By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 18, 2013 On Monday evening, shortly before 8:30 p.m. a male suspect got into an altercation with another male in downtown Burlington. A threat with a weapon was made before the suspect drove away.
Shortly thereafter, two police constables on routine patrol happened by chance to pull up behind the suspect. The suspect sped off and entered an intersection against a red light and began driving in a dangerous manner. The officers activated their emergency lights in an attempt to stop the suspect vehicle.
During a brief pursuit, the suspect drove directly at a patrol supervisor, who had to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision.
At the intersection of Brant Street and Plains Road East the suspect entered the intersection against a red light and collided with two vehicles that had right of way. The suspect vehicle smashed into a light standard, causing significant damage. After the collisions, the suspect bailed from the car and fled on foot. He was apprehended seconds later by the original officers who chased him on foot. During the foot pursuit, one of the officers sustained a minor injury. He was treated and released from hospital.
A 23-year-old Burlington man driving the first vehicle that the suspect hit was not injured. A 48-year-old Burlington woman and her 11 yr old son, who were in the second car hit by the suspect, sustained minor injuries and were later treated and released from hospital.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) was called to the scene and assisted in the investigation. The intersection was closed for five hours while the investigators measured the scene and collected evidence.
Several witnesses came forward and provided police with statements. Any additional witnesses are asked to call the CRU at ext. 5065.
Joshua FARRAY, age 22 yrs, of Burlington has been charged with:
Flight from Police,
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle,
Fail to Remain, 3 counts of Breach Probation,
Drive While Suspended,
Use Plates not Authorized for Vehicle,
Use Validation not Furnished for Vehicle
Drive with No Insurance
FARRAY is being held in custody for a bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Should have taken a bus.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 18, 2013 – The legal process related to the pre-2011 construction of the newly-finished Brant Street Pier is underway, with the city in court on June 21 and the matter in the discovery phase until the fall.
The Brant Street Pier opened to the public on June 13, 2013, with official opening ceremonies taking place on June 14 and 15. The pier was completed by Graham Infrastructure, hired by the city in September 2011.
The city released a memo today that outlines the five lawsuits related to the pier. The memo is on the city’s Budget and Corporate Services Committee agenda for June 18. The five lawsuits are:
Harm Schilthuis and Sons Limited vs. the Corporation of the City of Burlington
The Corporation of the City of Burlington vs. Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.
The Corporation of the City of Burlington vs. Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd., Aecom Canada Ltd., Lombard General Insurance Company of Canada, P.V &V Insurance Centre Ltd. et al (Insurance Claim)
The Corporation of the City of Burlington vs. Aecom Canada Ltd.
Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd. vs. Lombard General Insurance Company of Canada, P.V. & V Insurance Centre Ltd., the Corporation of the City of Burlington, Craneway Equipment Ltd. (Insurance Claim)
The memo refers to the public court appearance on June 21 in Milton court to address scheduling and procedure. Andy McLauchlin of McLauchlin & Associates will represent the city.
“We have promised openness and disclosure to the full amount possible to the people of Burlington,” said City Manager Jeff Fielding.
The pre-2011 pier project parties are in the examination for discovery phase of the legal action, which is a long process. Examinations for discovery should be completed in early fall 2013.
“The city would like to take steps to encourage the other parties to agree to an early, voluntary mediation process rather than wait until it is ordered by the court in order to see if an early resolution to the litigation can be found,” states the city memo.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 18, 2013 The Halton Region Health Department has reported three related cases of measles in Burlington.
Persons who visited the any of the following locations on June 8 may have been exposed to measles:
SportChek in Burlington Mall, Guelph Line and Fairview Street, at 1 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m.
The Collector’s Vault, near New Street and Guelph Line, at 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Al’s Source for Sports, 3485 Fairview Street, at 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The Halton Region Health Department has followed up individually with persons who may have been exposed at a health care setting or at an organized event.
“Measles is preventable through immunization with two doses of measles vaccine,” stated Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Persons who have measles need to isolate themselves while they are ill and for four full days after the rash first appears.”
