 By Staff
October 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Burlington Transit held a community meeting on proposed changes to Route 6 at Tansley Woods Community Centre Tuesday evening. It was not a smash hit.
Two seasoned observers, one, the best mind on transit matters the city has and Jennifer Hlusko, a current school board trustee running for the ward six council seat who always has a command of the numbers on anything she talks about, comment on the event.
Hlusko had this to say:
“I attended the City’s presentation last night about the options that City Staff are considering to response to the complaints received from Headon Forest Drive residents. I had attended the Council meetings last May to listen to the residents’ delegations.
 Jennifer Hlusko I was astounded by what I witnessed last night. The City hired a Consultant to handle this transit complaint. Dennis Fletcher, of Steer Davies Gleave, told the audience that over the past few months he has read every email and complaint received from the public. Mr. Fletcher said he was “brought in by the City to be an objective third party”.
In addition to the Consultant, I counted 8 City staff members, 23 residents, 3 Ward 6 Councillor candidates and 1 Ward 6 trustee candidate. Significantly, in the room was Mike Spicer, Director of Burlington Transit. John Duncan, Burlington Transit, was quick to tell me staff weren’t being paid overtime. That wasn’t my objection (although I expect they’ll be given lieu time).
My objection was that the City once again hired a Consultant to handle a file that staff should handle. There was nothing that Mr. Fletcher provided last night that staff couldn’t have handled themselves. Halton District School Board staff frequently lead very contentious public meetings dealing with boundary reviews and school closures.
Mr. Fletcher presented the 3 options (that were already available online), took questions from the audience then invited them to review the charts up close. Neither he nor staff would provide ridership data. To me, that is the crux of the matter. Mr. Fletcher did take the opportunity to diss the school board for downloading the problem of transporting Notre Dame Catholic SS students onto the City of Burlington. How many students ride the bus? If the route is changed to Option #1, has the administration at Notre Dame been asked how that would likely impact ridership? Does the City project that changing to Option #1 will increase ridership by providing direct access to the Supercentre mall, MMRobinson HS, the No Frills plaza, etc.? Can these projections be shared with the public?
Mr. Fletcher said that City Staff will prepare a report that will go to Council in December. If I am elected to be the Ward 6 Councillor, rest assured that I will advocate for data based decisions. Furthermore, that data is shared with the public. I will highlight for the public every time the City considers hiring a Consultant and how much it will cost taxpayers.
I invite residents to attend the repeat performance on Thu Oct 23rd at Tansley Woods. While the notice states the meeting start time is 6pm, the presentation does not begin until 6:30pm.
Here are the three options. Please note they did not include an option along Upland Drive that meets the criteria of providing transit to the Burlington Supercentre mall, but would consider it if the public requested it. Then when an audience member asked if they would consider Deer Run, Mr. Fletcher said, “We are not looking for streets to put a bus on or to take a bus off. We are trying to provide a service to meet GO times.”
The Hlusko comments were published by Hlusko on “blog” she writes almost daily
 Doug Brown and Susan Lewis look over a 1982 copy of the city’s bus schedule. Doug Brown, chair of Bfast a transit advocacy group based in Burlington made the following comments about the meeting.
Residents do not have the right to remove service from transit users. Not wanting a bus or bus stop near your home is not a reasonable request. It is strange that Council has been so receptive to moving bus stops and bus routes away from complaining homeowners, while showing no interest in the hundreds of complaints from bus users who have lost service during the arbitrary changes resulting from the “Interim Plan” of September 2012, and the wholesale route and schedule changes of November 3, 2013. Does Council have a bias against transit using citizens?
Transit routes should be determined by user needs and through a long-term, comprehensive transit plan. The November 03, 2013 changes did not meet these criteria.
Any changes made to Route 6 should be based on user needs and views – not on unreasonable requests from non-users to remove service.
Further transit changes should be based on a long-term well researched transit plan. Since the 2010-11 Transit Master Plan was aborted by the City in January 2011, there has been no long-term transit plan. The current Transportation Master Plan would have been a good opportunity to develop a long-term integrated transportation plan that would have included a balanced strategy for moving people via car, transit, cycling, or on foot. This opportunity is being missed.
In an interview the day after the meeting Doug Brown said: “To put it mildly, not a good public meeting.
The meeting had a number of non-transit using residents of lower Headon Forest and Pine Meadow. There were some transit users there, even though the Tansley Woods meeting site has hourly bus service – not great accessibility if you can’t drive there.
The meeting began with a talk by a paid facilitator who spent 25 minutes describing the three options that Burlington Transit has developed for the north end of Route 6.
I was the first person to speak from the audience, but was stopped half a minute into my statement by the facilitator and Mike Spicer on the grounds that only comments on the posted three options were allowed. Before being cut-off, I was interrupted several times by some rude residents with comments such as “have you heard the buses.”
I did at least get my first point out that no resident had the right to prevent transit from using their street, and that streets were public right of ways.
Empty buses was the theme of most of the non-transit using residents. Four transit users did speak, but it was very apparent that the NIMBY-minded residents had created a very anti-transit mood. The first transit user to speak felt compelled to apologize for his comments since they contradicted the presented empty bus claims.
Nonetheless, there were several good observations from the few transit users there. One lady recommended going back to the old #6 route which serviced Burlington Mall as well as the Fortinos plaza.
Anyway, back to my comments which I was prevented from delivering. My first point was that residents did not have the right to remove bus stops or buses from their streets. The second issue is that Transit routes should be determined by user needs and through a long-term, comprehensive transit plan. Good transit planning cannot be achieved by the ad hoc and time constrained options presented at the meeting.
My third point was that any changes made to Route 6 should be based on user needs and views – not on unreasonable requests from non-users to remove service. This is a key issue as staff and council seem to pay much more attention to non-transit users views than the needs of transit users.
And my fourth point was that further transit changes should be based on a long-term well researched transit plan. I noted that the City’s 2014 Capital Budget document shows no funding allocation for a transit plan until 2018 meaning that for the next 4 years, any transit measures will be ad hoc and not based on a sound long-term plan.
The three options presented by the City were far too limited as they ignored the central issue of lack of funding and poor service levels (one- hour headways on the north east routes). Staff has apparently ruled out any alternative that would cost more money – which rules out many potential options for better service.
A final comment – I have been attending many public meetings over a very long time. Last night was the first time I was stopped from speaking.
 By Pepper Parr
October 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
 There is no doubt that Fortinos got behind the flood relief effort in a big way. Program will run to the 30th of the month. With fundraising for Burlington Flood Relief entering the final weeks of the 100-day campaign, the Claims Committee is focusing on assisting those who qualify for financial assistance prepare their claims.
A Town Hall meeting with the Claims Committee and Cunningham Lindsay, the insurance adjuster supporting the initiative, is planned for November 4th to answer questions and provide support to those interested in making a claim.
“We know there are hundreds of Burlington families who will qualify for financial assistance and are concentrating our efforts to communicate with those folks and help them through the process,” said Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO of the Burlington Community Foundation.
 Every cashier, every employee in the Fortinos supermarket wears the red Flood Relief T shirt. “We are also communicating with the provincial government to understand its position on providing financial assistance so we can be crystal clear on how much funding we have to disperse.”
Since the Application for Losses and Damages became available on September 30th approximately 40 claims have been filed. The Claims Committee has set a deadline of December 14, 2014 for all Applications for Losses and Damages to be submitted. Disbursements will begin over the following eight weeks after the deadline.
“Our Committee is committed to assisting everyone who needs help in submitting their claim forms,” said Mulholland. “We encourage people to attend the Town Hall on November 4th or to connect with the BCF office by phone or email.”
As of noon today, the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee has raised $780,000 in cash.
 Long way to go – not all that much time left – three weeks. Ron Foxcroft, Chair, BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee said: “We are in the final stretch our 100-day fundraising campaign and our Committee and a roster of dedicated volunteers continue to seek support from our community”. “We are working on some significant gifts and hope to have details to share shortly. Burlingtonians will continue to have an opportunity to donate to flood relief when shopping at retailers throughout our city and we are confident these efforts will make a big impact.”
Link to find Application for Losses and Damages or call: (905) 639-0744 ext 221
More donors are encouraged to continue supporting the campaign by:
Cheque – make cheques out to “Burlington Community Foundation” with a memo reference to Flood Relief Campaign – mail or drop off at Burlington Community Foundation, 3380 South Service Road, Unit 107, Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3J5
On-line donations – Click on the DONATE NOW button.
The Town Hall meeting will take place on:
Tuesday, November 4th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Burlington Seniors Centre, Port Nelson & Wellington Rooms
 By Pepper Parr
October 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police will hold a media conference this afternoon at 3:00 to assure the public that are no imminent threats to area within Halton Region.
This is in response to the tragic and unfolding events that have taken place this morning in Ottawa and specifically at the seat of our government.
