 January 2, 2014, Burlington, ON.
By Pepper Parr
Maybe it was the weather. Parking spots for members of city council were empty except for the one used by the Mayor on the first working day of the New Year..
With every member of Council (except for Councillor Dennison who traditionally waits until June to announce) declaring they would be running for office again in 2014 one might have thought they would be in filing their nomination papers.
The first person to hand over nomination papers was Katherine Henshell who plans to go up against Councillor Rick Craven in Ward 1 – where he hasn’t had much in the way of competition the last couple of runs.
 Katherine Henshell, first candidate to file nomination papers tries out a seat in the Council Chamber and thinks she likes the look of her name on the name plate. It will be quite a bit different this time for the three term Council member. Henshell spent a couple of minutes trying out the seat in the Council Chamber usually used by the member for Ward 1; she looked as if she was measuring the place for new drapes and wondering how her name would fit on the name plate.
A media colleague remarked that “there’s a one issue candidate if I ever saw one” when she heard that Henshell was going to run against Craven. Henshell, who live a couple of doors over from Craven in Aldershot, also has a property in the Beachway where she used to run her law practice.
During the Beachway debates she delegated to Council on two occasions to explain the serious flaw in the “willing seller/willing buyer” policy the city had settled on for people who had homes in the Beachway. Henshell argued that there wasn’t much in the way of willingness on the part of the owners of property who were experiencing no rise in the selling prices of their homes when everyone else in Burlington was seeing a 5% to 7% annual increase. “This city council is toying with the property values.”
Henshell left the Council chamber after her delegation feeling that she had not been listened to and hadn’t been treated with the courtesy a taxpayer deserves. She soon learned that a lot of other people feel the same way and when an acquaintance emailed her and said: “If you ever decide to run for office – you have my vote.”
“I’d never thought of running for office “ explained Henshell but then realized that “I had been talking about the Beachway issue as if I was a politician.” Henshell who plays defence on a community hockey team bounced the idea of running for office on some of her team mates and got a very positive response. She talked to her husband and between the two of them figured they could run their household, which includes a child less than two years old and that she could run her law practice and continue wither Seminary studies as well and also serve as a city Councillor.
Katherine Irene Henshell is one of those A type personalities that just does it all. Having decided to enter municipal politics she then got herself a copy of the Municipal Act and read it – she may well be one of the few council members who have actually read the Act. She then plunged into the city’s procedural bylaw as well.
Having decided to take the plunge Henshell dug and began asking people what their issues were. “I was somewhat surprised with the responses I was getting both in terms of ideas and issues as well as the financial support that came forward. There are a lot of angry people in Aldershot”, said Katherine Henshell.
 Councillor Rick Craven, centre, with a copy of the 2013 budget on a memory stick. Craven did a superb job of chairing the budget committee last year. He will have no argument with candidate Henshell over the need for additional shopping facilities in Aldershot – getting them there has been the challenge. Biggest want in the community – a place where people can buy food. “The only outlet is the Fortinos location in the east end of the ward and that doesn’t do much for the people in the center and west end of Aldershot” said Henshell. She won’t get any argument from Councillor Craven on that issue: he has been battling for years to get an additional supermarket in the ward. Craven says he keeps getting told the market just isn’t big enough for an additional supermarket.
Henshell says she drives up to Waterdown or over to Dundas to do her family food shopping. “It’s just easier” but I drive and there are a lot of people in Aldershot who don’t drive and would like to be able to walk to where they shop. Craven will be right with her on that approach as well.
 Not a lot of nonsense to Katherine Henshell candidate for the ward 1 seat on city council. What kind of a city Councillor would Katherine Henshell turn out to be were she to best Rick Craven in October? Is she a populist or a lawyer who can speak legalese but not much more? Two comments suggest Henshell is more of a people person than a lawyer and that she is a Conservative politically but a parent before anything else. Add to that an understanding for the needs of different groups in the community – and for Henshell that includes seniors. “We need to align the services the city offers to the needs of the people in the community – and seniors have very different needs”, she said.
“Mothers pushing strollers have one set of needs, parents with children heavily involved in sports activities and seniors with their needs calls for a council member able to both understand and have empathy for each group and then also able to balance everything.”
Where will her campaign funds come from? Henshell will accept contributions from developers in the ward. “The limits are public and I will publish where my campaign money came from”, she said.
While Henshell`s focus will be Aldershot, she realizes that she has to be aware of and up to date on what is happening elsewhere in the city. The tussle over the running of the Chilly Half Marathon along Lakeshore in the east end was one Henshell couldn’t understand. “It is a an inconvenience for some people, that`s for sure”, she said “but it is just one day of the year. When the Race around the Bay takes place I just make other plans.” Henshell is very quick to point out that she won`t be running in the next Half Chilly Half Marathon – her sports are played on the ice where she keeps her head up and her eye on the competition.
Councillor Craven will find he has a much more formidable opponent than he had when he ran against Jane McKenna or Mary Dilly. He might want to instead run against Jane McKenna again and spend his time at Queen`s Park.
By Staff
December 31, 2013 BURLINGTON, ON. Ontario has the lowest number of public sector employees per capita. In 2012, Ontario had 6.5 public sector employees per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 9.7 employees per 1,000 people.
 Tim Hudak, Progressive Conservative leader at Queen’s Park believes the civil service is too big – government says we have the smallest per capita in Canada. So much for Tim Hudak’s “bloated government” claim. Now we know why we can never find anyone at the end of a telephone line – they aren’t there.
At 6:00 am, on the Eve of the New Year the Office of the Premier did us all a dirty and released the following list of Regulation and Fee Changes Coming into Force Jan. 1, 2014
Agriculture and Food: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is amending a regulation under the Food Safety and Quality Act to clarify language in the regulation and make requirements more flexible while preserving food safety. In addition, amendments were made to exempt the following operations from requiring a meat processing licence:
Facilities that prepare food products that are not primarily meat-based, such as a pasta business that makes sauces with meat.
 Handling of food regulations are being upgraded. Businesses that only prepare lower-risk meat products and wholesale less than 25 percent or 20,000 kilograms of meat products per year – such as grocery stores.
Businesses that are primarily geared toward food service, such as restaurants or caterers.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is amending a regulation under the Food Safety and Quality Act to change the way supplementary inspection fees are set out in the regulation and making them consistent with current practice for when to begin charging for supplementary inspection.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of the Environment are amending a regulation under the Nutrient Management Act to require signage that includes contact information to be posted at all regulated, mixed anaerobic digestion facilities (farm-based facilities that break down organic material to produce biogas that can be used to generate electricity, renewable natural gas or heat). The regulation number of the Building Code, which is referenced in the regulation, was also updated.
Attorney General: The Ministry of the Attorney General is amending a regulation under the Liquor Licence Act that will remove Ipperwash Provincial Park from the list of Ontario parks that bans alcohol on and around the Victoria Day weekend in May as it is no longer classified as a provincial park.
 Paralegals will be able to take on more of the legal work in smaller matters. The Ministry of the Attorney General is amending regulations under the Courts of Justice Act regarding court rules for civil, small claims and family courts to allow people to hire a lawyer for only a portion of a case, to allow paralegals to officially receive court documents on behalf of their clients, and to streamline various court processes.
Community Safety and Correctional Services: The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is amending regulations under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act that will give fire officials the power to carry out at least one annual fire safety inspection in every regulated retirement home, long-term care home or other residence caring for vulnerable Ontarians. The change will also allow fire inspectors to conduct a fire safety inspection when a complaint or request is made.
Consumer Services:The Ministry of Consumer Services is amending a regulation under the Vintners Quality Alliance Act to allow “Moscato” and “Primitivo” to be used as synonyms for two grape varieties, bringing Ontario in line with other jurisdictions.
Energy: The Ministry of Energy is amending a regulation under the Green Energy Act to set new or enhanced energy efficiency requirements for 25 products such as water heaters, boilers, household appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers), televisions, fluorescent lamps, and small motors. The amendment also updates required references to test standards and allow manufacturers the option of complying with upcoming efficiency requirements prior to their effective date.
The original regulation also sets energy efficiency requirements for certain types of windows manufactured after Jan. 1, 2014, intended for low-rise residential buildings.
 Regulations related to water heaters are being beefed up. A regulation the Ministry of Energy previously amended under the Green Energy Act prohibits 100 and 75 watt incandescent light bulbs manufactured after Jan. 1, 2014, from being sold in Ontario.
Environment: A Ministry of the Environment provision in a regulation under the Environmental Protection Act comes into effect after Jan. 1, 2014, that will increase the number of collection locations for pharmaceuticals and sharps from 80 per cent of retail and pharmacy locations where these products are sold to 90 per cent in 2014.
In addition, the Ministry of the Environment is amending several regulations that will:
Add a French version of the regulation
Rename the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Rename the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation to the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment
Update references to the new Building Code and remove references to outdated or repealed acts
Finance: The Ministry of Finance is amending a regulation under the Mortgage Brokerages, Lenders and Administrators Act to update the list of dealership financing corporations that are exempt from licensing requirements. The list was out of date due to name changes, wind-ups, corporate reorganizations and entities no longer engaging in any activity that would require an exemption.
 The Ministry of Finance introduced a regulation under the Pension Benefits Act to allow public and broader public sector pension plans to enter agreements that would give eligible members and pensioners who were affected by past government divestments the opportunity to consolidate their benefits in the successor plan. This process was previously unavailable under Ontario pension rules.
The Ministry of Finance introduced a regulation under the Pension Benefits Act to facilitate the restructuring of pension plans affected by corporate reorganizations (e.g. sale of a business, public sector divestments). It sets out the requirements to be met regarding funding, filings, benefit changes and disclosure to obtain approval from the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) for such a transfer. It is expected that this framework will ensure more efficient and timely transfers, while protecting the benefit security of plan beneficiaries. No similar framework existed prior to this regulation. Previously, asset transfers were made at the discretion of the Superintendent of FSCO. FSCO policy required exact replication of benefits.
The Ministry of Finance also introduced housekeeping amendments to an existing regulation to reflect the pension-related regulation changes. These amendments implement changes that give the Superintendent of FSCO discretion, if circumstances warrant, to extend deadlines for certain filing requirements, to add flexibility to the transfer process.
