Pretty sure this is a first for high school students – a letter from the Director of Education explaining the possibility that their high school might close. Interesting decision.
October 27, 2016
Open letter to all Burlington high school students
Dear Students,
As you have no doubt heard, the Board of Trustees of the Halton District School Board voted last week to begin a process to look at student accommodation issues in our Burlington high schools. The process is called a Program Accommodation Review or PAR. I am writing to explain a bit about this process, but more importantly, to let you know that your input will be important in this process.
 Why do we need a “PAR” process?
The Halton District School Board has initiated the Program Accommodation Review because we have schools with declining enrollment. As the Director of Education, I have a responsibility to provide excellent programs and environments for learning. I need to ensure all secondary school students in our Board have access to the best possible education we can deliver.
According to the Board’s Program Accommodation Review policy, the Director’s Preliminary Report must include a staff recommended option. This recommendation is not a final decision, but a starting point for consultation in this PAR. Staff has recommended Option 19 which proposes various boundary and program changes across Burlington secondary schools, as well as the closure of Lester B. Pearson High School and Burlington Central High School.
The PAR process will begin in November with information sessions held at each Burlington high school. You are welcome to attend these sessions and learn more about this process and help you formulate your own opinions. These evening meetings are on November 1, 3, 14 and 15. Refer to the HDSB website at www.hdsb.ca for more details. If you are unable to attend, the presentation will be posted on the Board’s website.
On November 21 at 7 p.m., Board staff will join me in hosting a live online question and answer session. Log on at www.hdsb.ca . Your questions are most welcome.
The Board of Trustees will make their decision in May 2017; however the earliest date that any changes could take place is September 2018.
As high school students your opinion is valued. The decisions made by the PAR committee will profoundly impact your school experience and those who follow you. In the New Year, the PAR committee will gather feedback from Burlington high school students. We want to hear your voice!
As a parent and educator I understand many of you are deeply loyal to your school, your teachers, and the school traditions that have developed over many years.
 However, as the Director of Education, I need to ensure all Burlington high school students have equitable access to programs that allow them to explore and enhance their true potential. The PAR process will look at this issue and investigate various options to address the challenge that many Burlington high school students are experiencing.
I encourage you to stay informed and engaged in the PAR process. We will keep you informed through ongoing information posted on our website at www.hdsb.ca
We will provide more details about how you can share your input in the New Year.
Sincerely,
Stuart Miller, Director of Education, Halton District School Board
 By Staff
October 27th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Thus is one of those event you want to order your ticket for now – they do go quickly.
The Art Gallery has been putting on this event for 20 years – this is the 20th anniversary of an event that has become a favourite fall fundraising event!
 Hundreds of hand made bowls await the guests who take part in the annual Soup Bowl lunch at the Art Gallery The event brings together hundreds of people to select a handmade ceramic bowl and pair it with a gourmet soup from a local restaurant, all for a great cause. Last year we welcomed 900 guests and raised over $30,000
 The set up is very tastefully done – the room sparkles. They do up the space nicely for a lunch that is a bowl of soup.
The funds raised support children’s programming, including Open Studio (a free drop in art centre for kids), diversified program offerings, and financial assistance for youth.
Thursday Nov 24 Lunch – 12pm
Very limited tickets available – call us at 905-632-7796 to purchase
Friday Nov 25 Lunch – 12pm
Very limited tickets available – call us at 905-632-7796 to purchase
Saturday Nov 26 Lunch – 12pm
Individual Tickets: $40 AGB Member, $50 Non-member
Tables of 8: $300 AGB Member, $375 Non-Member
Sunday Nov 27 Lunch – 12pm
Individual Tickets: $40 AGB Member, $50 Non-Member
Tables of 8: $300 AGB Member, $375 Non-Member
 By Pepper Parr
October 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 A safe, secure, confidential place to call with information that will keep our streets safe. Everyone knows what Crime Stoppers is – we see their logo and sort of understand what they do. But has anyone told you the amazing story about how the organization got started – and the fundamental principle behind what Crime Stoppers is all about?
Greg MacAleese, who had just become a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department’s (APD) violent crimes unit, sat down during one of his shifts and started typing up some of his random thoughts. “I started focusing on why we have so much unsolved crime,” he said. “I realized it’s citizens who control the crime rate in any city. We don’t. We just react to it and most crime is solved with their help.”
Think about that – it is the citizens who control the crime rate – the police use the information they get to react to a crime.
MacAleese said eventually he wrote something along the lines of “Why don’t people come forward with information they have about crimes?”
The next logical question, he said, was how we get people to help us solve more crimes.
“They were afraid of retaliation or becoming a target of that criminal,” he said. “I thought if we allow them to remain anonymous they could tell us what they knew.”
 Fingerprinting, DNA and Crime Stoppers are descried as the three most useful tools police have going for them. And so was the beginning of Crime Stoppers, which now exists in every major city in the United States, Canada and countless countries around the world.
 Greg MacAleese, Jerold McGlothin, Myrle Carner and Cal Millar at 40th Crime Stoppers anniversary banquet in Albuquerque. MacAleese recently published a book, co-written by Cal Millar, a former reporter and founding member of Toronto Crime Stoppers and a well know Burlington resident.
“Crime Stoppers: The Inside Story,” celebrates the 40th anniversary of the program by exploring crimes APD solved with Crime Stopper tips. The book is available on Amazon.
The program has become an irreplaceable tool in solving crimes for law enforcement officers and according to the book, a major crime is solved every 14 minutes because of Crime Stoppers tips. Police have recovered $2 billion in stolen property, seized $10 billion worth of drugs, and made more than a million arrests.
