 By Staff
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have made an arrest in the April 3rd robbery at “Conspiracy Comics” on Fairview St. in Burlington.
Last Friday a suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street, and after completing a small purchase, took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot. She was subsequently found and arrested.
Charged with one count of Robbery is:
Mary Margaret ROSS (30 years)
The accused is being held for bail and will be appearing in WASH court on April 5th. WASH stands for Weekends and Statutory Holidays – which means that Ms Moore just might get sprung from the slammer Easter Sunday.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a little complicated but for Russ Weegar it was pretty simple. We paid the taxes, we are entitled to a rebate and we would like that rebate if you don’t mind
 Russ Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm delegating before a Standing Committee. Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm were delegating on behalf of Lighthouse Church International requesting a grant.
Lighthouse is a non-profit, non-denominationalchurch with charitable status that has in the past provided funding to various Burlington community programs (West Plains Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity) as well as pastoral advocacy services to indigenous groups, locally and internationally.
They used to lease space on Fairview Street. Property taxes were included in their rent. They have been leasing their current location since October 1, 2012.
Where a charity leases space in a taxable building, the charity is eligible for a rebate equal to 40% of the taxes paid by the charity. A charity rebate application was submitted in November 2014 for the years 2012 (part year), 2013 and 2014.
And this is where the problems for the Lighthouse Church began. Only the 2014 tax year rebate was processed because they did not get their application for the rebate in on time.
Weegar pointed out that they didn’t even know they were entitled to a charitable rebate.
When the city collects taxes – they don’t get to keep all the money. City hall collects taxes for the Region and for the school boards.
Of each dollar collected in taxes 28.2% goes to the city; they send 24.6 % to the Region and 47.2% to the province on behalf of the school boards.
The city denied the applications for 2012 (part year) and 2013 because they had missed the deadlines – which Weegar continually pointed out they weren’t aware of – had the 2012 and 2013 applications been submitted before the respective deadlines, the rebates would have been shared as follows:
2012 2013 Total
City 605.70 2,476.64 3,082.34
Region 571.09 2,237.16 2,808.25
School Boards 1,095.02 4,312.98 5,408.00
Total $2,271.81 $9,026.78 $11,298.59
Filing deadlines are legislated under the Municipal Act and must be made after January 1 of the year and no later than the last day of February of the following year.
The municipality may accept applications after that deadline if, in the opinion of the municipality, extenuating circumstances justify the applicant being unable to make the application by the deadline.
“Extenuating circumstances” generally means an event that is unusual or beyond the control of the parties. In this case, Lighthouse Church explained that they did not know about the rebate until 2014. Not knowing about a rebate or deadline is not considered an extenuating circumstance.
The Municipal Act does give a municipality with the general power to make grants if Council considers to be in the interests of the municipality.
If council chooses to provide a grant to Lighthouse Church, there is the risk that other charitable and non-profit organizations, which have missed application deadlines, may seek similar funding in the future.
 Rosalie Schwarm – Pastor at the Lighthouse church City Council has made grants to other charitable organizations in the past – The Humane Society had taxes written of – the circumstances were deemed to be extenuating.
There hasn’t been a single grant application since the Humane Society was given a helping hand.
The Lighthouse Church at this point does not have a home. Their congregation of about 85 people has dwindled as a result but they continue to do what they believe they were sent here to do – help people. In the meantime they meet in people’s homes and hold their services.
In the past the church has sent people to Cuba. Yemen, Bulgaria and the Congo.
At one point they had a home in Waterdown where they rented from another church that decided they wanted to sell the property. Lighthouse could not afford to buy it at the time.
When it came to making a decision it took several votes to arrive at a decision that would get sent to the Council meeting on April 20th.
Councillor Meed Ward wanted the city to give Lighthouse a grant for the full amount they were asking for $11, 298.50 That got just three votes – they needed four
Give Lighthouse a portion of their ask including part that is educational and let them go to the Region and ask for a rebate at that level – that too lost
The final vote was to give the church the city portion – $3,082.30 – that passed.
Now that the Lighthouse church people understand the rules – expect them to mount a stronger argument at Council on the 20th.
In the meantime their Easter Sunday service will be in the home of one of the parishioners.
 By Staff
April 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
At about 8:00 pm on Friday evening, a lone female suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street in Burlington.
After completing a small purchase, the suspect took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot.
The employee was not injured.
The police report does not say if the suspect was actually given any money.
Suspect is described as:
Female, white, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’5″-5’6″ with a slender build. She had a stud piercing under her lower lip (labret piercing).
Clothing: grey hooded sweater (hood worn up), light blue jeans, dark touque, black knap sack, dark coloured skater shoes low cut sneakers
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2316, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is the official story:
“Ontario is investing up to $371.3 million to support the construction of a new seven-storey tower at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital and to significantly renovate other areas of the hospital to give patients faster access to the right care.
Through this expansion, patients in Burlington will benefit from:
Space for 172 additional beds in the new tower
Additional beds in the Intensive Care Unit
A modern emergency department and a new main entrance
Expanded diagnostic imaging services, which will provide capacity for an additional 23,745 exams per year
Nine modern operating rooms and a post-anaesthetic care unit with capacity for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgery cases
An expanded cancer clinic that can serve an additional 2,876 patient visits
Expanded ambulatory care programs, such as: comprehensive women’s health, children’s health, seniors health/geriatric assessment, nutrition counselling, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart function, ophthalmology, neurology, general medicine, fracture clinic, orthopaedic assessment, stroke assessment, medical day care and sexual assault clinic
An expanded and modernized laboratory to help accurately assess patients faster
A renovated Special Care Nursery for babies who need additional specialized care such as intravenous therapy or respiratory support
 City hall is apparently leaning on the hospital administration to ensure that the Tim Horton coffee shop is on the south side of the building so that the public walking along the Lakeshore and the old railway track can slip in for a double-double and a maple donut. The original plan was to have the coffee shop on the north side. Suspect that discussion isn’t over yet. Construction at Joseph Brant Hospital is now underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2018.”
But there is more to this story than what the provincial government’s media release said
The building is going to be much higher than expected.
It will be well built – Ellis-Don, the company heading up the construction project has consistently done very good work. Erik Vandewall, president of the hospital is as good as they get at getting hospitals built.
