 By Staff
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) Drug and Human Trafficking Unit has recently concluded a year-long investigation titled, ‘Project Mover’.
Beginning in Halton in late 2019, Project Mover spanned the Greater Toronto Area, and resulted in the largest fentanyl seizure in HRPS history, with a value of more than $4 million.
Nine individuals are facing a total of 30 charges in relation to this investigation.
 During the course of Project Mover, officers executed search warrants at six residences and made use of more than 100 judicial authorizations.
Project Mover resulted in the seizure of the following:
• 10.25 kilograms of fentanyl
• 1 kilogram of cocaine
• 6 kilograms of a suspected controlled substance (identification of substance pending analysis)
• 1.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine
• $307,065 currency (CDN $)
• Semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun
• .40 calibre handgun with an extended clip
• Stolen 2019 Dodge Durango
• 2016 Acura RDX
The following individuals have been arrested and charged:
Jorge Zamora (28) of British Columbia
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Fentanyl
Ian Singh (31) of Markham
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Fentanyl (x2)
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Heroine
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Breach of Firearm Regulation
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
Karen Tran (28) of Toronto
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
Joseph Piansay (26) of Brampton
• Trafficking a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
Domenic Mamone (47) of Hamilton
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine
Jordan Treleaven (28) of Oakville
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Fentanyl
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000 (x2)
Douglas Johnson (46) of Oakville
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Fentanyl
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000 (x2)
Jani Suutarinen (44) of Alberta
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
Craig Grant (21) of Mississauga
• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Possession of a Prohibited Device
• Breach of Firearm Regulation
• Unauthorized Possession of a Weapon
 The HRPS would like to thank the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario (CISO) and the RCMP for their assistance during the investigation.
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
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Do you need to test for the Covid 19 infection?
If you needed one – were you able to get a test?
Where would you go to be tested?
When would the results be available to you?
More questions and answers.
And a very mixed message from the provincial government.
The province put out a graphic that should help.
By Pepper Parr
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The intersection of Brant and Ghent is a bit of a waste land. An empty field on the west side north of Ghent, a parking lot on the east side north of Ghent.
A low two story office building that has seen better days is on the south side Ghent on the corner of Brant.
You could drive by and not know what you had just passed.
That location is in the process of changing.
The Molinaro Group released architectural renderings and announced a date for the now required pre-consultation meetings with the public before an application can be taken to the Planning department.
This is a development that isn’t within what most people see as the “downtown core” – which suggests that it will pass muster with the people that are fighting for what they call the heart and soul of the city
Given the virtual world we live in everything is now accessible by a Zoom link.
To participate On-Line via Zoom go to the web site set out below and use the webinar ID set out below.
https://zoom.us/j/96657726680
Webinar ID: 966 5772 6680
Participate by Telephone: 1-647-374-4685 (audio only)
Burlington is in the process of beginning to look like a very different city.
 Three 25 story buildings with some townhouses on Brant thrown in.
By Staff
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone with ears will have heard that there were 700 new COVID infections across the province.
And many will have heard that we are into a second wave of infections (no kidding) and that it should peak at around 1000 new infections a day by the middle of October.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the province’s record-setting new case count Monday for COVID-19 “deeply concerning” but announced no new public health measures, despite calls by a group of doctors and medical experts calling for a return to Stage 2.
The province reported an additional 700 cases of the infection on Monday, the most on a single day since the outbreak began in late January.
 The picture appears to be that of a beleaguered man – – time for the Premier to begin walking the tough talk. Speaking to reporters, Ford said Ontario is indeed embarking on its second wave, which will be “more complicated, more complex — it’ll be worse” than the first.
Still, asked about calls by the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to re-implement restrictions to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, Minister of Health Christine Elliott said, “We don’t want to turn back a stage unless we absolutely have to.”
 Is there a covid rule that isn’t broken in this picture? The province also announced the recruitment of 3,700 more health-care workers and caregivers, including nurses and personal support workers (PSWs), at a price tag of $52 million.
Burlington has for the most part been sparred really significant new infections. The breakdown of that 700 number had Halton with more new infections than Hamilton.
Niagara Region: 20
Halton Region: 15
Hamilton: 13
Simcoe Muskoka: 12
Nelson High School reported 2 infections.
 By Pepper Parr
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Last June Regan Russell was walking in front of a transport truck that was loaded with hogs that were being taken into the Fearmans slaughter house. The truck had stopped until protesters finished walking front of it; Regan Russell wasn’t able to get out of the way in time and was run over by the truck. She died at the scene.
 Regan Russell The slaughter house is part of a group of slaughter houses across the country that are owned by Sofina Foods.
