 By Pepper Parr
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was hard to get a real fix on the size of the crowd – but it was a crowd of people who wanted to know more about what the Halton District School Board meant when they talked about possibly closing two of the city’s seven high schools.
 It was a large fully engaged crowd – who will wonder for the next while if they are getting all their questions answered. The Board has had a PARC in place for more than three months. This group of 14 people – two from each high school – had been tasked with coming up with a recommendation on which, if any, of the high schools should be closed.
The issue was that Burlington has 1800 + empty high school seats which it does not expect to fill for some time.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the city’s newest high school is filled to overcapacity and that other high schools might need portable units.
The problem is to some degree one of changes in the boundaries that were created that determined which high school a student would have to attend.
When the PARC process started in December the focus was on the recommendation that Central and Pearson high school be closed.
 Large posters with maps showing possible high school boundaries were set up for public viewing. During the PARC process there were recommendations that Bateman and Nelson high schools be closed – and that brought a lot more people into the discussion which resulted in the very high turnout Tuesday evening.
People were engaged and asking a lot of questions. The data that was put in front of them was not as clear as it could have been.
Tuesday evening the public saw people from Nelson and Bateman wearing their school sweaters; one parent paraded around wearing a graduation cap.
The discussion and explanations at the six different information stations was directed by senior board staff who touted the board line.
The members of the PARC were present and many of the trustees attended as well.
 Which high school will these two attend? Director of Education Stuart Miller was not at the meeting. He is away for a short period of time on personal matters. The last thing that can be said is he is ducking the issue. He is in this up to his eyebrows and he knows how serious a problem his board faces.
There are decisions that were made six to seven years ago that created the problem he faces; he however has to deal with the reality that today there are 1800 empty seats and the province will not give the Halton Board the funding it needs to keep them empty. Miller points out frequently that the Halton Board is pretty close to the bottom of the list on the amount of funding per capita that it gets from the province.
 Three city Councillors in this picture – two others were floating around as well. Many people wanted to see city council involved in this process; just as many felt it was a school board matter and none of th city’s business. And up until now city council members said very little. That has changed. Every member of council could be seen walking around chatting people up; the exceptions were the Mayor and ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven.
School board trustees for Burlington have been almost glued to this process; the other seven were seldom seen. Last night there were four or five from other communities.
 Scott Podrebarac, chair of the Program Accommodation Review Committee explaining some detail to a parent. There were no introductory remarks. People just walked in, were given a four page flyer that explained what the information on the walls was all about and people were left to walk around and ask questions.
Part of what is taking place is each high school arguing why they should not be closed – there was no higher level look at what Burlington will look like should some high schools be closed.
Burlington is in a state of transition. The city’s population is ageing and the cost of housing is mushrooming.
There will be a lot of discussions taking place in thousands of households across the city in the weeks ahead.
 Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, on the left, is also the PARC representative for the Central high school parents, listens while a Board o Education staffer explains some of the information on the posters. The second public meeting, with an agenda that is identical to what took place Tuesday evening at Hayden high school will be held at the New Street Education Centre on Tuesday March 7th.
If there were 400 people at Hayden last night look for an even higher turn out next week
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Conservation Halton advises that Environment Canada is forecasting rainfall beginning tonight and continuing into early Wednesday. General rainfall amounts of 15 to 25 millimeters are likely, though isolated spots may see higher amounts, especially in areas that receive thunderstorms.
Flooding is not anticipated, however the forecasted precipitation in conjunction with saturated ground conditions will result in higher than normal water levels and flows in local streams.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to stay away from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
This Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety will be in effect through Friday March 3, 2017. Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will provide updates as required.
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service Regional Fraud Bureau report that earlier today they arrested two men on charges of Fraud over $5000, money laundering, and attempt to obstruct justice.
 These charges are in relation to funds donated to the head office of the OPFFA (Ontario Professional Firefighters Association) in Burlington, on behalf of families of firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty.
Between May 12, 2011 and February 26, 2014 Warren Paul ATKINSON, 52, of Newmarket, and Colin Stuart GRIEVE, 58, of Stoney Creek, conducted advocacy work to assist families of retired and deceased fire fighters from all over Ontario in applying for WSIB benefits.
The OPFFA received a complaint which caused them to conduct an internal investigation into donations. The investigation revealed several large donations to the OPFFA that were never received, all linked to ATKINSON and GRIEVE. The OPFFA contacted Halton Regional Police. The ensuing investigation resulted in the charges being laid.
Both men are due to appear in Ontario Provincial Court Milton, ON, March, 29th, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. to answer to the charges.
Anyone who may have any information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Halton Regional Fraud Unit at 905-465-8965 , 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).
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
For those of you north of the QEW – tonight is the night to get a close up look at the six options that are now being considered by the PARC that is in place to give the Halton District School Board Director of Education a recommendation on which, if any of the high schools should be closed.
 Two representatives from each of the seven high schools in the city meeting to recommend an option to the Director of Education. PARC is the Program Accommodation Review Committee that has two representatives each from the six high schools that have now met on four occasions to look at data the board has provided them and make a recommendation.
Details of each of the six options will be set out on different “information” stations” with school board staff on hand to answer questions.
The event takes place at the Hayden high school on Tim Dobbie Drive. The event begins at 7:00 pm. The Board of Education is not making a presentation to an audience – there is no start time. People will be able to move from “information station” to “information station” and look at the maps and accompanying information and ask questions of senior board staff.
The event will be repeated on March 7th at the New Street Education Centre on New Street.
The following are the meetings to take place before a decision date:
| |
|
|
| Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools) |
March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm
|
New Street Education Centre
3250 New Street |
| PARC Working Meeting #5 |
March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole |
March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Public Delegation Night |
April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
| Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision |
May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm |
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line |
 Parents from both Central and Pearson high schools have been demonstrating before school board meetings. Burlington Central High school parents have been demonstrating pretty consistently since this process began back in October. They would like to see more involvement from city hall even though the final decision will be made by the school board trustees in May.
