 By Pepper Parr
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
She broke his heart – he truly believed that after working his buns off to get her elected that she would not sell him out – the Mayor has lost a fan.
 John Calvert John Calvert, former Chief Planner for the City of Mississauga when Hazel McCallion was Mayor wrote Marianne Meed Ward saying:
Madam Mayor
Trust, Honesty and Commitment are the qualities I value most in family, friends and colleagues.
It appears that Council is considering a settlement agreement with National Homes on their application for a townhouse development at 2100 Brant Street.
 A planned 233 homes for the property on Brant Street It pains me to write this letter after all you did on the file, as a Councillor and Mayor, and the extensive work by Vision 2100 Brant, in addition to the commitment I made to your campaign. I am so profoundly disappointed and personally offended in this process and possible outcome.
 It has been a farm field for decades – owned by the Catholic Church. Then a developer saw an opportunity. This file is a critical example of where you could demonstrate keeping your campaign promises which all residents expected.
I regret having believed that you would actually fulfill your two main campaign promises – to oppose over-development and improve public engagement. The proposal for 2100 Brant is probably the worst case of over-development the City will experience (except the mess being made of our downtown) and yet you appear to support it.
The current planning process in Burlington, which is not practiced by other municipalities, consists of ….file an application…no decision….appeal to LPAT…settlement hearing. This not only denies Due Process but takes away residents’ rights.No public input into the settlement. It is not what we were told after this Council rescinded the 2018 settlement. We were told no more settlement hearings. Tell that to the residents along Townsend Ave after settlement hearings at 92 and 484 Plains Road. You supported these two settlement hearings.Why are the majority of development applications decided by LPAT and not Council?
You agreed that staff were compromised on the 2100 Brant file and the City would retain an outside planner to review the file, and if required, would be the expert witness at the LPAT hearing. The planner would be retained by the City and for the City. The planner was not for Vision 2100 Brant. It was your decision and now, at the last minute, there is a change of mind.
At the second LPAT Pre-hearing (April 3. 2019), Legal staff told the LPAT Chair that the City would have two Expert Witnesses, a land use planner and a traffic engineer. The Chair gave us permission to “umbrella” or use the City’s witnesses, and made no mention that each Party needs to provide their own independent witnesses. Check the minutes of the Pre-hearing. Once again, the residents are disappointed.
 The intensification is obscene. The blue area denotes the Havendale community with 236 homes. The orange area is the proposed National Homes development where 233 homes would be built. Have you challenged staff on why 2100 Brant is not compliant with the Official Plan policies on Compatibility based on the Intensification Strategy? Why have an Official Plan if the residents cannot count on Council to address the policies in their decisions? In addition, how can you support the need for 26 variances to the zoning development standards to allow National Homes to overdevelop the site?
Do you really think this is Good Planning? What impact will it have on the rest of the City? If you support it here, what does that say to all residents? This will be a precedent established by this Council. This is exactly what residents expected you, and the new Council, to oppose on our behalf.
I feel you did not keep your promise for the Downtown. How could you not remove the MTSA designation for the John Street bus stop and why hasn’t the City filed a motion with the Province to review the location for the Urban Growth Centre following MPP McKenna’s letter? The numerous delegations were counting on you to protect the Downtown by avoiding developers using these elements to ask for increased height and density as in the Adi application. Again I feel let down and unfortunately I am not alone.
I commend your leadership and time commitment in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, but feel compelled at this time to make my feelings known prior to the next Council meeting where the apparent settlement agreement might be dealt with. All of us are counting on you, and our elected councillors, to support us and the City at large will expect the same when this is all brought to light.
Related news stories.
Meed Ward’s view on September 2018
New council gets the development – what do they do?
Council gets another chance to debate the development
 By Staff
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Public Health office released COVID-19 data up to end of day on April 12, 2020
The population % of Halton’s COVID-19 cases is higher than the province when ranked by age. This is because Halton has more seniors than any other part of the province.
The curve has not yet flattened.
The data tells us that there were:
87 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update (63 confirmed + 24 probable)
356 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (316 confirmed + 40 probable)
 COVID-19 cases, by reported date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 12, 2020, shows the 356 COVID-19 cases that had been reported to Halton Region Public Health by end of the day on April 12. All cases have been graphed according to the date they were reported, which is often several days after the onset of symptoms. Among the cases in this figure, 87 were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 9 and April 12, 2020).
Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
48 Halton COVID-19 cases work in health care (13% of all cases)
 Figure 2: COVID-19 cases, by age and sex, Halton Region, 2020 Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 129 cases, or 36%). 208 of the 356 cases (58%) were female.  COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020 The figure 3 shows that by end of the day on April 12, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 122 cases, or 34%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.
 Percentage of COVID-19 cases, by exposure source, Halton Region, 2020 Case Exposure source
Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, 154 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (43%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 96 cases (27%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of infection. 83 of the cases (23%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for 23 cases (6%).
Case outcomes
46 Halton cases of COVID-19 have ever been hospitalized to date
114 Halton cases of COVID-19 have recovered to date
11 Halton cases of COVID-19 have died to date
Institutional outbreaks
1 confirmed institutional outbreak of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update
7 confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the seven confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, four (57%) have been in retirement homes, while two occurred in long-term care homes and one occurred in a hospital. One of the confirmed outbreaks was reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 9 and April 12, 2020). None of the confirmed outbreaks have yet been declared over. Please note these counts do not include any suspected outbreaks that remain under investigation.
Comparison to Ontario
7,470 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
 Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020 Figure shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are now similar to the provincial rates for all age groups (for example, while Halton has 21.9 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, this is not statistically significantly different from the 17.0 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario). It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic, and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested.
Data limitations and data sources:
All Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on April 13, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on April 12, 2020
Ontario case data: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to April 12, 2020, posted on April 13, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020.
Data notes
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.
The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of under-reporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours.
Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included.
Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded.
Figure 1 distinguishes between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Since April 7, probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, meaning they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms and therefore are presumed to have COVID-19. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined.
In subsequent reports, counts in Figure 1 may increase as cases are added from past dates due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results. To minimize such retrospective changes, cases have been graphed according to case reported date, which does not reflect onset of illness.
Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc.
Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.
Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovery, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time.
Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and prisons.
The story for the period ending April 8th.
 By Staff
April 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Community Development Halton announces the appointment of a new Executive Director.
 “After a thorough and rigorous search process the Board of Directors of Community Development Halton announced that Michael Nixon will become the Executive Director, effective immediately.
 Mike Nixon: newly appointed Executive Director of Community Development Halton. “Nixon is a Halton resident and brings significant business experience and community knowledge.
“Nixon will take over from the recently retired Dr. Joey Edwardh.
“A business entrepreneur during the past couple of years, Mike comes to us from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. A 30-year veteran of the non-profit sector, Mike holds a BA from McMaster University and has served on several Boards of Directors. He brings a high level of corporate interaction as well as fundraising and donor relations experience.
“Nixon is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded business leader. He will provide leadership to the organization, oversee program management, community relations, financial planning and management, and support to the board of directors. Mike will serve as the main public contact and spokesperson for the organization and represent the company and all professional business capacities.
“Nixon and his wife, Cindy, have been married for almost 35 years and are the proud parents of two daughters. He is an avid golfer and home renovator and at home has a passion for baking. He and his family have long supported Halton Children’s Aid through the fostering of several babies over the years.
“Over the coming weeks Nixon will be connecting with major stakeholders and officials throughout the Region to introduce himself and to better understand their needs and concerns”.
“Nixon can be reached via email at mnixon@cdhalton.ca or by phone at 905-632-1975, or toll-free at 1-855-395-8807.”
Community Development HAlton is funded by the Region of Halton and the Hamilton-Halton United Way. It has a staff of about seven; some of whom have been laid off during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
By Staff
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Despite a report that there are infections at two units of the Joseph Brant Hospital the picture overall for the Region is, on balance, showing the results of staying home and being very careful when you do have to go out.
A full report on data released by the Regional Public Health Unit will follow later today – there is one indicator that will leave Burlingtonians feeling quite positive.
Figure shows that by end of the day on April 12, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 122 cases, or 34%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.
 Data as at April 8th, 2020 The visuals tell part of the story. Number of COVID-19 cases for each municipality in the Region.
 Data as at April 12th, 2020
 By Staff
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
This is about as brazen as you can get.