Regan was one of a number of demonstrators who gather regularly at the Harvester Road/Appleby Line intersection to, as they put it, “bear witness to what is taking place” and to attempt to water the hogs.
They see what they are doing as a peaceful demonstration. They are indeed slowing down the entry of the truck into the meat processing plant.
Regan was run over by the truck that apparently didn’t see her. She was slight in stature and the front of the truck was very high.
The Regional Police investigated and came to the conclusion that a 28-year-old male from the Municipality of North Perth was to be charged with Careless Driving Causing Death under the Highway Traffic Act. The police reported that ‘there were no grounds to indicate this was an intentional act, or that a criminal offence had been committed.”
 The protesters usually arrive as a group waiting for the transport truck to enter the slaughterhouse. Animal Rights protesters have been demonstrating at that location for a number of years.
The meat processing plant, in operation since the 1960’s, has no intention of moving and currently employs 1000 people.
The provincial government recently passed legislation that would give the municipalities that have demonstrator problems “tools” to handle these situations.
The argument is that the issue is really one of public safety – they want the demonstrators out of the way.
Strong legislation certainly helps do that.
 Protestors water hogs when the transport has to stop for a traffic light at the entrance to the slaughterhouse. At the Monday City Council meeting a resolution was put forward and passed unanimously.
The Resolution reads:
Whereas the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 recognizes the unique risks that can result from interfering with livestock transport including creating unsafe work conditions as well as causing stress to animals and introducing diseases or contaminating our food supply; and
Whereas Sections 6(1), 7, 14(1) 3 and 15(1) of the Act came into effect on September 2, 2020 and prohibit the stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals; and
Whereas protest groups, including minor children, present outside the Sofina pork plant in Burlington continue to reach inside livestock trailers to touch, film and give water to the pigs creating an unsafe situation where they may be injured by the animals or trailer; and
Whereas the recent tragic loss of the life of a protester in Burlington underscores the urgent need to ensure the safety of all involved; and
Whereas Section 6(2) of the Act states that no person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal being transported by a motor vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle;
Therefore be it resolved that the City of Burlington pass a resolution urging the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to immediately proclaim Section 6(2) of the Act in order to provide a legal basis to prevent the unsafe practice of protestors having contact with livestock trailers and animals; and
That this resolution be forwarded to Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Region of Halton.
Those in favour of the motion didn’t have a word to say about the right of people to protest.
 Hog suffering from heat while being transported. Councillor Sharman sounded more like a shill for Sofina Foods (they are in his ward) rather than a person responsible for the wider community. The puffball questions he asked the three delegations were embarrassing.
Which begs the question: Why not find a way to allow the Animal Rights people to demonstrate, maybe even water the hogs while the trucks wait at the gate for 10 minutes.
After which the demonstrators would be required to move on.
The Conservation Authority closes off a portion of Kind Road for weeks in the spring so that the Jefferson Salamander can cross the road and mate in the wetlands.
 He isn’t exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment.
In 2008 a provincial tribunal found that the loss of a habitat for the Jefferson Salamander in north Burlington was reason enough not to give the Nelson Aggregate an extension to their license.
We have a proud history of protecting endangered species. Admittedly hogs are not endangered but the right of people to voice their views in a public place is as important as making huge allowances for an endangered species.
That history was sullied this morning by city council.
Related news story:
Protester run over by truck transporting pigs to slaughter.
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 Staff
September 26th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
You don’t get to see this very often
Click on the link – when you get to the image on the screen click on the middle of the image.
Then click on the video and hold your hand over your heart.
By Staff
September 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
For a small city with eight cannabis retail locations and five applications for a license to operate in Burlington the latest drug bust on the part of the Halton Regional Police is disturbing.
The evidence the police were able to show after a week long investigation in the City of Burlington by the 3 District – Street Crime Unit has led to charges against the following individual:
Rakeem AMOAH (18 years old from Burlington)
• Unauthorized Possession of Prohibited Device
• Possession of a Prohibited Device
• Possession for the Purpose of Selling (3 Counts)
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (Oxycodone)
• Sell Cannabis
On September 24th 2020, Investigators from the Street Crime Unit and Criminal Investigations Bureau executed a search warrant at a residence in the City of Burlington. As a result; the following items were seized:
• 81 grams of Cannabis
• 71 x 500mg of Edible Gummies
• 1 Oxycodone Tablet
• 2 High Capacity Extended Handgun Magazines
• Various Ammunition
• 3 Digital Scales
• 2 Cellular Telephones
• $14,410 Canadian Currency
• $10,147 American Currency
$2,235 worth of Cannabis and Cannabis Edibles were seized as a result of the search warrant. (Photo attached).