MacAleese realized there was a lot of apathy and said: “I knew money talked out on the street so I wanted to include a reward.”
An independent board of citizens was created to raise money for the rewards. MacAleese said initially he received some resistance from the APD with one of his superiors questioning why people should be paid to do their civic duty.
“I told him ‘You have a point,’” he said. ”But the fact is they aren’t.’”
The third and final component of the program, he said, was partnering with local newspapers and television stations to pass along information about unsolved crimes to the public.
Jim Busse was a Captain with APD when MacAleese started floating around the idea of the program. He said Albuquerque was still a “sleepy little town” in many ways but had its share of big-city crime. He said there was some cynicism about the program but that all disappeared when crimes started getting solved.
The idea took off very quickly,” he said. “Not everybody believed it would work. We had seen many programs come and go only to be reinstated with a new administration.”
A crime in July 1976 would give MacAleese the opportunity to launch his program and test its merit. Michael Carmen was a 20-year-old college student working at a gas station in the Southeast Heights in the early morning hours of July 25.
 Michael Carmen, a 20-year-old college student was murdered – that crime was the first crime to be solved through a Crime Stoppers tip. Armed robbers shot Carmen at close range with a .12-gauge shotgun. MacAleese believed they were worried that Carmen could identify them so he was killed to be eliminated as a witness.
Initially the police had no leads. The department put together a re-enactment of the crime that KOAT television broadcast on Sept. 8, 1976. The clip included a hotline number with a promise that all tipsters would stay anonymous.
“The phone started ringing immediately,” he said. “The second call was about a gang rape that happened a month before that we hadn’t been able to solve.”
The caller turned out to be a relative of one of the offenders and the information he gave led to the arrest of the three assailants, who had offered the young woman a ride after her car broke down in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The sixth call, MacAleese said, broke open the Carmen case. A man who happened to live in the area said he recognized the car used in the crime and it belonged to a man in the neighborhood. MacAleese asked him to call back with an address.
A few hours later he did and after some surveillance police arrested Thomas Charles Boone and Lawrence Edward Tate. Boone was acquitted but Tate was found guilty and sentenced to prison for killing Carmen.
MacAleese, 69, now lives in the Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines, where he is an associate pastor. A widower, he traveled there years ago and met the woman who would become his second wife. They have two sons, 5 and 7 years old.
“What happened when my wife told me she was pregnant is that I realized it was a tremendous blessing,” he said. “I made a deal with God, even though that’s not what you are supposed to do, and I said ‘If you provide me with a healthy baby, I’m yours.’”
His first son was healthy and MacAleese dedicated himself to helping others by becoming a pastor.
APD, he said, solved almost 300 crimes the first year with the help of Crime Stoppers tipsters. Word spread and other police departments across the state and the country started establishing similar programs.
“You know we had success instantly,” he said. “They (other officers) would joke about my Crime Stoppers program but after that first broadcast, the guys started coming forward to me with their unsolved cases.”
 Cal Millar wrote a book of his own about Crime Stoppers. He has been very active with the organization in Halton Region. The Halton Chapter of Crime Stoppers gets about 100 tips each month. Of those, 20 are instrumental in solving local crime.
MacAleese was right: it is the citizens who control the crime rate – the police work with what they get from the people they are there to protect.
Cal Millar is part of that group that keeps the Crime Stoppers concept alive – because it works.
By Staff
October 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Do you remember the day you first went to school? It was certainly a different time – we live in a different world.
To start with there are no longer rows of desks.
The Halton District School Board wants to make that transition as smooth as possible. In November and December, future students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend one of five Kindergarten Open Houses to learn more about starting school.
 The years in school will probably be longer than the time they spend in any one job. Drop by any one of the following open houses between 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Georgetown:
Thursday, Nov. 3 – Ethel Gardiner Public School (14365 Danby Road)
Burlington:
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Bruce T. Lindley Public School (2510 Cavendish Dr.)
Milton:
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Tiger Jeet Singh Public School (650 Yates Dr)
Acton:
Tuesday, Nov. 22 – Robert Little Public School (41 School Ln)
Oakville:
Thursday, Dec. 1 – West Oak Public School (2071 Fourth Line)
At the Open House, students and parents will:
• Explore a Kindergarten classroom
• Learn about play-based learning
• Pick up information and resource material in a free backpack
• Access information about community agencies and resources in Halton
• Get information about before and after school care
• Connect with special education staff to discuss any developmental concerns
Children born in 2013 can start Kindergarten in September 2017.
Registration for Kindergarten begins in January 2017 and takes place at the school your child will attend.
View our video to see what you will learn about the Board’s Kindergarten program.
 By Staff
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They are known as the Invasive Shrub Removal Volunteers Thy have been gathering every Saturday since mid-October at the Nature Interpretive Centre on the north side of Cootes Paradise, RBG Arboretum 16 Old Guelph Road, Hamilton ON.
There efforts come to an end November 19th, 2016, 9am to 1pm. RBG staff will provide you with a parking pass for the day*
 Royal Botanical Gardens’ Nature Sanctuaries protect over 900 hectares of woodlands and wetlands. They are an important stopover for migratory birds and a biodiversity hotspot. The health and sustainability of our Nature Sanctuaries is being threatened by non-native, invasive species.
YOU can help RBG’s Natural Lands staff preserve biodiversity by participating in our invasive species removal volunteer events. Volunteers will protect our important interior forest ecosystems by extracting and destroying non-native invasive shrubs.
Remember – Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Please wear closed toed shoes, and bring a portable lunch and water bottle. The RBG will provide water, apple cider, snacks and all of the equipment and training required.
