BURLINGTON, ON. June 13, 2013The Regional Police are passing on some sound advice.
Figure out beforehand where you want to meet with all the members of your family in the event that one of them gets lost.
The Lost and Found Tent is on the Naval promenade just to the west of the entrance to the pier that you can now walk out on.
The Halton Regional Police Service want to help the public to prevent unnecessary trauma to family members who become separated while attending this year’s Burlington Sound of Music Festival being held from June 13th until June 16th.
The Service recommends you establish a pre-determined meeting place when arriving at the venue in the event you become separated.Establishing a meeting place with older children and adults and/or advising young children to go to the nearest police officer for help will ensure an immediate and safe reunion.
A ‘Missing Person’ tent has also been established at the festival.Look for the Happy Face 🙂 on the map.The tent is on what is now the Naval promenade just to the west of the entrance to the pier – which you will be able to walk out on this weekend.
BURLINGTON, ON. June 12, 2103. So here’s the picture.
There is a lady who lives on Appleby Line.She has a small piece of property with a century old house and a spring fed pond.She used to be able to sit in her kitchen, look out the window and see as far north as Rattle Snake Point.
She can’t see that part of the country side anymore because of a wall of dirt that is more than 30 feet high and less than 50 yards from her house.
This lady is not happy but she is doing all she can, working within the rules to bring about a change.
Yesterday she happened to be on the very edge of her property where it abuts to the property that is having all the landfill dumped and meets a man she assumes is the site supervisor for the company that is doing the landfill dumping for the property owner.
She engages the man in conversation and learns that he is a contractor who is going to install runway lights at some point. “I truly enjoyed learning about the runway lights” she says.
Shortly after the conversation with the contractor the lady with the house on Appleby Line gets the following email from Vince Rossi, owner of the Burlington Executive Air Park and the man who has been dumping landfill on his close to 200 acre property.
Hi BarbaraRe your questioning on the airport staff of today’s date.
Kindly refrain from entering our property as of Today, if You have any questions regarding the airport or any item related there to feel free top contact the Proper person to answer any questions. So this is Your notice not to enter airport property without My authorization, failing which You will be charged with trespassing.
Vince Rossi, Burlington Executive Airport.
The lady with the house on Appleby Line responds:
I am not sure why this conversation offended, but being the good neighbor that I am, I will certainly respect your wishes.
To that point, you, your representatives and your contractors have entered my property without my authorization many times.Now however, I ask for the same respect – and this is your notice.If you, your representatives or contractors set foot on my property without my permission, in advance, You will be charged with trespassing.
To which Mr Rossie responded with:
Let the good lord direct every wish you have in life. Just stay away from ours,and above all stay off of our property. is that clear?
The word “property” is set as a link to a web site that has something to do with travel to Iceland – go figure.
The lady in the house on Appleby Line sleeps a little less soundly at night.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 12, 2013.While the federal government is looking at all your email, phone calls and social media information the Regional government wants you to know that all they are doing is sending you information in the event of a public emergency.
The federal government is apparently not opening your personal mail but that could be because no one uses the postal service anymore.
Regional Council is being asked to consider new service that will enhance the Region’s community emergency telephone notification service utilized to phone and deliver a message to designated households in the Region, in the event of an emergency.
The Region – a level of government few people understand but one we all pay for; they are considering implementing a Community Emergency Notification Service.
If this is approved, the Region will be one of the first Canadian municipalities to have access to Bell’s Reverse 9-1-1 data and the first to use geospatial coordinates (latitude and longitude) for its civic addresses in the 9-1-1 database for the purpose of emergency community notification. The report goes to Regional Council for final approval on June 19th.
Gary Carr, chair of the Regional government said: “Halton Region is committed to ensuring that we are ready to respond to any emergency situation and are able to reach as many people as possible.”
“We continue to improve our Community Emergency Notification Service (CENS) so that Halton Region remains not only the safest region in Canada, but one of the most prepared. This initiative will increase the reach of CENS from 60 per cent of Halton Region residents to more than 95 per cent. This is just one more avenue we are using to ensure that residents are informed.”
Since 2008 Halton Region has used its Community Emergency Notification Service as one of many ways to notify the public about an emergency situation.In order to improve notification capabilities and to accurately reach as many residents as possible, Bell Canada’s Enhanced Notification Service will supply a greater range of telephone numbers and addresses, including unlisted and do not call numbers. The initiative is a joint effort between the Region, Local Municipalities, Bell Canada and Telus Communications Company and will be available in November 2013.
No mention as to how much this is going to cost you.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 12, 2013.Tracy Burrows, the city’s by-law enforcement office got a “heads up” phone call from Milt Farrow, who works with Vince Rossi, owner of the Burlington Executive Air Park, who wanted to advise her that trucks would be trucking in asphalt from highway 407 at night and on to the grounds of the air park.
It is not clear if Farrow is an officer of the Air Park corporation or working in some executive capacity or just some guy on the payroll but it is clear that he is a pipeline from the Air Park corporation to the city.
In a follow-up Memorandum to the city, dated June 7, Farrow sets out what they are going to do:
“The Ontario Ministry of Transport is resurfacing part of the 407 in or near Burlington.Some of the old asphalt material to be removed from the 407 is suitable for use as the sub base for the runways, taxiways and aprons being constructed.Further, the ability to reuse this material as part of the permanent finished product of the airport construction is also general beneficial as it will not other wise need to be disposed.
The original position of the Air Park people was that they could do what they wanted when they wanted – which meant they could use construction equipment around the clock. While not admitting that the city might have some rights in enforcing their by-laws the Air park is believed to have said they will not use heavy equipment at night.
“As you can appreciate” Farrell goes on to say, “most, but not all of the 407 re-surfacing is done at night.WE are required to accept the materials as it is removed from the 407.The timing is not something under our control, but it is obviously under the control of the MTO.While we anticipate some of the materials will be made available during the daylight hours, we understand that much of it must be done at night when traffic on the 407 is light.
“To minimize the noise at night, we are told by the contractor that the following measures will be observed:
a)The trucks to be used will not have banging tail gates
b)Work flow will be arranged so the drivers can deliver and deposit loads while driving forward without the need to stop and back up. As a result, the beeping back up alarms will not be sounded, and
c)To the extent possible, the night-time work will ne conducted on those areas of the site furthest from neighbours. Areas of work closer to the neighbours will be planned for the daylight hours.
d)We anticipate the work will commence on June 10th but we have no end date as it depends on weather but it will take two to three months on an intermittent basis.
Again, the airport takes the position that our construction activities are not subject to municipal by-laws because of the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government over aeronautics, including the construction of permanent facilities at the Airport.Further, we are advised by our counsel that there is a specific case wherein it was held that a Toronto noise by-law did not apply to activities at the Downsview airport.
It was going to be close to around the clock truck traffic because of a highway 407 asphalt removal contract – but there seems to be some common sense and decency creeping into the behaviour of the Air Park owners.
Notwithstanding, we want to be a good neighbour.We understand that in some cases exemptions are given further to the Burlington noise by-law and thus, the City must have some experience in minimizing the noise impact of night-time construction activities, when same are necessary.As explained above, it is necessary in this case.We would be pleased to receive and consider implementing any other noise abatement measures you care to offer
All this was BEFORE the city Council meeting where the Mayor said that the Air Park people may be good at hiring lawyers and constructing airports but that they know nothing about “public” relations.Councillor Craven prefaced his questions to the Air Park lawyer with the question: “why are your clients such lousy neighbours”.
It is close to standard practice for the city to give professionals delegating to Council the time they need to state their case and engage in plenty of Q&A.Glenn Grenier, counsel for the Air Park and a resident of Burlington didn’t get much of that courtesy.
