 By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. August 9, 2013. She only held onto two of the five former Liberal ridings in the Aug 1st by-elections, but I’d have to say Kathleen Wynn was the big winner. By-elections often go the other way for a governing party, especially after a ten year stretch in office. And given the smell around the cancelled gas plants and a couple of other legacy issues, she did better than I expected. The NDP’s Andrea Howarth picked up a couple of seats, no doubt reflective of her party having constructively worked with the minority Liberals to deliver a better budget this year.
 There are many who believe the Conservative win in Etobicoke was a personal win for Doug Holyday and not a win for the party. And the big loser was Tim Hudak. Yes, Doug Holyday took Etobicoke-Lakeshore in a no-surprise victory for the popular former mayor, but Holyday won despite, rather than because of, Hudak. The knives are coming out among the Conservative faithful, tired of Hudak and his Tea Party political platform. After eight years of Mike Harris Ontario residents are not going to buy that extremist right-wing snake oil again. And electors don’t have much time for obstructionist and uncooperative leaders, as US Republicans will likely find out in congressional races next year.
A few weeks ago I did an article on legalizing marijuana; that subject is in the news – again. I had criticized the policies of further criminalizing (2006) and requiring mandatory sentences (2012). And I provided a link to a YouTube clip showing our PM gob-smacked, unable to coherently explain his reincarnation of this failed policy. Then Justin Trudeau promised, only a few days ago, to legalize ‘the weed’, confirming a policy endorsed by his party last year, if his third-placed Liberals could form the next government.
Besides Harper there are others who disagree with legalization. The NDP’s Mr Mulcair, is only promising decriminalization, if he makes PM, though I’ll bet some of his younger caucus members would go further. And the Toronto Star columnist Rosie Dimanno argues that legalizing cannabis would be a stupid idea, in an article full of inconsistencies, thus giving the word dope a whole new meaning. OK, maybe it’s just reefer madness, and she does make a good point about the Mexican model of decriminalizing small quantities of all recreational drugs.
Presumably Harper’s drug policy is about public safety. But how safe are we in other ways? What about the floods that hit Alberta and Toronto – and the hurt that, after all this time, is still ongoing in High River? What about the railway disaster at Lac-Mégantic when we realize that this could have happened to any number of other railway towns? And what about the two sleeping children, discovered asphyxiated by an exotic African snake, kept illegally above a pet shop in New Brunswick? With all we have learned about the dangers of introducing exotic species, why did our federal government allow someone to bring this snake into the country?
A one year minimum mandatory sentence for possessing six marijuana plants seems a severe punishment, hardly fitting that insignificant crime. Yet, what should be the punishment for a reckless federal minister who made the fateful decision to allow the MMA railway to run with a single operator, knowing full well that the train would have to be unattended at night, while he slept? Talk about a teflon-coated government.
And finally, there is the threat of global climate change. It’s true that the PM can’t stop the progress of climate change – it has been developing for far too long and Canada is not a huge emitter of global greenhouse gases (GHG) anyway. But we are vulnerable because of our geography, and we need to plan how to deal with the next big event.
It is incumbent on our political leaders to do more than hide from reality, like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. Stephen Harper needs to put his ideology behind him and have an honest conversation with Canadians about our future climate challenges, and what he is doing to help us adapt to them. And, further, he needs to take steps to restore Canada’s one-time leadership on this issue by promoting global GHG reduction initiatives and embracing home-grown local action – the way the government he replaced was, at least, trying to do.
Ontario has shown national leadership by significantly reducing its greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that enough voters were attracted to the provincial Liberals on August 1st, and an electoral wipe-out was avoided. This could be a winning issue for Mr. Harper as well. It’s better late than never.
Editors note: We think our columnist may be stretching a bit here. He is one opinion – there are others.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario. He taught in New Zealand and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers left the federal government to consult for private sector and government clients. He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012; a story about what might have happened had Quebecers voted for sovereignty association in the 1980 referendum. Rivers is active with ratepayers groups, a food bank, environmental organizations, community journalism and policing. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 10, 2013. There was an accident at the intersection of Plains Road and Hillsdale Avenue in Burlington early in August between a car and a motorcycle. The driver of the car fled the scene. The motorcyclist, a Dundas resident, was seriously injured and taken to an “area hospital.”
Just another hit and run accident? Apparently not. The car that struck the motorcyclist was being followed by the OPP.
The car was located in the City of Hamilton. It was unoccupied when found and police have “strongly urged” the driver of the car “to seek legal counsel and arrange to turn themselves in.” The police used the word “themselves” suggesting that there was more than one person in the car when it struck the motorcyclist.
The discovery of the vehicle in Hamilton was the result of a keen-eyed area resident, police reported.
The Halton Regional Police have said “There will be no further comment from the Halton Regional Police Service pending the conclusion of the SIU investigation.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013. A lone male suspect entered the FreshCo grocery store on Upper Middle Road in the early afternoon where he demanded money from the cashier.
 Reasonable quality video will make it easier to catch this person, believed to have held up the FreshCo on Upper Middle Road. He was given a quantity of cash and then fled the store. Staff followed the male into the parking lot where he produced a knife, warned them and then made good his escape.
The suspect was last seen getting into grey 4 door motor vehicle being driven by a female and driving southbound on Walkers Line towards the QEW.
The male is described as follows:
Male, white, 5’10” – 6′ tall, medium build, 25-30 years old, several days facial hair growth, wearing a white “hoodie” with stripes, white shoes and blue jeans. Police were able to recover a reasonable quality image of the male fleeing the store.
 Is this anyone you recognize? The male is presumed to be armed and members of the public should not approach this individual. Immediately call the Police and report his location.
Any person with information related to this investigation, the identity of the suspect, the female driving the vehicle or the suspect vehicle is encouraged to contact the Three District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext 2316, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting ‘Tip201’ with your message to 274637(crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013. Growth for a city like Burlington isn’t always a positive thing in the minds of many people. There are loads of residents who like the place just the way it is – the last thing they want is more traffic.
The local community didn’t want the development and took their argument to the Ontario Municipal Board which approved the project.
 These higher, multi-storey houses face Queensway, with a balcony and a patch of grass behind them, re-place the older housing shown below. However cities don’t get to decide on what kind and how much growth there will be – those decisions get made by the province.
