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.
View from the end of the pier as a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker works its way across the lake minutes after leaving Burlington Bay.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON.June 3, 2013.It’s here! – The Brant Street Pier – that’s the line the city is using to announce that after more than ten years of toil and $20 million, although the city is saying It cost just $14 million, the Pier is going to be open to the public and for a few days we can set aside the concerns about the mistakes and the cost over runs and celebrate what we have.We are going to be paying for the mistakes for some time but for this one day let us eat, drink and be merry.
And without being cynical – the pier is going to be an absolute delight.We have watched the construction from the day we got a look inside the electrical room looking for light standards that no one could find to the day when the new contractor began stripping away all the beams put in place the first time around
It is something to be out at the end of the pier and look out over the lake.The ships that pass by seem just that much closer – it makes you feel as if you are part of a shipping town.You can watch ships jut their bows outside through the lift bridge as they edge of out the lake from Burlington Bay.
While the node with the beacon on it isn’t all that high it certainly gives you a sense as to what the pier itself looks like.
You will find that you go through different stages as you walk out to the end.It’s rather a nice wide open space at the front end and then narrows a bit as you walk through the twists in the S-shaped design.
Right at the very end, weeks before the construction neared completion, Pepper Parr, Publisher of Our Burlington and Craig Stevens, pier project manager for the city, stand looking back into the city. Within two weeks thousands of Burlingtonians will have the same experience. All the guard rails will be in place by then.
Once you are out over the water you will begin to see all kinds of barn swallows flying around – hundreds of them have taken up residence underneath the pier where they have made nests from bits of mud and grass they have picked up along the edge of the lake and created nests.Over time we may see a very extensive colony of these birds – not sure how thy will co-exists with the gulls that have fouled the surface of the pier.
Every structure has its secrets and the pier, we have found, has its own delights that you discover over time.
The pier sings.Yes, the pier sings.
The rails that run from the beginning of one side all the way around to the end of the other side of the pier are a brilliant blue – the colour is officially known as Burlington Blue – although some are saying it is Maple Leaf blue – they wish. Beneath the rails are strands of steel wire roap that prevent anyone from falling over – it’s a long drop.
On a windy day, and it seems as if there is always a bit of a breeze out at the end of the pier there is a spot just behind the bottom on the node on the west side where the wind whistles through the steel wire rope and the aluminum balustrades and evokes different tunes.Over time we are sure that visitors to the pier will discover other places where the pier will sing.
The amount of time you get to actually spend on the pier – appears to have limits – which is going to disappoint many.There is a sign that will go up later this week setting out all the rules that apply to the place.A pleasant walk to the end of the pier after a special night that included dinner downtown is going to have to take place before 11:00 pm.
The pier is a park and it has hours of admission apparently. 7 am to 11 pm – that’s what you get. So much for being out at the end and watching the sun rise with a thermos of hot coffee.
The design doesn’t appear to have fences or gates to keep people off the pier; there are bollards that narrow the openings to the pier to keep nut cases who decide to try and drive their cars out onto the structure.
The guard rails are not in place yet nor are the benches that will be put in place – a total of 16 benches are being installed. Additional benches could get put in place in the future if the need becomes evident.
There is no word yet on what kind of policing there will be on the pier.
It will take the city awhile to get used to the structure.It is certainly an experience to walk out to the end and just experience the lake and the passing ships.
This is the path people will walk down to get to the pier. Contractors are completing the work and, unless there is a catastrophe, the pier will open on the 14th. Expensive – yes but worth the wait.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON.May 31, 2013.There appears to be some movement on the legal side of things with the pier.It has been suggested to us that we might want to pay close attention to some comments, maybe even an announcement at the city council meeting June 10, that there is a resolution to a part of the legal dispute.
The city is in the middle of a law suite with a number of people, the most significant of which are the original contractor, Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd. and AECOM, who were the contract administrators when the original contractor, Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd., walked off the site.
There are millions of dollars on the table with this one.While AECOM is going to be difficult to settle with, but we could be wrong on this, it is understood that HSS was interested in settling with the city but that opportunity may have passed.