AMOAH was held for a Bail Hearing on September 25th, 2020.
Anyone with information in regards to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Scott Heyerman of the 3 District Street Crime Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 2342.
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
September 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There will be short duration rolling road closures in Burlington from Monday September 28, 2020 at 10 p.m. to Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 5 a.m.
There will be eight trucks in the convoy – the biggest will weigh 320,000 lbs, the smallest 50,000 lbs.
 Three of the eight trucks in the 8 vehicle convoy. The trucks are taking the load to a ship in Hamilton that will sail to France and offload there.
The job done consists of huge frames with lots of pipes for fuel processing.
Nearly 2 years in the making, from design assistance, route surveys, feasibility studies and a multitude of meetings, finally on Monday evening, September 28th the convoy will start their engines.
More than 70 third party contractors were involved in getting a convoy with varying overall dimensions up to 125’ x 26’ x 24’4” and gross weights from 260,000 to 320,000 lbs, will start out on a journey from Burlington, ON to the Port of Hamilton.
These rolling closures are for a Superload Project move from the Town of Oakville to the Port of Hamilton. There are seven loads moving in convoy with support vehicles including utility trucks and police escorts.
The following roads will see temporary road closures on the night of the move to ensure a safe passage of the convoy, please refer to the attached map:
• Michigan Dr – road closed on both directions from 10:00pm to midnight
• Intersection of Burloak Dr & Great Lakes Blvd / Michigan Drive – road closure in all directions from 10:30pm to midnight
• Burloak Drive between Great Lakes Blvd and North Service Road – northbound direction lanes closed from 10:30pm to midnight. Traffic will use the remaining lanes.
• Intersection of Burloak Drive and North Service Road – road closure in all directions from midnight to 1:00am
• North Service Rd between Burloak Drive and Appleby Line – road closure from midnight to 1:00am
• Intersection of North Service Rd and Appleby Line – road closure in all directions from 1:00am to 1:30am
• North Service Road between Appleby Line and Walkers Line – road closure in all directions from 1:30am to 2:00am
• North Service Road between Walkers Line and Guelph Line – road closure in all directions from 1:30am to 2:00am
• North Service Road between Guelph Line and Brant Street – road closure in all directions from 2:00am to 2:30am
• Intersection of North Service Road and Brant Street – road closure in all directions from 2:30am to 3:00am
• Brant St. from North Service Rd. to Upper Middle Road – northbound lanes closed between 2:30am and 3:30am. Traffic will use the remaining lanes.
• Intersection of Brant Street and Upper Middle Road – road closure in all directions between 3:30am and 3:30am
• Brant Street from Upper Middle Road to Dundas Street -northbound lanes closed between 3:30am and 4:00am. Traffic will use the remaining lanes.
• Intersection of Brant Street and Dundas Street -road closure in all directions from 3:30am to 4:00am
• Dundas Street from Brant Street to Kerns Road -westbound lanes closed from 3:30am to 4:30am
 Eight trucks transporting heavy equipment to a ship in Hamilton. Please note that travel times may vary according with conditions on field. Emergency vehicles passage will always be maintained.
If the move is unable to commence the night of Monday, September 28, the contingency dates for the move through Halton Region are Tuesday, September 29 to Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The move is being conducted and managed by Precision Specialized Inc. based out of Burford, Ont.
 By Ray Rivers
September 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Part 2 of a 3 part series:
In 1976 the World Meteorological Organization warned of a very significant warming of global climate. In 1992 the UN held an Earth Summit in Rio in which climate change became the major topic. In 1997 the world agreed on the Kyoto Protocol, under which wealthier nations would commit to measured reductions and poorer nations would receive help to reduce theirs.
So what happened? Well, Bush and Harper pulled out of Kyoto and Trump is pulling out of the Paris agreement, the latest effort at global action. The oil industry, which had been studying and must have known the effects of their products on the earth’s climate since the 50’s, engaged in a massive dis-information campaign to challenge the science around global warming.
 This was the target – how are we doing so far? And the oil and gas sector, and their ideological entourage of right wing politicians, were successful. As late as 2015 less that half of all Americans believed that climate change was a serious problem and a year later they elected a bon fide climate change denier as president. The industry pulled a page out of the tobacco companies playbook for deception, denial and mis-information. Unlike the tobacco giants, however, they have yet to face their day in court.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the most part are either carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (natural gas). Methane is a very powerful GHG, upwards of 30 times more effective than CO2, but it is relatively short lived compared to CO2, which can last for hundreds of years.
