), Jeff King (tenor sax), Luis Deniz (alto sax), Adrean Farrugia (piano), Arti Roth (acoustic bass) and Joel Haynes (drums).
Micah Barnes started singing in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto while still a teenager,
Friday, August 28: Micah Barnes. Starting in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto while still a teenager, Micah Barnes is now a well-loved singer-songwriter. He toured the world with The Nylons, and later his solo career led to his #1 international club hit Welcome To My Head. Micah earned coverage in Rolling Stone magazine as “an Indie artist to watch”.
A glass of wine in hand, tapping your foot to the sound of a really good base player – with the smell of the lake in the air.
Citizens of the city are finally getting used to the idea of sharing their opinions – at least on questions that matter to them – and if there is a question that matters to people in this city it is – parking
Between April 24 and May 7, 2015, more than 1040 residents completed the online questions about parking and sharing their comments.
The public input has been incorporated into a staff report that will be presented to the Development and Infrastructure Committee on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 and the Burlington City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015.
What did the public have to say about parking in this city? Interesting responses – looks like paid overnight parking is going to take place in the eastern side of the city.
Here are the result of the questionnaire:
The public opinion survey response on the question of on street parking and whether or not it should be paid for and if so how much got the highest response ever for an Insight survey.
The parking survey response by ward – tells us where the problems are.
A third of the households are more than two car families – are these transit opportunities?
Most people seem to be able to park there cars in their driveways – so what’s the problem?
For the 238 out of the 1048 who completed the survey people – they seem to be evenly divided on where cars should be parked if they don’t fit into the driveway.
Slightly more than half will accept the idea of permit parking.
If there is on-street parking at night – most know when they want it to take place
This questions appears to have allowed people to choose more than one option – needs follow up
The city was taking no chances on being misunderstood – pictures showing just what each definition meant were provided.
Now for the crunch question: How much would you pay to park on the street ?
Reactions shift when the price changes – even though the changes are minimal.
The 60% of the people who responded to the pricing questions were split on whether or not they were reasonable. Expect some noisy delegations on this question when it gets to Council
A no cost option was seen as unreasonable by some – interesting.
What was really clear was this: people do not want to pay for parking if they are not actually on the street.
One of the toughest periods in the history of the city came to a close last week when the Disaster Relief Committee that was run by the Burlington Community Foundation closed it books after distributing $2.7 million to 272 families in the city who suffered significant damage from the August 4th flood.
Claimants can expect final financial assistance payment to be delivered in the next few weeks.
It was a flood of epic proportions that hit both the commercial sector as well as thousands of homes,
“The entire flood relief experience has demonstrated what a strong, giving and resilient city Burlington is,” said Ron Foxcroft, Chair, BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee (DRC) and the guy that was behind the drive to raise just shy of $1 million from the community. The provincial government, through its ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program) matched every dollar the citizens raised on a 2 for 1 basis.
After 10 months of dedicated work the DRC has officially completed its mandate. During that time the Committee reviewed, assessed and processed 310 claims and spent numerous hours providing support and guidance to flood victims.
The Bank of Montreal opened their vault and found $20,000 they could donate to the flood disaster.
Flood victims continue to share their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all those who helped in the flood relief efforts. One resident sent the following to the Foundation: “On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee. We will now be able repair our home’s flood damage and once again enjoy it with our children and grandchildren as we have done since 1973. ‘Thank You’ again, and please know that we are incredibly grateful.”
Ron Foxcroft – doing his pitch for disaster relief donations – he pulled in just shy of a million.
“Whenever we experience a severe rain storm in this city many of us will think back to August 4th and the devastating weather that changed the lives of many,” said Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Community Foundation. “We hope to also remember the goodness that prevailed in this city. It has been a remarkable experience working with so many devoted Burlingtonians throughout this process.”
The Community Foundation got pulled into the administration of the fundraising because the province required an arm’s length group to raise finds publicly and administer the program.
This wasn’t what the Community Foundation was formed to do – but they put their shoulders to the wheel and made it happen.
The transit system will continue to run – Burlington Transit voted tonight to accept a four-year collective agreement negotiated between the union and the city.
