Some sunshine: property prices are holding - everything sells at above asking

News 100 yellowBy Staff

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Rocca Sisters report on the Burlington Real Estate market.

With the average price of a freehold residential property still hovering around the million-dollar mark, the Burlington real estate market shows no signs of slowing.

Inventory levels are starting to rise but clearly in no way keeping up with demand. In February, sales were up 43% and sale prices were up 21% when compared to February 2019.

Days on market reduced by 31%. Year to date, sale prices are up 17%, sales are up 28.8% and days on market are down 27.3% as compared to the first 2 months in 2019.

During the month of February, 85 of the 148 sales sold for the asking price or more. Properties sold for 101.06% of the asking price, on average.

Data on the Burlington market:

Rocca February numbers

Inventory levels for the condominium market at the end of February were at the lowest we have seen since we started counting with only 45 condo apartments listed at the end of February 2019.

Both sale prices and sales were up 12.5% when comparing February 2020 to 2019. Price per square foot was up 6.47%. Year to date, sale prices were up 11.78% and sales were up 3.33% as compared to the same period in 2019.

During the month of February, condo apartments sold for 101.06% of the asking price on average and in 18 days – down 52.6% from the same period last year. More than half of the sales were sold for the asking price or more.

Rocco condo data

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Fourth case of COVID-19 confirmed in Halton region

News 100 redBy Staff

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Dr. David Williams, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region confirmed the fourth case of COVID-19 in Halton region earlier today.

Halton’s fourth case, a male resident from Burlington in his 30s, returned to Toronto from Miami on March 10 (Flight AC1645; Air Canada).

He became symptomatic on March 10, and presented himself for testing at Joseph Brant Hospital on March 14.

As per established infection prevention and control protocols, the hospital took all precautions, including testing in an isolated environment with all necessary personal protective equipment. Halton Region Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management. The case is self-isolating at home.

“While we continue to see more cases, I want to reassure residents that most individuals who do contract COVID-19 with mild symptoms will recover on their own,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Please continue to follow the advice provided by health care professionals, self-monitor or self-isolate as appropriate and simply stay at home if you are feeling unwell.”

“The individual was tested at Joseph Brant Hospital in an isolated environment. Our care team continues to follow all necessary infection prevention protocols and procedures,” said Eric Vandewall, President and Chief Executive Officer at Joseph Brant Hospital. “We are taking all necessary precautions as we screen and care for residents of Halton, and keep our patients, our visitors, our physicians and staff safe.”

Halton Region Public Health is focusing on those most at risk of COVID-19.

Our current priority is to hear from:

• health care providers who are seeking or reporting information;
• residents who have travelled to Hubei province (China), Iran or Italy; and
• residents who have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Not everyone requires testing. Most people with mild symptoms will recover on their own at home. Get rest, drink fluids, eat well and stay home. You do not need to contact Public Health.

Hand washing

If you are high-risk, please call 311. If you have SEVERE symptoms, please call 9-1-1 immediately.
Moving forward, in lieu of issuing media releases for each new case, Halton Region will report all new confirmed cases of COVID-19 at halton.ca/COVID19.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed by regularly reviewing credible information sources. For more information on COVID-19 including symptoms, risk and when to contact Halton Region Public Health, please visit halton.ca/COVID19. To get the latest information on cases in Ontario and to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19, please visit ontario.ca/coronavirus.

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Burlington MP Karina Gould will keep in close touch with her constituents

News 100 blueBy Staff

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Burlington Member of |Parliament and Member of the Trudeau Cabinet said this morning:

I understand that these are worrying times. I want you to rest assured that the time to act is now. We have the opportunity to stem the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing and staying home if we’re feeling unwell. The measures the Government is putting in place are precautionary in order to try and avoid the crisis situation that other countries around the world are facing.

Gould with child at LINK

Karina Gould – Burlington MP, Minister in the Trudeau government.