NOTE: Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian sign a volunteer waiver
To RSVP please visit the link to the RBG website below or call 905-527-1158 x257
Cancelations due to inclement weather will be posted on RBG’s Facebook page and tweeted (@RBGCanada).
 By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Hurd Avenue will be closed at Birch Avenue on Wednesday, Oct. 26
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The intersection will be closed to install a new sanitary sewer.
 By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a quickie – took less than ten minutes that included a recorded vote.
City Council voted for the recommendation that came out of the Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee to not Approve the revised application the ADI Development Group put before the city last June.
This was the final step the city is able to take now that the matter is fully in the hands of the Ontario Municipal Board.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward said the proposed ADI Development group plans for the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road was over-development of the property and should not be permitted. The only person to speak to the motion was Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who said the proposal was an over-development of the site. She added that something would be built on the property but that “this wasn’t it”.
Councillors Sharman and Dennison did not attend the council meeting.
Whatever gets built on the property at the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road is now in the hands of the Ontario Municipal Board.
That Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday and Friday of this week for a pre-meeting that will clarify just what is going to be heard at the hearing scheduled for February of 2017
 Mayor Rick Goldring during the Monday Special Council meeting. The motion voted on yesterday was to endorse the staff recommendation to oppose amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law that would be required to permit the revised development proposal as outlined in this report for 374 and 380 Martha Street; and
Direct the City Solicitor and Director of Planning and Building to confirm Council’s opposition to the revised development proposal at the Ontario Municipal Board hearing in this matter.
By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 This crew will probably not be clearing the leaves from your property. A loose leaf collection service is provided to Burlington residents in the fall of each year. This program is in addition to the yard waste collection service provided by Halton Region.
Please follow the guidelines below to help ensure a timely and cost-effective leaf collection program:
 You can print this out and put it on the fridge. Have your loose leaves raked and ready for pickup just prior to the start date for your collection area.
Be mindful of collection dates and avoid raking leaves to the road too early.
Place leaves up to the edge of the curb or roadway (but not on the road) in a loose pile so city equipment can reach them.
Ensure loose leaves are not covering catch basins or in the ditches in front of your home.
Make sure leaves do not contain branches or other debris. Leaves mixed with other waste cannot be collected.
Avoid placing leaves on sidewalks and walkways.
Remove basketball nets, parked vehicles and other obstructions from the road to allow city crews clear access to leaf piles.
Do not place garbage bags, garbage bins, Blue Boxes or GreenCarts on top of loose-leaf piles.
 By Staff
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Local artist and newly appointed Co-President of the Burlington Fine Art Association, Vanessa Cress Lokos invites you to her exhibition, “Suspended.” Vanessa has a lengthy history with the Art Gallery of Burlington as a volunteer, staff and guild member.
The exhibit takes place October 29 – November 28, 2016; opening reception is Sunday November 6, 2:00 – 4:30 pm in the Fireside Lounge / 1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON
 Suspended This body of work speaks to time and to all things suspended, literally and figuratively. Inspired by the diversity of landscape, it’s unnoticed details and the unexpected.
Primarily through the forgotten tradition of glaze oil painting, Vanessa explores luminous colour and depth. Whether derived from open air or first captured with a lens, these paintings compel the viewer to slow their pace and contemplate the beauty around us.
 Vanessa Cress Lokos Vanessa Cress Lokos obtained a BA with a Concentration in Visual Arts from the University of Ottawa. Her travels led her through Europe and eventually to Melbourne, Australia, where she continued to study art, exhibited and sold her work. Vanessa has also exhibited in Georgetown, Mississauga, Toronto, Waterdown, and juried exhibitions in Burlington and Hamilton. Vanessa is a member of a variety of art organizations including the Burlington Fine Arts Association and the Canadian Glaze Oil Society.
An Honourable Mention was awarded to Vanessa and members of the BFAA for a collaborative work at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Her work has been accepted and sold at several AGB live Art Auctions.
 By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a violent world out there – for the most part the average person is protected from it.
The Members of the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) Provincial Anti-Violence Strategy (PAVIS) Team announced that they have arrested 17 individuals as a result of a multi-agency initiative involving six partner police services.
Over the past several weeks, the PAVIS Team has tracked down persons wanted for criminal offences in Ontario and other provinces, specifically Quebec. PAVIS Team officers compiled lists of wanted individuals, confirmed that warrants were still in good standing, and completed backgrounds on intended targets. The HRPS worked closely with the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SVPM) and Crown Attorney’s Office to coordinate arrests of the wanted parties.
Southern Georgian Bay O.P.P., Ottawa Police Service, Service de Police de la Ville de Quebec (SVPQ), and Kingston Police Service assisted in the execution of this project. The HRPS also supported Hamilton Police Service with the return of a wanted party.
All told, eight offenders in Montreal and nine in Ontario were arrested as a result of a three day blitz, which ran from October 17 to 19. They face more than 45 charges, including Assault, Break and Enter, Fraud, Utter Threats to Cause Death, and Breach of Probation.
The project, and the resulting arrests, were made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and will be ongoing through the end of December, 2016.
Follows is a summary of the individuals arrested and associated charges.