Measles starts with cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and fever, and after about four days a rash begins on the face and moves down the body. There may be white spots inside the mouth. Measles spreads easily to persons who are not immune. Anyone born 1970 or after who has not had two doses of measles vaccine is considered susceptible to measles. Infants under one year of age, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems can get very ill with measles. Complications of measles can include middle ear infections, pneumonia, croup, and inflammation of the brain.
If you think you may have measles and need to see a doctor, you must call ahead to the doctor’s office, walk-in clinic, or emergency department. This will allow health care staff to give you a mask to wear when you arrive and take you straight to a room in which you can be isolated. In a doctor’s office you may be given the last appointment of the day.
For more information, dial 311 or call the Halton Region Health Department at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or visit www.halton.ca.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 15, 2013. It opened – indeed it did and the event was wonderful to watch, a delight to be part of and a milestone for the city. That milestone has the potential to become an albatross around the neck of this city but today is not the day to quibble.
 weft It is done – it is open and the public seem to love it. There were out in droves on the Saturday when the Burlington Teen Tour Band marched the full length of the pier and returned with the city lag snapping in the breeze.
 These things happen. The city decided their wouldn’t be a “ribbon cutting” but instead there would be a banner made up and stretched across the pier for the Burlington Teen Tour Band to march through making the opening of the pier. The sign was supposed to read Brant Street Pier NOW but the banner was longer than the space and – well the W of now got hidden. Ooops! Not an omen – please. The applause was very real. I’m not sure if those young men and woman in the BTTB were fully aware of what they were participating in –but it was an historic occasion for the city.
 They were sticky, they were gooey, they were soft and moist – one per person with more than a thousand made up to be given away. Did you get one? The city had more than 1000 cupcakes on hand to pass out – they were all used up.
Hard to say how many people actually visited the pier on the Saturday – it will have approached 5,000 by the time the day was over.
Now what?
The pier will find its place. The city will come up with ways to program the location and people will see it as something that makes their city just that much different from any other city in the province.
The birthing pains were excruciating and we know that from this point forward every politician will talk about the event as something historic. Hopefully it will move the politicians off that ‘safest city in the country” line they keep touting.
 A picture that should be etched in the mind of every citizen in the city. Glorious! It is interesting that they speak of the pier as the completion of the city’s waterfront park. The question as to what the Region does with the Beachway Park to the west of Spencer Smith has yet to be determined and for the waterfront to have some harmony the two will have to – and should – complement one another.
All in the future – this weekend the city celebrates and acknowledges that we now have something no one else has –and it is truly wonderful.
Are there flaws, deficiencies and things that need to be fixed quick, quick? You bet there are – but today is not the day to point to hose.
Point instead to that picture of the full Burlington Teen Tour Band marching back towards the city with the flags flying and the full band playing.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 15th, 2013. He is going to do it. City Councillor Jack Dennison has decided he will appeal the decision of the local Committee of Adjustment, which opposed his application to sever a portion of the east side of his property on Lakeshore Road.
The Committee of Adjustment hearing held at city hall May 21st, was one of its longest, adjourning at well after 11 pm. It was also one many felt was an embarrassment to the city and its democratic processes.
 The property on LAkeshore Road that City Councillor Jack Dennison wants to sever – against the wishes of many, if not most of his constituents. The Dennison residence is in that part of the community described as Roseland, a part of the city threatened by developments that some feel is changing the character of the community.
The community is one of two that are being given a “character study” treatment by a group of consultants working for the Planning department who are in the midst of an Official Plan Review, something the city has to do every five years.
Dennison, for reasons of his own, which are more than likely financial, decides he can sever the property he has for a significant financial return.
The application to sever was lost at Committee of Adjustment (CoA) . Everyone has the right to appeal a CoA decision to the Ontario Municipal Board. On the last day open to Dennison to file an appeal to the does so and the CoA Clerk advises the residents who have asked to be kept informed that the application to appeal has been filed.
 Letter advising Councillor Dennison that his Appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board has been received. Now the public waits for the OMB to determine a date for the hearing.
Roseland is one of those communities that decided earlier in the year that they did not want developers changing their community without their input and when the owners of a property on Hart sought a Committee of Adjustment ruling to sever, they too lost at CoA. They too took their case to the OMB – where they also lost.
