 By Staff
August 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In 2021, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) reported a significant increase in both relay and re-programming thefts of high-end vehicles with keyless entry and push-start technology.
Since January 2021, there have been a total of 52 vehicles stolen from Milton and Halton Hills (Oakville and Burlington will get targeted soon enough) that have been attributed to the use of relay or reprogramming technology.
In the majority of these thefts, the vehicles are being stolen from residents’ driveways during the overnight hours, with most thefts typically taking less than one minute.
 Stunning just ho much technology the thieves have access to – they get it online, pay a hefty price and see that price as a good investment. What is a relay theft?
Thieves will use technology called a “relay device” to find a key fob signal from inside a residence. The thieves do not need to enter the residence in order to find the signal.
The signal is then amplified which allows the thieves to unlock, start and steal the vehicle. The vehicle owner discovers their vehicle has been stolen, even though they are in possession of their key fob.
What is a reprogramming theft?
Thieves will first gain entry to the vehicle by mechanical means (breaking in by using a tool). They will then access the vehicle’s diagnostic port and reprogram a blank key fob which allows them to start and steal the vehicle.
The HRPS is applying significant resources to investigate these occurrences. In spite of recent arrests, it is important that the community be aware of this trend and takes preventative steps to ensure their property remains secure from theft.
Special attention should be given by those members of the community who own the specific vehicles described here as they are most commonly being targeted for theft.
 These carts once stolen leave the country in days – look for them in the war torn countries of the Middle East. The terrorists love the SUV’s and the pickup trucks. What types of vehicles are being targeted?
While many different makes and models of high-end vehicles are being targeted, over 55% of these thefts involve Lexus RX350, Toyota SUV and Honda CR-V models.
What can residents do to protect themselves from these types of thefts?
There are measures that residents can take to mitigate the risk of having their vehicle(s) stolen:
• Park your vehicle in a locked and secured garage
• Install an on-board diagnostic blocker
• Install a steering wheel lock device
• Combine the above measures with an aftermarket GPS tracking device
• Place vehicle key fob inside a radio frequency shielding bag when not in use
• Lock your vehicle at all times
• Equip your vehicle with an alarm
• Install home security cameras that capture the exterior of your residence, including the driveway
• Take steps to conceal the Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N.)
Additional tips and information, including an educational video, can be found on our website: https://www.haltonpolice.ca/en/staying-safe/vehicle-theft-prevention-tips.aspx
 Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. Call 911 if you witness a crime in progress. Call 905-825-4777 if you see suspicious vehicles or persons in your neighbourhood.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca
 By Pepper Parr
August 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
And they are off!
The Prime Minister met with the Governor General this morning and she granted his request that the 43rd session of Parliament be dissolved and a federal election take place on September 20th, this despite voting with in May with nearly all MPs against a pandemic election saying at the time “nobody wants an election before the end of this pandemic.”
The Gazette now has a team that will cover the election in a way we have not been able to do in the past.
Contributing editor Ray Rivers will comment regularly on how the election campaign plays out while Ryan O’Dowd and Max Bowder will be in the field covering candidates from at least four political parties in the three constituencies that make up Burlington.
 Prime Minister takes the family to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. How could she say no to the wife and kids? The Prime Minister wants a majority – does his political career came to a close if her doesn’t get one? And who would replace him?
Big questions, big issues.
 By Staff
August 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 2 of a two part story on what the people of Burlington feel about an election call
With the whiff of an election in the air, the Gazette decided to send a team of reporters out into the streets to hear what the public had to say.
The team, made up of Max Bowder and Ryan O’Dowd, covered all six wards and approached people asking:
Do you think there should be a federal election?
Depending on the answer they followed up with:
Why or why not.
Bowder covered the Northen part of the city – everything north of Fairview.
We asked the team to get as many responses as possible – we wanted some depth to what people thought – thus the length. Some people didn’t want to give names; some locations were better than others. Bowder was asked to leave the library where he was interviewing people
The responses Bowder got were: Good idea to call for an election: 7
Bad idea to call for an election: 28
No opinion: 7
Individually here are his results.
