 By Staff
March 14th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington has joined with other community organizations in an effort, led by the City of Burlington, to protect the health of our community by suspending all of our programs and services and closing our facility beginning Saturday, March 14, for a minimum of three weeks.
 The seven day a week operation ends during the shutdown of everything in the city. Although we know this will be an inconvenience to many and a burden to some, we are proud and determined to do everything we possibly can in response to the challenge of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Please rest assured that we will happily provide full refunds for all of the camps, courses, tours, venue rentals, and other paid services that will be impacted by this closure, although we request your patience due to the large number of clients involved.
We will be posting all updates on our website, and a staff member will be available by telephone from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday, until the gallery reopens.
 Guilds will not be able to meet at the Gallery To our colleagues in the Guilds of Arts Burlington and to our many volunteers, we regret that we will not be able to offer any use of the facility during this closure, and we also regret that all of the work we have planned together with you must be postponed throughout this time, but we ask you to please be in touch with us if you require our assistance.
At this time we are working to review and revise our plans for our programs and services, and we look forward to welcoming the whole community back into the Gallery as soon as we are able.
We are very grateful to our friends at the City of Burlington for their leadership under extraordinary circumstances, and we harbour no doubt whatsoever that together we are doing the right thing for this community.
With Hope and Confidence,
By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
After first deciding to keep the doors open the Burlington Performing Arts Centre will be following the guidelines recommended by our provincial, municipal, and cultural partners to suspend all Main Theatre events and regular box office hours of operation until Monday, April 6th.
 Main Theater closed – Community Theater will be open. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is recommending the immediate suspension of all large events and public gatherings of over 250 people due to COVID-19. The Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) is encouraging venues to temporarily suspend ‘final ticket sale’ policies and asking patrons who may be feeling ill to stay home. Our partners at the City of Burlington have elected to close facilities and cancel services for a 3-week period.
In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, BPAC will be suspending all events in the Main Theatre for the remainder of our 19/20 Presents season, and all rental events in the Main Theatre, as well as regular box office operations, until Monday, April 6th. The box office will continue to operate through phone and email communication.
The following upcoming events have been cancelled:
• Bay City Rollers – TUE MAR 17
• May The Force Be With You – THU APR 2
• The Dreamboats – FRI APR 3
• Burlington Teen Tour Band – SUN APR 5
• Cirque Eloize: Hotel – FRI APR 10 & SAT APR 11
Tickets purchased online for these events will receive automatic refunds online. Tickets purchased by visiting the BPAC Box Office in person or over the phone will be refunded by Box Office staff.
Performances in our 160-seat Community Studio Theatre will go ahead as scheduled as we continue to assess the situation on a daily basis. The Box Office and Lobby will be open 1-hour prior to the following events:
• Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost – TUE MAR 17, 7:30pm
• Kevin Fox: Songs for Cello & Voice – SAT MAR 21, 7:30pm
• Elise LeGrow – SUN MAR 22, 7pm
If you have recently traveled or if you feel any symptoms of a cold or flu, we ask that you do not attend. Please stay at home and contact the Box Office for a full refund.
The safety and comfort of our patrons, volunteers, artists, and staff are of utmost importance. We are making sure that our staff and volunteers are well aware of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, we are installing hand sanitizing stations at our entrances, and focusing on keeping our venue clean and sanitary. Even so, we assure all patrons that nobody will be expected to attend these events if you are not comfortable to do so, and a full refund will be issued to you.
Box Office Information
Phone: 905.681.6000
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust Street,
Burlington, ON, L7S 1T7
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects responsible for an assault that took place in the area of Headon Road and Headon Forest Drive in the City of Burlington.
 On March 11, 2020, at approximately 2:00pm, a 27 year old male victim was walking westbound on Headon Forest Drive and observed an older model Green Honda CRV drive by him.
The driver of this vehicle directed homophobic comments towards the victim. The suspect vehicle then proceeded to turn around and stopped at a townhouse complex at Headon Road and Headon Forest Drive. The driver and his passenger then exited the vehicle and approached the victim, continuing to engage in homophobic slurs directed at the victim. The driver and passenger then became physically violent by pushing and punching the victim. Both suspects then fled the scene in the same vehicle.
The victim managed to walk home and eventually attended the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital where he was diagnosed with a minor concussion and injuries to his face and torso. The victim was treated and released from hospital.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects responsible for this hate crime incident.