These are scary times, I know. But we all have a role to play in protecting ourselves, our families and friends, and our community at large. We are experiencing something that most of us have never lived through before. But if we are responsible, caring and compassionate, I believe we can get through this safely. I will continue to send out regular updates with the latest information from the Government of Canada. It is important we maintain calm. Panicking might actually worsen the situation.

The Prime Minister and key Cabinet Members will be holding daily press conferences to update Canadians on the evolving situation. Please tune in at 1pm today for the first.

To help prevent the spread of Covid-19 I have decided to close my constituency office to in-person visits and postpone our Volunteer Income Tax Clinic until further notice. My staff and I will still be fully operational by phone and email. Please see below for further information.

If you have returned from traveling abroad, please self-isolate for 14 days upon your return. The Government is also asking Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel.

As I have said, COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global challenge. Over the past weeks and month, we have taken significant steps to ensure that Canadians are kept safe and to slow the spread of the virus. As a government, we will continue to make decisions based on recommendations of medical experts, public health authorities, and top scientists.

Karina Gould with cat

Karina in campaign mode – out in the community.

As we progress through this challenge, I will continue to write to you with updates to make sure that you are informed and reiterate important information as a reminder to continue to use best practices.

As I have said, to help limit the spread of COVID-19, you are encouraged to:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• monitor symptoms for a fever and dry cough
• coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand
• and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, with unwashed hands
• practice social distancing and to stay home if you have any symptoms.

Hand washing

For more information on the resources available to Canadians and how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit Canada.ca/covid19 or call the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 information line at 1-833-784-4397 between the hours of 7am and Midnight 7 days a week.

I know these are difficult times, but Canadians, and Burlingtonians, are a resilient bunch and we will get through this together. The Government of Canada stands by our commitment to Canadians and will continue to look for ways to support citizens and businesses through this situation.

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Let's do lunch - sure, where - is anyone open?

News 100 blueBy Staff

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It’s a dicey time for those commercial operations who serve the public – restaurants in particular.

kelseysA colleague had planned on meeting with a client for lunch – called to find out if they were open. The restauranteur said they were open but that there was no one in the restaurant and they didn’t know if they were going to remain open.

Makes it hard for the customer to plan.

Some provinces are instructing restaurateurs to limit the number of people they have seated at any one time. Servers and cooks are being given beefed up instructions.

It is a tight time for everyone.

Related news story:

Downtown Business Development Association pleads for people to go downtown.

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More on what has been done rather than what is being planned would be useful.

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Is it www. burlington.ca/coronavirus on the city’s web site that you go to for information or is it the Get Involved – the city’s portal where the answers to every question are supposed to reside, that citizens should go to for information on the COVID19 pandemic?

Get involved page

Nothing on the Get Involved portal about COVID19

There is nothing on the Get Involved site.

And what there is on the coronavirus section of the city web site won’t help very much.

Is the City Manager calling the shots? He should be – his job is to run the city. If the elected members of council want him to do things differently, all it takes is a meeting of city council and the issuance of a Staff Direction.

And what’s with the Mayor possibly declaring a State of emergency – and what would that mean?

City Manager Commisso tells us that the Crisis Management Team (CMT) is now at Level 2.

What did Level 1 mean; what is the difference between level 1 and level 2 and how many levels are there ? Could the city not release just what the differences between the various levels are?

Might sound like a silly question – but could we be assured that the Mayor is Part of the Crisis Management Team?

A Rapid Response Team has been created at the City that includes staff from across the organization. The Team’s purpose is to review the latest information received from provincial, regional and public health sources and advise on appropriate actions needed related to City activities. Could the public be given a better sense as to just what that team has done?

During times of crisis one voice; one source of information and the Mayor standing there beside the city manager is what citizens need to see.

A photo of the Crisis Management Team seated around a conference table would help.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

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Crisis Management now at Level 2; Mayor has declaring an emergency on hold.