The city is gearing up for a grand opening and really wishes the focus could be on the hoopla and speeches and create an opportunity for people to walk out onto the pier and see the structure for what it is – a really magnificent addition to the city.
All true – but to be as late as this project has been and to have to deal with the huge cost over runs, never mind the ton of money that is going to be spent on the lawyers the city has had to hire, is not being accountable or transparent.
Heads should roll for this one – unfortunately the heads that oversaw this monumental screw up have quietly left town.Of the team that over saw this – there is just one poor soul left at city hall.Tom Eichenbaum, Director of Engineering and the guy that has been sitting through hours of “discovery” with lawyers grilling him on who did what when.
All the others have found a more comfortable place to add to their pensions.
The city recently set aside $10,000 to cover the cost of specialized communications people – the kind that know how to handle sticky legal problems.
There appeared to be an opportunity to settle with the original contractor but that slipped away; someone convinced the city this wasn’t a good idea.
BURLINGTON, ON.May 31, 2013.Things have never been really smooth between the Sound of Music people and city hall; there is always something those two are squabbling about.If it isn’t parking spaces for the SOM people then they differ over who is going to pay for what – this year that what are the fireworks.The city feels they are doing the SOM people a big favour by allowing the fireworks to be done on the brand new pier – saving SOM the cost of getting a barge.
SOM is getting the feeling they are being hustled by the city and that there event is being used to draw crowds for the opening of the pier.
Mayor Rick Golding did say the city was going to horn in on the Sound of Music to open the pier – maybe the Mayor thought the music festival is what would draw the crowds for the two opening events that are going to take place.With a lot of noise and fireworks (no balloons we are advised) the public might get moved into an oooh and awe mood and forget just how much, what was for a time, called the “mistake on the lake”
At this point, weeks before the opening of the pier and the kickoff of the Sound of Music, which begins with a parade the city and the SOM people are differing over the actual parade route.
Sound of Music volunteers marking locations for vendor booths – 800 people volunteer to make this happen.
The SOM people had hoped the event would come into the core via James Street and swing south along Brant to Lakeshore and proceed west along Lakeshore and then have the Burlington Teen Tour Band part of the parade make a u-turn and get back to Brant Street and swing south into Spencer Smith Park and out onto the pier.
That idea, much to the dismay we are told of the SOM people, has not gotten any traction and so the parade will now come into the core via James Street and go north on Brant and end at Caroline.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association is apparently miffed as well – there members were hoping for something more dramatic.
Maybe the city didn’t want SOM going out on the pier until it was officially opened and before our MP Mike Wallace gets to tell the folks who elected him just how much he has done for them.And he has done a lot.
Is this just another squabble between the city and the Sound of Music?One would think that an organization that drives millions into the local economy would have a stronger working relationship with the city.Is it the city that is being difficult or is it the SOM management that doesn’t know how to manage?
There are hundreds of volunteers who make SOM happen.One would think that the management skills needed to make that work would be more than capable of getting along with city hall.Are they both not on the same page.
Something to look into in the future.
The Sound of Music was an event started by the city more than 30 years ago.In 1998 city hall realized they couldn’t manage a task of this magnitude and spun it off in 1998 to a newly incorporated community group that was called the Sound of Music Festival Inc.It was as bit of a grind in the early years but they have grown the business and today the event is one of the top ranked things to take in.
It is Canada’s Largest Free Music Festival. More than 200,000 people enjoy the biggest annual gathering of music by the lake and enjoy free concerts spanning all genres.
A bit dated perhaps – but still a great group – something for the parents?
The Festival Kick-off is on Friday June 7th, on Burlington Hyundai Community Stage including performers Honeymoon Suite (honeymoonsuite.com) and The Spoons (thespoons.ca).
Opening night, Thursday June 13th, on Festival Stage, features Toronto natives Down With Webster (facebook.com/downwithwebster).
Friday evening at OLG Stage boasts Jully Black (jullyblack.com), and Big Wreck (bigwreckmusic.com) at Festival Stage. Danny Fernandes (dannyfernandes.com) is co-headlining with Alyssa Reid (alyssareid.com) on Burlington Hyundai Stage.
Burlington’s own – The Spoons – they were part of the opening of the Performing Arts Centre. Nice to see them back in town.