No, I don’t think it is necessary and I won’t vote for him – male
No, we have enough problems – Steve, male
 When looking for man/woman on the street interviews you go to where there are people – supermarkets and LCBO outlets. No, when the election is called, it takes priority away from covid and instead on what’s best for the candidate … with low vaccine rates it is not a good time and we should want to wait until 90% of the country is vaccinated – Samir, male
No, with everything else going on, it’s just the wrong timing – Male
I don’t know if it’s the best time for it because I think there is still two years before they are required call an election, so I guess no – female
I don’t really have an opinion on it – female
No because I think it’s a political maneuver on his part (Justin Trudeau), I just heard on the news how much it will cost for the election, 610 million dollars! I mean, we are in huge debt as it is – female
Absolutely he should – female
That would be nice, politically it’s something I don’t really … I could go on for a long time with this so that why I can’t give you a straight answer for that one to be honest … I just don’t argue about politics with other people – Dave, Male,
No, I’m not really sure – female
No, I think he (Justin Trudeau) thinks he could win; I’m worried he could win again. – female
No, I feel like he (Justin Trudeau) will lose if he does it. – male
No, there’s enough going on right now, we don’t need to go to the polls. – female
No, I think he should do something else, focus on getting people back on track. We’ll see what happens, I wouldn’t be surprised because He’s taking advantage of the opportunity and again why not? – Gabe, female, ward 5
No definitely not – female
Uh its ok – female
No, too many things going on – Chris, male
I don’t know I guess so? You know what in all honesty I don’t know about that – Christina, female
No, our intent should be trying to get us out of this – female
Sure, not really, I think it’s time for change, I don’t know if he will win – female, Oakville
No, because there is too much going on, there’s too much covid and everything – female
Yes, actually I think he should be governing … but if Hes (Justin Trudeau) trying to win back a majority, I don’t know … my personal feelings, I hope he gets voted out- Julius, male, North Carolina
I don’t know enough to comment. For politicians it is [for liberals] think they will get a majority, that’s what I’m guessing – Ray, male Oakville
Uuuhhhhhh no, I don’t know – male
No, too expensive no question … he (Justin Trudeau) should focus on the economy you know, we gotta get people back to work – Mark, male
Doesn’t matter, I’m indifferent – Donna, female
No, Well I’m a conservative sooo, in the middle of a pandemic it does make a whole lot a sense to the prime minister, it’s a waste of twenty million dollars. – Dave, male
No, sorry I don’t understand – female
No, He’s (Justin Trudeau) only calling an election at this time because you know He’s kinda favored right now and he doesn’t get my vote – Victoria, female
I do, I think that what He’s done in over the pandemic and uh just what he has been doing as a prime minister I think gives him the right to say what he sees happening and I trust his judgement on that, and I think what are people waiting for? I don’t understand that, for things to get better? For things to get smoother? for the pandemic to go away. I don’t believe that’s going to happen I think if the newspapers could stop talking about the fourth pandemic, I think things are going to go into more and more chaos, I think H
He’s really done a great job. He’s made mistakes of course he has but who the hell is going to take over for him (Justin Trudeau)!? – Margo, female, ward 4
Honestly, he (Justin Trudeau) has to call it sometime so why not tomorrow? – Racheal, female
I don’t know, probably not because of covid it’s not worth it even if he gets a majority – Cindy, Female Oakville
I think so, Hes (Justin Trudeau) in a good position to… if he can do it, he should – Stu, male
Yea it is, he should try to get a majority – male
I wouldn’t think so with all of this happening do you really think people are in the mood to go out and vote? – female
No timing is not the best … well there’s the pandemic and everything’s really confusing – Debbie, female,
Um for him (Justin Trudeau) it’s the right choice – Dick, male
No, there is more pressing issues like the huge amount of debt the government has put on the country’s books, both for your generation and mine, none of the political parties are discussing how to pay back the debt, – Tom, male
Either way probably not, no great concerns, I just don’t know that it is necessary, that’s more than the whole thing. I think things are going as well as they can given the, excuse my language, shit storm. We’re just in survival mode as a country and a civilization. – Steve, male
No, there’s bigger issues going on right now, Steve(different one), male
No, not the time Eyaz, male
No, I think its just poor timing with covid and everything and I’m not the fan of our prime minister, I don’t agree with a lot of what he’s done – Paul, male
I haven’t really thought of it – female
Uh that’s a good question I don’t know, at this point no, probably not. I don’t know why they are doing it well I do know but its up to them I guess. – female
No because I think there is too much going on right now. – Jennifer , female
No, its not the time. – female
We have a follow up report on what Ryan O’Dowd learned in the Southern part of the city.
Max Bowder reporrts: “Most people feel that this is not the best time to have an election while in the middle of COVID and there are other things The Prime Minister can be focusing on such as the economy. Many also believe the Prime Minister is only calling this election, hoping win back a majority government for his handling of the pandemic.”
 Max Bowder is a second year journalism student at Sheridan College. He is part of a team with the Gazette on the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the federal government. Before enrolling at Sheridan Max volunteered in a community in Argentina where he worked with young people. He is a Burlington resident who helps out on the family farm in Milton.
By Staff
August 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a two part story on what the people of Burlington feel about an election call
With the whiff of an election in the air, the Gazette decided to send a team of reporters out into the streets to hear what the public had to say.
The team, made up of Max Bowder and Ryan O’Dowd, covered all six wards and approached people asking:
Do you think there should be a federal election?
Depending on the answer they followed up with:
Why or why not.
We asked the team to get as many responses as possible – we wanted some depth to what people thought – thus the length. Some people didn’t want to give names; some locations were better than others.
 If you want to get a cross section of opinion in Burlington Brant and Lakeshore is as good a place as any. Ryan O’Dowd covered the southern part of the city to learn how the public felt about an expected election call.
In a separate story we published the results of what Max Bowder learned in the area north of Fairview.