Halton Regional Police Service warrants arrested by SVPM:
1. Janvier BETCHLEY (2013) – Theft of Motor Vehicle
2. Sylvain COALLIER (2010) – Break and Enter x 6 (also wanted in Ottawa for Break and Enter, Break and Enter Tools, and Breach of Probation)
3. Guy COALLIER (2010) – Break and Enter x 6 (also wanted in Kingston for Break and Enter, and Mischief Under $5000)
4. Chyan BOWEN (2015) – Unauthorized Use of Credit Card, Fraud Over $5000, Possess Counterfeit x 2, and Failure to Attend Court
5. Bernard THERRIEN (2016) – Unauthorized Use of Credit Card, Fraud Over $5000, Possess Counterfeit x 2, and Failure to Attend Court
6. Ashley JACOBS (2014) – Assault, Breach of Probation, Failure to Comply Undertaking, and Fail to Attend Court
7. Michael CRICK (2015) – Fail to Comply Probation, and Fail to Attend Court (Hamilton warrant)
8. Junior BELLAMY (2013) – Theft of Motor Vehicle
Montreal warrants arrested by Halton Regional Police Service:
1. Jean LAVEAU (1999) – Utter Threats to Cause Death
2. Michael McHENRY (1991) – Break and Enter Intent, Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence
3. Steven POLYNICE (2009) – Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, Breach of Probation, Obstruct, Breach of Recognizance, Utter Threats to Cause Death, and Outstanding Warrants x5
4. Cuong NGUYEN (2009) – Outstanding Warrant x1 (SVPM (2009) for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cannabis, Production of Cannabis (Marihuana). Also faces charges in Guelph for Theft, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime x 2, and Possession Marihuana
5. Thi HOANG (2009) – Outstanding Warrant x1 (SVPM (2009) for Obstruct in relation to Cuong NGUYEN. Also faces charges in Guelph for Theft, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime x 2, and Possession of Marihuana
6. Paul ROARKE (2004) – Theft, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, and Possess Break and Enter Tools
7. Richard SMITH (2013) – Obstruct Justice
8. Peter HONSBERGER (2003) – Credit Card Fraud, and Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence
9. Jonathan DIAS (2005/2006) – Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Fraud, and a Committal Warrant
If anyone has information on wanted parties or parties who are breaching their conditions of their release, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or text Tip201 to CRIMES (274637), or contact Sergeant Paul Harrower (Milton/Halton Hills) at 905-825-4747 ext. 2467, Detective Constable Tim Woollands (Oakville) at 905-825-4747 ext. 2208, and/or Sergeant Dwayne Perron (Burlington) at 905-825-4747 ext. 2387.
The Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (PAVIS) is a multi-agency program run through the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has been participating in this program since 2007.
The most recent submission to the PAVIS program was initiated in 2016 and was approved by the Ministry later that year. The approved funding term concludes on December 31, 2016. The submission that was made and approved is built around the HRPS response to Community Safety Planning in Halton Region.
Strategies include increased resources for weekend/evening patrols of individuals who fail to comply with court-imposed conditions; ensuring compliance through increased checks; stakeholder collaboration with external partners for matters pertaining to the sentencing of offenders, and; additional resources to pursue arrest warrants.
During this funding term, the HRPS will continue partnering with stakeholders to increase organizational and community capacity to prevent and address recidivism through the application of risk-based interventions.
Take a closer look at the reasons for these people being arrested – they are serious offences.
By Pepper Parr
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Should the Halton District School Board trustees decide that the Lester B. Pearson High School should be closed and its students asked to attend M.M. Robinson instead that would bring to an end a school that was created for the community more than forty years ago when the idea of a community school was considered important.
 Great way to get an idea as to just what the alphabet is for the nursery set. The Pearson school was made even more unique when a Co-op nursery program was included. That nursery now provides classes for close to 100 children.
There are morning and afternoon sessions in a setting that will be very very hard to replicate.
Fiona Wielhouwer, with a certificate that is the equivalent to the Canadian Early Childhood Education that she earned in the United Kingdom, is the supervisor who reports to a nine parent volunteer board. That board may have a very serious and perhaps daunting task ahead of them.
 Tucked in at the very back of the high school the nursery has a seperate entrance and a secure well outfitted playground. The nursery co-op was planned as part of a school that would serve the wider community. A school the size of Pearson would normally have two gymnasiums – Pearson has three. The intention right from the beginning was to make the space available to everyone in the community.
The nursery serves as a student placement location for those who think they might want to work in the childhood care field. It is also affiliated with both Sheridan and Mohawk colleges where Early Childhood courses are given.
Fiona Wielhouwer explains that the nursery uses an enquiry based approach to the care they give the children. “We aren’t a drop and run location – we work with the parents and prepare the children for the JK and SK classes they will move on to – during their time with us the children get used to the idea of being away from Mommy for short periods of time and they learn to mix with other children.
The nursery interacts with the high school but administratively it is a separate organization. We do get help from the IT people in the high school and when we need something from the shop people they work with us.
 Portables that were once necessary are now empty – a sign of the enrollment decline. As a community school it works. Pearson was never intended as a large high school. When enrollment exceeded the capacity a bunch of portables were stuck at the front of the school – they are now empty.
When the school was created it was intended as a “lab” school – a place where different ideas would be tested. The co-op nursery in a school has worked out very well. Some of that original thinking seems to have been forgotten and now it is a matter of numbers.
There are now parents who have their children in the nursery – there was a time when they were in the nursery and then attended the high school.
The city is said to have invested some money in the school when it was built and the belief is that the Region supports the nursery financially.
There was a time when there were community clubs in the school – the place was a real community hub – that too seems to have been given up on.
 Current Director of Education for the HDSB, Stuart Miller was once the vice principal at Pearson. The school is now set out as the preferred option of the board staff for closing – the current Director of Education Stuart Miller was once the Vice principal at the school and he knows what kind of a school it is – however, his job requires him to initiate the process of determining if a school should be closed when it falls below 65% of its capacity utilization.