The agreement will run from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2018. Burlington City Council will ratify the agreement at a council meeting on July 15.
Burlington’s transit service, including Handi-Van, will continue as usual
Later this afternoon and again this evening the members of CUPE local 2723, Burlington’s transit union will troop out to the union office and cast their ballots and decide if they want to accept the latest offer from the city.
If a majority decide not to accept the offer the union will be on strike at 12:01 Monday morning.
Will the OPEN sign be lit up Monday morning?
There is a news blackout on just what is in the offer the city made so there is no clarity on just what it is the union is being asked to accept.
Rumour from the union side is that the city wants the transit people to pay for their uniforms. The city for its part wants the union negotiators to sell the tentative agreement to the union membership.
There are those who are very disappointed with the local union leadership and the difficulty they have had in convincing their membership that the best deal possible has been negotiated.
The city web site has a note on its home page that they are meeting with the union but there is nothing backing that up. The city web site is frequently behind the real news.
City hall comes close to shutting down after July 15th when city council meets for the last time until late in September, That just might change.
The Gazette will report on the union voting just as soon as results are available – expected to be around 9 pm Sunday evening.
Burlington somehow managed miss out on the Pan American games.
The opportunity to have a facility in the east end of the city was lost – mostly due to a very strong reaction from the people who didn’t want anything done to Sherwood Forest Park
Now the biggest park the city has – and the furthest from the bulk of the population.
Burlington did get an excellent soccer pitch and a much improved park on the west side of the city.
City View Park is a superb site – with lot of room to walk and roam and 3 soccer pitches that the people of Burlington won’t get to use until the games are over.
The grounds are being used as a practice location for Pan Am soccer players. The city did collect a significant fee for the use of the grounds.
The soccer fields are covered with Astro turf which are seen as expensive to maintain.
In a media release the city sent out the names of eight Burlington affiliated competing in the Games: which is a cheaters way of saying there are eight Burlington or close by athletes playing in the games. Why would the city add in the names of great athlete from Oakville, Mississauga and Hamilton ?
Mike Green, Racketball; is a Hamilton resisdent. Melanie Hawtin, Wheelchair Basketball is an Oakville resident Mark Oldershaw, Canoe, is a resident of Oakville Ashley Stephenson, Baseball; is a Mississauga resident.
Hawtin and Oldershaw are well known to Burlington audiences; Hawtin in particular is one heck of a wheel chair basketball player.
The genuine Burlingtonians are
Brady Reardon, kayak Autumn Mills, baseball Tyler Muscat; the martial art of Taekwondo Kate Psota, baseball
Autumn Mills, Since being selected to the Canadian Women’s National Team at age 16, Autumn Mills has competed in five editions of the IBAF World Cup and won three medals, including a best-ever silver in 2008. Her personal highlight has been playing on home soil in Edmonton at the 2012 World Cup where she got the save in closing out the bronze medal victory over Australia. Mills had played boys baseball throughout her childhood because she had no knowledge of any opportunity for girls in the game.
When she was 15 she was asked to try out for Team Ontario. That summer, she and her father commuted to Toronto from London every weekend for games. It was then that she finally heard about Team Canada and the chance to compete around the world, something she convinced herself she would be part of one day.
PERSONAL: Family: Parents Daniel and Nancy Mills… Getting into the Sport: Started playing t-ball at age 4… She was on par or better than the boys and had a strong arm so stuck with it… Outside Interests: Earned her Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology and Bachelor of Education (primary/junior) at York University… Enjoys doing Crossfit, snowboarding, and going to Blue Jays’ games… Works as a police officer… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “Luck is the residue of hard work”… Admires smaller guys in MLB such as Dustin Pedroia who make big plays and hit the ball with power despite their size… Superstition: The ball must be on the ground before pitching; if someone throws it she puts it down, walks around the mound and takes a deep breath before picking it up… Has a good luck Pandora bracelet with baseball charms on her left wrist… Always travels with a lacrosse ball… Collects different Starbucks city mugs… Nickname: Millsy
Tyler Muscat The martial art of Taekwondo is fascinating to watch – two people in the rink, each lightly bouncing in anticipation of the other person’s hit while trying to calculate their own strike. The energy that flows between the two competitors when they dance around each other, throwing jabs and kicks when they see the opportunity, is tense and powerful.