Methane emissions can be natural as from wetlands, landfill and sewage facilities, melting permafrost, or released as a byproduct of farming from fertilizer or meat production
Methane emissions also come from the extraction, production and transportation of fossil fuels, primarily natural gas. And, along with coal and oil, total fossil fuels make up as much as three quarters of all greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted to the atmosphere. And since the industrial revolution we have increased the carbon in the atmosphere by 30% – an amount which has been increasing just about every year.
 Gov. Gen. Julie Payette delivers the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa. So what are we doing about this now? On Wednesday the Governor General read a speech from the throne outlining the federal government’s aspirations and plans for legislation they will be introducing. The throne speech is directional, devoid of specific and detailed plans. And this speech for the most part was just a reiteration of last fall’s Liberal election campaign promises, but it made the point that attention to climate change will be one of the four cornerstones of Liberal policy going into the future.
The government promised to create thousands of jobs by retrofitting homes and buildings. It promised to make zero-emissions vehicles and public transit more affordable. It will maintain its carbon pricing policy, subject to a favourable Supreme Court ruling on it’s constitutionality. It will move to exceed its 2030 Paris emission goals. It will make meeting the goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2050 the law of the land.
There was a promise to make Canada a world leader in clean technology by launching a fund to attract new investments in zero-emissions products and cutting corporate taxes in half for those companies. The speech noted that Canada already has the natural resources needed for zero-emissions vehicles and batteries, such as nickel and copper.
A Clean Power Fund will connect surplus clean energy to regions that are transitioning away from coal. And the government will uphold campaign promises to ban single-use plastics by 2021, protect a quarter of Canada’s land and oceans in five years and plant two billion trees by 2029.
Energy was only mentioned twice and the government was almost silent on any goodies for the fossil fuel industry, a marked change from previous years. There was no mention however, that the feds will finally end the subsidies that flow to that sector – something they have been under pressure to do for at least a decade.
Will this be enough when it come to combating Canada’s contribution to climate change? Probably not, but it is the most forward looking set of environmental commitments since former PM Brian Mulroney championed sustainable development back in the late eighties. And unless the NDP or Bloc decide to support the government on the upcoming non-confidence vote we will all be in an election, just as we move into Canada’s second COVID wave.
 Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons Erin O’Toole Currently COVID quarantined Conservative Leader O’Toole didn’t spell out his objections, other than mentioning his concern with the prospective price tag. And there is no way he can politically support a program which doesn’t promise more oil extraction and pipelines for the west. Much like former PM Harper and leader Scheer, he is captive to the fossil fuel barons and their supporters in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Trudeau noted that electric vehicles and their batteries will soon be manufactured in Canada, primarily at Ford in Oakville and Windsor, to get drivers out of the gas burners. But the UK is going further, moving to ban the sale of all petroleum powered personal vehicles by 2030. And Norway will be doing that by 2025. Banning the sale of new carbon powered vehicles would be a far more effective policy than even the federally mandated carbon tax.
Absent from Trudeau’s speech was something about the residential and commercial use of fossil fuels in heating and cooking. A ban on sales of gas appliances for new homes and business would have been a measured step to reduce our carbon footprint. And one only hopes that somebody will ban those – so popular they’re out of stock – backyard propane heaters which mostly just heat the outdoors.
It would be fair to say that this throne speech really only addresses the proverbial tip of the fossil fuel iceberg (apologies for that oxymoronic metaphor). But it is a good start and reinforces the results of the last election. Canadians everywhere except the prairies want Canada to move into the post fossil fuel era.
And that is the achilles heel for Mr. O’Toole, the new leader of Conservative party. Despite moving with great speed to modernize existing Tory policy positions, he can’t help but try to keep the separatist Wexit movement from eating up his petro-country base. That political entity has recently rebranded as the Buffalo party, and O’Toole must be praying that like the four legged buffalo they too will almost disappear.
Background links:
How Much Warming – Global Warming – EV’s –
Oil knew about Climate Change – Cows –
Ray Rivers writes frequently on environmental matters
Part 1.
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
‘Did someone at Queen’s Park teach the Premier and his colleagues that song about “The Big Rock Candy Mountain”?
Money is flying out of the government coffers.
A million here; ten million there – yesterday it was $1 billion.
All for good reasons – this time it was to Expand COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing.
That we have to test so much is really the problem. We now know what we have to do to keep COVID-19 under control – create a safe bubble and stay in it.
The Prime Minister put it in language we could all understand. “There will be no Thanksgiving Dinners with extended family – but if we do the right things we have a shot at Christmas”.
 A Canadian city with a diverse population. The Ontario government is building on the largest provincial testing initiative in Canada by providing $1.07 billion to expand COVID-19 testing and case and contact management.