Here is what Ryan O’Dowd learned:
I’m fairly ambivalent about it but it’s clear Trudeau is trying to get the election in before the economy tanks.- Roy
I think the tail end of a pandemic is a bad and weird time for a power grab. But it gives me a chance to vote out a Prime Minister I quickly soiree on after initially voting for him.-Alex
This isn’t the time to focus on an election, I worry about what will happen if a fourth wave is handled poorly.-Jira
I get what he’s trying to do, he’s trying to present a united front on COVID and get everyone on the same page. But the countries debt is already an issue before election spending.-Cathy
No, it’s just a power grab.-Bruce
Seems like an election call right now would be a power grab by Trudeau. But we’re all screwed anyway so who cares.-Kevin
Any other politician would do the same, I’m not a Trudeau fan but this is hardly reason why.-Lisa
I support it, it’s a bit soon but people have been revisiting their values during the pandemic, so people may want something else from their government.-Gabriel
No, I don’t trust any of the candidates and were in a pandemic.-Drew
I think it’s wise on his part considering people following his guidelines and being financially supported outweighs people who challenged his direction. Although the dark parts of Canadian history recently brought to light and alot of people aren’t agreeing with his response. I personally wouldn’t vote for Trudeau but if it happens he’s got a good shot.-Taylor
I wouldn’t support an election and I don’t think they will go through with the plans. No one is happy about it and COVID numbers are up.-Mark
There’s a lot of reasons to criticize Trudeau, that he’s calling an election when he thinks he can win is not one.-Michelle
 Finding people to interview led reporters to shopping locations – Appleby Mall proved to be very good place to meet people. There is no good reason for an election, I can’t support a power grab during a pandemic- Kim
No, I don’t like any of the candidates and probably won’t vote- anonymous
I don’t support a federal election call at all because it’s a waste of resources that could be used in a more productive manner.-David
I do, we need to vote Trudeau out to stop more lockdowns and vaccine passports-Jean
If the election takes place during a fourth wave it will blow up in Trudeau’s face- Megan
No, Trudeau is threatening people’s health to win- Mike
It’s irresponsible to have an expensive election given our debt and it will be dangerous- Karen
Opposition to the election is partisan, if conservatives thought they could win they’d be all for it, but they aren’t confident- Raheem
No and I hope all parties lose.- anonymous
Yes. People criticize Trudeau for calling it as a power grab but how Canada does post-COVID is incredibly important. It seems like a good time to reevaluate the countries leadership.-Ed
No, it’s a waste of time, there are much more important things to focus on right now.-Jacqueline
I don’t support the election, people are still scared of COVID, it’s their number one priority. Trudeau is using that as a power grab and it’s not right.-Mina
Why not? Conservatives want to lift mandates, they want the country to be open just not for an election they’ll likely lose. Making this an issue of safety now is convenient. It’s a power grab but that’s nothing new.-Carol
No. I’m worried the election will politicize the pandemic even more. I don’t want people to think being anti-vax or mask is a political stance as opposed to just being anti-science. I’m worried this will come up alot.-anonymous
No. Things are hard enough right now, I don’t have time to pay attention to politics.- Devon
I think it’s a pointless election but I can’t blame Trudeau for capitalizing on weak opposition. That these other parties have poor leadership is something they should worry about rather than complaining about the election.-Austin
No. He’s just trying to get people on CERB to vote to keep it going, and we can’t afford that.-Sam
No, mostly because I don’t like any of the candidates. Trudeau never follows through on anything and the current conservative party is a mess.- Mark H.
Across Burlington reactions to the election call were mixed. Many were unhappy about the election citing economic issues and safety concerns, but above all people were put off by the optics with what many dubbed an opportunistic power grab. And while many found the calling of the election unnecessary, most recognized it’s importance.
 Ryan O’Dowd is a Sheridan College journalism student who is part of a federally funded Local Journalism Initiative that will have him reporting for the Gazette well into 2022. He is a Burlington native who plays the guitar.
 By Staff
August 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On Thursday of last week Milton MP Adam Joseph van Koeverden arrived at the vaccination centre in that community to tell the public Canada now had more than enough in the way of inoculation doses to ensure everyone would be able to get vaccinated twice.
 Burlington |Mayor Marianne Meed Ward tells Burlington MP Karina Gould she is grateful for the Grindstone Creek funding. On Friday MP and Cabinet Minister Karina Gould issued a statement at the Rock Garden in Hamilton announcing that the federal government had come up with $579, 000 from the Great Lakes Action Plan V – Great Lakes Sustainability Fund for the RBG’s Wetland Rehabilitation Program and the City of Burlington’s Grindstone Creek Erosion Control Planning.
RBG will be receiving $425,000 for their program, while the City will be receiving $154,000.
 Oakville Burlington North MP Pam Damoff We had no report on what Oakville Burlington North MP Pam Damoff was up to; many of her supporters were waiting for a decision from the federal government on who was going to appear on the next version of the $5 bill. The hope was that it would be of Terry Fox as he ran his historic run through Burlington 41 years ago.
All the political activity underlined the widely held expectation that there would be a federal election in the fall.
The announcement is expected today.
 By Pepper Parr
August 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington and development have for the past five years been in one of those awkward relationships.
The city wants development, the developers want to build – the problem has been what kind of development and where.
It became a menage a trois when the province said that we had to grow – big time. More housing for more people with not much in the way of space for the traditional single family house with a nice back yard that made Burlington what it is today.
Those that live in the southern part of the city didn’t want to see dozens of high rise towers taking over.
The developers wanted their buildings to be in the downtown core where the pricey condos were being built.
The argument got intense from about 2015 to the 2018 election when the issue was the boundary for the Urban Growth Centre.
Set out below is the boundary that was in place when the current city council was elected.
 The Urban Growth Boundary that is in the Official Plan that is in force now went through a number of changes. The colours define the different precincts the city is divided into. A precinct is an area that has zoning and development rules unique to that area. Marianne Meed Ward convinced people that she could get hat boundary changed and while the fight isn’t over yet – there are new Urban Growth Centre boundaries in place and once the Official Plan gets completely approved – it is currently in the hands of the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs – where it is expected to be approved – all it has to do is get through the appeals process – there are 40 some odd organizations appealing – it becomes the law of the land.
Meed Ward was adamant from day 1 – the boundary has to be changed.
This is what the Urban Growth Centre boundary is going to look like.
 Boundaries for the Urban Growth Centre that are part of the approved but not in force Official Plan. Now slide back up and look at what was in place before a new city council set out to make a change
A huge difference – and the credit for much of it belongs to the Mayor. She was thee one who pushed and pushed and did her best not to budge an inch.
It was no small feat.
Meed Ward did not do this alone – what she did was lead the five newcomers to council, who for the most part were on her side when they were first elected, and then supported what she was setting out to do.