 This World War II era housing met the needs of families for more than 60 years. They were purchased, assembled and after zoning and Official Plan changes were approved demolished. These houses front on Queensway. It was one of the first infill project that came to this council. It wasn’t popular with the neighbours and looking back – it’s kind of clear that it isn’t the best planning work this city has done.
It met all the rules, but it really amounts to a lot of houses being put on six, albeit large lots, that had six houses. There is basically no open space for people to play around in the new community. Oddly enough, to the immediate west of the project there is a co-op that has all kinds of space between the buildings.
 The stretch of land once housed two buildings, one at each end, with large back yards. Developers saw this an opportunity and bought up the land for this development. Like much of Burlington, the community was orchards that over time gave way to housing. At one point there was a small school that was closed and razed.
 The public school board, with two years notice that this development was to be approved, don’t have space for the influx of new students The original application was for 74 houses – that got whittled down to 56 – and was seen as a win for the city.
The community is bound by the QEW on the north and the railway line to the south. It is a pleasant walk from the development to the GO station.
 By Staff.
BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013. Halton’s police service are investigating a hit and run collision that left a motorcyclist seriously injured by a vehicle that fled the scene. This vehicle was being followed by the Ontario Provincial Police prior to the collision.
The incident occurred on Thursday, August 1, 2013 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Plains Road and Hillsdale Avenue in Burlington. After the driver of the suspect vehicle struck the motorcyclist, he fled the scene; last seen driving east on Plains Road.
A 56-year-old Dundas, Ont. man was seriously injured in this collision and is still in an undisclosed area hospital.
Vehicle Information: A vehicle of interest has been identified as a 2001-2003 Nissan Sentra, grey in colour. The suspect vehicle will be missing the rear bumper and will have damage to the driver’s side tail light assembly.
Suspect Information: The driver is described as male, white, believed to be in his 30s – 40s with shoulder-length brown hair.
The Special Investigations Unit has been brought in because the OPP were following the suspect, and someone sustained an injury.
The interesting note here is the mention of the driver of the motorcycle being at an “undisclosed area hospital” – why not say where the victim is? More to this story than meets the eye.
Anyone with information pertaining to this collision or the vehicle of interest is asked to contact the Halton Regional Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 5065.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by texting ‘Tip201’ with a message to 274637 (CRIMES).
 By Pepper Parr and Walter Byj.
BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013. It’s a great park, closer to Hamilton than it is to most Burlington residents, and it has a chance of being a small part of the PanAm Games when they come to town in 2015.
There was a time when Burlington looked as if it might get quite a bit of the PanAm action but some slipping and sliding on the part of city hall and a real dose of NIMBY from the west end of the city and all Burlington gets now are some practice games to watch. They will take place at City View Park.
 The city’s newest park is being developed in stages. Couple of soccer fields now open, playground operational and getting a lot of traffic. The advent of the Pan Am games in 2015 will see some top level soccer practices taking place in the park. Located at the intersection of Dundas and Kerns Road the park will have five soccer fields along with two baseball diamonds for the sporting enthusiasts with seating for approximately 1,500 spectators. In addition there would be playground areas, walking trails though the wooded area along with large open areas. Parking could accommodate 650 vehicles and a pavilion would be built for washrooms and change room facilities.
The site takes up 165 acres and will be the largest park in the city. Ireland Park is 19 acres; Central Park is 22 acres; Lowville Park is 26 acres and Sherwood Forest Park is 29 acres.
 Those are not bags of topsoil – they are rolls of plastic grass.  Carpeting for a soccer field – some are not convinced that plastic grass was the best idea for the soccer fields. We will know in ten years when it has to be taken up. Opposition has been a part of this park’s development almost from the beginning. There was some debate over the decision to use what got called plastic grass – Astro Turf was the product name. Margaret Lindsay Holton, now a Hamilton resident, was consistently vocal on the way the park was being developed and called the decision to use artificial turf an eco-disgrace. An appeal to the Niagara Escarpment Commission reduced development to a crawl but that got settled and in went the construction equipment.
 This stand of trees on the south side of Dundas has to come out to make space for an equipment – storage shed and parking for staff.  There was nothing about this stand of trees that made them a “must save” but that didn’t matter to BurlingtonGreen. They take the position that every tree is worth saving – it takes 20 years to grow new ones – and we aren’t doing anywhere near the re-placing that could be done on the City View Park grounds. Then there was opposition to cutting down a decent stand of trees to put in maintenance sheds. BurlingtonGreen wasn’t able to convince the city to put the equipment housing somewhere else.
 Great view of Burlington Bay and the Skyway bridge from the south end of City View Park. The idea of an additional park came to the surface in 2002 and by 2010 the city decided upon what it believed it needed and what it would take to fully complete the park – $22 million. Parts of the Bruce Trail run through the property; there are several ponds and lots of walking space at the south end of the park. There is a great view of Burlington Bay and the Skyway Bridge from the edge of the old Kerns quarry which is the southern limit.
With seating for 1500 people going in at some point – could the park become “home” for the Bandits? We could pull in some of the Hamilton traffic from that location?
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013. The little beach at the bottom of Brant Street is iffy but everything along the Beachway Park is great for swimming.
The Regional health people have posted their reports.
 Bottom of Brant – iffy – rest of Burlington beaches are good to go – grab your towels. Brant beach is considered unsafe to swim if water tests show high amounts of E. coli bacteria.
 That water run off pipe is what results in part of the problem with the small beach at the foot of Brant Street. That plus the geese that foul the water. There is always a sign on this beach that tells you if the water is safe. Conditions posted are based on samples taken from the previous day.
 By Pepper Parr.
BURLINGTON, ON. August 9, 2013. The first time you read the email you wonder – what is this? How did they get my name and – this isn’t real is it?
A lot of people take a second look and click on a link or respond to a message. When they do that they have begun to engage the person who sent the email. The people who send this stuff are patient; they have nothing else to do but build confidence with you, make you believe that they are for real.
