 By Staff
April 9th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
If you’ve taken your golf clubs out and are getting ready for the season – make a note of the Willow Foundation’s annual golf event.
 The Willow Foundation raises funds annually to support several ongoing programs at Halton Region’s Long-Term Care homes and Adult Day Programs in these locations:
Allendale—Milton
Post Inn Village—Oakville
Creek Way Village—Burlington
Adult Day Programs—Milton, Georgetown
Tournament takes place at Crosswinds on May 16th.
 Crosswinds
 By Staff
April 8th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The robins are back and Tyandaga Golf Course is open for business. The City of Burlington’s Tyandaga Golf Course will officially open for the 2019 golf season on Friday, April 12.
Although the course is open, golfers are asked to excuse the mess as work is being completed to improve the cart-path and area between holes 16 and 17. The work is expected to be done by the end of May and should not impact play.
 An aerial view of the Tyandaga golf course. Tyandaga offers memberships, tournaments, clinics, private lessons, men’s and women’s league play, and in-season and off-season rentals. The course combines a perfect mix of urban convenience with rural beauty, natural waterways, contours and mature trees as well as dining and catered private or corporate events. New for this year are student memberships that range from $199.99 to $499.99.
Players wishing to book a tee time can do so online at tyandagagolf.com.
For more information about golfing at Tyandaga, call 905-336-0005 or visit tyandagagolf.com.
Tyandaga Golf Course is an 18-hole course with 4,852 metres of scenic terrain characterized by its natural waterways and broadleaf woods
Spring specials on green fees include $45 to ride in a golf cart and $30 for golfers that are walking
 By Lucy Belvedere
April 8th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
How has the community been engaged in the redevelopment of the Lakeside Village Plaza ?
 Staff with a resident at a Visioning exercise for the Lakeside Village Plaza. in November of 2015 Our first inkling of the redevelopment of the Plaza came at the Community Visioning Workshop held November 24th, 2015. A summary of key fears listed from this event repeatedly included: fear of too much density and height, numerous concerns for intensified traffic congestion and lack of safety, and that it will take too long to redevelop, to name just a few.
We only learned of the actual proposal in the summer of 2018 with open house sessions in the afternoon and evening—July 18th and August 8th. It was appalling because what was presented appeared to totally ignore residents’ fears expressed in 2015.
The July Open House session provided limited information since no formal presentation was made and proved to be disappointing with angry, worried residents milling about trying to get answers, but in truth we were all stunned with what we were facing.
 This is the look of the plaza from Lakeshore Road – if the development is approved. At the August Open House some new charts were created for us. One summarized comments from July and are worth noting here. Under land uses it listed support for revitalization, for new tenants, for a range of housing and rental units. However, the rest on the chart was not as positive and echoed the same fears from the initial workshop with criticizing the proposal’s height and density and generally being overdeveloped. Concerns with traffic impacts, congestion and insufficient parking were listed.
 The Plaza as it stands today. Few shops. Apprehensions about lack of public green spaces with trees, and connection to the parks were recorded. Under design and construction appeared that a better design for seniors be considered and worries about construction and phasing were noted. It’s safe to say that all residents’ first fears were simply stressed once again.
The August Open House also produced a new timeline: that community input would be assessed and a community meeting would be held in January with a statutory meeting held in March. This was encouraging and gave us hope that our voices from the open house events would be heard. Sadly, our hopes evaporated in January when we were unexpectedly notified by the City of the February 12th Statutory Meeting. The proposal remained the same at that time.
Inclement weather cancelled that meeting. Now it is set for Tuesday, April 9th.
Has a revised proposal been presented to Council? If there are any revisions, they are unknown to residents the day before the Statutory Meeting. Our delegations for the Statutory Meeting have been prepared based on the original proposal.
 Residents who took part in the Open Houses last July and August were not impressed with the size and scope of the proposed development, What happened? I quote from page 29 and 30 of the developers proposal under the heading of Public Consultation: “…We anticipate that a local community meeting will be held following the application submission…to present a master plan and engage the community for comments and input…We will summarize all public input through the community engagement process and identify how community input has been addressed with updates and changes…The consultation strategy described herein will ensure that members of the public are given an opportunity to review, understand and comment on the proposal.” Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Obviously, that didn’t happen!
It seems that developers’ proposals always sound fantastic on paper, but they don’t put it into practice in reality. Residents have been locked out with this very limited, almost meaningless engagement process. The developer’s planners spent 3 years engaging with the city planning staff, making presentations to Council and convincing all involved at City Hall that it was the most fantastic, enlightened plan for this property. The developer’s planners were so effective in this regard that they were able to shape the new Official Plan policies for the Neighbourhood Centre designation to perfectly suit and allow their proposal amendments. The numerous amendments they request are mind-boggling with many bylaw modifications needed. The proposal mixes policies from the present Official Plan in effect regarding zoning, but presents plans that apply to the Neighbourhood Centre policies in the new Official Plan now under review. It is very confusing. The original proposal for this relatively small site—3.84 hectares represents over-development on steroids!
 Wendy Moraghan will be delegating on Tuesday – she was a candidate for the ward 5 seat in the October election. Where do the neighbourhood residents’ concerns fit into the picture? Why have we not had an official community meeting where we have the opportunity to have the proposal presented and the opportunity to ask questions? How disheartening! What surprise awaits us at the Statutory meeting? Will there be a revised proposal to show that residents input is taken into consideration? We shall see.
Related new stories:
Part one of a two part series on the Lakeside Village Plaza development.
Part two of a two part series on the Lakeside Village Plaza development.
By Staff
April 8th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Ian Green on piano and Ryan Scott on the recorder at A Different Drummer on Sunday April 14 – 3.00 pm
 Two nationally acclaimed performers, Ian Green and Ryan Scott, rendering in their marvelous piano and woodwind a wide-ranging, bountiful concert, featuring Bach, Debussy, stirring Celtic pieces, sublime original compositions and more.
Refreshments, and a chance to meet the artists, happen right after the performance.
Tickets are $15, $10 for students.
To reserve, please contact us at 905 639 0925 or diffdrum@mac.com. Thank you!
