“The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” (Article 2 of the Olympic Charter)
 By Ray Rivers
February 10th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an open letter signed by parliamentarians from all of Canada’s political parties, indigenous leaders and human rights organizations demanding that, given China’s record of human rights abuses, the 2022 Olympic Winter Games must be relocated away from China.
Those abuses are so significant that the former and current US governments have labelled China’s actions with its minority Uighur population as genocide.
 Hitler hijacked the 1936 Olympic Games – would China do the same in 2022 Not relocating the games would be an unfortunate case of history repeating itself. The 1936 Olympics were hijacked by Adolf Hitler. Opponents of the Berlin games argued that allowing the Nazi regime to host the games would just embolden Hitler and allow him a propaganda victory. Showcasing the international games would demonstrate to the German people that the rest of the world was OK with his policies of second class citizenship, ethnic cleansing and ultimately genocide (eventually) for Germany’s Jewish population.
In addition to the Canadian effort, there is group of 180 international human rights associations calling for a complete boycott of the games. Boycotts are problematic, as history has shown, and they rarely work. For example, after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan most western nations boycotted the 1980 Olympics which were being held in Moscow. The games still went ahead; the Soviets continued to occupy Afghanistan for a decade thereafter; and the western athletes, whose careers were on the line, suffered the most.
 Coal being shoveled off rail cars in China for use in generating plants There is a long list of grievances which China’s president for life, Xi Jinping, has been ramping up over recent years. Of course China has a terrible human rights record with respect to its treatment of the Uighur, Falun Gong, Hong Kong and Tibetan populations. China has also replaced the US as the leading source of climate change emissions, and despite participating in the Paris climate agreement, the country is building more new coal burning power plants than the rest of the world combined.
The nation has been developing its military at break neck speed. And with its now powerful navy has claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea which puts it on a collision course with any number of it neighbours and the USA. And of course there is a long simmering cold war with India over their mountainous shared border.
China has threatened war and forced occupation of Taiwan, an island of 24 million people with a democratic government, and which has been independent since 1949. And its history before that, except for a brief period post WWII, had been as a colony of Japan. The USA may have no formal security treaty with Taiwan but has 30,000 troops stationed there. So it is doubtful that the US would stand by and allow the Chinese to invade without a fight.
 Patrons at a wet market in Wuhan, China It has been a year since we first heard of COVID, but World Health Organization (WHO) inspectors have finally been allowed to visit the birthplace of the virus which caused COVID 19. Though, nobody really expects them to discover how this pandemic actually got started. Chinese officials have sanitized the wet (seafood) market which they claim have been location zero. And all of the Chinese citizens or officials who could have shed light on the situation have either been kept out of sight or been velcro-lipped.
The theories propagated by Chinese authorities are that the virus arrived in Wuhan aboard a load of American frozen food or that SARS-CoV-2 originated from a bat virus which transited through an infected pangolin to complete a zoonotic leap into the respiratory tract of an unsuspecting shopper in Wuhan’s extensive wet market.
But neither theory holds water. For one thing neither bats nor pangolins were on sale at the Wuhan wet market at the time. The closest candidate bat would have been a 7 hour train ride away but was probably too busy hanging upside down in its bat cave to make the journey.
Another theory, once advanced by former president Donald Trump, and largely dismissed because of that, is that there was an accidental leakage of the virus from the Wuhan Virology Laboratory. Located just up the street from the wet market, this is China’s only Level 4 bio-safety laboratory with a mandate to study and experiment with these kinds of viruses. And located behind its walls is the greatest collection of dangerous bat viruses ever assembled in one place.
The Chinese obviously deny this lab leak theory. And the team of visiting WHO inspectors say it’s a long shot. But this would not be the first time that WHO has been pressured by the Chinese. And given the lack of transparency and all the secrecy, can one be sure all the inspectors have seen is a really thorough cover-up of the evidence?
For Canada there is another reason to avoid the games in China. Just ask our two Michaels who have been held in miserable captivity for over two years. Their crimes were that they were valuable hostages which China’s strongman thought would make good trading fare for their Huawei executive whom we, in turn, continue to detain. Australia has recently updated its travel advice for China to warn that authorities have detained foreigners on alleged national security grounds and that Australians may be at risk of arbitrary detention.
 The Canadian Olympic Team at Winter Olympic Games The choice for Canada is pretty clear. We need to work with other nations to convince the international Olympic committee to either cancel the games or shift the location to a more appropriate venue in keeping with the mandate, goals and the spirit of the Olympics. Unless that happens Canada should boycott the games in Beijing and seek alternate venues and exhibitions for our athletes.
The last thing Canadians need to see on their television sets next February are our proud athletes marching through Beijing sporting a large maple leaf flag as they pass by prison cell holding one of our Michaels.
As a postscript China is now claiming it will sanction any nation which boycotts the games. Seriously?
What would they do if the games are moved to a more acceptable location?
 Ray Rivers, born in Ontario earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers is active in his community; has run for municipal and provincial office.
Background links:
About the Olympics – Olympic Charter – Wuhan Lab –
A Lab Leak – Was it the Lab – More Lab Leaks –
US and Wuhan Lab – A Leak? – Move the Games –
Human Rights Groups – All Parties Call for Moving Olympics –
 By Pepper Parr
February 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 3 of a four part series
What is the Burlington Lands Partnership?
The Burlington Lands Partnership (“BLP”) is a flexible, multi-dimensional and integrated approach that seeks to address multiple areas of municipal strategic land management including acquisition and development.
For the City, the BLP will initially focus on achieving tangible and measurable community benefits and returns in three areas: supporting economic growth and direct job creation, completing “city building” projects and delivering much needed affordable housing.
Oversight and strategic direction will be provided by a new steering committee that is ultimately accountable to Burlington City Council. The committee is proposed to consist of the Mayor, the City Manager, the Council member serving as current Chair of the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee, key senior municipal staff, and representation from Burlington Economic Development (both the Board and staff).
Additional partner-based stakeholders such as community leaders, the heads of community organizations, and representatives of private corporations are proposed be part of smaller project specific task forces that are accountable and report out to the BLP Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee, which is the group that will look for partnership opportunities they can research, determine the risk and decide if there is enough in the way of benefits to the city to proceed. If they come to consensus, they take their decision/recommendation to city Council where the decision to proceed will be made.
There doesn’t appear to be much in the way of public participation or opportunities for people to delegate. The Steering Committee meetings will not be public.
Why is the Burlington Lands Partnership Needed?
• There are several strategically positioned and emerging municipal land development opportunities within Burlington, but there is no single entity that has the mandate and resources to realize the opportunities for the long-term benefit of the City.
• There is widespread support for the City to take a greater strategic role in targeting municipal land development in Burlington.
• Burlington has many active community organizations and not-for-profits which could engage in mutually beneficial partnerships to aid in developing communities within Burlington.
• A partnership in this form allows for the City, Burlington Economic Development (Burlington EcDev), and a coalition of public and private sector partners to pursue additional funding and strategic partnerships including but not limited to the Halton Region, Province of Ontario and Government of Canada.
The widespread support is not something that Gazette has heard of or become aware of and this council does not have a mandate to undertake something as large as what is being proposed..
Mandate of BLP
Throughout 2020, urbanMetrics was engaged by the City of Burlington to assess the viability, function and structure of a municipal corporation or other strategic land entity to facilitate the development of City owned lands with a focus on economic development and city building initiatives.