Some of the ire of the city appears to have gotten through to the airport people.While they have consistently maintained they can operate outside city by-laws they are said to have advised the city they will follow the noise by-law and NOT truck in fill after 11 pm nor will they do any construction on the site outside the hours of 7 am to 7 pm.
A usually reliable city hall source said it was good news – but “we have had all kinds of problems with these guys broken before so we will just have to wait and see”.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 12, 2013City officials are currently doing a walk about on the pier to determine what may exist in the way of construction deficiencies – which are a normal part of any construction project.
If the deficiencies discovered are minor in nature the city will issue a “substantial completion” document which will allow the public out onto the pier.
That “walk about” is not yet complete – and until it is – there is no certainty that the pier will open on Thursday afternoon as announced.
Confusing – sure but the city wants it’s public out on the pier as soon as possible.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 12, 2013PERL Executive Director, Roger Goulet asks: “Since when is it allowed to bury asphalt waste into landfill, especially above a drinking water aquifer?
“Why is 407 asphalt “waste” being land filled into the Burlington Airpark?
The risk is the contamination of the drinking water and the streams in the area.
Asphalt waste is should be recycled at asphalt recyclers like Nelson Aggregate or other recycling plants. It is a reusable recyclable resource. Why is the Provincial Ministry of Transportation not recycling this resource? Other jurisdictions are recycling removed road asphalt in place.
These kinds of non-sustainable road maintenance and land filling practices are causing unnecessary demands for more aggregate and oil based pitch.
When will our governments treat waste as a resource? In nature, NOTHING is waste.
Highway 407 asphalt is to be dumped at the Air Park as land fill.
Who approved the land filling of 407 asphalt into the Burlington Airpark?
This must be STOPPED; and the asphalt already dumped into the Airpark REMOVED.
The Greenbelt is not to be treated as a waste dump. Our water resources are not to be subjected to contaminants.
Again, this argues for regulations, oversight and inspections of land filling onto airparks and agricultural lands. Our governments must be more diligent in inspection and enforcement, whether issues are in their jurisdictions or not. What is right and ecologically sustainable in the long term? Who will protect the Greenbelt from ecological damage, before it impacts our human health?
The unfortunate and very uncomfortable answer to the question – can they do this? is , yes they can.While what they are allowed to do because they are federally regulated is legal, is it not, as Monte Dennis pointed out in his delegation to city Council Monday evening, just.
The Air Park has hired a lawyer with years of experience in the field of aeronautics law who tried to convince city council that they didn’t have a case and that while the Air Park people have been lousy neighbours (Councillor Craven’s words) they were prepared to cooperate with the city, providing what the city wanted didn’t get in the way of what the Air Park people wanted.
It is an extremely complex issue with every possible jurisdiction involved.Mayor Goldring told the public via the Cogeco broadcast of the council meeting that the city is on the case and that it is going to take some time to resolve this one.
Glenn Grenier, lawyer for the Air Park, a pilot and a resident of the city got a little more than the time of day from a city council that decided they didn’t have all that much time for him.
The city has served notice that it is not going to just lay down and let the Air Park people run rough shod over them.The first thing the city has to do is figure out exactly what they are up against.
One thing they are up against is an arrogant lawyer who thought he could steam roll city Council.Glenn Grenier, a Burlington resident on Couples Drive since 1995 and a pilot as well, was put in his place a number of times.Grenier feels he has 60 years of legal precedent on his side.Guess he has never heard of the Jefferson Salamander.
Burlington, ON.June 13, 2012.– The one thing about giving advice on the economy is that you usually can find at least one person to agree with you and a lot of others who will disagree – almost no matter what advice you give.Ergo, I got a healthy response to my message last week – that if we are contemplating adding to the tax burden; to build transportation infrastructure, pay off the debt, or whatever; we need to be thoughtful about how we do it.We are a wealthy society, by anyone’s account; that is, unless you are middle-class or poor.
Don’t you just love the political process. These are the few, the ones you hear about – there are thousands who serve diligently and honestly year after year.
A 2008 study by Statistics Canada concluded that between 1980 and 2005, median earnings among Canada’s top earners rose more than 16 percent while those in the bottom fifth saw their wages dip by 20 percent.Armine Yalminizyan, a senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, concluded that… “The biggest economic boom since the 1960’s has basically only boosted the rich, leaving the middle class stagnant and the poor worse off.In the 1960s. as the economy grew this rapidly, almost everybody got a bigger piece.In this generation of economic growth, the gains are accruing primarily to those on top.”While we are looking forward to an updated report from Stats Can, we should be confident that this picture hasn’t improved.
In the 1980‘s our governments, in Canada and the US, slashed the top tax rates and shifted the tax burden onto the middle classes.Any first year economics student could have predicted the outcome of this deliberate adventure in retro-grade social engineering, and the winners and the losers that were created.Trickle down economics, the silly notion that the poor live better when the rich get richer, is bogus and it’s nonsense.The poor aren’t better off watching the wealthiest get even wealthier.Cheap credit and cheap imports may make their lives seem richer, but in the end it is just more debt to pay back.We are engaging in class warfare – not yet war, but wait for it.Remember the ‘Occupy Movement’?
According to a 2006 documentary, The One Percent, a mere 1% of Americans owned almost half the wealth in the USA.In 2009 they earned 17% of the national gross income and took home over a trillion dollars.Middle-income earners, by contrast have had to live on lower household incomes, adjusted for inflation, than they did in 1996.The Conference Board of Canada places Canada sixth worst, behind the US and UK on their ‘inequality index’.Still, the rapid growing decade from 1997 to 2007 saw the top income earning 1% of Canadians take home fully a third of our increase in national income, a greater proportion than in the US.
This is a serious issue and requires a serious discussion and serious action.Inequality spurs more inequality – greed leads to more greed.Wallin and Duffy earned healthy incomes as respected journalists and, no doubt, each receives a healthy pension from those jobs.In addition, Wallin reportedly earned hundreds of thousands (Editors note: It was actually more than $1 million) as a board director while she was a senator.And, they each make over a hundred thousand dollars as senators.Did they really need to cheat on their expense claims as well?
But then isn’t this what greed does to us?
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat after which he decided to write and has become a political animator. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 11, 2013.Four people delegated to city council last night to tell their Council what has gone wrong in their part of the city and asking for help.
Vanessa Warren, operator of an equestrian operation she and her husband are moving from Oakville to Burlington to their farm on Bell School Line which they now find may become the end of a 4700 runway that could be handling small jet aircraft.
Warren explained that the length and detail of the memo before Council that night outlines the many facets of an incredibly complex issue; “but it is made all the more complex by what seems to be constant deception on the part of airpark owners and management.How can the City negotiate in good faith with a party that seems to persistently mislead and misrepresent itself?”
The property with the black lines what the Burlington Executive Air Park wants to purchase and use to extend their runway to 4700 square feet. The property with the red lines is owned by Vanessa Warren and her husband. They bought the farm to locate their riding operation on the farm The runway will end yards from the riding ring she plans to build. Warren will have to seek a permit to build that riding ring – the air park doesn’t have to seek any permits – they are federally regulated.
Ms Warren understood the frenetic pace of activity for many Councillors and City Staff in trying to grapple with this learning curve. She painted a picture of a businessman who put out an “an incredibly misleading economic development story; including outrageous employment figures and non-existent Chinese Pilot Training programs; used a 2008 road permit issued from the Region with an anticipated one year of truck use that is still being used in 2013.”
Vanessa Warren delegated to city council on the landfill work being done at the Air Park and the impact it will have on her property – and the larger community as well.
Ms Warren maintained that Vince Rossi, owner of the Air Park “told the city in 2008 that the dumping would be complete in 2009.”She described numerous examples “in the report before you of unfulfilled promises; a letter to Councillor Lancaster that hasn’t materialized a Phase 2 ESA that became a draft Phase 1 ESA, and soil reports promised and not delivered.”