He will make sure things are on time and on budget.
The budget is going to be a problem.
The $371 million dollar project will get funds from three sources: the provincial government, which is using an innovative approach to getting its share of the cost.
The city of Burlington has had to burden its tax payers with a $60 million special tax levy that threatens to become permanent – but that’s another story.
The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has undertaken to raise an additional $60 million.
They recently announced that they had reached the 60% level – which is very good news.
BUT – there is $10 million of that publicly raised money that might be in doubt.
Last weekend the Globe & Mail published a report on a significant shortfall in the fund raising for the Royal Ontario Museum. Burlington’s Michael Lee Chin made a generous donation – it was a pledge actually that he has not been able to honour yet.
His gift to the Joseph Brant Hospital, announced in February by the hospital foundation said:
“Together, as a community, we raised an incredible $2 million from September – December 2014, in response to the Michael Lee-Chin & Family Community Matching Challenge. As a result the Lee-Chin Family added a matching million dollars.
In September of 2014 the Foundation announced: The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has announced that Michael Lee-Chin and his family have made a $10 million dollar donation at its 14th annual Crystal Ball Gala.
The donation is the largest ever made in the City of Burlington and the largest made to the Joseph Brant Hospital. This gift brings the total raised for Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s Our New Era campaign to $37M – more than 60% of campaign goal.
In light of the Globe & Mail story – we don’t know what Lee Chin has done or has not done in terms of meeting his pledge.
Meanwhile construction plans for a rebuild of Lakeshore Road are released.
 The road will have three lanes plus a bike path on the south side and will be between a metre and 3/4 of a metre higher than it is now. It will extend in phase one to just about the water treatment plant. The road is going to be raised between a metre and three quarters of a metre higher when the work is completed in 2018. There will be no work done on the road rebuild while hospital construction is taking place.
The Lakeshore Road re-build will not be complete. Scott Hamilton, Manager of Design Construction for the city said the final design of the Lakeshore extension cannot be completed until we know what is going to happen to the houses in the Beachway.
The new road will be three lanes wide with a bike path as well. Some of the houses are quite close to the existing road.
While the Region has said the situation with the property on the Beachway will be bought on a willing seller/willing buyer basis – the truth is that there is only one buyer and the sellers are being squeezed out.
The real estate agents for the Region are meeting with home owner on a one-to-one basis to – as they say – point out the options the home owners have.
The city will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday to display their thinking of a park design – with and without the homes that are in place now.
It could be a very noisy building.
In the meantime Eric J. Vandewall President & CEO of the hospital has to determine just where the money to pay the bills is going to come from.
The city has been quietly collecting tax money to pay for its $60 million share. City Director of Finance Joan Ford advises that there is a tight agreement between the hospital and the city as to when city funds get handed over.
One can assume that a similar agreement exists between the hospital and the hospital foundation.
Vandewall must wonder – is the $10 million plus that Lee Chin pledged going to be available?
 By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario’s provincial high school graduation rate has increased again, with more students gaining the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and prosper.
The rate of students graduating within five years of starting high school was 84 per cent in 2014, which is 16 percentage points higher than the 2004 rate of 68 per cent. The percentage of students graduating in four years is 76 per cent, an increase of 20 percentage points since 2004, when it was only 56 per cent.
Since 2004, approximately 163,000 more students have graduated than would have if the graduation rate had remained at the 2004 level.
The provincial government is going to publishing school board level graduation rates from across the province. Ensuring parents, students, teachers and boards have access to consistent data will help inform efforts to improve students’ success.
It is difficult to fathom how publishing the graduation rate is going to help a student. It might help parents push their boards to improve the performance on teachers in high schools – seems like an expenditure that doesn’t need to be made.
The idea of sending anyone out in the world with anything less than a high school education is close to criminal. The only way to earn a living without a high school education is to steal or sell drugs – which is of course what far too many of them end up doing.
It would help too if the provincial government could work to create an economy that resulted in jobs for those who do graduate.
 Graduation rate for students who took five years to complete high school. The Halton District School Board does keep graduation statistics. The Gazette education reporter Walter Byj will be reporting on this soon.
The graph below shows the rate of change for students who took five years to complete their high school education
By Staff
April 2, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
The nomination closure date for Burlington’s Best Awards has been extended one week, now closing April 14, 2015. That is not a good sign.
There are a number of people and organizations that did incredible work during the August flood that deserve recognition.
There has been some fine work done by the Seniors’ community.
Have these awards fallen out of favour?
“There has been a lot of interest and talk of the awards but so far there has been very few nominations actually submitted,” said Mary Kay Aird, Chair, Burlington’s Best Committee. “The submission form only takes about 15 minutes to complete and it is quite easy.”
Visit www.burlington.ca/best to nominate someone deserving of civic recognition for their hard work, compassion and dedication. Nomination forms can be completed online at www.burlington.ca/best or by picking up a nomination form at the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant St.
There are seven categories of Burlington’s Best:
• Citizen of the year
A person whose volunteer activity has made a significant and sustained contribution to the vibrancy and wellbeing of the Burlington community.
• Junior Citizen of the year
A high school student, 18 years or younger who has made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.
• Senior Citizen of the year
A person, 55 years or older who has advocated on behalf of seniors and/or made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.
• Environmental Award
An individual or group that improved and/or protects Burlington’s environment.
• Arts Person of the Year
An individual who has contributed to the arts in Burlington as an artist, patron or advocate including but not limited to, visual arts, media arts, musical arts, performing arts and literary arts.
• Community Service Award
An individual or group whose volunteer activity has contributed to the betterment of the Burlington community.
• Heritage Award
An individual who has demonstrated a commitment to the preservation of Burlington’s heritage, and has volunteered their time in an effort to support the preservation of Burlington’s heritage.
Related article:
Are the BEST awards transparent enough?
 By Staff
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is close, you can almost feel it – but it isn’t here yet – is it?
The warm weather doesn’t have to be here to get BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association, in partnership with the City of Burlington, getting the word out on their annual event.
 Citizens, schools, churches, community groups and businesses can participate in this year’s Community Clean Up Green Up events taking place from 9:00 to noon on Saturday April 25th and Saturday May 30th, 2015.