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was an extensive look at the way the Tim Hortons operation has changed now that there is new foreign ownership in place.
The tag line on the magazine cover said: “Since taking over the iconic chain in 2014, its new Brazilian owner, 3G Capital, has purged head office, slashed costs and squeezed suppliers. Shareholders are happy, but is 3G tearing the heart out of Timmy’s?”
 A lot of people are getting screwed over as a result of the cost cutting at Tim Hortons. will the Sound of Music take a hit at the sponsorship level? Senior management at the head office in Oakville was close to decimated. The corporate mantra is cost cutting – and they took to that like ducks to water.
A lot of good people in Burlington had to find new jobs.
What hasn’t worked its way to the top of the pile is what is the cost cutting is going to do, if anything, to the sponsorship money Tim Hortons has poured into Burlington in the past.
They were major sponsors of Sound of Music – will that continue?
Stay tuned.
 By Pepper Parr
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Why does what we pay our politicians of so much interest to people?
We don’t spend as much time on what we pay our Member of Parliament and the Member of the Provincial Legislature. Partly because what the municipal politicians do is much closer to home.
Explain the ongoing angst over the New Street Road diet?
Its impact is so exaggerated by both sides of the argument. A short change in the amount of time it takes to drive from one Line to the next is made to sound like the world is coming to an end for those who feel the road was put there by God himself and is a divine right for car drivers.
The cyclists explain that it is just a small part of the bike lane network they want to see build across the city.
Emotions do get stirred – and it takes a sensitive politician tuned to the will of the residents and a genuine desire to listen and find the needed compromises. We don’t have a lot of those on this city Council.
 The significant seven – how many will return in 2018? Most of them take the view that they were elected to make decisions, which they do, based on the world as they see it.
Councillor Sharman brings his pretty solid conservative views to the table and in order to avoid making a decision he continually asks for more data.
Councillor Taylor is of the view that if someone one needs support for transit they should undergo a means test.
He has somehow equated transit with social welfare. Taylor can probably not tell you when he was last on a bus in Burlington.
Councillor Meed Ward wants to maintain some height limitations that are not realistic and believes that the city can somehow stop the kind of growth that is going to take place.
Her colleague, Councillor Jack Dennison, would be quite happy to see a Burlington with 300,000 people living in with the city limits. He thinks like a developer.
The Mayor wants a city just like the one he was raised in – he forgets that both he and the city have grown up.
Councillor Lancaster has an elitist view of what a politician is supposed to do.
We commented on Councillor Craven in a separate article.
They are the people the citizens elected. That less than 40% of the population bothers to vote is not something you can blame on the politicians – even if they do make it very difficult for new comers to get elected.
Hundreds of people grouse about where these members of council fail – but very few step up and run for office.
The money isn’t great. No one is going to buy one of the larger homes on sale in his city with the salaries that are paid.
And those that really do the job put in long hours. The Mayor is out most nights of the week. Among the Council members he works the hardest.
 Add about $55,000 in Regional salary to what the city pays and you arrive at a total of $120,000 a year. The hours are pretty easy with close to a month off in the summer. Pension is now very good, Every member of Burlington’s city council is also a member of the Regional Council. They earn a separate amount from the Region – about $54,000 a year plus mileage expenses.
The current pension plans is very good. For those that have been at the Council table for 20 years – the pnsion isn’t going to allow them to live in luxury.
Would paying more result in better council members; probably not but it would certainly attract a lot of people who see $100,000 as a great salary.
Municipal politics is nothing like the private sector and it takes a full term of office to get the hang of it. some never get it and probably should not have been there in the first place.
Of the seven men and women we elect expect at least five of them to run for office in 2018. The race for MAyor has been going on for some time. On Monday at a Committee of the Whole meeting Councillor Meed Ward was serving as Chair.
 Councillor Meed Ward ate the Mayor’s lunch at a Standing Committee on Monday. There was an award presentation to be given – the city was named as the winner of an Ontario Public Works Association award for the way they handled the 2014 flood. These award presentations are usually done at city council meetings and not Standing Committee meetings.
The Mayor uses these occasions to give commendations to various groups and often receives an award the city is given along with the relevant staff members.
On Monday afternoon Meed Ward, as chair of the Standing Committee, decided that she would accept the award for the city and invited the Mayor to join her along with senior staff members. Meed Ward had just eaten the Mayor’s lunch.
By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Ward 1 and 2 School Board trustee Leah Reynolds. Ward 1 and 2 School Board trustee Leah Reynolds tells her constituents that she expects the board ratify changes to the Delegation By-law to make it easier for the public to submit a request to speak on an issue that is important to them in front of the elected board of trustees. Some of the proposed improvements are:
* The public will now have the ability to review the meeting agenda and board reports prior to submitting a delegation request.
* The deadline to submit a Delegation Request Form is extended up to two business days (at noon) prior to the board meeting.
* Prepared written transcripts are no longer required. This allows presenters the freedom to express themselves without adhering strictly to written materials that previously required Chair review.
* Each delegation will be allowed an additional five minutes for trustee questions and comments to allow for further clarification.
* Delegations can be made at Trustee Committee of the Whole Meetings. These meetings are open to the public, less formal with more opportunity for a question and answer dialogue rather than speeches and statements typically made at board meetings.
A positive change that will have an impact on the Public Delegation Night that has been set aside to hear delegations on the proposed high school closing scheduled for April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Parents throughout Burlington will have gotten a survey asking them what they think of the six options that are before the Program Accommodation Review Committee.
It is a reasonably fair and balanced survey at first glance.
There is one small problem and that is the detail behind each option is viewed in a separate screen and the type is so small it really cannot be read.
The Board would like your feedback on the remaining six options through the online survey. Click here to get to the survey.