The Roseland residents formed the Roseland Community Association and brought in the professional talent needed to oppose and won their case at the OMB.
Dennison feels he has a strong case and is preparing to take it to the OMB. In doing so he further alienates himself with a community that was once close to bedrock electoral support for him. That support is now lost to Dennison. Political suicide is not something one sees often in Burlington.
 Burlington’s Committee of Adjustment. All appointed by city council to serve a four-year term. From left to right chair Ramsay, members Bailey, Newbury, Kumar and Sarraf. Peter Thoem, also a member was absent. The Committee of Adjustment decision was clearly split with Chair Malcolm Ramsay, members Grant Newbury and Robert Bailey voting against the application to sever and members Dave Kumar and Sam Sarraf voting for the application. Many had serious concerns over how Kumar and Sarraf conducted themselves.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 14, 2013 For opening number two of the Brant Street Pier the God’s shone upon the city and the sun was out – the breeze from the lake was pleasant and, as has been standard for the pier – the opening was late by about a quarter of an hour.
 A colour party from the Iron Duke Sea Cadet Corps in Burlington. But it was a good occasion. All the movers and shakers and the people who make things happen were out on the site. The speeches were mercilessly short. The guest list was very short as well – some real surprises as to who wasn’t on hand. More on that later.
 Seven hands – seven futures for the city. The focal point was unveiling the plaque with the hand prints of seven young people, one from each council member. The seven were chosen from the more than 440 who sent in an application along with their thoughts on what the pier would mean to them.
Theses seven were recognized when the final beam of the pier was bolted into place and had a section of steel with their names on it. At that time their handprints were taken and later used to make casts from which a mold was made to cast the bronze plaque that was unveiled this afternoon.
That plaque is going to be out there for more than 100 years during which time those seven boys and girls will return again and again with their spouses, the children and their grandchildren. It is a wonderful piece of local history.
What kind of a pier is it going to be? Like a new restaurant, it will take some time to find its market; those people who will be out there day after day. While it is very early one could begin to get a sense of how people are going to relate to the structure.
It will serve the city well. It’s construction was plagued with problems and while those were not the making of the current civic administration is a serious blot on our copy books that is working its way through the legal system That full story has yet to be told. There is a serious bump out there that the city has yet to get over.
How and when people make the pier their own will take a little time. One “pier walker” wondered if someone would hold Tai Chi classes out at the very end of the pier? What a neat idea. Will weddings be performed on the observation deck? Will anyone remember that there was supposed to be a win turbine at the top of the beacon on the observation deck? It was going to provide all the power to keep the lights on.
With the pier officially opened we now head for the “third” opening that will take place on Saturday.
Sometime next week the words Brant Street Pier will get moved from the Project and Initiatives part of the city’s web site.
A traditional bronze plaque was set out on the pier with the names of the current Council members. It may well be the only public mark of the municipal political service some of them have given.
 Henry Schilthuis on the left, along with an aide.  Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster on the right walks with former Ward 6 Councillor Carol D’Amelio. Expect to see these two running against each other in 2014. D’Amelio wants back in.  Note quite the traditional photo op – most of those who took part in the official opening of the pier gathered at the end. For once everything worked.  The ceremonies over the Naval Promenade becomes the fous with the Seniors’ out in force listening to the All MAle Welsh Choir. Strolling along is Craig Stevens, the city’s project manager on the pier project. He direction and oversight kept the project going when it got a little wonky at times – but that’s another story. So who WAS there and who WASN’T there?
Some thought former Mayor Rob MacIsaac would be on hand to say a few words about how this project came about. However, had MacIsaac ben on hand then former Mayor Cam Jackson would have had to be on hand – and that wasn’t going to happen.
Regional chair Gary Carr sent his regrets.
Former city council member Carol D’Amelio was on hand. She and Councillor Blair Lancaster toured the observation deck together. Expect those two to battle it out in Ward six next municipal election. D’Amelio wants back in. She gave up her Council seat in 2010 to run against then Mayor Cam Jackson and while she did better than Jackson the city wanted a new look and chose Rick Goldring.