Chief of Police Stephen J. Tanner will be present with Halton Chairman Gary Carr, Police Services Board Chair and Oakville Mayor Robert Burton and other municipal mayors and officials.
Halton Regional Police would like to reassure the public that the current events in Ottawa are being monitored and that at there are no imminent threats to area within Halton Region.
Police are working within our established partnerships with other in law enforcement and government agencies and continue to be vigilant in all matters of public safety and security.
The soldier shot at the War Memorial in Ottawa this morning was a member of the Argyles in Hamilton.
 By Pepper Parr
October 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
A second citizens group has been set up to deal with the flooding problems that resulted from that August 4th flood. This group, known as Halton Residents Against Sewage Backup and Flooding (HRASBF) has been a little more active at the social media level and expects at some point that it will join forces with Burlington Sewer Back-up Victims Coalition (BSBVC)
Differentiating between the two groups can be confusing so we will call them the “Victims” and the “Advocates”.
 The “advocates” once met with ward five council member Paul Sharman at what he wanted to call a private meeting held in a church. It was clear at that meeting that the residents had more information than the council member who admitted that his problem was getting information out of the Regional level of government.
The “advocates have called a public meeting for Friday, October 24th – from 4:30 to 6:30 at Fortino’s Plaza
Sharman, to his credit, got the Region to do a study of flooding in July – before the August storm because there had been persistent flooding in his ward.
The flooding issue has come close to defining Sharman’s re-election campaign.
Jack Dennison, who is running for re-election in ward four claimed he had inspected more than 1000 basements.
Peter Rusin, who is running for the office of Mayor said Mayor Goldring’s absence from last night’s meeting was less than encouraging. If I was elected Mayor, it would not be resident groups requesting meetings or pressuring for solutions. I would set up a series of workshops involving Regional Engineers, City Engineers, the Conservation Authority and possibly include representatives from both the federal government and the insurance industry.
“My goal” said Rusin, ” would be to fast track and prioritize future remediation measures such as capital projects for new storm water ponds, greater erosion control, flow capacity consideration and emergency plan measures.”
This is a difficult time for those involved in the politics of wards four and five – there are some terribly painful human tragedies going on in hundreds of households but there isn’t all that much a candidate can actually do.
The need for the flood victims is financial but unless a home owner was uninsured or under insured they will not benefit from the funds being raised by citizens through the Burlington Community Foundation.
The frustration in the community comes through in the email chatter – some of which we set out below.
The email chatter:
 Christina Thorpe, spokesperson for the Halton Residents Against Sewage Backup and Flooding (HRASBF) speaking at a community meeting at Glad Tidings church on Guelph Line. From: Harnum, Jim [mailto:Jim.Harnum@halton.ca]
Sent: October 21, 2014 9:25 AM
To: ‘Christina Thorpe’
Subject: RE: Flood
Hi Christina,
Sorry for the delay in responding, I was out at an offsite meeting yesterday. The magnitude of this storm was unprecedented in Halton Region, in the past we had only experienced 20 to 30 flood claims per year vs 3000 in one week. We did not have this pamphlet prepared until after we received feedback from the community, that more information was required.
With respect to your second point, please accept my apologies for the impression that I was downplaying the impact or magnitude. I was merely stating the facts concerning the dilution factor of the water in basements. I recognize that this has been a terrible event for thousands of individuals and by no means was I downplaying the impacts. A storm of this magnitude would have overwhelmed any system in Canada as sanitary sewers are not designed to handle rain water, especially at these magnitudes.
Jim Harnum, CET, MBA Commissioner, Public Works
Thorpe responds:
From: Christina Thorpe [mailto:christinaathorpe@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2014 10:16 PM
To: Harnum, Jim
Subject: Re: Flood
Hello Jim,
With all due respect, hard copies should have been mailed or hand delivered to each resident within a few days of the backups/flooding with the ex-gratia grants. Does the region realize how many residents were blindsided by restoration companies and contractors? These restoration companies charged exorbitant fees and did not do proper clean up and residents were none the wiser, and according to the Ontario Environment Safety Network (OESN), every home they visited in Burlington was inadequately cleaned and tested.
I, personally, don’t appreciate your downplay of the situation. My children have unexplained rashes on their legs and face. I have seen exhaustion in elderly folks and those who are not well. The region should be holding information sessions for residents in this aftermath in conjunction with the public health department.
Christina
Jim gets back to Christina:
 Jeff Brooks, candidate for the ward three council seat speaks at the Glad Tidings meeting. On Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 9:16 PM, Harnum, Jim <Jim.Harnum@halton.ca> wrote:
Hi Christina,
Residents can get hard copies at Region offices or they can call 311 and we will mail them out one. During the Aug 4 flood, the ratio of rainwater to sewage was very high, in other words the majority of water in basements was rainwater mixed with a very small volume of sewage. Therefore the threat to health was very small. As far as fecal mater in weeping tiles, most plumbing would be thoroughly flushed after another heavy rainfall, which we have had several since the flood. If a homeowner did still have a concern they could enlist the services of a plumber to send a camera into weeping tiles to review the condition. I hope this helps and answers your questions.
Jim Harnum, CET, MBA, Commissioner of Public Works
Christina responds again:
From: Christina Thorpe
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2014 8:48 PM
To: Harnum, Jim
Subject: Re: Flood
Hi Jim,
Where can the hard copies of the guide be found? Did elderly home owners who do not have access to computers, those who lost their computers or those who no longer drive receive copies from the region?
Also, you have not answered the question of fecal matter stuck in the weeping tile and drains. How is the region responding to this?
Christina Thorpe
On 2014-10-19, at 6:17 PM, Harnum, Jim wrote:
Derek Johnston joins the chatter and gets a response:
Hello Mr. Johnston,
> Thank you for the information, I will review the situation that occurred on Mcraney Avenue in the past to see if there are similarities. As far as the health and wellbeing of homeowners, Halton has also been very proactive in this area. Although we cannot go into residences to review the presence of mold or other contaminants, we have worked closely with our Public Health Department and developed very comprehensive material on our website to help homeowners understand the issues.
We have also developed a very detailed guide titled “A guide to Flooding Prevention and Recovery”. This guide has all of the information that homeowners in Halton would need to help protect themselves from future flooding events and how to ensure that their homes are safe if they do experience flooding. The website link is below and the guide is located here as well. The guide is also produced in hardcopy for those who do not have access to a computer.
https://www.halton.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=8310&pageId=114218
Jim Harnum, CET, MBA, > Commissioner, Public Works
> —–Original Message—–
Johnston sends a polite response:
From: Derek Johnston [mailto:derek@soundmaskcanada.com]
> Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2014 4:44 PM
> To: Harnum, Jim
> Cc: Paul Sharman; Phil Cavanagh; Christina Thorpe; Bob Vrenjak; Carr, Gary; matt johnston; Linda Johnston; peterrusin@royallepage.ca
> Subject: Flood
>
> Thank you Jim
 Nicole Dunn, part of the (HRASBF) talked about the health issues related to the flooding. She thinks they are serious and being overlooked by the Regional bureaucrats. > We are not done yet but i am impressed by the quality of your response and by the fact that it came out so promptly on a Sunday afternoon,.
> You might want to take a look at what happened on Mcraney avenue 20 years back it was remarkably similar to the Tuck Creek overflow . The City of Oakville picked up the tab for all repairs to a large number of flooded homes My serious concern at this point is the most vulnerable flood damaged people. There are a lot of elderly people in our neighbourhood. I am concerned that sewage damage which is not immeadiately apparent might be missed leaving a festering disease and mold Infested condition with possible deadly ramifications. Is there any way we can make sure that all houses are safe. Please be advised i am aware of several homes where damage to the piping did not become apparent until weeks after the flood , Sewer gas smell and backed up sewage pipes were discovered. i want to be sure that all flood victims are safe from disease and illness.
>
> Best Regards Derek Johnston
Jim Harnum responds to Johnston again:
On 2014-10-19, at 11:16 AM, Harnum, Jim wrote:
>
Hello Mr. Johnston,
Thank you for your e-mail, I understand your concerns and assure you that the Region is taking this issue seriously and we have been very active in assisting residents and looking for short and long term solutions.
The Region has received over 6000 flood related inquiries since August 4th. All calls received by 311 (Access Halton) by phone or e-mail that require follow up are logged and tracked. Staff has responded to calls received by connecting directly with residents or by leaving a message with relevant information. We have encouraged all residents impacted by flooding to contact 311. This message was communicated to over 30,000 Burlington residents using the Community Emergency Notification System as well as by the Red Cross when they visited 10,979 homes at the request of the City and the Region following the flooding. There has also been communication through the media and social media.
I would also like to provide you the following additional information highlighting the Region’s response to the August 4th storm.
Over 3000 homes have been visited by Regional staff and almost $2 million in ex-gratia grants provided to assist residents. The Region also initiated a special program for residents in high priority areas where homes have been impacted by repeat flooding, covering 100% of the costs of basement flooding prevention measures. It is expected this program will cost an additional $1 million.