 There was once a house on the corner of this property that was owned by the city. It was torn down to increase parking in the Caroline – John Street intersection. Little thought was given to creating a parking lot with a permeable surface to aid in rain water run off. City bureaucrats seldom have their ear to the ground and are rarely aware of what the public wants. The study was undertaken in conjunction with a governance study conducted by MDB Insight to examine the role of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation. The recommended approach to a strategic land development entity, which was subsequently brought forward and recommended by the City Manager as the Burlington Land Partnership (BLP).
• The internal strategic real estate structure would involve Burlington EcDev, as well as other, potential partners, such as Halton Region, other public agencies, private industry and private and public institutions including not-for-profit community groups, as required.
• Oversite and strategic direction would be provided by a steering committee that would ultimately be accountable to Council. The City Manager, as staff lead, would be responsible for strategic managerial leadership and would serve as chair of the steering committee. Outside consulting expertise would be engaged as needed.
The mandate of the organization or partnership would be on leveraging real estate to:
o Maximise opportunities for economic growth and job creation;
o Develop and implement city building projects; and
o Create opportunities for the development of affordable housing.
Ultimately the BLP should have access to City staff and other resources to seek, identify and develop strategic land opportunities into viable projects; to direct the acquisition and disposition of related City lands; to undertake land and facility development visioning and design; to obtain necessary planning approvals; and to fully engage with outside partners.
• Initially, the BLP should be tasked with seeking, identifying and developing opportunities into viable strategic land projects. A number of opportunities have been presented through the urbanMetrics and Cresa studies. These, as well as others that may be identified in the future, need to be more formally prioritized and envisioned complete with detailed project plans, recommended by the BLP Steering Committee and approved by City Council.
• The BLP would be the first step towards the creation of a municipal development corporation, however this would not occur until 2023 (at the earliest) following a reporting to Council on the activities and accomplishments of the BLP in 2021/22.
• Establishing the BLP as a first step, achieves a good balance among the opportunities, the desire for augmented internal strategic land capabilities, the current resource capacity limitations and the need for due diligence and caution.
The longer term goal is to have the city getting into the the development business. Is there a supportable collection of data that identifies the public buy in on an idea of this magnitude? The is not a small potatoes idea.
After an initial start-up period of two years, the organization should be evaluated on an annual basis, with respect to achieving measurable results related to:
o Supporting job creation, business creation and economic expansion;
o Developing and implementation of community-wide “City building” projects;
o Realizing tangible affordable housing opportunities and increased housing supply;
o Fiscal impact (increased assessment base/taxes, development charges, other fees);
o Enhancing the profile of the City and contributing to the public identity of Best City to Live in Canada;
o Supporting the City’s 25-year Strategic Plan, Council’s Vision to Focus 4-year work plan and community planning and other land related policies; and
o Delivering value for money and cost effectiveness to Burlington taxpayers.
 The city basically built the Pier twice. Seeing a set of benchmarks that would be used would certainly help the public decide if the idea has merit and serves the public and not the career aspirations of the bureaucratic cohort at city hall.
Remember the Pier.
BLP Working Groups
To be determined by the Steering Committee with approval by Council on a project- by-project basis as part of a separate project brief/plan.
Duration and Transition
The Burlington Land Partnership will function during an initial “pilot period” of two years including 2021 and 2022. A report on the strategic activities and outcomes of the BLP will be presented to Council prior to the end of their 2018-2022 terms and will include recommendations for consideration for the 2023-2026 term of Council.
The BLP represents a transitional approach that allows for the expansion of organizational capacity and a build-up of expertise that will in turn enable further consideration by Council of a formalized municipal development corporation (MDC) in line with other municipalities in Ontario and utilizing the powers allowed under the Municipal Act related to municipal corporations.
Overall, the Steering Committee will make recommendations to Council and decisions (where applicable) in the best interest of the City as a whole.
Agendas and Meeting Notes:
Agendas (including confidential materials as it related to property and legal matters) will be published ahead of meeting date, including attached documents required for discussion and decision making. Deadlines for attachments need to be respected to provide adequate time to read all required material to allow for comprehensive participation. If required, agenda items may be deferred at request of BLP member if materials are not distributed by deadlines.
BLP agendas and meeting notes will managed/prepared by the City Manager’s Office (CMO) and shared confidentially with Steering Committee members, City Clerk and Council Members.
The only thing left to do is order the new business cards.
Part 1 of a 4 part series.
Part 2 of a 4 part series
By Pepper Parr
February 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The following is lengthy. It sets out what the city has decided it wants to do on development projects that will put tax money at risk. None of what is now known as the Burlington Lands Project was discussed, nor even mentioned, during the last municipal election.
Part 2 of a four part series
What is the Burlington Lands Partnership?
The Burlington Lands Partnership (“BLP”) is a flexible, multi-dimensional and integrated approach that seeks to address multiple areas of municipal strategic land management including acquisition and development. This strategic forward-looking approach will encompass the leveraging of future municipal land investments to maximize the potential benefits for the City and related partners.
For the City, the BLP will initially focus on achieving tangible and measurable community benefits and returns in three areas: supporting economic growth and direct job creation, completing “city building” projects and delivering much needed affordable housing.
Oversight and strategic direction will be provided by a new steering committee that is ultimately accountable to Burlington City Council. The committee is proposed to consist of the Mayor, the City Manager, the Council member serving as current Chair of the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee, key senior municipal staff, and representation from Burlington Economic Development (both the Board and staff).
Additional partner-based stakeholders such as community leaders, the heads of community organizations, and representatives of private corporations are proposed to be part of smaller project specific task forces that are accountable and report to the BLP Steering Committee.
Why is the Burlington Lands Partnership Needed?
 There are parts of this fair city that could use some development – or to use the language planners use – put the land to better use. • There are several strategically positioned and emerging municipal land development opportunities within Burlington, but there is no single entity that has the mandate and resources to realize the opportunities for the long-term benefit of the City.
• The establishment of a full-scale municipal development corporation (MDC), under the Municipal Act, would involve an onerous amount of capital investment and resources, which would challenge the City’s current strategic priorities, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported to CPRM Committee (CM-29-20, Oct. 6,20), a different approach is needed at this time.
• There is widespread support for the City to take a greater strategic role in targeting municipal land development in Burlington.
• Burlington has many active community organizations and not-for-profits which could engage in mutually beneficial partnerships to aid in developing communities within Burlington.
• A partnership in this form allows for the City, Burlington Economic Development (Burlington EcDev), and a coalition of public and private sector partners to pursue additional funding and strategic partnerships including but not limited to the Halton Region, Province of Ontario and Government of Canada.
Mandate of BLP
Throughout 2020, urbanMetrics was engaged by the City of Burlington to assess the viability, function and structure of a municipal development corporation or other strategic land entity to facilitate the development of City owned lands with a focus on economic development and city building initiatives.
The study was undertaken in conjunction with a governance study conducted by MDB Insight to examine the role of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation.
In addition to a case study review of the land development entities in other municipalities and an assessment of development opportunities within the City, the urbanMetrics study included an extensive consultation program with the Burlington business community, Council and City staff and the Burlington Economic Development Corporation. The recommended approach to a strategic land development entity, which was subsequently brought forward and recommended by the City Manager as the Burlington Land Partnership (BLP), involved the following:
• The internal strategic real estate structure would involve Burlington EcDev, as well as other, potential partners, such as Halton Region, other public agencies, private industry and private and public institutions including not-for-profit community groups, as required.