The survey is available Monday February 27 – Monday March 13 (until 4:30 pm).
The order in which Options appear in the online survey is random.
All responses will be anonymous.
The survey can only be completed by using a desktop or laptop computer. It cannot be completed on a tablet or mobile device.
A public meeting is scheduled for North Burlington schools on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School. The meeting for South Burlington schools is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 2017.
We urge you to attend the public meeting – it doesn’t have a start time – you can drop in at any time and get more detail on any one of the six options. There will be Board of Education staff members on hand to answer questions.
For those who aren’t going to be able to get to either of the two public meetings set out below are details on each of the options. The details were released at one of the PARC meeting.
The six options are as follows:
Option 23d ‐ Robert Bateman HS, Lester B Pearson HS closes, Dr. Frank J Hayden SS program change
No change to Aldershot HS boundary
Burlington Central HS catchment expands to include Tecumseh PS catchment
IB program added to Burlington Central HS from Robert Bateman
Nelson HS boundary expands east. SC‐SPED & Essential programming redirected to Nelson HS from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS ENG catchment expands to include Lester B Pearson HS
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS. No change to the English catchment.
Option 19b – Burlington Central HS, Lester B Pearson closes HS, Dr Frank J Hayden SS & Robert Bateman HS program change
Aldershot HS catchment expands east to Brant St, ESL program relocated to Aldershot HS from Burlington Central HS. 10 rooms available from the Aldershot elementary facility to accommodate additional
Nelson HS expands west to Brant
Robert Bateman HS catchment include John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle Rd, and the entire Frontenac PS catchment
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS with same boundaries as the English program
MM Robinson HS English boundary expands to include Lester B Pearson HS. FI boundary include Dr. Frank J Hayden SS with the exception of John William Boich PS catchment south of Upper Middle
Frank J Hayden becomes English only school, with a reduced English catchment area
Option 4b – Robert Bateman HS closes
No change to Aldershot HS
Burlington Central HS expands to include the entire Tecumseh PS
Nelson HS expands east to include Robert Bateman HS. Nelson HS receives the SC‐SPED and Essential programming from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Florence Meares PS catchment. IB program and Gifted Secondary Placement added to Lester B. Pearson HS from Robert Bateman HS and Nelson HS
Frank J Hayden SS English catchment area is reduced.
Option 7b – No changes to schools south of the QEW
Frank J Hayden SS Boundary change
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment area, John William Boich PS catchment area south of Upper Middle Road, and Alexander’s PS catchment
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
Option 28d – Burlington Central HS and Lester B Pearson HS closes, Program change for Dr Frank J Hayden SS
Aldershot HS catchment area expands easterly to railway tracks, ESL program added to Aldershot from Burlington Central
Nelson HS catchment area expands west to the railway
Robert Bateman HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Frontenac PS catchment
MM Robinson HS catchment area expands to include Lester B Pearson HS catchment area.
FI is removed from Dr. Frank J Hayden SS and redirected to MM Robinson HS
CH Norton PS area that is currently directed to Lester B Pearson HS, to be redirected to Dr Frank J Hayden
Option 3b – Nelson HS closes, Dr Frank J Hayden SS and Burlington Central HS have a program change
Aldershot FI expands to include Burlington Central HS FI catchment
Burlington Central HS English catchment area expands to Walkers Line
Robert Bateman HS expands west to Walkers
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS
Lester B Pearson HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Kilbride PS catchment area. The Secondary Gifted placement added to Lester B Pearson HS from Nelson
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS.
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
By Staff
February 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Rick Goldring welcomed the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, to the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) last Friday for a roundtable discussion on seniors’ housing needs in Burlington.
Goldring hosted a roundtable on senior’s issues with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Elizabeth Dowdeswell wanted to learn more about issues, ideas and initiatives of importance to the people of Burlington.
 Mayor Rick Goldring with the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Over the next 20 years, the percentage of seniors within Burlington is expected to grow to about one in every four residents and the number of seniors over the age of 80 is expected to more than double.
Following the roundtable discussion, that involved 15 people, the Mayor Goldring announced a one-year task force to address the issue of seniors’ housing in Burlington.
The city is committed to collaborating with residents and stakeholders The Roundtable included representatives from Joseph Brant Hospital, the Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee; Halton Region’s social services, planning and health senior managers; Habitat for Humanity; private developers; seniors’ housing specialists; and City of Burlington senior managers.
Each of the 15 representatives was asked to consider and comment on the following two questions:
1. What are the current housing opportunities for seniors who want, or need, to find a new home in Burlington?
2. As the number of seniors continues to increase in our city, where should we place our focus in providing new housing opportunities to allow seniors to continue living in Burlington?
The Mayor’s Task Force is a one year initiative starting in May 2017 and will be led by the Office of the Mayor.
Members of the Task Force will be announced in April. They will report back sometime in April of 2018.
The next municipal election is in October of 2018.
By Staff
February 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Does the city know something the rest of us don’t know?
Is winter really over?
Meteorologists and climatologists in the northern hemisphere generally consider December, January and February as the winter months – Wednesday is March 1st – so it must be true.
 To make it real the city has officially closed the Rotary Pond skating rink at Discovery Landing.
Mild temperatures have brought the outdoor skating season to a close for the 2016-17 season.
Over the next few weeks, City of Burlington staff will begin preparing for the spring when the 10,000 square-foot (929 square-metre) feature transforms into a reflective pond.
Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation explains: “After a very successful season of outdoor skating, the city made the decision to close the rink at Discovery Landing for this winter. The record-breaking, mild temperatures we’ve experienced this month have made it challenging to maintain skating conditions that are safe and enjoyable. More than 14,500 skaters enjoyed some winter fun this season at the outdoor rink overlooking Spencer Smith Park and Lake Ontario. Thank you to everyone who donated skates to the city’s new skate lending program at Rotary Centennial Pond.”