The regular Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy program is available to all residents covering up to 50% of the cost to install basement flooding prevention measures. The demand for this program increased significantly after the August 4th storm. It is estimated that the Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy program will cost the Region over $1 million.
Since the August 4th storm, the Region has also provided enhanced waste collection services in Burlington to assist residents clean up following the flooding. The cost of the enhanced services is expected to cost approximately $500,000.
Halton Region has supported the City’s request for Provincial assistance through the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) and the fundraising efforts by the Burlington Community Foundation to provide financial assistance to residents impacted by the flood.
Halton Region has not previously experienced a storm with the intensity of the August 4th storm. It is clear that weather patterns throughout the world have changed. The City and the Region have initiated reviews of the storm water and sanitary sewer systems to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of future flooding given the new realities of climate change. The review will consider changes in infrastructure, programs to disconnect private downspouts and updates to the Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy program. Public Information Centres will be scheduled to update residents as the study proceeds.
 Councillors Sharman and Taylor attended the community meeting but neither was asked to speak. Shaman’s ward was seriously damaged by the flooding. One would think the residents would want to hear from him. Taylor who has been around longer than any other council member knows more about how the Region works than anyone else on Council could have added some very useful information. Residents with questions or concerns related to basement flooding are encouraged to call 311 or visit the Region’s website at Halton.ca/flood. In addition, the Region has recently published a “Guide to Flooding Prevention & Recovery” which is available online at Halton.ca/flood, or by calling 311 for a print copy.
Jim Harnum, CET, MBA, Commissioner, Public Works
—–Original Message—–
Regional Chair Gary Carr jumps in:
From: Carr, Gary
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2014 5:30 PM
To: Derek Johnston; Harnum, Jim; MacCaskill, Jane
Subject: Re:
Thank you
Jim will give you a detailed update
Regards
Gary
On Oct 18, 2014, at 5:28 PM, Derek Johnston <derek@soundmaskcanada.com> wrote:
You quick response on a Saturday afternoon is noted and appreciated.
Thank you Derek Johnston
 By Halton Residents Against Sewage Backup and Flooding
October 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Dear Mr. Carr:
Eleven weeks have passed since the Aug. 4th flood and majority of Burlington residents are still wondering what happened on that day when tens of thousands of liters of raw sewage and overflow from creeks entered into their homes, causing millions of dollars in damages and a plethora of issues from insurance battles to health risks to stolen repair deposits.
Below are questions and concerns from the residents of Burlington which HRASB compiled over the last several weeks. Health and Safety.
As you are well aware, there is a sizeable elderly population in Burlington and many live alone or with their domestic partner of many years. Several of these elderly folks did not have their homes cleaned out within the recommended time frame for a sewage backup. Also, the Ontario Environmental and Safety Network (OESN) mentions that fecal matter trapped in weeping tile and drains can release methane gas, not to mention when affected areas of the home are not adequately cleaned and tested (which OESN found in every case), then bacteria and viruses could grow and overt health effects could occur to otherwise healthy individuals. Why not bring in the Public Health Department to inspect homes?
Follow-up by the Region
We are aware of at least two residents who reported sewage backup flooding to the Region but were not contacted. Of those residents who were contacted by the Region, some reported missed appointments by Regional staff which resulted in delayed reconstruction or pressure from insurance companies for installation of the backwater valve system. Many residents still have storage pods in their driveways.
Burlington Flood Relief Foundation
Why did the representatives from the Burlington Flood Relief Foundation decline two invitations to attend sewer backup meetings thereby missing opportunities to connect with 350+ residents who were directly affected by sewage backup?
Wastewater Capital
Wastewater capital investment for new development in Oakville is 368.4 million dollars from 2012-2016 and a mere 6 million dollars for Burlington in the same time frame. Residents understand that Oakville is experiencing growth; however, Burlington east wastewater pumping stations were identified as ‘poor condition’ and the ‘highest priority’ (in Halton) as per RV Anderson and Associates engineering study provided in 2012 to the Halton Region. Why so little capital investment in Burlington when there are known issues?
Backwater Valve and Subsidy Decisions
Some residents will receive full coverage for the installation of back water valve and sump pump system while others will not. What exactly are the criteria for full subsidy and who oversees the program?
Construction by Year-End
If the Region is waiting for the results of a flood report expected in July of 2015, why are there plans to begin construction by year- end in some neighbourhoods? What knowledge does the Region have currently regarding the sanitary sewer infrastructure which has not been made public?
New Development
Residents feel that developers have ‘no business’ proposing high-rise apartments downtown, at Appleby Mall, or any other area of Burlington significantly impacted by sewer backup/flooding. Until the major infrastructure problems are identified, made public, and ultimately fixed, there will be significant push back by the residents.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Members of the HRASB
www.hrasb.com
 By Pepper Parr
October 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The ward covers the eastern half of rural Burlington and tracts that run from Hwy 407 down to Upper Middle Road and includes the well-established communities of Millcroft and Headon. The newly created Alton community brought much more diversity into the ward and small pockets of development along the 407.
 There isn’t much in the way of industry in the ward; The Hanson Brick Works operates at Dundas Street, there are a lot of commercial operations but all are small in nature. Emery Developments decided to build two five storey towers attached to each other with a two storey atrium at Palladium Way. The intention of the developer is to build on speculation. They were confident enough that the market was there for their offering and expected some occupancy in late 2015.
 Staff recommended a Mixed Use plan but indicated that if council selects the all Employment option, staff are able to support this, but cannot support an All Residential option The Krpan Group project at Dundas and Tremaine is stuck at the OMB – residents have heard very little about this project which has a number of features and approaches to development that are worth paying attention to – but they don’t appear to have any traction in the mind of the Council member for the ward
There was to be a new court house for provincial offences in the war but that disappeared just as fast as it appeared when local opposition spring up without the ward Councillor knowing all that much about the plans.
There isn’t a ward council – that kind of citizen involvement doesn’t sit all that well with the Council member; it would mean sharing the power a member of Council has and attracting meaningful input from the community.
Millcroft and Headon are strong communities that with few problems. Snow removal, road repairs – the usual municipal services are what they ask for – just keep our taxes down.
Dundas Street is due for a very significant upgrade and a widening that will make it a much different road than it is today – it isn’t clear yet what kind of development it will attract. The Region expects to run busses along that road as part of an inter-city transit offering at some point. That is years away but the work needed to create an additional east west road has been made at the Regional level – so Dundas get upgraded
 Part of the massive gym set up in the Haber Recreation Centre The opening of the Hayden Recreational Centre, the Frank Hayden High School and a new branch of the library system created a community that pulled itself together very quickly and managed to produce three South Asian candidates for the ward seat.
Transit is not yet a significant issue – most of the seniors are at a point in their lives where they still drive their cars. The demographic of that cohort will shift significantly in the next ten years and the need for more in the way of community services geared to seniors and transit service that will let them get to different places in the city will become evident.
 The Air Park is both a problem and a significant opportunity but at this point any ideas that are being discussed come from the mind of Vince Rossi who has yet to provide anything in the way of a business. Rossi has been able to get away with dumping land fill without the required permits because no one, including Blair Lancaster, paid much attention – they bought the argument that the air park was federally regulated and no one asked any questions.
There is an opportunity to do something with the 200 acre property that fits in with an Air Park and the rural setting – no one has come up with anything yet. Not the Economic Development Corporation, not the Region, not the city – not even the people who live in the eastern half of rural Burlington.
Background links:
The ward Councillor: an assessment.
 By Pepper Parr
October 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is doing profiles of each member of Council. They are based on four years of observations and interviews with most Council members. An overview of the ward they serve is linked to the profile.
Walter Byj, a free lance writer who contributes to the Gazette regularly, was to do a part of this article but he was unable to reach Councillor Lancaster to do an interview. Byj called on:
July 21st -sent e-mail to her assistant requesting an interview for the Burlington Gazette. Assistant Julie advised that Blair was out of office and that she would follow up next week.
August. 22nd- sent follow up request to assistant Julie. Got reply back on August 25th. stating she was on vacation last week and that she would advise Blair.
Sept. 4th.- sent e-mail to assistant stating that I assumed that Blair did not want to be interviewed.
Sept. 9- sent e-mail to Blair asking for an interview, have never heard back.
Getting an appointment with Blair Lancaster has never been easy. While media savvy Ms Lancaster often avoids media or gets others to do the avoiding for her.
 Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster thinking through the answer to a question. Tends to be cautious. The Gazette organized a debate of all ten candidates in ward six. We got an email from Brenda McKinley saying she was representing a candidate but did not want to say who and asked if there could be another moderator and if the questions asked of one candidate could be put to every candidate.
Ms McKinley said they did not want the publisher of the Gazette serving as moderator and suggested someone from the Chamber of Commerce. We declined the request. We later learned that Brenda McKinley, the person making the request, was Blair Lancaster’s sister. The sneakiness was seen on too many occasions.