 By Staff
April 6th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
With the transformed Joseph Brant Museum getting ever closer to an official opening day the Museum Foundation is searching for a Development officer who will attend the monthly meetings of the Burlington Museums Foundation, build new and maintain current donor relations with the support of board members and Museums Staff.
This is a permanent part time contract position, reviewed annually.
Applications have to be submitted no later than Thursday, April 18, 2019
The Foundation raises funds for Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House at Oakridge Farm.
 The opening of the transformed Brant Museum later this year will create a need for funds. A membership and fundraising development officer will be needed. Tasks & Responsibilities:
Develop and manage fundraising strategies supporting the financial goals of the Burlington Museums Foundation.
Carry out prospect research and develop a comprehensive database that captures all relevant information, as well as handling all administrative aspects of fundraising.
Plan and organize impactful events related to donor and volunteer appreciation events, announcements, tours and milestone celebrations to motivate increased and continued support.
Monitor donor records and donor commitments.
Be responsible for the Foundation’s website and related social media.
Develop a membership program.
Create a regular bi-monthly newsletter to share with donors, partners, and supporters.
Adheres to all Foundation policies and procedures regarding the integrity, security and appropriate use of information in keeping with the wishes of all donors and stakeholders and relevant privacy legislation.
Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders at the Foundation and the Museums of Burlington on required projects, including campaigns, special events and stewardship initiatives.
 Ireland House is one of the historical surprises in Burlington. Well run, great programs for the most part. Qualifications:
A degree or diploma from a recognized post-secondary institution in a relevant field, including fundraising or special events planning would be ideal.
Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation considered an asset.
Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in fundraising.
Strong communication and research skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong sense of diplomacy and demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategies that strengthen long-term relationships with major donors and/or clients.
Understanding of current and emerging best practices in stewardship and donor engagement.
Ability to work independently, rise to new challenges, find creative solutions, and prioritize competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional organizational skills with a demonstrated ability for accuracy and attention to detail.
Computer proficiency in using the MS Office suite.
Experience with a donor relations digital database an important asset.
Applicants are invited to apply by email to: jmdgroup48@gmail.com no later than April 18, 2019. Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single document and include your name and “Development Officer Position” in the file name.
Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
By Pepper Parr
April 6th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The two pictures below tell the story – the first is what is in place today in the eastern part of the city. A plaza that has been allowed to deteriorate to the point where more than half of the units were empty.
The second is the first version of what the owners of the property showed the public at open houses last August. The people who live in the neighbourhoods are up in arms.
A drab rundown property on Lakeshore Road in the eastern reaches of the city might get a huge makeover if the developer can convince the planners and then city council that their idea is beneficial to everyone.  Massive in scale, overwhelming in scope – but it does go some distance to meeting the intensification targets. The city went to considerable lengths to pull in feed back from the public. Two packed meetings took place at which the public had a chance to look at drawings and ideas put together by the Planning Department.
 The public had hours to go over drawings and talk through ideas with city hall staff. Why is it that the ideas never seem to be reflected in the proposal the developers put forward?  The room was packed – the public interest was there. Few if any of those ideas made it to the plan the developer brought forward in July and August.
A required Statutory Public meeting is to take place on Tuesday evening at city hall.
City staff will present a report to provide background information for the statutory public meeting required under the Planning Act for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications. The report provides an overview of the proposed applications, an outline of the applicable policies and regulations and a summary of technical and public comments received to date.
There is a chance that the developer will have heard some of what the public had to say and maybe moderate the size and scale.
 Some of the early thinking about development ideas for the site had the city contributing the arena and the parkland on the north to a project that would pull together the area, the plaza and the Burloak Park to the south. The original design put together when the idea of getting something done to the plaza pulled together the park-arena on the north side with the upgraded Burloak Park on the south side. Some of the original design work done then appears below as well.
 Carrie DeMunck Carrie De Munch, a resident in the eastern part of the city who was active in one of the ward 5 election campaigns said: “Lakeside Plaza is a huge concern for all of the east end of Burlington, particularly for our senior friends who reside in the immediate area. The redevelopment of this plaza will impact all of the south of Burlington, and those from southwest Oakville that utilize our corner of Burlington, and also those beyond our western borders who commute along Burlington Lakeshore daily at all hours to get to their workplaces and back.
This development is not part of the area covered by the Interim Control by law that has frozen development in the downtown core.
 By Staff
April 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
With good security cameras people suspected of criminal activity can be easily identified. If the person in the photograph is someone you know – the police would like to hear from you.
Detectives from the Halton Regional Police Service 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau are seeking the identity of a male responsible for multiple daytime break and enter incidents. The entries occurred at apartment building storage areas at multiple locations across the region.
On February 12, 2019 the lone male suspect was observed on security camera entering an apartment building in the city of Burlington, by prying open the front door. Once inside the building, the male stole coins from a coin operated laundry machine.
On February 27, 2019 the same male suspect was observed inside two different apartment buildings in the Town of Oakville, where he also targeted coin operated laundry machine and a storage locker.
On March 1, 2019 the suspect targeted three separate apartment buildings in the Town of Milton, where he again targeted coin operated laundry machines.
 Suspect – Male, olive complexion, 25-35 years of age, slim to medium build, 5’10 – 6’3 with dark hair and dark facial hair.
He was wearing grey coloured pants, a unique black coloured bomber style vest/jacket with a white cursive written logo on the middle back and the word ‘FETL’ over the heart on the front, black shoes with white trim and dark coloured gloves with white writing on the back of the hand.
The suspect was also observed wearing a New York Jets toque during one of the occurrences.
Police are asking the assistance of the public in identifying the male and also looking for assistance in identifying the unique logo ‘FETL’ on the vest/ jacket.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact 2 District, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Detective Omar Nadim at 905-825-4747 ext. 2278.
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
April 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Parents can now plan some of their off-season travel plans – the Halton District School Board has released the Professional Activity (PA) days for the 2019-2020 school year. There will be seven of these days for the school year that starts next September.
The list was approved by the Board of Trustees last week and, subject to provincial approval, this is what the schedule will be:
The school year calendar is developed with input from the School Year Calendar Committee consisting of representatives from interested and affected groups, including parents/guardians. The 2019-2020 school year calendar is aligned with the Halton Catholic District School Board calendar, to save resources on school bus transportation, which is shared between the boards.