Suspect #1 (passenger) – Male, white, 16-20 years of age, average build, 5’8″, approximately 180lbs with light black facial hair wearing a brown beanie cap.
Suspect #2 (driver) – Male, olive complexion, 16-20 years of age, thin build, 5’10” with short black curly hair.
Suspect vehicle is described as a forest green older model Honda CRV with a faded older paint job. (1997-2001 year model).
The Halton Regional Police Service condemns any/all such incidents that impact or erode the community’s sense of safety and well-being.
The HRPS are investigating this offence as a crime that willfully promotes hatred. We are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that would assist us in determining the person(s) responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jared McLeod at 905-825-4777 ext. 2385 or Detective Constable Blair Bolton at 905-825-4777 ext. 2323 from the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton has made the difficult but necessary decision to close a number of their park operations.
Conservation Halton Administration’s Office will be closed to the public but will continue to operate through phone and email communications. We will also continue to receive deliveries and accept well water samples.
Mountsberg will be closed and Maple Town, as a result, will also be closed for the remainder of the season.
 The walkway will be closed at Crawford lake. Crawford Lake will be open, with trail access, but the Longhouse Village will be closed for the immediate future and Sweet Water Season will be closed for the remainder of the season.
 You will be able to walk the trail Rattlesnake Point, Hilton Falls, Mount Nemo and Robert Edmondson will remain open, with trail access, but facilities, such as visitor centres, indoor washrooms, gift shops and food services, will be closed for the immediate future, so visitors are encouraged to plan ahead.
Glen Eden will be closed for the remainder of the season.
“We understand the importance of access to nature for community health and wellness, so we have worked to keep as many of the trails as possible open for public access,” said Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer. “With so many of our industry partners closing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we feel it is our responsibility to support these efforts.”
“Conservation Halton will look to reassess park operations on April 6.”
You can find more information and updates on park closures at conservationhalton.ca
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to recent developments regarding COVID-19, it has been decided that the Museums of Burlington will be closed for three weeks, from March 14 – April 5.
 Ireland House – closed along with Brant Museum closed for three weeks. All museum events and programs, including March Break Camps are cancelled or postponed. Full refunds will be processed as soon as possible.
The Museum had earlier said it would remain open.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Earlier today, the City of Burlington activated its Crisis Management Team (CMT) to coordinate City efforts to protect public and staff from the spread of COVID-19, while maintaining essential City services to the community.
To aid efforts in reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the community, the City of Burlington has made the decision to close all City recreation facilities for a minimum of three weeks, as of this evening.
With the recreation facility closures, the following services will be suspended: March Break programming, arenas, pools and community centres, including the Seniors Centre.
All City organized large public meetings and gatherings are also cancelled, with the exception of Committee and Council meetings at City Hall.
The CMT will be reviewing internal City meeting guidelines and issuing an update on Monday, March 16. City Hall will remain open for business with enhanced health and safety protocols for staff.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said: “In light of the current situation with COVID-19 and the rapidly changing updates from healthcare professionals and our partners across all levels of government, I certainly understand and share the concerns of residents related to attending programs and events at City facilities.
“We are evaluating things daily — and sometimes multiple times during the day — and will always put residents’ health and safety first. The decision to close City recreation facilities for next three weeks and cancel programs including March Break, does not come lightly, but in meeting with our Crisis Management Team, we feel it is a necessary one. Please continue to look after your health, follow the advice of healthcare professionals and support one another. Let’s always be our best through these trying times.”
 Tim Commisso, City Manager Tim Commisso, City Manager added: “At the City of Burlington, we understand the decision to close recreational facilities will have a significant impact on individuals, families and communities.
“We are also very aware that this needs to be done as a precaution to help keep people in Burlington stay safe and aid in containing the spread of COVID-19. We continue to work closely with Halton Region Public Health and make our decisions based on the latest scientific evidence on COVID-19. We thank our residents for their understanding as we continue to address this challenge together. We will continue to share City updates daily with the public.”
By Pepper Parr
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
BREAKING NEWS: At noon: 20 more cases confirmed in Ontario, taking the provincial total to 79.
The Pandemic, something we have not seen in more than 100 years, is upon us.
The biggest tool we have going for us is our own individual behavior.
 Individual protective measures are the strongest tool we have at this point. Take care of yourself. Our different levels of government have the job of keeping us informed.