There were 150 pairs of skates donated skates to the skate lending program; they were borrowed through the skate lending program on 1,200 occasions
The public was able to skate on the pond for 64 days in the 2016-17 season.
And that is more information than you really needed to know – skate loan program was a nice feature though; kudos for whoever came up with that idea.
By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong got a bit of a surprise when they learned that city Council was not going to meet on Monday, evening, which was when they had planned on marching into city hall to voice their complaints about the way the city was handling the meetings over the possible closing of two of the seven high schools in the city.
 Central strong is the group that represents the parents at Central high school who do not want to see their high school closed.
The city has a schedule for regular Standing Committee meetings and then meetings of the city council. The Standing Committee is siting in the afternoon but not in the evening.
 Central Strong might like to think that city council decided not to meet because they were afraid of a demonstration in the Council Chamber- the reality was that there apparently wasn’t enough in the way of matters that needed attention so the meeting was cancelled.
There was an occasion several months ago when citizen delegated before city council to keep the ten minute time allocation they had or delegations.
Council appears to have found a way around the problem of those pesky delegations – just don’t bother to meet at all.
By Pepper Parr
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there anything to the rumour that Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven does not plan to run for office in 2018?
One Gazette reader popped us a note saying he got the information from two sources.
Another contact, a friend of Craven’s, is not getting his telephone calls returned.
 Rick Craven: Best committee chair the city has; not big on the warm fuzzy stuff through. Another media advised us that they were not on the council members “friendly media” list.
The Gazette hasn’t been able to get a word out of Craven for more than a year. He took offence to the story we did on his asking for city hall security to walk him to his car; at that time he was apparently worried that he would be physically harmed by Beachway residents when the debate on clearing out all the homes in that community was taking place.
 Rick Craven knows his Ward, understands what his constituents need and they appear to think he’s great. Is there a life beyond city hall for Craven? There was a point when as publisher of the Gazette I would have lengthy lunches with the council member. We once went on a long drive through Craven’s ward during which he pointed out what made the ward the community it is.
In the past we have described Craven as the most effective Standing Committee chair the city has. He kept people focused. He is still a very good committee chair.
He can be very hard on people who are delegating before city council and was one of the council member who actively promoted getting the delegation time allocation reduced to five minutes.
Brittle he is.
 Councillor Meed Ward sit looking a little glum before she responds to Councillor Craven’s personal attack and asks that he stick to the issue and stop belittling residents, delegations and her as a council member. There is no love lost between these two. He has an acidic relationship with ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward; a woman he once beat when she ran against him in the 2006 election. Meed Ward, who lived in Tyendaga community at the time, moved into ward 2 where she beat Peter Thoem for the Council seat.
There is a nasty police based complaint out there somewhere that we don’t believe has been resolved.
Craven has served the city as a city council member for more than 16 years and has served on the Police Services Board for some time.
Craven studied Communication Arts at Mohawk College and graduated from McMaster University. His previous work experience included five years as a news reporter and two decades as a manager with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
 Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven with Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and Liberal candidate in the 2010 provincial election Karmel Sakran doing a media event outside city hall. He identifies himself as a Liberal and took a long look at running for office in the 2010 provincial election. He would have been running against Jane McKenna and could probably have beaten her.
Craven was at one point a radio announcer. He is a graduate of McMaster University. At a meeting of the Conservation Authority Craven, while the public was waiting outside the meeting room during a CLOSED session, Craven said that he was giving some thought to running for Mayor.
We will have to wait until at least May of 2018 before we know what Councillor Craven plans to do.
By Staff
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong, that Merry Band of “die hards” that are fighting the good fight to keep their school open, have another task that they need help with.
 They are going to walk to city hall and perhaps march into the council chamber. They want you to meet at Burlington Central at 5:15 pm tomorrow, Monday, February 27th. They will be walking along Brant St to raise awareness and bring attention to their cause and will end at City Hall where they will greet City Councillors and Mayor prior to the city council meeting.
They want everyone to bring their Save Central signs or the signs that reflect your thoughts on what City Council should be doing.
Part 2 of this initiative is some canvassing of downtown streets, so that they can gather data on what they know to be the changing demographics of the core.
They have seen numerous infill developments all around the core of the city and believe they are seeing a lot of housing turn over with many new families moving in when empty-nesters and retired homeowners move out (some of them moving to the new downtown condos).
However, maintains Central Strong, the Halton District School Board doesn’t seem to have heard of this phenomenon.
The Board is about to do an on-line survey of parents relating to the options on the table at the Program Accommodation Review. Central Strong makes reference to a comment made by Kirk Perris that this is a “non-scientific survey”. That isn’t completely true.
Those parents responding to the survey sent to them by the board will produce results that are “scientific” in that the only people who can respond to the survey sent to the household will be people from that household.
There will be a second survey, identical to the one being sent to the households, that anyone can respond to – that version of the survey will not be scientific – anyone from Pakistan will be able to respond was the way Kirk Perris put it.
The Gazette expects to have the link to the public survey late Monday afternoon and will publish that as soon as it is received.
Households will get their link directly from the board.
The door to door survey work the Central Strong people want to do might reveal data that has not been known up until now. And getting all the data possible is well worth the effort.
Central Strong is asking that “as many of you as possible to pick a street, perhaps your own street or another nearby street, and do a simple checklist for us and send it in to us. If we can get a good number of streets done, that would be great.”
 The first public meeting on the closing of Burlington high schools didn’t go all that well. Specifically, include:
Street Name
Number of Homes Canvassed
How many homes have changed from seniors/retirees to families with children in last year, 3 years, 5 years.
How many have been family homes for more than 5 years
How many are empty nesters/retirees
Of the empty nesters/retirees, how many plan on selling within 1-5 years; 5-10 years
You might know the answers for some of the homes on your street without needing to ask.
It would also be helpful if some people could canvass an apartment or condo building floor or two so that we can see how many children are living there now and extrapolate that to the number in the total building.