News 100 redBy Staff

March 16th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

To protect the public and City staff and to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 virus, all City facilities including City Hall will be closed to public access effective Monday, March 16 to Sunday, April 5.

Essential services will continue to operate as usual to support our community. Cemetery services will be by appointment.

Service Burlington will continue to operate via phone 905-335-7600 and email city@burlington.ca

We encourage residents reach out if they have questions. Residents can also access services using the City of Burlington mobile app.

A drop box outside of City Hall is available to drop off documents.

Residents are encouraged to delay any non-essential business or to consider conducting business online or by phone, where possible.

Meetings with City staff where appropriate can be setup on a case by case basis and will require a health screening process in keeping with established public health guidelines.
While Mayor Meed Ward has not yet declared an official emergency on COVID-19,

Burlington’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) has now fully activated the City of Burlington Emergency Response Plan at a Level 2.

This decision made today by the CMT, in close consultation with the Mayor, enables a more rapid response to dedicating specific resources to prevention and containment of the virus.

City buildings closed to general public access effective March 16 include:

City Hall (phone/online/drop box still available)
Roads, Parks and Forestry
Burlington Transit – Transit Operations Centre
Animal Shelter
City offices in SIMs Square office building (390 Brant Street)
414 Locust Street offices
Burlington Fire Headquarters and all stations

Residents are encouraged to delay any non-essential business or to consider conducting business online or by phone, where possible. Meetings with City staff where appropriate can be setup on a case by case basis and will require a health screening process in keeping with established public health guidelines.

All Burlington Citizen Advisory Committee meetings have been cancelled until April 5, 2020.
The following meetings are cancelled:

March 18 – Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee
March 18 – Sustainable Development Advisory Committee
March 23 – Seniors Advisory Committee
March 23 – Committee of Adjustment
March 23 – Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee
March 27 – Inclusivity Advisory Committee
March 31 – Council Workshop
March 31 – Cycling Advisory Committee
April 1 – Mayor’s Millennial Committee
April 1 – Mundialization Committee

City staff are reviewing options related to the upcoming March 30 Burlington City Council meeting, as there are time sensitive matters that may require Council resolution. The City of Burlington is looking into how the meeting may be conducted and will be provide an update closer to the meeting date.

For further information and updates, the City has launched the webpage burlington.ca/coronavirus
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“Our first priority is ensuring public health and safety, and the safety of our staff who engage with the public. We are looking at options to ensure residents can still be served without physical attendance at City Hall. As a result, we are expecting a higher than usual call volume and we are redeploying staff to assist, but we would ask for your patience and understanding in these times.

Our decisions are not taken lightly, as we realize the impact they have on our community, but they are done in an effort to do our part to ‘flatten the curve’ and slow down the spread of COVID-19.

Quick Facts

• 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:
o travelled outside of Canada in the 14 days before onset of illness; or
o close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19; or
o close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who traveled to affected areas within 14 days prior to their illness onset.

Hand washing

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Province sets out the rules for using the provincial parks.

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Provincial public parks will be open but not to large groups of people – large is defined as 250 people.

Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued the following statement related to Ontario Parks operations in response to COVID-19:

Prov park Rondeau

One of he province’s provincial parks.

“Public safety and the well-being of our visitors and staff in Ontario’s provincial parks is our top priority. In response to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health’s recommendation to immediately suspend large events and public gatherings of over 250 people, Ontario Parks has cancelled all planned events until further notice. All public Ontario Parks buildings, such as visitor centres, will be closed as well.

“Outdoor recreational opportunities including camping and day use will still be available at operating parks.

“Appropriate cleaning measures continue to be undertaken to reduce risk to staff and visitors within buildings. Ontario Parks will also enhance cleaning of public areas that remain open, including washrooms.

“Individuals or groups wishing to cancel their current reservations for arrivals up to April 30, 2020 will be provided a full refund or the opportunity to change their reservation depending on availability, with no penalty.”