Dear Sir/Madam
I am sorry to bug your privacy. My name is Siti Rohani Salleh, I am the wife to late Abu Talib Yadin who happens to be a government contractor, trader and a politician. My husband was divisional treasurer of trade and contractors of the Malaysian Indian Congress in Perak state. He was brutally murdered by opposing members of his party for his straightforwardness and accountability though the government claimed that it was a robbery attack but everybody know it was assassination by some people in government. I was lucky to stand this gruesome murder on the night of Saturday, 15th September 2012 but they still stabbed me on my abdomen but I was lucky to escape. I was rush to the hospital by some neighbors and eventually the same assassin still came to the hospital in Malaysia just to take my life but eventually they miss their access to my ward.
So I had to instruct our account manager to transfer our money to South Africa where I had to run and seek asylum/refugee. Presently I am in the government hospital.
Please copy link below and read more about the incident where my husband was murdered on 12th September 2012.
https://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2012/9/15/nation/12034249
I write you to seek your assistance in the security of US$5.5million Deposited by me with a SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK before I seek refugee/asylum here. The South African reserve bank will allow you go on their online banking to transfer the funds. I am the only one with direct access and information of this deposit.
I decided to seek help knowing that My days are numbered having received a call from the Reserve bank that they will turn the deposit to its government treasury if I fail to present a representative for the claim. I seek your assistance to be made the Administrator to this inheritance since I have no relative or children. I intend to introduce you to the director of the bank whom I deem very competent to guide you through this claim process. Please get back to me for more information on this inheritance.
I was lead (note the spelling error) by the Almighty to send this mail to you after serious thought of all emails I saw on the internet. Please treat this seriously. I have all documents of deposit of this fund to proove I hope to hear from you soonest before I go.
Thank you. send your reply to me so that we can finalize this transfer within 3 days, I have all documentation to back up this claim, this is my email address: mrsitis@aol.com Mrs.Siti Rohani Salleh. Reply me to: mrsitis@aol.com
The people who sent you this are hoping you will be enticed to click on the email and if you do that – you have taken the first step to someone beginning the process of stealing more of your identity and as much of your money as they can.
The stealing of your identity will have already begun if you get an email like the one below. They have your email address – what else do they have?
There are people who earn their living this way – they look for naive people, gullible people, curious people or greedy people and they work their scam.
 Spend $10 on a good read and the best introduction you will ever get to how identities are stolen and why you get some of the email that appears in your inbox. Just how this is done was explained all too well in a book written by Will Ferguson “419”, a title that became a best seller and won the Scotiabank Giller prize in 2012, is the story about a man who got pulled into one of these scams and chose to end his life.
The book is a great read – and an interesting look at what the police in this country can and can’t do about identity theft.
We quote from the book, which is fiction, and very well researched. Detectives from the Economic Crime Unit of a police service are explaining to a woman whose father got taken that “The only defence we have with these types of fraud is education”.
In the novel the police show the woman some of the documents they have collected. “One is both very specific and oddly vague: A Fund Management Agreement issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria; an International Remittance voucher; a Certificate of Registration; Letters of Intent, affidavits, court orders, banking forms, all duly signed and duly sealed.”
And all phony, all created to fool people into parting with their money.
The people who do this type of thing are pretty good at it – but they succeed only because they gain your confidence.
In Will Ferguson’s “419” he takes you through just how the thieves, all from Nigeria in this book, work to gain a person’s confidence.
“These are some of the actual documents your father received; our tech unit recovered them from the cached files on his hard drive. You father had tried to delete them in the days before his accident. He thought he had cleared the memory – here – your father would have scanned and signed these forms and then emailed them back to Nigeria as attachments.”
When you get emails like this – scroll through it – some of the claims these people make are amazing – just don’t click on any of the links – you don’t really know where they are going to take you.
This is one of an ongoing series the Gazette will be doing on Identity Theft as part of an effort to make our readers more aware of what might show up in your email inbox one day.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. August 7, 2013. The anxious look hadn’t changed much since the first interview when Rick Goldring was running for the office of Mayor in 2010. At that time he had no idea what he was in for and he needed the three years he had with the Chain of Office around his neck to get used to being Mayor of the city and deciding what kind of a Mayor he was going to be.
 Rick Goldring is, on the surface, as decent as they come. While not the quickest study at Council he is diligent and takes the time he needs to develop his point of view.
During the first two and a half years he had Frank McKeown as his Chief of Staff and the two worked well together. Sometime last summer a difference of opinion that could not be overcome developed and McKeown told the Mayor in July that he would leave his position at the end of the year. The Mayor has been running his office with a Chief of Staff that brings a much different talent and temperament to the job of Chief of Staff.
The purpose of our interview with the Mayor was to ask what he would do differently as he looks back over his first two and a half years as Mayor. “What would he not do that he chose to do and what does he wish he had done that he didn’t do.”, was the question we asked.
We were a little taken aback when the Mayor said there wasn’t anything he would do differently.
Were we seeing a level of hubris that is not a part of Goldring’s personality make up or did he not understand the question? That wasn’t clear at the time. There was some clarification when the Mayor called a day later and said upon thinking about the question there was something he would do differently and that was, – be part of the Downtown Vision. He said that he would make a point of being on that committee next year.
 During the last provincial election Goldring looked at the candidates carefully and wanted to be sure the government understood the concern over a potential highway being rammed through the Escarpment. Kathleen Wynne, on the right was Minister of Transportation at the time.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. August 5th, 2013. Barbara Sheldon, the Appleby Line resident with mountainous piles of landfill on the north, south and east sides of her property that are part of the landfill work being done by the owners of the Air Park wasn’t sure if last Friday was going to be a good day for her or not.
 Regional staff prepare to test the water in the well on the Sheldon property on Appleby Line. The background view is to the west – the only one not blocked by huge piles of landfill. The Regional Health people were going to be on her property to test the well water and attempt to determine if there was any damage being done to the water in her well as a result of the run off from the landfill which slopes onto her property. She was told she would see the results in two weeks.
Sheldon believes the data from documents inspected by Terrapex Environmental, a company hired by the city to make some sense out of all the testing reports given to them by the Air Park, confirms that there are contaminates in the water on her property and that of a neighbour to the north.