Ontario amended the Employer Health Tax Act to increase the employer health tax exemption from $400,000 to $450,000 of an employer’s annual payroll for private-sector employers or groups of associated private-sector employers. The exemption will be eliminated when their annual payroll exceeds $5 million. Registered charities, at all payroll sizes, will be able to continue to claim the exemption.
Health and Long-term Care: The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is amending a regulation under the Health Protection and Promotion Act to change the term “regional veterinarian” to “director”, consistent with recent changes made to the Food Safety and Quality Act.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is proclaiming into force a provision in the Nursing Act to authorize registered nurses (RNs) or registered practical nurses (RPNs) to dispense drugs on the order of a physician, dentist, chiropodist, midwife or nurse practitioner. This change will recognize RN and RPN competencies regarding dispensing a drug by clearly saying that dispensing a drug is within the scope of practice of nursing.
 Nurses will be permitted to dispense drugs on instructions from a doctor. The College of Nurses of Ontario made a regulation under the Nursing Act to clarify that a RN or a RPN who is authorized to dispense a drug may not delegate that act to another person.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is bringing in a regulation under the Independent Health Facilities Act and amending a regulation under the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 to allow Independent Health Facilities to receive funding through the Local Health Integration Networks.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is amending three regulations under the Health Protection and Promotion Act to refer to the current version of the Ontario Building Code.
Labour: The Ministry of Labour is bringing in a regulation that changes the method that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is required to use to calculate its assets for the purpose of reporting its sufficiency ratio. The ratio measures whether there are sufficient funds to meet the WSIB’s future projected claims payouts.
Municipal Affairs and Housing: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending regulations under the Building Code Act to:
 Building code revision come into force, Ensure specific requirements are met for care facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and retirement homes licensed under the Retirement Homes Act. It complements amendments made to the Ontario Fire Code that require retrofits to provide sprinklers in existing care facilities and retirement homes
Correct minor technical and administrative errors in the 2012 Building Code and revise references to standards in regard to wood-burning appliances and exterior insulation and finish systems, as well as heating, cooling and ventilation systems
Ontario is amending nine regulations under the Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Health Protection and Promotion Act to ensure references to various Building Code Regulations refer to the new 2012 Building Code.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending regulations under the Planning Act to give more municipalities local planning approval authority. The amendments would:
Provide 20 municipalities across northern Ontario and Pelee Island with approval authority for plans of subdivision that allow for the creation and sale of multiple lots
Provide eight municipalities across northern Ontario with consent granting authority for the creation and sale of one or two lots
Allow four municipalities in northern Ontario to exercise their authority to validate title to a property and to exercise a power of sale of land
Provide clarification of exercises of power of sale to one municipality in Ontario
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending a regulation under the Housing Services Act to require municipal service managers to provide annual progress reports on their 10-year housing and homelessness plans to the public and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending a regulation under the Housing Services Act to update the Household Income Limits and associated High Need Income Limits for social housing.
Natural Resources: The Ministry of Natural Resources is amending two regulations under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act that will:
Let people follow rules outlined in regulation to hunt raccoon at night, or fox, coyote and wolf during the day, and allow the release of chukar partridge and ring-necked pheasant that were imported or bred from stock imported into Ontario
Make aquaculture-related licences valid for the length of time specified on the licence, where currently the term is only set out in regulation, and clarify that operators of aquariums open to the public and at educational facilities do not need an aquaculture licence but must follow rules outlined in regulation
The Ministry of Natural Resources is establishing a new regulation under the Public Lands Act that will let people follow rules outlined in regulation to relocate rocks on shore lands, dredge shore lands that were previously dredged, remove limited amounts of native aquatic plants in areas other than the Canadian Shield, and remove invasive aquatic plants. People will also be able to register with the ministry and follow rules outlined in regulation to maintain, repair and replace existing erosion control structures and to construct or place and buildings on a mining claim.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is amending a regulation under the Endangered Species Act to identify protected habitat for the bogbean buckmoth, four-leaved milkweed, Fowler’s toad, Laura’s clubtail, queensnake, and rusty-patched bumble bee, update the description of protected habitat for the pale-bellied frost lichen, and make administrative changes to the existing regulatory provisions for the American ginseng, redside dace, barn swallow, wind facilities, and butternut. The changes will also update language by replacing multiple definitions of the term “land classification for southern Ontario” with one definition.
Office of Francophone Affairs: The Office of Francophone Affairs is amending a regulation under the French Language Services Act that will designate Collège d’arts appliqués et de technologie La Cité collégiale, Sudbury East Community Health Centre and St. Gabriel’s Villa of Sudbury as agencies that provide services in French. These organizations asked to be designated as agencies that provide services in French.
Seniors Secretariat: The Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat is bringing into force sections of the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 and its regulation to further safeguard seniors living in retirement homes. These provisions include:
Making police background checks mandatory for staff and volunteers before they work in the home
Putting a formal complaints process in place within the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) including a new independent Complaints Review Officer
Making additional expense insurance mandatory to ensure retirement homes can cover the costs of residents’ accommodation and care during most emergencies
Making Emergency Fund payments available to current and former retirement home residents for eligible costs in the event of an emergency that disrupts services and/or their accommodation at the home
Appointing an independent Risk Officer to review and assess how effectively the RHRA is administering the Retirement Homes Act
Allowing the RHRA to conduct inspections in response to retaliation of threats against whistleblowers
Transportation: The Ministry of Transportation is amending two regulations under the Metrolinx Act to allow municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to continue sharing the costs of GO Transit’s growth and expansion and collect development charges to offset them until Dec. 21, 2016.
The following fees come into effect on Jan. 1, 2014:
The Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Ministry of Labour, will introduce a new fee to charge 20 per cent to an employer to recover wages owed to an employee under the Employment Standards Act. This provision already existed, but was not enforced until now.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending a regulation under the Line Fences Act that provides a process for neighbouring landowners to resolve disputes about fences on property lines. The amendment will increase the fee to file an appeal from $50 to $300. The fee will be indexed to inflation and adjusted every year.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending the Building Code to:
Increase the application fee for Building Code qualification examinations from $80 ($70 online) to $150.New fees will also be established for Building Code Commission applications ($170) and requests for Minister’s ruling authorizing the use of innovative products, systems and building designs ($560). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be applied on the Building Code Commission application and Minister’s ruling fees going forward.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is increasing fees for the hunter education exam from $5.71 to $10 and the hunter education manual from $18 to $20 to support delivery of the Hunter Education Program.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is increasing fishing licence fees and hunting fees for Ontario residents and non-residents. The amount of the increase depends on the type of licence purchased. The increases range from 25 cents for a Resident One Day Sport Fishing License to $10 for a Non-Resident Moose Licence. Fees charged for hunting and fishing licences are used for fish and wildlife management purposes only.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is increasing fees for car camping in provincial parks by $1 to cover increased costs for utilities such as electricity, fuel, sanitation, maintenance, waste management, enforcement and wages. Fees for off-season rental of some provincial park lodges and staff houses will also increase depending on the location and range from 75 cents to $2.75 per person, per night.
 Tour bus fees in Niagara Parks to be raised. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is amending the Niagara Parks Act to update annual fees that have not changed since 2006. These include fees for sight-seeing vehicles, such as motor coaches that regularly make two or more trips a week and whose itinerary has been approved by the Niagara Parks Commission. The changes are as follows: Class 1 from $100 to $250, Class 2 from $150 to $375 and Class 3 from $45 to $50. Guide licences will increase from $50 to $65.
The Ministry of Transportation is increasing permit, registration, validation and plate fees as follows:
Registering an off-road vehicle (for example, an all-terrain vehicle) will increase from $36 to $37
Registering a trailer (which includes the permit, plate and one-time validation) will increase from $40-$46
A replacement permit and number plate for a trailer (in the case of loss or destruction) will increase from $23 to $26
 Registration of Off the road vehicles fee to be raised by $1. That’s it? Why bother? Range for a 10 day special permit, which allows vehicles to be temporarily exempt from Ontario registration when travelling in Ontario, will now be $20 to $175. The previous range was $17 to $152. Vehicles requiring special permits could include commercial vehicles and trailers and vehicles purchased at authorized auto auctions
Range for validation for farm vehicles will now be $107 to $848. The previous range was $93 to $737
Registering a motorized snow vehicle will increase from $31 to $32.
 December 30, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. It doesn’t take the identity thieves and the bank scammers very long to find a new angle.
 This is what the email message looked like. The language used gives this one away – as well as the country code in the url. Yesterday emails began going out advising you that the government had a tax refund for you – all you had to do was fill in a form and the dollars would flow your way.
 If you had good email security software in place you would have gotten this message. If you didn’t – you would have gotten a form that looked like the kind of thing a government agency might have sent out and had you filled in the form someone who wants to steal your money would have had the kind of information needed to do just that.
If it looks to good to be true – that’s because it probably is too good to be true.
This email message was sent out to tens of thousands of unsuspecting people with Canadian email addresses. Where did they get the name? That is a tougher question to answer.
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 December 30, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Gerry Smallegange, Burlington Hydro’s CEO, had dinner with his family Sunday night. The last home in North Burlington saw its lights go on during the day and the wind was normal with the temperature rising. Burlington had put a lid on its 2013 power outage. Now for the cleanup and for the Burlington hydro crews to take a trip up the road to where the people in Halton Hills are still waiting until they can flick on their lights.
 Burlington Hydro CEO Gerry Smallegame and COO Dan Guatto worked all out during the power outage to get light back on – rural Burlington proved to be a real challenge. Smallegange and his COO DanGuatto, were out day and night. The worked with the city’s Emergency Operations Committee and interacted with the various stakeholders in the electrical generation industry that serves Burlington. Burlington doesn’t generate any power; it draws power from various sources and distributes it to homes in the city
Burlington Hydro is a wholly owned subsidiary of the city – you the taxpayer, own them and while you might gripe when you open that electrical bill, when the next one comes in be grateful that you had a fully dedicated team out on the streets and roads of the city fixing the problems. There wasn’t a person on the operations side of Burlington Hydro who was at home Christmas Day. It was all hands on deck and forget the idea of an eight-hour shift.
There is quite a story to tell on how Smallegange and Guatto kept it all together and got the job done. At the second community meeting in Kilbride on Christmas Day, Smallegange was at the front of the room trying to give people detailed answers to the question: When?
He had maps and sheafs of papers in his hands. Eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep and his voice a little raspy as well, Smallegame’s voice began to rise as he tried to speak over all the other voices. He paused and then said: ”I’m not yelling at you – I’m just trying to project my voice.” It was that kind of day.