Man drops by a used car dealership – looks over a car – goes for a test drive with the sales rep. The engine is shut down. Sales agent heads for the office to get some papers, customer asks if the sales guy will turn the engine on again – he wants to listen to it – we will let the police tell the rest of this story.
The Halton Regional Police Service is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a series of daytime vehicle thefts.
On April 8, 2020, the male suspect attended a dealership on Fairview Street in the City of Burlington. The male inquired about a 2017 Black Range Rover at the dealership. The male requested to see the vehicle in order to check out some of the features. Once the sales person shut the vehicle off; the male asked to hear the engine again and asked for the keys to start the Range Rover. The male suspect then proceeded to get into the Range Rover and drive away at a high rate of speed out of the dealership lot.
This same suspect is responsible for two other similar style vehicle thefts. These thefts took place on March 29, 2020 in the Town of Oakville and again on March 30, 2020 in City of Burlington. During those vehicle thefts, the male suspect proceeded to steal a 2015 Black Mercedes S550 (Oakville Dealership) and a 2018 Black Mercedes E400 (Online Private Sale). During all three incidents, male suspect was left alone with the vehicle keys briefly and was able to drive away with these vehicles.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for these vehicle thefts.
 If you know this man and can identify him …  … Call Crime Stoppers. Suspect is described as a male, white, with a slim build, 170lbs and was between 5’11” and 6″ in height with short brown hair. He was wearing a black jacket and white shirt and had black sunglasses on. The suspect appeared to be between the age of 30-40 years.
If anyone has information about the identity of the suspect, please contact Detective Constable Colin MacLeod of the 30 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825 4747 ext. 2357.
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
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
With a near total lock down of the community a number of people managed to find time to ingest or swallow stuff that doesn’t register so well with a police office who pulls you over.
Impaired Driving Offences Within Halton Region
On April 6, 2020 just after 3:30 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Kerr Street and Speers Road in Oakville. As a result of an investigation, Khaleq Noori (27) of Barrie was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 6, 2020 just before 8:30 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Main Street South and Guelph Street in Halton Hills. As a result of an investigation, Adam Knee (38) of Georgetown was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 7, 2020 just before 1:30 am, Halton Police officers responded to a collision in the area of Guelph Line and Prospect Street in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Brent Lalonde (27) of Burlington was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 8, 2020, just before 4:00 pm, Halton Police officers responded to a citizen-initiated complaint in the area of Thomas Alton Boulevard and Columbus Drive in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Stacey George (42) of Burlington was charged with blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
On April 11, 2020, just after 2:30 am, Halton Police officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Millside Drive and Martin Street in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Carlos Marticorena (24) of Hamilton was charged with operation while impaired.
On April 12, 2020, at approximately 9:30 pm, Halton Police officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Britannia Road West and Thompson Road South in Milton. As a result of an investigation, Nitin Jain (42) of Milton was charged with operation while impaired and blood alcohol concentration 80mgs or more, within two hours.
The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to road safety through prevention, education and enforcement initiatives.
Members of the public are reminded that driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime in progress and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report a suspected impaired driver.
The Service’s Twitter and Facebook accounts should not be used for this purpose as they are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If you have been named in a police report and after going through the judicial procedure and were found not guilty of what you were charged with, or the police dropped the charge, be in touch with the Publisher of the Gazette and we will pull the original report and publish the results of the trial if you wish.
By Robin Bailey
April 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at the door. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.
 Diane Gris – the woman who manages the volunteers – keeps an eye on things while doing an interview. Robin Bailey reports that: “Diane Gris was in this morning organizing our the volunteers as we prepare for the week ahead.
“Our doors are closed today however several volunteers are working in order to prepare for Tuesday.
“It’s a much-needed chance to regroup; Volunteers are busy going through the stock we have in house and doing some organization.
 Jane Newton – all-star volunteer with more than 100 hours logged – so far. “Jane Newton started going through the personal hygiene, cosmetics and toiletry inventory. Jane is one of our hall of fame volunteers having donated over 100 hours already. Having a long-weekend doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to but for our Food Bank it means we can relax a bit more and prepare.
“Diane mentions that it’s been three weeks since we implemented the delivery at home model and we had hoped to transition completely to delivery by now. I guess this week will tell how successful we’ve been doing that. We can’t thank our volunteers enough.