Central Strong wants to be able to show that the downtown core is expanding as we know it is, that the development coming to the core will bring families and children, but also that the houses that are here are turning over to more and more families.
Important Dates
Public Meeting #2 (North Burlington schools) February 28, 2017 at 7:00 pm at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School, 3040 Tim Dobbie Drive
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools) March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm at New Street Education Centre, 3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #4 March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm. J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Members of the PARC will be given the data from the surveys taking place between February 27th and March 13th
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm at J.W. Singleton Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Line.
 This is where the buck is going to stop. The 11 elected trustees will make the final decision. Will they prove to be independent or will the people that elected them see a decision to go with the staff recommendation.
By Staff
February 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is blessed with readers that have sharp eyes.
 Image of the flag used in the tweet from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. One of the people following the twitter feed coming out of the office of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdewell, who pre-announced her visit with a tweet that included an image of Burlington’s flag, thought he spotted a problem with the flag contained in the tweet.
 Burlington’s corporate flag. Burlington actually has two flags. One that has just the word Burlington in blue on a white background.
There is a colour blue that is actually named Burlington blue. You can see it on the rails of The Pier.
The truly observant reader will want to point out that Burlington is a city – it was a town when the Coat of Arms was created.
There is a second flag that has the city’s Coat of Arms along with the motto Stand By
 Burlington Coat of Arms. This “official” flag features two vertical stripes of blue outside a gold square. In the center is a stylized image of Burlington’s Coat of Arms. The arms, as seen in front of City Hall features four symbols to represent the history of the town: a brown cow, sailing ship, beehive and an apple. Underneath is the motto “Stand By”.
 Flag with the city Coat of Arms flying outside the fire hall on Fairview. This is the flag that flies in front of Burlington’s Main Fire Hall on Fairview Street with the bridled heifer proudly in the upper left corner.
Which flag is the correct flag?
The Lieutenant Governor out ranks the fire chief but in this instance it is the fire chief flying the correct flag.
Does Burlington have three official flags? Why was the cow re-moo-ved? Where does the Lieutenant Governor get her information on Ontario’s Best Small City to live in ?
We have no beef with the highest office in the province, however we do want to hear what the Lieutenant Governor has to say for herself.
Stand By.
 By Pepper Parr
February 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is almost as if the parents who want to keep their local schools open have to do the job with one hand tied behind their backs.
Changes in provincial government legislation has reduced the number of public meetings a school board has to hold and it removes any focus on what happens to the community.
Director Miller has been saying from the get go that the interests of the students is his primary focus – that comes straight out of the provincial government play book.
 Parents from different high schools watch the PARC deliberate; they have held four meetings to date. The Ontario government is speeding up the process for closing schools, as part of a crackdown on publicly funded boards with too many classrooms sitting empty.
Ministry of education guidelines defines schools less than two-thirds full as “underutilized” and are candidates for either closing or changes to their boundaries or programs they offer. The ministry now has new guidelines for community consultations that must take place before a school can be closed. Critics say the guidelines limit public engagement and make it easier to close schools.
A committee reviewing the fate of a school is required to hold two public meetings instead of four under the new regime, and the time frame for conducting a review is cut to five months from seven. Another major change causing considerable angst for municipal officials is a shift in emphasis toward student achievement and away from considering the impact of closing a school on the well-being of a community and the local economy.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), said focusing the review process more narrowly on the interests of students might help school boards solve their fiscal challenges. But it comes at the expense of the longer-term interests of a community, including the impact closing a school could have on residential real estate values.
The new process gives municipal governments a formal role for the first time, providing an opportunity for school boards to collaborate with municipalities in making the best use of school space.
 Mayor Goldring may have thought he was dodging a bullet when he had his city manager sit on the PAR committee. Mayor Golding, who sits on an AMO committee, is treating the closing of high schools like a roaring fire – something he isn’t going to get very close to – he accepted the offer of city manager James Ridge, who apparently volunteered for the task of representing the city on the PARC. Ridge has said very little.
An AMO spokesperson said: “A school is the hub of a community. When you close a school, that community has lost a draw for anybody to ever come back.” It is self-evident that property values in the community that loses a school will fall.
Then Minister of Education Elizabeth Sandals said that she wants the school boards and the municipalities to have an ongoing relationship where they are sharing their planning data so that the municipalities are aware of where there are clusters of underutilized schools.
The reality many school boards are facing is that there are too many empty seat and they are under pressure to address the financial drain.
The Halton Board seems to have decided it will follow the provincial guidelines and almost bulldoze the PARC parents into accepting the option the board put on the table; close two of the seven high schools.
We now have a situation where the Program Accommodation Review Committee currently looking for options it can give Director Miller is facing a board administration that fudges data and doesn’t work in a collaborative way with the PARC. It amounts to a lost opportunity for everyone.
 Aldershot High school PARC member Steve Cussons and Central high school representative Ian Farwell on the left. Miller is quite right when he speaks of the significant time and effort the 14 PAR committee members are putting in. They have had to climb a very steep learning curve and have found on too many occasions that some of the data is incorrect.
Miller seems to have lost the opportunity to harness the energy and creativity of the PAR committee. Is it too late for him and his team to make a mid-course correction and put some substance into the words, “collaborative” and collectively?
This is a shared problem and there is an opportunity to work as a community that understands and respects each other.
Michael Barrett, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, said in many heavily contested cases in the past, it was often a municipality that was fighting to prevent a school from closing.
That certainly isn’t the case in Burlington.
By Staff
February 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Gary Scobie Burlington resident Gary Scobie wants the school closing process now asking place in Burlington halted. Here is what he had to say the provincial Minister of Education.
