 By Staff
August 7th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was clearly a difference of opinion that got out of hand.
 Eight people on the street outside the Solid Gold nightclub located at 53 Plains Road East in Burlington got into a fight that had the police responding at approximately 12:30am on Sunday August 6th 2017 ,
During the fight, one of the suspects used a small pocket knife to stab two other people involved in the fight. Those people have been treated at hospital for minor injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.
Detectives have since identified each of the persons involved in the incident and are continuing conduct interviews and investigation into this matter.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the altercation or may have any information concerning this incident to contact Detective Joe Barr of the #3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau, at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2385. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
August 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Two London Majors’ players hammered in 10 of the teams runs in a 14-4 win in Game 2 of their best-of-seven quarter-final Thursday night in Burlington. London leads the series 2-0.
Carlos Arteaga and Cleveland Brownlee were more than the Burlington Herd could handle.
Reese O’Farrell had two hits and two RBI for the Herd. Matt Schmidt drove in a run, while John Whaley and Ryan Freemantle each scored twice.
 Rich Corrente (0-1) took the loss, giving up 11 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three.
The Herd however found some footing and took the third of the seven game quarter final series and beat the Majors in a 9-5 win.
London now leads the quarter-final 2-1.
Future games
Sunday, Aug. 6
London at Burlington, 5:30 p.m.
 By Staff
August 4, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Ray is taking what he feels is a much needed and well earned break to re-fresh and get some work done on his next book which has the working title of The Draft Dodger.
He has found a publisher interested in this most recent book.
He will return to these pages immediately after Labour Day.
 Ray Rivers, shamelessly flogs his book every opportunity he gets. Rivers published The End of September in 2012.
By Staff
August 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Late in July at very close to 2:30 AM on a Friday police received a call from a citizen who observed two males break into a neighbour’s car in the area of Millcroft Park Drive and Sarazen Dr. in Burlington.
Police arrived and observed two males matching the suspect’s descriptions leaving the area in the back of a taxi.
The taxi was stopped and the two males were arrested and found to have a quantity of stolen property that had been taken from numerous vehicles in the Millcroft, Headon Forest and Alton Village Communities of North Burlington.
Police also located a set of keys that were linked to a Dodge Ram that had been stolen from Deer Run Avenue and later located on Minvera Way in Alton Village (Burlington).
Kameron ARSENAULT (18-yrs) of Burlington and a 17 year-old male youth who cannot be named because of his age were held for bail charged with the following offences:
• Theft Under $5000
• Possession of property obtained by crime (6 counts)
• Possession of break-in instruments
• Break and enter
• Theft of motor vehicle
• The 17-year-old male faces additional charges of breaching recognizance and fail to comply with disposition.
Anyone who may have information pertaining to theft from autos are asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316, Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS, through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:
• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• Consider installing CCTV / Surveillance cameras which can capture the crime and aid in suspect identification
Help police catch those responsible by keeping an eye out in your communities and immediately reporting any suspicious activity
 By Staff
August 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Statistics Canada released more of the census data it collected during 2016.
We get a tighter look at data about families, revealing changes in marriage rates, how much longer Canadians are waiting to start families, and how many families live under different roofs — be it because one parent is working in another part of the country, or because they are older parents choosing to live apart.
The statistics show the varying and ever complex definition of family in Canada, which — like language — seems certain to prompt governments and service providers to rethink their policies and offerings to meet demographic dynamics.
Some graphics on what has been learned so far from the data. Interesting.
 This suggests they might never move out.
 The older folk seemed to have figured it out – staying together probably means live live longer as well.
 Quebec has always been different – but tat much different is surprising.
 Nationally – this is what we look like. Which do you fit into – and do your neighbours also fit into the sector you are in ?
 By Staff
August 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Every artistic director wishes for words like these:
KooGle Theatre Company is very excited to announce that they are presenting a Youth Musical Theatre Summer Intensive for youth ages 8-18 – culminating in a production of ANNIE Jr.
 All actors have auditioned for a role in this production.
Tickets are on sale now! Only $10 each!