The government is also immediately investing $30 million to prevent and manage outbreaks in priority sectors, including the province’s long-term care homes, retirement homes, and schools. These investments are part of the province’s comprehensive plan to prepare the health system for a second wave of COVID-19.
To date, Ontario has maintained adherence to public health measures and established a strong foundation for testing and case and contact management by:
 Smaller than microscopic – this virus needs you to become its home so that it can replicate itself. • Establishing a provincial COVID-19 lab network with capacity for more than 40,000 daily tests;
• Establishing over 150 assessment centres;
• Testing long-term care home residents and staff in addition to the ongoing testing of staff and homes in outbreak;
• Providing up to 1,700 more contact tracers to support public health units in contact follow-ups through an agreement with the federal government;
• Launching a new, custom-built case and contact management digital system to improve data quality and timeliness and eliminate the use of the multiple tools being used across the province and the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) for COVID-19;
• Launching COVID Alert, the country’s made-in-Ontario exposure notification app; and
• Launching a robust public awareness campaign to educate the public on how to keep them and their families safe, including targeted campaigns to young Ontarians.
Many people have heard all this before – it is the ones who haven’t heard, or don’t want to hear, that are the problem.
 Less than 8 days ago in a Canadian city – near a university campus Massive minimum fines is a start – something to catch their attention.
The rest of us can remind those who choose not to wear masks to start now.
The Regional Police have a program that allows the driver of a car who spots someone driving erratically to dial 911.
Amazing how many of these dangerous drivers get pulled over very quickly and charged with a Highway Traffic Offence.
The Provincial Medical Officer of Health has the power to take action along those lines.
Do it – use the billion dollars to swear in constables with the power to take people into custody if they are not wearing a mask.
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 Staff
September 24th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There are in this city people who pay attention and appreciate that the Gazette will hear what they saw and make their thoughts available to a wider community.
What a reader from the western side of the city said, in her usually direct language:
“This is what pisses me off…hearing that last night 60 people attended a Rotary charity fundraiser. Yes, I understand that the covid bylaw is private gatherings…but my God…when are people going to use good and safe judgment.”
 Another reader who scans the council meeting agendas pointed out that “…this is a first. No details or agenda for Monday’s Council meeting. No ability to delegate.
By Staff
September 23, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The federal government said through the Throne Speech delivered today that municipalities might be given the right to ban hand guns.
 Hand guns seized in police raids It is going to be interesting to see what the reaction is to this one.
 By Staff
September 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
There will be another Telephone Town Hall hosted by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward this evening from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
The Mayor will be joined by a panel of local leaders to help answer residents’ questions.
How to Participate
Residents who would like to participate in the town hall can do so in the following ways:
Register in advance: Burlington residential phone numbers will be randomly selected to be part of the telephone town hall. Residents who would like to be added to the telephone call list can email getinvolved@burlington.ca.
Please note: if you registered for any of the previous town halls (held on March 26, April 14, June 4 or July 16), you are not required to register your phone number again. To remove a name from the call list, email getinvolved@burlington.ca.
Join by telephone: Anyone who does not receive a telephone invitation can call 1-800-779-0904 just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 to join the town hall. For those individuals calling in, please be advised that more than one attempt may be required due to the high volume of traffic on the phone lines. If the first call does not connect, please hang up and dial the 1-800 number again.
Once the call begins, a moderator will provide participants with instructions for how to submit their questions to the leadership panel.
Many of the questions not answered during the call will be posted, with answers, to the City’s website at burlington.ca/townhall, along with an audio file and full transcript of the call after Sept. 23.
By Staff
September 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional government has pushed a little harder on the need for people to wear face masks.
On September 16th they approved multiple amendments to the Mandatory Mask By-law, where it is mandatory to wear a face covering or non-medical mask in certain indoor public places across the region.
These amendments were made to provide further clarification and requirements related to age, employees working in designated staff areas and enclosed common areas in apartment/condominium buildings. Amendments to the by-law take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, and remain in effect until November 30, 2020, unless extended by Regional Council.
 Face masks now required in a condo or apartment laundry room. Key amendments to By-law 47-20 include:
• clarification that every person aged five (5) years old or older is required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering in certain indoor public places;
• the requirement that employees working within a designated staff area (not for public access) need to maintain a physical distance of two metres from colleagues; and
• the addition of enclosed common areas of apartment or condominium buildings, including the lobby, elevator, laundry room, meeting rooms or other common use facilities as “public places”.
“Halton Region Public Health continues to urge residents to follow all public health measures and remain vigilant to reduce the severity of a second wave of COVID-19,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health. “In addition to wearing a mask in indoor public places, please continue to physically distance, wash your hands often, limit non-essential social gatherings and stay home when you are sick (even with mild symptoms).”