One of our very first interactions with Blair Lancaster was during a break when the Strategic Plan was being developed back in 2010. While walking towards the table with the coffee urns Blair Lancaster asked if “there wasn’t something we could do about Marianne Meed Ward”. At that point in time council members were trying to get used to the Meed Ward style. We were never quite sure what Ms Lancaster wanted us to do.
Blair Lancaster led a large part of the public meeting at which the Niagara Greater Toronto Area (NGTA) highway was discussed at the Mainway Arena. It was a very large crowd and keeping the emotions in check was not a simple task. Lancaster showed that she could handle crowds that were at times unruly.
Lancaster was the first member of Council to declare a conflict of interest on a financial matter. The Downtown Core Vision was being discussed and Lancaster took the position that she had a commercial business and therefore stood to gain if the city did anything. She left her Council seat and sat in the public gallery. The Spa she owned was closed a few years later. There was no financial gain.
Several weeks later Councillor Dennison did the same thing – which shocked everyone at the media table.
 The Photo Op – Artist Alex Pentek on the left, displays a portion of the Orchid to Councillors Sharman and Lancaster. Lancaster argues the art is not in her ward. Lancaster has a pluckiness to her – she can be quick with a remark that you may not like and leaves you with the sense that she isn’t one to trifle with – and then she backs away from real issues.
There is a message when nine candidates file nomination papers for a seat held by a single term council member. A lot of people feel they can do a better job or do they smell blood in the water?
The ward has a large chunk of rural Burlington within its boundaries but the voting population is in the Alton, Headon and Millcroft communities.
This was home turf for Blair Lancaster the incumbent completing her first term. However Alton wasn’t a significant part of the population in 2010 – it was a community that was beginning to come together so it is an unknown as far as where the hearts of the voters lie.
Headon and Millcroft was a part of the city Lancaster split with Mark Carr who didn’t lose by all that much in 2010
Issues in the ward south of Dundas were the usual – parking, snow removal – nothing that would grab voters enough to get them to turn out in droves.
There was the renaming of South Hampton Blvd, a city street that runs west off Walker’s Line and has just the one address on it – the Burlington detachment of the Halton Regional Police. Police Association executives wanted the street name changed to Constable Henshaw Blvd., to commemorate Bill Henshaw who died while on duty in 2010.
It really wasn’t a major issue but one that riled one area resident enough for him to delegate and complain that is calls to Lancaster were never answered. “I did call you, on several occasions” said Lancaster. “Yes” responded the citizen – “you called me after the Standing Committee meeting took place and you had made your decision”.
Renaming the street wasn’t a big issue but the communication between the Council member and the constituent was the type of thing that would come up again and again with Lancaster.
Transit was an issue but it was not one that Lancaster had much to say about.
 They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building. She did have a lot to say about the Freeman Station and for that Lancaster deserves both merit points and a Brownie badge. She, along with Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, took the lead on this issue and managed to hold the rest of Council back. The two women don’t get along, have very little time for each other and deserve credit for being able to set aside differences and ensure that the Freeman project didn’t get trampled.
What Lancaster has not been able to do is establish strong working relationships with all too many of her constituents.
That dissension, particularly with those in rural Burlington who felt very strongly that there interests – and those of the city – were not being met.
Fellow Council members would comment on how little time Lancaster spent at city hall and there wasn’t a lot of positive feedback from city hall staff. A problem over a parking ticket was memorable.
Vanessa Warren, one of the best delegators we’ve seen in some time and an excellent researcher as well was seen as THE leader in this race for the Council when she declared her candidacy.
 Rural Burlington residents could not understand why there Council member chose to sit beside Vince Rossi – owner of the Air Park and the man responsible for dumping tonnes of fill without the required permits For the rural population of the ward the Air Park issue has been major. They see the landfill dumping done as a major affront to the environmental integrity of their part of the city and they feel the ward councillor is just a little too cozy with Vince Rossi, president of Burlington Air Park Inc.
Lancaster held many of her ward events at the Air Park – a nice location – what many didn’t fully appreciate was that the occasion was also an Air Park Open House that Lancaster was piggy backing on.
During the early days of the land fill being trucked onto the air park site a number of residents wondered who Lancaster was working for. There was some vicious email between Lancaster and several of her residents who became suspicious and wary of her actions.
During a community meeting at the Warren farm on Bell school line Lancaster sat beside Vince Rossi; during the trial over the landfill and site plan argument Lancaster sat in the row behind Rossi.
 Lancaster election signs appear beside the Air Park runway. The rural residents stopped trusting their Council member and formed a coalition of interests to keep the community informed. It was that coalition, Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition that did much of the early research on the financial organization of the Air Park and the $4.5 million mortgages that were on the property.
Vanessa Warren, the founding chair of that organization, delegated to the city and the Region very effectively. As 2013 became 2014 Warren decided that here had to be a candidate that would run against Lancaster and filed her nomination papers.
To the surprise of many, candidates then began to come out of the bushes until there were nine candidates running against the incumbent.
Lancaster appears to be betting that the nine will split the vote very widely and that her core vote will hold and she will manage to come up the middle.
During the 2010-14 term Lancaster served on the Burlington Museums Board, Burlington Public Library Board, Burlington Inclusivity Advisory Committee, Burlington Mundialization Committee and the Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee.
 From left to right: Carm Bozzo, development manager, Halton Women’s Place; Councillor Blair Lancaster; Mayor Rick Goldring; Ed Dorr, Chair, Burlington Mundialization Committee. Perhaps her best work was done on the Mundialization committee where she represented Burlington with our sister cities Apeldoorn in Holland and Itabashi in Japan. It is in those almost semi-diplomatic roles that Lancaster shines.
There were three new council members in 2010 –Blair Lancaster, Paul Sharman and Marianne Meed Ward. Sharman created a name for himself with the way he handled the 2010 budget debates; Meed Ward brought a reputation with her – Lancaster struggled to learn the job and find her own niche.
She is currently chair of a Standing Committee; fortunately she has Councillor Craven as her deputy and he can guide her.
Background links:
Ward six: what has it got going for it?
By Pepper Parr
October 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Councillor Marianne Meed Ward is upset that we didn’t tell her side of the story when we published a short piece on the complaint that Mike Swartz and some of his neighbours took to the Omsbudsman.
We have asked Meed Ward to be patient while we chase down all the angles on what is a very complex story that goes right to the heart of the kind of city Burlingtonians wants.
When people take complaints to governments or when lawyers are explaining an injury they use a word that sounds worse than it is. A cut might be described as a laceration for example.
Mike Swartz in his media release said he has made a formal complaint to the Omsbudsman and to Kaaren Wallace who is a Municipal Advisor within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
 According to Mike Swartz the above, is a picture of the legally fenced property at the foot of Market St that Meed Ward consistently refers to as “an existing public walkway” This has driven increased foot traffic to the site and infuriated the public who quickly see there is no such walkway. Meed Ward has hidden the truth about the owner’s right to fence the land and restrict all public access. This has incited further potential for public mischief, antagonism towards the owners and increased potential liability. Meed Ward has no right to direct the public to privately fenced property, said Swartz What Swartz has done is heightened the rhetoric to make something sound much worse than it is.
Here is what Swartz is complaining about:
A lack of transparency on the part of Meed Ward –
Although the owners had asked Meed Ward on July 17th 2012 to convey the information to the public, as of the Council meeting on October 15, 2013 (fifteen months later) Meed Ward had still not been forthcoming with our request to inform the public of our concerns (a major breach of transparency). Her comments via social media continue to be misleading and lack transparency in that she refers to the Water St parcel as a “public pathway”.
Meed Ward ignored the owners’ requests and never informed the public that in actual fact, 50% of this parcel of land remains inaccessible to the public by a court order dating back to 1993 and that no such public walkway from Market St to St Paul exists.
That comment that “50% of this parcel of land remains inaccessible to the public by a court order dating back to 1993” is both a stretch and a rather unique interpretation of what the Judge said in the decision. There was no “court order” – there was a decision that had to do with monies that were to be returned.
We did say this was complex and we will do a feature article on what is a rather sad situation. For the moment let’s let each of the parties to this get a few words in.
 Mike Swartz telling city council that he might have to sue. Swartz in his document said: `…we are hereby formally registering a complaint against Ward 2 Councilor Meed Ward for serious contraventions and breach under the Act. It is unclear as to the formal process at the City regarding complaints dealing with Councilor violations under Sec 224 of the Municipalities Act. We are therefore submitting this complaint to the Ontario Municipal Ombudsman as well as Karren Wallace, Ontario Municipal advisor, Mayor Rick Goldring and City Clerk, Angela Morgan.. We further request that we be granted an in person meeting with the review party in order to more clearly define and elaborate on our claims.
Here is what Meed Ward has to say about that:
The residents who have filed the complaint disagree with my vote against selling this publicly-owned waterfront land. They have cited a 1993 court case in this matter, detailed below. One section of the public walkway is fenced at one end, but that fencing was not, contrary to the statements made in the complaint to the Ombudsman, a result of “a court order.” The court decision in fact reinforces that the land is in public hands.