 The view from the north side of the Sheldon property. At one point Sheldon could see Rattlesnake Point from her house She felt the city should have moved to have the well water in properties immediately adjacent to the Air Park land tested, but the city did nothing. Sheldon worked her way through the Regional bureaucracy and the provincial Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to get the testing done last Friday. Sheldon wonders where her Council member was on all this; not a word of support from Blair Lancaster on what residents could do.
 The southern view from the Sheldon property – that 30 foot plus pile of landfill wasn’t there when the property was purchased. If the owners of the Air Park get their way this part of their land will become a helicopter landing and take off area. There goes the neighbourhood. With the well water testing done, Sheldon headed for Milton to sit in a Court room and hear how the city and the Air Park were going to work their way through a couple of procedural issues.
A few weeks ago the city and the Air Park planned a meeting at the airport to talk through the issues. At the last-minute the Air Park cancelled that meeting and served the city with a document that was to get them both in front of a Judge.
The Air Park was asking the Courts to declare the Air Park rights under the Constitution Act, the Aeronautics Act, and the regulations within those acts are valid.
The Air Park wanted the Court to declare that the city’s Topsoil Preservation and Site Alteration By law does not apply to the Air Park’s operations and construction of aerodrome facilities on its premises;
The Air Park also wanted a judge to declare that the order to comply with that bylaw, issued by the city, on or about May 3, 2013, is null and void and of no legal effect;
The Air Park also wanted an injunction that would prevent anyone acting on the city’s behalf from interfering or attempting to interfere with the Air Park’s operations and construction of aerodrome facilities on its premises.
The city was surprised at those moves and concluding that the friendly talks were over quickly moved to apply for a permanent injunction restraining the Air Park from placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil or otherwise altering the grade of the land by causing, permitting or performing any other form of site alteration on the land.
The city also asked for an interim injunction restraining the Air Park from placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil or otherwise altering the grade of the land by causing, permitting or performing any other form of site alteration on the Property.
The city added to that a request for a mandatory order requiring the Air Park to remove the fill deposited on the land in contravention of Table 1 of Ontario Regulation 153/04.
These two applications to the Court were to be heard on August 28th. The first thing that had to be done last Friday, was to put these on hold and to have the judge certify an agreement the city and the Air Park had reached on what could be done and what could not be done while all the legal wrangling went on.
The city and the Air Park had come to an agreement on how things should work out on the site while the lawyers did their talking. City hall was now very wary over the Air Park’s behaviour; they thought they were meeting to talk about the problems a few weeks ago, while the Air Park was preparing documents to get in front of a Judge – so rather than rely on a verbal agreement the city asked that the agreement be taken before a judge and endorsed which meant the verbal agreement had the clout of a Court order.
The Judge endorsed an agreement that the arguments that were to be heard August 28th were to be moved to a date sometime after October 4th.
Between now and then the Air Park “will not bring any fill on its land other than gravel and pairings grindings for runway base only and not to be mixed with other fill and asphalt for pairing to allow completion of runway widening and taxiways”. The judge added that these “terms will continue to apply until the disposition of this application”.
So, the city in effect has its injunction and north Burlington residents can rest assured that there will be no landfill dumped on the site until the October 4th hearing.
 The Air Park sits in the middle of the eastern part of north Burlington and has operated as a small dirt runway operation for years. Vince Rossi purchased the operation and began his quest to develop it into almost a regional air park with little if any input from the city of the region. Economic development was in the hands of an independent entrepreneur who believed he had found away to avoid complying with city bylaws. The city didn’t see it that way. The Air Park claims they are regulated by federal government rules and are not subject to municipal bylaws. The city agrees that the running of the airport is regulated by the federal government but what the air park does with land fill and changes to the grading of the land and how water runoff is handled is regulated by the municipality.
 During a council chamber foyer conversation city manager Jeff Fielding made it very clear to Glenn Grenier that the city did not share his view that the Air Park did not have to comply with city bylaws. Grenier had positioned himself as a leading expert in aeronautical law and that the city should respect their rights. The city doesn’t believe the Air Park actually has the rights they say they have. Stopping work at the Air Park until the differences of opinion are heard by a judge had the potential for Air Park to lose what is left of the construction season
Where does all this leave Barbara Sheldon? She will know in two weeks if the water in her well is damaging her health.
And, on October 4th , after four hours of deliberations she will know if a Judge sides with the city and says they have the right to impose their rules on the Air Park or if the Air Park comes under federal jurisdiction and does not have to comply with municipal bylaws.
 Should the Air Park prevail, this idyllic setting will cease to exist – there will be helicopter pads less than 75 yards away. If the Air Park argument prevails Sheldon sees a quiet life on her property coming to an end.
And if the Air Park prevails Burlington is going to have to do a big think on just what is going to happen in terms of development in the rural part of the city should they be told that their bylaws have no impact on the Air Park. That’s a huge issue for the city.
Whatever the decision – expect it to be appealed. This case has ramifications for every municipality across the country – it’s a fight that has been brewing out there for some time. Burlington looks as if it is the city that will be taking this one on.
Should a Judge tell the Air Park that their aeronautics operations do indeed come under federal jurisdiction but what they do that relates to the way they grade their land or manage water that runs of land they own is subject to the bylaws of the city, then the Air Park is going to re-think how they are going to get along with city hall and the Region. No more thumbing their noses at the city.
That kind of a decision could have a very significant impact on the operation Vince Rossi runs and could put his $5 million investment – and then some – at significant risk.
We got a hint of what the argument is going to be about when one of the lawyers representing the Air Park commented last Friday that for “many years the city has agreed that its regulations and bylaws did not apply to the Air Park”. If there is documentary evidence to support that argument the city could have a problem.
The city didn’t pay nearly enough attention to what the Air Park was doing for the past five years. They seemed content to go along with the Air Park’s claim that they were federally regulated and they could do whatever they wanted with their land. When the city got a look at just how much grading was being done – they began to take action and since then have been very aggressive.
 Vince Rossi at his only meeting with north Burlington residents since the issue of what he was doing with his Air Park once the extent of his landfill work was clear. The city has also been much more forthcoming with information. They have posted copies of the documents served on them by the Air Park and have posted copies of documents they served. Burlington has not seen this level of transparency in the past. Healthy to say the least.