This is a manageable situation. Letting any sense of panic prevail is the worst thing we can do. There is plenty of toilet paper inventory.
Watch for and pay attention to the latest health, safety, and cleanliness protocols to protect yourself.
The evidence seems to suggest that the more vulnerable are at the highest risk. Older people with existing health problems are going to need extra help. Determine who those people are in your life and make time for them.
At this point our biggest problem for many households is what they are going to do with the kids with schools closed for the next three weeks.
And at the same time – taking care of yourselves.
Limit the time you spend with large groups. Ontario’s chief medical officer Dr. David Williams says to “avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada” and the “immediate suspension” of all gatherings over 250 people because of the risks of coronavirus.
Wash your hands – often!
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. …
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. …
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton announced this morning that the Tap a Tree event that was scheduled for today, March 13, at the Mountsberg Conservation Area has been cancelled.
By Staff
March 12th, 2029
BURLINGTON, ON
With the COVID-19 situation, the City of Burlington will be offering full refunds for Recreation facilities and program registrations (including March Break programs) without any administration charge.
 Some planned events might be cancelled. For facility rentals: organizations and residents with upcoming rentals may cancel or rebook at a future date (pending availability) with no penalty. Please contact rentals@burlington.ca.
For registrations, including March Break programs: to withdraw from an upcoming course without penalty, or to withdraw from a course in progress to receive a prorated refund, please email liveandplay@burlington.ca or visit us during customer service hours.
If you have more questions about cancellations, please reach us at rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738.
By Staff
March 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Minister of Education has issued a Ministerial Order to close all publicly funded schools in Ontario for two weeks following March break, in response to the emergence in Ontario of COVID-19.
This order was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
This means that Ontario schools have been ordered to remain closed from March 14 through to April 5, 2020.
 Classroom to remain empty for two weeks after Spring Break The Cineplex movie theatre chain and the Burlington Performing Arts Centre have said they will continue to operate.
The National Hockey League has shut down for the balance of the season.
There are mixed message here which is the last thing we need.
 By Pepper Parr
March 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
They were minutes away from breaking for lunch when City Manager Tim Commisso asked if he could say a few words on the COVID19 situation.
Rory Nisan, who was chairing the Standing Committee on Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability was about to ask if that could be covered after lunch when Commisso began to explain that the city was going to be communicating daily on what the issues were and what the city was doing about COVID 19 – a second case had been announced earlier.
 City manager Tim Commisso He pointed out that the Region was the health authority but that the city had to think about such things as operations, keeping places clean and policy issues.
Treasurer Joan Ford explained that she was creating cost centres to keep track of spending while Commisso talked about business continuity and the level of services the city was going to be able to deliver.
There was a concern over what could happen on the revenue side if Parks and Recreation had to refund fees that have been paid. Commisso wanted to ensure that no one got hit with any out of pocket expense.
Commisso also wanted to know what the public felt they needed to know.
His office is thinking through the delineation of essential services and determining what events the city departments have planned and if they should take place.
The province may well decide, he said, to limit how and where people meet and the municipal sector would have to enforce the provincial decisions.
The city has yet to create a point that people can email or call to voice their concerns.
Commisso will be working full out to cobble together the teams of people he is going to need to see us through this situation.
There are two committees in place. The Emergency Management Committee and a Rapid Response committee that has been meeting.
City manager suddenly has a major public concern issue on his hands – seeing the city through the COVID9 situation. There are a lot of decisions that are going to have to be made on the spot and Commisso wanted the public to know that his office is gong to be open, transparent and communicating every day with the public.
Councillor Nisan noted that they will be meeting at the Region on the 25th and as a Council.
Councillor Kearns jumped in and said waiting that long was not good enough: “We need to be on top of this daily and ensuring that the city manager has the support he needs.
The risk for Halton at this point is low – but there is a risk and failing to identify that risk and deal with it before it gets out of hand is not an option.
By Pepper Parr
March 12th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The oncologist, who works at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton and lives in Burlington, was tested as having COVID19 virus symptoms and is at home self-isolating for a period of 14 days.
Her spouse, who is a surgeon at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, also treated an unknown number of patients at the Charlton Avenue hospital before he too went into self-isolation at their Burlington home Tuesday night.
The Gazette has a question: Do the parents have children and have those children been sent to school?