The calendar outlines the Professional Activity days (P.A.) for staff when schools will be closed to students. Note that two of the P.A. days will take place on Mondays (September 16, 2019 and April 27, 2020).
 By Staff
April 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The transit people aren’t going to give up on getting your attention.
Burlington Transit is looking for feedback from the public about significant transit changes proposed to take effect in September 2019. Transit riders and non-riders are invited to share their feedback at an upcoming open house session on April 8, 9 and 11, or online at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca until Friday, April 19.
 Has anything changed? Funding has certainly improved. At the drop-in sessions, attendees will have an opportunity to share feedback on proposed changes that will help Burlington Transit move toward a grid network that operates buses along the city’s most-travelled roads in an east-west and north-south direction.
Some of the proposed changes include:
• the relocation of all transit stops at the Burlington GO station to the south side, off Fairview Street
• the introduction and expansion of weekday 20-minute service on routes, including 1, 10 and 25
• the discontinuation of routes with low ridership, including 15, 40, 83, 300, 301 and 302, to improve frequency on grid network routes.
Open House Dates
• Monday, April 8 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Central Arena, 519 Drury Ln
• Tuesday, April 9 – 3 to 6 p.m., City Hall, 426 Brant St.
• Thursday, April 11 – 6 to 9 p.m., Tansley Woods, 1996 Itabashi Way
A series of drop in sessions in March held at three different locations didn’t get much in the way of a response from Gazette readers.
Two readers had these comments:
Let’s see how this next drop in session woks out. They are being held at the same locations – which are accessible by transit,
There has been a significant change on the part of city council and the amount of money they are prepared to spend on transit to meet what they believe is going to be a much needed change in the way people move around the city.
Now it is up to the residents to look over the ideas and comment – dialogue runs in both directions.
Charles Stolte, Transit Operations Manager explains that: “Establishing a grid network to meet the mobility needs of the city’s population over the next 20 years is not something that will happen overnight, but there are improvements to our current transit service that we can make in the short term that will help lay the stepping stones of what is to come. In making these improvements, we need the thoughts and ideas of transit riders and non-riders to learn more about what’s important to them.”
 Over the next 20 years, the City of Burlington will grow in its urban areas, with 193,000 people expected to live in the city by 2031. As the population grows, ensuring people can move around the city easily and conveniently, whether by foot, car, bicycle or Burlington Transit, is important.
In the last two years, the city’s budget has made investments to enhance public transit, including $1.9 million in the 2019 capital budget and $1.55 million in the 2018 operating budget.
The free transit service that will start in June and run from 9:30 to 2:30 Monday to Friday is part of a pilot program to see if people will use transit if there is no fare to pay.
By Staff
April 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Provincial government announced in January that there would be a review of eight regional municipalities (including Halton), Simcoe County and their lower-tier municipalities to ensure they are working effectively and efficiently, and to assess whether the two-tier structures should continue or whether amalgamations are recommended.
 Is this the future for the four municipalities that make up the Region of Halton? Where are the benefits? A potential outcome is the amalgamation of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills into the City of Halton.
There are people in Oakville and Burlington who aren’t all that keen on seeing this happen and have organized “We Love …” groups in Oakville and are in the process of putting one together in Burlington. They are looking for your support.
We Love Burlington – STOP Amalgamation has created a mailing list – touch base with them at weloveburlingtonasis@gmail.com.
They are a group of Burlington residents concerned about the Province of Ontario’s regional government review and the distinct possibility of the amalgamation of Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills into the City of Halton.
They are Oakville counterparts (We Love Oakville – STOP Amalgamation) who are a strong citizen-led group focused on the same issue and with identical goals. The Burlington “chapter” has just been formed but, with the help of our Oakville colleagues, has hit the ground running. We just opened our Facebook page and already we have 150 followers, 675 page views and we have reached almost 2,500 people.
 What would Burlington be in the City of Halton? We have a twitter account WeLoveBurlington, and will be regularly issuing email updates such as this. Unfortunately, we have limited time, limited resources and need your help and support. For a start:
• please order a lawn sign by responding to this email with your full contact particulars (direct donations are most welcome to defray our costs). Signs will be available soon.
• write a letter to our MPPs Jane McKenna and Effie Triantafilopoulos, with copies to Premier Doug explaining why you are against amalgamation.
• watch and “like” our Facebook page for regular updates and news: https://www.facebook.com/weloveburlingtonstopamalgamation/
• share our posts with your friends and colleagues
 Would Oakville become the “rich” part of the city of Halton? The Burlington group will be meeting with Ms. Jane McKenna, Burlington’s MPP at Queen’s Park on April 18. Ms. McKenna was unable to meet with us at her constituency office until late June, so we will travel to Queen’s Park instead. We will also seek a meeting with Oakville/North Burlington MPP Ms. Effie Triantafilopoulos.
It is worthwhile to note that Ms. Triantafilopoulos has already met, together with Oakville MPP Mr. Stephen Crawford, with the We Love Oakville group.
 Most people don’t even know amalgamation talks are taking place – order a lawn sign – help spread the word. We Love Burlington has registered to delegate to the regional government review advisors on May 17th at the Halton Regional Meeting being held specifically for consultation on the review.
 Halton Hills, the smallest of the four municipalities has significant potential for growth in the next decade. On February 13, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr sent a letter to Premier Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, signed by all four Halton Mayors declaring “A change to the structure in Halton by the Province would be disruptive and wasteful given the Province would be trying to fix something that is not broken.”
On February 25, Burlington City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the current two-tier municipal government model in Halton and stating that Burlington residents value the distinct identity of their community and do not wish have their voices diluted within a larger and less directly accountable municipal governance structure. The other three Halton mayors passed similar resolutions.
 Milton was at one point the fastest growing municipality in the province -probably the country – that was until Premier Ford pulled the plug on the idea of a university setting up shop in the town. Many believe that the review process is also seriously flawed. There is a lack of transparency with respect to the Province’s mandate and intentions; the study involves two individuals looking at 82 municipalities with vastly different circumstances, issues and challenges, in a period of only six months, which does not allow for a fulsome and detailed inquiry, assessment and analysis; and there is a lack of meaningful public consultation. A survey the Province has prepared does not go nearly far enough to inform the public and gather their feedback.