You can follow just what it is the volunteers do at the Food Bank. Latest Today’s update —
By Pepper Parr
April 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Sunday habit is for one of us to walk up the lane to pick up the newspapers: she reads the Star; I read the Sunday New York Times.
I am convinced I get the better value but we share headlines and editorial cartoons.
 The Times this Sunday is almost wall to wall COVID-19 coverage or where President Trump dropped the ball.
New York City is reporting COVID-19 deaths of 800 a day and putting bodies in refrigerated trucks until they can determine where they can be sent.
A reporter managed to get into two hospitals, the Jack D Weiler Hospital and the Montefiore Medical Centre’s Moses division in the Bronx, to witness and document the chaos, panic, fear and bravery that takes place minute after minute.
Dr. Michael Jones who runs the physician resident program at both hospitals sent his young doctors an email last month asking them to go out of their way to comfort the COVID-19 patients.
Take a few moments if you can to talk about patients’ families, their lives, their dreams. Ask if there is a loved one you can call. And lastly, two very different things; hold your patient’s hand for a minute as they near death or pass, and ask your entire team to stop for five or ten seconds, bow your heads, state the patient’s name and ask for silence.
This helps us retain our humanity in times of such crisis and gives our patients’ family some solace that they were treated with dignity.
By Pepper Parr
April 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor is pushing the message again and again – she has been relentless, which at this point in time is the most important job she has.
In the photograph below people are milling about in Union Square in New York City. The photograph was taken March 21, a scant three weeks ago.
 Photograph taken three weeks ago – the COVID-19 virus was in the air then – they didn’t know that. Yesterday, the Governor of the State of New York announced that there were 799 deaths in one day in the city.
This red spikes are the part of the virus that attaches itself to us. Fascinating article in the Saturday Globe and Mail that explains what we are up against in great detail. The COVID-19 virus is literally in the air – we are transmitting it from person to person and in the process killing each other.
The way we stop this is to just stop going outside.
Difficult, yes. Very hard for some. Close to impossible for others.
But that is what we are up against.
We have to dig down deep and do what we are being asked to do. Stay inside; if you decide to go out – stay away from other people.
For those who would like to understand this disease we are fighting there is an excellent news feature in the Saturday Globe and Mail. It is complex, actually quite fascinating, to learn how this virus attaches itself to us and how the scientists are looking for way to combat it.
The Mayor’s message is clear – sure you may have heard it yesterday, and the day before. Listen to it again and pay attention – your life depends on it.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Please stay home and self-isolate, engage in physical distancing and only go outside for essentials, such as food and medical needs or appointments.
Residents with symptoms are to self-isolate at home for 14 days and ask family, friends or neighbours to safely drop off supplies to you.
This is required to keep each other safe and healthy and to “flatten the curve.”
The longer we stay apart now, the sooner we can come together again.
Look at those numbers out of New York City – 799 dead in a single day.
 By Staff
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Maintaining a healthy intimate relationship is a challenge at the best of times. And these are not the best of times.
There is a lot of emotional stress, financial stress and worry over how things are going to work out.
In many households, far too many – the stats make it clear that there is significant violence in some relationships.
In March 2020, our officers responded to 276 calls related to intimate partner violence and laid 121 charges. For reference from the previous year in March 2019, our officers responded to 289 calls related to intimate partner violence and laid 150 charges.
The police recognize that intimate partner violence often goes unreported to police.
 Every person has the right to feel safe in our community. That is why is the Service is asking that everyone looks out for their relatives, friends, neighbours and co-workers, who they suspect may not be safe at home. Check in on them regularly, establish a ‘signal’ word and call for help if you think that they are in danger.
“Now, more than ever, victims of intimate partner violence need the support of their community,” says Deputy Chief Hill.” In a time of isolation, we must show victims that they are not alone and that help is available.”
Victims or friends/family of victims are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Women’s Place or other community resources if intimate partner violence is happening. Shelters across Halton are still open at this time and Halton Women’s Place continues to offer services. Help is available.
You are not alone. 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 valuable 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
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) 905-875-1555 (24-hour crisis line)
 By Pepper Parr
April 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Keeping up to date on the reports the Finance department sends to council means learning something new every day.