Dear Minister Hunter,
On February 16th I sent an email to Mr. Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board (HDSB), on which you and other officials were copied. I discussed the how the PAR process happening in Burlington for our high schools has been mismanaged by the Board, leading to a probable conclusion to close our oldest school, Central High, in the downtown core while leaving our newest school, Hayden High, north of the QEW over-filled into portables and over-bussed.
Other schools are still in the mix for closure and catchment alterations. I have no vested interest in the outcome (our daughters were well-educated in Burlington and now live elsewhere as adults). I do not live in the downtown core, but see the possible loss of our oldest school, Central High, as damaging to the future prospects of our downtown residential, commercial and cultural livability.
In real estate, they say the three most important things are location, location, location. This could not be truer for any other high school in Burlington. Central High is part of the fabric that makes our downtown attractive to families. Having a local school that is walked to by 92% of the students means it is a school that deserves to stay and be refurbished to meet all accessibility and program requirements. The alternative, being promoted by the HDSB is to close it and bus the students to the far reaches of suburban Burlington in the east and the west, thereby gutting our downtown of any future attraction to families.
Our downtown is the key intensification area in the future, as directed by our Provincial Government. There will be more condos and stacked townhouses built as re-development occurs under provincial mandate. I believe we all want families to move into existing housing and these new forms of housing to be built in the downtown core, keeping it vital both commercially and culturally. Removing one distinctive hub (Central High) will do much to defeat this goal. Once it is gone, it will never reappear as land in the downtown will be too expensive to re-assemble by the Board.
There are other alternatives, but they have been given short shrift by the Board in this mismanaged PAR process. I therefore am requesting that you, as Minister of Education, investigate this PAR process as soon as possible and request a halt to it before irreparable damage is done to our student experience in Burlington. This process is, after all, to benefit students. In doing so, it should not damage forever the most important neighbourhood in our City, our downtown core neighbourhood.
Burlington is well-known as one of the best cities in Canada to live and age in. I want to protect that reputation. The changes in the schooling of our students have the power to either damage or promote this reputation going forward. The issue is too important to be decided only by the HDSB in a poorly executed PAR process. I ask that the PAR be halted and the catchment areas be adjusted to distribute students fairly in the neighbourhoods where they live, using all the existing schools for now. Take a break from the PAR, step back and consider if a PAR is actually in the best interest of Burlington students, and if it is, begin again, with all of the data accurate and complete this time and treat every school and every student in a fair manner from the beginning. Thank you for your consideration.
Gary Scobie
Burlington ON
 By Ray Rivers
February 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Canada’s Criminal Code prohibits hate propaganda of all kinds. The Canadian Human Rights Act forbids discrimination, including race and religion. All provinces and territories have human rights legislation which mimics the federal act in matters of provincial or territorial concern, as for example, in areas of employment or accommodation. And overriding all of this is the Charter of Rights and Canada’s constitution.
 MP Iqra Khalid introduced a Motion in the House of Commons. So why is Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, so driven to get her motion on Islamophobia passed by the House? And why is she having such a tough time, including receiving death threats? In part the problem lies with the title – ‘Anti-Islamophobia’. Nobody seems to really know what that term, invented only a couple decades ago, even means. A phobia is an irrational fear. Yet, the outcome we are most concerned with is hate, and not fear – anti-Islamic.
Former Liberal MP and respected statesman Irwin Cotler had pushed through an independent motion on anti-semitism under the former Harper government. But then anti-semitism is a pretty well understood matter, we have only to think about the holocaust. And Cotler’s motion was pretty clear about its aims and objectives. So he is not impressed with Khalid’s motion – particularly regarding that term in its title.
There are some folks concerned that this motion is the proverbial camel with its nose in the tent – eventually the rest of its body will follow. The fear is that Sharia law and blasphemy legislation are just around the corner, ready to spring into the law books, once this motion gets passed. The opponents argue that this will legitimize further infringements of our rights to free speech, or worse. That may be a reach, but I’ve heard people being accused of anti-semitic bias for merely protesting against Israel’s settlement policies.
 A little shoving people around on the floor of the House of Commons. There is a lot of silly stuff that goes on in Parliament and politics makes strange bed fellows. MP Michael Chong, who gave up his Cabinet post over Mr. Harper’s Quebec-as-a-nation motion, stands almost alone in his party in support of Khalid’s motion. But then he is running in the Conservative leadership race, so why not rush-in where the other Tories fear to tread.
But it’s not like these motions are ever anything but gratuitous fluff, a pandering by MPs to the demands of some loud voices back home. It is doubtful that Canada’s neo-Nazis immediately ripped the swastikas off their chests once Parliament had passed Mr. Cotler’s motion. And this motion introduced by Ms. Khalid is unlikely to erase the public’s fears about a next jihad coming to a neighbourhood near them, irrational or not.
 Public funeral for some of the Muslims murdered in Quebec. We are all united in the horror we witnessed last December in a Quebec city mosque. Condemnation came from everywhere, MPs, political parties and community leaders across all of Canada. But Ms. Khalid’s motion was actually introduced before that tragic massacre. A motion condemning such an event is always appropriate. But that isn’t Khalid’s motion. Instead, her’s threatens to divide Canadians, something that Mr. Trudeau had hoped to avoid during the course of his sunny ways government.
As we look at what is happening in Europe and south of the border, it is hard not to have doubts and questions about Canada’s policy on refugees and immigration. Canada has generously opened its door to thousands of refugees coming from places where this religion, which most of us don’t really understand, plays a significant role in their daily life. But tolerance in an open society has its limits.
The coming of the Trump presidency and his Muslim travel ban to the USA has poured ice-water into the hearts of all non-Christians and non-citizens there. Those not being deported are fearful that this is just the beginning, and that far more draconian measures are on their way. As a consequence Canada is now seeing the start of the kind of illegal migration across its borders which has plagued its southern neighbour for years, and which ultimately led to the creation of the Donald.