It is now up to the trustees to determine of the school should close – and it is up to the parents to inform the trustees as to what they want.
For the children – this week is all about pumpkins – especially the ghost pumkins.
 By Staff
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
More public art.
 The public art painted on the King Road grade separation a number of years ago was done by Judy Mayer-Grieve and was reasonably well accepted. A new program through Burlington Public Art – the Park Marker Program will be drawing on the success of the Burlington Mural Project, which commissions local artists to create murals.
Additional detail on the mural project has been added to the end of this article.
 Teresa Seaton did the art work that is in Amherst Park park next to a community garden. The art has been tempered and will easily withstand the winter weather. The Park Marker Program will focus on public art sculpture.
This annual program will commission artists to create small-scale sculptures in neighbourhood parks throughout the city. These commissions are open exclusively to artists residing in Burlington, Ont. Applicants do not need previous public art and/or sculpture experience to apply to this program.
Applications are due Monday, December 12, 2016.
About the Park Marker Program
Applications for the 2016 program are now open! Please visit the Calls for Artists page to download the Request for Proposals and access the online application system.
There will be a workshop on Saturday, November 12, 2016, Time: 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Central Library, Holland Room, 2331 New Street that will give you helpful insight into planning your project and preparing a great submission that will get you noticed by the jury.
The workshop will start with a brief overview of the Park Marker program and 2016/17 projects followed by a session led by artist Matthew Walker. Matthew will give helpful tips and tricks on preparing your submission and the steps you need to take to conceptualize your project. Following a brief break, public art fabricator Mike Bilyk will lead a session exploring material choices for outdoor sculpture and pointers on working with a fabricator.
This workshop is FREE and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Tuesday November 8th by visiting https://parkmarker.eventbrite.com
Workshop Facilitators
Matthew Walker: Matthew Walker is a Hamilton artist whose sculpture-based practice incorporates diverse technical approaches to object-making in public spaces. He has been involved in the production of public art in a range of capacities, including designing public calls, adjudication, receiving commissions, and engaging with other artists in the field as a technical mentor and advisor. For over a decades and a half, Matthew’s work as a facilitator has exposed him to a diversity of practices and conceptual approaches to art making that reflect the expansive experiences that are possible in the creation of public work.
During this workshop Matthew will provide insight into the processes behind the commissioning of artwork. How are calls for public art designed? How does the commissioning process take shape? What are some of the criteria that are considered when assessing a submission? Emerging artists seeking to enter the field of public art will find this discussion useful as they reflect on what approaches they may take in designing their work for public space, and, how to prepare an application.
Matthew’s current and previous work experiences includes being a member of The Town of Banff’s Public Art Committee, Supercrawl’s Curatorial Committee and as the Sculpture Facilitator at the Banff Centre’s international residency program. Matthew is currently working on a public commission for Artfarms in Buffalo, NY. You can look at what this artist does at – https://matthewwalkersculpture.carbonmade.com
Mike Bilyk is the President of Lafontaine Ironwerks, a custom metal fabrication and installation company located in Tiny, Ontario. Over the past 16 years, Lafontaine Ironwerks have developed a unique specialty in working with artists to develop and deliver complex public art projects. Mike and his team have worked with numerous internationally renowned artists including: Douglas Coupland, Michel DeBroin, John McEwan and Vito Acconci. Lafontaine Ironwerks works closely with artists from concept through to finished product to ensure the utmost in quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
For this workshop, Mike will give workshop participants a behind-the-scenes look into some of the large-scale projects produced by Lafontaine Ironwerks. Mike will also cover material choices and installation techniques for outdoor public art sculpture as well as helpful tips and tricks to consider when working with a fabricator.
https://www.liwi.ca
One-on-one Application Review Sessions: November 30, 2016, Times: 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.*
Location: Burlington City Hall (426 Brant St.)
Artists preparing a submission to the Park Marker program may book a 30-minute session with the Public Art Manager to review a draft of their application package and get constructive feedback.
Attendance is optional and appointments must be booked in advance. To book an appointment please contact: Kim Selman, kim@cobaltconnects.ca or 905-548-0111
The first round of public art was a collection of paintings in public places. The city’s public art adviser ran a juried competition and the following six people were selected:
 Tamara Kwapich did the mural in Orchard Community Park; once the location for some of the best apple orchards in the province. • Judy Mayer-Grieve: King Road Underpass, Ward 1
• Claire Hall: Freeman Station, Ward 2
• Teresa Seaton: Amherst Park, Ward 3
• Hannah Sell and Liam Racine: Port Nelson Park, Ward 4
• Tamara Kwapich: Orchard Community Park, Ward 5
• Donna Grandin: Ireland Park, Ward 6
 Hannah Sell and Liam Racine did the art work that is located in the small Port Nelson Park where it will be seen by thousands. There was a time when tonnes of timber was shipped from a wharf at the foot of the park.
By Staff
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
We ran a piece a number of weeks ago about the high number of traffic tickets handed out in the Waterdown Road part of the city. The reaction from our readers was interesting.
The work the police are doing isn’t going to end – Halton Regional Police officers from 30 Division have been running two traffic initiatives across the City of Burlington throughout 2016.
 Operation RISC (Reducing Intersection Safety Concerns) has been in effect since 2015 by officers from 30 Division, in order to maximize police visibility and increase the public’s perception of safety while driving.
Collisions at intersections have a high risk potential of serious injuries or even death, making intersection safety a priority for the Halton Regional Police. The most common contributing factors are inattentiveness, distracted driving (cell phone use), failing to yield, driving too fast for road conditions, following too closely and disobeying traffic light signals.