Smallegame, a father of three who lives in Burlington may have gotten to see his kids open a present but he sure wasn’t around the house in his slippers playing with the his children and the gifts they had been given.
Running Burlington Hydro is just one of the tasks Smallegame handles; he serves as one of Burlington’s appointments to the Conservation Authority and works closely with the city’s planning department on large projects that call for more than minimal power from the system.
During the awkward times with the MedicaOne project on John Street, Smallegame found himself in the middle of an issue that was not his making. Power was needed some distance from line that ran along Lakeshore – who should pay for getting a large power line from Lakeshore up to Caroline where the development is to be located was not something Hydro expected to be involved in.
What the public saw was an accomplished executive working just a little outside his comfort zone but nevertheless able to be part of a solution that kept everyone – well almost every – happy.
The efficient and effective distribution of power is essential for a city like Burlington that has moved from greenfield development to infill and intensification.
Running the day-to-day part of the operation that keeps the lights on is job enough – learning that there is a major piece of weather is on the way has Smallegame checking the tools he needs for emergencies and then moving a totally different mode.
It has been a mammoth task. Early next week the hydro accountants will begin to figure out the cost of the ice storm –they may not be as quick to tell you about that as they were in getting crews out into the field and cutting trees and re-stringing hydro wires.
 Christmas Day at the Kilbride Fire Station: Scott Stewart, General manager Infrastructure and development for the city takes questions from area residents while Gerry Smallegame and Dan Guatto look on. Fire Chief Tony Bavato looks on. With power restored work crews focus on clean-up. “In the coming days and weeks our staff will focus on the clean-up” was the way Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure saw things panning out. . “Our crews will be clearing fallen trees and branches and other debris in all parts of the city.”
The Region is lifting the three-bag limit for garbage pick-up, allowing households to place as many as six bags of garbage for collection on their scheduled day until Jan. 31, 2014. Brush debris will also be picked up on the same day as garbage from Jan. 6-31, 2014 in designated urban areas. For rural areas, Halton Region is coordinating additional resources.
Resident can also drop off brush debris at the Halton Waste Management site free of charge.
The city has set up two drop-off stations – one in Lowville Park (6207 Guelph Line) parking lot and the other at Ella Foote Hall (2175 Blessington St.) – where residents who are able to can drop off brush and wood.
The drop-off sites open on Sunday, Dec. 29 and are staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be either a loader or a backhoe at each location to assist with debris.
The Warming Centre at the Kilbride Fire Station and the Haber Recreation Centre are now closed. The city’s Emergency Operations Committee has also stood down.
There are a lot of branches that have fallen and while most have been moved to the side of the road where they will be picked up – there are situations where branches have to be moved. Email rpm@burlington.ca
We came through it. There were some significant communications glitches that need to be looked at but there were no fatalities. A lot of tired men who spent long hours climbing poles and trimming branches from a box at the end of a boom with the sound of a chain saw roaring in their ears.
Background:
It was a winter wonder land for amateur photographers – a challenge for hydro crews.
 December 30, 2013
By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. There is no question that Rob Ford was Canada’s newsmaker of the year. The chief magistrate of Canada’s largest city, by his own admission, smoked illegal substances and hung around with criminals and drug dealers. He lied to everybody about these and other nefarious activities, and then was forced to apologize ever so insincerely when his back was up against the wall. His antics have made him and his city an international laughing-stock.
2013 was, indeed, a year of scandal and corruption. Montreal’s city hall, arguably, was worse than Toronto’s, though not nearly as colourful. Then there was the Senate fiasco. Stephen Harper’s political maneuvering of Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau and Wright came back to bite him. The pawns doing his bidding were cast aside with the Machiavellian flare of which he is so capable. T he king doth protest too much, me thinks.
 The country seemed to experience one calamity after another. Oil cars running along railway tracks totally out of control. This was also a year of calamity. Call it global climate change or not, 2013 had its share of extreme weather events, including the worst flood event in Alberta’s history, more flooding in Toronto, deadly and record tornado activity in the US and Australia, and finally southern Ontario’s Christmas ice-capade.
 The damage to north Burlington was nowhere near that of Quebec’s Lac Megantic – ours had a certain beauty to it. The federal government, in an unprecedented action, allowed a tycoon to steam his oil-laden train with only a single operator, contributing to the loss of downtown Lac-Mégantic and the deaths of many of its residents
Edward Snowden claims the title of international news maker for 2013. Ironically granted refuge in near-totalitarian Russia, his revelations of US (and Canadian) Orwellian spying activities will secure his place in history as a hero for freedom and the right to privacy. Iran started talking to the rest of the world this year, and agreed to temporarily halt its nuclear program. Syria has agreed to allow the US and Russia to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile. And Russia has shown uncharacteristic tolerance in releasing our Greenpeace activists and its own Pussy Riot punk band members in advance of the winter Olympics.
 Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. Baby George has brought the promise of renewal to the Royal family and, though less regal, I was blessed with a new granddaughter this year. Ontario’s Alice Munro won the Nobel prize for literature, making her Canada’s greatest living writer. The global economy continued to slowly recover as Europe dug out of the Euro zone crisis, and the worst Congress in US history narrowly avoided another economic meltdown.
Kathleen Wynne inherited Ontario’s Liberal leadership, and with it a very messy legacy from her predecessor. Her abilities and demeanour have become assets in dealing with the gas plant fiasco, a dysfunctional City of Toronto, and a public sector that places its own financial well-being ahead of the public interest.
The new pope Francis brought a breath of fresh air and hope to a religion on the path to eternal irrelevance. The Supreme Court struck down dated laws which had made the oldest profession one of the most dangerous. Justin Trudeau announced his party’s policy to legalize marijuana, following the lead by the US states of Washington and Colorado. Quebec’s PQ government has opened a bridgehead in the fight for sovereignty with a ‘social values’ charter, as a complement to the decades’ old language law in that province.
And then there were the rest of us. The devastation of the ice storm just a few days ago has been met by an even greater force – the unsung heroes in our community. Whether it be the tireless power workers, coming from across the province to turn our light back on; my favourite Milton Councillor who emailed everyone she knew and opened her heart and home to them in their time of need; or a dear friend who directs a non-profit organization committed to housing needy seniors, spending his holidays tending to their needs in the wake of the storm and its aftermath.
 Is 2014 going to be a great year for Burlington, for Canada and for the world? 2013 – We didn’t experience one of those – what an improvement for the better events, but we managed to keep ourselves afloat. I’ll come back with the view I have from my perch on what 2014 could do for us.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 December 28, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The holiday Season is often used as a time of year to look both back at what you managed to get done and forward to think about what you would like to get done.
Family, finances, career and whatever you have in your bucket list that gets at least some thought and attention.
Think career for a bit – how is yours going? Promotion perhaps? What about a total career change?
 Some of these Council members may not get re-elected. Two already have candidates who have announced they will run against sitting members. Of the seven there is just the one that is rock solid; all the others could be beaten if the right candidate came along. Does public service have any interest for you? Do you see yourself sitting as a member of city council? Think about it. Many people work for corporations that are civic-minded enough to see a person leave the company for an extended period of time and serve the community and the return eight years later in a new capacity.
The larger corporations like the idea of having someone return with a deep understanding as to how local government works. Well just what is local government and what role does a council member play.
Lots of reading is something you would be doing a lot of – and the opportunity to think through real problems that need solutions. Local government needs people with some business experience and a capacity to see the larger picture. Burlington currently has a very significant infrastructure deficit – there are miles of roads that are going to have to be re-built in the not too distant future and we don’t have the money to pay for that work right now.
If your current background is in marketing – see the city’s problem as refurbishing an existing product that is essential but has a tired worn out look. How do you convince your customer base to go along with a price increase?
 We took this …  … and replaced it with this. Was this good planning? Burlington has to grow its population. It may not be something many people in the city want to see happen – but the province has ruled that our population is to increase. Developers see those decisions as an opportunity to buy up older properties that have a single small bungalow on a large piece of land and assemble them into a single property on which they will build housing that will be home for a larger number of people.
 This is what city building is all about. Seven young Burlingtonians made plaster impressions of their hand prints which were then engraved on the marker that tells the story of the pier and its construction. Despite its construction woes and legal problems the pier is a magnificent addition to the city. When this kind of development takes place the decisions a city council makes results in a different look to the city; more congestion if you will. What a council is really doing is “city building” – which when you think about it is pretty exciting stuff.
The planning department works with the developers to come up with the best design and use of land but the final decision is made by city council. You are in that seat making decisions on the kind of city that your children and their children will eventually live in. You are making decisions on where your parents will live when they decide to move out of that big house they no longer need and can’t handle into something that is smaller and more manageable.
If you check the city skyline you will see those tall construction cranes at construction sites – many of which are locations for new retirement homes. They aren’t what they used to be. The baby boomers are approaching retirement and they are going to do that part of their life differently – and why not, they did everything else differently. In Burlington, your city council is wrestling with a couple of retirement residences that make a lot of sense when you look at them carefully – but they represent change which isn’t something we human being handle all that well.
The managing of differences is a large part of being a council member. Politics is all about finding a balance between the various interests and having the strength of character to listen, discern and make decisions that benefit the community at large. Read up on the differences between various groups who live along Lakeshore Road and don’t want their road clogged up with runners for half a day once a year. The city loves the 4000 plus people who come to the city for that day and spend major dollars. Is it too much to ask a group of residents to give a bit so a major event can take place? Some certainly think so. What would you do were you a council member and had that one dropped into your lap?
 It was the biggest event of the year for the city. The Pier finally opened. Most people love the place – but there are still some legal problems. Is the Pier likely to become an election issue? The city is involved in some extensive costly litigation related to the pier. Would you want the public to know how much is being spent on legal fees? Two of the seven members of this current council have come out publicly for telling the public – the others want to wait until the various court cases are over. What would you do? These are not minor matters. As media people we believe that an informed public can make informed decisions. We also believe that it is vital for the democratic process we use to choose our leaders be one that consistently brings in new people. We have two council members who have been in place for more than 20 years each. Of the seven in place now three were newly elected last election. Some people are cut out for public service others are not. Fortunately the public gets to decide on who should stay and who should not be returned.
It’s pretty tough stuff at times – but it is what makes the city you have chosen to live in work the way it works. Poorly run cities depress the value of property and they become places people choose not to live in.