Ontario Parks will monitor developments and reassess on April 1, 2020 and April 15, 2020.”

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Regional health staff providing answers - this is going to be a very difficult time for everyone. Caution and common sense is what we have going for us

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

We had asked the Halton Regional Health office for some detail on just what happens when a person thinks they may have contracted the CORVID19 virus.

They were unable to get back to us before the close of business on Friday but someone over here is working on the weekend.

Our questions and the answers they provided are set out below:

Who decides if a resident should be tested for COVID-19?
• Coronavirus infections are diagnosed by a health care provider based on symptoms, clinical history and laboratory tests. Travel history is also important. There is a specific test for COVID-19 to confirm the infection if it is suspected.
• Testing is arranged by health care professionals, in collaboration with local public health.

2. What does testing involve?
• Testing involves a swab of the nose or throat (sometimes both) and is sent by health care professionals to the Public Health Ontario Laboratory in Toronto.

3. Where does the testing take place?
• Testing is being conducted at the Public Health Ontario Laboratory in Toronto, which is working collaboratively with the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

Additional laboratory testing sites are also being set up across the province. For more information, please see this Province of Ontario news release.

We have since leaned through other sources that the COVID19 test is no small matter.

The people doing the testing are said to be at great personal risk. They have to wear protective suits that includes a mask and a plastic head piece. The room the testing is done in has to be scrubbed down. The testing takes time and eats into the hospital resources.

There is not enough in the way of capacity to do all the testing – and the data we have available suggests that the full measure of the wave of people infected has yet to reach us.

An interesting link to the rate at which the virus is spreading is HERE

The link to live data tells us that the number of people being infected is still climbing.
We are in a very necessary phase of the COVID19 battle. It will pass – when – that is what we don’t know. What we do know is that there are ways to slow down the spread of the virus. Wash out hands frequently and limit the people you meet with and keep some distance between people you do meet with.

I had dinner with a friend in the middle of the week and followed up that event with a note saying with should do this more often – he responded – “see you on the other side of COVID 19”.

Be sensible – be careful and remember we are all in this together.

Hand washing

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Freeman Station: Also closed for the duration of the CORVID19 pandemic

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Ron Danielsen President, Friends of Freeman Station announced yesterday that : “In order to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and as advised by Health Authorities, Freeman Station is closed until further notice.

“All bookings, meetings, and work at the station are cancelled.

‘We will evaluate the situation again on April 15th, and decide on further action at that time.”

Freeman with stop and car in place

One of the most delightful destinations in the city. Freeman Station – it exists because citizens made it happen.

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To the information junkies – knock yourselves out!

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Aldershot resident Tom Muir found a web site that is a “goldmine” for the information junkies.

Click here for a link. Use the search box in the upper right hand corner to find Canadian data instantly.

Betting dollars to donuts that Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns, a policy wonk of some renown will be mining this data collection.

Live world data

The information junkies will spend hours on this stuff

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Shopping Local in Challenging Times & overcoming the COVID19 scare

 

News 100 redBy Brian Dean

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

During this time of uncertainty, most agree that the local economy will be weighed down by the impact of COVID-19. The impacts on small businesses and independents can be particularly heavy as we practice social distancing.

Store Hand made

Dozens of little gems – worth popping into.

Small businesses are by nature risk takers. They choose to invest in our community and our neighbourhoods with the hope that the community will give back to them with the same vigor. These are the entrepreneurs that hire our children, sponsor our sports teams and community groups – they are your neighbours.

Our local businesses in Burlington enrich our community daily and are the lifeblood of our sustainable local economy. In the case of our Downtown independent businesses, they are often the people you know by name. We celebrate when these local names succeed and regret when they are forced to close their doors.

Not much Christmas Spirit at these Brant Street locations. Photo taken Decvember 13th - maybe they are waiting for snow.. Burkington Downtown Business Association needs to work on its membership.