• Oversite and strategic direction would be provided by a steering committee that would ultimately be accountable to Council. The City Manager, as staff lead, would be responsible for strategic managerial leadership and would serve as chair of the steering committee. Outside consulting expertise would be engaged as needed.
• The mandate of the organization or partnership would be on leveraging real estate to:
o Maximize opportunities for economic growth and job creation;
o Develop and implement city building projects; and
o Create opportunities for the development of affordable housing.
• Ultimately the BLP should have access to City staff and other resources to seek, identify and develop strategic land opportunities into viable projects; to direct the acquisition and disposition of related City lands; to undertake land and facility development visioning and design; to obtain necessary planning approvals; and to fully engage with outside partners.
• Initially, the BLP should be tasked with seeking, identifying and developing opportunities into viable strategic land projects. A number of opportunities have been presented through the urbanMetrics and Cresa studies. These, as well as others that may be identified in the future, need to be more formally prioritized and envisioned complete with detailed project plans, recommended by the BLP Steering Committee and approved by City Council.
• The BLP would be the first step towards the creation of a municipal development corporation, however this would not occur until 2023 (at the earliest) following a reporting to Council on the activities and accomplishments of the BLP in 2021/22.
• Establishing the BLP as a first step, achieves a good balance among the opportunities, the desire for augmented internal strategic land capabilities, the current resource capacity limitations and the need for due diligence and caution.
• The BLP will:
o Place a priority corporate focus on realizing strategic land opportunities.
o Build on and leverage existing skills, relationships and expertise within the City and Burlington EcDev.
o Enable an interim integrating structure to build organization capacity and expertise and deliver key outcomes related to strategic land management.
o Provide increased organizational capacity through the development and approval of ongoing due diligence contracts with external services firm(s) that have expertise across all facets of strategic land management.
o Provide an integrated and accountable organizational structure including a steering committee, designated staff leads and enhanced business processes including Council oversight (both open and closed session reporting in keeping with the City’s existing procedural by-law).
After an initial start-up period of two years, the organization should be evaluated on an annual basis, with respect to achieving measurable results related to:
o Supporting job creation, business creation and economic expansion;
o Developing an implementation of community-wide “City building” projects;
o Realizing tangible affordable housing opportunities and increased housing supply;
o Fiscal impact (increased assessment base/taxes, development charges, other fees);
o Enhancing the profile of the City and contributing to the public identity of Best City to Live in Canada;
o Supporting the City’s 25-year Strategic Plan, Council’s Vision to Focus 4-year work plan and community planning and other land related policies; and
o Delivering value for money and cost effectiveness to Burlington taxpayers.
Vision
Burlington remains a prosperous, vibrant and affordable community that continues to be one of Canada’s best places to live and do business, with a remarkable quality of life strengthened through partnerships, economic development and city building initiatives.
Mission
Through innovation, strategy and partnerships, the Burlington Lands Partnership, will pursue and unlock the potential of strategic land opportunities that enhance the quality of life and growth of Burlington residents and businesses.
Principles
The Burlington Lands Partnership will:
• Place a priority corporate focus on realizing strategic land opportunities.
• Build on and leverage existing skills, relationships, and expertise within the City and Burlington EcDev.
• Facilitate coordination and cooperation between community organizations, not-for- profits, private corporations, and the City and Burlington EcDev.
• Enable an interim structure to build organization capacity and deliver key outcomes related to strategic land management.
• Provide an integrated and accountable organizational structure including a steering committee, designated staff leads and enhanced business processes including Council oversight (both open and closed session reporting).
Strategic Focus
The Burlington Land Partnership will use a wide range of approaches depending on what is appropriate or possible and contingent on the needs, interested partners, and resources available for any one specific strategic land related project or opportunity.
The BLP will:
• Lend expertise and enable connections to commercial and residential land development that is undertaken by the City of Burlington, land holding community organizations or not-for-profits or private developers interested in working with the BLP.
• Work with private businesses to foster job-creating commercial real estate developments in strategic areas such as the Innovation District and Major Transit Station Areas.
 The Wellington Tower is part of the Regional Government Housing inventory. • Partner with Halton Region and other organizations with an affordable housing mandate, to develop affordable housing or seek to incorporate additional affordable housing into future private or public housing developments, including but not limited to the completion and implementation of the City of Burlington Comprehensive Housing Strategy starting in 2021.
• Work with other interested potential partners and key stakeholders to ensure all surplus school sites within Burlington are evaluated and where possible, developed in a manner that improves quality of life in the local neighbourhoods and generates public value.
• Place a strategic focus on the following three priorities:
1) Encouraging Economic Development.
Objective: To maximize business development opportunities and advance future economic growth and job creation.
Key Stakeholders:
– Local businesses
– Regional businesses seeking to expand their presence
– New businesses to the region
– Commercial property developers
– Regional Municipality of Halton
– Provincial and Federal funding partners
2) Implementing City-Building Initiatives
Objective: To facilitate the implementation of city building projects that enhance the quality of life for all citizens.
Key Stakeholders:
– City Building project partners
– Regional Municipality of Halton
– Local landowners and property developers
– Provincial and Federal funding partners
3) Delivering Affordable Housing
Objective: Develop and implement projects that deliver an increased supply of affordable housing through proactive long-term strategies and innovative partnerships.
Key Stakeholders:
– Regional Municipality of Halton
– Residential Property Developers
– Housing Focused Not-for-Profits (such as Habitat for Humanity)
– Provincial and Federal funding partners
GOVERNANCE
Overview
The Burlington Lands Partnership governance structure borrows from lessons in other municipalities and the ongoing operations of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation. First, BLP is led by and accountable to Burlington City Council. Second, BLP provides an integrated and accountable organizational structure including a steering committee, designated staff leads, and enhanced business processes with Council oversight including both open and closed session reporting.
Oversight and strategic direction are provided by a steering committee that is ultimately accountable to City Council. The committee is comprised of the Mayor, the City Manager, selected members of Council and appropriate senior staff, and representation from Burlington EcDev.
BLP Steering Committee
The BLP Steering Committee will provide ongoing strategic leadership and oversight and will be established by City Council with approval of BLP Terms of Reference.
Membership consisting of the following for a period of 2 years (with exception of Chair of CPRM committee which is 1 year concurrently with their term as chair).
– Mayor.
– Current Chair of the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee of Council.
– City Manager (Chair).
– Chief Financial Officer.
– Executive Director – Legal Services and Corporate Counsel.
– Executive Director – Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility.
– Executive Director – Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services
– Executive Director – Burlington Economic Development.
– Board Member – Burlington Economic Development.
The BLP will meet on a regular basis (anticipate 3-4 meetings/year) with agenda management including meeting notes prepared/completed to the satisfaction of the City Clerk in keeping with City’s procedural by-law.
BLP Working Groups
• To be determined by the Steering Committee with approval by Council on a project-by-project basis as part of a separate project brief/plan.
Duration and Transition
The Burlington Land Partnership will function during an initial “pilot period” of two years including 2021 and 2022. A report on the strategic activities and outcomes of the BLP will be presented to Council prior to the end of their 2018-2022 terms and will include recommendations for consideration for the 2023-2026 term of Council.