Becoming a Council member means you face a pretty steep learning curve. You are not just a member of city council but you are also a member of the Regional Council. You will work some nights. Better like people.
The money isn’t bad – you will earn something a little over $100,000 and have an assistant to help you do the job. You will have a territory – see it as a sales territory with a quota – you want to keep at least 50% of the customers happy so you can be returned to office. Promise the community you will serve two terms – no more – then stick to the promise.
Is it something you would like to do? Log into the city’s web site, rummage through the various documents and go through the Burlington Gazette archives. The council you will read about needs some new blood and there is nothing more satisfying than truly serving your community.
Thicken up your hide – no room for the thin-skinned in this game. If you want better local government – be part of it. And if you decide to file nomination papers – let us know right away – we want to tell your story.
Background:
No place for the thin skinned.
 December 29, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. Darn – it was a good idea – it’s still a good idea but it isn’t going to happen for 2014
The New Year’s Eve Hoopla held at the Mountsberg Conservation Area has been cancelled.
All Conservation area parks – except for Glen Eden – are closed until January 2 due to damage from the ice storm.
Time to look for something else to do on the eve of the New Year.
 Silent solitude – snow on snow. Why would anyone want to leave this for Florida? The good news from the Conservation people is that the fees for 2014 which includes annual memberships, daily fees, group camping and picnic rentals and fees for education programs at Crawford Lake and Mountsberg Conservation Areas.
The price of a Halton Parks individual membership is being reduced from $90 to $50; while the Halton Parks family membership remains at $115 (plus HST).
The other notable fee change will see Daily Entrance fees at the recreation parks (Hilton Falls, Kelso, Mt. Nemo and Rattlesnake Point Conservation Areas) increase by 25 cents across all categories.
The rates at the Education Parks, Crawford Lake and Mountsberg, are staying the same – $7.50 Adult, $6.50 Seniors and $5 for Children.
The Conservation Authority has taken on some marketing expertise and come up with a catchy new marketing name: 7 Parks, 7 Perks
 There are two types of Halton Parks Memberships available, individual and family, with discounted pricing of 15 per cent off the rates available for Seniors age 65 years and over. A family membership will admit all the people in the vehicle who are traveling with the family membership holder. Your Halton Parks Membership includes the following perks:
- Special member-only invitations and discounts for select Conservation Halton lectures, workshops, and events
- One complimentary Friends and Neighbours special day pass for you to share
- 15% discount at Mountsberg and Crawford Lake gift shops
- 15% discount for rentals, including boats, skis, snowboards, and snowshoes
- 15% discount for camping and picnicking sites
- Monthly eNewsletter and eBlasts
- One complimentary 2-for-1 lift ticket to Glen Eden.
 It’s there – out at the edge of the horizon – the CN Tower. And that is about as much as you ever wanted to know about the parks the Conservation Authority operates. For people new to Burlington – a trip to Mt. Nemo and a walk up to the lookout where you gaze east and realize that you are higher off the ground that the top of the CN Tower which can be clearly seen. It’s worth the couple of bucks the ask for at the gate.
 December 28, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Gerry Smallegange probably didn’t sleep all that well Friday night. The weather people are predicting winds of 20 kmh – which in the world Smallegange currently lives in is not good news.
 Gerry Smallegange, center, along with his COO Dan Guatto explaining to Kilbride area residents just where Hydro was in its restoring power to the community project. The temperature hasn’t risen enough for enough of the ice on the trees in north Burlington to melt. If those tree branches start swaying in the wind they could come down on all those hydro lines he has had to re-build.
Smallegange is the chief cheese at Burlington Hydro who, along with his second in command, Dan Guatto, have been at it 24/7 since the first sign of a serious weather problem became evident more than a week ago.
It was close to impossible to keep up with the demand for help. Saturday of last week Smallegange knew that he had thousands of homes in the city without power. Situations like this are not new to the people who supply homes with electricity – it was the sheer volume that came close to crippling the hydro people.
By the end of the Monday, the 23rd, things were beginning to look a little better. Lines were getting put back up in the communities south of the QEW but there were still some stubborn pockets that were taking longer than expected.
While north Burlington wasn’t being ignored by any stretch – the scope and scale of the problem up there was brutal. Smallegange knew that he had a very significant problem on his hands and needed all the help he could get. He also needed a break in the weather – and that wasn’t happening.
The ice that had built upon the hydro wires needed to melt – and the temperatures were staying at a stubborn six to ten degrees below zero.
 Working from his cell phone with an ear piece, Dan Guatto, the senior operations person at Burlington Hydro, is in communication with each of the hydro crews and the eight tree trimming trucks out on the roads of North Burlington during the power outage. The city’s Emergency Coordinating Committee was almost in constant session and doing their best to maintain a constant flow of information to city residents. The difficulty was that with no power radio and television were useless as was the internet and social media.
What worked best was neighbour telling neighbour and in the north – community meetings. The city held its first community meeting in Kilbride where hundreds showed up with questions. The city did its best – but at times that wasn’t good enough.
The lack of information was frustrating for the residents without power and the politicians and bureaucrats who had information. Information, like energy, has to have lines it can flow through – and the available lines weren’t working all that well when it came to keeping people informed.
For those without power – they were in the dark in more ways than one. For reasons that are not yet clear the city’s communications department didn’t seem to have strong working relationships with the radio stations – which meant the people needing the information weren’t getting it from the radio stations – apparently because information wasn’t getting from the city to that media.
The news people have one need – information – and if it is given to them – they get it out. Mayor Goldring expressed considerable frustration over the lack of radio coverage. “This has been a frustration and challenge for us, compounded by the time of year when so many organizations are working with lighter than usual staff compliments., he said in his blog posted on the city’s web site.
 Mayor Rick Goldring explaining to Kilbride area residents what was being done and the time frames the repair crews were working to in their community. Mayor Goldring went on to “ assure you that we did communicate extensively with the local stations that reach the Burlington audience. Burlington is without its own radio station; if we had our own station, it would have helped enormously in pushing communication out to those without power. I will be asking our Communications staff to reach out to area radio stations in order to create better connections during times of emergency.” Better late than never, I suppose.
Many of the outdoor locations that families use during holiday periods are not operational. Of the seven facilities run by the Galton Conservation Authority – just the one, Glen Eden, is open. All the others:Crawford Lake; Mt. Nemo; Mountsberg; Hilton Falls; Rattlesnake Point and Robert Edmondson are closed and are expected to remain closed until early in the New Year.
While it has been tough for Burlingtonians – the rest of Halton has had it hard as well. The situation in Toronto is beyond comprehension and it isn’t much better elsewhere.
Bolton: 368 customers
Guelph: 1,639 customers
Orangeville: 1,774 customers
Toronto Hydro: 32,400 customers (300,000 at peak)
Brampton: 500 customers
Halton Hills Hydro: 900 customers
York Region (Power Stream): 1,000 customers
Durham Region (Veridian): 1,000 customers
Milton Hydro: less than 1,000 customers
The city is now running the Emergency Operations centre out of the Kilbride Fire Station which is also serving as a Warming Centre where people can get drinking water and to use washroom facilities.
The Haber Recreation Centre – 3040 Tim Dobbie Dr., Burlington, is set up as an overnight evacuation centre with warm beds and hot showers.
 A photographers paradise: a major problem for hydro crews when there is ice on those tree branches that become a real problem when the wind rises and the branches begin to sway and snap off – falling onto the hydro lines. Hydro just might be able to report by the end of the day that they have our local problems licked – assuming the winds stay low and the temperature rises. Burlington Hydro crews can them move on into other communities and beginning stringing hydro lines elsewhere.
Burlington has a neat little habit of referring to those occasions where problems have cropped up as opportunities to learn – and learn they will. Mayor Goldring added in his blog that: In the following weeks, we will be conducting a thorough review, debrief and analysis of our response to the ice storm. We have learned a great deal from this experience and much of what we have learned will be incorporated into future emergency operations response. Our communication protocols and the tools we have available are areas that we have realized need particular focus.
He got that part right.
Background:
Mayor leafs through his emergency Measures Manual
 December 26, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Christmas Day in a rural fire hall and hearing explained Gerry Smallegange, Burlington Hydro’s President and Chief Executive Officer explained that he was not yelling “ I just want to project my voice as far as I can.” He was speaking to a group of about 75 people who had gathered in the Kilbride Fire Station waiting to learn when the lights might come on in their homes.
 The crowd just wanted to know when the power was going to come back on. No power, no water from the well, no water to flush toilets – it wasn’t a pretty picture. At this point, day six in the power outage experience Burlington was having, there were less than 200 homes without power.
Smallegange’s fear was that there might be more if the weather conditions changed. Smallegange isn’t the worrying kind of guy but he was in instant communication with the work crews who were out on the roads and the feedback was not promising.
 Burlington Hydro CEO Gerry Smallegange and Dan Guatto, COO and Vice President take the crowd at the fire hall through a road by road description of the work that had to be done and when they hoped it would all be completed. “The ice is this thick” explained Smallegange, as he held up his thumb and his forefinger almost as far apart as he could, and it isn’t melting. And with the snow that is falling he added – there is going to be more weight on those ice-covered branches and they will break and fall – on top of those hydro wires we have put back up a few days ago.
It was an exhausting experience for the hydro people. Foresters would go along a road and be followed by hydro people who would re-build a line and get the power moving.
Cedar Springs Road had sections that were impassable – just about every road in the city had piles of brush and broken branches along the sides of the road.
Along with the heavy equipment and very tired foresters and hydro teams there were dozens of photographers out taking pictures of the sheer beauty. When the sun shone though those ice-covered trees one had the impression they were in a world made of glass with everything glistening in the sunshine
 You wore what you needed to keep warm. But it was not sunshine for the Kilbride area residents who asked how long they could leave their generator running before it blew up. “What are you running off it” asked a city staffer? A couple of lights and the sump pump. You’re OK – but try and shut it down once a day and make sure there is plenty of oil in the machine. I didn’t think I would be running it for that much longer was the response.
The 75+ people in the fire hall were brought to the location for a meeting to get an update on just where things were. Dan Guatto, Chief Operating Officer for Hydro had sheets of paper with road by road, address by address information – but as Smallegange added again and again – these are not promises – this information is what we think we can do.