Had the city been on the ball they would have seen the signs and begun to monitor what was going on up there. The Mayor knew they were doing something; planners were at least apprised of what was happening and the Economic Development Corporation was aware – as to just how much they knew and what they did with what they knew will prove to become an issue in a court room.
The Air Park for its part should have been more forthcoming, less arrogant and been prepared to work with the city and be good neighbours.
The city’s failure to be on top of this file and the arrogant approach the Air Park used in their dealings with the city is what got both of them into a Court room.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 5, 2013. Halton Regional Police are investigating a series of night time residential break and enters that have occurred in the Brant Street and Upper Middle Road area of Burlington over the past two weeks.
In these instances, a door or window has been left open or unlocked allowing thieves to enter the residences or garages. Investigators believe that the suspects are targeting small electronics and in none of the instances have any home owners been confronted by the intruders.
Residents are reminded to remain vigilant and keep doors and windows locked when away from home or asleep as a screened door or window can easily be cut or removed by thieves.
Police offer the following tips to homeowners as a means of reducing the risk of their homes to being broken into:
• Securely lock all windows/doors to home
• Have an alarm/video surveillance system installed
• Utilize exterior lighting
• Use locks on gates to backyard
• If you suspect your home has been entered and/or an intruder is still present within or nearby, contact 9-1-1 immediately for police assistance.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013. Burlington has reported an abnormal number of measles cases this year – six so far when the number has not been higher than two for the past eight years and often there were no cases reported.
Measles just isn’t a communicable disease we see very much of in Canada and that is because most of the population is immunized.
 There was a time when many communities saw notices like this posted. Dr. Monir Taha, the deputy Medical Officer of Health for the Region, talked earlier in the week about how the six cases of measles broke out in Burlington. The first was traced to a family with three children who were in British Columbia passing through the Vancouver airport. Someone with measles passed closed to these children, who had not been immunized and they picked up the communicable disease. How does Dr. Taha know that? Turns out there was a case of measles reported in British Columbia and that person was also in the Vancouver airport at the same time. Good medical detective work arrived at the conclusion that the Burlington residents picked up their measles at the same airport.
When those children got back to Burlington they passed what they had picked on along to other people who had not been immunized. The Regional Health people tracked where these children had been and published that information which advised the public that if they had rashes and had been in any of the location mentioned on the dates indicated – get to a doctor.
Getting this kind of information out to the public is what electronic media are in place for. News can get published instantly and read whenever people decide they want to know what’s going on.
We live in a world where people travel. There are tens of thousands of people in other countries who travel and are not immunized and can be communicable disease carriers.
 Halton has a very good student immunization rate – 93% of students are immunized. The trick is to ensure that your immunizations are up to date.
Halton has an exceptionally high immunization rate. 93% of the student population is immunized. The Region only has records of the student population.
Of the remaining 7% the Region has no data on 1%; 4% are not immunized for various reasons, religious or otherwise; 2% are opposed to immunization.
There are some fears out there about immunization explains Dr. Taha who said “it is the safest way to prevent communicable diseases and it works.” There are some that believe there is a link between immunization and autism – Dr. Taha thinks the medical community has shown all too clearly that there is no link. The one doctor who put forward that theory has lost his license to practice and the journal that published the paper has withdrawn it.
Immunization for measles is best done at the age of 1 for the first dose and then at about the age of four for the second dose.
Taha explains that the demographic that are at some risk are those born in the ‘70’s – when immunization was not as thorough as it is today. Some of that demographic explains Taha may not have gotten that second needle. If you get both doses – you’re covered for life.
Measles spreads easily – and there have been recent occasions when it got close to pandemic proportions. In Europe in 2011 there were 26,000 cases with 14,000 of those in France. Within the same time frame there were 700 cases of measles in Quebec.
The six cases found in Halton are described as a cluster which suggests there is no underlying problem but each Region has a Medical Officer of Health (MOH), each province has a Medical Officer of Health who supervises the Regions who are in place to oversee public health and to communicate with each other when there is as much as a suspicion of a problem.
Nationally there are several organizations that coordinate what goes on with each province. The MOH has a lot of authority. They have the power to quarantine an individual home, a whole street or a community if necessary.
 Hers of cattle have had to be slaughtered because they had foot and mouth disease. When we were experiencing SARS in 2003 some hospitals were closed to the general public. In the 50’s some ranches in western Canada had to destroy thousands of head of cattle due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Public health is serious business – in Halton we had people who were able to quite quickly trace the development of measles and assure the public that we did not have an epidemic happening. Government at its best.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013. That was a bit of a surprise to the Roseland Community. They had been expecting the Ontario Municipal Board hearing that was to determine just what Councillor Dennison could do with his property to take place late in August.
 A designated home, bought under a power of sale which the owner, Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots. Dennison had decided to appeal the Committee of Adjustment decision that did not approve his request to sever his 3083 Lakeshore property. That put many noses on the Roseland community out of joint and meant that the Roseland Community Association now had to prepare for yet another OMB hearing. They had done this in the past with other owners who wanted to sever property and had won at those hearings and were apparently confident they will win at the OMB on the Dennison application.
Then – out of the blue they learn that the hearing has been moved back to May 29, 2014. That gets the hearing into the lead into the next municipal election. Don’t expect to see Dennison on the ballot that year
 Chair Michael Ramsay, on the left, voted with two of his fellow Committee of Adjustment members in denying Councillor Jack Dennison a request to be allowed to severe his 3083 Lakeshore Road property. Members who took part in this CoA hearing included Robert Bailey, Grant Newberry, Dave Kumar and Sam Sarraf What brought that about? People who have appearances can ask for changes in the date and as long as that process is not abused – changes in hearing dates are given.
Roseland residents are wondering aloud why this might have happened.
Among the possible reasons for a delay going the rounds are:
– his lawyer could not do the early date, and that was the next one that worked for him?
– they knew which Member of the Ontario Municipal Board was being assigned to the hearing and wanted to do some cherry-picking?
– he can’t afford to pay the legal fees in the near term
– he is going to resign as Councillor before then
– there is going to be a favourable change in the Official Plan or some other law (but this should not matter, as current law would apply)
– the deal to sell the lot fell through and he needs another buyer.