 Dr Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Heath. Burlington finally got to hear from Dr. Hamidah Meghani, the Halton Medical Officer of Health (MoH) who said “Our case was not symptomatic on her flight, on her journey home, so we should not be worried about that situation,” said Meghani. “At this time the risk is associated with symptoms.”
 Dr. Barry Lumb at a media event. Hamilton Health Sciences physician-in-chief Dr. Barry Lumb said the oncologist “did not have respiratory symptoms” such as coughing, sneezing or fever.”
Dr. Meghani said she had “some mild respiratory symptoms.”
Which was it?
The news conference was cut off after less than 30 minutes and it wasn’t until the city held a second media availability in Hamilton at 3 p.m. that reporters were able to have all of their questions heard.
This is not the time to fumble the flow of information to the public.
Related news stories:
MoH was MIA
First COVID19 case in Halton
By Staff
March 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The language is a little stilted but the collection of Wheras statements tell the story.
The standing Committee was recommending that the motion be sent to Council and once approved sent along to the provincial government.
Approve the following resolution and direct the Mayor to send the Motion and a letter to the ministers and premier:
WHEREAS the City of Burlington is a member of Conservation Halton (CH)and is represented on their Board of Directors;
WHEREAS the municipally appointed board of directors determines the policies, priorities and budget of the CAs;
WHEREAS the City of Burlington has been well-served by Conservation Halton;
WHEREAS the CAs are watershed-based organizations providing programs and services that contribute to a safer, sustainable environment and address climate change
WHEREAS the CAs have flood management programs employing a watershed-based approach that monitors stream flow, water levels and climatic conditions, forecasts flooding, issues flood warnings, regulates development activities in natural hazards, educates the public about flooding, operates flood management infrastructure, protects natural cover and manages storm water to help reduce the impacts of flooding;
WHEREAS the CAs are partners with municipalities in developing the science and policy to manage drinking water source protection;
WHEREAS the CAs own, manage and operate a valuable network of conservation areas that provide access to green space and family-friendly education and recreation activities for our growing communities that inform the public about a wide array of topics including watershed management, wildlife, and Canadian culture and heritage, contributes to the local economy, provides jobs for youth and promotes health and wellness for our residents and provides outdoor experiential education to local school children and encourages communities to embrace and value our natural and scenic assets;
WHEREAS the CAs undertake reforestation and landscape restoration and aid landowners in making changes on their properties in support of naturalization or water quality protection within the watershed;
WHEREAS the CAs provide the Region with technical expertise in support of its planning and infrastructure delivery, education and health programs;
WHEREAS flowing accounts for the largest portion of disaster recovery costs in Canada;
WHEREAS CA s are important partners in on-the-ground and cost-effective initiatives to address climate change;
WHEREAS work by CH on updating floodplain mapping will be beneficial for community development and land use planning, flood forecasting and warnings, and emergency planning and responses;
WHEREAS the role of CAs in reviewing community development is essential for creating sustainable communities and protecting our natural resources;
WHEREAS the Municipality has service agreements with each CA for planning and other services;
WHEREAS the CA must be able to charge fees, and derive revenue from its facilities, programs and services as appropriate to reduce the burden to the tax levy;
AND WHEREAS the Ontario provincial government has cut 50%fromtheir $7.4 million Natural Hazards Transfer Payment Grant (Section 39) to Ontario conservation authorities that supports flood and erosion control infrastructure, flood forecasting and warning, watershed planning projects and technical studies, and the new act has the effect of downloading additional responsibilities to the CAs to be paid for by municipalities;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Burlington request that the Provincial Government restore or improve their funding of Conservation Authorities to provide a more stable funding base that would prevent further downloading of costs to municipalities and allow maintenance of hazard programs;
THAT Conservation Authorities must continue to oversee flood control and review developmental impacts that may impact flood plains and natural heritage sites;
THAT educational and recreational programming must continue to be implemented by Conservation Authorities as they provide public awareness, employment and tourism;
THAT the Provincial Government ensure that the programs and services of the CAs maintain their watershed focus and allow for the flexibility of including programs and services important to local circumstances;
THAT the Province include experts from Conservation Authorities, staff of the Ministries of Natural Resources and Forestry, Environment Conservation and Parks as well as Municipal Affairs and Housing and municipalities when developing the draft regulations;
THAT the Province not dictate the form, content or duration of the MOUs or agreements, allowing for municipalities to support non-mandatory programs in a manner that suits local circumstances;
AND FURTHER THAT this resolution be forwarded to the Premier, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all local MPs and MPPs, leaders of the opposition parties, all local Conservation Authorities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Halton Region, the towns of Oakville, Halton Hills and Milton to seek their support and be made publicly available.