Since 2010, the city-wide clean-up efforts have collectively realized the retrieval and proper disposal of more than 10,000 kg (10 tonnes) of litter, with a record high of 13,500 participants in 2013 who registered to do their part to help make Burlington’s parks, streams, school yards, and neighbourhoods cleaner and greener.
Registration for this year’s events is NOW OPEN on the Burlington Green website
By Pepper Parr
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the third in a series of transit meetings – this time it was the riders who were going to do the talking – and talk they did. They packed the Centennial room at the library and told each other what worked and what didn’t work for them.
 Six breakout groups took part in animated discussions on what works and what doesn’t work. What was not surprising was the number of positive things the public had to say about the men and women who drive the buses – and the number of drivers who give students a break when the coins in their pockets don’t equal; the demand of the fare box.
However – it wasn’t all good news.
 Joey Edwardth, on the left isn’t sure the Mayor has it figured out. A newly converted transit advocate Mayor Goldring may have an issue he can run with. Routes don’t work the way they need to work and the service is spotty much of the time.
When Bfast (Burlington friends for accessible transit) put out a challenge to the members of city council to use the bus one day a week for a month – Mayor Goldring took up the challenge and made a media event out of it. He has continued to use the bus since that kick off date for him
Councillor Marianne Meed Ward used the bus to get to a Regional Council meeting – she won’t be doing that again – close to three hours and $12+ in costs for what she says can be done in a fifteen minute car ride.
So far none of the other Councillors have taken the challenge – don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
James Smith, a consistent transit advocate said he wasn’t able to take transit to get to the meeting: “the bus schedule wouldn’t allow me to do the errands I needed to do and get to the meeting on time”.
 The public meeting for transit users broke out into different groups – these are the seniors talking about what the transit system does for them. Smith was originally concerned that the politicians would take over the meeting – that didn’t prove to be the case.
Councillors Sharman, Craven, Meed Ward and the Mayor were on hand. The Mayor has clearly gotten the message – he has a new understanding of just what the transit problems are.
Meed Ward isn’t that much of a transit user – but then she lives and works in the downtown core and can walk to almost everything she is involved in.
Councillor Sharman didn’t look like he was enjoying himself and Councillor Craven just worked the crowd.
There was no one from Burlington Transit at the event. “They were invited”: said James Smith.
 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward explains a point to one of the breakout groups. The much touted Presto pass can’t apparently be easily loaded – students found this a problem. The city had to spend a considerable amount of money to get the Presto pass service operational – it wasn’t an option and it wasn’t cheap.
The Burlington Transit system has 51 buses covering 31 routes. Coming up with a schedule that meets the needs of the ridership has been a challenge and synchronizing the bus schedule with the GO schedule has been close to impossible. GO trains come and go more frequently than the buses.
 A transit rider making a point. One of the Bfast organizers pointed out that there is apparently no one at the transit office with a long, deep background in transit – and it shows.
Signage was also described as a problem; especially when moving from the bus service to the GO service.
The biggest problem transit has is a lack of resources. The provincial gas tax rebate is devoted to transit in most municipalities – no so in Burlington. This city has a very significant infrastructure deficit and council has decided to repair the roads rather than improve the bus service.
And some of the roads are in close to desperate need of repair. The city’s namesake street – Burlington – is a mess. There are more people living on that street who drive cars and can complain than there are bus riders. And this city council knows how to listen to as few as a dozen complaints to make a change in a policy. They are certainly responsive – they need to work on being more responsible.
There is an announcement coming in May apparently on more changes to the schedule and in the not too distant future Burlington Transit will begin installing some technology that will provide them with real time information on how many people get on a bus and where they get off. It will cost millions – transit believes that with this data they can develop a schedule that will meet the needs of the bus riders.
 Everyone got an opportunity to tell their transit story – they weren’t all bad. Doug Brown, a retired engineer has most of the information the city needs in filing cabinets in his basement. A tireless transit advocate, Brown surprisingly is not used or appreciated by many members of council or the people who run the transit system.
Brown does have a style that is unique to him – but he knows what he is talking about. He is a resource that should be tapped into.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. The city no longer has a Transit Advisory committee. The one they did have consisted of had some people who should not have been at the table; they were uninformed, rude and interested only in advancing their personal agendas. There were a few that served well – just not enough of them.
Bfast is an organization the city might think of outsourcing the advisory role to – they have a wealth of talented, informed and committed people that can help make a difference.
 Councillor Craven on the right explains a point to a transit users meeting participant while James Smith on the right looks on. There should be a group of people who use the bus daily serving as a sounding board for the people who run the transit service.
Transit apparently doesn’t have a Twitter account – it does have a web site that more than does the job; it’s better than the city’s web site.
Burlington is reported to spend 50% less than comparable municipalities – and it shows.
 Bfast will produce a report once they’ve gone through the comments that came from the several breakout groups that were created. Expected to be completed by the end of April, it will be a solid, fact based report.
Getting the response it needs from city council is not a given – however, the Mayor now has a better understanding of the needs and the problem.
Can he swing the minds of his colleagues? Don’t expect to see Councillors Sharman, Lancaster Taylor or Dennison becoming transit advocates – their focus is on repairing the roads.
The public is going to have to howl louder to get what the city needs. The squeaky wheel does get the grease.
 By James Smith
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Monday afternoon, Justin Trudeau, John Tory, and Rob Ford, joined Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr, Mississauga Mayor Bonny Crombie, Ontario Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, Bob Rae, the Pakistani high commissioner to Canada, many other dignitaries, and hundreds of mourners at the ISNA Canada Mosque to bid farewell to Max Kahn. An Oakville city councillor and Federal Liberal Candidate for the riding of Oakville / North Burlington , Max Kahn died suddenly on Saturday.
 Max Kahn: remembered and celebrated Max touched the lives of very many people not only in Oakville and Burlington, but given the notable people in attendance, Max also meant a great deal to many people in the GTA and the nation’s capital. Max, was the kind of person who made one feel at ease the moment you met him, one got a sense meeting Max that his infectious smile was focused directly upon you. If you didn’t know Max was in politics, you’d come away from meeting him thinking he should be in politics. Not for the negative cliche ideas many have about politicians, but just the opposite, Max’s sincerity and integrity were apparent immediately and one felt this was a person who can get things accomplished.