“My first Nationals was when I was 12 years old. I ended up getting first place.”
Tyler Muscat is a confident 19-year-old Taekwondo athlete who knows the sport well; he’s practiced it for the past 13 years of his life and he doesn’t see a near end. At the age of 10 he got into the competitive part of Taekwondo and has been going to competitions and traveling the world since. “My first Nationals was when I was 12 years old. I ended up getting first place, and from then on it just got better,” says Muscat, who lives just outside Toronto in Burlington, Ont.
He is heading to Russia’s 2015 World Taekwondo Championships later this week with promising ambitions of making it to the 2016 Olympic Games – he’s currently ranked 10th in the world for his weight division.
His speciality is his speed. Muscat says that in his division, 54kg – the lowest in the senior category, many of his opponents are tall and do this move called the cut-kick. What saves him is his speed and technique, they give him an advantage that makes it easy to get around the move.
Muscat isn’t too worried about the Russian Games right now, he sees them as more of an opportunity to grab points and advance his world rank. His confidence stems from two practices a day, each an hour and a half, and from his trainer Carla Bacco. He met Carla in the beginning of his Taekwondo career at his school Kicks for Kids, and has practiced there under her guidance since.
Kicks for Kids has become his current University/College since he decided to postpone his post-secondary degree indefinitely after high school. “There’s a perfect time for everything,” says Muscat, “I’m trying to focus on the main things right now. School is always there for you.”
When he decides to return he wants to pursue a career in marketing (experience with interviews and advertising himself as an athlete is his first taste in the line of work) and complete his post-secondary education. “I don’t think I will ever stop Taekwondo, even if I was in school,” says Muscat.
A constant quirk of his that has followed him through every country and competition is his familial support; while he appreciates his family’s help and encouragement he doesn’t allow them to go to his competitions. “I get nervous,” he says, “even Nationals in Toronto, I didn’t let my family come out to support me just because I’m particular like that.”
But whether he goes alone or not, Muscat’s confidence is unwavering and his world rank can prove it – coming back home to his family to celebrate the wins makes them that much sweeter.
Kate Psota Kate Psota is a veteran of the women’s national team, having appeared in every IBAF World Cup since its inception in 2004. She has won four medals in six tournaments, highlighted by a silver medal in 2008. Psota was named national team MVP in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 and 2012 she was a World Cup all-star at first base. Psota played collegiate hockey for the Laurier Golden Hawks, winning five consecutive OUA championships from 2006 to 2010. In 2009 she was a CIS Academic All-Canadian.
PERSONAL: Family: Parents Ed and Monique Psota… Younger brother Mike… Getting into the Sport: Started playing t-ball at age 4/5… Nobody in her family was involved in the sport, but when she was young she was obsessed with watching the Toronto Blue Jays and wanted to play baseball just like them… Outside Interests: Graduated from Wilfred Laurier University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in geography and kinesiology… Earned her Bachelor of Arts in education from Queens’ University in 2011… Enjoys going to the family cottage, boating, fishing, swimming, and gardening… Works at a garden centre… Odds and Ends: Worked and trained in Australia during the 2012 season where she developed friendships with their national team members… Nickname: Sodey… Tries to bring home something reflective of the culture wherever she travel.
Brady Reardon
Brady Reardon is a second generation Olympian who was proud to have his father Jim on-site to watch him at Beijing 2008. Just like his dad at Munich 1972, Reardon competed in the K-4 1000m. Reardon has competed at every edition of the ICF World Championships since his debut in the K-2 1000m in 2007.
In 2012 he began racing K-1 internationally and won a silver medal in the first K-1 500m race of the World Cup season. A longtime training partner of Burloak clubmate Adam van Koeverden, the two focused on the K-2 1000m in 2013 and won a silver medal at the third World Cup stop in Poznan. In 2014 Reardon teamed with Andrew Jessop in the K-2 1000m at the world championships and recorded one of Canada’s best results of the competition with their seventh place finish.