Lots of speculation going on in Roseland – and while that is fine for those summer evenings when the chilled Chardonnay flows easily as people sit out on the patio or beside the pool chit chatting away – it isn’t good for the process of conducting civic business. It puts what goes on at city hall in a poor light.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013. This is certainly going to be a “get to the Beach” weekend. Lake Ontario is beginning to warm up a bit and the water is described as safe in most places.
The Beachway Park water is described as unsafe – caution. There is certainly loads of beach space along that stretch of the lake. Finding a spot to set up a shade awning and maybe setting up your hibachi won’t be easy and if you manage to find a parking spot along Lakeshore Road – good on you. Keeping out of the water – or at least not staying in for long periods of time might be a good idea. Very young children – not a good idea to have them in the water.
 The Region is responsible for testing water and advising the public on whether or not it is safe to swim.
 The water at the foot of Brant is safe – the way to keep it that way is to not feed the geese. If you put food in one end of the critters – you gotta know what is going to come out of the other end. And that stuff comes out in the water, which is shallow All that adds up to the high e-coli count that is reported.
 The Beachway Park is on a part of the lake where wind directions change frequently – which results in different wave patterns. It will be really difficult to keep children out of the water. There are consequences if they do play in the water.
Enjoy the weekend.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 1, 2013. The Nelson pool is closed due to a water main break. City and regional staff are on site to assess, conduct repairs and clean up.
The splash pad is closed due to the water to the area being cut off. Camps and rentals are being diverted to other locations.
We expect the next update from the city at 3:00 pm this afternoon.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. August 1, 2013. The city is reaching out to residents and visitors to Burlington, asking them to capture their special moments at the city’s many parks, recreation and cultural spots and then share them online as part of a community project called Burlington Moments.
The concept for Burlington Moments originated from the city’s Community Report, which featured a companion video of an up-close look at how people personally experience and enjoy the city’s parks, recreation and cultural assets. Since its launch in June, the video has garnered more than 1,200 hits on YouTube.
 Precious moment – captured forever – will we see pictures like this submitted? “We knew people liked the Burlington Moments video and that there were more great moments happening every day at pools, parks and cultural hubs across the city so we put out the call for people to share those ‘feel-good’ experiences with us and the rest of the community,” said Kim Phillips, the city’s general manager of community and corporate services. “Our hope is that when people watch the video they’ll be inspired to create and share their own special moments.”
 Do you think maybe Mom is a librarian? The city is encouraging people to post their favourite moments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the #BurlONMoments hash tag for a chance to win one of three summer fun prize packs.
The prize pack includes: 4 swimming passes, 2 rounds of Golf at Tyandaga, golf shirt, cooler bag, 2 mugs, 2 water bottles, Tim Horton’s gift cards, 2 beach towels, sunscreen, sunglasses and sand castle toys. You don’t get all of this stuff – city hall will dole it out to the winners.
There are two deadlines to post your favourite moments online. The first round will close Aug. 13, the final round will close on Aug. 27.
The Region is inviting residents and visitors to share their favourite local summer activities in a new “Summer Wonderful” photo contest. Submit a photo with your favourite summer outdoor activity or location for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Burlington’s Mapleview Mall.
Halton Region’s contest will use popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to share submissions. All photos will be judged by Halton Tourism staff on the basis of originality and seasonality.
Other prizes include admission for two to Harvest Halton – The Farm to Chef Experience in Milton, a $50 gift card to Williams Mill Art Gallery in Halton Hills and a Family Day Pass to Conservation Halton Parks.
If you insist on being practical and want to use the summer to tidy up the place – then you can get out to On Saturday, August 10 and 17, Halton Region will host four Blue Box Pick-up events for residents. At these events, Halton’s new larger 22-gallon Blue Box will be available to residents for pick up, free of charge, with a limit of one Blue Box per household.
Regional chair Gary Carr announced that in the first few months of the expanded Blue Box program, Halton has distributed over 40,000 Blue Boxes to Halton residents and seen an increase of 13 per cent more Blue Box and GreenCart materials being collected, and a decrease of 6 per cent in the amount of garbage collected. This is a tremendous achievement, one that is helping to extend the life of Halton’s landfill site and provide savings of $15 million to taxpayers.”
 During the earlier distributions of the new larger Blue boxes the demand was big. If you want one of these new larger Blue Boxes get yourself over to one at the locations listed below. Halton residents only, proof of residency required.
 Here is what you can put in the Blue box now. Blue Box Pick-up Events
Saturday, AUGUST 10, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
· Robert C. Austin Operations Centre, 11620 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown
· Burlington Closed Landfill, 291 North Service Road, Burlington (west of King Road, east of Waterdown Road)
Saturday, AUGUST 17, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
· Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville
· Halton Waste Management Site, 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton
You can continue to use the older, smaller Blue boxes if that meets your needs.
 By Ray Rivers
BURLINGTON, ON. August 1st, 2013. The Council of the Federation, created in 2003, is a venue for the 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada – to discus and resolve on federal-provincial and other inter-jurisdictional matters. Last week Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn hosted the regular summer get-together at Niagara-on-the-Lake.
There were some modest accomplishments. The Premiers unanimously called on the federal government to conduct an inquiry into the mysteriously missing and/or dead aboriginal women (over 500), following up on a similar request from the National Aboriginal Organization. And for some reason, the premiers’ call was immediately rejected by the federal government.
Progress was made on energy issues, as all but two leaders signed onto an evolving national energy strategy led by Alberta’s Premier Alison Redford. Only B.C., concerned about the proposed Northern Gateway project and Quebec, in the process of suing Nfld over the Muskrat Falls power project stayed away from signing.
Overwhelming consensus came as the leaders jointly condemned the proposed ‘Canada Jobs Grant’. I have been critical of the federal government in the past, and it is because they keep doing things like this. Education and training is primarily provincial jurisdiction, so the fed’s role has traditionally been to top-up provincial programs, acknowledging that local needs are best met by provincial programs. Quebec, in particular, is very sensitive to the feds interfering. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/at-summit-canadas-premiers-take-on-a-crowded-agenda/article13412119/#dashboard/follows/.