 Police officers helping immigrants cross the border into Canada. Many Canadians are still apprehensive of just how many refugees are to be allowed into this country. The Manitoba crossings are an elephant in the snow fields, and that has forced the opposition parties to take a stand. One of them is chastising Trudeau for not upholding the law and the other demanding he rip up the agreement which identifies the US as a safe nation for refugees.
Ultimately, an unregulated flow of migrants is a problem. It’s the very reason that Angela Merkel will lose her re-election this year as German Chancellor. So Mr. Trudeau needs to pay attention. The public mood is shifting from wanting to helping those in need, to a wariness and the need to seal the borders.
Mr. Trudeau has made consensus among Canadians a touchstone of his policies. He recently tore-up his promise on electoral reform for that very reason – saying it lacked consensus. In that vein, he needs to take a long and hard look at the divisiveness being created by this motion now before the House.
 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:
Anti-Discrimination and Hate – Motion 103 – More Motion – Anti-Islamophobia –
More Anti – Camel in the Tent – US Muslim Ban – Opposition – Support – Border Chaos – Manitoba Crossings –
 By Staff
February 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
After a couple of bench clearing events during the 2016 season the Intercounty Baseball League decided to clean things up a little and put three new rules in place.
The IBL is helping the clubs appeal to the family crowd and a bunch of emotionally charged baseball ball players roaring out onto the ball field doesn’t fit with the family sports event.
 Kitchener and Brantford teams clear their benches for one of he few brawls in the league last year. The new rules Rules of Operation, passed in January 2017set out suspensions for three classes of players.
a) The player identified as first to leave the dugout or bullpen to engage in or start an altercation is automatically suspended five games.
b) The manager of the team identified as first to leave the dugout or the bullpen is automatically suspended three games.
c) A position player, who leaves his position, to engage in an altercation, is automatically suspended one game. This also applies to batters and or players in the batter’s box.
IBL Commissioner John Kastner said “It is the job of the umpiring crew to determine who is first to leave the bench.
As is the case with all brawls, the crew will meet and determine what transpired.
The IBL does not have a provision to challenge umpiring decisions over this or any other decision.
By Pepper Parr
February 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
With the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) having gone through a long and very arduous process that some of them are not suited to they can now rest on their oars for a few weeks and see what the public has to say about the six options they have decided should be looked at seriously.
The vast majority of the members of the PAR committee are doing superb work.
 The 14 members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee are all volunteers who have put in some long hours and exchanged thousands of emails to get to the point where there are six options for the public to review. The disappointing aspect of the PARC process is that we now have parents from different schools battling with other parents to ensure that their school does not get closed. The process that Burlington has had to follow almost guaranteed this outcome – the PARC members find themselves between a rock and an even harder place – they have not had an opportunity to frame the debate and discussion and have not had the benefit of adequate an accurate information.
 The PAR committee members are fully immersed in the process. For several this is going to be a very dis-satisfying experience. They deserved better treatment. These people volunteered – put in hundreds of hours and their work is not finished yet. There are some very talented people on the PAR committee and for the most part the ideas they have put forward are commendable.
They had hoped to have some input on the on-line survey that is going to be done – no such luck. One PARC member expressed some concern with the survey that is being put together. The one done December 8th was described by Kirk Perris, the man who put it together as “not one of his better efforts”. That wasn’t an understatement.
The public meeting plan explained to the PARC members was for an event that is to be as interactive as these things can be.
There are two parts to the public engagement: an online survey and public meetings where people can look at the details and ask questions. There will be one public meeting in the north end of the city and a second, with identical content in the south of the city.
 Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid facilitator hired by the board is designing the public meting content and the on-line surveys. He and PARC chair Scott Podrebarac are guiding the process. Perris intends to set up information stations for each of the six options. Board staff will be on hand to explain the details of each option. PARC members will be on hand as well to give their take on how they got to where they are.
The on-line survey will be opened on the 27th of February. It will be sent out to all parents and there will be an on-line version for anyone else who wants to participate.
The first public meeting in the north end of the city is on the 28th – at Hayden high school, the second is on March 7th at the Gary Allan educational centre on New Street. Both start at 7:00 pm
The survey goes off-line on the 131th of March. There will be print versions of the survey available.
It would be advisable for anyone responding to the survey to wait until they have had a chance to attend one of the public meetings.
Perris talked in terms of questions that would be open ended as well as questions that would be closed ended.
He described the meetings as an exercise in public engagement – there are a lot of smart people who are looking very carefully and closely at the process so far and they do not feel engaged.
One PARC member wanted to know how the data collected is going to be used: “is this a popularity contest or are you going after data that is quantitative or qualitative? Why are we doing this?
 Burlington trustees Andrea Grebenc, on the left and Leah Reynolds have attended all the PARC meeting. Trustees Papin and Collard’s antecedence has been more sporadic. There are some serious concerns in the minds of those people who are following this issue as well as members of the PARC.
The trustees who will make the final decision are sitting on the side lines – observing. One cannot envy them for what is coming their way.
 By Staff
February 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Spirit of Sport public art project is now at the point where the city wants to know what people think of the ideas that have come from the three short-listed artists. Their work is now on display at Brant Hills Community Centre, Nelson Recreation Centre and Mainway Recreation Centre until Friday, March 3, 2017.
About Spirit of Sport Public Art Project
The Spirit of Sport public art project aims to celebrate Burlington’s long history of sports excellence, on both an amateur and professional level. A series of three small-to-medium-scale, exterior public artworks will be installed Mainway Recreation Centre, Nelson Park and Brant Hills Park. These locations were selected as they represent a broad range of types of sport as well as different levels of play, ranging from children and youth to competitive play.
A community jury has selected artists: Blue Republic, Ken Hall and Tamara Kwapich to move forward to the short-list and develop preliminary design concepts. The information collected from residents will inform the jury’s final decision.
Each artist has developed a proposal for each of the three locations.