PERSONAL: Family: Parents Jim and Danny Reardon… Older brother Tucker… Getting married in September 2015… Getting into the Sport: Grew up in the sport because both of his parents paddled… Outside Interests: Enjoys mountain biking, DIY projects, being outside with his dog Banditt… Has a degree in kinesiology from McMaster University. Volunteers with KidSport. Odds and Ends: Always drinks a Guinness before race day. Always keeps his racing numbers.
Favourite motto: “When you think you’re going as hard as you can, toughen up and go harder”…
On Saturday, July 11 the Burlington Downtown Car Show will take up of all Brant Street between Caroline Street and Lakeshore Road.
The following road closure will be in effect. Vehicles parked illegally in the event area will be tagged or towed to allow emergency access.
The city made a bit of a splash in announcing the car free Sundays that worked well in the west end of the city – didn’t do as well downtown.
Road Closure
• Saturday, July 11:
Brant Street between Caroline Street and Lakeshore Road will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Resident Access
• Emergency Services access will be maintained at all times in the event area.
Parking Restrictions Posted
• Please remember to obey all parking bylaw regulations.
• Do not park at covered meters.
Brant Street south of Caroline free of cars – is this a direction the city wants to take for the street on weekends during the decent weather?
Supervision
• Road closures will be managed under the supervision of the Halton Regional Police Service.
• Event notices were delivered to all residences, religious centres and businesses affected by the event.
Event feedback
This is a positive step – if you’re unhappy with the closing of the street – there is a place you can go to and register your complaint.
Is this closing of Brant Street on a weekend a precursor to closing it throughout the summer? There are members of council who want to do just that.
As part of a reaching out to the community for help program the |Halton Regional police are sharing the name and photograph of Marcin SYDOR 37 years old, of Hamilton (Ancaster), ON.
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 will share information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.
Marcin SYDOR 37 years old, of Hamilton (Ancaster), ON.
In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Marcin SYDOR 37 years old, of Hamilton (Ancaster), ON.
It is alleged: – In March of 2011 the accused entered a residential parking lot in the City of Burlington and stole a vehicle then continued to damage and steal from several vehicles that were parked overnight – The accused stole various items including 4 tires and rims from a car, to GPS units and credit cards that were located inside vehicles – The accused also broke into and stole items from several storage lockers — The accused was arrested and attended Milton court on several occasions but failed to appear for court in February, 2012
He is wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for:
Theft over $5000 Theft under $5000 x 3 Break and Enter with Intent Mischief under $5000 x 2 Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Breach of Probation Fail to Re-Attend Court
The accused is also wanted by Hamilton Police for:
Fraud over $5000 Fraud under $5000 x 7 Breach of Probation Fail to Comply Recognizance x 2 Breach of Undertaking x 2 Possess – Use of Credit Card x 29
SYDOR is described as 5’8”, 150lbs, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. At the time of his arrest SYDOR had a pierced left ear and a small scar above his right eye. SYDOR was born in Poland and has ties to Burlington, Hamilton and the surrounding areas.
Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist investigators in identifying and locating 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).
The City of Burlington reminds Burlington Transit riders that CUPE Local 2723, representing Burlington Transit workers, will vote on a tentative agreement on Sunday, July 12.
CUPE Local 2723 has informed the city that they will strike as of 12:01 a.m. on July 13 if the unionized workers reject the deal recommended by both the city and the union.
Here’s what to expect:
• The city will learn the results of the vote on Sunday night, July 12
• If the union votes in favour of the agreement, service will continue without interruption on Monday, July 13
• If the unionized workers vote against the agreement, there will be no conventional bus or Handi-Van transit service beginning the morning of Monday, July 13
• Please be prepared. Have alternative travel plans in place in case there is a transit strike, and help friends and family members who need transportation.
The federal government has proposed changes that will improve the efficiency and transparency of the construction and operations of aerodromes in Canada.
The proposed changes to the Canadian Aviation Regulations would require proponents to consult with stakeholders before developing an aerodrome or significantly changing an existing one.