Difference of opinion about a public issue is light years away from dereliction of duty. Meed Ward went on to say in a prepared statement that: “I will not be intimidated into silence by this action. I will not allow these actions to have a chilling effect on public discourse on a matter of significant public interest.
“I have and will continue to speak openly on this issue and to make my position and my vote clear, transparent and accountable. I will continue to notify the public about this issue, and seek public input.
“I will continue to advocate for the public interest on the waterfront. My commitment is to keep public waterfront lands in public hands. Period. I will not waver from that position.
This is a complex story that needs to be explained carefully – there are culprits all over the place on this one. Stay tuned.
Background links:
Swartz make formal complaint over council member behaviour
How city council decided to sell waterfront property
By Pepper Parr
October 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Mike Swartz and two of his neighbours Ralph Williams who lives on St. Paul Street and Ray Khana who lives on Market Street have filed a formal compliant with a provincial government bureaucrat they call the Omsbudsman, asking that Councilor Meed Ward be held accountable for historical and ongoing unethical conduct.
 Mike Swartz, delivering a very hard message to city council. We don’t want to sue but we will if we have to. They have already retained legal counsel. Quite what that being held accountable actually means is not clear.
 Keeping the land the city already owns in public hands would result in a pathway like this. “The complaints herein are primarily (although not exclusively) related to Meed Ward’s actions, behavior and efforts to have the Water St. parcel (a strip of City owned land between St. Paul St and Market St and bordering on a waterfront strip owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources) developed as a public walkway/parkette. This Water St parcel abuts 3 private property owners, namely, the households of Khanna, Swartz/Connell and Williams, herein referred to as “the owners”.
“The owners first met with their Ward 2 Councilor Meed Ward on July17th 2012 to discuss the concerns of the Water St. land and their intent to purchase it. The owners asked Meed Ward for her support. The Councilor made it very clear that she was opposed to the owners purchasing the properties, as she wanted it to become a park. At that time the owners agreed to disagree but they asked her as their Ward 2 Councilor to share the following information with the public. “
As one gets into the details of this complaint things get very muddy and complex which is a large part of the problem; the public has never been given the full story.
 Selling the land at the lake’s edge to private property owners would create a situation like this – where three homes would have exclusive use of this view. In the days ahead the Gazette will pull together as much of the detail as we can and set out what the issue really is – does Burlington want to keep waterfront property in the hands of the public?
Quite why Swartz and his neighbours are taking a formal complaint to (they say to the Omsbudsman but the complaint is addressed to Karren Wallace, Ontario Municipal Advisor, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) is not clear. It is far too late in the election process for this to have any impact on the public’s perception of Meed Ward.
It is an issue that needs an airing but it will be as much as a year before there is any comment from the Municipal Adviser. Karren Wallace is out of the office until October 22nd – so that complaint isn’t going to go very far.
Much more to be done on this story – which does not appear to have yet become a significant public issue.
Council will be getting an update report at its November meeting but they won’t be able to do anything. They will be a lame duck council without the authority to spend any money for anything that has not been budgeted.
Depending on how the vote goes – there may be a significantly different council in place on December 1st when they are all sown in.
Stay tuned – this is a doozer of a story.
Background link:
City decides to sell some of the “crown jewels”
By Staff
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Almost 10 per cent of Burlington’s eligible voters have cast their ballots for the 2014 Municipal Election. Advance polls were on Oct. 8 and 18 and online voting was offered from Oct. 2 until 19.
A total of 11,072 votes were cast, with 7,976 done online. There are about 126,000 eligible voters in Burlington.
 These numbers are almost double those of the 2010 election advance voting period. In 2010, a total of 6,045 votes were cast, with 2,500 done online of about 120,000 eligible voters in Burlington. This translated to five per cent of eligible voters using advance or online voting in 2010.
“We are pleased with the turnout so far,” said Angela Morgan, City Clerk. “We hope this trend continues through to Election Day.”
There are some people who are no so pleased. The voted on line for the candidate they knew – not realizing there were other candidates. When they met the other candidates some are reported to have said they had already voted and regretted doing so,
On line voting is a convenience but it also limits the time-frame within which a voter can cast their ballot. Online voting ends more than a week before election day – any last minutes changes – and the early voter is out of luck. Incumbents love the online voters – they get to lock them in early.
Monday, Oct. 27, is Election Day. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your Voter Identification Notice for your poll location
Letter to the Editor
By Geoff Brock
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
A point of clarification. Peter Rusin never said a highway through Burlington was inevitable. He did say a new highway was inevitable and that if Burlington didn’t get proactive with the province and make sure they were at the table where the decisions are going to be made there could be a highway through Burlington.
I’m want to respond to the discussion I’ve seen in the news over the past weekend about a new Niagara Highway coming to Burlington.
I’m very disappointed to see that Peter Rusin, one of the candidates for Mayor in Burlington, is supporting a new Highway through Burlington because he thinks that will end traffic congestion and drive growth
 Mr. Rusin’s position ignores the 10+ year study process that was completed by the Provincial Ministry of Transportation in 2013. This study involved multiple municipalities, dozens of Public consultation meetings, and over $10 million in consulting work and transportation planning. The conclusion was that a New Niagara highway corridor is not needed in Burlington. The Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition was an active participant in this process, along with the City of Burlington and the Halton Region. The conclusion that was reached is a great example of local community groups working with local governments. I don’t know what facts Mr. Rusin is working with other than his own personal opinion.
 Metrolinx completed the Midtown Oakville Mobility Hub Study in October 2012. The study developed a long-term vision for the Oakville GO Station and surrounding lands, building on the substantial amount of planning work the Town of Oakville has already completed – the May 2011 Livable Oakville Official Plan and the June 2008 Draft Midtown Business and Development Plan. It focuses on the redevelopment of publicly-owned lands around the Oakville GO station, the majority of which is owned by Metrolinx. The study also looks at expanding the GO station to ensure it can best accommodate significant growth planned for the area and future Trafalgar Bus Rapid Transit. Mr. Rusin seems unaware of the work Metrolinx is doing in the GTHA to get people out of cars and onto transit. Some things Burlington can do alone, and some need Regional and provincial support. GO train electrification will get us GO train service every 15 minutes all day long, all year. That should get some cars off the road and improve air quality! Expanding the Mobility hub around the Burlington GO station could further help reduce congestion and create an employment centre. You only have to look at the great work done in Oakville to define a vision for the Mobility hub around their GO station. Do look.
Getting people out of cars is tough unless they have a viable alternative. Even the MTO’s long term plans show Burlington only moving from less than 5% of trips on transit, to slightly over 10% in the next 15 years. We need politicians and leaders who will ask “What will it take to get 20% of trips on transit?” The answer is better and more convenient service!
 There are lots of great policy ideas that Burlington can do on their own. Local trips on transit are not that convenient. It’s still difficult to get from Burlington to Oakville or Hamilton on transit. Working together with sister municipalities, instead of having standalone transit systems, will support the way citizens are living and working in the community. This idea requires regional thinking and cooperation and the vision a municipal mayor can give to the process.
Study after study shows that $1 spent on transit infrastructure returns many times the benefit of one spent on roads. Cars are going to handle the majority of trips for a long time, but the mix is going to change. We need leaders who understand that long term shift is coming and set the course to keep Burlington one of the most livable cities in Canada.
Geoff Brock is the Co- Chair, Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition
By Pepper Parr
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The ward runs from the QEW all the way up to Dundas – the municipal boundary. The votes are all clustered south of Dundas where there are constituents who need service.
 The problems and the long range challenges for the ward are north of Dundas and in the term of council we are completing John Taylor has been a fierce advocate for protecting the Escarpment, ensuring we never see another quarry and doing everything he can to prevent a highway cutting into Burlington.
While Taylor fights hard to keep a new highway from cutting through his ward – he doesn’t offer an alternative or a fully researched argument on how we manage the traffic and get less of it.
The biggest commercial operation close to the ward is the city owned Burlington Hydro. There is some commercial concentration along the North Service Road between Guelph Line and Brant and some commercial development potential at the Upper Middle Road and Brant intersection plus the property at Havendale and Brant owned by the Catholic Church that backs onto the Tyandaga Golf course. While technically not in his ward – any development of that property would certainly impact ward 3.
 Mountasinside Recreational Cdentre upgrade – it is projects like this that keep the voters hjappy – and Councillor TAylor delivered on this one. In the four years we have observed John Taylor, his strongest position on the economic development file is to keep the Employment lands just as they are and not allow all that much in the way of conversion.
What does Taylor do to make his ward better? We’ve not heard all that much as to what he wants to do in the southern part of the ward other than get a major upgrade to the Mountainside Recreation Centre. It took a long time but Taylor did bring home the bacon on that one. .