There was an item in the operating budget performance report that caught our eye. It has to do with computer software maintenance and the positive variance (which means they didn’t spend all the money they had budgeted) item in budget performance
 Former City Clerk Angela Morgan, on the right, explaining to council part of what went wrong with the CRM system. Morgan is now the Executive Lead on Customer Experience. We thought that the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that had all the wheels fall off at the same time and had to be sent back for a complete rebuild would have come under that computer software maintenance entry.
Turns out that is not the case.
 City Treasurer Joan Ford runs the tightest shop in the city. Joan Ford, City Treasurer explained that “The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software is a capital project (not part of the operating budget performance report). Capital projects are generally carried out over more than one year. We annually provide a capital closure report to council (the next one will be on the May cycle of meetings). The CRM capital project is not ready for closure at this time so will not be included in the report.”
Which means it will be as much as another 18 months before the project is re-done and then we see a closure report. That’s so far off that we could well be into deciding who the members of the next city council will be.
The screw up with the CRM took place before the current council was elected – before the current city manager was brought in.
 James Ridge – CRM mess took place on his watch. The prize for this cock-up goes to the former city manager James Ridge; he was ushered out the door some time ago.
The problems with the CRM became public when Council members found the CRM didn’t work for them. What no one knew at the time was that Sheila Jones, who was then the city auditor, was writing a report on how serious the problem was. It was a humdinger. Her report resulted in what had been done getting redone and the people who dropped the ball were no longer around to be held accountable.
Most of those who quietly left the city will probably be found working in some other municipality.
That’s the way things tend to work in the municipal sector.
Related news stories:
Councillor Kearns has a beef.
The report
The fallout
 By Staff
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward preparing her iPad for the Front Line Clap Out she performed from the veranda of her house. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will not be talking part this Friday in the Front Line Clap Out she organized hoping that it would be celebrated across the city.
Her office reports that she is otherwise engaged.
While the response to the event was tepid at best on the street the Mayor lives on it was popular elsewhere in the city.
Quite popular actually.
Comments from Gazette readers:
By Pepper Parr
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Data – data and more data.
Getting a grip on what is actually happening in Burlington and how we compare to those next door to us – is now possible. The Region released a report earlier today setting out where things stood as of April 8th.
It’s a sobering report but Burlington is going Ok – much better than the province overall.
There were 140 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update (125 confirmed + 15 probable)
There were 264 COVID-19 cases reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (249 confirmed + 15 probable)
 Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by reported date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Apr. 8, 2020: shows the 264 COVID-19 cases that had been reported to Halton Region Public Health by end of the day on April 8. All cases have been graphed according to the date they were reported, which is often several days after the onset of symptoms. Among the cases in this figure, 140 were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 2 and April 8, 2020). Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.
Case demographics
 COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020. graphic shows that by end of the day on April 8, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 102 cases, or 39%). Please note that because Burlington and Oakville have larger populations, it is expected that they have more cases.  Graphic shows that by end of the day on April 8, 106 of Halton Region’s COVID-19 cases (40%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 68 of the cases (26%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. 56 cases (21%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of infection. Information on exposure source was pending for 34 cases (13%).  Chart shows that by end of the day on April 8, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 113 cases, or 43%). 144 of the 264 cases (55%) were female. Please note age groups have shifted since the last report, to align with provincial reporting.
 COVID-19 cases, by age, Halton Region, 2020 38 Halton cases of COVID-19 have ever been hospitalized to date
69 Halton cases of COVID-19 have recovered to date
4 Halton cases of COVID-19 have died to date
5 institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health since the last update
6 institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date
Among the six institutional outbreaks reported to date, four (67%) have been in retirement homes, while the remainder have occurred in long-term care homes. Five of the outbreaks were reported since the last update (meaning they were reported between April 2 and April 8, 2020). None of the outbreaks have yet been declared over.
Comparison to Ontario
5,759 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date
Figure 5: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020
Figure 5 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are similar to the provincial rates, except for residents aged 80+.
Currently, Halton has a statistically significantly lower rate of COVID-19 cases for residents aged 80+ compared to Ontario, with 6.3 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Halton, compared to 10.9 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario. and prisons.
By Pepper Parr
April 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We are not likely to see numbers like these in the 2020 financials – linger over them.