Stakeholders could include local citizens, municipalities, local aerodrome operators, air navigation service providers, and the Minister of Transport.
Now what ? is the question Vince Rossi, president of the Burlington Air Park is asking himself.
The Government of Canada is working in partnership with industry and community stakeholders to support safe and responsible aerodrome development.
Canadians have 60 days to comment on the proposed changes.
The final regulations are expected to be published in Canada Gazette, Part II, in 2016.
Appleby Line resident Barbara Sheldon is expected to have already started writing her comments and just might invite Burlington Airpark president Vince Rossi over for a conversation about changes he made to the air park and the impact those changes have had on the value of her property.
The prospects for the Air Park are not looking all that good at this point in time.
City council got their first detailed look at the draft of the Transportation Master Plan. They didn’t exactly cheer when the presentation was finished – it is going to mean some hard political decisions – which this council tens to do its best to avoid.
The draft plan however laid out a number of realities the city has to face. In the first of this series we set out the players involved in transportation planning and the rules, regulations and provincial policy that impact on decisions the city makes.
With those limitations – and they are not insignificant, the transportation department is beavering away at completing the study and aligning it with the Official Plan in order to support and expand upon new and updated policies.
While the transportation department works on its plan – the planners work on the review and revision of the Official Plan and a team at city hall, plus city councillors develops the Strategic Plan the city wants to work to for the next four years.
What also has to be added to the transportation mix is what role mobility hubs will play in future thinking.
The transportation people, led for the time being by Vito Tolone, are doing a solid review of transportation trends in conjunction with our changing demographics, travel patterns and future community planning. Part of the team is planner Kaylan Edgcumbe.
They are Identifying the transportation facilities and services that will be required to meet the needs over the next twenty years and then develop the policies, guidelines, plans and actions that will guide day to day transportation programs and provide a basis for future capital budgets.
That is a mouthful!
What is NOT included in the TMP is a detailed analysis of specific intersections and roadways nor will it consider site specific impacts. Detailed assessments will be addressed through project specific studies and may be recommended as a result of the TMP
What happens if the city doesn’t complete the TMP ? Well, all hell isn’t going to break loose but over time things will stop working the way people want them to work.
Day to day transportation programs would not be current with community needs or emerging trends; Capital infrastructure planning and budgeting would not be able to address evolving development trends and growth management policies.
Council and staff would not be able to respond to changing development standards and major planning considerations.
Regulating agencies at the Region, Ministry of Transportation and Conservation Halton would not be apprised of Council’s transportation vision and its preferred strategy for moving forward.
It sounded like a good idea at the time but there was too much that both IKEA and the city didn’t know about what Conservation |Halton and the Ministry of Transportation had to say about putting a large retail operation on the North Service Road at Walkers Line
Burlington ran into this problem when IKEA announced it wanted to move its location from Aldershot to the North Service Road at Walkers Line – that proved to be something that wasn’t possible given the views of Conservation Halton and the Ministry of Transportation. Tuck Creek was a significant conservation problem and the MTO couldn’t do what needed to be done with the QEW/Walkers Line intersection in time – which brought an end to any IKEA moved and put a significant dent in the careers of a number of people involved in the project.
Had there been stronger policies in place and a clearer planning vision, and better communication between the parties, a couple of years of grinding away at something that couldn’t happen might have been avoided.
Will a solid TMP avoid problems like that? Maybe – but what is clear is the need for a plan that fits into the requirements the province and the Region lay on us; that meshes well with the Official Plan and helps achieve the Strategic Plan – and is possible with the budget the city creates.
Council members have to stand up and be counted – Councillor Meed Ward wasn’t with the majority on this vote
For all those people who think our municipal council doesn’t have a tough job, that they don’t work all that hard and it is really a part time job – think again.
This is hard work that requires the ability to think at several levels at the same time. Every member of the current council is challenged daily to keep on top of it all. Some of them don’t do all that well at it either.
The Transportation Master Plan study will:
Identify transportation policies and initiatives that are working in other areas that could be considered in Burlington Ask citizens – where do we want to to go – how do we want to get there and how do we develop a solution that meets the needs of all residents.