“Sometimes”, Warren said “airpark expansion plans are paraded about at public meetings and other times, as indicated during a June 6th meeting, there seem to be no plans at all.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground is actually getting worse; residents must now contend with night-time dumping as the 407 is resurfaced.
“I can understand that good governance requires that you do not become engaged in long and expensive legal battles without a thorough understanding of your position; but how do you legally wrangle with “However, the laws of other jurisdictions may still apply”?
The Air Park owners have taken the position that they are regulated by the federal department of transport, which does nothing other than add any changes to runway configurations to one of their manuals.No on-site inspections.Nothing!
Warren had two requests:
“Seek an immediate legal injunction to stop the dumping and further development at the Airpark.Negotiating in good faith is not possible when there is no good faith.Further, plans to hire of a consultant must not delay pursuing every possible legal means of stopping the damage.An injunction does not commit you to a specific legal path; it simply gives the City time to find solutions.”
Warren also wanted the city to ask the federal Minister of Transport to require the Burlington Airport to become a Certified Aerodrome.
“Currently, The Burlington Airport, as an uncertified aerodrome, is given protection under the aeronautics act but is, for all intents and purposes, completely unregulated by it.Based on the level of activity at the Airpark, the Minister can deem this in the public interest; meaning the airpark would have to come into compliance with more appropriate safety and management regulations.”
Ms Warren, formed the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) to deal with what has become a threat that could bring to an end all the work she and her husband have put into their riding business during the past twenty years.
There were four people delegating.Barbara Sheldon, who has suffered the most damage to the value of her property and the degradation of her life style was blunt and direct.
Barbara Sheldon stares up at the small hill or landfill that has been dumped on the property next to hers. The Air Park next door claims they did not need a permit to dump the landfill because they are federally regulated. Sheldon is speechless and cannot believe this can happen. City council doesn’t believe it can happen either – but it is happening – as we speak.
“ I am” she said “ the resident in rural Burlington – who is surrounded on three sides by the Burlington Airpark – and who’s been directly impacted the most since 2008 by Mr. Rossi’s landfill dumping operation.“It doesn’t take a lawyer or an engineer or the most savvy politician to ‘get’ that Vince Rossi is attempting to DUPE City Council and City Staff right now…just like he’s done to our rural residential community since he bought the Airpark in 2007.”
“Frankly”, she added “there are some really fine individuals on Council and Staff, and it’s driving me crazy to see him insult your intelligence this way.”
Ms Sheldon then directed a withering gaze at Councillor Lancaster and said: “Mrs. Lancaster, more than 6 weeks ago you agreed to visit the properties.And yet you have not.You’ve made your position with the Airpark quite transparent to our community.”
Sheldon explained that Rossi “backed away from his parking lot scheme — when the City and Conservation Halton wanted to hold him accountable.He backed away from his 22-story cell phone tower scheme — when the community, the pilots and the media wanted to hold him accountable.Are you noticing a theme here?” she asked.
“He has effectively WIPED OUT the peace and the beauty of my land. He has ERADICATED the SIGNIFICANT investment I made in my property and my future.I ask you: what kind of person does this willfully?The person you are trying to deal with now, she added.
Ms Sheldon said she has “a paper trail since 2008 of more than 300 communiques from various municipal, regional, provincial, and federal authorities who have refused to get involved.Did Mr. Rossi find a loophole?You bet.Can you start NOW – to plug the loophole.YES.”
Ms Sheldon reminded Council that at a previous meeting the city manager expressed an educated and experienced opinion – which our community is CLINGING to right now:
To paraphrase him, he said directly to you:You have options.You CAN take a position on this.You don’t have to be right, but you CAN take a position.
I beg of you folks.Please.Take a position.And make Mr. Rossi accountable for the damages he’s ALREADY inflicted.
For Dennis Monte, an engineer by profession felt as if he was traveling down a road he thought he had put behind him.Dennis talked about the human side of the Airpark story.
“I would like to attempt to put a face on the Burlington Airpark project.Political and legal games are being played and while they are important, there exist real people with real lives directly impacted negatively by this project.I have probably had more experience than anyone else, due to external circumstances, at holding the short end of the stick.
Forty years ago I went through a different situation; however the effect on the citizens was the same. That was expropriation for the Pickering Airport.”
“I witnessed”, said Dennis, “the devastating impact on individuals, families, relationships and on the individual health and that of the community.”
“The fact that only a few residents are affected by the work being done at the air park should not matte. When one considers the entire project the numbers are not small.During certain times of the day Appleby Line has been taken from the community, due to the excess number of dump trucks using Appleby Line . It has been taken from walkers, cyclists, motorcycles, and commuters.”
“ I question whether school busses should be using Appleby Line any longer as a route.”
“Good politicians and bureaucrats sometimes will count concerns and sometimes they will weigh concerns.This is a time in which to weigh the concerns and ask “What would I do if this were happening to me?”
Monte Dennis to city council: “If I, or any of my neighbours, are not justly treated – I will push back.”
“I’m not here to place blame, for we are all to blame, yes, even myself, for not being aware of my surroundings as much as I should have been.This is past being serious – it is critical! I cannot emphasize that enough. Have we, as individuals, lost all of our rights?”
If I, or any of my neighbours, are not justly treated – I will push back.”
“Residents do not want this, didn’t ask for it, were not consulted and should not have to shoulder the weight of this.
No business, individual or corporation has the moral right to inflict this harassment, pain, anxiety, suffering and uncertainty on anyone else.
In the past some have described the Airpark as the jewel of Burlington.I would suggest that the jewel has fallen out of its setting and is buried beneath tons of fill.In an attempt to find the jewel I would further suggest the fill be removed.”
At the start of the delegations Mayor Goldring advised that audience that in Burlington we do not hiss or boo while Council is in session.At the close of the evening when Council passed the resolution that set out what they were going to do in the immediate future, those in the Council chamber applauded.
Apparently in Burlington one is allowed to applaud the local politicians.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 11, 2102.I was asked by the publisher to give my first impression of the pier at night.I had been down to the pier with my wife after learning that the pier lights were now functioning,
So we ventured down to the lake Sunday night to experience the pier at night. I mentally set no expectations as to what to expect.I wanted to be impartial so that I could judge the pier at night in an open and honest manner.
However, emotionally, I wanted to be impressed and to have somewhat of a WoWfactor when viewing the pier. I knew that there would not be neon lights flashing, this would be way over the top, but hopefully there would be a feeling that the lighting system would mesh well with the pier.In sports parlance, I wanted not just a home run, but a grand slam. I guess I set my goal too high.
I was not ecstatic with what I saw, nor was I disappointed. I felt more like the title of an old Peggy Lee song, “Is That All There Is”, a kind of hollow and empty feeling.
Perhaps being disappointed becauseI expected much more, I turned to my wife to get what is always her honest and truthful opinion. Her response, “Much Ado About Nothing”.
Sometimes a sober second viewing is needed. Perhaps there will be more appreciation of the pier once it has been walked on and then viewed upon leaving.
BURLINGTON, ON. June 10, 2013. It`s a grind. There are so many levels of jurisdiction that it gets difficult to figure out who is responsible for what, but the city of Burlington is on the case and they are ferreting out information at a pace that is indeed remarkable for a municipal administration. Kudo`s to them for that.
Now to figure out what they have gathered in the way of information and what potential action there is for the city to take.
The city got into this when city council heard complaints about landfill operations that were taking place at the Burlington Executive Air Park. The work has been taking place since around 2008 but no one seems to have taken their complaints to the city until Dr. Teri Jaklin wrote a letter to the Council member for Ward 6, Blair Lancaster, who didn`t do much for the Dr. Jaklin wither response. Barbara Sheldon, the Appleby Line resident who has suffered the most damage, then wrote Lancaster a scathing letter
When Vanessa Warren created the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition and made a delegation to city hall the wheels started moving. Up until that point no one had been on Barbara Sheldon`s property to see the amount of landfill that had been dumped. Lancaster has yet to see the property. Councillors Meed Ward, Taylor and Sharman have visited as has the Mayor who was appalled at what he saw.