Saturday afternoon, on Festival Stage, are illScarlett (illscarlett.com) and USS (ussmusic.com), followed in the evening by LIGHTS (music.iamlights.com). It’s Country all day long over on OLG stage, in the afternoon is Small Town Pistols (smalltownpistolsfans.com), the evening line-up features Doc Walker (docwalker.ca). Sharon & Bram are taking the stage Saturday afternoon at Burlington Hyundai Stage and see Royal Wood (royalwood.ca) downtown at Cogeco Stage.
Sunday’s performers include Platinum Blonde (platinumblonde.com),April Wine(aprilwine.ca) and 54-40 (5440.com) on Festival stage. Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace (rainemaida.net) will be on OLG Stage.
BURLINGTON, ON. May 30, 2013. First of all, let’s forget about the money and the multiple delays.
I know that to some this is an important feature and must not be forgotten. That is true.
Correspondent Walter Byj: Enjoy the pier.
What will it do? Add to the beauty of downtown Burlington. That was not only my thought, but also others from the media that took the afternoon tour. It is not the longest pier in the world, but is one of the few curved piers around. It offers a picturesque view of not only Burlington, but also of Lake Ontario and the Burlington Skyway.
The pier as you will see it as you walk down from Brant Street. The last of the landscaping is being done, the LED lights that will illuminate the beacon at the top of the node are being installed and programmed. The one thing that will not happen here this year: the Sound of Music parade will not get out onto the pier.
In addition, the rock formation along the shore is stunning. And this view will change depending on the time of day and time of year.
With 100 programmable LED lights, the pier will come alive at night and can easily reflect special occasions such as red and white lights on Canada Day. In fact, dusk or night-time could very well be the best times to visit the pier.
Scott Stewart, GM of Development and Infrastructure for the City of Burlington is proud of the pier and feels that it would be a winner for downtown. When asked about various problems that the pier might encounter, such as crowding and other activities that the pier offers. he did say that “it would be a learning experience and rules might have to be made up as circumstances dictate.”
Should you run down on June 15th so that you can be the one first to walk the pier? Perhaps not, it might be fairly crowded. However, do make the trip and take in the surroundings without thinking of costs and overruns. For some this may not be possible, but the money has been spent, you cannot get it back. Enjoy the results.
BURLINGTON, ON. May 29, 2013.How do you keep the natives happy?How do you answer all the phone calls, take care of the problems – big and small?Get to the city council meetings, and then the Regional Council meetings and read all the reports? Burlington recently had a committee meeting that had a 1000+ page agenda.
Councillor Rick Craven once got a call from a new home owner complaining about the noise from the rail line that passed behind a berm near the home and wanted him to do something about the noise.Apparently the home owner didn’t know there was a rail line behind the berm.Councillor Marianne Meed Ward found herself out Christmas Day one year picking up a couple of bags of garbage.
Municipal politics are local and you get everything – wind rows from the snow plows, garbage not picked up, not being able to get your child into a Parks and Recreation class.The Seniors’ in Burlington, and there are a lot of them, have their own special needs.
Did I mention transit?The list goes on and on.And yet Burlington has two Council members who have held their seats for 20 years and more .One of the them did recently get himself black-balled by a community organization.
Councillor Blair Lancaster gets out to almost every photo-op there is and has served as the lead spokesperson at a number of NGTA community events with crowds of 250+. Her constituents are not happy with how she is handling the Air Park issue.
Blair Lancaster, one of the crop that got elected to Council for the first time last election has been around politics much of her life.A former beauty queen, Lancaster has created a business and a personality that serve her well.She can be tough when she chooses to be.She brings her own personal style to the job and at times has difficulty fully grasping the details of an issue but she is pretty quick, most of the time, to get the sense of what is happening and follows along.
She brings a bit of that old Conservative Ontario sense of entitlement: you know that, “we deserve this” and the sense that she is here to serve is not always top of mind.She means well.
Lancaster has in the past, held community events at the Air Park.We attended one such event and thought it was something Lancaster had put together; it wasn’t. It was an annual event the Air Park people put on for the community – Lancaster had just piggy-backed on the event.For many in her ward that was getting just a little too close to a company many in the community had major issues with.