The BLP represents a transitional approach that allows for the expansion of organizational capacity and a build-up of expertise that will in turn enable further consideration by Council of a formalized municipal development corporation (MDC) in line with other municipalities in Ontario and utilizing the powers allowed under the Municipal Act related to municipal corporations.
There is a lot to be said about this initiative. That it gets presented to the public just before the current Council begins to move into election mode (the next municipal election is just 20 months away) and put on the table while the country is fighting a second wave of the COVID-19 virus can be seen as a little foolhardy.
Part 1 of a 4 part series.
 By Staff
February 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario will begin to gradually reopen its economy on Wednesday but the government could use an “emergency brake” to move regions back into lockdown if cases spike.
 Premier Doug Ford announcing a transition out of the strict lock-down. Premier Doug Ford said Monday that a state of emergency will be allowed to expire as scheduled on Tuesday and regions will transition back to the province’s colour-coded pandemic restrictions system over the next three weeks.
A stay-at-home order will remain in place for communities until they move over to the tiered system.
“We can’t return to normal, not yet,” Ford said. “But we can transition out of the province wide shut-down.”
As part of its reopening efforts, the province is changing the rules for the strictest category of the restrictions system to allow previously closed retailers to reopen with capacity limits of 25 per cent.
“To those business owners who are struggling, I want you to know that we have listened,” Ford said.“We’ve been working day and night to find every possible way to safely allow more businesses to reopen.”
Where will reopening start?
Three health units — Hastings Prince Edward; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington; and Renfrew County — will move into the least-restrictive green category on Wednesday, which means restaurants and non-essential businesses can reopen.
The Timiskaming Health Unit, which was also expected to move to the green category Wednesday, will be held back for a week since a COVID-19 variant was discovered in the region over the weekend, the province said.
On Feb. 16, all remaining regions (this includes all of Halton and Hamilton) but not the three hot spots in the Greater Toronto Area are set to move to the restrictions framework. The category they are placed in will depend on their local case infection rates.
Toronto, Peel Region and York Region are expected to be the last to make the transition on Feb. 22, but the province said any sudden increase in cases could delay that plan.
 Deputy Premier Christine Elliott saying this is not a re-opening – it is a transition with a hand brake at the ready. The province will also have an “emergency brake” in place to allow the government to quickly move a region back into lockdown if it experiences a rapid increase in cases or if its health-system becomes overwhelmed.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said the measure is meant to help deal with the risk posed by new variants of COVID-19.
“This is not a reopening, or a return to normal,” she said of the changes announced Monday. “It’s an acknowledgement that we are making steady progress.
“Without those stronger public health measures, (Ford) might be dooming us to the cycle of illness and lockdowns, again and again,” she said.
By Staff
February 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is reinstating parking enforcement of 5-hour limit on Feb. 11.
Residents got a break on-the-street parking rules – it does seem a little early to crack down. – maybe the city needs the money.
 The Councillors in wards 4 and 5 can expect phone calls on this one. Parking enforcement will resume for those illegally parked on neighbourhood streets past the five-hour limit in addition to safety-related issues such as fire routes, accessible parking, no parking/stopping areas and blocked areas, including parking lots at City parks.
Residents needing to park on-street past the 5-hour limit can apply for a parking permit or exemptions online beginning on Feb. 11 at www.burlington.ca/parkingexemption.
Parking Supervisor, Hayley Parkinson explains: “The City parking team has been monitoring parking over the past 11 months. We’ve been tracking parking trends and noticed that some drivers are parking on-street for extended periods of time, while others working in the area are parking illegally. Drivers are also continuing to park on-street when it snows, making it challenging for snow plows to get through safely and do their job to clear our streets.
“With the potential end of the Ontario Stay-at-Home order, it seems like an appropriate time to start enforcing the 5-hour on-street parking limit to help keep our roads open to drivers and snow plows and keep our residents safe.”
Notice how public safety is trotted out for almost everything the city doesn’t want you to do.
Community questions and requests regarding City of Burlington services can be directed to Service Burlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online.
 By Pepper
February 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
A regular eagle eyed reader who follows the Mayor on Twitter brought this to our attention.
He points out that the flag used in the tweet is not the correct version
He then adds that we cannot use his name saying “I don’t want to be in her bad books.” adding that “errors are errors.”
The unfortunate part of this is that there are people who feel they will be in the “bad books” of an elected official if they call them out on something. This is really unhealthy for a democratic society.
What, though, if we have a Mayor who is spiteful with a vengeful streak?
What do you do then?
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
February 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a 4 part series.
On October 19, 2020, City Council approved the following recommendation related to the establishment of a new organizational structure called the Burlington Lands Partnership (BLP) –
Using the language of the Vision to Focus (V2F) which is the part of the 25 year Strategic Plan the city has in place, the purpose of the BLP is to:
Increase economic prosperity and community responsive city growth
Support sustainable infrastructure and a resilient environment
Increasing options for housing across the city
There is quite a bit more to it than that, which we will get to.
Last week, Council approved the Terms of Reference and funding in the amount of $250,000 from the Strategic Plan Reserve Fund to support the year one operations.
The City Manager was directed to report back on the following:
How much of the city will the new BLP want to put shovels into the ground? Is there a risk the public should be willing to take? • In Q2 2021, following consultation with the BLP Steering Committee, with the proposed Burlington lands partnership operating model and the 2021/22 business plan objectives; and
• In Q3 2022, with a status update report on the Burlington lands partnership including overall 2021/22 performance/accomplishments, detailed financial report, both operating and capital budget related and recommendations for future strategic land management.
In an Appendix to the City Manager’s report in 2020 Strategic Land Priorities and Business Model Framework Options were set out. They were to:
Business development opportunities and advance future economic growth and job creation.
Implement major city building projects that enhance the quality of life for all citizens.
Deliver increased supply of affordable housing through proactive long-term strategies and innovative partnerships.
Direct the City Manager to engage further with the Burlington Economic Development Corporation and key City staff in the development of the Burlington Lands Partnership Terms of Reference and the Proposed 2021/2022 Business Plan and report back for Council consideration and approval in December 2020
An RFP was awarded December 2019 to MDB Insights led by the Executive Vice- President Lauren Millier and to urbanMetrics with Partner Rowan Faludi.
The consultant worked through a Steering Committee to complete the work outlined in the RFP and also engaged the Board of Directors for Burlington Economic Development (Burlington EcDev), Council and City staff.
The consultant’s report was presented and received by the Community Planning, Mobility and Regulation Committee on Oct. 6, 2020. Several options as to the structure of what the city council thought they wanted to do were debated. Among the organizational options were:
1. New Municipal Development Corporation (MDC)
2. New Burlington Lands Partnership (BLP) – APPROVED
3. Internal COB Strategic Lands Project Team
4. Hybrid: Build strategic land management capacity and expertise and re-consider need for MDC in 2 years.
The Lands Partnership is a significantly new and different direction for Burlington.
Other than reports to Council there has been little in the way of informing the public on just what it means to have a Lands Partnership.
The BLP has the $250,000, taken from the Strategic Plan Reserve Fund, which has has an uncommitted balance of $548,877.
 City Manager Tim Commisso will be the strong man behind the Burlington Lands Project. He will chair the Steering Committee which will in turn take projects to the city for approval. The funding will be used to support the ongoing work of the BLP including and dependent of the needs of each strategic land initiative, completion of external due diligence across a broad range of disciplines (e.g. land economic analysis, professional services including architectural/urban design, engineering, financial planning, fiscal impact analysis etc.).