Most financial statements use the phrase profit/loss or surplus/deficit. Municipalities are different – they refer to what we know as a surplus as a “positive variance” and what we know as a deficit is a “negative variance”.
Municipalities are not permitted to have a loss – which is why they have reserves; funds they can draw upon when a particular account eats up what the departments had budgeted.
Snow removal is one account that is almost impossible to budget for – the 2014 flood was another example. When they need funds for unexpected events like these – they turn to a reserve fund.
The Tax Stabilization fund is the “piggy bank” that gets tapped frequently. It is also the account that any “surplus” or positive variance gets deposited into.
Where were the budgets over and under from the Strategic Plan viewpoint?
 The four strategic plan pillars – how the budget was allocated. Spending looked at from a departmental viewpoint. Where things went well and where things slipped up.
The expensive mistake of getting the Customer Service software in place and operation isn’t reflected in this report – some questions to ask at this level.
The earnings on investment appears to be what made the positive variance.
Does this report give the city finance department an A or a C?
 The investment revenue sort of papered over the problem areas. This report provides an overview of the financial performance of the 2019 Operating Budget and additional variance commentary for select services as at December 31, 2019.
By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Fire Department has issued a City-wide burn ban and suspending all Open-Air Burning Permits until further notice. The ban is effective April 13th, 2020
 Brush fires can easily get out of control – not what the fire department wants to have to deal with at this time. As part of the COVID-19 response, a burn ban is being implemented as a preventative measure to ensure that Fire Department resources are available when and where needed most. Additionally, the Fire Department is trying to limit non-emergency interactions with residents and respect physical distancing requirements at this time.
 Fire department is discouraging the use of fire works this year. Firework displays for the Victoria Day weekend are also being discouraged due to the potential fire hazard and concerns around social gathering.
Emergency orders currently in place to address the COVID-19 outbreak include the prohibiting of organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people. Failing to comply with any of the emergency orders is an offence under the Emergency Management and Civil Protections Act and may result in fines.
Park Closures
All amenities in City parks are closed, including parking lots. Please continue to respect the caution tape and keep off playgrounds, sports fields, skateboard areas, tennis and basketball courts.
Only walking, jogging, riding a bike or scooter/wheelchair through a park or trail is permitted. Remember to keep two metres away from others – about the length of a hockey stick.
The best thing residents can do to protect themselves and the community, is stay home.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward “supports the decision to ban open fires and fireworks for the time being as we manage the COVID-19 response throughout our city. Removing additional risk helps us ensure our emergency responders are better able to focus on the urgent work ahead of us in this unprecedented global health challenge.”
 Dave Lazenby, Fire Chief Dave Lazenby, Fire Chief and Operations Section explains: “The open-air burning ban is a temporary measure to assist with the strategies put in place during this time of COVID-19, including physical distancing to help “flatten the curve”. It will also allow fire crews and fire inspectors to focus only on essential services without the need to deal with the issues and workload created by open-air burns. We anticipate lifting the ban as soon as it is safe to do so.”
By Pepper Parr
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
In an early version of this article we featured a picture of the Mayor and her family on the veranda of their home and suggested they were not adhering to the six foot requirement. They weren’t – what was neglected was that the six foot rule does not apply to family members living in the same house.
Our apologies to the Mayor and her family for our error.
Yesterday at a special meeting of council, city council unanimously approved a new physical distancing by-law to support efforts in minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
Council considers the protection of health and safety of the public to be of paramount concern, and the direction for the proposed by-law comes from the City’s Emergency Control Group.
The Medical Officer of Health has recommended physical distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including maintaining a distance of at least 2 metres from other individuals who are not members of the same household.
The City of Burlington’s by-law states that while on public property, no person shall stand less than a 2 metre distance to any other person that does not reside with them in a single household or permit a child under the age of 16 to stand less than a 2 metre distance from any other person that does not reside with them in a single household.
Upon conviction of an offence under this by-law, a person would be liable for a minimum fine of $500 and a maximum fine of $100,000.
The by-law is expected to be in effect through the duration of Burlington’s State of Emergency. More information can be found on the city’s website.
“We must all act responsibly to ensure the health and well-being of everyone in our city. It is my sincere hope that residents in our community will respect the repeated advice of healthcare experts and voluntarily maintain physical distancing so that no tickets need to be issued under this by-law.