While Max could be partizan and competitive, he was never negative, petty or divisive. Max’s Integrity made him the kind of person we need more of in politics, a sincere advocate dedicated to public service. Max’s family have suffered a sudden and great loss of a father, brother, and son. Oakville, Burlington, and Canada have lost a true caring public servant, quality politicians like Max don’t come along all that often. All of us, touched even a little by Max’s passing should reflect on his joy of life and remember and be inspired by his example of tireless dedication to our community.
By Staff
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Police investigators have now obtained surveillance images of the a lone male suspect armed with a black handgun who entered the East Way Bake Shop located at 4047 New Street in Burlington.
 Robbery suspect looks directly into the camera – someone knows him. The suspect demanded money while pointing the handgun at an employee who then turned over an undisclosed amount of money.
The male suspect fled the store and was last seen running westbound along the plaza.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30’s, 5’9″ to 5’10” tall, wearing blue jeans, blue plaid shirt, red toque and black sunglasses.
 Robbery suspect wanders around the bakery shop. Anyone with information that will assist investigators identify him are asked to call Det. Phil Vandenbeukel – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2343 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
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Easter bunny may do the hip- pity hop thing – that’s not what the Halton Regional police are going to be doing – and they will not be handing out Easter eggs either – although the idea if Chief Tanner handing out coloured eggs does have some public relations appeal.
During the Easter long weekend the Halton Regional Police Service will be participating in the Spring 2015 Provincial Seatbelt Campaign
The campaign will run from Friday, the 3rd of April 2015 to Monday, the 6th of April 2015.
 Expect almost every vehicle in the Halton Regional Police Service fleet to be out on the road over the Easter weekend. If you’re seen without a seat belt – $240 ticket. Road users should be prepared to experience much higher volumes of traffic over the weekend, making it a particularly important weekend for all drivers, passengers and young children to be properly restrained, regardless of the distance to be traveled or anticipated road time.
“A properly worn seat-belt greatly increases the chances of surviving a motor vehicle collision.”
Front line officers, Community Mobilization Unit and District Response Team members will be engaged in targeted enforcement for this important provincial campaign.
A reminder to drivers should you choose not to buckle up you could face a fine of $240 and 2 demerit points, which will remain on your driving record for two years from the date of the offence.
If you happen to be a little short on points you might get a call from your insurance agent as well.
By Pepper Parr
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It does happen – mistakes are made.
You fix them, you apologize and you hope it is the last mistake the staff member makes.
Earlier this week we posted the list of who gets paid more than $100,000 provided by the province’
A staff member started early in the day, downloaded the data and began to format it.
She downloaded the 2013 data by mistake.
It was an observant reader who saw the error.
We scrambled and corrected the mistake.
The corrected numbers can be found here.
This was embarrassing.
 By Pepper Parr
March 31, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
City council last night had to go into a closed session before they could actually get their Standing Committee going.
They had been advised that the ADI Development group had taken the application to build a 28 storey building at the intersection of Lakeshore Road and Martha that had been hotly contested to the Ontario Municipal Board because the city had failed to do anything with their application.
Councilor Paul Sharman, chair of the committee, told the audience that a summary of a planning report would be read but the city would not be voting on the matter.
Many thought the situation was unbelievable – “was this deliberate” one woman asked as she was leaving the Council chamber.
By Pepper Parr
March 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It could not have come at a better time.
A particularly good idea was close being on the ropes. It had its life extended for a short period of time when Councillor Taylor, after begging for ten minutes, got his colleagues to give Community Development Halton (CDH) $10,000 to carry them until a grant they were really hoping to get came through.
The grant did come through and now CDH can move forward with some of the best neighbourhood development work this city has seen in some time
 Joey Edwardth, guides and direct Community Development Halton – pulled in a grant that will keep a program alive for three more years. They call the project that is now funded North BurLINKton Community Group, they create spaces where young people can meet, make new friends, experience a sense of belonging, and gain leadership skills.
High school aged youth in north Burlington will secure and animate these spaces with the support of adult allies
These are people who could be and often are at risk of falling between the cracks. They come from poorer neighbourhoods; few if any of them are members of the Burlington Teen Tour Band or one of the hockey leagues – that kind of money doesn’t float around the kitchen table in these homes.
The province came through with a Youth Opportunities Fund grant of $181,700 over 30 months to create neighbourhood spaces.
This project will address the objectives of the Youth Opportunities Fund that expects youth to form and maintain healthy, close relationships and to engage their communities.
 Risha Burke, the Community Development Halton that is in the field working with community and helping stitch together the pieces that make it all come together. The program allows CDH to put staff into the community to facilitate, direct guide, advise and support as they develop the social structures that keep them focused and – to be blunt about it – keep them out of trouble.
The North BurLINKton Community is an emerging grass roots group that has shown it can, with some mentoring and guidance create inclusive and friendly neighbourhoods that help people connect and increase their sense of belonging.
This initiative comes at a perfect time, allowing the North BurLINKton Community Group to move forward building on the neighbourhood development work of community members and partners over the past few years. The initiative will be supported by adults but lead by youth, tapping into the potential of extraordinary young people in north Burlington neighbourhoods.
The city supported the program for two years – providing about $85,000 each year but decided this wasn’t the kind of community work they should be doing.
The programs and policies they developed have worked there way into other parts of the city and, with some leadership will be passed along to other municipalities in the Region.
These are dollars spent that return real value to the city. The program now has funding for the next three years – time enough to prove that it works and figure out how to fund it properly.
Community development in Burlington tends to fall between that space at city hall and the space at the Regional office – social issues are seen as the responsibility of the Region but they tend to define social a little differently than more progressive community leaders.
 Regional Councillors showing you the new 2 gallon blue boxes. Region tends to focus on waste, water and roads – people don’t rank very high on their agenda. Water and sewage pipes. Waste collection and road repair tends to occupy the minds of those at the regional level; what mind space is left gets used on determining what development charges should be.
People get lost at the higher level of local government.
By Pepper Parr
March 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a meeting that had the city planners meeting with some of the people in Aldershot to talk about possible changes that might take place along Plains Road between Cooke and Filmandale.
The city is in the process of doing the required five year review of its Official Plan. In Burlington the process is to go out into the community put some ideas up on a screen explain how the Official Plan is reviewed and then listen to questions and ideas from the community.