The language in the paragraph above clearly indicates that the BLP wants to acquire land or use land the city already owns and build things and create partnerships with other organizations that have land the city thinks can be put to use. Think in terms of the Region of Halton, Burlington Hydro.
This could be seen as a municipal administration playing a revised form of monopoly with public money.
Responsibility for the ongoing financial management and reporting related to the BLP will be through the City Manager’s Office with oversight by the BLP Steering Committee which includes the Chief Financial Officer as a member.
It deserves very close attention.
By Staff
February 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is commissioning an artist to create a public art piece for the Regal Road bridge.
Residents are invited to share their thoughts on three finalists chosen by an independent jury. The three proposed designs can be viewed and commented on by logging into or joining the City’s engagement platform: getinvolvedburlington.ca/regalroadbridgepublicart. The comments received, along with the technical and detailed design proposals, will inform the jury’s final selection.
 Looking south along Tuck creek
The artwork will be 10 laser-cut steel panels installed on the concrete sidewall of the bridge this summer. An independent jury reviewed 54 applications and selected three artists to develop detailed design plans.
The jury chose:
• bau & cos, www.bauandcos.com
• Karen Ho Fatt Lee, www.karenhofatt.com
• Laura Wood & Dawn Tyrrell, https://laurawood.ca/
 Public art will be put in place on both sides of the bridge. Artwork Location
The Regal Road Bridge crosses Tuck Creek and is located on Regal Road, between Oakwood Drive and Swinburne Road. The bridge was upgraded in 2019 as part of the City’s flood mitigation project. One artist will be commissioned to create a series of 10 unique laser cut steel panels to enhance the bridge.
The panels will celebrate the community and/or natural environment surrounding Regal Road and Tuck Creek.
Submit Feedback on Three Proposed Designs
Burlington residents are invited to review the three proposed designs and say what you think. These comments, along with the technical and detailed design proposals will help the jury make their final selection.
 By Pepper ParrFebruary 5th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We reported yesterday on a Motion the Mayor put forward to create a Public Health Bylaw that Council didn’t want to say all that much about at the time.
The Motion put on the Council Table came after a two hour CLOSED session during which it is believed the Meridian Aldershot Quarry and the air pollution issues were discussed. Council had the benefit of advice from legal counsel that had a strong environmental background.
Later this week we will report on a Staff Direction response that set out for Council just what the issues at the Meridian Quarry are and what might be done to mitigate the concern residents that have been raised by the Tayandaga Environmental Coalition.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has taken a significantly different approach to being Mayor than her predecessor Rick Goldring. Goldring took the position that the quarry had a license and there was nothing the city could do.
 The West and Centre quarry cells are close to depletion. Meridian Brick wants to open up the East Cell creating air pollution problems for West Haven residents.
In a report Mayor Meed Ward sent to council she sets out what she calls the “Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee(AQCLC)” and its Terms of Reference.
She has created yet another committee that has the potential to make life very difficult (but respectful) for the Meridian Brick people.
1. Mandate The Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee (AQCLC) is group comprised of community stakeholders, city staff and Quarry representatives to provide a forum for discussion, information sharing and action around the Meridian Quarry activity in the Aldershot area of Burlington.
2. Purpose The AQCLC provides an opportunity for respectful dialogue between stakeholders to share questions, concerns, ideas, and new information related to the Quarry’s ongoing activities. The committee is also an opportunity to identify agreed-upon action items by any stakeholders. Note: Any advocacy activities for or against the Quarry’s activity rest solely with external organizations – this committee is not an advocacy group.
3. Member Selection Membership will be comprised of:
Mayor Meed Ward, City of Burlington
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, City of Burlington
Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan (based on quarry activity taking place in his ward)
Mike Greenlee, Customer Experience Manager-Business Development, City of Burlington
2 representatives from Meridian Quarry–to be recommended by Meridian Quarry
 2 representatives from Tyandaga Environmental Coalition–to be recommended by Tyandaga Environmental Coalition1 representative from BurlingtonGreen–to be recommended by BurlingtonGreen
1 representative from Conserving Our Rural Ecosystems (CORE) Burlington–to be recommended by CORE
1 representative from Protecting Escarpment Rural Land(PERL) – to be recommended by CORE
 1-2 citizen representatives from the Burlington community – to be appointed by a subcommittee of the Mayor, Ward Councillor and Customer Experience Manager based on a call for expressions of interest from the community.Secretary from the Mayor/Councillor’s office (non-voting)
Ex Officio Tim Commisso, City Manager (optional attendance, not counted for quorum).
That is more than a dozen people for a committee that one Council member said might be around for 25 years.
Additional members can be considered and added with committee approval. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will be invited to each meeting.
4. Meeting Roles & Responsibilities Chair:
The meetings will be co-chaired by Mayor Meed Ward and Councillor Galbraith who will oversee setting the agenda and providing advance materials, calling the meetings to order, turning the meeting management to the facilitator, and closing the meeting with summary of next steps. Secretary: a member of the Mayor’s team or Councillor Galbraith’s team will be present to take minutes during the meeting and distribute said minutes to members in a timely manner afterward.
The secretary will also forward agendas and any supporting materials in advance of each meeting, and send calendar invites with virtual connection details. Until further notice, all meetings will be conducted on a virtual platform (Zoom or Teams).
Facilitator: An impartial and trained facilitator appointed by the City of Burlington (TBD but ex: Stephanie Venimore) will move the meeting through the agenda and ensure respectful dialogue occurs, with reasonably equal speaking time be provided to all participants who wish to contribute to the conversation.
5. Meeting Schedule The AQCLC will meet virtually or in person at minimum twice annually, with the option of additional meetings should they be mutually agreed upon by members. Meeting invitations will be sent out several months in advance and will be estimated to be approximately 90 minutes in duration unless the agenda warrants otherwise, and schedules can accommodate.
6. Meeting Protocol The agenda will be distributed by the Secretary one week prior to each meeting. Agenda items for discussion are due to the Mayor’s and Councillor’s office two weeks prior to each committee meeting (one week prior to agenda going out). Items for discussion that are raised after the agenda is circulated will be addressed under “Other Business” if time permits.
Meetings shall be attended by members listed above, with the option to invite additional guests as relevant and when agreed upon by all members.
There is no mention as to whether or not the meetings will be public.
Related news stories:
Could a Public Health Bylaw slow things down at the Adlershot Quarry
Mayor Meed Ward takes on Aldershot Quarry for Ward 1 residents
Former Mayor Goldring struggles to find a position that will satisfy West Haven residents. .
Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We don’t always get it right and we have learned that sometimes the less said, the better.
Councillor Kearns sent us a note asking for a correction
We had said:
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. Councillor Kearns wanted to see a more honed in approach to whatever it was the Mayor wanted done. Reference was made to where this fit into the V2F document (Vision to Focus) by Kearns but not before she could say that she thought the city was lucky to have Nancy Shea Nicol on Staff (she is the Executive Director of Legal Services) because she was “an amazing person.”
Kearns felt we had gotten it wrong and sent us a note.
Subject: CORRECTION
“I said this about Sheila Jones when I misplaced her professional title.”
Councillor Kearns was objecting to what we wrote. In a response to Kearns we said we wondered why she felt it was necessary for her to “gush” over staff so often.