Saturday August 19, 2017 1:30pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday August 19, 2017 6:30pm – SOLD OUT
Sunday August 20, 2017 1:30pm – TICKETS AVAILABLE
Performances at
DRURY LANE THEATRE
2269 New St., Burlington
For tickets, please email us at
info@koogletheatre.com
or
call 905-633-8788
Excited they should be. Leslie and Christopher Gray, Co-Artistic Directors at KooGle Theatre work very hard at getting productions to the stage and then hoping that the audience reaction is good and that tickets are bought based on the reaction to the show.
When they brought the Putnam County Spelling Bee to Burlington a few years ago and put it on a stage at the Performing Arts centre the response was good. There were a couple of SOLD out nights, but nothing like this.
Weeks before the curtain goes up for the first time there is just the one performance left for which tickets are available.
Extending this show would make real sense.
Has something like this happened in Burlington before?
 By Staff
August 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The London Majors took the first of seven games in the IBL quarter finals.
 The Majors had an RBI single in the first inning and that was all they needed to make it a 1-0 win over the Burlington Herd in Game 1 of their best-of-seven quarter-final Wednesday night at Labatt Park.
It was a pitching duel – with both teams’ starting pitchers – Christian Hauck for the Herd and Luis Sanchez for London – were tough, as both gave stellar performances only allowing a combined eight runs in two complete games.
What was really exciting as the game played between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Brantford Red Sox.
The Leafs scored nine straight runs to stun the Red Sox with a 12-11 win Wednesday night at Christie Pits in Game 1 of their best-of-seven quarter-final.
The Red Sox pitcher must have gone home wondering what had happened to him
At one point the Leafs were behind 11-3 before scoring five in the seventh inning and taking its first lead with four runs in the eighth.
Future games
Thursday, Aug. 3
London at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 4
Burlington at London, 7:35 p.m.
Playoffs
SERIES “B” – LONDON (3) vs. BURLINGTON (6)
London leads series 1-0
Game 1: London 1, Burlington 0
Game 2: Thursday, Aug. 3, at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, Aug. 4, at London, 7:35 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, Aug. 6, at Burlington, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday, Aug. 8, at London, 7:05 p.m.
Game 6: Thursday, Aug. 10 at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 7: Friday, Aug. 11, at London, 7:35 p.m.
By Staff
August 2nd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington has released their program for the fall.
Family Saturday Sessions
 Children Ages 8 to 14: $5
Adult Member: $7.50 | Adult Non-Member: $10
Family of 4 (Member): $20 | Family of 4 (Non-Member): $25
Saturdays | 1:00 – 3:00pm
There will be sessions on:
Sept 23: Rug Hooking
with Lisa Meecham – Register Now
Oct 14: Printmaking
with Kevin Willson – Register Now
 Oct 28: Metal Embossing
with Heather Kuzyk – Register Now
Nov 4: Darkroom Photograms
with Deborah Kanfer – Register Now
Nov 18: Clay Masks
with Dawn Hackett-Burns – Register Now
Dec 9: Embroidered Felt Buttons
with Samantha Goeree – Register Now
Kids Classes
 Junior Guild – Mini Makers (8 classes)
Age: 4-12 years Member: $175 | Non-Member: $200
Saturdays | 10:00am – 12:00pm | Sept. 23 – Nov. 18
Creative Playdates (10 classes)
Ages: 2-5 years + grown-ups
Member: $100 | Non-Member: $125
Fridays | 10:00 – 11:00am | Sept. 8 – Nov. 17
Home School Art Immersion (12 classes)
Age: 6-10 years
Member: $200 | Non-Member: $225
Mondays | 9:30am – 11:30am | Sept. 11 – Dec. 4
Teen Classes
Teen Potters (8 classes)
Age: 13+
Member: $175 | Non-Member: $200
Saturdays | 10:00am – 12:00pm | Sept. 23 – Nov. 18
Artist and Curator: Parade Float (9 classes)
Ages: 14+
Member and Non-Members: $25
Saturdays | 1:00-3:00pm | Sept. 23 – Nov.18 and Sunday, Dec. 3
 P.A. Days
Member: $30 | Non-Member: $40
Monday, September 25 & Friday, October 6
NEW – Open Studio Drop-in
Community Drop-in Studio
Fine Arts (13 weeks)
For Adults 16+ who need a studio space to work in – drop by and work on your own independent projects. The onsite facilitator will show you how to use the equipment.