That is one of the levels governments use to talk to each other.
 Pepper Parr
March 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Conservation Authority is much more than the group that operates the ski lifts at Mt Kelso, and maintains the trail up to Mt Nemo or runs the historically significant Crawford Lake setting – not to mention the excellent Iroquoian settlements in the Region.
 Restoration is a large part of the Conservation Authority mandate. They monitor the state of the watershed and now have a complex set of devices that measure the water levels and flow rates across the northern part of Burlington as well as numerous other locations in Halton.
The Conservation Authority is a critical part of watching over the environment which is a significantly different business than it was five years ago.
We now experience radical climate changes and someone has to be on the front line ensuring that we become aware of the problems and have warning systems in place.
The Conservation Authority as we know it is under threat due to changes that are being proposed by the provincial government.
A survey is being done – final date to have your say is March 13th.
CLICK HERE to get to the survey.
It’s your community – have your say.
By Pepper Parr
March 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The citizens of the city got an opportunity to have their say on how Climate Change was going to be managed. More than seventeen delegated at city hall earlier this week.
We are looking at a 30 year challenge during which everyone is going to have to change the way they do some things.
 52,000 homes will need to be retrofitted in the next ten years; 100% of new vehicles purchase in ten years to be electric; 50% of all vehicles to be electric. Is this actually possible? The City Action Plan has seven sections – with three getting the immediate focus.
 The red bars are the immediate thrust. The seven are:
1.Low Carbon New Buildings
2.Deep Energy Retrofit Program (existing buildings)
3.Renewable Energy Co-operative
4.Integrated Mobility Initiatives
5.Electric Mobility & equipment
6.Waste Reduction
7.Industry
The very lengthy report in which the challenge and the plan was set has the feel of something written by lawyers with numerous provisos.
This analysis has been undertaken to identify a low carbon energy pathway for the community of Burlington.
Reasonable skill, care and diligence have been exercised to assess the information acquired during the preparation of this analysis, but no guarantees or warranties are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of this information. This document, the information it contains, the information and basis on which it relies, and factors associated with implementation of the pathway are subject to changes that are beyond the control of the authors.
The information provided by others is believed to be accurate, but has not been verified.
The population and employment projections that inform the analysis are based on information from the June 26, 2015 Region Official Plan Consolidation to 2031 at the time the document was published, and further projections from 2031 to 2050 are an estimate for the purpose of the Burlington Climate Action Plan, and were developed by the authors of this report for this exercise, and do not constitute projections for the purposes of land use planning.
This analysis includes high level estimates of costs and revenues that should not be relied upon for design or other purposes without verification.
 BAU is Business as Usual; LC is low carbon, The challenge is in the graph. Of the seven parts to the Plan, three are the focus at this point in time
1.Low Carbon NewBuildings
2.Deep Energy RetrofitProgram (existingbuildings)
3.Renewable Energy Co-operative
The bigger picture will be supported by a lot of community engagement. The work that has to be done cannot be done by staff at city hall alone.
This is an all hands on deck exercise
While it is a world-wide problem it comes down to what each household does. The role of the city of Burlington is to be the Organizer –capacity builder, Collaborator, Community engagement –education & awareness champion, Leading by example, processing permits & approvals, advocacy –senior levels of government, programs, incentives, regulator & funder
How this will all come together:
City Staff will lead; there will be a Stakeholder Advisory Committee, three Task Teams: Energy Retrofits; Renewable Energy and Electric Mobility & Equipment.
Partnerships will include Bay Area Climate Change Office/Council–Halton Climate Collective–Clean Air Partnership & Council–QUEST–The Atmospheric Fund Implementation Structure
 Lynn Robichaud The objective is to make Burlington a carbon neutral community
Lynn Robichaud, serves as the Senior Sustainability Coordinator
By Pepper Parr
March 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We knew it was going to happen – the when was the question.
When was today when the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Halton region
 Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region Dr. David Williams, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in Halton region. This is the 37th case confirmed in Ontario.
This virus is manageable providing you pay attention and monitor your health. When in doubt – don’t delay – get to the medical authorities.