Councillor Taylor didn’t attend. Councillor Dennison did but he wasn’t talking about his decision to appeal the Committee of Adjustment decision that went against him to the Ontario Municipal Board. The decision to appeal will mark the beginning of the end of his 20 years of political service.
Henry Schilthuis and one of his able assistants made an appearance. Schilthuis was the original contractor on the pier. e walked away from the project when he realized, in his opinion, that it could not be built with the plans he was given.
A court of law will decide if Henry Schilthuis was right.
The pier is now part of the city. Is it what those Council members back in 1999 thought it would be? It will find and make a place for itself. The city can settle into its next biggest problem – the absolutely obscene situation with the Air Park.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 14, 2013. The Saturday is the blowout day for the Sound of Music – the day they pull out all the stops and begin with a parade with every possible group they could find to take part. As events in this city go it at times beats even the Santa Claus parade – except they don’t have the big guy in the red suit.
There is a new parade route this year. It starts at 11:00 am. at Central Park; travels along New Street and James Street to City Hall; then turns south on Brant Street, west on Lakeshore, ending at Maple Ave., featuring as always Burlington’s own Teen Tour Band and Junior Redcoats.
With the parade ending the music begins.
Here is the lineup for the first half of the day.
People will certainly want to get out onto the pier and take in the view.
Then back for the evening schedule.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 14, 2013. The damage to property as a result of the land fill being dumped at the airport in north Burlington is very hard to appreciate if you just drive up and down the roads. There is really nothing to see were you to drive along Bell School Line. What’s the problem here you would ask – must be those pesky rural types who get upset if you cut down as much as a single tree.
The Gazette has reported on the damage done to Barbara Sheldon’s property closely because it is so very evident and the relationship between Sheldon and Vince Rossi is so toxic. These two send each other threatening notices about trespassing on each other’s property.
Not a hint of cooperation from Rossi over the difference he has made to the value the Sheldon property.
 Were fill like this dumped in the backyard of a property south of Dundas in Burlington the by-law enforcement officer would be ordering it be removed – immediately. Burlington Executive Air Park claims they are under federal jurisdiction and do not have to comply with municipal, Region or Conservation Authority regulations. The Cousins, Wendy and Carl are just up the road from Sheldon. Their situation is quite a bit different. Carl Cousins farms the land and takes hay off each year. For the past three years he has not been able to get onto some of the fields – “they are just too wet” he explains.
Wendy was born on the farm which consists of two lots – one 25 acres and the other 5 acres.
 The original culvert installed by the company doing the land fill work for the Air Park. The run off from the landfill was flooding the property next door. That is a lot of landfill to dump – is it needed to improve aeronautical operations at the airport or is it a landfill revenue operation? The ‘mountain’ of earth at the edge of their property is stunning. Imagine anyone south of Dundas seeing a pile of earth similar to that shown in the pictures we have set out below next to their property line.
The city would have by-law enforcement officers in there in a flash and that earth would be gone – real pronto.
 The upgrades to the culvert that handles the runoff from the landfill onto the Cousins property. Anyone of the Regional Councillors with an farming background will tell you this is as useless as those things on bulls.
Shoddy treatment by the air park owners. The Burlington Executive Air Park has taken the position that they are regulated by the federal government and do not have to comply with municipal, Regional or Conservation rules and regulations. Many think this is a total crock and while local government.ck all government moves slowly there is now movement.
Most reasonable people see this as unfair and an abuse of the federal jurisdiction situation. Yes airports have to be regulated by the federal government to ensure that all airports are following the same rules. BUT what Rossi is doing has precious little to do with aeronautics. And where what he is doing has to do with aeronautics e is expected to be civil.
 Flow of run-off water from the landfill in the background is not only rotting the fence posts but flooding the fields on the Cousin’s property making it too we to take off the hay from the family farm. That landfill in the background is there, it is claimed, to improve the aeronautical operations of the Burlington Executive Air Park. It will take time for this to work its way into a court room but some day, at some time there will be a Judge who will opine that Vince Rossi has abused the federal jurisdiction and used it as a skirt to hide behind.
His day will come.