Member and Non-Member: $10 for 4 hours or 10 visits for $90
Students (Valid Student ID): 10 visits for $75
Tuesdays | 1:00 – 9:00pm | Sept. 5 – Nov. 28
Pottery (13 weeks)
For Adults 16+ who need a studio space to work in – drop by and work on your own independent projects. The onsite facilitator will show you how to use the equipment.
Member and Non-Member: $10 for 4 hours or 10 visits for $90
Students (Valid Student ID): 10 visits for $75
Wednesdays | 7:00-10:00pm | Sept. 6 – Nov. 29
Adult Classes
Beginning in September
 Clay Date (1 class)
Pottery by Hand (6 classes)
The Foundation of Painting (10 classes)
Painting the Canadian Landscape (10 classes)
The Foundation of Drawing (10 classes)
Pottery Your Way (10 classes)
Beginners Throwing Workshop (9 classes)
Intro to Stained Glass (1 class)
Sip & Paint Social (1 class)
For a full description of each Adult Class including date, time, cost and instructor please see the course outline on our website.
Beginning in October
 Weaving Basics and Beyond (10 classes)
Intro to Stained Glass (1 class)
Stained Glass Panel Original Design and Fabrication (6 classes)
Clay Date (1 class)
Hooked on the Maple Leaf (4 classes)
Encaustic Painting Techniques: The Whole Ball of Wax (2 classes)
Basic Watercolour (8 classes)
For a full description of each Adult Class including date, time, cost and instructor please see the course outline on our website .
Beginning in November
 Pottery Decorating Techniques (6 classes)
Sip & Paint Social (1 class)
Enamel Buttons are Back (4 classes)
Handmade Statement Ring (4 classes)
Clay Date (1 class)
For a full description of each Adult Class including date, time, cost and instructor please see the course outline on our website.
The Art Gallery of Burlington is funded by an annual grant from the city of Burlington, fees charged for events and additional financial support it gets from the provincial government, provincial agencies and private sector sponsors.
By Staff
August 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The CIBC bank on Fairview was robbed this morning when two men jumped on the counter inside the bank and threatened to shoot employees unless they were given cash.
It was approximately 11:20 AM.
 The robbers were given an undisclosed amount of money and ran from the bank to a waiting vehicle described as a black sedan being operated by a third suspect.
The vehicle was last seen traveling northbound on Appleby Line. No weapons were observed and no persons were injured.
The suspect descriptions are as follows:
Suspect #1 – Male, black, approximately 5’9″ tall, slim build wearing dark track pants, dark jacket with white shoulders and a dark hood with a scarf covering his face, white running shoes and white gloves/
Suspect #2 – Male black, approximately 5’11” tall, slim build, dark track pants, grey hoody with a bandana covering his face, white gloves and white running shoes, carrying a black gym bag.
Suspect #3 – wearing a hoody.
Anyone with information are encouraged to contact Detective Constable Jack Olewniczak – Three District Criminal Investigations Bureau, at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2364. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
August 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The KaBOOM! Aldershot community planning committee are looking for gardening and construction tools to help build a new playground at Bolus Gardens Parkette on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017.
A few volunteers are also needed to join Foresters FinancialTM, and non-profit KaBOOM! to create the new play space, which will serve more than 1,200 children and their families in the local community.
The design for the new playground is based on drawings created by neighborhood children at a special Design Day event that was held in June when community members met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial to design their dream playground. The drawings inspired the final playground design.
 Designed by the kids – assembled by the community – they need to borrow some tools to get the job done. Volunteers are asked to bring tools and community residents and businesses are encouraged to loan or donate items such as garden hoes, wheel barrows, various drills, hammers and saws. Please see the complete list at www.burlington.ca/bolus or contact Kim Napier at 905-335-7600, ext. 7900. or kim.napier@burlington.ca.
Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to register at https://www.tfaforms.com/4618494. There are limited spots for this opportunity.
Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to ensuring that all kids get the balance and active play they need to thrive.
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy lives and communities.
Foresters Financial is a KaBOOM! Founding Partner and National Partner.
Bolus Parkette is on Francis Road south of Plains Road East.
Related article:
Parkette adjacent to proposed community re-development.