City planner Bruce Krushelnicki started the meeting by explaining there would be no decisions; no announcements and no surprises. We are here to listen to you.
 This is the part of Plains Road the community gathered to talk about – but it is just a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Citizens will have to figure out where their personal interests fit into the puzzle. The purpose was to talk about land use changes – to talk about how land use changes should be made or whether there should be any changes in the Official Plan and the zoning.
“People want to get the best possible value for their property when they sell and at the same time protect the character of their community” said Councillor Craven who took an active part in the meeting.
Guidelines for development along Plains Road were set out in 2006 which led to policy changes in the Official Plan. The official plan gets reviewed every five years and looks forward for 20 years.
The province set out an intensification strategy in 2008 and Burlington learned it was going to have to accommodate HOW MANY NEW PEOPLE
Burlington set out what they called intensification corridors to accommodate this growth – both residential and commercial– places where new growth or re-development would take place. Plains Road is on that map.
 There will be intensification and here is where is is going to be However, Plains Road isn’t a single stretch of land – it has been broken into segment for planning purposes. There are surprising differences between the segments.
The south side of the Cooke/Filmandale segment prohibits townhouses. Several in the audience wanted to know why.
The biggest issue for most was that there are no places to shop – there is just one bank.
The reason for the lack of retail choices is that the population isn’t large enough for retailers to come in.
Greg Woodruff, a candidate in the last municipal election said the small retail spaces that do exist are too small – “they don’t have delivery docks; they don’t have any venting if someone wanted to open up a small restaurant and there is no parking”.
The spaces are more suited to professional services and as one person said: People walking to see their tax accountant doesn’t create much in the way of foot traffic – which is what the people in Aldershot appear to want.
There are seniors who want the community to stay just as it has been for the many years they have lived in the community. The problem is that the younger families that will move into the community eventually, would not accept the small bungalows with small bathrooms. Families want more space.
Redevelopment is a good sign explained planner Krushelniki – the motels are for the most well past their best before date – Plains Road is no longer the road you take to get somewhere; it is the road that leads to a rich diversity of homes.
The homes south of Plains are protected – however when the New Horizon’s had a development proposal for the Plains Road and Falcon area one would have believed the end of the world was upon us – property owners were bellowing that once those four stories went up it wouldn’t be long before that kind of development crept south. That is not going to happen.
The Solid Gold entertainment operation made its way into the conversation – and the planner agreed that there will come a time in the not too distant future when that land will be put to a different use.
The development that is being thought through around the Aldershot GO station – they are calling these mobility hubs even through there is no such thing in the Planning Act or the city’s Official Plan. But they are very real in the minds of the planners and in the minds of those who are responsible for the economic development of the city.
While no one in Aldershot wants to see 30 story high rise buildings along Plains Road there was more than a muttering of approval for that kind of structure in the land adjacent to the 403 and on the west side of Waterdown Road.
 The black dotted box is what the residents of Aldershot were to be talking about at a recent community meeting. The elephant in the room was that large pink area – that is where very significant development will take place; perhaps as many as 2000 new residents and loads of traffic coming south on Waterdown. And a look at the map shown below one can easily see what the potential is for the part of Plains Road that is under study – it butts up against Waterdown Road and is a very short distance from the 403 and the Aldershot GO station.
Mention was made of a 775 townhouse development on lands between the GO station and Waterdown south of the 403; that may be the rumoured ADI Development Group’s plan for the property is is reported to have purchased from Paletta International.
There won’t be anything much above four floors along the part of Plains Road that is being studied. The planning department is aware of some land assembly that is taking place
Aldershot is a world of its own. It is a quiet community that doesn’t feel it has the amenities it needs – there is no beer store, no liquor store and they would like much more in the way of supermarkets
The planners and the ward Councillor explained that the world has changed and small supermarkets aren’t the way the food delivery system works anymore.
When there was an A&P supermarket in Aldershot it was closed because the market wasn’t big enough for them. “They weren’t pushed out” explained city planner Bruce Krushelnicki – “they came to the planning department and said they were going to close down and wanted to know what could be done with the property the store was on?”
Business makes decisions based on their own self-interests – people in Aldershot like the small town feel of their community – but without growth and a decent sized market – they don’t stay.
You will get a supermarket explained Councillor Craven when there is enough population to support a store with xxx square feet.
He might have added that there will be a beer store and a liquor store when there are enough people in the community to justify such operations.
 Council Craven wasn’t quite ready for the energy that emanated from Sandra Pupatllo when she was in town looking for possible candidates to run with her as Liberals when she was going after the leadership of the province. That drive fizzled but we don’t think Councillor Craven has ever been the same. Councillor Craven pointed out that Aldershot has had the slowest growth in the city – a mere 3-4 % each year.
Plains Road was once the road to Niagara Falls before it was a rural road with large productive farms on both sides.
Today it’s almost a road with a split personality. It is a backbone through the community that is trying to be a road that has a number of destinations.
The residents want the commercial concentration to be made up of places they can walk to with sidewalks that can accommodate patios.
The reality is that both Waterdown and King Road have been widened or are in the process of being widened – wider roads = more traffic that will end up on Plains Road – so much for becoming a quiet, pleasant neighbourhood, community road.
 The white oval is the part of Plains Road that the community was talking to the planners about – what did they want and what didn’t they want in that stretch of Plains Road. What wasn’t talked about was the development that is going to take place at the Waterdown – 403 intersection and the GO station. Big stuff. And of course – no mention of the Eagle |Heights development. There are developers with big plans for Aldershot and while it would be untrue to say the ward Councillor is in bed with them – he is certainly on the best of speaking terms
Rick Craven wants development in Aldershot – he realizes that in the not too distant future those quiet, peaceable people who have been his political base will be moving on – perhaps into one of the several retirement homes that have popped up in Aldershot.
 Rick Craven is a big booster for Aldershot – he fights for his constituents every chance he gets – there are some he doesn’t get along with and he’s not known for his warm fuzzy personality but he is effective. He is fully aware of the very significant development potential and he works hard to make it happen – he just doesn’t tell his constituents about the very real changes that are going to take place. What Craven does not appear to be doing is letting his constituents know that change – big changes are coming to town. And their lives will be different. Those people vote and right now he needs those votes.