The is the view of the south side of the Sheldon property on Appleby Line. Trucks were dumping the day the pictures were taken.
Sheldon is a major piece of business: direct, no-nonsense, no crap – do not speak to this lady with a forked tongue. Not a woman to be trifled with. The only relief she has had is a small reduction in her tax assessment – which at least has one government organization saying something has been done to change the value of this property.
On May 21st City Council issued a Staff Direction to the General Manager of Development & Infrastructure to contract with an aviation consultant to report on: The standards, processes and requirements of Transport Canada and other Federal departments for the development and expansion of aeronautical facilities; and to identify any opportunities for individual, municipal or provincial involvement and input in said Federal processes, and to expedite the presentation of recommendations to address the immediate issues of land fill, noise and expansion at the Burlington Airpark. Those were the marching orders.
So – what do we know?
A lot of information has been gathered and in the report General Manager of Development and Infrastructure Scott Stewart will make to Council this evening we learn of what has been done and what has not been done.
To put it mildly – Stewart didn’t manage to pull many teeth from a hen.
Information is being made available to the city by people who represent Vince Rossi, owner of the airport. Meetings have taken place between the City and Airport representatives (Mr. Milt Farrow and Mr. Tim Crawford) to facilitate a cooperative approach to addressing the City’s request for information regarding the past and current filling operations at the Airport site. Information is being delivered in dribs and drabs but at least there is some movement.
During all this jabber, jabber the airport people maintain that their operation – the Burlington Executive Air Park, comes under federal Department of Transport jurisdiction and so the city can just take a hike, legally.
We have been seeking an interview with airport owner Vince Rossi – he used to email us – we don’t hear from him anymore. He has learned what media people now call the “Rob Ford approach” – say nothing no matter how bad it looks. Stonewall, obfuscate, put out platitudes but don’t say anything direct. Send others to represent your interests; helps if one of them is a lawyer.
Rossi’s people did communicate with the city through the office of Councillor Lancaster, who many in the community feel is far too close to the airport owners. The email, sent to city staff May 27, 2013 by Councillor Lancaster advised that the airpark informed her that the city would receive a letter with soil test samples and they will work with the City on the esthetics of the berm. To date a letter has not been received.
Councillor Lancaster would be well advised to direct the airport owners to communicate directly with the city.
While all the jabber, jabber goes on Barbara Sheldon watches as the pile of landfill on the north and south side of her home gets higher and higher. More than 32 feet on the north side and no one knows how much higher on the south because they are still dumping.
The city wants data on past and current filling operations at the site. They have also requested a grading and drainage plan, current and past soil test reports, the continued maintenance of silt fencing around the work area, securities to ensure contractor performance and permission for City staff to access the site.
The city argues this information would be required for review by City staff to reach a conclusion that a site alteration permit could be issued if one was applied for. Rossi and his people have taken the position that they don’t need permission from the city – they are federally regulated.
King Paving, the company that is hauling in the bulk of the landfill these days, has the majority of the original soil reports. Milt Farrow followed up with King to organize the reports and to have them photocopied. The first batch of the photocopying of the reports was not completed until May 31st. Mr. Farrow delivered 5 reports to the City on May 31, 2013 at 4:15 pm. An additional 15 reports were delivered on June 5, 2013 at 1:30 pm.
The city points out that soil test reports undertaken years prior are unacceptable because the City has no knowledge of what has occurred on the source site since the tests were undertaken.
There is not a lot of trust between the city and the air park operators.
Whenever changes are made to property a process called Environmental Assessments come into play. There are phase 1 assessments and phase 2 assessments; it’s all kind of arcane and difficult for parents who want to get the kids to soccer on time, but a process fully understood by planners and lawyers who know how to exploit these processes to the fullest.
Milt Farrow advised the City that last year, as part of a potential financing arrangement, the Toronto Dominion bank was provided with additional soil test reports and a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA).
The air park position is that the city has no jurisdiction and is not entitled to stick their noses in and ask for data and Environmental Assessments but if you want financing from the bank – guess what – the required documents appear.
In the criminal world investigators always tell you to “follow the money”. In times past it was “follow the babe” but times have changed.
Mr. Farrow has apparently agreed to try and get the soil reports back from the bank and provide them to the City. He would also ask Mr. Vince Rossi (Airport Owner) for permission to provide the Phase 2 ESA.
Clearly a pressure point is at the bank level. Drag them into this and let them feel the ire of the community. Banks just can’t loan money with no concern as to what the funds are going to be used for and what good or harm they will do to the community. The days of loaning money and getting the best return are over – there is now a social responsibility element to all this. Being socially responsible is also good business. For all of those who live in north Burlington and have accounts with the TD Bank – mention your concern to your branch manager and write the head office.
A “DRAFT” Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) was provided by Rossi yesterday to city hall as opposed to the Phase 2 ESA previously discussed. A formal request for the Phase 2 ESA report has been made by the city. If this were a typical Site Alteration Permit process, the City would not be in a position to issue a permit because the typically required information has not all been provided.
Rossi and his representatives argue they are federally regulated. Well are they?
Transport Canada is being co-operative. The city was in contact with them May 14, before the Williams delegation was made, to pose some basic questions regarding jurisdiction over the fill operations at the airpark and the approval process should the airpark expand.
On the issue of fill, the city was advised that there were no specific rules or legislation pertaining to fill, but made it clear that anything integral to aviation was under federal jurisdiction. Transport Canada indicated that importing fill to an aerodrome to build aeronautics facilities would be subject to federal jurisdiction. However, they Transport people, also indicated that fill could be subject to other authorities (local, provincial, conservation authority), citing specifically the ability to regulate the quality of fill. Transport advised that fill could fall within federal jurisdiction if it pertained to aeronautics, giving the example that if fill contained magnetic material, Transport Canada would have an interest as this could impair aeronautics.
Transport Canada, advised that on the matter of expansion and approvals required there are different rules for the different types of operations. Burlington Airpark is a registered aerodrome, and that there is a distinction between registered and certified aerodromes.
Registered aerodromes are registered with Transport Canada, which publishes the Canada Flight Supplement. Aerodromes are required to comply with Part 301 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations. Transport Canada does not typically inspect these facilities, unless there is a need to do so. In terms of expanding or modifying the airpark, Transport Canada advised that there is no process that the owner would have to follow, except to notify Transport Canada and change the published information in the flight supplement.
Gets complex. People who want to make changes that others don’t want exploit these complexities and get away with it. Something one wants to know and never forget – don’t mess with city hall. They have long arms and even longer memories.
Certified aerodromes must comply with document TP-312 – Aerodrome Standards and Recommended Practices. Transport Canada requires an aerodrome to become certified under the following circumstances: . Aerodrome has regular passenger service; Aerodrome is within a “built up area” – no hard rules on this, but opinion is usually there is “built up area” on 3 sides minimum. Deemed to be necessary in the public interest by the Minister.
Burlington Airpark used to be certified. It is believed the certification was removed around the time the airpark was sold in 2006-07.
This exchange of information led the city to asking: Is there a functional or regulatory difference between “airport” and “aerodrome” as defined by Transport Canada? The city also wanted to know if calling themselves the “Burlington Executive Airport” signifies anything from a legislative or regulatory perspective.
The city also wants to know if there is anything in the Transport Canada rules that outlines Transport Canada’s position with respect to the City’s ability to enforce its own by-laws?
BURLINGTON, ON.June 11,2013.It was the longest city council meeting on record for this Significant Seven and one which heard some very impressive delegations from people in the community.