Develop actions and policies that will guide day to day transportation projects providing a basis for future budgeting activities
So what is Burlington dealing with?
The infrastructure we have was designed for the car – what we have was designed to efficiently move the automobile and that has left us with urban sprawl. That urban sprawl is no longer sustainable
Auto trips are rising faster than the population – building more roads will not get us out of this spiral.
90% of all trips in the city are by car
Levels of congestion are increasing; Commuting time is increasing; Cost to operate and maintain the current infrastructure is increasing; City revenue are not increasing at the same rate as growth or congestion.
This is not sustainable. And we cannot build our way out of congestion
The way we move around the community is heavily influenced by where we live, work and play. The way we travel impacts our quality of life, our health and relationship with our community
The majority of the trips are SOV – single occupant vehicle
To reduce congestion on our roads other travel modes must be available for both local and long distance travel.
Can those 2 km trips be made using a different mode of transportation? Is the car the only option? The current transit service is not going to coax people out of their cars and there are limits to how many people are going to ride bikes.
In 2011 over half of all daily trips in Burlington were 5 km or less. These trips could be easily replaced with walking, cycling or taking transit.
40% of the people who work in Burlington also live in Burlington – that means 60% of the working people use some form of transit
Most of our residents work outside of the city – that represents a major transportation challenge.
Is the answer to all the questions that get raised in the data we have? Because there is a lot of data.
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington will be doing maintenance on IT databases beginning in the late afternoon on Friday, July 10. As a result, the following online services and forms will be temporarily out of service.
• Burlington Heritage • Online Tax Assessment • Poll Locator • Rep Locator • Dog Licence Application and Renewal • Property Information Request • Business Licence Renewal
The online services and forms are expected to be back in service by 10 p.m.
Planning is making sure that all the pieces are in place before doing anything. Before that you have to be sue you know what all the pieces are.
The key document is always the budget – that tells you what the costs are and where the money is going to come from. It will be coming from your pocket – but then you knew that.
Municipalities are creatures of the province – they set the policy and municipalities work within that policy. Cities have to adhere to Regional policies as well.
The population of the country is growing; people gravitate towards the larger cities – Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver – you name it.
The province told the Region of Halton – you need to grow your population by a million people by the year 2041. The Region takes that number and divvies it up between Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.
When Burlington gets its number we have to ensure that our policies allow for that kind of growth.
The developers are very aware of the policies and they bring forward development proposals that meet the policy.
The top part is the plan for 300+ townhouses, the bottom is the “thinking” for apartment buildings that would be in the 5-6-7 storey range for a development in the west end of the city walking distance from the Aldershot GO station.
Thus you get the ADI Development Group going to the city and saying they want to put 300 plus homes out on Masonry Court – and try to convince the city that the project meets all the rules – the biggest of which at this point in time is our need to intensify.
That need to add to our population bothers a lot of people – they want things to remain just the same – they like it the way it is. The one thing everyone can be absolutely certain of is this – nothing is going to remain the same.
There will be more people, there will be more traffic in Burlington. For those who don’t like the growth – they can move further out into the country; that’s just a hard fact we all have to live with.
Burlington has to figure out how it is going to handle all those new people who want to drive their cars on streets that weren’t built for the volume that is coming our way.
Burlington is developing a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) that city council was given a peak at a few weeks ago.
The plan, which is some distance from complete sets out some of the realities the city faces – one of which is a decision made in the 90’s not to make Fairview a seven lane road.
In the lengthy presentation that set out a lot of facts – some of which the public is not going to like – the transportation department also offered up some idea. Get used to hearing the phrase “complete streets”
What is the Transportation Master Plan? It is a blue print that will be used to guide planning and implementation of a future transportation system, that is to be guided through the development of a sustainable, balanced transportation system.
The goal is to have a transportation system that is convenient, affordable and efficient – one that provides choice and allows residents to travel whatever way they please.
Traffic barriers in place on Lake shore Road fora Car Free Sunday.
That sounds very nice doesn’t it? – travel whatever way they please – hard to do if the road you want to drive on is clogged with traffic.