 By Staff
Marcvh 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The city proudly announces that Dr. Ashley Worobec will be the Burlington community torchbearer for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President’s Choice® and OLG.
 Dr. AshleyWorobec a Burlington chiropractor at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic, is an avid Crossfit practitioner at Crossfit Altitude in Burlington. The torch relay will visit Burlington on Friday, June 19, 2015 and will feature Dr. Worobec as the community torchbearer.
In December, residents were asked to help choose a local resident to carry the Pan Am flame on behalf of the city and voted on a short list of names selected by the committee.
The Burlington Pan Am Community Engagement Committee accepted applications and nominations until Dec. 14. To be considered, applicants or nominators submitted a photo and a letter of interest explaining the connection to Burlington and what being Burlington’s community torchbearer would mean to him or her. The finalist who received the most votes was Dr. Worobec.
Nominated by Marnie Post, Dr. Worobec is a Chiropractor at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic, an avid Crossfit practitioner at Crossfit Altitude in Burlington, and an avid runner, participating in numerous runs in and around the city. A mother of two young children, she is actively engaged in numerous community activities and blogs about her community, her practice, parenting and staying fit and healthy.
“Ashley Worobec will proudly carry the Pan Am flame as Burlington’s community torchbearer,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “Burlington is excited to be a part of this historic journey, and we look forward to showcasing our community to the world.”
During the 41-day torch relay, each of the 3,000 torchbearers will complete, on average, a 200-metre relay segment. The torch will be carried by more than 60 modes of transportation and exceed 5,000 kilometres on the road and 15,000 kilometres by air.
“The torch is a unique symbol of the Pan Am Games and carries a powerful energy that will unite Canadians,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer, TO2015. “The torchbearers will proudly carry the flame through more than 130 communities, igniting the Pan Am spirit as they go.”
Featured on the torch are the United We Play! pictograms — colourful depictions of people in motion —symbolizing the assembly of athletes through the celebration of sport and culture. The aluminum torch stands 65 centimetres high and weighs 1.2 kilograms (or roughly the same weight as a baseball bat). With a burn time of 10 to 12 minutes, the flame can withstand winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour and is visible in all kinds of weather conditions.
By Staff
March 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
 City Hall will be closed on both Good Friday and Easter Monday, March 30, 2015
Good Friday – April 3 2015
Easter Monday – April 6, 2015
Halton Court Services in Burlington are also closed.
By Staff
March 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED:
THERE IS A PERSON ON OUR STAFF THAT WILL NOT BE GETTING A BONUS.
THE FIGURES ORIGINALLY POSTED WERE FOR 2013 – THE FIGURES BELOW ARE FOR 2014. WHEN WE GOOF, WE REALLY GOOF DON’T WE?
 $100,000 does bring out a smile. The first figure is the salary component, the second is funds paid for something other than salary that was defined as a taxable benefit.
The people shown in red are part of the Fire Department.
Council members don’t appear on the list because a large part of their income comes from the Region and that is a different list.
For some reason, none of the people at the Economic Development Corporation don`t appear on the list nor is the Librarian. No one from the Performing Arts Centre or the Burlington Art Gallery.
What is clear from this list is that public sector jobs pay very well.
The 2014 list is just a little shorter than the 2013 list.
ADCOCK ALAN Firefighter $102,031.26 $483.84
ALDHAM JUDY Field Services Supervisor $111,009.49 $2,185.06
ALLDRIDGE BRIAN Platoon Chief $125,971.19 $649.80
ANTONIOW PHIL Manager of Program Development, Budgets and Contracts $114,881.79 $636.11
AXIAK ROB Manager of Recreation Services $102,451.31 $562.56
BAKOS MICHAEL Captain $108,367.48 $570.96
BARANOWSKI DEREK Captain $102,812.05 $514.29
BARRY PHILIP Captain $108,850.00 $570.96
BATTAGLIA MARY Manager of Field Services $106,085.34 $1,248.03
BAVOTA ANTHONY Fire Chief $165,324.85 $2,974.19
BAYLOR MARK Captain $111,922.02 $570.96
BAYNTON STEVE T. Captain $111,754.92 $585.12
BAYSAN ERGUL Senior Traffic Signal Technician $100,847.25 $491.60
BEDINI CHRIS District Supervisor $110,226.37 $703.61
BENNETT RANDY Manager IT Infrastructure and Operations $117,482.38 $652.56
BERDAN MICHAEL Senior Transit Operations Supervisor $100,193.47 $458.04
BEVINGTON KIM Captain $103,733.66 $526.47
BIELSKI BIANCA Manager of Development Planning $136,058.28 $736.98
BIRCH CHARLES T. Captain $113,196.51 $585.12
BLACK JEFFREY Manager of Field Services $107,380.39 $3,169.47
BOYD LAURA Human Resource Manager $106,127.55 $595.79
BRILLON SYLVAIN Firefighter $100,768.89 $483.84
BURROWS TRACEY Manager of By Law and Administration $101,981.11 $11,207.00
CAUGHLIN DEBORAH Manager of Council Services $109,094.40 $587.86
CHOLEWKA CHRIS Captain $109,661.47 $570.96
CLARK CARY Manager of Development and Environmental Engineering $108,338.17 $592.77
COFFEY PETER Captain $109,134.34 $566.28
COULSON ANN MARIE Man Financial Planning & Taxation $131,771.98 $722.67
CRASS JOHN Manager of Traffic Services $106,951.19 $1,553.48
CRAVEN RICK Councillor $100,722.85 $562.10