We (the Gazette) wondered if “gushing” about staff publicly was good politics. Council is there to hold the administration accountable.
Kearns replied: “I only gush about people that deserve it.” Then added “It’s protocol courtesy to thank staff for the reports that come forward.”
Really – there is a protocol saying thou must fawn over every report that staff prepares for Council?
By Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The end result of a good discussion at the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee, (CSSRA) on the use of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations was to:
Direct the Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services to develop a policy to guide the expansion, operation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on city property.
 EV chargers are becoming part of the landscape in may large malls. Behind that Staff Direction was an informative presentation on what the city has in the way of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and where they are located and the astounding fact that the city cannot charge a user for the electricity they let flow into their vehicles.
Apparently only Burlington Hydro can sell you electricity.
The need to electrify transportation has been identified as a vital action in both the City’s Climate Action Plan and Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan.
 EV charging stations downtown  EV charging stations throughout the city. The City installed its first public access electric vehicle (EV) charging station in 2015 in the downtown parking garage and has expanded its portfolio each year with the largest installation being in 2018 with the addition of 12 dual head stations partially funded under the province’s Workplace Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program.
The City of Burlington currently has 23 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations on city property with a total of 44 charging heads. The majority of these units can be found in downtown parking lots.
There are three types of charging stations available for use, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
Level 1 stations would be a charger that would come with an electric vehicle when purchased and plug into a standard 120 volt, 15 amp wall outlet. Charging times at these stations vary with vehicle and charger but will typically charge 200km in approximately 20 hours.
Level 2 stations are stations like the city currently has installed in its parking lots. These are stations with 1 or 2 charging heads using 240 volts and either 40 or 50 amps. Typical charge time at these stations is 200km in approximately 5 hours.
Level 3 stations or “Fast Chargers” operate at direct current (DC) voltage, sometimes as high as 800 volts, and can charge a vehicle 160km in approximately 30 minutes.
Currently all City of Burlington chargers are Level 2 chargers.
 Example of a level 2 charging station In 2020 additional stations were installed for city operated fleet vehicles at Fire Station Headquarters, Roads, Parks and Forestry Operations Centre and the Burlington Animal Shelter.
In 2020, funds from the Parking District reserve were allocated to install 3 additional EV charging stations in City owned parking lots namely in lots 1, 8 and one level 3 EV charger in a lot in close proximity to Brant Street. Due to the reassignment of Parking Services staff and other additional unexpected work assignments, the EV chargers were not installed in 2020. This work is expected to be carried out in 2021.
During budget discussions at the January 12, 2021 CSSRA Committee, staff were directed to provide further information on the Parking District reserve fund specifically related to how the fund is broken down and funded.
 The city absorbs the cosy of the electricity that comes from Burlington Hydro The city cannot sell the electricity. The Parking District reserve fund was set up for funding capital improvements to city owned parking facilities within the downtown as well as funding in years with operating shortfalls. Since the one reserve fund model did not sufficiently differentiate the use of funds, in June 2020 council approved the creation of three separate and distinct reserve funds to ensure the most efficient use of the balance by clearly distinguishing funds for stabilization of operations, lifecycle costing for all parking assets (renewal) and future growth in parking supply.
 Parking fines go into the Parking Reserve fund – which at this point is covering the cost of the EV chargers. As of September 30, 2020 the existing Parking District reserve fund has a balance of $9,566,345.
Based on a financial model the balance is being allocated amongst the three newly created reserve funds as follows:
Parking Renewal – $2.5 million reflects the city’s parking asset inventory and required needs
Stabilization of Operations – $0.2 million this balance reflects a target of 10-15% (3 year rolling average) of operating revenues for the purposes of stabilization of operations
Parking Growth – $6.9 million to reflect the anticipated growth in parking demand
The revenues (and associated percentages) that support the total expenses and provision to the reserve fund are as follows:
property tax levy against the business properties of $304,200 plus a payment in lieu for exempt/partially exempt city properties of $39,327 for a total of $343,527 (13.0%)
parking fines of $470,000 (17.7%)
parking fee revenues of $1,838,546 (69.3%)
Staff believe that it is appropriate to use the Parking District funds to cover the costs of EV chargers for city owned parking facilities in downtown Burlington.
 This bar chart shows the number of unique users . City staff are also currently working on the installation of 11 additional dual head charging stations for spring 2021 that will be accessible to the public. These stations are being installed as part of the council directed budget addition in the 2020 capital budget. Charging stations will be installed at the following city facilities;
– Tansley Woods Community Centre (4 heads)
– Appleby Ice Centre (4 heads)
– Central Park Campus (4 heads)
– Mountainside Recreation Centre (2 heads)
– Haber Recreation Centre / Norton Park (2 heads)
– Nelson Recreation Centre (2 heads)
– Aldershot Arena (2 heads)
– Mountainside Recreation Centre (2 heads)
With the installation of these charging stations the City will have 33 charging stations installed with 26 of those being publicly accessible.
It is expected that additional stations will be installed in the coming years as part of the green fleet strategy for corporate vehicles.
Detailed information on charging usage and times is available for 20 of the city’s 23 chargers. Staff are currently working to secure a more accurate means of monitoring the other three charging stations.
Through the years the utilization of the publicly available charging stations increased annually with the installation of additional charging stations and increased awareness of the stations. However, an obvious dip can be seen in the graph below in March 2020 coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Other sustainable mobility options will be considered and assessed through the development of the Integrated Mobility Plan.
Currently there are no fees for using a city EV charger, however, electricity used for these stations carries an annual cost as does ongoing maintenance and programming/data access for the charging stations.
Annual costs of operating the EV charging stations vary.
These costs are expected to increase annually by an additional $20,000 to $39,000 (electricity cost plus operations/maintenance), depending on charging activity, with the installation of the additional 13 charging stations as part of the 2020 capital budget.
These projected costs do not include the operational costs of the level three charging station that is to be installed in 2021 due to unknown charger specifications and utilization rates.
The City does not charge staff or the public for using the chargers. However, due to the rising utilization of the City’s charging stations and the general growth of the City’s charging assets the addition of an hourly fee to our charging stations is necessary. The City is unable to charge directly for electricity consumption but can base the charge on an hourly rate to use the charging station.
That idea didn’t sit well with most of the Council members. Mayor Meed Ward saw the charging stations as a draw the malls and large box retailers would use to attract traffic.
 The usage of the EV charging station has grown – the dip during the first lock-down is evident. A new policy regarding fees for EV Charging is recommended to be developed in 2021. This would include items such as fees for public users and staff users, charging time limits, introduction of a penalty fee if an overstay is detected, as well as how to direct the funds that are collected.
Currently the cost of electricity consumption at the charging stations are covered under operating budgets for electricity accounts for the various assets that house our charging infrastructure. Installation and ongoing maintenance fees have been covered through facility or parking asset operating budgets.
Since 2015 the city has helped residents and our own corporate fleet reduce emissions by approximately 82.5 tons, which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by approximately 1356 seedlings grown for 10 years.
By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It was one of those walk-on items; a piece of city business that wasn’t on the agenda.
It came from the Mayor who did not appear to have consulted with her peers before the meeting.
There was a certain awkward silence, which is hard to pick up on when the meeting is virtual and you can’t always see all the players at the same time.
It was short; set out as a Staff Direction it read:
Direct the Executive Director of Legal Services to undertake a detailed review of the feasibility of enacting a city wide health protection bylaw to be funded from the Contingency Reserve fund and report back by Q2 of 2021.