The city has moved its Emergency Operations Centre to the Kilbride fire hall that will be in place until all hydro in the area is restored. It is staffed with employees from Burlington Hydro and the City of Burlington.
Hydro staff will provide residents with details on the efforts they are taking to restore power as well as an estimate on when hydro will be restored to homes in that area.
 Fire chief Tony Bavota handing out cards with direct line telephone numbers and ensuring that people got the help they needed. Bavota said he wasn’t going to worry about lines of authority – if they need help – Bavota did everything he could to get it to them. There are currently 120 Burlington Hydro customers without power.
The anticipated restoration schedule from Burlington Hydro for the remaining customers is:
6683 Twiss Road, 5675 to 6583 Twiss Road – targeting late Thursday or Friday morning
No 8 Sideroad on the south side west of Twiss road – targeting Saturday but could go to Sunday/ Monday
All of Panton Road – Friday
Breckinridge court / McNiven Court – tonight / into tomorrow morning
McNiven Road – south of Kilbride road on Friday, north on Saturday
2465, 2365 Britannia, 3175 Britannia – targeting Saturday and Sunday
Millar Cres at Guelph Line to No. 1 Sideroad – targeting tonight. All of Milborough Town Line – Friday
Britannia west of cedar springs over to Milborough town line – Friday / Saturday
Cedar Springs Road from Britannia south to No. 1 Sideroad – portions tomorrow but some pieces will take until next week (cedar springs community internal)
Blind Line south of Britannia to Colling Road and all of Colling Road – Sunday earliest
6059, 6101, 6150, 6202-0, 5089 Walkers Line – energizing in pieces tonight if there are no trees
To ensure the safety and protection of homes Halton Regional Police have extra officers in north Burlington who have been proactively patrolling the area.
The city will continue to keep their two warming stations open for residents.
Burlington Fire Station No. 5 –2241 Kilbride St., Burlington, provides a place to warm up, to get drinking water and to use washroom facilities.
Haber Recreation Centre – 3040 Tim Dobbie Dr., Burlington, is set up as an overnight evacuation centre with warm beds and hot showers.
 The city`s Emergency Coordinating Committee: From the left, Ward 3 Council member John Taylor – much of the damage was in his ward, Mayor Goldring, city manager Jeff Fielding, communications advisor Lee Oliver, Roads and Park Maintenance Director Cathy Robertson, General manager Scott Stewart and a nice guy from the Region who we cannot identify. Adding to the power outage problems was the difficulty in getting information to people. No telephone service and limited cell phone service in the area meant the city had to have people going door-to-door to let people know about the meetings.
 City General Manager Scott Stewart led the parade for the city; fielding questions and making sure people got the answers they needed. Residents were able to bring their cell phones into the fire hall to re-charge them; they were able to pick up fresh water and get the latest information.
Volunteer fire fighters were going to man the Kilbride station 24×7 until power was back up.
What about fire response times asked a residents. Fire chief Tony Bavota admitted that fire response time in the rural area were not as good as they are elsewhere in the city. Bavota has re-arranged his staff and will have regular fire fighters in the Kilbride station during the day.
Smallegange tweets on the hour and the Mayor re-tweets but for those with cell phones that get low on power all the marvels of the electronic age don`t help.
Another problem that many people were not aware of is – who owns the line that is down? Some of the lines are feeder lines and belong to the power authority – and that puts wrinkles in the repair work.
Smallegange explained that it can take 4 to 8 hours to rebuild a line on a rural property with a long lane and a lot of trees.
 Mayor Rick Goldring was on hand to assure people that everything possible was being done. City manager Jeff Fielding stood by ready to back up every statement he Mayor made. “Burlington loves its trees – and they are great” said Smallegange – “but at times like this – those old trees and their canopy are a real problem for us.”
City manager Jeff Fielding added that “we don’t know how to get to you guys” which had the city sending people door to door. The target was to have everyone with power by Saturday – but weather conditions were the unknown
“We need you to feed information to us – and that isn’t easy – there really wasn’t a one place – an information central if you will – that people could call. Moving the EOC to the Kilbride fire hall was a help – that allows people to drive over, ask questions, pass along information, have cell phones charged and pick up fresh water. It was in the process of becoming the community centre.
Councillors Lancaster and Taylor were on hand – but there really wasn`t much either of them could do – they both live south of Dundas and weren`t personally impacted. What was clearly evident is the lack of political representation for the northern part of Burlington by people who actually live in those hills.
Hydro had 8 tree crews out on the road and explained that everyone wanted the foresters in their community. Milton is in worse condition than we are explained Smallegange, Oakville is in pretty good shape and Toronto has hydro crews in from Manitoba.
 There wasn’t a hydro worker involved in field operations who spent Christmas Day at home – everyone was in the field. City General Manager Scott Stewart sheepishly admitted that he had not been home with his family for more than an hour or two. The field crews got less than that.
Mayor Goldring was on hand explaining to people as well as he could what was being done and what just wasn’t possible.
It was a fluid situation – one at which every resource available was being put to use with an eye constantly being cast on the weather. If the wind picks up” said Smallegange “much of the work we have done might well have to be done all over again.
 Foresters worked around the clock – this picture was taken in the dead of night – brightened digitally to show the work being done. Due to the geography and the way power feeder lines are set up there was a point where hydro crews had to go up over the Escarpment to access power.
No one uttered a word as to how much all this was going to cost.
At one point someone thanked Smallegange after a comment he made and the room burst into spontaneous applause.
“When?” was the question everyone was asking and when the response was “Could be Monday of next week” a shudder and a shiver went through the room.
 December 24, 2013
By Staff.
BURLINGTON, ON. All Conservation Halton Parks and Glen Eden are still without power at the end of Monday the 23rd. Due to the loss of electricity in the area, our staff’s ability to communicate via phone and email is limited at this time.
 Great snow – most hills are open Glen Eden will remain closed from December 23 to 25 and is scheduled to reopen on Boxing Day (December 26). Anyone who has missed programming, such as Lessons or Rentals, will be provided with other options.
All other Conservation Halton Parks will remain closed on December 24th, 25th and 26th. They are scheduled to reopen on Friday, December 27. Please note that the parks may have limited services available when they reopen, and they may not all open on the same day – we will post updates.
Special Note Regarding Cancellation of Christmas Town
Unfortunately the remaining Christmas Town programs for December 23 and 24 are cancelled. Staff will offer full refunds as well as provide other options to all our customers who were scheduled to attend on these days. We apologize for this cancellation; however we are unable to offer a quality experience without electricity.
Important Trail Safety Notice
Conservation Halton’s seven parks are also closed for safety reasons as the trails may be treacherous or have downed trees and limbs from the ice storm. Conservation Halton staff are inspecting the trails and doing any necessary maintenance.
We strongly advise everyone to stay out of the parks and off the trails until we are able to safely reopen. Users are also advised not to access trails under ice-covered trees and avoid trails until further notice on other lands that conservation Halton own/manage. These include all seven primary Conservation Areas – Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Kelso, Mount Nemo, Mountsberg, Rattlesnake Point and Robert Edmondson – as well as Clappison Woods, Waterdown Woods (Waterdown), Wildflower Woods (Oakville), 16 Mile Conservation Area (Oakville/Milton) and Carlisle Conservation Areas.
It can be very dangerous out there under the current conditions.
 December 25, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. When the Alton Campus was planned one of the intentions was to make the recreation portion of the campus a place where major sports events would be played. With the site officially open less than a month there are already two events booked that are either province wide in focus or national events.
The Burlington Vipers, in conjunction with the city announced earlier this week that they will host the 2014 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) National Championship April 4-6, 2014 at the Haber Recreation Centre.
The tournament features competitive club teams from across Canada as they compete for the title of national champion and includes past, present, and future athletes with the Canadian National Team program.
 Burlington will host the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Championships at the Haber Recreational Centre in April Mayor Rick Goldring said he hopes “this is the first of many tournaments we host in partnership with Wheelchair Basketball Canada, and we’re proud that they chose Burlington as the host city for this prestigious event.”
Spectators will have the opportunity to witness all of the skill and athleticism that make wheelchair basketball one of the most popular sports for athletes with a disability in the world.
The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) was founded in 1986 and has two primary divisions: the open division and the women’s division. The league features wheelchair basketball club teams from across Canada and culminates each season with a national championship for each division.
The league is fully integrated as both divisions welcome athletes with a disability as well as able-bodied athletes to play in the spirit of competition. It often features some of the country’s best wheelchair basketball players, including past, present and future members of Team Canada.
Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport that has emerged as one of the most competitive and athletic sports played at the Paralympic Games. Our senior national teams are held in high esteem around the world for the elite skill and control that placed them on the podium with a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last six Paralympic Games.
Brendan Wagner, an Aldershot resident, played in the 2012 Paralympic Games.
 December 25, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. All the roads are passable – you might have to be careful on many of them but they are at least open.
 This is not a lane way – this is a municipal road west of Cedar Springs. It was cleared by Christmas Day.  Freezing rain covered everything leaving the landscape looking like a winter wonderland.  That is not a black snake – it is a hydro line tat was down – didn’t get restored until Christmas Day.  Once the branches were cleared a way Side Road 2 was ready for normal winter traffic.  A hydro incident waiting to happen.  The force of nature bowing before a structure built by man.  The damage was not limited to north of Dundas. This home was south of Upper Middle, between Guelph Line and Walkers Line. There were about 200 homes without power in the city – all in North Burlington at mid-day. The city hopes to have that down to 150 by the end of the day.
Scott Stewart, city General Manager, said it might be Saturday before the very last homes get electricity.
 Hydro workers found hundreds of situations where lines ether snapped or weighted down by ice hovering just above the ground. Burlington Hydro had their crews out for all of Christmas Day. The city will hold a public meeting in Kilbride late in the afternoon to bring people up to date and to look for ways to arrange for the sharing of generators to help people who have livestock and need to get at water. Pumps are not working and those animals need water.
The city maintained the two Warming Centers; Haber Recreational Centre and the Kilbride Fire Station. About 50 people have used the Fire Station to get water while a handful used the Haber showers.
Stewart headed home to be with his family to do the gift opening and then let his wife know that he would be out again late in the afternoon. Mayor Goldring, Fire Chief Tony Bavota, Gerry Smallegange of Hydro, Daniele Pitoscia from the city’s Clerks’ department as well as Parks and Road Maintenance Director Cathy Robertson and Park and Recreation Director Chris Glenn took part in the Emergency Coordinating Group to review where there were still problems and make sure all the bases were covered. Stewart added there were a lot of people out early Christmas Day getting hydro lines back up and roads cleared.