 By Staff
April 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the third Celebration event for the Halton Hamilton United Way since its reorganization.
 It was a full house with congratulations handed out to hundreds of people. Photo by Alecia Korkowski They announced that they has raised more during the 2018 drive than the new organization had ever raised before: $10,875,000.
The hall at the Burlington Convention Centre was full, and at times really, really noisy with everyone chit chatting at once. Chris Mei, the man from the Weather Network, who served as Master of Ceremonies, showed how to get the noise level down in some very imaginative ways.
200,000 people were helped through the 80 community agencies that the United Way supports and that one in every four people get some form of help from the United Way every year.
The evening was the occasion to recognize the corporate donors and the individuals and organizations that make the United work the way it does.
There was one slightly jarring event – one of those Oh Dear situations. At different points in the evening, people were asked to stand and be recognized: volunteers were asked to rise from their seats; people who had taken on leadership roles were also asked to rise – much applause.
The MC had mentioned earlier that one in every four people had either been helped by the United Way or were close to someone who had been helped.
When the MC asked those in the audience who had been helped by the United Way in the past to rise; a couple of seconds of silence and then one or two people rose, they looked around and then others began to rise but it wasn’t anywhere near that one in four number.
There were politicians on hand from Milton, Oakville and Halton Hills – not a soul from Burlington.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
They are sometimes referred to as “unintended consequences” and that appears to be the kind of hole that the very successful Molinaro development on Fairview next to the Burlington GO station has fallen into.
 Towers 1 and 2 when they were under construction. The development is going to be a five story project with building 1, 2 and 3 clearly visible on the city’s skyline.
The structures are bold and have been selling very well.
The development was planned as one that would be completed in phases.
The company is now ready to begin the final phase – the last two building that will front on Fairview.
When the Interim control bylaw was dropped on the development community with no notice everyone assumed the Molinaro project would not be included. They were well past the site plan approval stage which was the cut off stage.
Ed Fothergill, the planning consultant who spoke for the firm on Tuesday, explained that complex projects that are approved in principle go through several site plan approvals – partly because as a project is built some things change – mostly minor in nature but the kind of thing for which approvals are required.
 Layout of the five tower Paradigm project on Fairview. The size, nature and scope of the Paradigm project meant there would be several site plan approvals. One would like to believe that the intention was not to shut down everything that moved on a construction site in the Urban Growth Centre while the city figured out just what it wanted to see done with the land within those boundaries.
The Paradigm has been described as the largest residential property development the city has ever done and may well be the largest for a some time.
When it was first taken to the public the Molinaro’s met with the area residents; they listened carefully and went back to the drawing boards and made some significant changes.
As developers they have set the standard for listening to the public.
Because of the way the development was structured the approval of the site plan for the last two buildings was on hold – there weren’t any problems with the development – it was always understood that there were to be five towers and that the site plan approval for the final two towers would get taken care of when the company was ready to begin construction.
 A massive concrete barrier had to be built between the development and the GO train tracks. Much of the infrastructure for the final two towers is already in place – that work was done when the three towers on the north side was being done.
But – the Interim Control bylaw is clear – if the site plan of a project has not been approved the project cannot go forward.
The ICBL was put in place for very good reasons – no one fully understood what this would do to the Molinaro’s.
Mayor Meed Ward didn’t have all that much to say about the implications on the Molinaro’s at the Standing Committee meeting yesterday afternoon and there wasn’t a word from Lisa Kearns, the ward council member.
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith made it very clear that he understood what was happening and that he would do everything he could to correct the situation.
The Molinaro’s are getting ready to put together the marketing plan for the last two towers and expected to be able to begin work on those two towers next year.
 Marketing campaigns don’t get written on the back of an envelope over a weekend. Marketing plans don’t get put together on a weekend. They are carefully crafted using the most recent data to ensure that the product they are going to market meets the needs of those buying condominium units.
There are additional issues. The actual registration of the condominium units gets held up as well.
City planner Heather MacDonald didn’t appear to be all that sympathetic to the problem.
The new city council had very solid reasons for putting a pause on the rate at which developments were flooding into city hall.
The Councillor for ward 2 said she has had conversations with people who are thinking in terms of towers that are in the 50 storey range – and along the GO station mobility hub this kind of intensification might make sense.
Burlington was seen as the place to make a killing in development; firms with cash and the kind of in-house expertise needed to put projects together quickly couldn’t get to the city fast enough.
The Molinaro’s aren’t a Toronto based operation – they built most of what we have on Lakeshore Road and have plans in the works for developments on Brant street north of Prospect where many felt high rise construction should take place.
There is a solution to the Paradigm predicament – the brain power in the Planning can find it. It may include an exemption.
By Pepper Parr
April 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It is now close to crystal clear that there will not be any exemptions to the Interim Control bylaw that froze all development in the Urban Growth boundary in downtown Burlington for one year and possibly two.
It is also crystal clear that when the Mayor is angry – she lets you know just how angry she is. That was something Cindy Prince learned yesterday afternoon at a Standing Committee meeting where the matter of allowing exemptions to the new bylaw was debated.
There are not going to be any exemptions approved by this council at this point.
None – even though there is at least one that has to be given a hard look if developers are to be treated fairly. The Molinaro development on Fairview has run into a snag related to site plan approvals for its five tower Paradigm project.
 Site location: an awkward piece of land that was made usable when the co-op to the east was acquired. Project looked great – until the interim control bylaw froze everything within the Urban growth boundary – the development is on the very western edge, Cindy Prince spoke for Amica, the retirement home operator that wants to build a rather large retirement home on the North Service Road where it intersects with Hwy 403 – right across from the Joseph Brant Hospital.
 Amica made what they described as generous offers to the owners of the co-op units – that offer may not close. The plan has been in the development stage for more than three years and started when Amica made an offer for the 56 residents at the co-op that is presently on the site.
The deal, which Prince described as a “premium + + +” offer to the residents over the market value at the time was to expire on May 17th. Amica is also reported to have paid the co-op residents a non-refundable deposit.
 One resident called it a “warehouse” for older people”. Amica doesn’t want to close on that deal unless it can be assured that city council is going to give them an exemption from the bylaw that has frozen development.