There is now a major issue with the Air Park that has ward six residents writing their council member.Here is a sample of a couple of those letters and the Council members response.
My name is Teri Jaklin; I am a resident of Rural Ward 6. We have not yet met, which in itself may be telling given the note I am embarking on now.
Blair, I have been following the new activity that is percolating, once again between the air park and the rural community in your ward. And I respectfully suggest that you have some serious work to do when it comes to effectively representing your constituents (in rural Ward 6) in a fair and balanced fashion.
Ward 6 is full of people who have made their homes and lifestyles here for the very treasures it holds. Greenbelt, an internationally renowned Biosphere, the beauty of the escarpment and the promise to protect these for generations to come. These are people who are willing to fight harder than the politicians, it would seem, to protect same. And for the fourth time in less than eight years these very people were gathered in a private home, once again, discussing how to protect themselves from this area’s greatest threat, Vince Rossi and the Burlington Airport.
You can speak to any of the people on this distribution list, or anyone living in this area to learn how the noise and air pollution caused by years of fill activity has compromised safety and quality of life – you can speak to neighbours who have been hit head on by the very trucks carrying the fill, not to mention the countless near misses on Appleby Line, those whose properties have been used by rogue truckers as “alternate” dump sites when the airpark gates have been closed, those who have sustained direct property damage as a result of the sheer volume of truck traffic, and you can – and should – speak to one of our neighbours whose beautiful country home has literally been turned into a sink hole – with no regard or respect to her what so ever. Certainly there are personalities at play but wouldn’t you be upset Blair if mountains of fill surrounded your home, covered with weeds, with no landscaping or concern for your quality of life – and no reasonable response from the City?
For years and years this activity has gone on under the veil of “federal jurisdiction” and has been broadly supported by the City’s love affair with the prestige of having an airport in Burlington. But who is talking to the people that live in Rural Ward 6? Who is managing the balanced and sustainable development of the airport? Yes, an airport is “federally regulated” but it is your job Blair to understand exactly what that means in every way and strictly manage this development so that it is consistent with Provincial and Regional environmental mandates in Burlington as well as the City’s commitment to the conservation of these unique and spectacular lands.
The City’s own words on their environmental commitment are “where people, nature and business thrive” – not where one thrives at the expense of the other. Over the many years that the residents of your ward have been struggling to be heard, we have spoken with every level of government and the common answer has been that ultimately the buck stops with the City, yet when we have engaged the City on the subject, we get a “deer in the headlights” look and no authoritative response. Does the City even care about life north of the 407? Imagine how frustrated we are.
Blair, your job is no insignificant role. You represent rapidly expanding urban growth and the commercial interests therein as well as the uniqueness of environmentally sensitive lands, a rural community and a growing Airpark. This is a huge responsibility for a new councillor. It also begs the following questions:
What is your understanding of and experience in aviation? What aviation expert has the City of Burlington engaged to support you in airport matters and when will that individual sit at the table with the City, environmental agencies and other stakeholders?
Does the City truly understand the rights and responsibilities of the airpark to the City, or is it just taking Mr. Rossi’s word for it?
What are the 1, 3, and 5-year plans for the City with regard to the development of the Airpark and Rural north Burlington?
When is the City going to engage the passionate people of Rural North Burlington as allies in these plans?
There is more in them thar hills than an enthusiastic airport developer Blair.
Nobody here is opposed to the airport, it was here before many of us moved in, and mostly we maintain a civil relationship with Vince and his managers. But what is going on with the airport borders on negligent with respect to the greater picture, and specifically with regard to the environment and the lives of your constituents.
You are largely viewed as having partnered with the airport to the exclusion of any other stakeholders – and by that I mean the people whose lives are directly impacted by airport activity. What is your position and what are you doing for the residents of Rural North Burlington? When are you going to talk to us? How long can we expect our quality of life to be compromised – or is that your plan for our future?
Poor communication leaves a door wide open to speculation, gossip and frustration. We have come to the Ward 6 Councillor in the past and expressed a desire to work collectively, from a positive perspective, with the City and the airpark – to the point where we had several meetings together. Then came an election, and, well, here we are, I guess we have to start all over again.