My first reaction was – what is this all about? Don’t we have a Public Health Unit at the Region that focuses on public Health?
The motion wasn’t actually ready – Council took a few minutes break while the short paragraph was typed up and put up on the screen.
 Kelven Galbraith, Chair of a Standing Committee waiting for the Mayor to complete the writing of a Staff Direction Kelvin Galbraith who was chair of the meeting asked if there were any questions. Rory Nisan, who seems to be the person that automatically supports whatever the mayor puts forward said he was very interested to see where this could go.
Angelo Bentivegna was next with his standard “two quick questions” approach. He wanted to know more especially about the “detailed” part and just how much of the Contingency Reserve fund was going to be used. He asked “how far are we going to get into this” and added that at this point he could not support the Staff Direction.
Council had just come out of a two hour CLOSED session on the Meridian Aldershot Quarry and were scheduled to do a hard stop at noon – with that hour just minutes away.
They needed to take a lunch break after which City Manager Tim Commisso spoke saying he felt that Bentivegna deserved a more detailed answer to his concerns.
Commisso pointed out that the Legal Services budget was not public. He seemed to be aware of what it was the Mayor wanted to bring forward and pointed out that Council can do whatever it wants to do.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman said he had concerns over the scope of what was before Council. He wanted to know who will do the actual work and noted that there is a Public Health Unit at the Region adding that he was not clear on just what was being done.
 Nancy Shea Nicol, Executive Director Legal Services At that point the Executive Director of Legal Services spoke saying she could put together a Terms of Reference document.
Commisso then said that this was something that was dealt with in the CLOSED session. Which CLOSED session?
 City Manager Tim Commisso Commisso was referring to the CLOSED session that had taken place earlier in the day relating to the Meridian Aldershot Quarry where Air Quality issues were part of the discussion.
We were aware that the city had included outside legal counsel with a background in environmental matters.
Commisso said there would be a specific lead role and that “Nancy will provide executive guidance that would provide a “consolidated approach”.
A muddy picture was getting muddier.
Councillor Stolte then spoke saying she wanted more information. She would later vote to move the matter to Council later in the month at which time the City Solicitor would have more information for them.
Councillor Kearns wanted to see a more honed in approach to whatever it was the Mayor wanted done. Reference was made to where this fit into the V2F document (Vision to Focus) by Kearns but not before she could say that she thought the city was lucky to have Nancy Shea Nicol on Staff (she is the Executive Director of Legal Services) because she was “an amazing person.”
Kearns wanted to know if this was an internal look at public health; did it include audio, smells – adding that the wording was obtuse and needed fine tuning and could be the equivalent to opening a Pandora’s box.
She wanted the matter deferred to Council.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Meed Ward then spoke saying that “we are constrained” about what we can say and that the public will not know what we are talking about and what can be shared with the public.
Withholding information is the beginning of a slippery slope that leads to deliberately hiding information from the public.
What the Mayor did not share when she spoke was that previously the Executive Director of Legal Services had been asked to find lawyers with environmental experience.
Those lawyers are what we at the Gazette believe were speaking to Council in that CLOSED session.
In the fullness of time all the facts will come out. What we don’t want to hear is that the approach the Mayor has taken was what was best for the city.
Weeks before the 2018 election took place we said that of the three candidates running for the Office of Mayor Meed Ward was the only real choice.
And she is certainly in the process of making her mark on the city. She is also creating a profile of being bold and courageous and doing good things.
What is also being left is the view that she always knows best – this is not a view that is shared by most of her colleagues. The collaboration and a collective will of Council is not as evident as the Mayor would like it to be.
A Gazette reader recently made a comment that this Mayor wants everyone to know that She Is in Charge – democracies don’t work that way Your Worship.
What we will learn in the fullness of time is that Council will try and pass a city wide health protection bylaw that will relate to the quality of the air and what corporations will not be able to do when their product or the work they do releases pollutants into the environment.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there less traffic on the streets?
What has the traffic volume curve looked like ?
What do you make of that? Does the curve represent your traffic pattern?
Director of Transportation, Vito Tolone. told Council today that Traffic Volumes on Burlington Roadways during the lock downs has been volatile.
• Traffic sensors have been collecting volume data from various permanent count stations situated on arterial roadways across the City
• Volume data for Tuesday through Thursday is taken from each station as a “typical day”, totaled for each period (am, pm, 24hr) and averaged to get a “weekly average” for each period
 Traffic is certainly lighter during the lock downs. Highlights:
• March 2020 traffic volumes decreased significantly by 40-45 per cent
• June to December 2020 – traffic volumes steadily increased to reach almost 95 per cent of pre-COVID volumes
• Following Province wide shut down, 2021 volumes have again decreased by 35– 40 per cent.
Transit Volumes Update
• Ridership has been recovering since April 2020 as the economy re-opens from the 1st Provincial Lockdown
• A new schedule went into effect since late August 2020
– Enhanced midday service on New St, Plains Rd, Fairview St, and Industrial Area
– 15 minute or better service on New St, Plains Rd, and Fairview St (Route 1, 10)
• Dec 2020 ridership was 67.5% of pre-COVID levels (comparing to Dec 2019)
– GTHA average is 40% of pre-COVID levels
• Jan 2021, after the 2nd second Provincial Lockdown, ridership was ~44% of pre-COVID levels (as of Jan 24, 2021)
– Adult ridership down to 56% of pre-COVID levels
– Seniors, Students, and Children ridership down to less than 30% of pre-COVID levels
By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In a report to Council today Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation advised that the City has been asked to provide up to three facilities for Phase 2 (March/April to July/August) and Phase 3.
Everything of course depends on just when the vaccine is available.
This task will move very very quickly once the Vaccination Task Force knows when the vaccine will be available.
Burlington Fire Chief Karen Roche said there is preliminary work that is being done now to determine where the locations should be and how they should be operated.
The decisions will be made by the Regional Council on the advice of the Public Health Unit.
The Region has identified a list of criteria for the consideration of immunization sites. Among the locations are schools and private properties that meet their criteria as suitable locations..
• Fairness and equity will be central to these decisions
• City user groups and program providers will be displaced which will further reduce the facility inventory; already operating at a deficit due to current lack of use of school gyms
The region has identified the following as their criteria for selecting a vaccination centre location:
• One room at least 800m2 in size, preference is for 1200m2 (e.g. arena ice pad, 3-4 single gyms)
• Ample parking (minimum 100 spots) adjacent
• Space to be dedicated to the clinic. Separate entrance and exit required for people flow
• Facility must be accessible
• Exclusive use of facility is not required – other components of a multi-purpose facility can continue to be used for community activities
• Emergency power (minimally for refrigerators, preferably for entire facility so clinic can proceed without interruption)
• Accessible via Public Transit
• Heating, Cooling and Ventilation
• WIFI
• Hours of operation: 7 days a week, 8-12 hours a day
• 800-1400 people to be vaccinated at each site daily: goal 140 per hour.
Now which facilities? That’s when different ward Councillors began to speak up for their communities.
 The Skyway Area is probably out of the question – the Forestry department is using the space – not that easy to find a new place for them. A major concern is where is the population located – looking through an age lens. These are the people that are at a higher risk and they may need some help getting to vaccination locations.