City manager Jeff Fielding and communications advisor Lee Oliver were on hand as well.
 December 24, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. Burlington Hydro reports that approximately 850 customers located north of Hwy 5 are still without power and no one is able yet, to say with any certainty just when all those homes will have full power.
It is a road by road situation. An Appleby Line resident, who has a small generator, is running low on propane and not at all sure a truck is going to be able to get up the lane way.
Some 150 people attended the community meeting in Kilbride where they got a full update.
More than 6000 customers have had their power restored Hydro crews now have to deal with – falling snow, – is making wires already laden with ice even heavier.
City snow clearing operations are out in full force salting of primary and secondary sidewalks began overnight and is ongoing. Salting and sanding of primary and secondary roads is ongoing.
Burlington Hydro is hoping to restore power to the following areas today:
Up Guelph Line from Lowville, across 8 Sideroad, to Twiss
Guelph Line south from Lowville
Cedar Springs to McNiven
Britannia east of Guelph Line to Appleby and down to No. 1 Sideroad and then up into Kilbride
Up and down Appleby Line and then up and down Walkers Line
West along Britannia from Walkers Line and then over to Waterdown Road
Additionally, there remain some small outage pockets in the city. Crews were able to respond to most of these outages today, however, some localized outages remain and will be attended to tomorrow.
Customers are reminded of the dangers of downed power lines and the importance of staying well away. In an emergency situation, customers are reminded to call 9-1-1.
Two warming stations are available for residents still without power. They are located at:
Burlington Fire Station No. 5, 241 Kilbride St., Burlington
Haber Recreation Centre, 3040 Tim Dobbie Dr., Burlington
The Haber Centre did have a couple of people use the location to take showers
The city’s Emergency Response group, which consists of the Mayor, city manager, general manager, fire chief, director of RPM, director of transit, director of parks and recreation, city clerk, and communications have been pulled together and have kept the community informed. Hydro issues reports regularly.
The Region is kept informed are brought in as well.
 December 24, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. The city opened three locations where people could go to for warmth and shelter while power in residences was out if they were unable to find any other place to go to.
Burlington Fire Station No. 5, at 2241 Kilbride St., in North Burlington. The Seniors’ Centre on New St., – Central Park adjacent to the Central Library and Arena and the Haber Recreation Centre in Alton Village at Tim Dobbie Dr., just north of Dundas were originally set up but by Monday evening the city was able to cut that back to just the one location – the Haber Recreation Centre.
Residents of North Burlington met at Kilbride Fire Station Monday afternoon for an update from the City, Burlington Hydro and Halton Region about post-ice storm cleanup and power restoration efforts.
Power has been restored to most homes in Burlington, but there are still small pockets across the city without electricity.
 Haber Recreation Centre gymnasium: Is this to be “home” for anyone in Burlington on Christmas Day? Haber is now the city’s primary warming station. Residents from across the city who still lack electricity are encouraged to visit Haber Recreation Centre to warm up or stay overnight.
Those heading to the evacuation centre to stay overnight should bring the following items: sleeping bags, extra blankets, toiletries, medication, money, identification and warm clothes. Also consider books, board games, playing cards, electronic devices with chargers and extra batteries.
Domestic pets are also welcome at the evacuation centre and will be housed in a separate area. Please bring pet crates, food and pet dishes.
Kilbride Fire Station No. 5 will remain open overnight and tomorrow as a warming centre and as place for residents to pick up drinking water.
Now that the Haber evacuation centre is operational, the warming station at the Seniors’ Centre has been closed.
For more details:
See city updates at www.Burlington.ca or directly at the city’s Ice Storm link
To report power outages and to hear the latest hydro updates, call Burlington Hydro at 1-877-310-4937
To report fallen trees or branches call 905-333-6166 or email rpm@burlington.ca
Halton Region will be picking up brush in the coming weeks in both urban and rural areas of the city.
Public inquiries can be directed tonight, Monday the 23rd from 5 to 10 p.m. to 905-467-0135 and tomorrow, Tuesday the 24th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
 December 23, 2013.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. We were away for three days and missed the havoc the weather wreaked on Burlington. Tucked away safely in Huntsville for a family pre-Christmas we watched as Toronto struggled to get a grip on their problems. CHCH didn’t have all that much on Burlington so when we headed back Monday afternoon we weren’t at all sure what we were going to find. Did the pipes freeze and burst. Did a tree fall on the house?
The drive down Hwy 11 and the 400 then 407 was all but perfect. Cruising down Guelph Line everything looked fine and as we turned into Palmer Drive we didn’t see any damage worth noting.
 Damaging but beautiful to observe in the late afternoon sunshine We did marvel at how beautiful those trees in the fields along Hwy 11 and 400 covered in ice looked as they glistened in the afternoon sunshine. Sheer beauty.
Eventually got a sense of the Burlington situation when we went on-line and got caught up. Our power never did go out – the clocks were right on in terms of time and other than some branch damage in the back yard we were fine – but many others were not.
We read of the Warming Centre set up by the city and the Region – who didn’t always seem to be on the same page. There was a solid stream of media releases from the city as well where Helen Wallahura appeared to be the only person speaking for the city.
We understand the Mayor was at city hall but there was nothing from him – unless he was tweeting or putting everything up on his blog.
What was interesting and revealing was the way the ward Councillors used or didn’t use social media. Councillor Marianne Meed Ward was all over the place and seemed to be putting out more information that city hall and Burlington Hydro combined. Her output was retail politics at its best.
In one email the thread read like this:
 There wasn’t all that much need to see who was behind you – you probably weren’t going anywhere anyway. As of 5:30 pm tonight, power is out in 12 of the city’s 28 transformers, affecting about 4800 customers. Hardest hit are areas in North Burlington where falling trees have brought down power lines, creating serious safety issues. Those areas will be brought back up first.
Once individual transformers are up, there will be several days of tree clearing and re-hanging power lines, radiating from the transformer out. Therefore, the further you live from a transformer, the longer you could be without power.
Ward 2 areas affected
Pockets of streets in Ward 2 are still without power, including parts of Martha St, Wellington, Caroline, Emerald Cresc. Ghent, Drury Lane, Bridgeman, Lorne and more. This isn’t a full list, but what I know about right now.
Let me know if you have power, or are out of power. I’ll provide updates on social media throughout the night.
Ward 2 may be without power for 36 or more hours.
What to do if you are without power
If you are without power, there are several options:
?? Call a friend to stay with
?? Can’t get out? Call my cell at 905-220-5749 and I’ll arrange for fire department pickup.
?? Know someone who is a shut in? Let me know and we’ll check on them.
Part of Meed Ward’s Facebook page read like this:
 Councillor Meed Ward was everywhere – with very specific and detailed information. The only thing she didn’t tell people was which pizza delivery services had power.  Councillor Meed Ward kept the pace up and was getting great response from her readers. Councillor Blair Lancaster did have an entry on her Facebook page but there was some splash back she certainly didn’t appreciate. There is only so much damage a franchise can take – the Miss Canada story may have run its course in Burlington.
 Social media has its plus side – but being a two-way pipeline – the blow-back can be – unsettling.  There were situations like this across the province – that may keep some people out of their homes Christmas Day. Based purely on what we were able to see on social media there was never the sense that the Mayor was in charge; that he was in regular touch with the people who were driving the response on the ground. Did the Mayor tour the city at all with either the fire chief or some of the EMS people. If he did there was no mention of that on social media.
Councillor Meed Ward understand retail politics better than anyone else in this city – that became abundantly evident during the power outages. Expect to see her out checking on things Christmas Day as well.
Do people turn to the city website for information? Or do they rely on people they have confidence in and trust?
Many people did get a generic Christmas message from Jeff Fielding, the city manager who apologized for not getting a thank you note out to individual people but explained the combination of the snow storm and the rain that turned into ice – there just wasn’t any time.
At least we knew he was there.
 December 24, 2013
By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. Ray Rivers usually writes for us the last part of each week – but his material has a best before date that happens to be Christmas Day – so – from the pen – or keyboard of the Ridiculous Ray River we give you: A dialogue:
“So come on sweetie, you seemed to manage every other year – how many is it now?”
“Yeah I know, but this year it’s seems like I have to deliver more coal than candy, if you know what I mean.” “What is the problem dearie, it’s your job. Do I have to do all the thinking around here?” “ Ok – you’re right – but do you think you could help me with this, honey bunch”? “Fire away, Santa Baby.”
 The old pitchman trying to sell a Judge on a golf ball scheme. Chretien at the Gomery Inquiry “Jean Chretien?” “Golf balls.” “Again?”
“And Mulroney?” “Has he been good?” “I think so – let me see – yeah he kept his head down this year” “What did he ask for”? “An envelope of unmarked bills… again”. “Why not give some more shoes for Mila and a cheque made out to that disgusting Karl Heinz guy ”?
“Ah, here’s a tough one – Rob Ford”? “I know we’re supposed to give and not take – but let’s do him a favour and take away his recreational drugs”.
 He was born to be different -just how different is something we will have to wait for. “And Justin Trudeau”? “Give him Ford’s drugs.”
“Wow, you’re good at this – so for Stephen Harper some new music so we won’t have to listen to him ruining the Beatles – besides it’s so yesterday… get it, Yesterday. Oh and some anti-depressants to lighten him up little”. “Yes, that’s the spirit you ole flying-sleigh driver – and maybe do something to stop his nose from growing every time he opens his mouth”
“By Jove, I think I’m on a roll. For Pamela Wallin a new board directorship. She no longer has to pretend she is doing Senate work. I’ll put it conveniently in Saskatchewan. Mike Duffy’ll get a subscription to weight watchers and Nigel Wright a cheque for $90,000. I’ll drop off some boxing lessons for Patrick Brazeau, so he won’t get whipped so pathetically by Trudeau next time around.
“Don’t forget to give Joe Oliver and the NEB a lump of coal for pushing so hard for those pipelines”. “Better still, I’ll give him a pot full of tar smack dab from the tar sands – Brer’ Oliver. For Jim Flaherty I’ll just wrap up the Ford brothers, he likes them so much – and sending them to Whitby-Oshawa will be Jason Kenny’s gift as well.”