Regardless, the feds talked with some private sector organizations and then created, what the provinces call, an unworkable ‘one-size-fits-all’ program. And talk about wasting our money, the federal government spent $95,000 per ad for all those ads you had to sit through during the playoffs this year, announcing a program that doesn’t exist, is still a concept and may never see the light of day. And, insult-to-injury, they hadn’t even bothered to consult with the provinces, who are expected to pay for a third of the program. Oh, and the reason for that is because they plan to slash their training contributions to the provinces.
The Council of the Federation’s first big success was in negotiating with Paul Martin to get the Canada Health Accord. Martin had earlier slashed federal payments to provinces, in order to slay the Mulroney-era deficits and the Council needed something more sustainable. And they got the 2004 Canada Health Accord, with guaranteed increases in federal funding until 2014.
That was then and this is now. In total contrast, last year, the ruling Conservatives tabled their plan for health care funding for the decade post 2014. There was no negotiation, just an offer, fait accomplis – take it or else… The Council of Canadians lobby on social issues, particularly health, and had arrived en-mass to rally the Council to press on for a better deal. But the feds weren’t open to discussion – the door was closed.
The premiers also discussed the Senate. There are so many inherent problems with the Senate but reform to a triple-E body, as the PM has asked the Supreme Court to consider, would not make it any better. Would an elected senator best represent the interests of his/her province – better than the provincial government? What if they were at odds? Is this a recipe for a constitutional crisis, pitting one level of government (fed senate) against a provincial government from which the senator was elected? There is already confusion over the sometimes competing roles of the Commons and appointed Senate – imagine if senators were also elected?
It was a missed opportunity for a provincial/territorial ask. Abolish the Senate, don’t reform it. And give due recognition to the Council of the Federation as a consultative body when developing public policy. What could be more vital to this nation’s future than inter-jurisdictional cooperation and what better body to do that than the Council? Imagine if they met more often. I mean even separatist Pauline Marois was happy to participate, discuss and resolve with her fellow Premiers.
How much government do we really need anyway, and does more government mean better government? If I put that question to Steven Harper, I think we’d all know his answer. So, why not do it – why not make government smaller? Put the $100 million we would save by abolishing the Senate into provincial health care programs instead.
The Council of the Federation exists. It offers vital political tension for the confederation. And it could be a useful political ally to a federal government that wants to represent all of Canada and wants to make Canada work better. Indeed the Council would be a better chamber for that ‘sober second thought’ than the dusty, corrupt, old Senate ever has been.
 Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario. He taught in New Zealand and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers left the federal government to consult for private sector and government clients. He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012; a story about what might have happened had Quebecers voted for sovereignty association in the 1980 referendum. Rivers is active with ratepayers groups, a food bank, environmental organizations, community journalism and policing. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and held executive positions with Liberal Party riding associations. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. July 30, 2013. Regional Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Monir Taha, reports another case of measles in a Halton adult. This brings the total number of measles cases in the cluster to six. This new case may have led to exposures in public, retail and health-care settings.
 Boy with measles – the signs are very clear. You will want to have mad sure a child looking like this does not go outdoors ad does not mix with other people. “To avoid spreading illness to others, we cannot stress enough the importance of staying home and not exposing other people when you are ill,” stated Dr. Monir Taha. “Measles is contagious from the beginning of the illness until four days after the rash first appears.”
The Health Department is also recommending that persons born 1970 or later who are unsure of their measles vaccination status discuss this with their doctors. Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles.
For those susceptible to measles, there was a risk of exposure at the following sites if you were at these locations during the times shown:
July 21: Trafalgar Presbyterian Church, 354 Upper Middle Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
July 21: Sunnyside Grill, 450 Appleby Line, Burlington, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
July 22: TD Canada Trust, 3471 Wycroft Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
July 23: Home Depot, 3300 South Service Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12 noon
July 24: Home Depot, 3300 South Service Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12 noon
July 24: North Burlington Medical Centre Walk-in Clinic, 1960 Appleby Line, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
July 26: North Burlington Medical Centre Walk-in Clinic building, 1960 Appleby Line, Burlington, 12 noon – 5 p.m.
July 27: Tansley Woods Community Centre, 1996 Itabashi Way, Burlington, 9 a.m. –
July 28: Hopedale Presbyterian Church, 156 Third Line, Oakville, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
July 28: Walmart, Appleby Line & Dundas Street, Burlington, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
 A severe case of measles. New measles cases are possible in non-immune people who have been exposed to this case as late as August 18.
Updated information on any new cases or new exposure sites can be found at.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. July 30, 2013. The federal government announced that it was going to gift the recently born Prince a gift that would include a number of books fit for a Prince from his Canadian citizens.
We asked bookseller Ian Elliott at the Different Drummer Book Store what he thought would make an excellent collection of children’s titles from Canada.
And we asked Maureen Barry, CEO of the Burlington Public Library if she would prepare a list. Barry turned to her children’s librarians and here is what they came up with. Interestingly, there was just one title Elliott and the librarians suggested: Red is Best. Other than that there was no duplication.
We were delighted to see The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier on that list. The gift will come from the people of Canada sent by the Prime Minister and The Governor General who are both avid hockey fans.
We are going to pass this list along to those two gentleman and see what they decide to put in the gift package.
 A future King of Canada, Prince George Alexander Louis gets a list of books he might want to read as he grows up. The Prince, George Alexander Louis, third in line to the British throne has made just the one public appearance but expect to see a lot more of that child. He will be King of Canada to many of those children who currently buy books at the Different Drummer and borrow books from the library.
 I Have the Right to Be a Child, Alain Serres, illust. Aurélia Fronty, Groundwood Books
Alligator Pie, Dennis Lee, Harper Collins
The Hockey Sweater, Roch Carrier, Tundra Books
Something from Nothing, Phoebe Gilman, Scholastic Books
ABC of Canada, Kim Bellefontaine, illust. Per-Henrik Gürth, Kids Can Press
Picture a Tree, Barbara Reid, Scholastic Books
 Imagine a Day, Sarah L. Thompson, illust. Rob Gonsalves, Simon & Schuster
I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Mem Fox, illust. Helen Oxenbury, Houghton Mifflin
On the Day You Were Born, Debra Frasier, Houghton Mifflin
I Like to Play, Marla Stewart Konrad, Tundra Books
 Red is Best, Kathy Stinson, illust. Robin Baird Lewis, Annick Press
The list that follows is a compilation of suggestions from Burlington Public Library librarians who have had the privilege of serving as children’s librarians at various points in their careers. They chose Canadian picture books because, as they said, “we have a rich treasure of wonderful Canadian stories and illustrations for children. These are all ‘tried and true’ at many a storytime! It was difficult to narrow down our choices because there are so many great options.”