By Pepper Parr
August 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
With the selection decision made Ken Hall now has to move into production mode and begin the process of creating large aluminum based ribbons that will be painted a bright red metallic paint that will go up on three of the city’s sports and recreation locations: Mainway Arena, Brant Hills and the Nelson Recreation centre.
During the selection process the public didn’t get to see much of work Ken Hall had done elsewhere. Shown were conceptual drawings that were a hint at what was being suggested.
 Rendering of the aluminum ribbon Ken Hall has been commissioned to install on the Brant Hills recreation centre, Similar ribbons will be placed on two other recreation locations. Once the public had been given an opportunity to voice their views on a selection of artists who made the short list, the task of refining the concept, ironing out some of the wrinkles and getting a production schedule in place became the focus.
One shift was that none of the art was going to be on the ground. All the ribbons will be attached to the building. There was a concern that something on the ground could be mutilated by vandals. They will not be illuminated which is unfortunate – they would look rather stunning in the evenings if they were lit up. Not enough money in the budget for that feature.
Hall has done public art for Cambridge and Georgetown, Ontario and has an interesting piece of work being created for Waterloo.
The work he is best known for is his Legacy, a piece of sculpture that was named Hope by children who lived in the community where the whale the sculpture is based on was washed ashore.
In 2002, the body of a female killer whale was found stranded on the North Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Just offshore, a healthy young male hovered close by, refusing gentle attempts to guide him into deeper water.
Although the orphaned male orca was saved, it was soon learned that the female’s body carried one of the most toxic loads of chemicals ever recorded in a marine mammal. She had the highest levels of PCBs and DDT ever found in an orca.
“Hope’s story” explained Hall “inspired me to create an installation that would illustrate the fragility of our ecosystems, and highlight the cost of ignoring our impact on our environment.”
 Ken Hall’s Legacy currently on display at the Ontario Science Centre. Legacy, the name given to the piece of work, is a life-sized, anatomically correct orca skeleton that has been hand-carved from recycled cedar, meticulously following scans of Hope’s skeleton taken during her necropsy.
The cedar was donated to Hall by the people of the Pine River Valley around the Orangeville part of the province where he lives and created the sculpture that is currently on display at the Ontario Science centre. More than three million people have viewed this piece of work.
The art work was built so that it could be taken apart and shipped to the different locations.
Dr. Peter Ross, Director of Ocean Pollution Research Program, Vancouver Aquarium said “Ken’s spectacular reclaimed cedar killer whale skeleton provides a poignant opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to share critically important stories about ocean conservation.
“Highlighting the plight of one of the most iconic creatures on the planet, this evocative piece of art has the potential to connect people to their environment.”
Hall studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, did a couple of years’ studies and co-op work placements but didn’t earn a degree. He switched to Fine Arts before graduating.
His mechanical engineering studies ave him the background that he now uses for his installation art.
The original assembly work was done at the Dufferin County Museum where the staff were not completely sure what it was that Ken Hall wanted to say with the sculpture.
 Each of the 46 vertebrae were crafted by Ken Hall -(shown) from re-cycled cedar. Once 11 of the 46 vertebrae were carved, Hall realized just how big of a project this would be—it took him six months of full-time fabrication to make all the pieces (there are over 200 bones that make up the sculpture).
The sculpture was completed and put on display at the Dufferin County Museum & Archives in Ontario. Sometimes accompanied by projection lights that provide a water-like effect and orca vocalizations playing in the background, the finished piece gives visitors a feeling of being underwater.
That feeling is what Hall wanted to provide people walking through the exhibit—one that highlights our connections as humans to the Earth and our ecosystems, like Hope and her community in the Pacific.
Which brings us back to the Ken Hall aluminium ribbons that will adorn three sports/recreational structures in the city.
The installation artist brings a rich history to the task. Something to keep in mind when you look at those ribbons when they go up later this year.
By Pepper Parr
August 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone has heard of Crime Stoppers.
It is an international organization and one of the bigger tools available to the police.
It is an organization that gets information on criminal activity and makes it available to the police without telling the police where the information came from. Its strength is the anonymity that applies to all the information it gets.
Except for an administrative person who handles the telephone and takes care of the paper work Crime Stoppers is a totally volunteer run operation.