The Gazette has a number of differences with how this first term Mayor has handled and portrayed herself; Lord Acton had it right when he said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Time will tell if Marianne Meed Ward can catch herself before she falls. None of this should take away from what she did in getting that Urban Growth Boundary moved north,
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
August 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Who was the employee at the Joseph Brant Hospital who told a patient waiting in the emergency area to “stop inter fearing” when she was asked if a blanket could be brought out for a women appearing to be in serious pain and shivering in the wheel chair?
Another patient waiting in the Emergency area saw the woman who was reported to be “shivering severely” and asked an attend walking by if she could get a blanket for the woman.
 A hospital is a place where caring is all that really counts – everything flows from that. The attendant paused and appeared to be about to walk on when the person that reported the behaviour to the Gazette said quite loudly “she needs a blanket” at which point the attendant got a blanket, wrapped it around the shivering patent and then said “stop inter fearing”.
The Joseph Brant Hospital is better than that. If the people working there can’t care for people – try finding another job.
The vast majority of the people who work at the hospital are caring people – this was an exception. It is the exceptions that do the damage
 By Clair Wood
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Gambling dates back to long before written history. The earliest dice date from around 3000 BC! Despite gambling stretching back for millennia, acts of gambling are still prohibited in various countries today, and many people believe there should be tighter restrictions in countries where gambling is legal. While the vast majority of people who enjoy gambling do so sensibly and only ever bet what they can afford to lose, purely as a form of entertainment, some gamblers become addicted and experience mental and financial problems. Many forms of gambling are legal in Canada. One area of concern for some is online casinos. Let us take a closer look at the good and the bad of online gambling in Canada.
The Legality of Online Gaming
Various forms of online gambling are legal in Canada, but the legislation surrounding online casinos is rather complex. In basic terms, casino operators cannot operate on Canadian soil but domestic players can legally play a wide variety of online gambling games like roulette and blackjack offered by offshore operators such as the excellent Casinoroom.com.
 Some Canadians believe a good option would be to make homegrown online casinos legal in the country so that tighter regulations and rules could be implemented. The Bad
A recent Canadian Atlantic Lottery Corporation report states that gambling has the ability to cause harm. Furthermore, the Responsible Gaming Council has recently stated that there should be a link to outline whether gambling addictions stem from specific paths. The report included an outline to help deploy frameworks and strategies that will assist gamblers in knowing when to stop. Unfortunately, neither report was published in full publicly. But we do know some of the concerns that the reports raise.
One of the biggest concerns is the ease of access that gamblers have to online casinos. Issues about mental health are also raised. Other highlights include the suggestion that young people, particularly males, are at high risk of facing gambling problems and that patterns of addiction could lead people to substance abuse. The reports also call for Canada to follow the United Kingdom’s approach to credit cards. In April 2020, the UK’s Gambling Commission banned the use of all credit cards for any form of gambling, both online and offline. The reason is simple: when people have access to credit, they could gamble more and potentially become addicted and also much more easily fall into debt.
The Good
While all of the above concerns are very valid and need to be carefully considered, there are already rules and programs in place in Canada to help prevent people from becoming addicted to gambling or running into financial problems because of their gambling. Though whether more could be done is still up for debate. Some Canadians believe a good option would be to make homegrown online casinos legal in the country so that tighter regulations and rules could be implemented.
Regardless, the conclusions and recommendations on the above reports state there is no evidence that online gambling poses a big risk that leads to problematic gambling. It does seem that only a few players are at risk in comparison to the huge number of people who simply enjoy playing casino games and betting online. Furthermore, the Finance Minister has pledged that online gambling funds forwarded by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation will be used to support people with mental health and gambling addiction problems. So, some good is undoubtedly happening in Canada due to raising awareness about the risks of gambling.
How to Win It All
Whilst everyone likes winning, it should not be your one and only purpose when gambling online. If it is, it could lead you down the path to obsession and addiction. Most people simply enjoy the many gambling activities that are available online, from sports betting to playing roulette. If you win, it is a bonus.
By Pepper Parr
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
 People’s PArty – It was always about Mx A usually reliable source and someone plugged into the political pulse of the city asked this morning if we knew of a person named “Jonathan Earl” who is reportedly running for the Peoples Party in the next federal election.
Anyone know the man and where we might find him?
By Pepper Parr
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The definition appeared in a media release from the city’s communications department.
I had never seen something like this before.
2SLGBTQIA+ (TwoSpirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual)
This expansion of the acronym to refer to the community has gone too far.
 The symbols are important -let’s not demean them with acronyms that lead to ridicule. The fight to get the Pride community the respect it deserves has been long and hard; it has taken decades to get to the point where the community is recognized and not shunned, dismissed, shamed and hurt.
The political leadership has once again gotten over-enthusiastic and in the process hurt the people she chooses to speak for.
The Pride Community can speak for itself.
Gazette readers are commenting – some examples.
 Brave step – smart move. One in every ward in the fullness of time. Agreed (name withheld). “I do not have the time of day for this passive aggressive approach orchestrated by the mayor. She created the survey (not staff). Now there are 2 rainbow crosswalks in Ward 2 and not one of them is in front of city hall. She will hide behind the survey results but we all know what her goal was.”
Another reader wrote: “I was surprised to see the latest permutation of inclusivity symbols in this article (2SLGB….+). While I am fully in favour of demonstrations of support for people struggling to find their identity, there is a danger of going to extremes to include more and more subsets until everyone finds their own personal home. And let’s not forget there is another axis of identity being explored these days based on race, heritage, language and age. At some point our whole view of our society becomes a jumble of alphanumeric compartments that render it meaningless, while activists in each group clamor for special attention. Thus we become divided, not united.”