 The facilities at the Mountainside Recreational Centre and the grounds were totally revamped. Art work will be erected neatr the entrance. His focus has been on the rural part of the ward where he wants to ensure that it is kept the way it is. Taylor has worked hard on the Mt. Nemo study that he hopes will result in a bylaw that prevents anything urban creeping into that rural preserve.
The Preliminary Study of the Heritage Character of the Mount Nemo Plateau had an upset limit of $200,000 – which was more than many in rural Burlington thought should be spent. For Taylor and the people in the planning department the objective was to determine if the plateau could be made a Heritage Conservation District.
The Preliminary Study of the Heritage Character of the Mount Nemo Plateau was completed by Heritage Consultant, Andre Scheinman and was presented to the Development and Infrastructure Committee on January 13, 2014.
Taylor wasn’t particularly enamored with Scheinman as a consultant but he wanted the study to go forward – which is did.
 Councillor Taylor broke almost every rule there was related to Heritage properties – he wasn’t going to let this one get away. It was saved and the grateful owners are paying the piper with his sign. The work of the consultant has identified that the Mount Nemo Plateau possesses heritage character worthy of recognition as a cultural heritage landscape through further study and possible designation as a Heritage Conservation District (HCD). Taylor was all for this – besides saving the historic Panton house in Kilbride – this was going to be the Taylor legacy. The Panton house was constructed circa 1855-1860 for William Panton, the founder of the village of Kilbride.
While the Air Park problems are not ward 3 matters – whatever happens on that 200 acres will impact all of rural Burlington. Taylor hasn’t been silent on the Air Park problems but he hasn’t been all that vocal about it either.
 The votes are between Dundas and the QEW and Brant and Guelph line – is that where the Councillor’s heart is? He took part in the Open House tour the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition held recently and it didn’t take much to fully understand where Taylor stood on the “illegal” landfill. Many in rural Burlington had hoped that Taylor’s voice would be louder and stronger.
Ward 3 does not have a ward council. Taylor tends to prefer meeting with groups of people, particularly in the rural part of the ward. He meets with people in church halls and makes sure nothing happens in Lowville or Kilbride that doesn’t have his fingerprints all over it.
Link:
Profile of ward 3 Councillor
By Walter Byj and Pepper Parr
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is doing profiles of each member of Council. They are based on four years of observations and interviews with most Council members. An overview of the ward they serve is linked to the profile.
After more than 25 years as a Burlington Councillor, John Taylor is not ready to step down. He is seeking another 4 year term. Initially acclaimed in 1988, Councillor Taylor feels there is much to accomplish before stepping down from “the best job” he has had. While reflecting on his years in council, Taylor outlined his priorities not only of his ward, but also for the City of Burlington.
 Eliminating the current $150 million infrastructure deficit is a key priority – it should be – Taylor was on Council for more than 20 years when that deficit was created. The lack of new industrial development in Burlington is one of his major concerns as vast tracts of land sit idle awaiting development.
His hope is that the revised Burlington Economic Development Corporation will kick start more economic activity that will increase our tax base as residential growth will be limited to approximately 10,000 people over the next 20 years and the accompanying tax base will be very limited.
Eliminating the current $150 million infrastructure deficit is also a key priority and the current plan of increasing taxes annually for the next 15 years will eliminate this deficit in 20 to 25 years, an event many of us will not be able to celebrate.
As for ward 3, Taylor said “the most urgent issue is that the rural area of Burlington is under threat”. The fear of a new provincial highway and expansion of quarry activity in northern Burlington are at the top of his list. Burlington has two major natural features, rural lands with the escarpment in the north and the lake to the south and they should both be protected. Preserving the quality of life in ward 3 by developing our parks to another level over time is also a key concern for Taylor. This would include the finishing touches at Mountainside Park along with Lowville and Kilbride sometime in the future.
 Asked if there should be a term limitation for councillors, he responded that the electorate should decide this. Change for the sake of change is not the answer. Let the people decide who is best to serve them. Anyone wanting to take his seat should not run on the slogan “time for a change”, but rather run on policy.
Did he feel that age was catching up and perhaps not have the energy level that politics required? “I’ve learned to work smarter” responded Taylor. After 20 years of being on council, I have learned to pace myself and to pick my battles. His dedication and work ethic will remain the same, even though he plans to enjoy life outside of politics a bit more.
 Taylor grouses about the thickness of some of the reports but he reads everything – stays at home on Fridays to do the reading. Always has solid questions. Everyone thinks Taylor cannot be beaten; every candidate can be beaten with the right campaign. The ward’s failure to come up with a credible candidate is their loss. While Jeff Brooks is interesting, his very late entry does not give him the time needed to become known and doesn’t give the community the time it needs to get to know him.
Lisa Cooper appears to be running until John retires and hopes the seat will fall into her lap.
Burlington has had more than a handful of first time candidates who announced their intention to run less than 90 days before the election – difficult to take them seriously.
John Taylor is not only the Dean of Burlington’s city council; he is in many ways the conscience of this Council. He also has the best sense of humour on this Council. He laughs easily even if he is the object of the laughter.
At one point he threatened to walk out to the atrium and talk about a matter that was being discussed in camera. Taylor just saw that as wrong – especially when the subject had been talked about openly at the Region.
On another occasion Taylor broke every planning rule there was when he finagled and got his colleagues to go along with changes that made it possible for a house that had significant historical merit to be sold.
 Councillor Taylor meeting with staff to check up on some of the numbers in the budget binder. On yet another occasion he ventured into another Council members ward to help out with a water pipe problem when the Councillor for the ward had no time for the constituent.
Once city council got used to the idea early in this term of office that it had to come up with $60 million as its share of the Joseph Brant hospital re-build the city had to figure out how it was going to get that money to the hospital.
The hospital wanted the money given to them so they could build the parking garage that was necessary – the parking lot in place was where the hospital expansion was going to be built so it had to go. Taylor balked at that – he couldn’t see Burlington giving the hospital $60 million to build a garage and then have then keep all the parking fees. Taylor’s obstinacy on that issue served the city well.
Taylor knows more than anyone else about what the city has done in the past and how the place works – that knowledge doesn’t come to his fingertips as easily as it once did.
Taylor is huge supporter of Community Development Halton (CDH) and works hard to get the people in his ward involved in CDH events. More often than not – he will reach into his pocket and slip a folded piece of paper into the hands of Joey Edwardh’s, Executive Director of CDH.
Rural Burlington was not always the focus it currently is for John Taylor. He established his base in the southern part of the ward and that vote has stayed with him.
 The ladies love him. He charms them and he listens to them; never patronizes them. That’s why he gets smiles like this one from Georgina Black, the consultant who led the then new new city council through its Strategic Plan back in 2011. Generous, a true liberal minded citizen, Taylor gave very serious thought to making this term his last. He changed his mind when his health improved. Every candidate can be beaten but it is going to take a candidate who is well organized and who has developed a profile at least a year before an election is called to win the seat.
However, politics is known for its upsets. The voters usually get it right.
Link:
Background on ward 3
By Carol Gottlob
Candidate Municipal and Regional Council – ward 4
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Each week, until the ballots are cast on October 27th, we are going to follow the tales and travails of a single candidate. We have chosen Carol Gottlob, running in ward 4 against a well entrenched incumbent. Gottlob has no experience in civic government, has never campaigned before. Following this candidate is not an endorsement; Gottlob will win on her own merit.
As we head into the final week of the election campaign, I’m taking this opportunity to reflect on the experience thus far and the impact of the last 7 weeks. My journey begins much sooner, (I think maybe grade 6, when I won the citizenship award in my school for being on the student council and leading a fund-raising campaign), but I’ll focus on the chapter that is the fall campaign of 2014.
 Those pink lines show the streets that ward 4 candidate Carol Gottlob walked and knocked on every door. I understood, going into this process, that there would be long days ahead, tough days, calling on constituents and trying to make myself known in a ward that has grown accustomed to the incumbent of almost 20 years. Gottlob wasn’t a household name yet, and I’ve had to coach a few on pronunciation (rhymes with globe), but it’s been a pleasure doing so. Having been a long distance runner and now an avid hiker, I was eager to test my stamina. Despite a slight cold at the time of writing, I can say I’ve been enjoying each day, regardless of the weather. I am discovering people and the stories about my community I otherwise never would have. Many of those stories begin on August 4th, the day of the flood.
People talk about the kindness of neighbours, the shock of losing precious belongings, the frustration of waiting for answers and the anxiety of reliving the experience if nothing is done. And if they’re not telling it, someone else who was “spared” will tell it for them. There are also nostalgic stories of past councils and mayors, back in the day…. when times were perhaps simpler? These stories only further inspired me to service public office for the residents in my ward. They’re incredible people and I want to give them more, give them better, and help better protect them in the future from these types of disasters.