Barbara Reid – Welcome, Baby (Barbara is both author and illustrator and her ‘illustrations’ are all crafted with plasticine! It’s true that little Prince George has caused smiles around the world. This book is about babies bringing happiness.)
Barbara Reid – Read me a book (This is a collection of several wonderful Canadian stories compiled by Barbara Reid. It is a way to give Prince George a taste of Canada before his first visit.)
Marthe Jocelyn – Same Same ( Exploring in very simple images how things that are different can be very much the same.)
Marthe Jocelyn – Where do you look? (A fun exploration of homonyms.)
Jan Thornhill – Wildlife ABC and 123 (It is pretty clear what this book is about)
 Michael Kusugak – My Arctic 1,2,3 (Learning numbers, counting and all about Arctic animals, this book is a gem.)
Edith Newlin Chase – The New Baby Calf (There may be a “no fly zone” over Bucklebury while Prince George is in town but we are certain there are baby calves in town. This is a lovely story of the first days of a baby calf.)
 Kathy Stinson – Red is Best (A perennial favourite story about a little girl and debates she has with her mother about the colour red. This books begs to be read again and again.)
Kathy Stinson – Big or Little (Little ones cannot wait to be big, but sometimes they realize being little is OK too.)
Robert Munsch – Mortimer (Prince William said that his son had a ‘great set of lungs’ and we think the very loud repeated chant of Mortimer who loves to make noise “ all day” will appeal in the Royal nursery).
 Phoebe Gilman – The Balloon Tree (The story is all about fantastical royalty with Princess Leora prepares to use balloons to signal her father the King if something goes wrong while he is out of the kingdom. Something does go wrong. There is a happy ending.)
 Prince George Alexander Louis with his Father the Duke of Cambridge; second and third in line for the British throne. How many parents who are avid readers and take their child to the library on a regular basis recognize these titles? Is this a good list of books to send to the future king of Canada.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. July 29, 2013. One side blinked; guess which one?
The City of Burlington and the Burlington Executive Airport have reached a settlement to stop fill operations at the airpark until a decision is made about whether the city has jurisdiction to regulate fill operations through its site alteration bylaw.
According to a city media release, “representatives from the legal teams for the city and the airpark continued discussions over the weekend to try and resolve the dispute. They reached a settlement on behalf of both parties, and together will request that the court endorse the following directions on Friday, Aug. 2:
that the city’s motion for injunction and the air park’s motion to strike or stay the city’s claim be adjourned pending the outcome of the air park’s court application regarding jurisdiction
that a hearing date for the application from the court be set for a date as soon as possible after Sept. 2, 2013
that the airpark will not bring any fill onto its land other than gravel and pavement grindings for a runway base (not to be mixed with any other fill) and asphalt for paving to allow completion of the work being done to widen a runway and taxiways
that the airpark will permit city staff on site to ensure no fill operations are taking place during the runway and taxiway base preparation and paving work
that the city will not exercise any self-help remedies, such as a prosecution under the Provincial Offences Act, against the airpark during the term of the settlement agreement
that the terms of the agreement will continue to apply until the court makes a decision on the airpark application.
Scott Stewart, the city’s general manager of development and infrastructure, sees this as “a positive step forward in resolving the issue of fill on the Burlington Executive Airport site.” He added that: “The settlement will ensure that fill is stopped on an interim basis until the disputed matter of jurisdiction can be determined by the court.”
Up until this recent shift in attitude the Air Park has been one tough customer. Shortly after a citizen, Vanessa Warren, delegated at city council the Air Park announced that it would be operating until as late as 11:00 pm some evenings while it dumped asphalt scraped from the 407. They explained at the time that this work had to be done at night because that was the only time the trucks had access to the 407. That didn’t go down particularly well with the city and the Air Park backed off that idea.
There will still be some trucks entering and leaving the airpark to complete the paving of the runway and taxiway, Stewart said, but truck traffic associated with the deposit of fill will not return until the court matter has been decided.
In the meantime, residents along Appleby Line and Bell School line are asking the office of the Regional Medical Officer of Health to test the water in their wells.
Sheldon said: “My suspicions and worst fears of Mr. Rossi’s mammoth landfill dumping operation have been confirmed by the environmental firm hired by City. Their report indicates the fill that has been accepted by Mr. Rossi does indeed contain contaminants.
“Mr. Rossi intentionally piled this fill, in some places at least 30 feet higher than my land, on three sides of my property and in very close proximity to my property line. Because of the towering elevations he created, Mr. Rossi has recklessly destroyed the natural storm water drainage pattern. Over the years, I have accumulated a great deal of documented evidence, photos and videos, of filthy surface water flowing onto my land and into my pond. I also have documented requests to Mr. Rossi, dating back to 2009, that he restore the storm water drainage pattern or at the very least have it professionally engineered to stop the flooding and ponding on my property. He never did.”
 Trucks bring in landfill described as contaminated onto their site south of a residents property. The fill is some 25 yards away from a pond on the residents property. Air Park has committed to stopping the landfill operation while the Court’s work out the matter of jurisdiction. “This dumping has been going on for 5 years, so I have grave (appropriate term) concerns about my well, my pond and my land being contaminated – if not already, then soon. These need to be thoroughly tested immediately and ongoing until the contamination and/or the threat of contamination has been permanently eradicated. For that matter, all of the landowners in this community need theirs tested as well. What about those here who farm commercially? Has Mr. Rossi contaminated their crops and endangered their livestock as well? And what about the treasured wildlife in this rural area – what happens to them when their water sources are poisoned? Not only have lives and livelihoods already been destroyed, but the significant natural elements of our rural green belt region have been jeopardized by this thoughtless, greedy man. I delegated to City Council a month ago that he is getting away with murder. Truer words I’ve never spoken.”
Sheldon advises her neighbours to call the Medical Officer of Health at the Region and demand to have the water in their wells tested to see just how contaminated it is.
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