 What the Halton Regional Police Service did was dignified and appropriate. Let’s continue to raise the Pride flag and when we see instances of discrimination personally do everything we can to put a stop to it.
Support the Pride Community the way you would like your community to be supported.
Why the city communications department went to the lengths it did is both surprising and disappointing.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca got it right when he congratulated the Prime Minister for stepping up and pledging a secure vaccination certification tool.
 Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca Del Duca, the leader without a seat in the Legislature, wants Doug Ford to immediately begin working with the federal Liberal Government to get this right.
“Ontario Liberals” said Del Duca, “have been fighting for this responsible public health measure for weeks while Doug Ford has pandered to his fringe anti-vaxxer supporters. This is about protecting our most vulnerable, stopping a fourth wave, and keeping Ontario open for good.”
 By Staff
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
While the provision of housing, no matter what the price or rental rate, is not part of the mandate the city has – it is a Regional responsibility – Burlington is nevertheless developing a Housing Strategy be housing people is a top priority in the current city council.
 All those white spaces represent new apartment buildings that are in the planning stage. Will people be able to afford to live in them? The objective is to provide current and future residents with more housing options. The Housing Strategy is an opportunity to develop creative and innovative solutions for housing issues in Burlington that will build on and support the Region’s Housing Strategy.
The City is looking for resident feedback to help understand your experience finding a suitable, affordable, safe and accessible housing in Burlington through an online survey HERE
The survey is open now until Sept. 3, 2021. It provides an opportunity to share your experiences, challenges and ideas to enhance understanding of housing in Burlington.
The information collected by this survey will be used to support statistical information, like the Statistics Canada’s Census, to help the City to identify housing issues, gaps and the housing needs of Burlington residents to support the development of a Housing Strategy.
 Some of the data collected in the first survey This is the second survey in the Housing Strategy project. In March 2021, as part of the Housing Strategy Launch, the first Housing Strategy survey was released. This initial survey collected information about housing concerns in Burlington and sought feedback on how stakeholders would like to be engaged throughout the Housing Strategy Project.
The feedback from the first Housing Strategy survey helped us understand people’s interest in housing issues in Burlington. The feedback from the first survey is summarized in the Housing Survey Launch Feedback Report presented to Council in April 2021. This information was used to inform the Housing Strategy project’s Engagement Plan.
Mark Simeoni, Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility is one of the more attuned to the community and its needs than most of the other Directors on the payroll. Burlington poached him from Oakville. The man listens and hears what people say. He will be a strong participant in the development of whatever the city comes up with.
 Expect the Mayor to talk about the need for more affordable and attainable housing during the 2022 election campaign – that assumes she will be challenged. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has made housing both affordable and attainable an issue you can expect her to focus on during the forthcoming election campaign next year. That assumes she is challenged.
“Affordable housing is one of the biggest crises of our time. That’s partly because affordability is no longer linked to income, and supply is taken up by investments. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. We will do our part in Burlington using the tools we have. We will also need all hands on- deck, from other levels of government, the private sector, and the non-profit sector.
“No one entity, public or private, can solve the housing crisis alone. Our local Housing Strategy carves out the City’s role to ensure we do our part to the fullest. Our strategy will also identify partners and stakeholders critical to success, ensuring we don’t leave a single stone unturned in helping our current and future residents make one of the most important decisions of their lives and that’s finding a place to live.”
 Mark Simeoni, Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Mark Simeoni, Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility is one of the more attuned to the community and its needs than most of the other Directors on the payroll. Burlington poached him from Oakville. The man listens and hears what people say. He will be a strong participant in the development of whatever the city comes up with.
By Pepper Parr
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We ran a piece yesterday announcing the Green Party candidate whose people suggested that an election call might come as early as next week.
 The next election isn’t due until sometime in 2023.
There is no valid reason to call an election at this time. The country is doing just fine with the current minority Liberal government.
The Conservative Opposition cannot get itself elected; the federal New Democrats couldn’t from a government in the very unlikely event that they did get elected.
The federal Green Party may not be a political party if they continue with the internal squabbles.
The only reason for an election is the Prime Minister wanting a majority government.
 David Peterson called an unnecessary election in 1990 because he thought he would win. Ran a terrible campaign and lost. David Peterson tried that stunt in 1990 and it cost him the government he had.
 Governor General Mary Simon Canada has a new Governor General – what little we have seen of Mary Simon suggests she might suggest that the Prime Minister go back to his office and think about it should he decide to pay her a visit asking that she dissolve parliament.
When the Liberal Caucus meets (virtually) are there Members of Parliament with the courage to tell the Prime Minister that an election now is a mistake.
Given the polls we are seeing there is no certainty that the Liberals could win a majority.
Ending up with another minority would be reason enough for Justin Trudeau to offer his resignation.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper
August 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It must be a slow day for the crew in the City’s Communications unit – the Rainbow Crosswalks are being flogged again. Read on.
City of Burlington Council wants more rainbow crosswalks, plus benches and banners, to show support for 2SLGBTQIA+ Community
At the June 22, 2021 Burlington City Council meeting, council voted to fund three more rainbow crosswalks this year. They will also consider installing three more rainbow crosswalks during the 2022 budget, and the potential for additional crosswalks in 2023.
Council requested more information to launch a rainbow bench and street flag program by the end of this year as well.