The owners of the co-op units just want to get on with their lives and have the deal close. Amica said they were prepared to make changes and that they had been meeting with the Planning department.
Ward 6 Councillor Angelo B asked if there were any drawings to show just what any changes might look like. No one seemed to be able to say that there were renderings of possible changes.
There was considerable public comment on the size of the development – one Burlington resident called it a “warehouse” for older people”.
Based on what the mood of Council was on Tuesday no one is going to get an exemption.
 Mayor Meed Ward – not the lady you want to attempt to mislead. Mayor Meed Ward was close to scathing in her comments. She said she felt Amica should not use the co-op owners as hostages while the the corporation works to get an exemption.
Meed Ward also took issue with the way Amica made statements in the Planning Justification report they provided when they found them useful and then changed direction when they found that the comments no longer served their purpose.
It has been some time since Burlington has heard very direct and pointed comments about both a development and the people behind the development.
If there is ever a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of a retirement home on the site – don’t expect the current Mayor to be a participant.
Councillor Sharman pointed out that the development freeze is highlighting a serious problem for the city. There is a serious shortage of space for seniors to live in when they get into their late retirement years. Sharman said that “intensification is not the issue” – the lack of space for seniors accommodation is the issue for the city. It is coming at us and we are not prepared.
Council was meeting as a Standing Committee where they voted 6-1 to take a pass on any exemptions. The matter goes to a city council meeting at the end of the month.
By Staff
April 2, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is going to be packing her wardrobe, including those high heels, and hitting the road during the summer.
 Marianne Med Ward the evening she was sworn in as Mayor. She will be traveling in Canada and then around the world: Japan and then France. It is a solid schedule with a lot of work to do.
First trip is to the FCM conference – a critical event for the municipal sector.
May 30 – June 2: Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference (FCM)
The annual FCM conference is where Mayors from across the country “shape and vote on advocacy items for the federal government, which in the past has succeeded in federal commitments to significant municipal infrastructure funding.”
There are also professional development sessions and “study tours” , where Mayors get to see how things are done in the host city which this year will be Quebec City.
The cost to the city: Flights for Mayor and 2 staff members, Hotel rooms in Quebec. Meals and Taxis. Mayor’s expenses paid from a Regional government budget. Staff expenses from Mayor’s office budget account and are expected to amount to approximately $2500 total.
The next trip is one that is international in scope and something Burlingtonians have dozens of reasons to be proud of.
June 3-9: Juno Beach 75th Anniversary Event
The purpose of this trip is to honour Burlington’s D-Day veterans, Burlington’s connection to the Juno Beach Centre, which was the result of some very hard work by Burlington resident Garth Webb.
 June Beach Centre, Normandy France where thousands of Canadian Armed Forces came ashore to begin the assault that eventually won WW II There will be performances by the Burlington Teen Tour Band, our Mayor will meet the meet the Mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer and attend the commemorative event on June 6th with other VIPs and dignitaries.
 Sculpture at the Juno Beach Centre, Normandy France Costs: Economy flight for Mayor and 1 staff member, AirBnB shared accommodations, Car Rental and meals. The Mayor’s and staff member’s expenses paid for from Mayor’s office budget account. Flights $2450. Accommodations $1400. Car Rental/Gas $600. Meals per diem $1400. (Total: $5850)
July is a quiet month for the Mayor from a travel perspective. In August she travels to Ottawa for the annual AMO conference where some major issues have to be dealt with
August 18-21: Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference (AMO)
The annual conference of Ontario Mayors is a must event – particularly given the decisions that are expected out of Queen’s Park in the months ahead. The Provincial Review that could change the way Burlington is governed – we are currently a two tier government with the Region handling services that are region wide.
The AMO conference is where the Premier usually speaks and the Mayors get to meet one on one with provincial ministers and advocate on behalf of the City and Region.
Costs: Flights for Mayor and 2 staff members, Hotel rooms in Ottawa. Meals and Taxis. Mayor’s expenses paid are paid by the Region, staff expenses from Mayor’s office budget account. Staff member expenses estimated at approximately $2500 total.
October 15-20 – Itabashi Anniversary Trip to Japan
 The trees in Spencer Smith Park were a gift to Burlington from a resident of Itabashi, Japan. The purpose of this trip is to continue to strengthen our relationship with our twin city, Itabashi, and return the courtesy of the trip they made here in July of this year for the same reason. The Mayor will travel with other members of the Mundialization Committee and have support from a person travelling with the group from the Clerks department.
Details: Flight for Mayor (economy) to Japan, hotel, meals, taxis. Costing: Mayor’s expenses paid for from the Mundialization Budget/Reserve fund.
Total expected expense is estimated to be $3,151 per person for flights/accommodation/airport transfers.
These are dollars well spent. This Mayor will deliver strong message at the Canadian events and make us proud internationally.
By Staff
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It wasn’t THE event in the city today.
First couple of hours – a relatively short line up to purchase the legal cannabis.
What more is there to say?
 By Staff
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
With the Interim Control just a couple of weeks old there is word that a number of exemptions are being considered. The pressure on individual members of Council will now increase.
 Lisa Kearns will face a lot of presure to approve exemptions to the Interim Control bylaw that was passed recently. Lisa Kearns, ward 2 is reported to have told a ward meeting that the gas station on Lakeshore/Locust has been sold.
She is also reported to have told the audience that exemptions to the recently passed Interim Control bylaw are being sought.
Kearns outlined the exemptions that had been brought forward and her views on the merits of each.
Three developments that were inside the Urban Growth boundary. She explained that these developments were providing services to the residents.
 The developers appeared prepared to do anything Council wanted to get an approval. The Amica Development, the redevelopment of Maple Villas and the expansion of ROCK on James/Martha Street were the developments Kearns said were under consideration.
The justification for the Amica Development exemption from the Interim Control Bylaw was that it would serve a very small demographic of seniors. It would also serve the interests of Amica and provide some relief for the people in the co-op who sold their homes and are now in a no man’s land.
 Publicly supported long term care space will be replaced by private providers. The location is magnificent – it won’t be inexpensive. Maple Villas, that will become known as “Better Life Retirement Residence” was in desperate need of repairs, it is reported to be in terrible shape. It does however provide affordable/Provincial long-term care for seniors. The new building will be an 11 storey rental building, with no long-term affordable care.