The map below provides a look at where the population is by age, and how close they are to possible vaccination locations:
 This is where the people are by age – are their sites near them. Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation is involved on the city side with site selection determination.
He did say that the Public Heath Unit expected to be able to have people make appointments.
By Staff
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Intimate Partner Violence is the dark under belly part of our society.
We don’t want to hear about it, however it is going on all around us.
 9-1-1 call from an individual reporting that a male was assaulting a female in a residence, and that help was urgently needed. The Halton Regional Police Service report that if the current trend continues, officers will attend more than 4,000 intimate partner violence incidents by the end of this year.
Last month, the HRPS received an early morning 911 call.
Officers were dispatched and arrived at the residence. Nothing could be seen or heard from the house which was in total darkness. Officers gained entry to the house and soon located a male, as well as his common-law partner who had multiple red marks and bruising on her upper body.
Officers learned that the male party had been drinking for several hours during the evening. Two children in the home reported hearing slapping, yelling and loud noises throughout the remainder of the night until police intervened.
The male was arrested soon after and subsequently transported to Central Lock Up. Thereafter, the HRPS Intimate Partner Violence Unit took carriage of the investigation. The accused was charged with Assault, Assault Causing Bodily Harm (Choking), and Forcible Confinement.
The female party was admitted to hospital for her injuries and was referred to the Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit.
The Victim Services Unit connects victims to appropriate support services in the community, assists with victim care, and, through the Victim Quick Response Program (VQRP+), can provide immediate short-term financial support toward essential expenses for victims of violent crime.
Last month, our officers fielded 343 calls regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), compared with 279 calls in January 2020. In the same time period, we made 83 IPV arrests, compared with 51 IPV arrests in January 2020. A total of 206 IPV-related charges were laid in January 2021, compared with 85 IPV-related charges in January 2020 (an increase of 142 per cent).
Tragically, January is not an anomaly. Our analyses indicate that this is a continuation of a trend of an increasing frequency and severity of intimate partner violence incidents in the community over the course of the pandemic. What is particularly concerning is that we recognize that all forms of family violence are under-reported.
 An increase of 142 per cent year over year for the month of January. If you see something, say something. Someone’s life may depend on it.
Every person has the right to feel safe in our community.
Victims of intimate partner violence or sexual assault and witnesses are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service.
The following is a list of support services and resources in Halton Region for victims of intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence:
• Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit 905-825-4777
• Halton Women’s Place 905-878-8555 (north) or 905-332-7892 (24-hour crisis line)
• Halton Children’s Aid Society 905-333-4441 or 1-866-607-5437
• Nina’s Place Sexual Assault and Domestic Assault Care Centre 905-336-4116 or 905-681-4880
• Thrive Counselling 905-637-5256 or 905-845-3811
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) 905-875-1555 (24-hour crisis line)
 By Staff
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Anita Cassidy put it bluntly when she said, “It is not a pretty sight”.
In an update report to the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Standing Committee, Cassidy reported that:
 181,000 Canadian small businesses consider shutting down permanently
• CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) estimates 1 in 6 Canadian small business owners consider permanently closing
– Ontario could lose close to 75,000 businesses
• Economy risks losing 2.4 million jobs, equal to 20% of all private sector jobs
– Ontario can see over 873,000 jobs lost
• Businesses in the hospitality and arts and recreation sector most at risk
– 1 in 3 businesses considering closing.
Small Business Recovery will be an average of 1 year 5 months (across all sectors)
 By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On January 31, 2021, at approximately 3:50 pm three suspects entered a Shoppers Drug Mart store located near the intersection of Walkers Line and Dundas Street in Burlington. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The suspects threatened store employees and forced them to lie on the floor.
 Bandits fleeing the scene of an armed robbery in a stolen vehicle. The suspects then stole a large quantity of Tylenol pills, Percocet pills and a quantity of cash before fleeing the store in a waiting vehicle.
They were last seen driving northbound on Walkers line in a stolen 2017 White Hyundai Elantra (see photo attached to website).
No employees were physically injured during the robbery.
There are no suspect descriptions available at this time.
 Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In the summer of 2020, the Halton Regional Police Service started an online extortion investigation when two separate victims reported being contacted over social media. The victims were asked to send a nude image in exchange for money. The suspect indicated the image would only be viewed for a few seconds before being deleted.
After receiving the image the suspect was able to save a copy and threatened to distribute it unless additional images were sent. No money was exchanged.
The suspect ultimately distributed the images without the consent of the victims and in one case the victim was under the age of 18.
On January 28, 2021, the suspect, Nathan Haslett (25) of Oakville was arrested and charged with the following:
• Extortion (3 counts)
• Distribution of Intimate Image Without Consent (5 counts)
• Distribution of Child Pornography (4 counts)
• Possession of Child Pornography (3 counts)
Police believe there may be other victims and are asking anyone who had contact with the online identity of “Jason Tottersmith” and/or Instagram account “jay.totts” or Snapchat account of “jtottersmith” to contact police.
Police want to remind the public of the following:
• All images shared over the internet can be saved without your knowledge.
• Never send images to unknown persons over the internet.
• Increase all privacy and security settings to all of your social media accounts.
• For additional internet safety tips, please visit https://www.cybertip.ca/app/en/
Anyone with information in regards to any of these occurrences is asked to contact Acting Detective Stephane Verreault of the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2260
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
Media Inquiries:
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On Saturday January 30th, 2021, at approximately 3:40pm, a lone female entered the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 4525 New Street in the City of Burlington. The female proceeded to the fragrance area and concealed $1,200.00 worth of product in a large purse. The female exited the store, making no attempt to pay for the items.
 Lady on a shopping spree – forgot about the check-out aisle. If you can identify this suspect, please contact Cst. Kate Bechard at 905-825-4777 ext.7501 or kate.bechard@haltonpolice.ca.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers ‘See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers’ at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
 By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Mountainside Outdoor Pool has served the community well for over 50 years.
The City of Burlington is planning a future revitalization of this popular community outdoor pool. The renewal project is anticipated to begin after the 2021 summer swim season. The pool will remain open for use this summer, pending public health and provincial COVID-19 direction.
 Time for an upgrade. The ward Council is now a happy camper – he has delivered something for his constituents The City is inviting and encouraging all families and individuals who use the pool to take the online survey to help guide them with the style and themes of amenities and features planned for the new pool. The survey is open until Feb. 19, 2021: CLICK HERE for the survey.
Styles and themes of amenities in the survey include:
- Pool water spray features
- Climbing wall
- Water slide
- Shade structures
The revitalization will create an attractive, fun, active and welcoming multi-use outdoor swimming pool, that invites the community to participate and experience swimming and water play while encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2021, with completion expected in the spring of 2022.
About Mountainside Outdoor Pool
Mountainside Outdoor Pool and Splash Park (2205 Mount Forest Dr.) is an important community hub and aquatic recreation destination in the Mountainside neighbourhood. The pool is well used and serves on average 27,000 participants in a wide variety of activities including recreational swimming, lap swimming and learn to swim lessons each summer.
 Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture explains what the City is doing and the timeline for the revitalization. “Mountainside Outdoor Pool is over 50-years old and has served the community and the city very well. It’s now time to revitalize it and make the needed upgrades, repairs and updates so it can be a community activity hub for another 50-years. By starting the construction in the fall, we can ensure people have another opportunity for healthy, active recreational swimming this summer, and weather and construction permitting, have it open for the 2022 outdoor swimming season.”
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