Council was hearing the views of north Burlington residents and at the same time responding to a report prepared by city General Manager Scott Stewart on what the issues were; what the city knew and didn’t know and setting out where the different levels of government fit in.
The Air Park issue is one that covers the gamut from a grass roots community response to city hall, the Regional government, to the Conservation Authority, then the provincial government and then the federal government.
Seldom do municipal solicitors get to work with that many levels on a subject as complex as local airports where the interpretations as to just what and where the jurisdictions are and how they fit in together.
After more than an hour of closed door session Council went back into Open Session and passed the following resolution which was moved by Councillor John Taylor and surprisingly seconded by Councillor Meed Ward.Given that the issue rests in Ward 6 one would have expected Councillor Lancaster to come forward as the seconder.
Direct the city solicitor to develop a legal strategy to reflect the concerns expressed by Council and citizens regarding issue with the Burlington Executive Air Park and report back to Council on July 2, 2013.
Direct the Director of Engineering to review and update the City’s Site Alteration By –law 6-2003 to reflect the best practices by September: and
Direct the Mayor and City Manager to jointly contact the federal Minister of Environment to request that soil testing be ordered for the Burlington Executive Airport property, and
Direct the Mayor to work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to lobby the federal Minister of Transportation and other relevant Ministries to develop a process to allow municipalities to have input on airpark land fill operations and expansion plans; and
Direct the Director of Finance to arrange a meeting with MPAC representatives and the affected property owners abutting the airpark property specific to the property owners value assessments; and
Direct the General Manager of Development and Infrastructure to request the owner of the Burlington Executive Air Park to provide the city with a complete site and grading plan that minimizes impacts on neighbouring properties. Further request that the owner modify existing grades to minimize impact on neighbouring properties; and
Direct the Director of Planning and Building to have staff enforce the Dust Suppression By-law 50-2008, that requires consideration be given to neighbouring properties when construction processes generate dust, and enforce the provisions of the Nuisance and Noise Control By-law including after hours enforcement and issuing offence notices if applicable and as necessary.
City manager Jeff Fielding had some choice words for lawyer Glen Grenier who represented Air Park at the Council meeting last night. Here Fielding, on the left, discusses his serious concerns over the behaviour of the Air Park owners with Grenier, who is a Burlington resident. To the right of Grenier is Blake Hurley, lawyer with the city’s legal department and the lead person on this file and city solicitor Nancy Shea-Nicol on the right.
That last item had General Manager Scott Stewart directing his by-law enforcement officers to get into their cars – now, and issue tickets if tickets are warranted.Each infraction calls for a $300 fine.
The debate on this resolution was vigorous and focused on part 1.Councillor Taylor wanted council to direct the city solicitor to begin legal action now.Meed Ward was onside with Taylor but other Council members wanted to take a more thought through approach and give city solicitor Nancy Shea-Nicol the opportunity to think through a strategy and put some options before council. They expect her to be back at Council on July 2nd, three short weeks as the Mayor pointed out. The files at legal are getting thick – the pier law suites have still yet to be resolved.
Council was in a Closed Session so we do not have much in the way of detail on that debate other than the comments made by individual council members when back in Open Session where they made their individual comments.
There is much more to this story. Air Park Vince Rossi did not appear before Council.
REVISED with comment from former Mayor Walter Mulkewich.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 8, 2013Why use the name the Gazette?
For a number of reasons.Burlington once had a newspaper called the Gazette.It served the community well.
The very first picture I took and sold to a newspaper was published in the Montreal Gazette.
An old newspaper name revived.
But the biggest reason for the name change is this:The Gazette sounds like a newspaper.
Our Burlington didn’t sound like a newspaper; it could have been a flower shop or a pet grooming store.The decision to create a newspaper came from the late John Boich, who at the time was involved in another community based venture that he couldn’t get off the ground.He asked if I would give him some help. I did and out of that came a web site with local news that has gone on to grow topsy turvey.
We grew to the point where we had the credibility to be accepted as members of the Ontario Press Council.
The readership told us that people wanted what we were offering.
The commercial sector began to ask if they could run advertisements in the “newspaper on a web site”.What had begun as part of the response to the Shape Burlington report, which put on record that the city faced an “information deficit”, grew to become the source of local news for many people.
Our Burlington was put together very quickly to show what could be done – that was back in October of 2010.We still don’t cover sports or education very well.But we do give this city the best city hall coverage.We cover the arts reasonably well.
In the fall the editorial team will get beefed up and education will get the attention it deserves.
We have begun to cover the private sector and will do more of that as we work ourselves through the balance of this year.
Today we are a very different organization.We didn’t set out to make friends; we did set out to tell the stories that make up this city in a way no one else has in the recent past.
We have some bumps and bruises to show for our effort with one libel suit that has still not been resolved.We upset the members of the boards of a number of organizations who didn’t like the attention they were getting.
There are those who describe and despair over Burlington’s complacency.We are a very wealthy community and yet we failed to reach the United Way target for this year.We have pockets of poverty.We have an aging demographic and a cost of maintaining our infrastructure that is not sustainable.
The city either has to do less or increase taxes.
We have a significant amount of land set aside for employment purposes, but we’ve not been able to attract a significant new employer to the city in the past five years.We lost International Harvester to Hamilton. The city’s revenue from the ICI (Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional) sector is going to be less this year than last year.
The place is going to nee an oxygen tank nearby for the next little while. The search is one for a new Executive Director.
We have a new Performing Arts Centre that is failing financially and looks as if it is going to need double what was originally thought in the way of an annual subsidy.
We are going to open a pier next week that has cost more than double its original estimate.
There are too many negatives – we can’t survive if they continue.
We now have administrative leadership at city hall that can steer us through what are going to be difficult times, but it is going to be at least another nine months before we see the results of all the management changes.The city manager is still in the process of building the management team he needs.
We have a city council that doesn’t have dynamic leadership.It does have well-meaning leadership but good intentions are not enough.We are seeing practices that smack of small time corruption at some of the boards and commissions the city has in place.
Also, our city council members are not working as a well-oiled team; there are some deeply rooted dislikes and outright animosities between council members that do not serve this city well.Don’t let the sweet smiles fool you.
We are a city that talks about our being a safe place to live by a magazine that created a list that drives its readership goals.We seem to need someone else to tell how good we are.
The city is more than just the Escarpment to the north and the lake to the south. It is the people in between that determine who we really are. And it takes more than a magazine saying we are the #2 city in the country doesn’t make it so.
We are a city that takes great pride on the Escarpment to the north and the lake to the south but we don’t talk all that much about what exists in between these two things we were given.
A community is not defined just by its geography; it is defined by its people and how they care for one another.
As publishers we got it wrong more than once but we think we got it right more often than we got it wrong.
Our first responsibility is to report.To tell you what we see and hear.However, we do not see ourselves as a pipeline through which the vested interests send their version of what took place.
The Mayor of the city has said publicly that he thinks we are doing a good job.
There are two stories, three actually where what is happening needs more than just simple reporting.The Car Free Sunday that is taking place this weekend, the Committee Of Adjustment meeting that took place on May 21stand the lack of lakefront access problem that was pointed to by the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee.
The Car Free Sunday on Brant Street last year was a bit of a bust. Council chose to hold these events on Appleby Line and up in the Alton Village this year.
The two Car Free Sundays are costing $5000 each.That item needed 4 of the seven votes to pass at Council Committee.Sharman, Lancaster and Dennison were very much onside.The events were to take place in the Sharman and Lancaster wards and Dennison is a big bicycle booster.That was three out of the seven.Where was the fourth vote going to come from?
Councillor Craven mentioned that he had an event, a Jane’s Walk, taking place in Aldershot and they needed $500 to make that happen.Craven got his $500, wards 4,5 and 6 got what they wanted and it passed.That’s how your Council works.Normally however, Councillor Craven would go on at some length about the need to conserve and be fully accountable and be strong stewards of the public purse.