The Downtown needs feet on the streets – being outdoors is not a COVID19 issue.

Shopping locally during this challenging time for Burlington business is more than a “good idea” it is a necessity to help keep these small businesses flourishing.

The largest collection of independent businesses in our City is Downtown; a dynamic collection of over 400 unique entrepreneurs. For many of these businesses their success relies on the personalized connections they have made with their patrons.

As our community makes a conscious effort to reduce close contact with others during this challenging time there is an instinct to find a “one-stop shopping” solution for our everyday needs. This tactic tends to overlook the incredible value that comes from patronizing your favourite, neighbourhood independent business.

Lakeshore looking east to Brant north side

Overlooking the lake is one of the safest places you can be.

Our small business community has proven to be a resilient and adaptable group that champions innovation. Now it is the Burlington public’s turn to create innovative ways to support them with many products & essentials available at our local merchants.

Here are ways to support small businesses:

Buy meals from local restaurants for delivery or takeout
Shop small businesses online
Use shipping, door-to-door and delivery services available
Purchase coffee grounds from your local coffee shop
Pick up bread or baked goods from your local bakery
Consider purchasing gift cards for future use – they’ll receive the revenue now while foot traffic is down and you’ll have something to look forward to!
Share, tweet, post about your favourite small business – let’s spread some positivity!
Purchase your personal items, shampoo, soaps, face wash, creams etc. from local businesses instead of busy box stores
Don’t cancel appointments, reschedule if possible

 

 

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Public School Board asks parents to keep in touch

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

In a letter to parents and guardians of Halton District school board students, the Director of Education Stuart Miller said:

Stuart Miller

Halton District Public School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller.

As communicated yesterday evening, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health announced that all publicly-funded schools in Ontario will be closed for two weeks following March Break in response to the emergence of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) in the province.

As a result, all schools and Board offices in the Halton District School Board will be closed from Saturday, March 14 – Sunday, April 5, 2020. At this time, schools are scheduled to re-open on Monday, April 6.

We recognize the significant impact this will have on students, families, staff and communities. This precautionary measure is being taken to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our communities safe.

We are committed to supporting families and providing you with accurate information and resources. We are compiling a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which will be posted on the HDSB website in the following week.

The purpose of this closure is to slow the spread of the virus by reducing the amount of personal contact. This extraordinary measure, taken in the interests of public health, and the safety of our students and staff, can only be effective if we all minimize our exposure, and maximize our diligence, during this period.

We encourage all HDSB families and staff to follow the advice of public health authorities and the federal government. Today, the Government of Canada announced that Canadians should avoid all non-essential travel outside of the country effective immediately.

As a Board, we want to ensure we use the two-week closure period to reduce the risk of contagion when schools re-open. We therefore ask that during this time, you follow the advice of public health authorities and avoid public gatherings and travel outside Canada, and self-isolate as required, so that when schools re-open we can be confident that we have all done our part to keep students and staff safe.

Child care, EarlyON Centres, March Break camps, school rentals
As HDSB schools will be closed from March 14 – April 5, all child care centres, March Break camps and EarlyOn programs operating in school facilities will not be running. We have cancelled all community use rentals and bookings for the duration of the shut-down.

Online Learning Resources
The Ministry of Education is exploring online learning resources for students during the two-week period following March Break. We will communicate with families once we receive further information.

Status of the School Year
At this time, we have no information to share about whether the school year will be extended. That decision will be communicated as soon as we have that information.

Stay in touch
While schools are closed, we encourage families to continue to check for updates from us through SchoolMessenger, www.hdsb.ca, and the Board’s social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

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Keeping calm and vigilant, and maintaining our humanity by looking out for each other, will get us through this

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

City Hall announced Friday afternoon that all public indoor facilities were being closed.

The purpose of this closure is to slow the spread of the virus by reducing the amount of personal contact.

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 (Friday).

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.