The extension of ROCK on James/Martha has been on hold for years.
Exemptions are possible – but once that door is opened – expect a flood of requests. The pressure on Council members is something they are not prepared for.
One resident put it very when saying: “…the message it will send to developers – once again they can manipulate Burlington. This new council campaigned on reasonable, sensible growth. They finally take a bold step in trying to control unbridled growth – ICBL and now are considering backing down.”
 By Staff
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mother’s Day is taking on a different meaning at the Performing Arts Centre this year.
The first clue is the warning at the end of the media release: This performance contains mature language.
Girls Nite Out is an all funny, all female troupe consisting of some of Canada’s top stand-ups and comedy improvisers. After over ten years together, these comedic superstars are still making people laugh and on Mother’s Day they will be delighting BPAC audiences.
Individually they have won Canadian Comedy Awards, performed on Second City stages around the world, and been featured on TV (NBC, CBC, The Comedy Network) & radio (CBC). But trust us; you’re going to want to see them all together!
 Girls Nite Out stars Elvira Kurt, Jennine Profeta, Diana Frances, and Karen Parker. You will remember Elvira Kurt from our 2018/19 season launch, but she is also a Canadian Comedy Award and Cannes Film Festival award-winning stand-up comic and a The Second City veteran. Her credits include: Baroness Von Sketch Show, Iron Chef Canada, The Great Canadian Baking Show (Canadian Screen Award nominee), Master Chef Canada, The Debaters, Degrassi, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, Cook’d, Popcultured with Elvira Kurt, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Ellen DeGeneres’ HBO special, Just For Laughs, and, of course, Elvira’s unforgettable stint on both of CBC Radio’s hit show, ‘Q’ and, ‘q’.
Jennine Profeta is a performer, writer, corporate workshop facilitator and MC/host. She has performed with The Second City (National Touring Company, Theatricals) across Ontario and aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. As a writer, Jennine has penned scripts for television – Ollie The Boy Who Became What He Ate (CBC), Opie’s Home (TVO), Gemini and Genie Awards, and CBC Radio, and waxed poetic for Chatelaine, Today’s Parent and Best Health magazines.
Diana Frances is an award-winning improviser and comedy writer. Originally from Vancouver, she now calls Toronto home and is a writer on Corner Gas: The Animated Series (Comedy Network,) Still Standing (CBC), and The Beaverton (Comedy Network). Diana has been nominated for 8 Canadian Comedy Awards for ‘Best Female Improviser’ and has entertained our Canadian troops in Bosnia, Egypt, Israel and Afghanistan.
Karen Parker is a three-time Canadian Comedy Award winning/Dora nominated actor and an alumna of The Second City Toronto. Selected film and television credits include: Designated Survivor, People of Earth, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Hemlock Grove, Beauty & The Beast, The Firm, Saving Hope, Being Erica, The Jon Dore Show and Instant Star.
Comedic legend Norm Foster calls Girls Night Out “[f]unny, smart and energetic. This show was everything I like in my comedy.” This is a performance you don’t want your mom to miss! Make sure to get your Mother’s Day tickets now as seating is very limited. Show Sponsor Amanda Steene Cosmetics & Cocktails will be on site offering a selection of custom lipsticks for sale, so come early and really treat your mom!
Sunday, May 12, 2019, 7:30pm
Limited tickets remaining.
This performance contains mature language.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Community Studio Theatre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, ON, L7S 1T7
Tickets:
$49 Regular
$44 Member
Group pricing available
*All prices include tax and fees.
To Purchase Tickets:
Online: www.burlingtonpac.ca
Over the Phone: 905.681.6000
By Staff
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Meed Ward reports on her Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force, an initiative she announced at the State of the City address in January 30.
“The purpose was to use a series of events (town hall, focus groups, and task force sessions) along with other studies, surveys and anecdotal feedback to identify the challenges and obstacles facing growth and relocation of businesses in Burlington, and develop actionable solutions that can be presented to City Council for approval and implementation as soon as possible.”
 Just over 85 people took part in facilitated table sessions where they set out what they liked, didn’t like and how they felt the city could do better. There were few surprises. The event held last week was open to all business owners in Burlington, with postcard invitations mailed out in February to all those who are registered as local businesses with Canada Post, along with the event being promoted on both the Mayor’s and City’s website and social media.
Tickets were free although seating was limited in the venue chosen: The Waterfront Hotel. The turnout was a few seats shy of capacity, with approximately 85 attendees from various industries, business sizes, and backgrounds. It was a diverse crowd ranging from local lawyers and award-winning architects to creative bakery proprietors to entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space and beyond.
Along with co-chair, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, the first event launched into a 90 minute session that had city hall staff acting as table facilitators to guide attendees through a series of questions aimed at collecting stories, ideas, and insights to better identify what’s working and what’s not when it comes to doing business in Burlington.
Three questions were put to the participants:
What challenges or obstacles have you faced doing business in Burlington?
What are some of the successes you have had?
What are some ideas, solutions or suggestions that can be considered to remove the obstacles?
Meed Ward told the audience that she understands some things that are already working well for you many of you felt you have given the City feedback about your challenges in the past and are frustrated that it did not result in action or improvement. We hear you – and we are committed to doing better. That’s the whole purpose of this initiative.
The Mayor provided a summary of the common themes and feedback heard.
What challenges or obstacles have you faced doing business in Burlington?
We definitely saw some common themes here, and I’d like to mention that although we had some developers in the room today, we parked the recent Interim Control Bylaw that pauses development in the downtown area and near the Burlington Go station for a future focus group to better explore that with a targeted audience.