If I have missed information that would shed light on any of my concerns then I stand humbly corrected and welcome the new input. If not, then I look forward to hearing from you, as I am sure may of my friends and neighbours do. Please advise when that will be at your earliest convenience.
I look forward to your response,
Councillor Lancaster responds with:
Thank you for caring so passionately about our rural residents.
I will address your concerns individually starting with your comments about not having met. I thought Michelle introduced you and Mike to me at the first Niagara GTA meeting in December 2010 . We really appreciated Mike offering to video and photograph the event for us. Since then we have been in contact with Mike many times about the Airpark and NGTA.
I have also provided many other opportunities to network with Ward Six Rural residents such as: three Airpark open houses, The Rural Summit, The Rural Cycling Safety meeting and the “Ward Three and Six” Rural Open House at Conservation Halton. Of course, all of my public meetings in the urban part of my ward are open to rural residents as well.
We regularly communicate with Ward Six Residents through our newsletter, facebook and my city webpage as well as special distribution lists for specific issues, such as the Airpark. I understand that Mike is on the Airpark mailing list, if you would also like to be included, please email Michelle directly as we cannot communicate with you without your express written permission. You may also subscribe to our Ward Six e-newsletter, the link is below in my signature.
As you are aware, the Airpark is regulated by the Federal Government. I spoke with city staff last week who, in an email, reiterated their position that the city did their due diligence several years ago on issues related to the Airpark and they are comfortable with their assessment that items related to the provision of aeronautics fall under the jurisdiction of the FAA, Federal Aeronautics Act. They were referring to issues such as the fill.
I have had many meetings with residents who live close to the Airpark who have concerns regarding the noise and safety from the Flight School training program. Students continuously fly over their homes repeatedly taking off and landing. Unfortunately, the City of Burlington has no opportunity to enforce a height restriction or noise bylaw as they do not regulate or measure air activity. Although I have no authority to enforce change, I have met with residents and Airpark officials to help facilitate discussions. A remedy is still to be achieved.
I am not aware that there is an issue regarding collisions. There have been no complaints made to my office.
There are no joint City and Airpark plans for the development of the Airpark. As for rural Burlington in general, I have attached the workbook from the Rural Summit held in January of this year. The City of Burlington engaged residents by inviting them to attend a Rural summit and over a hundred people participated. The City also had an online survey for residents who were unable to attend. As well, over 500 people attended the Niagara GTA meetings.
I have no experience in Aviation and it is not part of my role as a councillor. The Federal representative responsible for the Airpark is Lisa Raitt, I noticed you did not include her in your correspondence, I have provided her contact information for you here.
A ward 6 resident, Barbara Sheldon, who lives across the road from Terri Jaklin responds the Councillor Lancaster’s response with one of her own.
April -2013
I respectfully forewarn you Ms. Lancaster: this may be one of the most politically incorrect letters you’ve yet to receive since you took Office. To that point, I suspect if there’s not an authentic and noticeable change in your commitment, actions and accountability towards the rural residents of your
Ward whose lives are being destroyed by the owner of the Burlington Airpark, you will receive more like this before you leave Office. Last week, you received an intelligent letter from Dr. Jaklin, a well-regarded member of our community, asking you to step up to the plate and do the job for which you’ve been elected. She asked that you represent the best interests of your constituents in this community with a fair and balanced process, to paraphrase Dr. Jaklin’s request.
Dr. Jaklin’s letter has been widely distributed and cheered by our community. Two days ago, the letter that you signed back to her soared thru cyberspace to the same recipients. No cheers for you. In fact, the shock and disgust at your letter were thicker than all that smoke you blew in it. Not only did you NOT address the main concern Dr. Jaklin raised, you dared to insult her intelligence, and consequently the rest of our community for whom she spoke.
Who wrote that for you, Ms. Lancaster? Surely, you didn’t. Someone who genuinely stood on a platform of “BEST PRACTICES” in order to win votes could never have crafted that.
Barbara Sheldon feeds geese on her spring fed pond and wonders just how much more land fill is going to be put on the air park property that is next to her home. Sheldon doesn’t mind the noise of the light aircraft flying around – her problem is with heavy construction equipment noise and what the land fill is going to do to the value of her property and her right to the peaceful use of her home.