The Halton Regional Police have also continued the Residential Traffic/Stop Sign/Speeding (RTSS) Initiative in order to deliver a clear message to drivers that our residential roads are not raceways. This traffic safety initiative was designed to increase compliance of stop signs. Police have utilized education and enforcement strategies throughout 2016 in order to reduce the speeds of vehicles travelling on residential roadways and to promote safer driving habits.
During the first 9 months of 2016, officers in Burlington conducted 8,137 traffic stops, issued 7,937 Provincial Offences Notices and handed out more than 400 warnings to drivers. Furthermore, Halton Police spent a total of 3,167 hours dedicated to these 2 initiatives throughout Burlington.
Police will continue to focus their efforts on intersections that pose a higher risk to the public based on past collision analytic data. “Accidents can be prevented if all drivers slowed down and were less distracted behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Jared McLeod, District Response Unit.
Halton Regional Police is committed to reducing motor vehicle collisions in an effort to provide a safer community. Halton Regional Police is further committed to reducing dangerous and aggressive driving behaviours that put all road users at risk. Operation RISC and Residential Traffic/Stop Sign/Speeding (RTSS) will continue throughout the City of Burlington.
If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern they can do so by visiting the HRPS website and submitting an online traffic complaint:
https://www.haltonpolice.ca/services/reporting/trafficcomplaints.php
 By Pepper Parr
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an Ontario Arts Council workshop where valuable guidance on applying to the OAC’s Visual Artists grants program for individual artists is available. They can answer any questions you may have about applying for funding.
 Taking place at Hamilton Artists Inc., 155 James Street North, Hamilton, Ontario. Attendance is free but registration in advance is requested by Wednesday November 2 at 5:00pm.
It is being put on by the Hamilton Arts Council Visual Arts Committee – no reason why someone from Burlington can’t attend.
There is also the November 22 deadline of the Visual Artists: Emerging program is one of the few OAC programs selected as a pilot for a new online grant application system. This session will highlight some of the changes artists will see online, and provide some information on further Visual Arts program updates coming up in 2017.
To learn more about these upcoming changes, visit https://www.arts.on.ca/Page6375.aspx
Attendance is free but registration in advance is requested by Wednesday November 2 at 5:00pm.
 By Don Graves
October 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
I’ve been painting landscapes for the past 20 years. Prior to that I served as the Dean of Art at Sheridan College and later as the Dean of Art and Business at George Brown College. Incongruous as that sounds, art is a business and business certainly includes art.
 Don Graves – showing a piece of art to a potential client – they bought. My quick guide to buying art: if you see something that draws you in, something that ‘speaks to you’, a piece that has triggered your imagination… then you’re establishing a relationship with an artist and their work. I buy art from the person who created it. This isn’t full proof, it just works for me.
Where can you see and purchase fine art and fine craft?
• An art gallery. Big, small, located in major urban centres, nestled in seasonal tourist locations.
• The artist’s home studio and website. And the new variation, the gallery-studio.
• The auction—big time, fast paced, frenzied six-seven figure bidding down to small local silent auctions for good cause fund raising.
• The local art show-tour: one of the best, informal sources for art in homes or offices.
I’ve done all of the above and here’s why the local art show and local studio tour is my go-to choice.
 Don Graves – expounding on what art is all about. Understanding the business of buying art.
1. Artist cost: rent, paint, frames, brushes, website… and commission that can reach 50% and higher. (For an artist to recover $500.00, a gallery price hits at least $1000.00). Art shows and studio tours charge a contained rental fee. Like most artists, I want to see my work on your walls and art shows make that affordable for the artist and the buyer.
2. I want to meet you, talk about art, listen to you, and perhaps even paint. An informal atmosphere, with a coffee, is ideal.
3. What is art worth? Such a loaded word…worth. In the final analysis it is worth what someone will pay for it. A local show-tour offers the most purchase flexibility: prices with no jumbo-sized commissions, a reasonable price with payment terms.
4. “Damn, it’s sold. Look for it…and act.” The art show is an ideal place for that. I’m not suggesting buy in haste, repent at leisure. I am saying, buying art is based on what moves you, captures your imagination. A buyer needs to listen to their soul and act. I’ve had one buyer in 3 years come back to me saying they’d made a mistake. Do I want a painting on a wall where it is not wanted? I know few artists who do. I took the painting back and the buyer chose another piece.
The Burlington Studio tour is a unique opportunity. A studio tour is a rare opportunity to glimpse inside a working studio, a bit like my second choice on where to buy. You are where the action is, be it wood turning, painting, stained glass, jewellery, pottery. All fine art and fine craft, individually designed and created.
The 2016 Art in Action tour takes place November 5th and 6th.
 A collection of Graves’ art displayed in the Fireside Room at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Burlington is home to two exciting variations on this theme. Teresa Seaton’s Stained Glass studio and gallery and Gallery 2, with painters Anne Moore, Cheryl Goldring and Don Graves plus guests. The art of creation open to you…from inspiration, design, sketch, create to sell.
A closing thought; An art show-tour is a mix and mingle recipe. Couples, families, artists, location, fresh air, funky food…something special happens.
 By Pepper Parr
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a team of four people, Dania Thurman, Michael Kukhta, Lynn Crosby and David Sykes, who rely heavily on parents from Central High School that are putting together the argument for keeping Central High open.
 At a Central high school parents meting they identified some of the issues that needed to be researched. At their most recent strategy – planning meeting, they wrote out a list of topics they need to research to make their case for keeping the high school open.