The virus can be held at bay and not spread – if those who even think they might be infected turn to the professionals who can do what has to be done.
A 32 year old female returned from Hawaii on Saturday, became symptomatic on Monday and was tested at Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) Juravinski Hospital on Monday, March 9. She is a frontline healthcare worker at HHS and resides in Burlington.
The hospital took all necessary precautions and followed standard operating procedures, including testing and assessment. The patient is currently at home where she remains in self-isolation. Halton Region Public Health, Hamilton Public Health and Hamilton Health Sciences are working closely and actively engaged in contact tracing and case management.
“Halton Region Public Health is continuing to work with provincial and local health counterparts and with the resident to identify all known contacts who may have been potentially exposed to the virus to assess if there is a potential health risk,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health. “The risk to Halton residents remains low.”
What the dood Dr. doesn’t add is that it is real.
“This incidence was detected very quickly and all proper processes were followed,” says Dr. Wes Stephen, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Hamilton Health Sciences. “When she began to show symptoms, infection control protocol was swiftly initiated and she was tested in a safe environment.
Out of an abundance of caution, last week, Hamilton Health Sciences expanded its criteria for testing beyond the standard case definition to include any travel outside Canada. As a result, this case was identified as quickly as possible. She is now in self-isolation protocol.”
Contact Halton Region Public Health by calling 311, 905-825-6000 or toll free at 1-866-442-5866 if you have a fever OR cough OR breathing difficulty AND any of the following:
• travelled outside of Canada in the 14 days before onset of illness; or
• close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19; or
• close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who travelled to affected areas within 14 days prior to their illness onset.
The best way to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 is to:
• stay home when ill;
• cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve;
• wash hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand rub;
• clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit halton.ca/coronavirus.
By Pepper Parr
March 10th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Start with a 91 page report, then look at the delegation list – 17 people who will have 10 minutes each to speak and whatever time members of Council need to ask questions and you know you are in for a long evening.
Standing Committee meetings start at 6:30 pm – do the math.
 The 2013 ice storm ,,, This is going to be a three part feature. The first will be an overview of what the city is setting out to do and then we delve into the Climate Action Report (CAP), which in itself is a very thorough document. It needs some explaining: it is a very important document.
 The 2014 flood The third section will be excerpts from the 17 people who delegated – the meeting went right up to the time limit – two of the delegations had to return.
City council took the bold step of declaring a climate Emergency several months ago.
They then asked staff to prepare a Climate Action Plan.
The public got to see that plan and comment on it – which they certainly did.
 Lynne Robichaud, presented the Climate Action Plan to a standing Committee on Monday. The development of the Climate Action Plan began in the summer of 2019 with a public engagement process that culminated with a report presented to the Committee of the Whole on December 2nd, 2019. The draft plan was tabled to allow for public review of the document.
Given that council and the public had limited time to review the plan before the December 2ndCOW meeting, the plan was also included on the January 9th Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee agenda to allow for delegations to speak. The plan was made available for public review during December and January.
The City has a goal for its operations to become net carbon neutral by 2040 and is working to become a net carbon-neutral community. A low-carbon future for Burlington requires changes across all aspects of the community, including new and existing buildings, transportation, industry, and waste management.
In order to model these changes, a catalogue of actions was developed, based on the research of best practices of municipal actions. This catalogue was reviewed with city staff and additional refinement and analysis was undertaken to develop a list of actions.
In total, 21 actions were identified for Burlington. Stakeholder and community engagement completed to date has focused on the program areas and related actions.
An interim carbon reduction target has been established in the plan where emissions will be reduced by 50% below 2016 levels by 2030. It is recommended that council also endorse the interim target.
A longer-term target is also confirmed for Burlington to become a net zero carbon community by 2050. Based on the modelling using current conditions and technology, the city may have to purchase offset credits to make up the remaining 126 kilo tonnes of CO2e (equivalent carbon dioxide) emissions.
These carbon reduction targets should ensure that the city meets requirements under the Global Covenant of Mayors program.Milestones.
Interim carbon reduction target milestones have been included in five-year increments until 2050.
Milestones have been added for the three priority program areas including Deep Energy Retrofits for Existing Buildings; Renewable Energy; and Electric Mobility and Equipment.
Specific actions that can be implemented over the next three years (2020 –2022) are provided for the three priority areas in a section entitled Implementation including funding suggestions.