Make no mistake about it, Ms. Lancaster – even though you did not visit our community when you were running for Office, we followed your campaign very closely. Good campaign, Ms. Lancaster – however it would appear that once you took Office, you took a page from your predecessor’s notebook when it comes to turning a blind eye to the Burlington Airpark’s destruction of our rural residential and agricultural community within your Ward.
With that in mind, I wish you’d take a page from Marianne Meed-Ward’s playbook. She has clearly demonstrated common sense, integrity, intelligence, compassion and willingness to represent the best interests of her Constituents, as well as the entire city.
Here it is plain and simple for you Ms. Lancaster: We want you to demonstrate the exact same traits exemplified by your colleague and represent the sensible and reasonable interests of this community with regards to the activities of the Burlington Airpark THAT ARE NOT GOVERNED BY TRANSPORT
CANADA – and do it in a fair and balanced process. I would be disappointed if you did not know by now which activities are not governed by TC, but here it is, plain and simple again for you: the only thing that TC has jurisdiction over at the Burlington Airpark is aeronautical safety. Accordingly, the landfill operation is NOT GOVERNED federally.
Oh – and about your previous Open Houses at the Burlington Airpark? Not a BEST PRACTICE, Ms. Lancaster – not if you genuinely wanted to understand and represent the best interests of this community.
Councillor Blair Lancaster has held several community meetings at the Air Park. Here she meets with constituents in August of 2012. Many North Burlington residents feel it is inappropriate for community events to be held at the air park.
Let me make this ‘plain and simple’ for you again: Asking us to set foot on the land of a man who’s been willfully and selfishly achieving personal gains at the documented expense of destroying our lives, homes and livelihoods, makes about as much sense as asking breast cancer survivors to meet with you, in your capacity as the ED of the Breast Cancer Support Services, at a location known for hosting carcinogenic elements…like a cigarette smoke-filled patio. Doesn’t make much sense, does it – let alone reflect your sincere interest in helping those people.
Nor does your counter statement to Dr. Jaklin make any sense – the one in which you stated how you can regularly communicate with us through your newsletter and social media. For gawd’s sake, Ms. Lancaster, we are not asking to be ‘communicated’ with. And since when did ‘one-way’ communication become a BEST PRACTICE????
Conversely, Ms. Lancaster, we are asking you to participate with us, your Constituents, on a matter that is entirely under your mandate. If you are uncertain of your role with us, I politely ask that you re-read your Councillor manual, specifically Burlington’s Procedural By-law 58-2005, article A: (You are) To represent the public and to consider the well- being and interests of the municipality..
Notice that you are not restricted to solely represent and consider the well-being and interests of a private Company? To this point, I want a straight answer from you now. Are you willing to come to our community, during the day, and accompany us on a personal tour to witness first-hand the needless and intentional destruction of the properties and welfare of your Constituents, as well as that of the tourists and travelers in our region, resulting from the massive landfill operation directed by Mr. Rossi? I assure you that we will be able to schedule a time that is convenient to you.
This is a simple yes/no question, Ms. Lancaster – requiring no political doublespeak, so please withhold that, as well as any smoke you may be tempted to blow up my ***, like you did Dr. Jaklin’s.
But a caveat, Ms. Lancaster: if you feel compelled to invite any parties associated with the Airpark to join you on this tour – please don’t. Plain and simple: they are not welcome at this time. However, we encourage you to bring your colleagues from Council – it’s about time they were brought up to speed, not by hearsay or by what the Airpark people want you to hear, but by viewing the evidence in person, so they may truly understand the realities and the gravity of the situation.
We are not your enemy, Ms. Lancaster. As dedicated stewards of the rural lands and lives in Burlington, not only are we some of the nicest, most responsible, hard-working and compassionate folks you’ll ever meet, we are your Constituents – you know, the folks you’ve declared on your website as being THRILLED to have the opportunity to represent. Are you ready to make good on that – or did someone else write that for you as well??
Barbara Sheldon
And so it goes in the life of a Burlington city Councillor.Lancaster has indicated that she intends to run for office again in 2014 – that was before this barrage of letters.