 Halton Crime Stoppers chair Cal Millar with HRPS liaison officer Detective Jodi Richmond at the most successful shredding event ever held in Burlington, Almost every community of any size has Crime Stoppers organization. In Halton Cal Millar, a retired journalist, is the current chair and is supported by a three member executive along with seven directors.
Jan Westcott is the vice-chair, Roger Alfaro, treasurer and Doug Maybee the past chair
Directors are: David Woodm, Ron van der Steen, Wally Trapler, Jane Miller, Rod Piukkala, Bob Maich and Corey Evans.
The Halton Regional Police assign an officer to act as liaison with Crime Stoppers. That liaison person is Detective Constable Jodi Richmond who recently attended a number of conferences and training sessions where she met with people doing the same job in different jurisdictions.
In Halton Region the TIPS go to a secure telephone line that prevents the Crime Stoppers staff from knowing who is calling or what number the call is coming from. All they get is the area code and the first three digits of the number a call is coming from.
 Detective Constable Jodi Richmond, police liaison. with Halton Crime Stoppers The Crime Stoppers staff person takes the call and notes the information which she gives to the police liaison officer, Jodi Richmond. A caller is never asked to identify themselves.
Depending on the type of criminal event that is being reported Richmond puts in a call to the relevant division of the HRPS and they take the matter from there. All the police have is information about what a caller thinks is a criminal event.
It could be something to do with a driver behaving erratically behind the wheel of a car or the witnessing of an assault or witnessing a theft taking place.
Richmond knows all there is to know about every department within the police service and can be in instant contact with the appropriate people.
During her training Richmond learned that in the United States the Crime Stoppers operation is driven by the rewards. More than 90% of the calls the Americans get is from people who want and expect to receive the reward that is available. In Canada Richmond said, less than 5% of the reward money is claimed.
In Canadian jurisdictions the information received goes directly to the appropriate police department. Richmond said that in many American communities the Crime Stoppers operation gets involved in some of the early investigation work.
In Canada Crime Stoppers depends on local media to get their message out. The Gazette worked with Crime Stoppers on getting the message out to the public about their annual sensitive document shredding event.
 The star of every shredding event is a truck that shreds documents on location. It was filled to capacity at the June shredding event in Burlington. The June event raised more in the way of way of donations than any previous shredding event and shredded more paper than they have ever done in the past.
Richmond told of the way several American Crime Stoppers organizations are working more tightly with the police on getting information and warnings out to the public.
Some jurisdictions have electronic kiosks strategically place in communities where information is sent to the kiosk electronically and can be updated in minutes.
 American law enforcement agencies work with Crime Stoppers and have electronic kiosks that are fed information via the internet alerting the public of people who are wanted by the police. Thus, explained Richmond let the police get information on very fluid situations out to the public immediately. It is a little like the Amber Alert used to alert the public when a child has gone missing.
The kiosks have a lot more information and the ability to use photographs. Some American jurisdictions talk of having kiosks at every supermarket.
Cal Millar, chair of Halton Crime Stoppers said he looks forward to raising the profile of the organization and to continue to work with the public to play a role in the apprehension of criminals and at the same time to work with strategic partners to be part of the process of educating the public on the increasing sophistication of the criminal element.
The size of the financial losses people suffer because of Identity Theft and internet based scams where the police struggle to keep up with the latest wrinkle is daunting.
Apprehension is a large part of the work the police do – Crime Stoppers will continue to be involved in helping the police catch criminals – what they would like to do as well is educate the public about just what it is the criminals are doing and prevent some of the crimes that in some cases clean people out financially.
The Gazette will follow up the article with how people get involved with the organization as volunteers.
By Staff
August 1. 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The beginning of the end of the playoff season for the Burlington Herd starts on Wednesday when the team takes to the ball diamond and plays against the London Majors, a team they were not able to beat during the regular season.
This could be a very short play-off season for the Herd.
The schedule is as follows:
SERIES “B” – LONDON (3) vs. BURLINGTON (6)
Game 1: Wednesday, Aug. 2, at London, 7:05 p.m.
Game 2: Thursday, Aug. 3, at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, Aug. 4, at London, 7:35 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, Aug. 6, at Burlington, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday, Aug. 8, at London, 7:05 p.m.
Game 6: Thursday, Aug. 10 at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 7: Friday, Aug. 11, at London, 7:35 p.m.