What I did not fully appreciate until living it was the mental stamina required standing at the door, absorbing people’s reaction to a new face, a fresh idea, and selling myself, my values, my vision for a better future. I felt the occasional cold shoulder, which I accepted as part of this democratic process and debated some controversial issues on many a doorstep. Overall, I would have to say I felt welcomed and respected, and often times appreciated for the simple fact that I was presenting a choice for constituents, a reminder that their voice and vote matter. Burlington does have some of the nicest people.
Interestingly an unexpected challenge came out of the on-line voting, specifically the timing of it. I was at the GO station the week on-line voting began, encouraging people to use it. Apparently this election, a significant number of voters have been using the Internet to vote, and a surprising number of seniors are amongst them! This is wonderful as it provides many residents the opportunity to be more engaged in the municipal government process. It could be argued that the campaign started as early as January 2nd, when nominations opened.
Current rules are such that the voter list was only available after Labour Day, and signs were permitted only after September 12th. Online voting began October 2nd until the 19th. As a result, for new candidates time is significantly diminished to less than 40 days to make the rounds, or put up signs. I believe the current framework with a staggered early online voting option gives incumbents with name recognition a large potential for an advantage here. In the absence of signs, literature or personal appearances, the voter is likely to defer to the familiar name on the ballot. My suggestion would be for Internet voting to take place between the advanced polling dates, which still gives voters lots of time to become informed about the candidates; something I recommend we should consider for 2018.
 Ward 4 candidate Caril Gottlob installing her first election sign. So now, of course, with Election Day so close at hand, my thoughts turn to the immediacy of what it means to me to be a Councillor and the role I will play. Words such as “advocate”, “advisor”, “steward” and of course “politician” come to mind. But what do those words really mean, and what roles do they suggest? I find myself feeling keenly aware of the tremendous expectations placed upon the Councillor; expectations I intend to confront with integrity, fairness, accountability, responsibility and responsiveness. When asking for someone’s vote, I’m promising to return these values, and more.
Today our culture is fluid and rampant with various means of communication on various platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Email, and online web presence, so as large as our city has grown and continues to grow, so has our ability to invite people into the city hall policy making processes. With this access to information also comes the responsibility of processing and exchanging that which is pertinent to the community versus that which is irrelevant and at times confusing. I believe the role of a Councillor requires great skill in listening, absorbing and understanding.
It also requires a close hand on the community’s pulse of what they want and need in areas of budgeting and expenditures. Costly errors are not easily forgiven, nor should they be. As a Councillor I believe one must act in a conscientious manner and be a transparent advisor to constituents. The best Councillors are those who do more than come out at election time to speak to residents, but instead are constant touch points of communication throughout their term in public office.
Looking back, would I have done things differently to this point? There are always areas for improvement, but overall I can say that I have given Ward 4 my best efforts in introducing myself and declaring what I want the opportunity to do for them. Would it help to have more background experience in municipal affairs? Knowing a job always provides for a faster pick up on the day to day activities, but all successful leaders know what they know and know in the absence of knowledge to ask educated and informed individuals so as to inform themselves before making a decision.
I am confident in my efforts as a candidate in this election, and I can say running for election has been and continues to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience regardless of the outcome.
By Pepper Parr
October 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
All the big players and the heavy hitters have stepped up and done what they could for those people in the community who find themselves struggling as a result of the damage done to their homes during the August 4th flood. It is an impressive list and more names will be added in the weeks ahead as we reach that 100 day target chief fund raiser Ron Foxcroft set when the Burlington Community Foundation took on the task of running the public side of the fund raising effort that was needed to quality for provincial support.
In alphabetical order they are:
Bank of Montreal, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd, Branthaven Homes, Bruce Etherington & Associates, Burlington Community Foundation, Burlington Hydro Inc., Burlington Insurance Brokers Association, Burlington Lions Club, Cogeco, CUPE Local 44, Fengate, Fortinos, Insurance Bureau of Canada, L3 – Wescam, Linkins Medicine Professional Corporation, Longo’s, New Horizon, Newalta, Ontario Secondary School Teachers District 20, Pioneer Energy, RBC Royal Bank, Reliance Home Comfort, Smith’s Funeral Home, Union Gas, Walker Industries.
Catherine Brady organized a group that has coin donation boxes in more than sixty locations across the city. Some donours have put fifty dollar bills in those boxes. 
Then there is Sheil Patel, an ace tennis player and a student at the Fairview Glen Montessori school, who was talking to his physiotherapist Dorothy Borovich and asking what he could do to help the people who had their homes flooded. Out of that conversation came $ 3048, which was added to the more than $800,000that has been raised to date by the community.
Sheil, an 11 year old who works out as a tennis player at Cedar Springs, talked to his mother Pooja and together they came up with the idea of soliciting donations from area retailers and putting the prize in large glass jars that were on display at Cedar Springs and at the Fairview Glen school.
 From the right: Ward four council member Jack Dennison, Mayor Goldring, Ron Foxcroft, Sheil Patel and his dad, Vip Patel. People could then bid on each prize – they varied from a pair of Raptor tickets to a jar of gum balls; several merchants provided gift cards. The jars were the best way we could think of to display the prizes people would bid on. “The Domino’s pizza didn’t fit in the jar of course – we put in a label for that one” explained Shiel. “The school was very good to us” said Sheil.
“They let me sell tickets to the students and their families and the Fairview Glen Board of directors added $500 as well.” Pooja Patel and her husband wanted their children to attend an open minded school, where students had the freedom to move around and use their imaginations. Both their boys attend the Montessori school – have done so since the very beginning of their education.
 Students from most of the grades at Fairview Glen Montessori school were out to support student Sheil Patel on his raising $3048 for flood relief. The Fairview Glen school however just goes to grade six – so next fall Sheil will attend a private school. “We’ve been visiting some of the schools and deciding where Sheil will attend next year. While middle school and high school are ahead of Sheil, his eye is on Harvard where he would like to study medicine, hopefully on a tennis sports scholarship.
The Patel family live in a cul de sac south of Fairview, off Walker’s Line, where there have been just two families move elsewhere. “It’s a very stable community – a place, where we can live out our culture and be active Canadians citizens” said Pooja. She added that Canada is a country that accepts everyone – that can’t be said of many countries. She and her husband met as students at McMaster University – both were commerce students – and were married in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony.
“Yes, my husband rode a horse” she added. The family maintains both their culture and religion “but we also celebrate what we call “commercial Christmas” as well as many other Canadian celebrations. The large corporate donations to the flood relief program are vital – the individual efforts by young people in the community are what really reveal the spirit of the city.
 Sheil Patel’s prize table included a pair of Raptors tickets, a pair of Asics tennis shoes (Tred Well), candy, gift cards from Marilu’s Market, Bombay Grill, Dominos Pizza, Holland Park Nursery, Kelly’s Bake Shoppe and many others. This weekend both Longo’s and Fortinos will be asking their customers if they wish to make a small donation as they come to terms with the cashier. Take advantage of the opportunity – funds are still needed – and we may learn that the provincial government is not going to give the citizens anything in the way of Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance (ODRAP) despite the efforts of MPP Eleanor McMahon.
The application has been sitting on the desk of Minister Ted McMeekin for some time. Longos will be accepting donation until the 24th; Fortino’s will be accepting donations until the 30th.
 By Pepper Parr
October 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
He’s calling the first four years of his time as Mayor the “cleanup/set up” phase for what one might assume is going to be the new beginning for Burlington. The phrase was used in an interview the Mayor gave recently.
 What was there to “clean up? The city certainly has its problems but is there a load of stuff that had to be cleaned up?
Infrastructure needs money, transit needs attention, the advances made with the arts and cultural file have been good.
We still don’t have an Economic Development Corporation that is going to do great things for us. Yes, they do need time to put the new story together but we said the same thing about the Executive Director that it took more than a year to get rid of.
On the surface all the public is seeing is an organization that holds networking events. The next biggie that will speak to the commercial elite is our own hometown girl Lisa Lisson, president of FedEx Canada.
We hear precious little from this Mayor on what could be done with the Air Park. Staff have carried this one – what the public is going to gulp at it how much money has been spent on legal fees. Is that clean up or has the public been set up?
Mayor Goldring has taken the position that he put the pier problem to bed – and except for a few minor details that file is closed: what the Mayor will not live up to or taken responsibility for are the several mistakes that added a couple of million to the cost of the thing.
This city managed to go through two city managers while Rick Goldring was Mayor. They pretty well fired the one that was in place when Goldring took office – the second one took a hike to a greener pasture – and if anyone thinks the council Jeff Fielding had to work with was not a part of his decision to change addresses – then they have the same limited vision our Mayor has.
When Goldring was elected there were some questions asked about his work as a financial planner/wealth manager. At the time we were told that Goldring had given up the various licenses he was required to have and that he would be a full time Mayor. We now learn that he “owns” a local branch of Assante Wealth Management from which he has taken a leave of absence – not quite the same thing as getting out of the business.