Artist: Blue Republic
Title: Stuff of Dreams
Artist’s Description: The goal of our design is to create a highly visible, playful, landmark series of works about inclusiveness, togetherness, play and fearlessness. Our work is addressed to the local community and especially young people. The look comes from graffiti and street art and children’s drawings. Here, ideas are often given a surprising visual creation, not stopped by self-consciousness. Our three projects speak to the act of thinking, or dreaming, about the sports we love. Our heads are ‘full’ of the game, of being outdoors and of playing together.
Artist: Ken Hall
Title: Spirit of Sport
Artist’s Description: The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating participation in community activities.
Artist: Tamara Kwapich
Title: Moments Great and Small
Artist’s Description: The mural “Pick up Game on Sunfish Pond,” proposed for Nelson Recreation Centre, speaks to those small moments spent with family and friends—moments that are unorganized, spontaneous and joyful.
“Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals.
“What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes.
BurlingtonPublicArt.com.
Concept #1
Blue Republic, Stuff of Dreams
 Blue Republic # 1  Blue Republic # 2 – Mainway  Blue Republic # 3 Sport is the most democratic activity in the world. While we all know of the great iconic sports figures found everywhere in the media, the three fields and facilities in Burlington where these art projects will be located are here for all to enjoy.
Whether it’s a father coaching his kids, two girlfriends running together or a group playing wheelchair basketball, the camaraderie and sheer joy that come from improving our skills belongs to everyone. At a time when most of us spend long hours sitting in front of a computer, facilities like these are vital in maintaining life’s balance.
The goal of our design is to create a highly visible, playful, landmark series of works about inclusiveness, togetherness, play and fearlessness. Our work is addressed to the local community and especially young people. The look comes from graffiti, street art and children’s drawings – where an idea is not hindered by self-consciousness.
We chose to position the artwork on buildings, crowning each one at the entrance. This will make the artwork resistant to theft and vandalism. Our three projects speak to the act of thinking, or dreaming, about the sports we love.
Our heads are ‘full’ of the game, of being outdoors and of playing together.
Concept #2
Ken Hall, Spirit of Sport
 Ken Hall # 1 Spirit of Sport – Mainway  Ken Hall Spirit of Sport # 2  Ken Hall – spirit of Sport # 3 To honour this Spirit of Sport, red, ribbon-like sculptures will celebrate active living and inclusive community particip-ation, while engaging and welcoming the public to the recreation centres.
Celebrating the combination of balance, strength and co-ordin-ation required in sports, the red ribbon sculptures are an explora-tion of space and movement.
The red ribbons reflect key components of many activities, such as the flowing rhythm of gym-nastics; the curved, red stitching on a baseball; the goal line in hockey; and the finish line in track and field, among others.
The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating particip-ation in community activities, such as awareness walks for issues like breast cancer.
The association with medals is particularly relevant given the City of Burlington’s rich history of sporting innovation, which includes: Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the International Special Olympics Movement; Melville Marks Robinson, founder of the Common-wealth Games; along with numerous Olympic athletes and coaches, including Melanie Booth (soccer) and Angela Coughlan (swimming).
The rolling ribbon also celebrates a heart-healthy, active lifestyle, calling to mind the visualization of a heartbeat on an EKG machine.
The red colour represents the circulation of oxygenated blood, reminding us that regardless of age, ethnicity or gender, we all benefit from active physical and social participation.
Concept #3
Tamara Kwapich, Moments Great and Small
 Pick up game on a sunfish pond is Kwapich’s proposal for the Nelson recreation centre. Kwapich # 2  “Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals. Kwapich # 3  “What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes. Kwapich #1 What is the Spirit of Sport? It is the expression of our highest aspirations. It is the moments, both great and small, lived on the fields, ponds, courts, and in the minds of our community. We can participate at any level and feel the exhilaration of winning and the humility of losing a well-played game.
Our emotions rise and fall as parents on the sidelines and as city or nation watching our represent-ative athletes.
In Burlington, we are fortunate to have many opportun-ities to pursue sport as play—non-competitively, competitively and professionally. It is in these moments, big and small, when we use our bodies, minds and our hearts, that we are part of something larger: the universal joy of movement and striving for something better.
It is with profound gratefulness as a Burlington resident, artist and “sport mom” that I propose these three mural projects that represent the Spirit of Sport, from the small moments found in our own backyards to the world stage.
The mural “Pick up game on Sunfish Pond,” proposed for Nelson Recreation Centre, speaks to those small moments spent with family and friends—moments that are unorganized, spontan-eous and joyful.
“Up and Away,” proposed for Mainway Recreation Centre, pays homage to the community of people who support and lift each other up to reach their goals.
“What Dreams May Come,” proposed for Brant Hills Community Centre, represents the history of sport in Burlington and the heroes that inspire future athletes.
Sport is about competition. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Often the effort put forth determines the outcome, but sometimes not. Sport is also about play—the pure joy of physical exertion and the pure beauty of sportsmanship. We are not all Olympic athletes but we can all be, in some way, as great as they are. What we learn in pursuit of the Spirit of Sport strengthens not only our bodies but also our minds and our community.
Share Your Feedback!
Unfortunately, the people at Cobalt Connect facilitating this selection process have done a terrible job of allowing the public to actually make a selection. And the Manager of culture affairs at city hall hasn’t done much better.
If you want to let the city know which piece of public art should be at which location you need to do the following.
Provide you email address, and your postal code.
Then indicate your choice for Mainway,Nelson and Brant Hills.
Something like this should do it (this is just an example)
We have created a number for each piece of art which you can use to indicate your choice – hopefully the people getting your responses will figure out what you are trying to say. They don’t make it easy.
pepper@hwkp.com
L9H 6e6
Nelson – Kwapich # 2
Mainway Kwapich # 3
Brant Hills Hall #3
Send your selection to both Cobalt Connects at
info@cobaltconnects.ca
and city hall at
Angela.paparizo@burlington.ca
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