Some members of Council had difficulty with the way city handled the release of the decision on Friday afternoon.

Some residents expressed concerns at the way the city handled the COVID19 problem.

One resident felt that

“essential services should be clearly identified in the disaster management plan which should be reviewed and updated annually.

“A chief spokesperson on these issues should be clearly identified. An upper echelon planning team comprising key municipal employees should be identified.

“A protocol should be in place to deal with the redeployment of human resources to critical and essential functions. Most importantly, there should be regular ongoing tests and exercises to practice and evaluate emergency responsiveness and to refine protocols where necessary.

“We’ve been through SARS. We’ve been through 9-11. We’ve been through the 2013 ice storm, and the 2014 flood. Protocols and measures on how to deal with emergencies and contingencies should have been in place long before now. The City shouldn’t be cobbling this together in the midst of a pandemic at the 11th hour.”

There does not appear to be a single spokesperson. News comes out of city hall with a comment from both the Mayor and the City Manager.

There is not yet a single place one call send an email to or call for information in Burlington. The Regional 311 service is limited in what it can provide.

The Regional Police are screening all telephone calls.

The Regional Medical Officer of Health has chosen to use “privacy” as a reason for not providing information or saying a matter is “under investigation.”

curve 2What the public does have going for it is common sense and listening to what the science has to tell us.

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Third Burlington resident tested positive COVID19

News 100 redBy Staff

March 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

A female resident from Burlington in her 50s returned from Los Angeles on March 8.

She became symptomatic on March 9 and presented to Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington for testing on March 12. As per established infection prevention and control protocols, the hospital took all precautions, including testing in an isolated environment with all necessary personal protective equipment. On March 13, she was notified of her positive test result and is now self-isolating at home.

Halton Region Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management. The individual was not symptomatic on the flight.

Dr Meghani at news conference Hamilton

Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health.

“While the risk is low, we can expect to see more cases in our community and we are prepared for that,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health. “We are closely monitoring the situation and continue to take thoughtful action where
appropriate.”

“The individual was tested at Joseph Brant Hospital in an isolated environment.

Our care team continues to follow all necessary infection prevention protocols and procedures,” said Eric Vandewall, President and Chief Executive Officer at Joseph Brant Hospital. “We are taking all necessary precautions as we screen and care for residents of Halton, and keep our patients, our visitors, our physicians and staff safe.”

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Police revise their call screening procedure

News 100 redBy Staff

March 14th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

In light of recent developments in the region with respect to COVID-19, the Halton Regional Police Service is revising their call taking procedures.

Effective immediately, if you are calling our Service through either the non-emergency number, or via 9-1-1, you will be asked a series of strategic screening questions so that we can better assess the risk of potential exposure to COVID-19.

911 Operator-at-dispatch-768x463

911 operator at information console

These screening questions, informed and guided by Public Health, will ensure that our officers are donning the appropriate personal protective equipment (incl. gloves and masks). This is for the protection of our frontline officers, as well as the protection of those we serve.

We urge members of our community to continue to use our non-emergency line and 9-1-1 line appropriately. Additionally, we wish to remind residents that for general information regarding programs and services offered by the Region of Halton, they may call 3-1-1.

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Art Gallery joins the list of locations that will be closed to the public.

News 100 redBy 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.

Prepaid Nash AGB

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 2018 levee

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,

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Performing Arts Centre closes Main Theatre - Community Theatre will remain open.

News 100 redBy 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.

Some new light being brought to the Performing Arts csntre with the appointment of Brian McCuerdy as the new Executive Director.

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

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Police seeking information on Hate Crime Incident in Burlington

Crime 100By 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.

HRPS crestOn 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.

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Conservation Halton closes almost all sites; administration offices closed to the public

News 100 redBy 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.

Crawford lake with wooden trail

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.

Mt Nemo entrance

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

 

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Ireland House and Brant Museum to be closed for three weeks

eventsred 100x100By 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.

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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.

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