Options Considered
The option to continue ‘business as usual’ is presented in the Climate Action Plan.
However, this option does not meet the city’s Strategic Plan 2015-2040 as well as Vision to Focus 2018-2022 objectives to work towards being a new carbon neutral community.
The Climate Action Plan represents part one of the plan focusing on programs to help Burlington achieve its net zero carbon target by 2050. The next phase to begin in 2020 is completion of part two of the Climate Action Plan with a focus on community resiliency by assessing the projected impacts of climate change, identifying areas and populations at risk and vulnerable to climate change, what actions are already taking place and opportunities for improvement.
The implementation of the Climate Action Plan will help to ensure that Burlington is showing leadership by becoming a net zero carbon resilient community.
How will that happen? When every one of us does things differently. The big, bold declarative statements are the easy part – changing well ingrained habits are the hard part.
 By Pepper Parr
March 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Last week Judy Pryde, Executive Director of Community Living Burlington, wrote to Parents, Guardians and members of the Community about novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
She was writing to provide an update on the virus and report that to date there have been no confirmed cases in the Halton Region.
The province reports that there have been 31 confirmed cases in the province. In its report they provided a lot of detail that came from the Toronto Medical Officer of Health (MoH), Dr. David Williams, who confirmed two more positive cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ontario to 31. Of these, four cases in the province are all resolved, with each of those patients having two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
A female in her 60s returned from France on March 2, 2020 and presented herself to Scarborough Health Network – General Site’s emergency department, in Toronto, on March 7. A male in his 60s returned from Washington, D.C. on March 3, 2020 and presented himself to North York General Hospital’s emergency department, also in Toronto, on March 7.
Dr. Williams reported that: “In both cases, the hospital took all necessary precautions and followed standard operating procedures, including testing and assessment. The patients have been discharged home where they remain in self-isolation. Toronto Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management.
He added that: “As a result of the coordinated efforts of our health care and public health system, all individuals who have tested positive have been quickly assessed and isolated.
“At this time, the virus is not circulating locally. However, given the global circumstances, Ontario is actively working with city and health partners to plan for the potential of local spread. The province continues to carefully monitor this situation and encourage residents to stay informed by regularly reviewing credible information sources.”
 Halton Medical Officer of Health (MoH) Dr. Hamidah Meghani The province is taking the socially responsible action of informing and advising the public. That appears to be much more than Halton’s MoH Dr. Hamidah Meghani is prepared to do; there hasn’t been a word from the Region to local media. Missing in Action (MIA) would appear to be an appropriate term.
Judy Pryde at Community Living Burlington said” We are keeping the employees of our agency up to date on this virus and we are re-emphasizing the need for caution and understanding around COVID-19.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infection that includes fevers, cough or breathing difficulty. At this point in time, there is no treatment for this infection and no vaccine.
Travel Health Advisory:
As of February 27, 2020, seven countries have been identified to be at higher risk for COVID-19, namely China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
Community Living Burlington is asking all staff and families who travel to COVID-19 impacted countries need to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days upon return. If symptoms develop, please immediately self-isolate and call Halton Region Public Health at 311, 905-825-6000 or toll free at 1-866-442-5866. To date, all employees have been working cooperatively with these regulations.
How to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses
The best way to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses including COVID-19 is to:
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; if no tissue is available, then sneeze or cough into the sleeve or arm;
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces regularly; and
• Stay home if ill until your symptoms resolve.
 Judy Pryde, Executive Director Community Living Burlington “We will continue to send out information to our parents and guardians as things progress around this virus. The health and well-being of our employees and your family members is of upmost importance.
Kudos to Ms Pryde for doing the job Halton taxpayers hired the MoH to do. The mission of Community Living Burlington is to enrich the quality of life and to promote full and meaningful inclusion in our community of individuals who have a developmental disability.
 By Staff
March 8th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The public record indicates that:
Gord Buck, developer “ARGO Land Development (Argo (Millcroft) Limited)” paid $5M to Edward Liptay President “Millcroft Golf Club (2079610 Ontario Ltd.)” for 131.80 acres on January 29, 2020 for a 50% interest in the land.
$3M cash with a $2M vtb mortgage for two years at 0%.
 Millcroft: A large well established community built around a golf course. Our source asked: “Does Gord Buck lives in the Millcroft neighbourhood?”