Burlington, ON. May 29, 2013. The Burlington Art Centre announces the appointment of Denis Longchamps as Director of Programs. Longchamps replaces George Wale, who is retiring from the position after 27 years of exemplary service to the BAC during which time he built an outstanding ceramics collection.
Longchamps comes to Burlington after serving as Manager of Exhibitions and Publications at The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, Newfoundland.He brings a passion for his curatorial work, which bridges both contemporary art and craft practices.
Longchamps created the Craft Journal (craftjournal.ca), which he edits and publishes semi-annually.
Longchamps studied Art History at York University before moving to Concordia in Montreal, where he received a Masters and PhD in Art History.
Denis Longchamps – new director of programming for the Burlington Art Centre brings years of experience to the new appointment. Good Luck Mr. Longchamps.
Longchamps will oversee the BAC’s Programs department, includingthe planning and implementation of20 exhibitions and related receptions and artists’ talks; 200 studio courses for adults and children every year; the Permanent Collection, which now numbers over 2,000 contemporary Canadian ceramic artworks; and guild-related programs with seven juried exhibitions each year. The role also involves mentorship and professional development programs and special projects.
“Denis’ proven experience in exhibitions, education and collections will be a great addition to the BAC’s Program team,” says Ian Ross, Executive Director of the BAC. “His strong connections in the art scene will build on the BAC’s solid foundation to increase its profile in Burlington, the Halton region and across Canada.”
That experience may become very useful to Burlington and the evolution of the Art Centre as the city looks at its cultural assets and thinks forward about how to best manage them and get full value for what we have.
There has been more than one conversation about re-locating the Art Centre from its site on Lakeshore Road to a possible new structure in the downtown core.Some at city hall believe that the value of the land the Art Centre sits on could be realized if it were sold and used to develop additional condominium housing – the site is certainly well suited to that.
The $6 million the property is said to be worth would go a long way to building a structure that could house a truly superb Art Centre.
Denis Longchamps may be part of a very significant change to the arts community in this city.
At a recent council committee meeting earlier this week General Manager, Budget and Corporate Affairs Kim Phillips advised that the cultural plan expected in June will not be ready – then – it has been pushed back to the fall.
BURLINGTON, ON.May 29, 2013.Barbara Sheldon knows the damn thing is there – she just doesn’t understand how someone can do what was done.
Basically there is a hill of earth more than 30 feet high – 100 feet from her kitchen window on the north side of her housethat blocks her view and she is convinced it is going to seriously impact her well water supply.
The hill was built on the property to the north of her house and another hill is being built on the land to the south of her house.The one on the south is not close to her house but it is right on her property line.And she has no clear explanation as to what the purpose of all the land fill is.
Nor does the city of Burlington. The land is owned by the Burlington Executive Air Park, which suggests someone has a plan.
Barbara Sheldon stands in front of a hill of landfill that rises from the north side edge of her property on Appleby Line next to the Air Park site. There appears to be nothing she can do to stop the work and the city seems to be powerless to do anything either.
Sheldon has a whole bunch of issues with the earth that is more than 30 feet in height on the north side.“I used to be able to see Rattle snake point from the kitchen window – not any more” she exclaims. She knows who put it there; what she wants to know is where did it come from and what contamination might there be in that soil.And by the way – can people do that – just dump loads of landfill on their land and lessen the value of my property, she wonders.
Don’t people have to get permission and permits to do things like that?
The landfill on the south side of the Sheldon property isn’t as high (yet) as that of the north side but when it rains heavily the land where Sheldon is standing floods. The Air Park owner Vince Rossi, claims he does not need a permit to dump landfill because his airport is federally regulated.
If you are a farmer and you want to do that – you need a permit but it appears that if you are an airfield, an air park or an airport – you get a pass because you come under federal jurisdiction and you can just thumb your nose at city hall.
Doesn’t seem right to Barbara Sheldon who has made her thoughts available to anyone with even one ear.
This land fill work has been going on for the past five years and no one at city hall has done much about it.Those in north Burlington didn’t seem to get themselves organized until Vanessa Warren created an interest group and took the matter to city council.