It is important to remember that some individuals are exempt from the by-law. As the by-law continues to be in effect, Halton Region reminds residents to continue being kind and supportive of others in our community who may be exempt. Every person’s situation is different and not all exemptions may be visible. The provision that no person shall be discriminated against for not wearing a non-medical mask or face covering due to an exemption, remains in the by-law.
“Halton Region’s Mandatory Mask By-Law continues to be an important part of our community effort to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “These amendments were based on feedback received from the Halton community to ensure there is a consistent by-law in place across the region and further protect each other during the pandemic. Thank you to all residents and businesses who continue to take this pandemic seriously and follow public health direction.”
By Pepper Parr
September 22nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
PART 2 of a SERIES: The first piece in this series of articles on the incredible success the citizens living in the Appleby Village part of the city had when they went up against a developer who had filed an appeal with the Local Planning Act Tribunal (LPAT) .
The first the larger public heard about how things had turned out for the citizens who were opposed to the Appleby Village development was when the Mayor announced during a Council meeting that there was a settlement offer from the developer.
The development project in the east end goes back to 2014 – the developer had a plan that got put on hold when the Region realized that the Storm Water System could not handle the amount of flood waters; that a larger pipe would have to be put in place.
That put the project on hold for two years.
Jeremy Skinner, an east end resident who spends his free time going to community meetings, had become friendly with Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman and got into the habit of attending his meetings.
Skinner wondered if there were people in the community who were as curious as he was about how such a development would get past the Planning Department.
 There is a very vibrant community surrounding the site. The area in the center in grey is the land that has undergone significant re-development during the past ten years. The X is where the high rise and town houses are going to be located. The Gazette had been following the story but not as closely as Skinner.
Skinner put together a flyer and dropped them off at homes in the immediate area of the proposed development which at that time was for two Residential Condominium Apartment Towers with one at 12-storeys and the second at 17-storeys. These were subsequently changed to 17-storeys for both towers when the matter got to an appeal application.
The residents who bordered the proposed development of Appleby Village were shocked to receive invitations to attend the initial LPAT Pre-hearing Conference for the First Capital (Appleby) Realty appeal for lack of City decision to amendments to the Official Plan (OP) and the By-law (ZBL). They got the invitation either because their homes were within a boundary set out by the city or because they had attended a meeting and put their names on a sign up sheet.
 Public art is set at the north west corner of the Village. Goats. The Official Plan (OP) and the Zoning Bylaw ( ZBL) for the 6.6-hectare site were defined as a maximum of 12-stories.
Nothing was happening while the Region improved the storm water pipes. That work was completed by the end of 2016.
At about the same time there were rumblings within the development community that the Ontario Municipal Board was going to undergo a significant change. Word at the time was that municipalities were going to have more involvement in the process – that belief supported by the new name. Local Planning Act Tribunal. The LPAT acronym turned out to be very misleading.
The new act came into effect on December 12th. Many developers, believing they could read the tea leaves, filed appeals wanting to be heard under the old OMB rules. First Capital filed their appeal on November 17th, 2017 which meant their appeal would be held under the to-be-replaced OMB rules and procedures. It also meant that the city’s Planning Department was out of the game – the city lawyers now had the file.
By this time Skinner had become quite active in the community and recruited what he called “street captains” people who would distribute another flyer to households.
 The invitation Jeremy Skinner distributed to the neighbourhood. Sixteen people took up the invitation – Skinner now had his community group.
They met on a number of occasions figuring out what their approach should be and what was actually possible. They knew the development wasn’t going to be taken off the table – but believed they could get changes that made it better for everyone in the community.
 It’s an active site with a very good restaurant, a Starbucks, an LCBO, a bank and a supermarket. The first LPAT appeal meeting took place at city hall on May 1st where those seeking Registered Participant status were advised to group themselves with other residents who had common concerns and identify representative speakers who would make statements at the hearing.
That was initiative enough for Skinner to host a neighbourhood meeting on the 26th of June 2018 at Pineland Baptist Church. “At the meeting, we reviewed what was known about the development application, and then considered our response based upon what we believed was possible to win at LPAT and what would be required to do so.
“We decided not to challenge the Developer or the City on matters such as: the number of buildings; building heights; number of residential suites; the number of their guests’ vehicles in underground parking; and impact on traffic for the developer and the City to resolve” said Skinner.
“This was due to the high costs to hire LPAT recognized Subject Matter Experts and suitable Legal representation. Instead, we decided to focus our efforts on documenting our issues of “transition compatibility to our bordering residential neighbourhood properties” and the need to “improve and make safe pedestrian egress to the site”.