This May, over 4000 individuals completed a Rainbow Crosswalk Survey to let City staff know they were in favour of more rainbow crosswalks throughout Burlington in support of Burlington’s 2SLGBTQIA+ (TwoSpirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) Community. As result of the survey, the City will implement six additional Pride rainbow crosswalks, using pre-established criteria, by the end of 2022, based on input from the community survey.
It was the first and it was a good move – Burlington needed to make the statement. Others could and should follow – at a reasonable rate. Pride Rainbow Crosswalks
Council has approved up to $50,000 from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund for the installation of the first three rainbow crosswalks in 2021. The survey asked the community to choose their top six locations from a list developed in consultation with council members and members of the former rainbow crosswalk team. City staff reviewed the six locations and have determined that the following 3 locations will be implemented by the end of 2021:
Upper Middle Road at M.M. Robinson school entrance
Fairview Street and Drury Lane
Plains Road West and Botanical Drive
Pride Rainbow Benches
The Councillor Bench Program will be considered for Pride rainbow themed benches this year as well. Staff are expected to present options this fall. This program could potentially allow for one bench per ward in a location chosen by the ward councillor.
Pride Rainbow Banners
The Street Banner Program will also be looked at to include Pride rainbow themed banners along major streets in Burlington. Staff have been asked to report back to council on options, locations, cost and funding source.
The City of Burlington installed its first rainbow crosswalk last summer on Lakeshore Road at the base of Burlington Avenue.
These rainbow crosswalks, benches and banners will be important features and key landmarks geographically and socially for the city.
Burlington is city where people, nature and businesses thrive. City services may look different as we work to stop the spread of COVID-19. The City’s commitment to providing the community with essential services remains a priority. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at Burlington.ca/Enews and download the free City of Burlington app.
 The Rainbow Crosswalks is an issue dear to the Mayor’s heart. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is standing firm on her decision saying: “We’ve heard directly from you how important it is to show visible signs of support and inclusion to our 2SLGBTQIA+ community. With three crosswalks coming this year, and consideration for three more next year as part of our 2022 budget, we can provide at least one in every Ward, to spread the message of inclusion across our city.
“I’d like to thank the more than 4,200 people who took time to complete our survey, and those who reached out to my office by email and social media, supporting these crosswalks and selecting your top six preferred locations — many of which are around schools. Through this process, we’ve learned it’s extremely important to show a strong level of support for young people who may be struggling. You told us that a visual display of support from your City and your Council near your school goes a long way. We listened!”
Related news story:
Council isn’t united on this one
 By Ray Rivers
August 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
It’s been sixty years since the New Democratic Party was formed. Surely that must make them the old democratic party by now. In all that time they only once become the second party in Parliament. And that was only after their charismatic leader, Jack Layton, had catered to the separatists, promising to ignore a Supreme Court ruling and let Quebec separate on a 51% sovereignty vote.
The NDP’s socialist roots go back to Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, who introduced Canada’s first universal medical care system. Douglas’ party merged with the Canadian Labour Conference in 1961 to become the NDP which also made them a labour movement, at least for unionized workers.
 NDP’s socialist roots go back to Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, who introduced Canada’s first universal medical care system. More recently the NDP has tried to become the other green party, despite the potential conflicts between environmental conservation goals and jobs in the resource and energy sectors. And after a half century of marriage between labour and the socialists other cracks have developed. Some labour leaders have become frustrated being tied to a a party which was unlikely to ever become government, and so shifted their support to the Liberals.
The party faced a major crisis in the 60s and 70s when a determined group of members, called the Waffle, sought a more aggressive policy shift towards socialism and economic nationalism in Canada. Fearing a loss of the Quebec NDP wing, they also called for greater accommodation for Quebec’s sovereignty demands. The Waffle was booted out of the party. Still some of its ideas found their way into Liberal government policy at the time, such as the Foreign Investment Review Agency (FIRA).
A little over a decade later the Mulroney government replaced FIRA with the more welcoming Investment Canada. The folly of that move became particularly clear last year when this country was struggling to find COVID vaccines. Toronto based Connaught Labs, which had been a world leader in the development and manufacture of vaccines was gone, it’s technical know-how exported and its trained research staff relocated elsewhere.
 Much of what the Manifesto called for has taken place – except for the elimination of fossil fuels The Leap Manifesto presented another milestone issue for the party. In 2015 about 60 representatives from Canada’s Indigenous rights, social, environmental, faith-based and labour movements came together over two days to identify 15 policy actions for the future. Though the initiative was non-partisan, it had been driven by social and climate activists Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein, both with deep roots in the NDP.
LEAP was so well conceived and written that, within a couple weeks of its creation, over 25,000 Canadians had endorsed it. Yet, during the 2015 federal election NDP leader Mulcair shunned the initiative, thinking it was too radical, even as his party was endorsing LEAP riding by riding. Today almost all of the LEAP demands have been adopted, at least in principle, by the current Liberal government and some are even accepted by the Conservatives.
 He was a powerful leader of the Opposition – but did not have the vision the country wanted and lost an election he thought he had in the bag. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand Tom Mulcair had been an effective opposition leader but his lack of vision set the party back from the break-though which early polling in the 2015 election had promised. Jagmeet Singh, who replaced him, is an articulate politician but has not been able to bring the party back from its third place, though his class baiting has won him some support.
Singh’s problem is that the Liberals have learned to overtake the NDP on some key progressive policies. For example, when Singh promised an NDP government would ban single use plastics by 2022, Trudeau announced he would start the process in 2021. It is hard to determine how much the NDP does in fact influence government policy, though the Liberals mostly have to rely on the NDP to keep them in office.