Suddenly some action was being taken.The city had learned there really wasn’t much they could do.The person back on the file back in 2008 was no longer with the city – he was on the pier project when he was with the city.THAT explains a lot.
Before Vanessa Warren delegated to city council, Teri Jaklin, an Appleby Line resident across the road from the Air Park wrote her Councillor, Blair Lancaster.She was pretty direct:
BURLINGTON, ON.May 29, 2013.The Sopranos, a cable TV series about your average mafia boss, living and killing in New Jersey, doesn’t seem such a fantasy anymore.In fact, the escapades of Rob Ford and his brothers would make great crime TV.Starring Rob, Doug Ford as a former drug dealer and brother Randy as an enforcer.His sister is a victim of gun violence in the family home and she has a coke-dealing former boyfriend who once tried to kill Rob.Somali drug lords have made a video of Ford purportedly smoking crack – then they go underground or worse, as a homicide investigation begins.US website gawker.com raises money to buy the ‘Crackstarter‘ video but can no longer locate the sellers.
Were they given an offer they couldn’t refuse?Then, Ford comes forward to vaguely deny his crack use and claim there never was a video.Screen play writers must be wringing their hands for a chance to get at this outstanding tragic comedy.
Except it’s not funny.The Globe and Mail’s weekend expose on the Ford family history should have frightened and disgusted rather than amused and entertained Toronto residents.Ford seemed like a breath of fresh air to voters in that last election.He was unconventional, and almost charming in a red-neck kind of way, carrying himself like a beardless Old St. Nick, with a bag full of promises.And voters, sick and tired from a long garbage strike, turned to the man promising them a ‘free lunch’ – he’d lower taxes and end the ‘gravy train’.
But there was no gravy train and there is no free lunch.Lowering taxes?Hello!Doesn’t Mr. Ford understand that the price of everything always goes up?It’s called keeping up with population growth and inflation.We don’t see electricity, gasoline or food prices declining.Of course, you could always gut your basic programs, as ‘Mike-the-Knife’ did to Ontario’s health care and education systems. So grow up Toronto.You can’t have it both ways.
We know how it ends.
Take transportation.The GTA is not going to get out from under ever-increasing gridlock without new transit systems, and that takes money.Burlington’s mayor is quoted as saying that his constituents support expansion – he gets it.And so does the new Premier, Kathleen Wynn, who is taking the lead to find smarter ways of funding.Too bad Rob Ford hasn’t put as much energy into securing public transportation as he has performing adolescent distractions.He has ruled out everything except subways and expects somebody else to pay for them.His court is divided for lack of leadership, so the rest of the GTA and the Province have to take the lead, in his place.
And speaking of taxes, we should understand that Toronto residents pay below average property taxes as a proportion of their real estate dollar.So the next time some con man named Ford, in a black Cadillac SUV, is offering you a free lunch – just smile and say, no thanks, I’ve seen the Sopranos on TV.I know how it ends.
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.
BURLINGTON, ON.May 28, 2013.The Region has a program that gets you a quality rain barrel with all the fittings for $40 plus taxes.You gotta pick it up though.
Your Regional government wants you to buy one of these at close to cost. Great deal!
Locations are:
Saturday June 1, 2013; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Halton Regional Centre, (South-east parking lot. Enter off North Service Road)1151 Bronte Road,
Saturday June 8, 2013; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Mapleview Mall (lower parking lot by The Bay); 900 Maple Avenue, Burlington
BURLINGTON, ON.May 29, 2013.Starting the week of June 3, 2013, Halton Region will begin final asphalt paving on Fairview Street and Walkers Line as the last step in the recent water main and wastewater main replacement project.
To reduce the impact on local businesses and motorists, paving work will take place at night, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. All work is expected to be completed within one week.
The affected road areas include Fairview Street from Woodview Road to east of Walkers Line and Walkers Line south of the intersection with Fairview Street. Lane restrictions will be required to accommodate workers and equipment. Motorists are advised to use caution and expect delays when traveling through the area.
The Fairview Street water and wastewater main replacement project is part of Building a Better Halton, the Region’s infrastructure construction plan for roads, water, waste water and waste management projects across Halton Region.
By Pepper Parr