The topics have been assigned to different attendees at the meeting who volunteered to look at them. The leadership team believes there are many more “out there” who can also help out with the research and who might have additional topics that need to be researched.
Set out below are the topics they have identified. They expect that as the research work progresses some will naturally merge with others. If anyone has any information, articles or research on one of these topics (or any other) to share with the group as a whole, send it along to them at: info@centralstrong.ca If you would like to add your name to one of the topics and be connected with the person doing it please email them so introductions can be made.
What will they do with this research? They want to ensure that their trustees on the PAR Committee have it, so they can present it and use it at the committee meetings and use it in letters to the committee during the public input sessions.
People can use any of this research to present at the 5-minute “public delegation” sessions to the trustees that are scheduled for April 18, 2017 and any other meetings where delegations are allowed. Their objective is to convince trustees that closing Central is not the best option.
 The trustees will make the final decision next May. Parents are going to have to work with their trustees and convince them of the merits of the arguments they put forward. “It is important that Trustees receive letters on any of these topics or other factors you feel will make an impact. Simply explaining your own personal thoughts on why Central is so important to you and your family is also very important, ” suggested the team leaders.
The Program Accommodation Review (PAR) process begins officially on December 1 with an orientation session that will take place in each high school.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Robert Bateman HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Nelson HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday, November 3, 2016 Aldershot HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thursday, November 3, 2016 Burlington Central HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Monday, November 14, 2016 Lester B. Pearson HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monday, November 14, 2016 M.M. Robinson HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
These is just orientation sessions – there will be no Q&A. Just the facts as the HDSB sees it all.
The first public meeting is on December 8.
The PAR Committee (with two representatives) will work through January, February and March.
A second public meeting will be held on March 2.
The Director will then prepare a report with all of the compiled feedback.
April 18 will be another public delegation night.
The BCHS parent group wants to see a big turnout of supporters at all of the public sessions. The final report will be presented to the Board of Trustees on May 3 and they will vote on it on May 17.
The BCHS goal is to show the Board why their recommended option is the wrong one.
Here are the topics the BCHS parents are going to research. The list may expand and some of the topics may merge.
 Some of the issues to be looked into that came out of a BCHS parent meeting. – Accessibility issues – Cheryl
– Partnerships – Shawna
– School Profiles (SIPs) – Maureen – this is a vital one and Maureen will likely need group input with this
– Transportation/bussing – Kevin
– Benefits of small schools – Heather
– City Strategic plan – Marianne
– Urban Growth Centre – Marianne
– Data collection/missing data/incorrect data – Mike Matich
– History of BCHS – Deborah and Lynn
– Market Share of Students – Deborah and Lynn
– Impact on 7/8 Students – Theresa and Dania
– Number of Seats Available vs. used – data – Stacey
– Socioeconomic Impact – Dania and Paul
– Alternate Options – Emil
– Fundraising/Alumni Support (compared to other schools) – Theresa and Laura
– The Process – Josie, Allison
– Appeal Process – Mike, Allison
– Ministry Funding Formula – Josie, Lynn and Deborah
– Special Programs at BCHS – Courtney and Karen
– Projected Numbers/Data – Andrew
– Costs/Capital – Phil and Todd
– Challenging Board Assumptions – Josie (other research on other topics will feed into this)
Other topics that should be considered as recommended by Terry Ruf and others include:
– Catholic Board PAR/LTAP interaction
– Strengths of Grade 7-12 schools
– Advantages of unified cohorts coming from feeder schools
There were 19 options identified. The Board staff chose to go forward with Option 19 however the PARC is free to use any other option or a mix of several options. The options were possibilities as the board staff saw things.
Option 13 makes a statement about unified cohorts, acknowledging this advantage, yet Option 19 will see split cohorts coming out of Central Public and Tom Thompson (depending what happens to the 7/8) as well as FI students from Pineland
 A Tim Hortons is considered part of a “complete community” Should the high school actually close – the revenue stream at this Tim Hortons is going to take a big hit. – Community School culture – Terry Ruf sees this in Central but is not sure all the high schools has what Central has. Central is suffering from some tunnel vision on this one. Pearson has a culture every bit as rich as Central.
– Central does have a unique configuration its Jk to graduation is unique. Does it limit the horizons of a student who does every day of their public school education in one location?
There is a lot of work to be done – and the parents at Central are well into it.
 The parents at Pearson have begun their work – they do have some catching up to do and they do have a very unique situation to deal with: – The Co-op nursery that has been part of that school for more than 40 years which the Gazette will report on.
 By Pepper Parr
October 24th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A Fable…
Some thought it was a difficult decision to make – others thought the decision shouldn’t have been made at all – but it was too late for that.
The event was going to take place and the best they could all do was duck.
They were all basically decent people who lived in a prosperous community close to an international city. Geography had blessed them all. The land to the north wasn’t mountainous but there were nice rises of land in one part of the city with a fresh water lake at the southern edge.
The local hospital was the biggest employer. The wealthiest people tended to do their business in a city less than an hour away.
The city had its share of service clubs; it had the marks of the early stages of a local culture.
It once had a rich rural, cash crop history that tended to get forgotten.
And it had a number of very successful people who would, when pressed, write large cheques that their accountants and tax advisors assured them came with good tax benefits.
It was a community that held several galas that raised funds for the usual causes: poverty, mental health and youth that were in conflict with society.
Its local political leadership was what it was – not sterling but not corrupt. From time to time they made expensive mistakes but for the most part the rate payers were a forgiving lot.
Significant wealth tends to work its way towards philanthropy – those who have more than they are ever going to spend get known for the practice of writing large cheques – with the attendant tax benefits.