“The longer we stay apart now, the sooner we can come together again.”
By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The wheels are still turning at city hall.
Other than the Chair of the meeting and people from the Clerk’s Office, the Council Chamber is empty. Everyone else is “on-line” waiting for their opportunity to speak.
The day started out at 9:30 with a meeting of the Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Standing Committee.
When they had finished their business the Mayor took the Chair and convened a special meeting of council to hand out a goody – relief of penalty and interest for property taxes in the months of April and May 2020 and relief of the administration charge for any returned payments during that time.
In her Statement the Mayor said:
The City has received numerous concerns from both the business community and homeowners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic impact. The City currently has one property tax installment date remaining for interim billing on April 21. The temporary property tax relief will allow businesses and homeowners to make their April 21 installment by June 30 without incurring late payment charges.
Financial supports from the federal and provincial governments are also being introduced to support individuals and businesses. The temporary changes being recommended would mean that for the months of April and May 2020:
• No penalty will be charged for the April 21 installment for all property owners
• No month-end interest will be charged for all property owners in April and May
• No returned payment admin fee will be charged by the City for any returned tax payments (i.e. insufficient funds, stop payment)
• The next tax payment is not due until June 30
Pre-Authorized tax payments will continue to be withdrawn. Individuals on a preauthorized payment plan that are unable to make payment can temporarily suspend their withdrawals from their account by emailing pap@burlington.ca. The City requires notification at least three business days prior to the withdrawal date.
Taxpayers who sent a postdated cheque to the City for their April 21 tax installment and can no longer make payment have been asked to put a stop payment on the cheque at their bank.
Property taxes are the most important revenue source for the city to ensure we continue to provide essential services for residents of the City of Burlington during these challenging circumstances. Taxpayers are encouraged to make payments where possible during these unique times. This temporary relief will be reviewed by staff and council on an ongoing basis until the State of Emergency related to COVID-19 is lifted.
Nice gesture – what will it do to the city coffers? The public will get to learn just how deep in the hole the city will be when this is all over.
Remember the Mayor’s comment: “Property taxes are the most important revenue source for the city” When they run short of cash they turn to the property tax rate.
We are getting Statements from the Mayor on a regular basis – two so far this week
We aren’t seeing any Statements from the members of Council. Maybe they aren’t allowed to speak; that must be particularly difficult for a couple of them – they always have something to say.
During a State of Emergency the deal is that the Mayor is the mouthpiece – they want the message to be consistent – makes sense. But this council isn’t made up of high school drop outs. They are innovate, committed and focused. They were elected and they need to be heard. And the public needs to hear from them. The administration is in place to carry out the will of council.
Other than Statements from the Mayor this city has no clear idea what the will of Council is. We did manage to get a sense as to what Councillor Sharman thinks – he is not a happy camper.
 By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The City is going to host a second town hall – April 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. to provide updates about what the City is doing to protect the health and safety of our community and to address concerns from the public related to COVID-19.
The objective is to answer the questions the public has about the COVID-19 virus – the town hall has been extended to two hours and will take place between 7 and 9 p.m.
The two-hour town hall will be hosted by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and provide the public with an opportunity to hear from a panel of leaders confirmed to date including:
 City Manager Tim Commisso didn’t have much to say first time around • Members of City Council
• City Manager Tim Commisso and senior staff
• MP for Burlington, the Honourable Karina Gould
• MP for Oakville-North Burlington, Pam Damoff
• MPP for Burlington, Jane McKenna
• MPP for Oakville-North Burlington, Effie Triantafilopoulos
• President and CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital, Eric Vandewall
• Fire Chief, Dave Lazenby
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 by the end of day April 13.
Please note: if you registered for the previous town hall (held on March 26), you are not required to register your phone number a second time.
Join by telephone: Anyone who does not receive a telephone invitation can call 1-800-231-0276 at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 to join the town hall. For those individuals calling in, please be advised 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.
Any questions not answered within the two-hour 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.
The first Town Hall call-in – on March 26, 2020, drew a reported 4200 people.
By Staff
April 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
 As part of the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Burlington continues to maintain our essential services and those services that provide direct support to keep our residents and staff safe.