DI PIETRO ITALO Manager of Infrastructure and Data Management $119,020.45 $655.90
DONATI DERRICK Firefighter $101,411.97 $495.00
DOWD TIMOTHY Captain $113,714.92 $585.12
DUNCAN JOHN Transit Manager $121,674.39 $680.72
DYKES RICHARD Firefighter $100,542.18 $509.16
EALES MARK Captain $107,463.41 $562.64
EICHENBAUM TOOMAS Director of Engineering $132,494.20 $511.91
EVANS FRANCES Manager Halton Court Administration $106,003.66 $580.83
FIELDING JEFF City Manager $163,343.09 $4,337.84
FORD JOAN Director of Finance $152,992.02 $845.42
FRYER E. TODD Firefighter $100,329.68 $509.16
GALEA KYLE Firefighter $100,919.65 $483.84
GILROY GERALD Firefighter $100,314.51 $485.36
GLENN CHRISTOPHER Director of Parks and Recreation $142,035.88 $758.76
GLOBE DARREN Captain $108,598.54 $570.96
GOLDRING PATRICK Mayor $170,025.95 $2,927.50
GRANO FRANCES Manager of Strategic Information Technology Service Delivery $101,898.44 $568.61
GRISON GREGORY J. Captain $111,754.92 $585.12
HAMILTON SCOTT Manager Design and Construction $116,702.59 $642.75
HAMMER CHAD Captain $105,795.32 $544.74
HAMMOND BILL Fire Training Supervisor $111,519.22 $567.96
HAYES DENNIS M. Platoon Chief $124,167.54 $649.80
HEBNER PETER B. Captain $113,567.52 $585.12
HURLEY BLAKE Assistant City Solicitor $133,679.42 $649.80
JAMES MICHAEL Fire Training Officer $101,861.64 $570.96
JARVIS DAWN Manager of Fire Communications & Admin $104,927.27 $575.94
JONES SHEILA City Auditor $129,085.03 $680.64
JONES STEPHEN Captain $106,570.42 $556.92
JURK ROBERT Senior Project Manager $105,669.95 $585.12
KELL DONNA Manager of Communications $114,981.30 $638.52
KELLOGG GAVIN Supervisor Golf Course $108,587.82 $552.16
KELLY JOHN Captain $110,066.14 $570.96
KOEVOETS MATT District Supervisor $118,371.00 $1,142.13
KRUSHELNICKI BRUCE Director Planning and Building $159,392.67 $891.60
KUBOTA ERIKA Assistant City Solicitor $134,953.30 $652.56
LANCASTER BLAIR Councillor $100,722.85 $562.10
LAPORTE N. JASON Captain $107,951.53 $570.96
LASELVA JOHN Supervisor Building Permits $104,601.68 $582.72
LEGG TRACIE Manager Business Services $101,413.14 $564.55
LONG MARK Captain $113,601.59 $585.12
MACDONALD GARY F. Captain $112,659.31 $585.12
MACKAY MICHAEL J. Captain $111,754.92 $585.12
MAGI ALLAN Executive Director of Corporate Strategic Initiatives $180,473.51 $982.32
MALE ROY E. Executive Director of Human Resources $180,372.37 $1,012.56
MARTIN CHRISTOPHER Captain $106,638.03 $556.92
MATHESON JAMIE Firefighter $100,887.23 $483.84
MCGUIRE CHRIS District Supervisor $108,192.88 $683.50
MEED WARD MARIANNE Councillor $100,722.85 $562.10
MEEHAN DAVID Firefighter $102,019.98 $510.10
MERCANTI CINDY Manager of Recreation Services $113,924.30 $473.50
MINAJI ROSALIND Coordinator Development Review $101,438.02 $568.14
MONTEITH ROSS A. Deputy Fire Chief $145,953.17 $1,372.72
MORGAN ANGELA City Clerk $143,711.02 $770.03
MYERS PETER R. Captain $111,754.93 $585.12
NICELIU KENNETH Firefighter $102,254.95 $509.16
NICHOLSON J. ALAN Captain $111,754.92 $585.12
O’REILLY SANDRA Controller and Manager of Financial Services $110,567.13 $604.47
PEACHEY ROBERT Manager Parks and Open Space $114,401.18 $633.57
PHILLIPS KIMBERLEY General Manager $185,505.87 $7,599.39
POLIZIANI MATTHEW Captain $107,805.24 $556.92
REID DAVID Fire Prevention Officer $101,295.09 $556.92
REILLY PETER Captain $111,754.91 $585.12
ROBERTSON CATHARINE Director of Roads and Parks Maintenance $149,458.02 $1,403.87
ROESCH GORD CHARLES Fire Training Officer $101,821.02 $542.88
SCHMIDT-SHOUKRI JASON Manager of Building Permit Services and Chief Building Official $133,681.16 $748.20
SHAHZAD ARIF Senior Environmental Engineer $102,105.76 $567.67
SHARMAN PAUL Councillor $100,722.85 $562.10
SHEA NICOL NANCY City Solicitor $172,124.38 $836.38
SHIELDS LISA Assistant City Solicitor $136,246.06 $651.90
SLACK CRAIG D. Platoon Chief $126,694.90 $649.80
SMITH CLINT Platoon Chief $125,523.38 $649.80
SMITH SIMON Firefighter $100,300.17 $495.00
SPICER MIKE Director of Transit $129,920.15 $721.53
STEIGINGA RON Manager of Realty Services $112,646.26 $619.76
STEVENS CRAIG Senior Project Manager $103,459.71 $568.88
STEWART SCOTT General Manager $227,077.25 $9,381.94
SWENOR CHRISTINE Director Information Technology Services $156,493.35 $876.68
TAGGART DAVID Manager Facility Assets $112,157.40 $462.71
THANDI JAZZ Manager Procurement Services $107,953.94 $592.99
VRAKELA STEVE Field Services Supervisor $105,436.15 $1,920.30
WEBER JEFF Deputy Fire Chief $116,019.23 $7,670.64
WHEATLEY RYAN Captain $110,028.42 $570.96
WIGNALL T. MARK Firefighter $101,647.73 $509.16
WINTAR JOSEPH Chief Fire Prevention Officer $110,961.56 $621.60
WOODS DOUGLAS S. Captain $113,128.08 $585.12
ZVANIGA BRUCE Director of Transportation Services $153,951.49 $787.56
By Staff
March 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Culture has taken on a deeper commitment from city council, due in large part from a delegation made by Trevor Copp, who asked city council why he had to travel to Toronto to ply his trade.
The Performing Arts Centre had opened and was going through a difficult phase but the public had become used to the place and had begun to understand that the city was going to have to continue to subsidize it forever.
In 2009 the federal government created and funded Culture Days which was to become a national network of cultural connections to provide Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of art and culture.
 Different artists were able to take a tent during Culture Days last September and paint or sculpt of make pottery in Civic Square Through a three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to discover their cultural spirit and passion.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington.