 By Pepper Parr
July 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The CNE has been running their Rising Star Talent Competition program since 1987.
Each year young boys and girls from across the province enter the competition that runs for xx days at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The talent competition showcases young artists between the ages of 6 to 21
Contestants are judged on their natural ability, audience appeal, stage presence and the quality of their performance
Erica Pickering, a 12 year old grade 7 student at Sacred Heart where she says her best subjects are English and languages is a Rising Star contestant.
Erica puts in 25 hours a week on training but doesn’t talk in terms of a dance career for herself. She likes the look of interior design and decorating but is typical for a girl hr age – she is “considering her options”
 Erica Pickering, a contestant in the CNE Rising Star competition. Erica sings and dances and does some acting; commercial work is something she thinks she might like to do. She sees herself as a “triple threat”
Erica has this pixie look to her. The photographs of her as a performer are not the girl that you talk to in the back yard of her home.
The Erica on a stage has a very polished professional look to her.
In an interview she is confident; doesn’t look to her Mother for the answers to questions and doesn’t hesitate to tell you what she thinks – and does so very politely.
“Dancing is hard work” she will tell you but she must be doing something right: she was one of the top five in the Atlantic City event.
Now it is on to the CNE competition which is an event you must apply to for consideration.
There are usually more than 100 participants in the numerous categories.
The event is described as a “nice show” one that doesn’t have the meanness that is often seen on the events that have a reality aspect to them.
That is so Canadian: decent, polite, clean and fun – which pretty well sums up Erica Pickering.
The Gazette will follow her performances.
The Rising Star schedule is:
Junior Preliminaries: Friday August 18 – Monday August 21
Junior Semi-Finals: Monday August 28 & Tuesday August 29
Junior Finals: Saturday September 2
Youth Preliminaries: Tuesday August 22 – Sunday August 27
Youth Semi-Finals: Wednesday August 30 – Friday September 1
Youth Finals: Sunday September 3
The Grand Champion of the junior competition will receive $1,000. The Grand Champion of the youth competition will receive $2,500.
Youth division is 13 – 21 years of age ; the Junior division is 6 – 12 years old
By Staff
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The 2017 regular season for the InterCounty Baseball League (IBL) comes to a close later this week with the playoff series to follow.
At this point the teams to watch are the Barrie Baycats who have gone 33-2 and the Toronto Maple Leafs who are the only team to beat the Baycats – they did that twice.
The Burlington Herd will be playing the London Majors in the quarter finals – the Herd was unable to beat the London Majors during the regular season, which suggests the Majors will move on to play the Toronto Maple Leafs who should take that series and go on to play either Kitchener or Hamilton – Kitchener is favoured to win that series – which gets the league to a final series between the Barrie Baycats and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs will go into that series as the under dogs – expect to see some really good competitive baseball. Worth driving to Toronto to take in a game.
For the die hard Leaf fans they could look upon the baseball games as the whetting of their appetites for the coming hockey season.
The men who swing the bats do not get paid.
Did you know that the men who play for the Inter-County Baseball League (IBL) do not get paid?
IBL compensation rules, 2017 season state that: Payment for playing in the IBL is not allowed. Additionally, compensation is not allowed as an incentive.
The IBL rate for mileage for 2017 season will be a maximum of 0.40 per kilometre. Maximum flat rates for players for the 2017 season is $35.
Non-Canadians, who are unable to legally work, but staying “in town” for the season, may be subsidized for housing and food. The amount for food is not to be greater than $50 per diem and the amount for housing is to be the real cost incurred by the player or the team.
Players cannot accept cash, significant gifts or discounts or any financial compensation from third parties in return for playing in the IBL.
Violation of these rules may result in suspension of the player(s) involved as well as team officials. The team may also face forfeiture of games in which the identified player(s) appeared.
A lot of name changes for the Burlington baseball team – playoff wins have been scarce.
Back in 2010 InterCounty baseball was revived in Burlington when a team named the Twin,who started out in St. Thomas moved to Stratford in 2004 and then moved to Mississauga for the 2008 season and operated there for two years before moving to Burlington in 2011. They were renamed as the Burlington Bandits in 2013 and were taken over by new owners. Two season later the team was once again sold to new owners and renamed the Burlington Herd.