Even should the Green Party collapse within itself, as it appears to be doing, the NDP are unlikely to supplant the Liberals, at least so long as Mr. Trudeau avoids something like another sponsorship scandal. And while Trudeau’s image and likability may have become tarnished over his last five years in office, as happens to all politicians, Canadians do not seem in a hurry to replace him in these scary times we are living through.
The LEAP project, now retired, can claim credit for stimulating debate and placing so many of its priorities into action. It was ultimately endorsed by the NDP and its ridings, despite the concern of the Alberta contingent over the language on fossil fuels. Today the NDP is looking south of the border for its inspiration, and is trying to develop a Canadian Green New Deal.
 Jagmeet Singh chose to prop up the minority Liberals; there wasn’t much else he could do. Whatever else Mr. Singh has accomplished by propping up the minority Liberals over the last couple years, he has failed to get Mr. Trudeau to move forward on some key socially progressive priorities, like universal pharmacare, a basic annual income and proportional electoral representation. Unless his party improves its position in the upcoming federal election, his leadership may well be at issue.
 A strong mind, an incredible political pedigree and now a willingness to run for public office. Avi Lewis, one of the instigators of the LEAP project, has thrown his hat into the ring to run for the NDP in the upcoming election. Lewis hails from a political heritage, including his father Stephen and grandfather David, which rivals that of Justin Trudeau. If Lewis wins his seat nobody should be surprised to see him advance to leadership in the NDP and to challenge Trudeau for the top job in the country. Maybe the party could even change its name, dropping the amateurish sounding ‘New” given how long it has been around.
There was a time when Pierre Trudeau and Ed Broadband mulled a political merger between the parties. But that idea was anathema to the western NDP movers and shakers at the time and nothing came of it. So unfortunately for both parties in Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system, a vote for the NDP will end up being another vote on the left which the Liberals won’t get. And that makes it just like a vote for the opposition Tories.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
NDP –
Leap – More Leap – Unions – NDP Constitution –
Jagmeet Singh – Waffle – Avi Lewis –
 By Staff
August 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
An extended heat warning has been issued by Halton Region for Aug. 11-13, 2021.
When a heat warning is issued by Halton Region, residents can stay cool at all open Burlington Public Library branches.
Heat warnings are issued by Halton Region when temperatures are expected to be at least 31°C and overnight temperatures are above 20°C for at least 3 days or humidex is at least 40 for at least 2 days.
 Cooling Centre information:
• Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the heat warning
• Community members can use for 1-hour increments
• Screening for COVID-19 upon arrival
• Measures in place to ensure physical distancing
• Non-medical face coverings required
Central Branch
2331 New St.
905-639-3611
Aldershot Branch
550 Plains Rd. E.
905-333-9995
Alton Branch
3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.
905-634-3686
Brant Hills Branch
2255 Brant St.
905-335-2209
New Appleby Branch
676 Appleby Line
905-639-6373
Tansley Woods Branch
1996 Itabashi Way
905-336-5583
 By Staff
August 10th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Federal Green Party Association is pleased to announce that Christian Cullis will be the Green Party’s candidate for Burlington in the next federal election. In a membership vote last month, Christian was elected as the party’s standard bearer for a widely anticipated federal election that could be called as early as this week.
“I’m honoured to have earned the support of my fellow Greens for the next election,” Cullis said. “We’ve seen many records broken the last few years in Canada, none of them good – hottest temperatures, unprecedented numbers of forest fires, extreme storms and flooding, worsening air quality, and Canada continuing to be one of the top ten global emitters of GHGs. We can do so much better than we have on climate change, and I believe that’s what Burlingtonians want.”
 Christian Cullis will be the Green Party’s candidate for Burlington Cullis is an Aldershot resident who graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton in 2016 with a B.A. in Political Science, and a Masters in International Relations. He grew up in Burlington just a few blocks away from the world-famous Royal Botanical Gardens, and holds protecting Burlington’s spectacular natural beauty as one of his core values. Christian’s passion for climate action has seen him volunteer with activist organizations such as Extinction Rebellion, which focuses on increasing awareness and engagement by Canadian youth on voting and climate change. During the pandemic, he has been employed as a landscaper, and prior taught students English in South Korea and tutored after school here in Burlington.
Now focused on representing Greens in Burlington, Cullis promises to run a full campaign. “Climate change is the most critical issue for my generation and for our collective future,” he asserts. “We can’t afford half-measures or government backsliding anymore, and that will be my message on the debate stage and on the doorstep. The Green Party offers a robust and practical climate policy to meet Canada’s emissions targets, but we are much more than a one-issue party. We have real solutions to the other crises Canada faces, such as housing affordability, spiralling income inequality, the impact of the pandemic on Canadians, or the stuttering pace of Canada’s reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. I’m looking forward to offering Burlingtonians who want real action on these issues an opportunity to mark their ballot with confidence for the Green Party in the next election.”
Christian Cullis invites all Burlingtonians to reach out and get involved by contacting burlington@greenparty.ca for volunteer, donation, and platform inquiries.
Email: burlington@greenparty.ca
We will learn more about Mr Cullis when there is an opportunity to interview him.
By Pepper Parr
August 10th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
I keep hearing about the “expected fourth wave” as if it a certainty.
What would make a fourth wave certain? Because not enough people are fully vaccinated – that’s something we control isn’t it.
You get vaccinated – if you’re not vaccinated you can’t enter a supermarket; you can’t go to work.
 No one has the right to decide they are not going to be vaccinated when it is now clear that vaccination stop the spread of the virus.
There is a lot of chatter about privacy and human rights. We are all for free speech – but that doesn’t give someone the right to stand up in a dark theatre and cry out Fire! Fire and leave people scrambling to get out.
There are limits.