The public has heard nothing about what Rick Goldring’s vision is for the city. We do know that he is “not on” for the 28 storey tower the Adi Development people want to put up at the corner of Lakeshore and Martha but we know nothing about what he thinks that part of the city should look like.
There are parking lots in a large part of that area. Private and corporate property owners don’t operate parking lots – they hold land until they are ready to develop. Burlington needs to decide what it wants to see in an area that is going to have a 22 story condominium tower and an eight storey hotel just a block away from the proposed 28 storey tower.
Saying that Burlington already has the legacy tower it wanted (that was back in 1985) it a pretty weak argument for not permitting a 28 story tower.
The “set up” here is our Mayor failing to really fight for what he thinks is best for the city he is supposed to be leading.
At the recent Chamber of Commerce debate Rick Goldring, in an aside to candidate Peter Rusin, the Mayor is reported to have said he agreed with Rusin’s views on any NGTA highway but couldn’t say anything for political reasons.
How’s that for leadership?
 By Staff
October 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 A loose leaf collection service is provided to Burlington residents in the fall, typically beginning the first week in November of each year. This program is in addition to the Yard Waste Collection Service provided by Halton Region Waste Services.
Please follow the guidelines below to help ensure a timely and cost-effective leaf collection program:
Please have your loose leaves raked and ready for pickup just prior to the start date for your collection area.
Be mindful of collection dates and avoid raking leaves to the road too early.
Place leaves up to the edge of the curb or roadway (but not on the road) in a loose pile so city equipment can reach them.
Ensure loose leaves are not over catch basins or in the ditches in front of your home .
Please make sure leaves do not contain branches or other debris. Leaves mixed with other waste cannot be collected.
Avoid placing leaves on sidewalks and walkways.
Remove basketball nets, parked vehicles and other obstructions from the road to allow city crews clear access to leaf piles.
Do not place garbage bags, garbage bins, Blue Boxes or GreenCarts on top of loose-leaf piles.
Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection
Halton Region continues to provide collection of bagged leaves and yard waste on the same day as your garbage pick-up. This program is a separate program from Burlington’s Loose Leaf Collection.
Leaf Disposal Alternatives.
• Mulch leaves to use in gardens, flowerbeds, or leave them on your yard.
• Compost leaves in your backyard composter.
• Deliver leaves to the to the Halton Waste Management Site in paper bags or in bulk for composting
By Pepper Parr
October 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It was a “sold out” event.
It was also an embarrassing occasion when the Chamber of Commerce was not able to provide a way for mayoralty candidate Anne Marsden to join Mayor Goldring and Peter Rusin on the stage. She had to sit at the side of the raised platform because of a disability that makes it very difficult for her to mount steps.
One would have expected the Chamber of Commerce to realize that Marsden needed access to the platform – they invited her to the event. This lack of understanding, appreciation and concern for those who have a disability and need different access than the rest of us has been Anne Marsden point for years. Shameful that the Chamber of Commerce would fail at this level.
 Possible routes for an NGTA highway – the blue one put a shiver into the bones of Burlington and the Region. Rusin repeated his concern with the Mayor’s approach to economic development and said a new highway was an inevitability which moved Councillor Taylor to send out an email saying: “ Mayoral Candidate Peter Rusin today, at the Chamber of Commerce debate, called for the divisive Niagara to GTA Highway process to begin again with the support of City Council.
 That faint yellow arrow heads straight for the heart of Burlington’s Escarpment country. “Please spread the word to all Rural residents. We need strong continued leadership on this issue and the Mayor and I need your continued support to send a strong message to Council.
Mayor Goldring is reported to have said to Rusin after the debate that he shared Rusin’s view but that there was no way he could say that politically.
Rusin’s position appears to be that the city needs to work with the province and work out a solution that resolves the provinces problem of moving traffic and gives the city the economic development resources it needs.
Rusin point out that there was a time when the #1 side road was the rural boundary but that that changed when highway 407 was built. Rusin appears to want to see commercial development on the north side of that highway.
Rusin said after the debate that he could not see a highway ever coming through Kilbride and Lowville and while the province has put any development work on hold – that road is the major one on the table.
This is the first time anyone has heard that the Mayor has an opinion on what Burlington needs in terms of roads and the economic development needs.
By Pepper Parr
October 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Why didn’t council stop the sale of public waterfront land?
Council votes 6-1 to sell waterfront land.
 Many people want a public path along the edge of the lake between Market and St. Paul streets; the property owners want nothing of that idea. Jennifer Hlusko, a candidate for the ward six seat on city council uses social media to communicate. A day isn’t complete without at least one, usually several links that she passes along. We never get to hear what Hlusko’s view is on the issue she is covering – she is just passing along good information.
Hlusko is a very intelligent woman; a little on the brittle side at times but this woman is on top of the facts.
She recently did a piece on the decision city council made to sell a small strip of land on the waterfront which, if completed, will put an end for a long, long time to any hope for a waterfront trail that this city could have.
We wondered just what kind of coverage this story had been given by the print media and are grateful to Hlusko for pulling all the local coverage together.
 Will the average Tom, Dick or Harry keep the right to walk this piece of land. City owns part of it – but have decided to sell it. Other print media
• Oct 16, 2013: Burlington Post: Burlington council decides to sell waterfront property
• Oct 3, 2013: Burlington Post: Burlington considering selling public waterfront land to private hands
• Oct 24, 2013: Hamilton Spectator: Little: Waterfront public land up for sale
Burlington Gazette
• Jul 28, 2014: Waterfront Property for Public Use – it can happen if the public makes enough noise
• May 26, 2014: The sale of that waterfront land isn’t a done deal yet – a citizens group will be delegating against any extension at council this week
• Nov 2, 2013: Citizens speak – hundreds of them. Not all disagree with Council – but majority do. Was Council wrong?
• Oct 16, 2013: City Council votes 6:1 to sell waterfront. Public may never know what the selling price will be
• Oct 8, 2013: How city council managed to vote to sell waterfront lands and what some people want to do about that
• Oct 7, 2013: Part II Why does your City Council want to sell waterfront property rather than create a stunning lake front parkette?
• Oct 5, 2013: Part I Is your city council about to sell your birthright? Waterfront land just east of the downtown core may be sold
• Jan 1, 2013: Waterfront Advisory Committee sinks slowly into the setting sun
• Jun 6, 2011: Access to the Waterfront? Not everything you might think it is
The deal to actually sell the land has not closed. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is involved in this as is one of the candidates for the office of Mayor.
 Janice Connell spoke for herself and her neighbours at the council committee meeting where the sale of the land was discusses. The neighbours are seated behind Ms Connell Peter Rusin served as an adviser to one of the property owners – there are three of them with Janice Connell serving as the public face at city council meetings. It was her husband, Mike Swartz who issued a veiled threat to council about a law suit. Statements like that always send a chill up the spines of council members who see a large legal bill that they have to explain to voters.
Rusin has said he served as an advisor to Swartz and that the file is closed. If Rusin is to serve as Mayor – he will have to be much more transparent than that.
The Mayor`s decision to sell the property doesn`t square with the concept of a waterfront that is accessible to the public or as a resource to be shared by the public. Burlington is still of the view that wealthy private interests can get what they want from this Council.
It is a very complicated matter but the people of Burlington aren’t stupid – tell them the whole story and they will let you know what they want you to do on their behalf.
By Staff
October 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Earlier in the life of the current council an agreement was signed with Metrolinx and 12 other Ontario municipalities to put together a buying group for transit related equipment.
Burlington residents will benefit from enhanced transit when nine new buses will be delivered to Burlington; they are part of a purchase of 203 buses.
 New buses will be on the streets in 2015 – replacing vehicles that are 12 years old. Each 12-meter bus will carry up to 70 passengers and be fully accessible, helping people better access jobs, family, friends and community services. The buses will also meet the latest emission standards and be equipped with electrical accessories, such as electrically powered oil radiators, to improve fuel efficiency and help reduce costs.
In a statement put out by the province they said: “Building smarter, more integrated transit is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.”
Nice political rhetoric there – now for the reality check.
Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, a local transit advocacy group that pushes the city to improve transit said: “No real news here, as the 10 year capital plan included 9 replacement buses in 2015.
 “Since these are replacement vehicles, there will be no increase in the overall Burlington Transit capacity and the city will continue to be underserved in terms of bus capacity and transit service hours.
The retirement of older (12 years) buses will reduce maintenance costs, and increase reliability.
Funding for these replacement buses comes not from the City, but from the Provincial Gas Tax. Burlington reduced transit’s share of these Gas Tax funds from 30% to 20% in 2013.
Burlington has been part of the group buying process with Metrolinx and other municipalities for a number of years. The large orders resulting from group buying allows the participating agencies to leverage better prices.
Burlington’s MPP, Eleanor McMahon said: “This is great news for transit riders in Burlington. With this partnership, Burlington will save money and provide better service, making transit better for the environment and for the entire community.”
The next time you see our MPP on a bus – let us know – that will be news.
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