By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you do what many of us do – plan your week on Sunday you might want to give some thought to slipping up to Lowville to take in a performance of Othello at Thinkspot where you can sit outside on a large large lawn and watch gifted actors perform one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Getting out in the middle of the week to watch a play isn’t the way most people spend their time – unless of course they are on vacation.
 Driftwood Theatre performing at Thinkspot in Lowville Whether you are on vacation or putting in time at the office – Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm the Driftwood Theatre Company will take to the outdoor stage and give you an interpretation of Othello that you will not have seen before.
Lowville has been the locale for a number of artistic endeavours. The annual Lowville Festival is now an established event that has shown admirable resilience getting off the ground. With three years behind them and respectable sponsorships in place – they can be expected to do nothing but grow.
Thinkspot has been welcoming the Driftwood Theatre to their location for a number of years. Lowville has become one of the more than 20 locations that Driftwood performs at each year.
At the end of the production, always to boisterous rounds of applause, some of the deeply committed audience for the works of William Shakespeare gather around a fire place and talk about the merits of the performance and the how’s and why’s of what the director chose to do.
 Using Canada’s United Nations role in Cyprus as the backdrop for a production of Othello is both a brave and audacious decision.
The experience is well worth the time and the locale is one to be treasured.
This is a Pay what you can event with a suggested $20.
By Staff
July 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a dismal way to end the season for the Burlington Herd who struggled to get above the bottom half of the league standings throughout the season.
New name, new logo, new ownership weren’t enough to put th Herd in top half of the league standings. A new name and new ownership wasn’t enough, the team ended with a 13 – 23 win loss record.
They will play the London Majors during the playoff season.
 London Major player. Photo by Matt Hiscox. The London Majors defeated the Burlington Herd twice on Friday – A game that started on July 20 in Burlington was tied 7-7 when it was called due to darkness. When the game resumed yesterday each team scored once in the 11th, and London added two more in the 13th. That gave London a 10-8 win for the delayed game.
In Friday’s scheduled game, London won 11-1.
The Herd will now play London for the quarter final of the playoff series
Standings
Barrie Baycats 32-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-8
London Majors 24-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 17-17
Brantford Red Sox 15-19
Burlington Herd 13-23
Hamilton Cardinals 8-25
Guelph withdrew.
By Ray Rivers
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In a first-past-the-post parliamentary system only two political parties will ever predominate. That potentially limits the development of ideas and policies since the tendency is for the parties to become entrenched. We see this in spades south of the border where their famous time-honoured arcane system of checks and balances has devolved into little more than a battleground for partisan bickering over established positions.
That is where third parties come in – to generate new ideas and expand the discussion. Of course a proportional representative electoral system is natural habitat for third parties. But we’ve also seen the successful co-operation and contribution of third parties during times of minority government. In fact these were periods where some of our best legislation has been created.
Third parties, especially those with little hope of ever having to actually govern, can push the envelope of what is possible and make the unimaginable imaginable. That is how we got universal national health care. But once a mainstream party adopts a good out-of-the-box idea it gets the credit and power, and the third party continues to linger in the shadows. That is the story of Canada’s NDP. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride.
 Jack Layton took Quebec with his Orange Wave but died before he got a chance to really wide that wave. Jack Layton tried to change that scenario. Coming up to the 2011 election, Layton sold his soul to the Quebec separatists, all but promising them political sovereignty. And it worked. Disillusioned with the Bloc Quebecois and not inclined to support Harper or Ignatieff, voters in that province went Orange (NDP) in droves, and almost as a protest vote. For the first time in their 50 year history – and beyond their wildest dreams – the New Democrats got into the game as Canada’s official opposition.
 Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair one of the best Opposition speakers the House has seen in some time. He reminded one of the great John George Diefenbaker with a beard instead of jowls. Thomas Mulcair, replacing Layton, chose his own version of the ‘Third Way’, the political philosophy that led to Tony Blair’s string of victories in the UK. There is no right or left only the correct, the Third Way. So while he may have planned to govern from the left, he campaigned from the middle – campaigning as if he were Stephen Harper light. And he lost in a political arena filled with voters wanting a change from the previous decade of ho-hum, nasty and back-from-the-past.