“This is going to be an interesting exercise in watching the threat of potential land development unfold and the impacts on the neighbouring housing backing onto the golf course; it is unlikely that there will be any new housing built on the golf course lands if evidenced alone by the purchase price; at the very least, this will be one of the most heated fights to watch and how the local Councillor gets killed. Those people who are directly affected are going to lose their minds.
“There may potentially be something else going on here.
“Also, not sure if the City missed this situation during the Official Plan review process; must check and see what the proposed OP designation is, not the zoning.”
The source is a professional with deep knowledge on land assembly. For personal and professional reasons we are withholding the name of the source of the information.
 By Ray Rivers
March 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Haven’t we seen this movie before? In the Tin Cup, Kevin Costner plays a talented golfer whose ego compels him to try the same impossible shot over and over again – until he loses. It’s a different game but the US Democratic Party appears headed for a replay of 2016, except this time with more of a duffer holding the club.
Barring an upswell of support for the lone democratic socialist in the race for president – it appears that the moderate Joe Biden has overtaken front running Bernie Sanders in delegates for the Democratic leadership convention in July and will become the standard bearer for that party. That could be an almost perfect repeat of 2016, where Bernie was summarily shown the door.
 Joe Biden – Thinking? But at least Clinton, unlikeable as many found her, was cogent and could finish a sentence without stumbling into cognitive dissidence. Joe Biden has yet to prove that he can speak in anything resembling complete and coherent thoughts. Even the current president is, arguably, a better communicator. It will be so much entertainment watching these two statesmen of yesterday’s politics face-off in debate.
 Bernie Saunders: Doesn’t appear to be what the Democrats want. Bernie calls himself a democratic socialist but his policies, like Canadian-style single payer health care are hardly revolutionary. Still, whether it is the language or just plain ignorance on the part of American voters, they can’t get their heads around government managed health insurance.
Perhaps they haven’t heard of Medicare, universal seniors’ health insurance, has been in place since the 60’s and spends $740 billion a year accounting for almost 4% of U.S. gross domestic product and over 15% of total US federal spending. They’d rather let the private insurance companies dictate how much medical care they get and where – and pay twice as much as the rest of the world for the privilege of having less accessible health care.
They don’t deserve Bernie, one might say – but it won’t matter anyway. He’s not likely to gain enough support from the party loyalists to become their standard bearer. They’ll never vote for a communist as Trump would, no doubt, have explained, given the chance.
 Donald Trump: He does manage stress well. But he won’t have to since the odds are now that Biden will be the Dem’s candidate. And Trump might still likely win, despite his own record. He is the proverbial Mr. Teflon after all, and absolutely nothing he has done sticks to him, not even after being impeached. He learned long ago that the more outrageous you are the more people love you. And the bigger liar you can be the more they will believe you.
Almost half of Americans continue to support him, despite or perhaps, because of his antics. And his trump card will be Biden’s somewhat messy history in poor old ever-troubled Ukraine. Biden was implicated in the political maneuvering to remove a former prosecutor there. And his son bagged a whack of cash just to sit on the Board of a Ukrainian petroleum enterprise, a job for which he had no apparent qualification – other than being the US VP’s son.
It worked with Hillary – Benghazi and her improper emails – and Trump will ride this horse until nobody trusts Biden, despite his mostly impeccable political career. So if I were placing a bet today I’d put my money on Trump – as I did last time.
But eight months until November can be a long time in politics, especially in an era of the dreaded COVID 19. Already prognosticators are spouting dystopian scenarios, including a potential death toll in the millions and a dramatic economic crash. Tourism is already dying and those romantic ocean cruises are destined to become a quaint piece of ancient history.
Trump didn’t cause COVID-19, nor the recession which will accompany the pandemic. But his penchant for borrowing money to get tax cuts for the wealthy has led to a 50% increase in the size of the US deficit. And that will limit his ability to help finance any kind of recovery.
 Joe Biden playing a game of golf with former President Barak Obama Whether that nasty disease will register a difference in November, or even in July, when the Democrats stage their leadership convention, remains to be seen. But for the US president, who owns a couple of golf courses, he should appreciate that he is still in the rough and his second swing at winning the presidency may miss big time.
And as for the democrats, they’re looking for a mulligan, but may well be headed for the tin cup. They’re convinced they can hit a hole in one using the same swing as the last time – which ended up just getting them a big fat bogey.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links
Tin Cup – Democrats – Biden and Ukraine –
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