A Committee of Adjustment meeting that was seen as odious to many is detailed. Those at the meeting were aghast at what they saw and heard. The city has not heard the last of what took place at that meeting.
Lakefront access is detailed in a story we didin June of 2011 – more than two years ago. That problem has still not been resolved and with the Waterfront Access Protection Advisory Committee, now dead, city hall administration just might choose to let it remain forgotten. It hasn’t been resolved because city hall doesn’t want to go up against those who live on lakefront properties – they have just a little too much clout.
The point we make is that a simple reporting job isn’t enough by itself.What is happening has to be put in context.Often what is taking place needs some analysis and wherever possible some humour.
It can be very dreary at times.Municipal budgets that come out in a two inch binder defy understanding by anyone who is not well versed in the way municipalities handle your money.The finance people in Burlington are the best run department in the city.And if you ask them a question you always get a straight understandable answer.But they don’t do accounting the way the rest of the world does.Reporting that the tax rate is going to go up (they never go down) is not enough.The numbers have to be explained and the process reported on.In 2010 the city had a whopping surplus; more than $9 million –that was $9 million of your dollars that were taken from your bank account – and put into the city treasury.Once they get it – they don’t give it back.
Reporting, analyzing, salting news with a little humour are how we see what we do.We add to that what we call some “animation”. By animation we mean taking some action when we spot something that can be fixed.When the small business operators were advised they would have to move out of the Regus offices on Brant Street we began making phone calls and bringing the situation to the attention of the people who could make changes – and then reporting on the changes that got made.
This is what the original Burlington Gazette office on Brant Street used to look like.
Media is now much different than it was when Elgin Harris published the Gazette out of an office on Brant Street.In those days they reported exactly what people said and added no context or analysis.
Former Mayor Walter Mulkewich advises that the Gazette was originally published by Elgin Harris from 1899 to 1956. Elgin Harris also became a Burlington Mayor and the house he built for his family is now home to A Different Drummer.
The Spectator, according to Mulkewich, bought the Gazette in 1988 and turned it into the Burlington Spectator which was a daily for several years before finally ending the Burlington Spectator and resuming the Hamilton Spectator only.
The information deficit Mulkewich wrote about in the Shape Burlington report probably began back when Elgin Harris was both Mayor and publisher of the local paper. Talk about a conflict of interest – whey!
Welcome to the new Gazette. And I will not be running for Mayor.
That is the only way to describe what is being done to the property on the north and south side of the home Barbara Sheldon owns on Appleby Line.
Sheldon has a home on a nice lot that has a large spring fed pond that is home to a number of geese who watch over their goslings with a wary eye.
Some time ago, back in 2008, Sheldon noticed that the land on either side of her was being built up with landfill which didn’t seem all that bad at first – other than the noise from the trucks and the heavy construction equipment that seemed to be running around every day.But it began to get out of hand and she now has a wall of earth more than 30 feet high on the north side of her property less than 50 feet from her kitchen window.
The south side of the Sheldon property on June 5th.
A few weeks ago this matter made its way to a city council meeting where it was clear the city, while aware of the situation didn’t have a grip on what was going on.
South side on the the 25th of May. The trucks just keep on rolling in and dumping fill.
Most people felt that kind of thing could not be done in north Burlington and that someone would step in to put a stop to the landfill operation.
And the trucks just keep on coming. No protection for this taxpayer from anyone. Landfill continues to get dumped on the south side of the property.
What stunned everyone was that there didn’t appear to be much the city could do.There was nothing the Niagara Escarpment Commission could do – the property that was being filled with landfill was just outside their boundary.
Many felt the Conservation Authority would be able to step in.They are looking at the options which turn out to be pretty close to zilch.
The city learned that there really isn’t much they can do – the land is defined as an air park that comesunder the jurisdiction of the federal government; specifically the department of transport.
The people over there aren’t pleased but they do admit that the property is an air park and that is comes under their jurisdiction.
Monte Dennis argues that what happens on the land may be under federal jurisdiction but the land itself and what people can do with it is local and that the city can actually do something.But they have to get up on their hind legs and begin to bark.
It isn’t quite that easy and the city is looking into the problem and figuring out what their options really are.This is brand new territory for the city and they are up against a seemingly predatory land owner who doesn’t show his face that much.
Our Burlington has been trying to meet with Vince Rossi and while he says he’d love to meet – dates don’t get set.Rossi sends his lawyer to handle the problems.There is a very significant amount of money involved – perhaps in the tens of millions in revenue earned from allowing people to dump what is believed to be untested land fill on the site.
Turns out there are some 10,000 of these small air parks which are usually the location for small flight training schools.The amount of work being done on the land suggests that there are plans for a much larger operation which has north Burlington residents upset.Others suggest that there are no plans for a larger airport – that the dumping of landfill was just a way to make some very good money.The understanding is that each truck of landfill dumped generates $50 in revenue and that given the amount of dirt being dumped – some $2.5 million in revenue has been generated.
That is not exactly chump change.
What the city is facing is a property/business owner who appears to have found a loophole that generates a significant income.
It looks like a lovely, close to idyllic country property – until you look to the north and the south and see mountain of earth that have destroyed the value of the property. And the air park neighbour seems to be able to get away with it.
What we know for certain is that we have a property/business owner who doesn’t show himself very much.Vince Rossi, understood to be the owner of the Burlington Executive Air Park, did have one meeting with the Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring who listened to what Rossi had to say and suggested he develop a business plan and let the city see what he had in mind.That was the last of the Mayor saw of Rossi.
When the Mayor visited the site a week ago he was stunned with what he saw and put himself in touch with the city manager quickly to push for more action on the administration side.Were the Mayor to return to the site today he would see a 20 foot + wall of landfill in the south side of the property that wasn’t there when he visited.
Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster has apparently not visited the site and many of the people in rural Burlington think its time to look for a better candidate to represent the interests of that community.
This is just such close to violent disregard for the rights of ones neighbours.The city does need to step in and do something.What can they do?
City General Manager Scott Stewart was given the file and instructed to hire a consultant who could advise the city on just what its options are.The aeronautical sector is complex – it is a world of its own with many layers of administration.
Finding someone with the experience the city is going to need is easier said than done “We can’t just flip through the yellow pages and find what we want” explained Stewart.He is confident he will find what the city needs but it isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to happen quickly.
This is the hill that has been built on the north side of the property. There was a time when Sheldon could see Rattle Snake Point from her kitchen window – today – she looks at a pile of landfill – that has never been tested.
The city will need someone who fully understands the regulatory side of the business and probably have something in the way of a legal background.
“At this point” said Stewart, “we don’t even know what we don’t know.”This is a whole new field of endeavour for the city.
The comment section of Our Burlington on this situation has many entries; many are what are called “flame throwers” remarks that have one person accusing another.
Andrew Forbes commented that:“I suppose I could say that the name-calling has begun by people who make unfounded claims of criminal behaviour while not revealing their real names, hiding like cowards behind the supposed anonymity of the Internet. If you want to call people names like “bully” to their faces, “Jake”, at least have the simple courage and decency to do it in the open, with your real name. Some of us are trying to have a civilized, fact-based discussion here. Others, apparently, are more interested in hiding behind pseudonyms and taking anonymous pot-shots at what they see as an easy target. It’s so easy to vilify without taking the trouble to understand or to listen.
Real accusations have been made here. You should not expect, if you are one of those people, that you don’t have a responsibility for what you say, or that there will be no consequences for being a jerk just because you’re doing it online. I don’t know Mister Rossi well, but I do know that I don’t see a schoolyard bully here. What I do see is a mob mentality: a bunch of people calling names, making unsubstantiated accusations of criminal behaviour, and piling on, all without having the simple decency to even tell everyone who they are.”