• Construction during high season impacts my business
• Being part of a BIA for easier cross-promotion would be helpful
• Transit limitations
• Challenges with other agencies (ex: Conservation Halton)
• Dump Site/Transfer Station
• Lack of affordable housing to help attract staff
• Downtown traffic during the rush hour / traffic volume / traffic signals and timing
• Bylaws: responses to changes take a long time and are hard to plan
• Not enough parking – especially in December – deliveries are also hard
• Cost of parking passes, pass renewals/tickets (especially downtown for staff of businesses)
• Lack of incentives for sustainable business practices
• BIA events – not great return for services businesses
• Bylaws don’t feel like they are “common sense”
• Lack of vision
• Outdated Official Plan – not reflective of market
• Too many approval agencies
• Sign bylaw – permitting too complex / unclear and costly for businesses – inconsistent too
• Development approvals process is too long – shorter in other municipalities
• Connection to businesses from Go stations aren’t timely enough to get people to work
• Talent attraction
• Lack of community spaces / public spaces
• High fees combined with lower levels of service
• Snow removal and how it impacts accessibility
• City staff interference with consultants
• Spent too much time looking for office space / lack of affordable or big enough office space
• Need better staff knowledge
• Lack of street visibility – need better tree clean-up, trimming
• Railroad noise at night / Road noise / Go Train noise
• Lack of amenities in Aldershot
• Neighborhood redevelopment and reno rule enforcement
• Tax audits
• Locations available for expansion are not suitable – don’t know where new development lands are
• Challenge to get word out about new businesses
• Land conveyance for site plan approval
• Newcomers – not knowing where to start and how to find information
• Need more collaboration with other businesses and networking events
• Erosion of property rights
• One window for development applicants
• Small home development processes very flawed / mess
• Inconsistent application of zoning bylaws by staff
• Conservation authority should not be able to expand their restricted areas w/o notice
• Special interest directing City Hall / Cronyism
• Sign permit request denied with no explanation
• Development Charges
What are some of the successes you have had?
Attendees told us they were happy with some of the following initiatives, practices and processes that either directly or indirectly helped their business launch, grow or thrive:
• Shuttles from the Go station to busy public events
• New Private Tree Bylaw
• Access permits are timely
• Ability to use public spaces
• City staff being accessible and responsive and engaged with us
• Community spirit
• Openness to change
• Events like this – reaching out to businesses – proactive and forward-thinking
• Clean, safe
• Permitting
• Transit
• Quality of employable people
• Capital $ / Taxes
• Demographics of clientele and its growth
• Connecting with the right people / networking / dealing with other local businesses
• Messages around healthy living
• Public events like Ribfest and Sound of Music and festivals bring business/attention
• Social events are very well organized and engaging
• High amount of people downtown = consumers!
• Longevity and brand recognition downtown
• Intensification downtown brings new customers although issues with parking
• Partnership with City re: “clean up green up”
• Great location for growth – 40min to US, 40 min to Toronto
• TechPlace and Burlington Day at Mohawk and International Student Job Crawl
• Support from BurlingtonGreen
• Councillor support
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce Awards
• Smooth site plan approval process
• Change in leadership – new Mayor
• New license application – fast to process
• There is positive potential here
• The City listens
• Citizen committees that help bring different perspectives of residents to City
• Flexible parking on weekends and holidays
• BIA support
• Good use of social media from Mayor’s office
• Good communication
• Diverse technology culture in Burlington – great for high-tech industry and hub – TechPlace
• Understanding property values vs rent/lease
• Love that our Mayor is looking to improve
• Still affordable (although worried about future rent)
• No problem finding tenants downtown
• Revitalization of Village Square
 What are some ideas, solutions or suggestions that can be considered to remove the obstacles?
• More frequent transit/Improve transit (intensification will help) + regional connections
• Fire/Ambulance/Police in one building downtown
• Incentives to complete construction on time to minimize disruption to services
• Less steps for approvals / improve flow / speed
• Shuttle buses from core to core and from North Burlington to downtown events
• Help With / Facilitate meetings with other agencies to help with development approvals
• Dedicate a brush site for landscape maintenance companies
• Bus from Go station to downtown when it arrives (timing better)
• Incentives for affordable housing
• Lights timing (to help traffic flow) and more parking
• Need marina at Spencer Smith & more waterfront features/restaurants/shops
• Be open to change – think of solutions to get to “yes” before saying no
• Stop comparing Burlington to Oakville
• More public engagement with all points of view – surveys, etc.
• On-site visits by City staff
• Improve messaging that we’re open for business
• Clarify if taxes will go up if we don’t have significant intensification & what are benefits of development
• Spread events around the whole town
• More interdepartmental cooperation & get all staff on the same page
• Deal with panhandlers
• Provide a directory of consultants to help (ex: in the planning department)
• Concierge for businesses based on size of business and type
• Talent attraction strategies for graduates
• Better distribution of amenities including groceries and hardware esp. around aging pop’s (ex: Aldershot) – perhaps incentives for that
• Maintain employment lands
• Control high-rise development
• Weekend/Friday afternoon permit advice from different departments on application process
• Provide estimation on time needed for processes incl. permits, site plan, zoning, etc.
• Stronger partnership with City, School Boards, other community sports clubs
• One-stop shop for parents looking for a place their kids can play sports
• Grants / incentives
• Online marketplace
• Live weekly streaming show for businesses
• Getting to know our Mayor better
• Online building permits
• Dress code for staff
• Improve website search engine
• Need a mediator to move issues forward
• Mayor should go through building and application process anonymously to audit it & see problems
• More diversity and inclusion in city staff
• More BIAs
• Better snow removal
• Preconsultation meetings
• Expand rezoning for downtown and flexible zoning for senior living
• Business permits for home businesses – they should pay some fees that other businesses pay
• Hire private sector people at City Hall
• Tax holiday for new businesses
There was a lot of feedback – and a number of inconsistencies as well.
Meed Ward set out the next step: a series of focus groups to delve more deeply into some of the key segments and stakeholders in our City. We will be inviting smaller groups of individuals to facilitate more intimate conversations about issues specific to these industries and organizations.
Focus Groups (all taking place at TechPlace in Burlington):
A. Small Businesses – April 8th from 2-3:30pm
B. City Staff and Partner Organizations/BIAs – April 9th from 3-4:30pm
C. Large Businesses / Manufacturers – April 29th from 2:30-4pm
D. Developers and Real Estate Industry – May 1st from 2-3:30pm
After the focus groups have completed their work, the Mayor reported that: “we will take that feedback, along with that from our Town Hall, and review it with our smaller Task Force of local business leaders, myself, and Councillor Galbraith to identify actionable recommendations to bring to Council this June.”
Was it a useful exercise? Certainly was. Was there a good reason for keeping media out of the room – none that we could see.