ServiceBurlington remains available to respond to community questions and requests for essential services.
On Tuesday, the 6th, there were over 100 calls by mid-afternoon.
The City of Burlington has suspended all City-run spring programs and extend the closure of all recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, sports fields and City administration facilities to the end of June.
Contact ServiceBurlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online
By Staff
April 6th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
When the number of COVID-19 related deaths were reported at a single nursing home in Bobcaygeon exceeded ten there was concern about what was being done for people who are part of the very at risk.
The Gazette wanted to know what the Regional Health unit was doing to ensure that the same kind of outbreak did not occur locally.
We asked some questions:
What is being done to protect residents and staff at long-term care facilities in Halton (geographic area) from the spread of COVID-19?
 The Allendale Long Term care facility in Milton. • Halton Region Public Health runs three accredited, non-profit long-term care homes: Allendale in Milton, Creek Way Village in Burlington and Post Inn Village in Oakville.
• To provide a safe and secure environment for all residents, Halton Region long-term care homes currently restrict entry of non-essential visitors.
• The Region follows all Ministry of Health directives for COVID-19 and is ensuring infection prevention best practices to reduce the risk of infection in our homes.
• Halton Region’s long-term care homes take a number of other measures to protect residents and staff, such as:
o enhanced cleaning and disinfecting;
o active screening of anyone who enters the home (including staff, new admissions, etc.);
o using personal protective equipment when necessary;
o maintaining physical distancing (social distancing) between staff; and
o ensuring proper hand hygiene.
• If a resident starts to show symptoms of COVID-19, he/she will be isolated immediately.
• Halton Region has also been communicating with families of residents and all staff members about the current COVID-19 situation.
Have there been any COVID-19 positive cases at Halton Region-owned long-term care homes?
• One staff member at Allendale in Milton and one staff member at Post Inn Village in Oakville have tested positive for COVID-19.
• Halton Region Public Health is working with the long-term care and retirement homes to take important precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of other residents and staff in the home:
o Any symptomatic residents or staff will be tested and isolated appropriately. All infection prevention and control measures are in place.
o Halton Region Public Health is helping to facilitate testing and identifying infection prevention and control measures the home needs to take.
• Families of residents in these facilities have also been notified and are receiving regular updates about the outbreaks.
Is testing being done for residents and their care providers?
• Long-term care homes must consult with Public Health and the resident’s primary care provider if the resident:
o exhibits symptoms of COVID-19;
o has been exposed to the virus; or
o if there has been confirmation of transmission of COVID-19.
• Public Health or your primary care provider will determine if any additional health and safety and clinical actions are required.
• As of March 9, 2020, when homes submit specimens for standard respiratory testing, these specimens are also tested for COVID-19 automatically. There is no change to the usual practices for submitting respiratory outbreak specimens.
• At this time, LTC residents and healthcare workers who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 are being tested.
 Post Inn long term care facility in Oakville Are visitors allowed?
• To provide a safe and secure environment for all residents, the Ministry of Health directed all long-term care homes to restrict entry of non-essential visitors until further notice.
• Only essential visitors with a family member who is critically ill will be permitted to visit the home. Our long-term care staff will notify families directly if this exception applies to them.
Does Public Health monitor the Halton Region-owned long-term care homes to ensure the care is at least adequate and that frontline workers are given what they need?
• Yes, Halton Region ensures our staff have the resources and training they need to support residents. At Halton Regional Long-Term Care homes, our primary focus is the health and well-being of our residents. We are committed to using evidence-based resources to support and sustain best practices that ensure the best possible resident care. For example, Public Health provides guidance and support for infection prevention and control; assists in managing outbreaks; and provides regular updates and communication to ensure that residents and staff are protected and safe.
Does Halton Region know how many private long-term care homes, nursing homes and retirement homes there are in Halton?
• There are three regional homes (Post Inn, Creek Way Village and Allendale), 15 private long-term care homes and 30 retirement homes in Halton.
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FYI The Strata at 551 Maple was there front and centre, shouting from balconies, clapping, blowing horns,whistling. We are also there every day at 6 p m. and join in on other tributes. Kind of like if a tree falls in the woods and you didn’t see it did it really fall? So, yes for the record, we supported our Mayor and our front line.