Forbes doesn’t say that he is a pilot and represents other pilots and their interests.
Sheldon believes she is being targeted by the land owner because she has stood up and complained very loudly. while she doesn’t say so – one can tell that she fears for her personal safety. That’s not the kind of city we live in – is it?
BURLINGTON, ON.June 7, 2013 — The Brant Street Pier will open to the public on June 13, two days ahead of the community celebration planned for Saturday, June 15 at noon at Spencer Smith Park.
“We are opening the pier to the community as soon as it safe to do so,” said Scott Stewart, General Manager of Development and Infrastructure. “The pier will be open and the fencing will be down the afternoon of Thursday, June 13.”
The city is also lighting up the pier, including the beacon feature, each night starting at 9 p.m. following successful lighting tests earlier this week.
Less than a week – and hundreds of people will be out on the pier enjoying the view. The pier could hold more than 2100 people – assuming they were standing shoulder to shoulder. Is there a Guinness Book of Records opportunity here. Maybe 2000 people enjoying the Goodness of Guinness all at the same time with a helicopter overhead recording the event. Dial up the city events department – see what they think.
The city is planning two celebration events related to the pier. The first is a thank you event to recognize the city’s funding partners, including the federal and provincial governments, Halton Region and Burlington Hydro. That takes place Friday, June 14 at 1 p.m. and includes speeches, a plaque unveiling and a tour of the pier.
MP Mike Wallace, Mayor Rick Goldring and representatives from Conservation Halton, Burlington Hydro and other community partners are expected to attend. The seven children who will leave their hand prints on the pier will help dignitaries unveil the plaque that recognizes the completion of the Waterfront at Downtown Burlington, including the Brant Street Pier.
Charissa Pavlou, one of the city’s best kept entertainment secrets. Hear her just the once and you will want to know why we aren’t seeing her during the Sound of Music Festival. This young lady is going to break through big time soon.
The second event is on Saturday, June 15 at noon, when the Burlington Teen Tour Band will march out onto the pier to signal the pier’s official opening. When the band leaves the pier, the community will be invited to walk on the pier and eat free cupcakes, leave hand prints on a canvas and enjoy local entertainment, including from Burlington vocalist Charissa Pavlou and other local artists.
So – here is how it is going to play out.Assuming the work is complete – all the fencing will come down the afternoon of the 13th and anyone wandering around can stroll out to the end of the pier.No sense of occasion, no marching bands, nothing special.And at $20 million – this is special.
Then a day after the politicians will show up and huff and puff and look important; unveil the really rather nifty plaque that will have been put in place and all get their pictures taken.There are a lot of gulls flying around – you know what one of them can do to the dignitaries on this occasion don’t you?
Then the NEXT day the pier will go through yet another opening when everyone will be cleared off while the Burlington Teen Tour Band will march out and open the pier for the people.Cupcakes get served – maybe balloons too.
Then everyone gets cleared from the pier at 3:00 pm so things can be set up for the fireworks display that night.
Here is the Burlington Teen Tour Band opening up the Performing Arts Centre. Imagine them doing the same thing on the pier. Going to be a glorious sight.
Mercy on us all – what a mess!Now you have some idea as to just why it took three times as long as expected to get built and more than twice what the city expected to pay for the thing.Someone called the pier the “mistake on the lake”; could he have been right.
Whoever is making the decisions about the opening doesn’t appear to have any sense of occasion or a feel for drama.The dignitaries could have been lined up and given credit for finding the money to build the thing and then the plaque unveiled.Right after that the Burlington Teen Tour Band could have come marching in off Lakeshore Road down the promenade and out onto the pier with all their flags snapping in the wind.The public would have followed them on out to the pier.
The band could have done one of those fancy turns they do at the end of the pier and come marching back towards the public that would have been kept back a respectable distance with a nice fancy felt rope.The BTTB could then have stopped just down from the node – played a few pieces and then someone would declare the pier officially opened.
Instead we are going to get one dreary official opening and then another yes you can go on the pier – now you can’t and then later you can go out again.
Enough to make you dizzy.However, when you eventually get out there – it is something.
BURLINGTON, ONJune 6, 2013.The drug dealers are keeping the police busy enough.Earlier today members of the Three District Strategic Support Team concluded an investigation into alleged cocaine traffickers in Burlington.
Investigators conducted the investigation and as a result, theTeam arrested two targeted persons.Both were found to be in possession of a quantity of marihuana and cocaine.
The investigation was concluded when the Strategic Support Team members executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant at a residence in Burlington.
As a result of the arrests and drug warrant, investigators seized the following items:
•43 grams of cocaine
• 7.5 grams of marihuana
• Approximately $ 640.00 in Canadian currency
• Scales, Packaging materials and cellular phones
ACCUSED(s):
Lilit ISHAK (20 years old)
Matthew COOPER (20 years old)
Both from Burlington have been charged with;
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking a Controlled Substance and Possession of a controlled substance
Dealing in drugs is a lucrative business – which helps to pay the lawyers you need.Gotta be a better way of making a living.But I guess as long as there are people who want to buy and use the stuff there are going to be people who will supply it.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 6, 2013Robin Hood, legend has it, stole from the rich to give to the poor, doing what we call ‘redistributing income’.England, at the time, was run by Prince John, a greedy SOB and a very poor fiscal manager who ran up record deficits to pay for his brother’s crusading activities and his own extravagant lifestyle.During his reign, as national growth plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed, he taxed the poor to death (literally) while allowing the rich to hoard their wealth.
Robin Hood – a leading thinker on the distribution of income.
Robin, on the other hand, understood that income is either spent on consumption or stuffed away as savings.He knew that the poor spent everything they earned, so every penny or half-crown they could lay their hands on was being plowed back into the economy – creating employment and domestic product.The rich, who couldn’t possibly spend all they made, stuffed their savings into a strong box or under the mattress. Robin was often heard to say, “If you want economic growth you need to redistribute” – the Robin Hood Clause.
Taxation, I know, sometimes feels like highway robbery.But not all taxes are created equal – some help our economy and some hurt.Sales taxes are regressive.They hurt, disproportionately, the middle-income and poor and thus, the economy.Stephen Harper understood this when, in his first term as PM, he cut two percentage points off the GST in order to grow the Canadian economy.By contrast, income taxes are progressive – you pay more only if you make more.Consumer demand and economic growth are largely unaffected, in comparison to sales taxes.
Our Premier was looking in the wrong places to help Toronto, the city that won’t help itself, get real public transit.The last thing the recovering Ontario economy needs is an increase in our regressive HST.I guess Jim Flaherty agrees with me, although I suspect he also had other reasons for turning down the Premier’s request to raise the HST.
So, why not look at income taxes?Provincial rates are about the lowest they’ve been in three generations.In the US, President Obama has long been trying to ratchet up income taxes on the wealthy.Even the normally conservative US Federal Reserve Chair (Bernanke) has been making noises that he supports a doubling of the tax rate on the richest Americans.Is it only a matter of time until we will need to catch up with the Americans again?
So Premier Wynne, let’s get ahead of the game.Why not get serious about reversing the damage done to our economic potential over the years by the ruthless cuts to the most important tax system we have?
Raise the progressive rates on those with the highest earnings; those who can best afford to pay.Didn’t the NDP already force Dalton McGuinty to apply a token surtax on the wealthy in his last budget?Does that then leave Andrea as the closest thing we now have to a modern-day Robin Hood?And if so, why is she silent now?
Rivers with his latest book: The end of September.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat after which he decided to write and has become a political animator. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
BURLINGTON, ON.June 5, 2013If you haven’t seen the Mayor around town that’s because he left town – spending a couple of days in Germany on city business.That should bring howls from those that think the politicians do nothing but spend public money and provide little in return.They do that in Toronto.