“We drafted and ratified a proposal letter complete with eight conditions summarized below which, if satisfied, would result in the community group withdrawing our objection to the proposed development and instead to follow the City’s lead. It was sent to all LPAT parties and the LPAT Case Coordinator on the 8th of July 2018.
 These were the conditions the community took to the developer.
There were numerous meetings with the developer’s architect and senior people at First Capital. The residents knew that the development was eventually going to get approved and that they really didn’t have much clout; the developer wanted to get on with the construction and move the file forward – getting rid of the residents was the price they would have to pay.
At a subsequent LPAT meeting (Preconference Hearing # 2 ) Eileen Costello, a lawyer,with Aird and Berlis, counsel for the developer, advised LPAT that on the 30th of October, 2020 they would be submitting a revised development plan that was being submitted on a Without Prejudice basis and that “discussions have continued with the City”.
Ms. Costello stated that they have looked at the information submitted by the local residents and intend in the future to take a revised proposal out for communication and discussion with the residents.”
What this meant was that the residents had prevailed – the developer was going to go along with much of what the residents had proposed.
 Green = development pedestrian egress & townhouse front yards Now the challenge was to make that point with the city and to get the Planning Department back into the game. They were no longer part of what was happening – the moment the developer filed the LPAT appeal the city’s legal department was in control of the file – not that the city had all that much going for their side of the difference of opinion on the development.
Jeremy Skinner delegated at city hall on a matter that was part of the CLOSED SESSION agenda.
He started out telling the Council members that the day before there had been a ZOOM meeting that his group had been invited to attend. The developer set out the changes they had made.
Those changes were enough for the Appleby Village community group to withdraw their objections.
In a short report on the city web site the scope of the win for the residents is set out:
The settlement between the City and First Capital resolves the issues in dispute between the City and First Capital on the basis that First Capital and the City will seek LPAT approval of a revised development concept for the property. The City and First Capital will request the LPAT withhold a final order approving the development until the City and First Capital are satisfied with technical studies that are required to support the revised development concept.
The revised development concept proposes 368 dwelling units in both apartment and townhouse forms located on a portion of the site of the former Appleby Mall that currently contains a parking area adjacent to existing retail/commercial uses. The revised development concept reduces the building heights of the original proposal from 12 and 17 storeys, down to a 9 storey and two 12 storey buildings that are in compliance with the Official Plan. The revised development concept also: increases setbacks from Pinedale Avenue; reorients and redesigns the buildings to achieve compliance with the City’s Urban Design Guidelines; introduces townhouse units at the base of the buildings; and provides enhanced landscaping, among other things.
The City and First Capital will attend at the LPAT hearing scheduled to commence on November 2, 2020 to seek approval of the Zoning By-law amendment and revised development concept by the LPAT.
End of part 2
Part 1.
By Pepper Parr
September 22, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 The flu shot is free – and it doesn’t hurt THAT much. Flu shots – flu shots – not the hoped for COVID-19 vaccine – this is the normal seasonal flu we are to be protected against.
Great – the province has ordered more than 5 million doses and is spending $70 million.
So I can call my doctor’s office and head in for that quick jab in the arm?
How do I do that?
And that’s the rub – there is no protocol in place for all of us to get the flu shot.
Those in long term care homes are first on the list – good.
The seniors are next – so how do we seniors learn where we are supposed to go and when?
Have you noticed that the medical people tend to avoid email – so they will call me?
The pharmacies are said to be given permission to get into the game. That’s being worked out.
The province released step 1 in the six step plan they have to keep us all safe. Meanwhile the increase in people infected rises. No idea what the other five steps in that plan are – many suspect that just what those others steps are has yet to be worked out.
The graphic below is evidence enough – that curve is going in the wrong direction. And we the people are the only ones who can change its direction.
 The slope of the curve is now rising steeper than it was when we had hit a peak.
 By Staff
September 22, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Residents are invited to take part in the interactive online events and activities during the 11th annual Culture Days.
Culture Days is extending beyond the traditional Culture Days weekend to a more inclusive and interactive four-week schedule of activities. Kicking off Sept. 25 and running until Oct. 25, Culture Days invites everyone to participate in and show appreciation for arts and culture in their own community and nationwide.
 This year’s theme is Unexpected Intersections – encouraging creative and outside-the-box thinking to reveal new avenues of discovery, learning, and expression. In light of the current situation with COVID-19, Culture Days is featuring digital presentations, do-it-yourself activities and self-guided programs.