“For Tom Mulcair I have a shaving kit – you’d think he was competing with me with that hideous looking beard.” “I do hate the whisker burn I end up with after our annual ‘get-it-on’ whether we need it or not, you old red-coated devil.” “Oh – I can’t leave out Elizabeth May. How about one of those old classic two-seat Honda hybrids, now that she has finally got another Green Party member to fill the second seat.”
 Is this the Whitehorse Post Office? “There, you’re almost done. What about that CEO, Chopra, from the Post Office?” “Oh yeah I’ll help him get some exercise… a ‘group mail box’ of his very own in Whitehorse. That man really cares about seniors staying fit. Oh and I’ll give his gold-plated pension to the Salvation Army.”
“Let’s not forget Mike Wallace.” “How about a column of his own in the Burlington Gazette?” “Right, but does he have anything to say? And since you mention that, how about a printing press for Pepper Par so he can give people the feel of a real newspaper.? “There you’re all done. I told you it would’t be that hard.”
“Except for that Ray Rivers character.” “Well I know he’d be happy if we just wished all the readers a very merry Christmas.”
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 December 19, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. We wish each and every one of the significant seven that set policy at city hall the Merriest of Christmases. . We have watched you; perhaps more than anyone else in the city, as you have done the job you were each elected to do. On this your last Christmas this term we want to put our wish for you in that Christmas stocking you have hung. No pieces of coal from us in your Christmas stockings.
We have watched you for every meeting you have held – well not for those that you chose to go into a CLOSED session for – there were far too many of those by the way.
Has anyone ever done a count as to how many times you have gone into a CLOSED session on the city’s legal travails with the pier? When you do get someone to count you will shudder. It didn’t have to be that way.
Let us run through the seven and tell you what we wish for them. It would not be fair to start with Ward 1 – everyone has been dumping on Councillor Craven recently, so let’s start with the Dean of Council – John Taylor.
 John Taylor, Ward 3: Thoughtful, emotional always come out for the little guy. We would wish John two things – more time at home with his wife and some time to think before he lets his emotions get to his tongue before his brain does. John knows as much as anyone as to how the city works. He struggles a bit to pull some of that information off the shelves in his head and pass the information along.
Would that there were a Senate for municipal politicians – a place people like John could be sent to and where we could call upon them for sober second thought and some refection as to what municipal government is all about.
 Jack Dennison, Ward 4 – Still athletic, still breaking he boundaries For Councillor Jack Dennison in Ward 4 we would wish a membership in the Roseland Community Organization – they chose not to accept his membership cheque and so he is for the most part on the outs with some of the people who make things happen in this city.
We would wish as well, an Ontario Municipal Board decision that is deserved, one that reflects the best for the community he was elected to represent.
 Blair Lancaster, Ward 5: Picture perfect For Blair Lancaster, the ward six Councillor, we wish a clear understanding as to just what a conflict of interest is and to understand as well the difference between the people she was elected to represent and those that have strong vested interests and want to exploit their relationship with her.
As well, we wish her the wisdom to reflect and fully understand the agendas set out for the Standing Committees she now chairs. There are many watching her performance very closely; this is her chance to show those that wonder if she has what it takes. And perhaps a can of tiara polish – might be needed to get her over the finish line come October.
Finally, an appreciation for those voters north of the 407. They basically represent the number of votes Lancaster won by last time out.
 Paul Sharman, Ward 5: Focused, data driven. For Paul Sharman – the Ward 5 council member who came on so strong during his first year and now seems to have gotten his wheels spinning in a thing called the data rut. The art of politics – and it is an art Councillor, not a science, is about people not strategies we wish a biography of Fiorello LaGuardia, the famous Mayor of New York city who loved every constituent he had and often took city buses just to be with them. Irascible, energetic, and charismatic, he craved publicity and is acclaimed as one of the three or four greatest mayors in American history.
We would add to the list of gifts for you, a Friends of Freeman Station – the one you could wear when you apologize for doubting their ability to pull of the magnificent job they have done. Add to that T-shirt the grace to do the smart thing when they delegate next and thank them and ask how you can help.
But that touch of arrogance, just a bit, wouldn’t let you do that. So add a velvet bag you can put some of that arrogance into and then toss it out.
We would add for you a PRESTO pass that you can wave at campaign meetings to show that you are ready to take the bus.
 Rick Craven, Ward 1: Plains Road, Plains Road and Plains Road. Our wish for Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven is for someone to give the man a good tickle along with a train set he can play with. Craven has a bad case of serious, serious, serious. The boy in him needs to be allowed to come out. We don`t think Councillor Craven has bad manners but we do think he needs to use the ones he was given. Politics is not a game for the thin-skinned.
A Dear Abbey book on manners will do the trick here.
So for Councillor Craven – the ability to laugh, have fun, engage people, like the people he represents (not always easy) Set aside your well-marked copy of the Procedural bylaw and accept the gift of Dale Carnegie’s How to win friends and influence people. Politics is about people – ya gotta like them and you have to like yourself before you can like others. Time for some deep reflection – there is a hill on the horizon Craven may not manage to get over.
Then there is His Worship. He wants to do a good job, and desperately wants to do the right thing – and to be liked at the same time. Leadership is being able to figure out what the right thing is for the community you lead. That chain of office can be very heavy at times. Each time you put on that chain of office – you need to also take on the strength of character voters thought they saw in you when they marked an X beside your name.
 Mayor Rick Goldring: Compassionate, still looking for the right direction for him. Many describe you as a weak Mayor. Your reasons for running in 2010 were more emotional, with that worked out of your system you can now show the city who you really are with a thoroughly thought out plan. Losing your senior advisor hasn’t helped. There is a very good chance you will be acclaimed – which would not be good for Burlington nor for you. You need to be challenged and further tested and given the opportunity to come through a hard fight and be the Mayor you could be – but that is going to call for you to be stronger, more forthright and more deliberate. Were a strong well focused candidate to come forward – you can be beaten.
So for you Your Worship a good Churchill biography to gain some sense of how great leaders handle crisis and lead their people – the one done by Roy Jenkins is a perfect place to start. We can promise that we will not have put another book by Lance Secretan in your stocking.
We wish you time to spend with the people in this city who raised you, perhaps a long talk with a high school teacher. We wish you time to reach out and find people who can help you shape a second term. Do something that is well outside your comfort zone – be bold.
We wish as well, the smarts to better understand how Meed Ward has defined herself and the introspection to determine how you want to define yourself in the months ahead.
Finally, we wish a candidate that will test your mettle and force you to defend all the decisions you made during your first term. You will be a better Mayor for it – and Burlington will be a better city if you win.
And finally Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward we wish a dictionary with fewer words. Of the three new Councillors she has grown the most and extended her reach far beyond the boundaries of her ward. She is the go to person for many people in every ward – but she talks too much.
 Marianne Meed Ward, Ward 2: She has it figured out – now can she pull it off. Meed Ward no longer has to says she might run for the office of Mayor – other people, many of them, say it for her. She has changed the way all council members communicate with their constituents. Her ward “council” is a close to perfect example of how a Councillor should interact with constituents.
Meed Ward may well run for the office of Mayor at some point in the future – but in the world of politics the future is a long, long way off.
She may well be acclaimed in 2014 – the chances of anyone beating her are slim to none. There is no one on the horizon that comes even close to threatening her.
In the event that she is acclaimed that will keep her out of the 2014 municipal election race – which will drive her bananas. She loves the game; she loves the job she has and she loves working for people.
While Meed Ward has certainly grown there are some lessons to be learned. We wish several large colourful pictures for Meed Ward – each picture will save her 1000 words.
We wish her the opportunity to attract advisors who can guide her as she grows. We wish her the time to take a summer course on economics and finance and how assets can be used as leverage.
There was a time when she had few supporters within staff – that is changing. She has work to do at the senior levels – she is never going to get to the point where she will be exchanging Christmas cards with the city’s planner.
 Burlington’s Significant Seven. The Season is about to settle upon us. Home, family, friends and time to relax and reflect are gift we wish for each and every one of you.
Return to city hall in January and meet with the Clerk to file your nomination papers.
 December 19, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. Police are asking the public for the public’s assistance in identifying a man who interacted with two children on Spruce Avenue near Goodram Drive, on December 17, 2013 at 3:20 p.m. Two children were walking home from school when a man approached on foot and engaged them in conversation. During the brief interaction the man offered to give them a ride home, which they refused.
 The man was described as: white, 55-60 years of age, 5’10”, average build and short greyish hair. He wore a toque, dark puffy waist-length jacket, brown pants and was carrying a small pink backpack with black zippers over his shoulder.
Anyone with information concerning the identity of the individual involved is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2315, Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the website or by texting ‘Tip201’ with your message to 274637(crimes).
 December 19, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Does a sole source contract fit in with the values of an organization like BurlingtonGreen? Would one not expect a higher degree of transparency from leaders with a strong moral ethic?
Should one expect to see a fully detailed financial statements of the funds BurlingtonGreen (BG) gets and has on hand? And should the public they ask to support them financially get a better look at their financial statements? How much of the BurlingtonGreen funding actually comes from dues paying citizens?
The city is negotiating a two-year sole provider contract with BurlingtonGreen bu the public knows nothing about the finances.
We expect our city Councillors to tell us how they spend the expense allowance they are given and to post the receipts on the city website – but we don’t call for BurlingtonGreen to do the same. Why not?
This issue came to the surface when, at a Standing Committee meeting, Councillor Craven was talking about the plans to add additional community gardens to the existing, and very successful Central Park operation one might add, run by Burlington Green.
The staff report being discussed has BurlingtonGreen as the sole provider for services that could reach $50,000 a year; Councilor Craven commented that he wasn’t all that comfortable with just the one provider being considered.
 BurlingtonGreen is the strongest advocacy group in the city. They have put Burlington on the may environmentally. A number of years ago BurlingtonGreen applied for a provincial grant to open a community garden that is now tucked in behind the Seniors’ Centre north of New Street. In order to get the grant BG needed the city with them as a partner. It took some fast footwork but BG eventually go the city to make the needed contribution as an in-kind offering – the city put in the fences and did the early prep work on the plot of land that has 29 individual garden sites that are rented out for $50 a year.
The city is committed to the idea of community gardens. It had to decide which of several delivery models it would use. The possibilities were: Community based operations; operations handled by a service provider and operations run and delivered by the city. The BG community garden program was designed to be a resource for other community groups that wanted to start a garden.