Mayor rick Goldring delivered an address on water to an organization that develops strategies on how to better manage water around the world. Burlington with its abundance of water will provide a significantly different perspective.
Mayor Rick Goldring and Kyle Benham, Executive Director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, have been hopping across Germany and dropping into Berlin, Munich and Frankfort.
The Mayor was invited to give an address to the German Water Partnership (GWP); a central coordination and contact office of the German water sector serving foreign partners and clients.
Kyle Benham, Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation joined the Mayor on a three day trip to Germany to develop interest in Burlington as a Canadian base for German companies in the water business.
Burlington realized that it has a cluster of some 60 organizations that are involved in the water business and that the Canada Centre for Inland Waters was a leading research institute on water.The thinking was that there might be some synergies that could result in some much needed economic development.
While we in Ontario seldom think about water as a commodity or a problem other parts of the world are not nearly as fortunate.Water is a very serious problem in large parts of Africa and the Middle East.Wars are fought over water.
The GWP is involved in water projects in Palestine, Jordan and Beirut, Lebanon. They put together the umbrella organisation that is now the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association.
The GWP is seen as the leading organizational group focused on water.They wanted a Canadian perspective and Mayor Goldrring was invited to speak and while there visit with organizations that might look on Burlington as a place to grow their North American operations.
This can be pretty heady stuff – something different for the Mayor who often finds himself bogged down in small local problems.
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., a major multi-national in the prescription drug field with a focus on products for the veterinary market has an operation on the South Service Road.While in Germany the Mayor will be meeting with some of the head office people.
Centre for Inland Waters, a federal facility that may have the potential to spearhead some economic development.
Burlington is home to Canada Centre for Inland Waters where the National Laboratory for Environmental Testing, , a fully accredited environmental analysis capability for a wide range of organic and inorganic chemicals, including a specialization in low level metals and the analysis of organic contaminants.
In addition to laboratory research, work carried out at the National Laboratory for Environmental Testing involves engineering and technical operations, such as the planning and management of field sampling programs.
This is all pretty technical stuff but a vital part of the water business and something Burlington just might manage to build into something that could become an industrial and commercial focus for the city and perhaps put some of the “economic development” land we have for sale to use.
The decision to make the trip to Germany came out of the realization that Burlington has a number of companies that are in the water business. About 60 actually. Economic development types call that a cluster – and clusters are very good for economic growth.
Burlington’s economic development corporation is in the middle of a re-development of its own – moving away from putting on events, retaining the companies that are doing business in Burlington and looking for newer opportunities for the city.
The change in focus bumped into a stunning surprise when the city realized that the income from Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) tax sources was going to be a negative number for 2013 – less than it was for 2012.That was not a good sign for a city that has reached the build out point in terms of large new housing developments.There is the Eagles Heights development in the north east and the Tremaine Road/Dundas development on the drawing boards and after that it is all infill.
Burlington does have a lot of land that is defined as “employment lands” but very little of that is shovel ready which in the minds of the economic development people means they can begin to build in a short period of time.Some of the developers are not all that keen on seeing land used for ICI type construction when, in their minds, they can build houses which provide a significantly larger financial return.
These conflicting interests put Burlington in an awkward financial spot – we have the land for new business; the developers don’t want ICI type construction; the city faces a situation where the money needed to run the city for an aging population isn’t what it used to be; that population will need more in the way of services and the city faces a massive expense to repair the infrastructure.The cost of getting our roads up to snuff is reported to be $18 – annually.
Pasquale (Pat) Paletta will be inducted as 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Thursday evening at the Burlington Convention Centre
Given that kind of a scenario a Mayor might be forgiven for wanting to go to Germany and staying there.Our Mayor is hoping that his trip to Germany will interest companies over there into coming here – and using some of that “economic development” land we have for sale.
International Harvester is in the process of getting ready to move out of the Harvester Road and Guelph Line property. Emshie Developments either has it on the market or is looking for an opportunity to get a new client into what is really industrial space on the corner of two of the busier streets in the city.There is perhaps a better use for that land.
It will be interesting to hear what the Mayor has to say when he returns.He will land in Toronto on Thursday and head directly to the Economic Development Corporation dinner to celebrate Pat Paletta, founder of the company that is the largest holder of economic development land in the city.
Pasquale (Pat) Paletta will be inducted as 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Paletta is the founder of what is known today as Paletta International Corporation. He started the company in 1964 with a 10,000 sq.ft meat packing plant, today the facility is over 200,000 sq.ft. They export to over 17 countries worldwide, in addition have developed 1000s of residential units, constructed over 500,000 sq.ft of buildings, developed 100s of acres of property for retail and employment, farm thousands of acres, and expanded in to film, media and entertainment. Burlington has always been home for the Paletta Corporation.
BURLINGTON, ONJune 4, 2013. The Board of The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is pleased to announce the election of four Directors at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.The election returns the Board to its full complement of thirteen directors.Joining the Board are Donald Baxter, Michael Southon, Barry Simmons and Arthur Salzer.
Don Baxter has spent several years in Economic Development positions, including Burlington Economic Development Corporation from 2002 to 2008. Baxter brings experience in business management positions and board governance to the board.He is involved in the development of the Roseland Community Organization as well.
Baxter, who was executive director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation where he picked up the tag of Burlington Booster moved on to Mohawk College where he served as the executive director of corporate training and partnerships.
It was built on time and on budget; they hired an accomplished Executive Director then the wheels got loose and things didn’t run smoothly and the blame game began costing the Centre its Executive Director.
Before joining the BEDC, Baxter was a founding partner of consulting firm Economic Growth Solutions Inc., doing education, tourism, economic development strategy and downtown work for municipalities, provincial ministries, colleges and school boards and private clients. He also served as executive director of economic development for Metro Toronto.
Baxter is a registered professional planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, Economic Developers Council of Ontario, Economic Development Association of Canada, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, and the International Economic Development Association.
He also worked in the consulting and municipal planning fields, and was seconded to be Research Director for a Federal/Provincial Task Force on the Supply and Price of Serviced Land in Canada. He then became Commissioner of Planning and Development in a Toronto municipality responsible for planning, building and economic development activities. For 11 years, Don was Executive Director of Economic Development for Metro Toronto, including economic development responsibilities as diverse as hosting the G7 summit, establishing the GTAA, international bids, and developing the National Trade Centre. He has degrees from the University of Guelph and Queen’s University.
Give them an Oil thigh Don and show them how it’s done
BURLINGTON, ONJune 3, 2013It was while taking a picture of the sign the city is putting up down on the pier setting out all the things that you can and can’t do – mostly common sense stuff.
When we cropped the picture and went to put it in our photo library we noticed the line that said “Park is closed from 11 p. m. to 7 a.m.” When did that happen? Who made that decision? Is someone kidding?
Ain’t that the darnedest thing you ever read – closing a park that doesn’t have a gate on it.
During a meeting this morning with Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward she said that the hours were news to her and that “well we will just have to do something about that won’t we?”
Halton police know nothing of special hours for the park – and they don’t have any special plans for policing the pier either.
While a little dated – taken May 29th – this picture shows what the entrance to the pier is going to look like. No place in this picture for any gates – so why put up a sign saying the pier is closed?
So who is going to keep people out – there are no gates.Sounds like a dumb idea to me.
This is one of those slower weeks.A couple of Council members are in Vancouver at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention where they are leaning on the federal government to get more funding for the infrastructure work that has to be done on our roads and the Mayor is preparing for his short trip to Germany where he and the Economic Development people are making a presentation to an organization involved in water and how we use it.
There is a Council meeting next Monday – maybe we will learn more about the hours of operation then.
And it is said we just might learn something about the legal problems with the pier as well.
By Staff
If I, or any of my neighbours, are not justly treated – I will push back.”