The Culture Days website showcases thousands of virtual and in-person activities. Visitors can find small-gathering or self-guided events near them, while going digital allows participants to virtually cross the country and discover live-streamed performances and other online presentations.
You can find a Culture Days event HERE
About Culture Days
Culture Days has become the largest cultural event in Canada, attracting an estimated 2.5 million annual attendees to thousands of free activities and performances hosted by artists, cultural organizations and municipalities in hundreds of communities across Canada.
By Pepper Parr
September 22nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We are going to hear a lot about the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the bid Hamilton is making to have them held in that city.
The original Games were held in Hamilton in 1930 – known then as the British Empire Games.
The Empire no longer exists and if the Games do come to Hamilton for 2026 there is no certainty that there will even be a Commonwealth.
But we digress.
Back in May the Commonwealth Games Federation asked the Hamilton contingent to consider a bid for 2026 because it likely wouldn’t be challenged.
 That got the Hamilton people changing gears and getting really serious – even though the number to pull this off is set at $1.4 BILLION – much of which would come from the federal and provincial levels.
Mayor Meed Ward is meeting with top level lawyers at Gowlings in Hamilton where she will chat with the Paletta people about how Burlington can be part of the pitch that is being made to get the games to Hamilton for 2026. No word on whether this is to be a virtual meeting or in the Gowling Board room that is big enough to let everyone sit six feet apart.
 Bronte Creek Meadows: Zoned as Employment – would an Olympic Village qualify? The Paletta’s have significant property interests in Burlington – some of which are zoned as Employment Lands – what if there were a Games Village on the Meadows on Upper Middle Road where it turns into Burloak.
Bronte Park is right across the street – can you see the picture that is developing?
The Mayor will be meeting with Louis Frapporti, Managing Partner at Gowlings and a huge believer in all things Hamilton.
It will be interesting to hear what the Mayor has to say at the September 28th City Council meeting.
Now if the Mayor would get into the habit of holding regular media events we could put the question to her.
 By Staff
September 22, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Wrong building, wrong place and miles outside the Official Plan and zoning for the property.
The development was to be located on the west side of Guelph line just south of New Street.
The Staff recommendation was to refuse the application for official plan and zoning by-law amendments submitted by Weston Consulting, on behalf of Valour Capital Inc. for the development of a 13-storey residential building on the property located at 420 Guelph Line.
CARRIED
Council debated this one for more than an hour and urged the developer to do a makeover and perhaps work with an abutting property owner.
The immediate area already has several development applications in the works – five years from now you will probably not recognize the area.
 The developer was asking for too much and the neighbours didn’t like it.
 By Staff
September 21st, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Isn’t there some kind of limit?
Is this what the city bought into when it approved having cannabis retail locations in the city? We could have said no.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has received an application for a 15th cannabis retail store in Burlington called Verde Luv Inc. The proposed location at 1900 Walkers Line, Unit 7 is now up for public comment.
 People lined up outside a cannabis store in Burlington. This application does not meet the City of Burlington Council approved guidelines. A previous application, currently under review by the AGCO, for a 14th cannabis retail store in Burlington has a proposed location at 3505 Upper Middle Rd., Unit D003 and is within 500m of this applicant’s location. This is “clustering” which is discouraged; each applicant should propose a location that is at least more than 500m from another cannabis retail store in Burlington.
Written comments about the proposed location will be received by the AGCO until Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 and may be submitted online at www.agco.ca/iAGCO. The AGCO will accept submissions from:
• A resident of the municipality in which the proposed store is located
• The municipality representing the area in which the proposed store is located and/or its upper-tier municipality.
Comments submitted to the AGCO should relate to the following matters of public interest:
• Protecting public health and safety
• Protecting youth and restricting their access to cannabis
• Preventing illicit activities in relation to cannabis
After Oct. 4, the AGCO will consider all written comments and available information to decide whether the application for the proposed store location will be approved.
Currently there are eight licensed cannabis retail stores in Burlington, including three approved since the ACGO moved to an open licensing system for cannabis retail store applications earlier this year. The eight stores include:
• Relm Cannabis Co. 4031 Fairview St. Suite 103
• Corner Cannabis 3007 New St.
• The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. 1505 Guelph Line, Unit 3-4
• Friendly Stranger Plains Road 1025 and 1059 Plains Rd. E., Unit 3
• Pioneer Cannabis Co. 1200 Brant St., Unit B-004
• mihi 3500 Dundas St., Unit A1B
• Canna Cabana Burlington 2400 Guelph Line, Unit 2
• Welcome Cannabis 1401 Plains Rd., Unit 5
Six additional cannabis retail stores are under review by the AGCO and one is out for comment, including this one.
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