Burlington’s 2014 Culture Days was a resounding success due in large part to their being staff dedicated to managing the event.
The push from the cultural community and the creation of the No Vacancy event put new energy into culture at the street level.
The holding of the first No Vacancy event in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel was what appears to be the beginning of the community creating its own events. No Vacancy is a private initiative that gets peanuts from the city.
The sixth annual Culture Days weekend will take place from Sept. 25 to 27, 2015.
A workshop will be held on Friday, April 24 at the Burlington Art Gallery for Culture Days event organizers to learn about resources available from the city and Culture Days Ontario. Space is limited and registration is required. RSVP to Adam Belovari, culture coordinator at adam.belovari@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7335.
Local creative organizations, venues, professionals and businesses are again invited to host events during the Culture Days to promote free, hands-on and interactive activities. The public is invited to participate in behind-the-scenes activities to see how artists; creators; historians; architects; curators; designers; and other creative people work and contribute to culture in Burlington.
 Trevor Copp talks with Angela Pap during the unveiling of the Spiral Stella at the Performing Arts Centre earlier in the week. Paparizo is now the manager of Arts and Cultural for the city. Paparizo, manager of arts and culture,
Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture expects to repeat the 2014 success in 2015, offering three days featuring different types of events, working closely with Doors Open, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington Libraries, Burlington Museums, Tourism Burlington and Burlington artists to make this happen.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington. For more information, or to participate in Culture Days, visit www.burlington.ca/culturedays or contact Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture, at angela.paparizo@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7352.
The Sound of Music kicks off the festival season for the city. Rib Fest follows, then the third year of the No Vacancy offering which will take place on Old Lakeshore Road this year and then the three Cultural days in late September.
The city came very close to having an ArtFest on Old Lakeshore Road as well but the “adamant refusal’ by three business owners on the Old Lakeshore Road put the boots to that opportunity. Council wanted the event – the event planner wanted to hold it in Spencer smith Park but they couldn’t get together on a date.
 It would have been a major arts event – drawing several thousand people to the city and to a part of town that has significant potential as a location. No one is saying who the tree commercial establishments that said no way to the idea – they felt their business would suffer. The effort to bring a large art sales event to the city by an experienced and proven promoter started back in October of 2014 – everyone was involved in the effort but three business people apparently would not budge so the planned 100 tents spread out along Old Lakeshore Road housing the wares of different arts won’t happen this year.
Emma’s Back Porch was so keen on the idea that they agreed to turn over their parking lot for the event. They had gone so far as to plan an Artists Feast for the occasion.
Expect this event to come back for another try.
By Staff
March 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette did not have a reporter at the public meeting last Thursday when the matter of coyotes roaming the parks and ravines of the city was the major issue.
A few days after the meeting we got the following from a resident:
I was walking my dog at 11:30 along the paved trail connecting Burloak to Appleby line. A large Coy wolf was walking along the trail on its own. Clearly was not afraid of me and my large black lab which seemed small compared to this animal. Did not expect this at this time of the day and clearly it was not afraid of us.
I warned a lone jogger who turned and decided to jog in the opposite direction. During the winter I came across a number of rabbits that were being fed on as well. There is a danger from these animals. Clearly the city needs to do something about this.
 A coyote sensing field mice beneath the snow prepares to pounce. Glenda Dodd, a Hager Street resident did attend the meeting at Central arena and sent in the following;
“I would like to make comment on the resounding applause I received from people in attendance. It was for my objection to the proposed bylaw and the fact it is a difficult bylaw to enforce. The stand I took was that Improper Garbage Disposal is what should be controlled. The fact I received such overwhelming response to my remarks is the reason for this e-mail and request that you pay heed to what the people said by their applause.
“I know surrounding areas have “no feeding bylaws” but what good are they if in the meeting it was acknowledged that coyotes are a problem everywhere because of urban expansion. Why have a bylaw if it is already proven to be ineffective in our surrounding cities.
“A number in attendance, because of their personal encounters are now fearful of using their back yards, parks or having evening walks with their dogs, they were looking for more response about what is being done to remove coyote population.
 Coyote den with pups. Dodd adds: “Across from my house in the wee hours, I have seen a coyote walk up our street past the apartment building through the parking lot to the Hydro right of way. According to people who walk dogs, there is a coyote den not far from my area (I’m assuming from their description that it could be somewhere around or past Grahams Lane). I have not walked the area to find it.
Because of this proximity I feel as familiar as anyone in the City to speak regarding Coyotes and the proposed by law. I strongly object to the proposed By-Law regarding feeding of animals.
“That is what they wanted, not a bylaw forbidding feeding. Whether there is a bylaw or not, if anyone suspects coyotes are being fed, a field observation would have to be made in order to apprehend whoever is doing and bylaw or not, if they really wanted to do such a thing would just become more evasive and discreet.
“I truly believe that instead of trying to redefine what a nuisance animal means the bylaw idea should be dropped altogether. Concentrate on something that can be enforced, like garbage and yard waste accumulation that houses mice and rats.
“We do not need a paint brush bylaw…Canada Geese and Seagulls are a specific problem then do what Midland did and enact a bylaw to prohibit the “Feeding of Canada Geese and Seagulls”
“As you admit, (Dodd is referring to either the Bylaw enforcement officer or the Mayor) it would be difficult to enforce such a bylaw, so why have it, to use in a worst case scenario, please. My comment was about not needing what was presented, that is what was approved via the applause I received. What the people wanted to know was what are you doing about the coyotes, they want them removed, not a nuisance feeding bylaw.
Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven, in an email response to Dodd said: “There was no “resounding applause.”
“What I heard was that people want support for the coyote problem. A wildlife feeding bylaw is a reasonable next step.
 Councillor Craven will often dress for the occasion. In a previous public meeting he chose to wear his McMaster jacket. “Yes, it would be difficult to enforce such a bylaw, but it would probably only be done on an exception basis to deal with the worst case scenarios. i.e. the gentleman in Tyandaga who is feeding the Canada geese in Fairchild Park to the point of damaging the park grass and attracting rodents….upsetting his neighbours.”
Unfortunately, the draft bylaw that was proposed does not appear to be on the city’s web site. We will work at digging this out and continue the discussion.
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