So at the first gathering of the faithful, the NDP rank and file showed Mulcair the door as the party once again sought to discover its old activist self. Fresh from the pen, the elite radical left tossed the Leap Manifesto and its visions for a carbon-free Canada onto the table, as a starting point. The NDP had come home to the fringe after its brief sojourn in the big leagues.
So there are four candidates in a race even more subdued than the Tories just ran. There is less oxygen in the room now when they meet. Already a couple of potential candidates have dropped out, some have been disqualified by the onerous rules, and a whole raft of potential candidates are sitting it out. The truth is Justin Trudeau has stolen their traditional place as Canada’s left-of centre party, at least for now, and the NDP needs to go back to the drawing board… and maybe change their name.
The NDP was an experiment from the beginning, a 60’s merger between a populist agrarian-based socialist party, the CCF, and a large labour movement, the Canadian Labour Congress. After all, this kind of marriage had worked in other Commonwealth nations, Britain in particular, propelling a workers’ party into power. But Canada is a different political animal.
 Charlie Angus – As solid a Socialist as you will find in this country. Can he win the NDP leadership and then do something with the party? Popular northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus is the person to beat as they move towards the October vote. But as we saw with the recent Conservative leadership contest nothing is a given, especially when the NDP, like the other two main parties in their own leadership races, are using a preferential ballot. But whoever wins this contest will have an uphill climb to re-invent the NDP if it is to remain relevant as a political force.
Among other matters the party needs to consider its relationship with labour. The long-standing linkage with labour unions has likely hurt the party as much as it has ever helped, particularly as Canada continues to de-unionize. And in recent times so much of its traditional labour support has drifted to the Liberals, as unions seek to increase their influence with a sympathetic governing party.
Of course the NDP have formed sub-national governments across the country, and are currently in charge in BC and Alberta. There is a strong political following in BC, though the Greens are biting at their feet. And Alberta is a work in progress, with enough promise to force the parties on the right into a marriage of convenience. These governing experiences serve to perpetually push the national third party to become more centrist and broaden its appeal.
Yet these broadening efforts have also cost the NDP support. Others, like the Greens have sprung up with single issue campaigns which typically erode NDP support as they more effectively focus on an issue. And perhaps there is a better future jointly for both of those parties on the left.
 Rachel Notley – strong enough as the Premier of Alberta to force the Conservative interests in the province to join forces to beat her. Alberta’s loss if they do. Or the NDP might consider jumping into bed with the Liberals who had, after all, stolen much of their traditional thunder in the last election. But there must also be resentment and disappointment with Mr. Trudeau’s betrayal of those dippers who voted Red as the best hope ever of achieving electoral reform, and converting their popular vote into its equivalence in seats in the national assembly.
Still, even if the New Democrats never make government, they need to take heart that they have and do make a difference. As indeed have all the other third parties who have been elected to Parliament, be they Reform, Social Credit/Creditists, Greens, or even the problematic Bloc Québécois. And for that reason alone this leadership contest should be important to all of us.
 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 in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
NDP – Leadership – BC NDP – NDP Historical Support
By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Youth Soccer Club (BYSC) is hosting its “Burli Blast Festival” this Saturday, July 29th to celebrate the end of the soccer season for the U3 – U6 age groups in their Outdoor House League program.
 The Burli Blast Festival is an event dedicated to celebrating the successes and achievements of the players and volunteer coaches over the course of the summer season. There are over 800 players in these age divisions, and with parents and coaches, the expected attendance is upwards of 2,500 people.
Burli Blast will take place from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Sherwood Forest Park (at the end of Fairview Street past the Appleby GO station) in Burlington. The festival will feature 60 mini soccer matches and medal presentations spread throughout the morning and afternoon.
 The BYSC has also invited many of its community partners that are providing bouncy castles, carnival games, food, and prizes. The BYSC invites the Burlington community to come out and enjoy the day, regardless of whether your child plays in their programs. An information tent with staff will be in attendance if you have questions about any BYSC programs or if you are interested in registration.
For more information about Burli Blast Festival or other BYSC programs, visit www.burlingtonsoccer.com or call 905-333-0777.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The southbound lane on Brant Street, just south of Victoria Avenue, will be closed on Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for excavation work.
 Brant Street – looking south – part of the road will be closed for some excavation work.
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