All this thinking loops back to the city’s Strategic Plan – what do we want ? What can we afford and how do we do all this and keep taxes at a level that are bearable?
The transportation department and the planning department are working together to produce a document that will give both city council and the public some choices.
One of the more immediate problems for Burlington is that we don’t have a Director of Transportation nor do we have a Director of Planning – which should be telling you the tax payers something. Why don’t we have these people in place today?
The former Director of Transportation decided that he wanted to try living in a different part of the country – he was ready for a change so he took a transportation job in Halifax. Same kind of job – just in a different city.
The former Director of Planning came to the conclusion that it was time to retire – that may not have been just his decision.
The city is without significant leadership in two critical departments and we are working with a city manager who is still figuring out where his bench strength is – truth be told – there isn’t all that much bench strength. James Ridge, the city manager, is down to a single General Manager who is stretched pretty thin at times.
A crack in a furnace released carbon monoxide into a home –
CO is a gas you can’t see, smell or taste so the only way to detect it inside the home is with an alarm.
The Burlington Fire Department has released a public safety video to create awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). Julia’s Story captures the emotional account of one family’s close call with CO after a crack in the home’s furnace led to a CO leak inside the home. The video addresses the signs and symptoms of CO exposure and how to prevent the threat of CO poisoning at home.
“Julia’s story is part of a storytelling campaign aimed at sharing the experiences of city residents during emergency situations,” said Fire Chief Tony Bavota. “We are grateful to Julia and her family for allowing us to tell their story, which underscores the importance of working carbon monoxide alarms.”
If you live in Burlington and have experienced a fire or life safety emergency, the fire department would like you to share your story; email them at – firedepartment@burlington.ca.
“The intent of the video is to tell a real and meaningful story to spark conversation within our community about CO,” said Public Education Officer Kim Sopko. “There are many stories out there like Julia’s. Our goal is to find and share those personal experiences to hopefully prevent the same situation from happening to others in our community.”
Julia’s Story and other fire and life safety education videos can be viewed on the fire department’s YouTube channel.
CO is a gas you can’t see, smell or taste so the only way to detect it inside the home is with an alarm. If it the alarm sounds, get outside immediately and call 9-1-1. More information on CO can be found at: www.burlington.ca/co.
The Burlington Fire Department is a composite force that includes career staff and volunteers serving the diverse needs of the community. The department’s activities include fire suppression, fire prevention, education, training and emergency planning.
By Pepper Parr
Project limits are as shown in the attached map.
They will reopen Wednesday July 15, 2015 weather dependent.
Since being selected to the Canadian Women’s National Team at age 16, Autumn Mills has competed in five editions of the IBAF World Cup and won three medals, including a best-ever silver in 2008. Her personal highlight has been playing on home soil in Edmonton at the 2012 World Cup where she got the save in closing out the bronze medal victory over Australia. Mills had played boys baseball throughout her childhood because she had no knowledge of any opportunity for girls in the game.
The martial art of Taekwondo is fascinating to watch – two people in the rink, each lightly bouncing in anticipation of the other person’s hit while trying to calculate their own strike. The energy that flows between the two competitors when they dance around each other, throwing jabs and kicks when they see the opportunity, is tense and powerful.
Kate Psota is a veteran of the women’s national team, having appeared in every IBAF World Cup since its inception in 2004. She has won four medals in six tournaments, highlighted by a silver medal in 2008. Psota was named national team MVP in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 and 2012 she was a World Cup all-star at first base. Psota played collegiate hockey for the Laurier Golden Hawks, winning five consecutive OUA championships from 2006 to 2010. In 2009 she was a CIS Academic All-Canadian.
rady Reardon is a second generation Olympian who was proud to have his father Jim on-site to watch him at Beijing 2008. Just like his dad at Munich 1972, Reardon competed in the K-4 1000m. Reardon has competed at every edition of the ICF World Championships since his debut in the K-2 1000m in 2007.
The way we move around the community is heavily influenced by where we live, work and play. The way we travel impacts our quality of life, our health and relationship with our community