 The official opening of the Central Park community garden. It was a pivotal point for BurlingtonGreen that wasn’t evident at the time. The provincial grant covered the administration costs and an individual was hired to do the work. We don’t recall ever seeing a “public” call for someone to do the job. It was just given to the person that did all the work to get the grant. Were city hall to do something like that – there would be howls of derision – some of which would come from BurlingtonGreen.
BG has an Executive Director; a very competent individual. We assume this is a paid position but the public has no idea how much the Executive Director is paid. That figure should be a public number and the public should know as well the length of any contract in place.
We don’t have a problem with BurlingtonGreen as an organization. But we do have a problem with the level of transparency they have chosen to settle for.
We covered the BurlingtonGreen AGM recently. They had a very good speaker. We did not hear anyone talk about the financial affairs of the organization nor did we see any financial statements set out on the information table. We covered the previous AGM and was told later that the financial information was not public
There is a cardinal rule for organizations that accept as much as a dime in the way of public funding – the kimono is thrown wide open; the public gets to see everything. It’s called accountability.
The Central Park community garden has been so successful that the city decided to look for ways to do more of them. It developed several models to meet the different situations that were presented.
A group in the Francis Road part of the city wanted a garden but there was a problem getting access to the water needed. Rather than installing a municipal water source at a cost of between $25,000 and $30,000, the city is working with RealStar Property Management who have offered a water source for the community garden. The cost to design and construct the community garden will be $21,500.
In September 2013, ward 3 Councilor John Taylor provided Parks and Recreation staff with correspondence from residents, along with 64 signatures, requesting consideration for a community garden in Amherst Park. Preliminary discussion with the Taylor suggests the group doesn’t wish to form as an organization to administer and operate the garden.
It is becoming clear that there is an interest in community gardens and that the Community Development policy that includes leisure services has merit. Determining how best to actually deliver on the policy is where some thinking has to be done.
City staff along with significant input from BurlingtonGreen has resulted in three different models.
 Michelle Bennett checking out a community group model garden in the east end of the city. Community Group based: An identified group willing to deliver a community gardens leisure service as guided by the Community Development Policy. This model has the group handling the administration and operation of a Community Garden.
The group would work directly with city hall for any help they might need in getting started. There are groups within the city that have been around for some time and operating quite well. The city’s Community Development/Leisure Services Policy was designed to encourage additional groups to come forward and develop new gardens. The objective is to have community gardens in every ward in the city – at least in the urban parts of the city.
The Service Provider model is considered when there is an identified group or organization willing to deliver a community gardens leisure service as guided by the Leisure Services Policy. This approach would be considered when the local community just isn’t able to take on the administrative tasks, may not have the expertise or local leadership to get a project off the ground. At this point in time there is just the one service provider – BurlingtonGreen.
City Direct Operation is an approach used when there isn’t an identified group or service provider willing to deliver a community gardens leisure service as guided by the Community Development Policy or Leisure Services Policy.
This is a situation where the city finds itself in the business of delivering a service that can often best be done by others. It is not likely to be a service we will see much of, especially at a time when the city is looking at everything they do and asking the question: Is this a service we should be providing? The answer to the question will be heavily impacted by where the money to pay for the service is going to come from.
BurlingtonGreen has done much of the early stage work; were it not for their initiative in getting the provincial grant and convincing the city to work with them – there wouldn’t be much, if anything, in the way of a community harden program. That was the purpose of the provincial grant they were given. They developed an on-line registration process to receive gardener’s requests and conduct a lottery to award garden plots then manage the waiting lists. Many of those people became volunteers.
The city reports they did not receive any negative feedback from the 118 applications for the 29 plots that were available in the first year.
BG collected the fees and provided the city with revenues which was used to offset the cost of municipal water. They recruited and trained volunteers. In the first year: 41 adults and 7 children volunteered an estimated 274 hours of time to garden operations. They also pulled in approximately $3,690 was provided through gifts in kind and funding.
BurlingtonGreen provided day to day oversight of the Central Park community garden ensuring adherence to the user agreements and regulations. No reported incidents of conflict were reported, suggesting BG were effective in conflict resolution. They were the primary contact with gardeners handling day to day inquiries, conducted gardeners meetings and website updates. BG proved they could be successful in establishing effective communications with the gardeners.
As the moves forward with its Community Development/Leisure Services Policy the costs have to be considered. Working with the three models it has been estimated that the costs for various numbers of sites would break out as follows:
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OptionsPresented
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(2- sites)
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(3-sites)
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(4-sites)
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(5-sites)
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(6-sites)
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Option 1-CommunityGroup Based
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$3,410
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$5,500
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$6,800
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$8,900
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$10,200
|
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Option 2-Service Provider
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$31,610
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$36,075
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$40,175
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$45,575
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$49,425
|
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Option 3-City Direct Operation
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$17,660
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$20,378
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$22,306
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$25,536
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$26,967
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BurlingtonGreen’s responsibility for the Central Park community garden concludes at the end of 2013. The current budget and capital impacts of continuing to administer, operate and build new community gardens will be part of the 2014 budget.
That pilot was a success, primarily attributed to the administrative efforts, oversight and program provided by BurlingtonGreen. In particular staff believes a presence on site made a significant contribution to the success.
Considering the options in the context of the Community Development/Leisure Services Policies, the following were considered in providing the recommendation:
A group is currently not identified to operate the Central Park garden as a Community Based model
The Warwick-Surrey Community organization have indicated they don’t have the capacity to operate the proposed Francis Road garden under the Community Based model
There is a service provider (BurlingtonGreen) that is interested in providing the service of community gardens
The BurlingtonGreen proposal includes program elements that may not be considered necessary to administer and operate the community garden
There is merit in negotiating the scope of the tasks and costs of working under the Service Provider model with BurlingtonGreen to meet the city’s requirements
The city now wants to consider BurlingtonGreen as a sole source provider within the Strategic Alliances Policy that is in place to establish, maintain, or enhance partnerships with external agencies to ensure a cooperative approach to service delivery.
Does the city want to continue with this model?
City staff recommended the Service Provider model for administering and operating the existing and future Francis Road community gardens for the next two years. They did so for the following reasons: The model is consistent with Community Development/Leisure Services policy; it provides oversight that limits staff requirements along with guidance and customer service. Staff was confident that an appropriate scope of tasks and costs could be negotiated with BurlingtonGreen and that any agreement provides an opportunity to work with other groups who might want to operate under the community based model
 The recommendation had BurlingtonGreen as a single source provider, which is where Councilor Craven voiced his concern. Right now BurlingtonGreen is the only known group that can provide the service the city is looking for and so city staff asked that Council authorize the Director of Parks & Recreation, Manager of Purchasing and City Solicitor to negotiate and sign a sole source agreement with BurlingtonGreen to provide a service to administer and operate city community gardens for the 2014 and 2015 seasons with an option to extend the term of BurlingtonGreen’s services.
If acceptable terms cannot be reached with BurlingtonGreen, staff will request Council authorize them to administer and operate the Central Park and Francis Road community gardens for 2014 and 2015 season, through the City Direct Operation model for the 2014 and 2015 current budgets.
This allows staff to operate the existing garden and undertake the process of Community Development to increase the opportunity of community groups coming forward to operate community gardens. If community interest is not evident, Parks and Recreation will conduct a Request for expressions of interest to provide the service of community gardens for the 2016 season.
 The Central Park community garden was a success because of the site oversight of BurlingtonGreen. It is now clear that an organization with the experience and commitment to community gardens is needed. What is also needed is an organization with a commitment to transparency. BurlingtonGreen has yet to show that kind of a commitment.
Background:
The seed of an idea is planted.
Community garden opens.
 December 18. 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. Been awhile since we’ve heard anything on the pier. Like children – when there is no noise you want to look in on them.
That mediation many thought was going to take place in January is not likely to take place for a number of months. Why?
 It was a great day in the history of the city. The official opening of the Brant Street Pier – now the problems its construction created have to be cleaned up. Looks like a Court room is the only place we can get this done. Well turns out some “realizations” have brought about a shift in the thinking of several of the players in this rather expensive game. You’ve heard the phrase – “there is an elephant in the room” – those involved in the pier litigation are realizing that the contractor was not the problem.
And the company that is the problem has recently realized they have a problem on their hands and they didn’t have their homework done and now they need time to dig through the mounds of paper and be ready for a trial.
Mediation is a step that must be taken before a trial can take place. There is at least one player in the game that doesn’t see mediation as a solution to the grief they have had to go through – so mediation, when it does take place, might be very short.
 We actually built the pier twice. First time it was built a crane toppled over ad revealed problems with the steel being used – it was all taken out. They ordered new steel and built it again. Now all the parties squabble over who is going to pay for the mistakes. Getting trial dates set with so many companies involved is never easy. Having a trial start in the middle of the summer would certainly tighten up things in the municipal election.
What is clear is this: there is a bit of a mess to clean up. Under normal circumstances this would come under the normal day-to-day business of a municipal government but the pier became such a defining issue that took on a life of its own.
It became part of the agenda for three different mayors; each handled it quite differently. For Mayor MacIsaac it was part of a dream that he left in decent shape as he turned over the chain of office. For Mayor Jackson it was a problem he had hoped to ride all the way to the top – until the crane accident took place. Then it became an issue that gave a freshman candidate an issue to get elected on. It wasn’t the pier and its problems that cost Jackson the election.
 That young man will return to the pier for many years to see his hand print. At some point he will read about and understand how convoluted an exercise it was to get that pier built. The Goldring administration thought their task was to clean up the mess and get the pier opened but along the way they missed several opportunities to keep the city out of a court room. Those failures, when combined with the city’s significant and serious financial problems, are like chickens coming home to roost. And coming home during an election year isn’t the kind of good news story people running for office like to tell.
Some distraction might take place in the Spring should the provincial government decide they need to get a majority and Kathleen Wynne decides to ask the Lieutenant Governor to call an election.
Much of January will be taken up with budget deliberations. The 10% increase over the four-year term that Mayor Goldring tied himself to will weigh him down a bit – it will be interesting to see what this Council decides it is prepared to give up.
Once the budget for the next year is cast – the election race will take on energy of its own. And that is just about the time that the whole story behind the pier might come to the surface.
Background:
Pier legal problems always discussed behind closed doors.
Pier gets a soft opening.
New steel girders begin to arrive – progress.
New pier tender opening delayed.
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