Meanwhile Wendy and Calvin Cousins put up with the damage to their lifestyle and their livelihood.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 14, 2015 As a result of further investigation, Halton Regional Police homicide detectives have determined the murder of Parmanand (Barry) DEBIE was a deliberate, pre-planned act and have accordingly upgraded the charge against Calvin GREEN to first degree murder.
GREEN will attend a bail hearing this morning at 10:00 a.m. at the Milton Provincial Court.
A number of Gazette readers have commented and complained that the police are being unfair with the language they are using and that it is a court of law that makes the decision as to guilt.
The role of the police is to investigate and then lay what they feel are appropriate charges under the Criminal Code Act. A court of lay will then decide if the person is guilty or not guilty.
Those readers have a point.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 14, 2013 Burlington seems to like soft openings.
The city did that with the Performing Arts Centre. They set up a schedule that allowed people to get used to the place by taking part in small events.
There were small events for different groups and public events where people just wandered in and out of the building.
 The first public – they came in dribs and drabs Thursday afternoon. The same approach seems to be the way the pier is going to open.
Thursday afternoon a crowd of a couple of hundred were gathered around the gates waiting to wander out – but those gates weren’t ready to come down. The construction crews were still giving the place the finishing touches it needed.
 CHCH TV reporter arrives a little too early. Pier not quite ready for its opening. A local television station announced the pier was going to open at 3:30pm – they got that wrong. There was still work to be done. The bits of rain that drifted in and out didn’t help.
The contractor would have been just as happy if the public had not been let out onto the pier on Thursday – they still had work to do.
The construction crews would move the gates back further and further to allow people out – but it wasn’t until well past 5:30 pm before people could walk out to the observation deck. And even then they could not go beyond because crews were setting up facilities for a fireworks display.
All a little awkward – but Burlingtonians seemed to go along with the flow.
 The pier has a limit of 2100 people on it at any one time – there were not that many yesterday afternoon and we probably won’t see that big a crowd for some time – bit it will hold that many if they are out there shoulder to shoulder. Is there a Guinness Book of Records opportunity here? By 7:00 pm people were wandering in and looking around. Mayor Goldring took a stroll and several hundred people were out with skate boards and baby carriages as they decided just how they were going to relate to their pier.
On Friday the politicians will hold their event, the Sea Cadets will form some kind of an honour guard which is a nice touch. The politicians are not expected to take all that long to do their thing.
 One of the pluses with the pier was the mini-beach that was formed on the west side. Due to the currents and the flow of water sand gets washed up on the west side. when city engineers saw this formation they decided to put in a walkway leading to the water.
MAny thought there was going to be docks for boats to tie up to – they talked about it and they even costed it out – and then backed away from it given the massive cost over runs.
You can almost bet that at some point there will be talk of baot docks again. Then it’s back in the hands of the public – but they still won’t be able to get out to the very end – the space from the observation deck to the end is being used to set up the fireworks display for Saturday night as part of the Sound of Music Festival.
 They will become collectors items sold on eBay in the future. Did you get one? But folks – for those of you who have been waiting for years for this pier to get given to you – Sunday it will be all yours. It is quite the place to wander around in the early hours of the morning, perhaps with a cup of coffee and a friend.
Perhaps you will be one of those early “pier walkers”.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 13, 2013. Earlier today homicide detectives arrested the individual responsible in the death of Parmanand (Barry) DEBIE.
Calvin Gordon GREEN, a 19-year-old Toronto resident was arrested in Burlington and is facing a charge of second degree murder.
GREEN is being held in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for Friday June 14, at 10:00 a.m. in Milton Provincial Court.
The investigation has determined that the victim knew the accused and died as a result of being stabbed.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 13, 2013 The 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.
 By Pepper Parr
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 Barbara Re 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.
 By Pepper Parr
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.
 By Pepper Parr
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”.
Maybe just a trickle of civility.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 12, 2013 City 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.
Stay tuned.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 12, 2013 PERL 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.
There is more to this story. Stay tuned.
 By Ray Rivers.
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.
 By Pepper Parr
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.
 By Walter Byj, Correspondent
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 WoW factor 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 because I 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.
|
|