By Staff
April 1st, 2019
Burlington, ON
 With information coming at you faster than a mile a second – it is a challenge to keep up – and an even bigger challenge to get the attention you want.
 There are all kinds of graphics tools that can help you make a point. Strong graphic presentations are part of that “a picture is worth a thousand words” phrase. The trick is to know just what kind of graphic to use.
Community Development Halton is running a class on Letting Data Tell Your Story.
In this workshop you will:
• Understand the changing demographics of Halton based on Our Halton 2018 series
• Discuss where to find specific data, how and when to use data
• Learn how to start building a data culture in your organization
• Discover what data to collect and the application of it.
TED HILDEBRANDT, Director of Social Planning at Community Development Halton, oversees the acquisition and analysis of data, including the publications of Halton Social Profiles, Community Lens, and the Our Halton 2018 series. Ted also works with other nonprofit organizations addressing their specific issues such as diversity, poverty, and housing affordability. Ted will be the class presenter.
 Registration at cdhalton.ca/events ; Limited space available.
$50 CDH Members; $60 Non-members
Contact: office@cdhalton.ca or 1-855-395-8807
 By Ray Rivers
April 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
 Former Clerk of the Privy Council – Michael Wernick chose to resign. Former Justice Minister and Attorney General (AG) Jody Wilson-Raybould (JWR) has given us her last word on the SNC matter. Along with a final memo, she has forwarded a secretly recorded telephone conversation with the Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, whom she accuses of pressuring her.
In addition, she offered relevant emails and text messages for the Justice Committee, regardless that they had already concluded their deliberations on this matter. The text message, from her former chief of staff notes that former PM Brian Mulroney had once strong armed his then AG, Kim Campbell, to intervene in a legal case.
Rather than just complain about ‘being pressured’ Campbell did intervene, then went on to become PM herself. That choice might have been instructive for JWR had she been considering running for the PM’s job, as some have suggested. Except that Trudeau had never directed her to intervene.
 Jodi Wilson Raybould – consistent and persistent – is there an end game? Experts will debate the ethics of the former AG secretly recording a conversation with her client (link is below). But the good news, at least for Mr. Wernick, is that there was not even a veiled threat in that conversation. There was an exchange of views and JWR can be heard warning Wernick, but neither party even raised their voices and they both concluded amicably.
One wonders why JWR returned the call in the first place, given that she had been anticipating what Wernick wanted to say. And why did she talk for 17 minutes rather than just hang up at the very mention of SNC? There was nothing he could have said that was going to change her mind.
There has been speculation about whether the AG herself had been the source of the leak to original Globe and Mail article on this issue. JWR has now clarified that it wasn’t her. So who did leak the story? And was it the same person who then followed up, just this past week, with the story about the PM and his AG wrangling over the choice of chief justice for the Supreme Court.
 There was so much hope and promise. Now that JWR has indicated there is nothing more to say, one wonders what else Jane Philpott has to add. It was only a few days ago that she explained to Maclean’s Magazine that “there’s much more to the story that needs to be told”. And so the question is why she isn’t telling it. Constitutional experts and even the PM have said that she could do so under parliamentary privilege.
When the Globe released this story the PM and his staff seemed to be dumb-struck, caught off guard. It was as if the paper had not bothered to contact them to authenticate the facts in its rush to release a juicy story. And if the goal was to stir the pot, the article certainly did that.
On the up side, Canadians are now thoroughly versed in the Shawcross principle, and have a healthy appreciation of Quebec based icon SNC Lavalin and its corrupt past.
 The expression says sit all. But this exercise has not been consequence-free. Two Cabinet ministers have resigned, one Liberal MP has left the caucus, The PM has lost his principal secretary and Clerk of the Privy Council (essentially his deputy minister). The Liberal’s popularity has plummeted and attention to other matters, like the budget, have taken a backseat.
Internationally, Canada’s reputation has been tarnished, with the OECD even issuing a statement of concern. And two very significant ongoing court cases, Mark Norman and Huawei, may have been made more complicated over what is essentially a tempest in a tea pot.
Even the opposition parties have suffered. Andrew Scheer has performed poorly, foolishly demanding the PM’s resignation and brashly inviting the RCMP to investigate. His child-like antics in the House of Commons should have made responsible Tories wish they’d elected the more competent Lisa Raitt as their leader.
Of course the indigenous community has lost a champion or two at the Cabinet table. And if that sets back reconciliation, then we all have lost. JWR or Philpott are unlikely to be able to represent their preferred Liberal party in the upcoming election, – bitterness on all sides will remain.
SNC might get their DPA (deferred prosecution agreement) anyway, or the charges might just get thrown out by a judge, as has happened before with SNC. Judges dislike cases like this one which has taken so long for the public prosecutor and RCMP to get their act together.
And in any case, the decision to grant a DPA can be made any time before a final verdict is declared. So we might see a DPA offered by the next Liberal or Conservative government, or even the one after that.
 The Gadafi yacht – Reported to have cost $160 million – paid for by SNC Lavalin The crimes being prosecuted go back almost two decades. The charges are four years old and the likely court proceedings could easily take another four years. This is the first such case being prosecuted in Canada’s history, but that hardly excuses the delays. And SNC was not the only company paying bribes to the Gaddafi clan, so should we expect more?
The USA is primarily responsible for the OECD focusing on international corruption, in part to ensure that US companies get a competitive chance at international projects. And US companies have not been slouches when it comes to bribery. So the US has led, and even the UK, France and Australia are way ahead of Canada in setting tough compliance regimes against domestic companies bribing to get foreign business.
But all of these countries rely on a DPA instrument to punish almost 80% of their corporate bribery perpetrators. In fact an estimated 96% of US prosecutions end up there. The reality is that SNC Lavalin would have a better fighting chance of being appropriately punished for its past misbehaviour were it located in the USA. And given the mess we’re in now that may very well be where it ends up. And that will be the last word on that.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
Background links:
Kim Campbell Pressured – JWR Voice Recording – About Recording –
No Heroes – Why Not DPA – Philpott’s More to the Story –
Speaking Out – Trudeau Never Briefed – Shawcross –
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I went to one session and felt it was the same old public meeting. Handed a number of dots to put on various maps. Little interaction. No vision or sense of urgency. No mention of a Master Transit Plan – due Sept. What was the point again?