During the Second World War men were drafted into the armed forces. They may not have wanted to go to war but their country forced them to go.
There were an unfortunate few that chose to desert – when they were caught they were shot by a squad of Canadian soldiers ordered to shoot them
Tough times called for tough decisions. That’s what governments are in place for.
 When a restaurant looks like this – you are seeing dashed hopes and a dismal future for the owners and the employees. A fourth wave will do huge damage to the hospitality sector. Will office workers be able t return to their buildings?
I shudder to think what it will do to the children who will be returning to classrooms in September
I put the following questions to the Chair of the Halton District School Board:
Does the Board have a policy that requires everyone working in a school, whatever the capacity, to be fully vaccinated before they return to work in September?
Will the Board make any exceptions and if they do – what are the exceptions?
Andrea Grebenc was quick with her response:
“The Board does not have the power to do this. We can’t even ask the vaccination status for the COVID-19 vaccination.
“This has to be a provincial mandate. (MMR. Diphtheria, Tetanus are shots that are mandated, but there are exemptions.
“I assume” said Grebenc “that since the Education Worker Unions pushed so hard in the spring for priority vaccination, that we do have a high percentage of all staff vaccinated.
“Halton has one of the highest vaccination rates in the province (83% one dose and 74% double vaccinated for 12+).”
All true and the infection numbers for Burlington look pretty good (if a disease with the capacity to kill can be described as looking good) but the numbers province wide are not good – we are back where we were in June and nearing the 21 day period for phase 3.
The province is going to want to say something positive – difficult to do when many are talking about the expected fourth wave.
 These are the numbers from the Regional Public Health Office for Burlington on August 9th No word either on just what we are going to do once the kids are back in the classrooms where colds are part of the business.
Andre Picard, Globe and Mail columnist who has been doing sterling work on the Covid19 crisis passed along a phrase he got from a colleague who is Chair of the federal Covid19 immunity Task Force who said ”Nasty fall ahead”.
Is this what we are sitting here waiting for that fourth wave to happen?
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
August 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It was an upsetting weekend for Burlington Humane Society.
Both the animal shelter at 740 Griffith Court, and The Animal Aid Attic, its second-hand store at 479 John Street, suffered setbacks.
 Property was stolen at the Griffith Court location where a lone thief stole a heavy-duty utility wagon. The wagon is valued at over $200.00. Surveillance cameras caught images of the thief as he stole the wagon.
“It was obvious that the thief knew what he wanted. He rode his bicycle directly to the shelter’s back patio where the wagon was kept,” said Doug Shirton, Burlington Humane Executive Director.
“He immediately took the wagon and rode off. The whole incident took about three minutes.”
The wagon is an essential piece of equipment that is used daily to move items to and from a back storage shed as well as carting away animal waste to a back dumpster. “We hope this theft is not the start of a campaign of theft from our premises.”
 The second-hand store, The Attic, was vandalized late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Police notified Burlington Humane early Sunday morning that someone threw a rock through the front window. Clean up began immediately and through Sunday morning.
Shirton later learned that there were several businesses vandalized by a rowdy group that night. The huge plate glass window will cost several hundreds of dollars to replace.
By Ray Rivers
August 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
If he hadn’t been politically assassinated by his own caucus, Patrick Brown might have become the 26th premier of Ontario and perhaps formed it’s first truly Progressive Conservative government since Bill Davis.
 Bill Davis: A moderate conservative in his time and what the province needs in these troubling times. Davis, referred to himself as bland. He was a moderate conservative from all accounts. He seemed more comfortable with colleagues like Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien, Pierre Trudeau, John Tory and Bob Rae, than right wingers from his own party like Mike Harris or Doug Ford, for example.
Davis was a careful master of compromise between progress and conservation. He understood that when it comes to policy, it’s more important to do what in the public interest than to defend your ideology. And he clearly believed when it came to delivering his messages that bland beat bragging and bravado hands down.
Davis will always be the education premier to me, even though he was education minister proper only during my formative years of schooling. But he was far more than the person who modernized and expanded the provincial education system. To those who remember him, he was considered one of Canada’s best loved provincial premiers, vying for that spot with Alberta’s Peter Lougheed.
 The Davis decision to kill the construction of the Spadina Expressway into the downtown core of Toronto was a brilliant political stroke. Davis also expanded health care, implemented regional government, initiated GO service, killed the Spadina Expressway, and made the Ontario civil service bilingual. Moreover Davis played a key role in repatriating Canada’s constitution while doing more than his part keeping the country together during those early years of living with Quebec’s separatist government.
 Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter and Bill Davis met often. The Cardinal and the Premier, according to provincial myth decided to extend catholic schools into high school over cognac and good cigars. Trying to please all people usually means that you displease some. Davis’ decision to enable full secondary schooling by the Catholic church upset more people than it satisfied, and his successor lost the next election because of that error in judgement. His rationalization of Ontario’s municipalities led to an unprecedented level of urban sprawl which today is choking Ontario’s roads.
Building coal-fired electrical power plants was a mistake that took several decades and a change of government to correct. And in all his 13 years in office Davis never managed to balance his budget, even during relative boom times, averaging $2 billion in dept annually as the net debt to GDP grew from 2% to 15.2% during his tenure.
But Davis’ leadership style is what perhaps made him such a respected, if not loved, premier. There was no ‘we ‘or ‘they’ in his world, and he imparted a positive vibe of optimism to us all. He showed that it is possible to govern progressively, to meet the needs of an evolving society even when you are a conservative. And for that alone we should all take a moment to remember him.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Remembering Davis – Bill Davis Big Blue –
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