Once one philanthropist has been named – the challenge is to find others. And if the practice is to name a philanthropist every year – it can become a challenge. Sometimes the committee that is tasked with finding that person gets it perfect – on other occasions – well it doesn’t work out all that well.
A name is put forward – the person certainly has the funds – now to get them to give it to you. The name is a prominent one. The process of making contact and then doing the ask goes well enough. The funds are agreed upon and the prominent person agrees to let his or her name stand.
And another philanthropist is locked down.
Then the news stories come to the surface. The chair of the organization says he didn’t know. Ohers knew but thought it was low key enough to slide by. And they all cross their fingers and hope nothing will be said.
The question that gets asked is – which is the more important: a set of social values or coming up with a prominent name and a successful fund raising event ?
It depends on how tightly you want to hold your nose.
Prominent people with colourful backgrounds or questionable business dealings get fondly remembered when there is a tombstone with their name on it. They become part of the folk lore of the community – and people who never even saw the person will tell you of the conversations they used to have with the now deceased.
It is when the behavior is recent, still ongoing, perhaps still before the courts, that it gets awkward. Who knew ask the members of the committee – and now that they do know – what do they do?
Duck and hope no one raises the awkward question? Or look for a way to suggest to the nominee that he or she might find a passable reason to have to decline. The cheque will still be in the mail – but the name won’t get used.
Is there a lesson learned?
Who in a society sets the social values? There was a time when there were churches on many street corners that were well attended and the clergy set the tone. Or there was a citizen of exceptional standing who was a truly decent person who put city before self.
They are out there – just hard to find one every year to name as the philanthropist.
Perhaps the definition of philanthropy should be broadened to include people who are not wealthy
This group chose to duck – unfortunate.
By Pepper Parr
October 24, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Vince Molinaro, president of the Molinaro Group had a bunch of people over for lunch last week – 40 of them to be exact – mostly fellow developers who can pack a lunch, if you know what I mean.
They were on an Ontario Home Builders Association tour of developments that were part of what have come to be known as hubs – places where different forms of transportation come together: Go trains and buses, transit, cars, bicycles and those who choose to walk.
 Burlington has identified four different locations for mobility hubs. while they haven’t officially determined which location they will start with the Molinaro Group has started construction on their five building Paradigm project. Municipalities are looking at the idea of making these hopes the focus of development opportunities.
Burlington has identified four such hubs.
While the city was doing its identification thing – the Molinaro group was digging a big hole in the ground and are not at the tenth floor of the west building of what is going to be a five structure project with an average height of 20 storeys just a bit over a stone’s throw from the GO station on Fairview east of Brant Street
 The West tower of the five building Paradigm project has reached the tenth floor level. They are at the 85% SOLD level on two of the five towers that will average 20 storeys each. The association says the population of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is expected to reach more than 10 million by 2041, and most of the growth — 79 per cent — will take place outside Toronto: in York, Durham, Peel, Halton and Hamilton.
This is a “historic moment for city building,” the association says, with an anticipated $32 billion in rapid transit expenditures over the next 10 to 15 years.
The 40 developers, members of the association and other interested people set off on a daylong excursion last Thursday that started in Port Credit before heading to Paradigm Condos adjacent to the Burlington GO station. From there, they continued to Hamilton’s West Harbour.
 Vince Molinaro – president of the Molinaro Group and a former president of the Ontario Home Builders Association Molinaro, whose Molinaro Group is the developer of the Burlington condominium project, says mobility hubs around GO stations are rich with possibilities but bring unique challenges.
A mobility hub is a term used to describe housing and commercial intensification around transportation nodes, such as GO stations. It creates opportunities for commuters to get around without relying on automobiles. The hubs are seen as a way to help with gridlock.
Molinaro says the municipal government in Burlington has been supportive of his project because the developer and city planners are on the same page when it comes to housing intensification. But with the development being so close to the railway tracks, his company has had to deal with numerous requirements from CN.
We had to construct a five-foot-thick, concrete wall between the tracks and the towers to help protect residents in case of a derailment.
 That is a five foot thick concrete crash wall that the railway authorities required between the development and the railway tracks. The track also required a 30-metre easement that cannot be used for residential space. More liability insurance was required than normal because of the five-tower project’s proximity to the tracks. Rather than $10 million, they needed $100 million.
Despite all of that, he says, the development is proceeding well. Construction on the west tower has reached the 10th floor, and a late summer opening is planned for next year. Work has also started on two other towers.
About 85 per cent of the units in the first two towers have been sold, Molinaro says. The buildings vary in height, but average 20 storeys. The final two to be built will have commercial and office space along with residential.
 By Pepper Parr
October 24th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Would a Tour of homes, beautifully decorated for the holiday season be complete without something in Roseland?
The Hamilton Burlington Junior League has included a beautiful, older home, typical of the Roseland neighbourhood in the tour this year.
 One of the homes that makes Roseland the community it is – this is not one of the homes on the tour. You need to buy a ticket to learn where you will be going. The 5500 sq. ft house has been renovated to have all of the modern amenities but has kept the character of the original house.
The home is the largest one on the tour this year. It is very unique, in that the renovation and the decorating are both being done, in conjunction with the homeowners, by one decorator/builder. Marnie Warman of Interior Design House and her team at IDH Build group have worked with the homeowners to renovate this beautiful home.
Traditionally Junior League Home Tours have involved several decorators.
The main floor is open concept, featuring a beautiful kitchen-great room combination with two islands, allowing ease of preparation and serving when entertaining a larger group. It also allows everyone to be able to move around without feeling that they are missing out on another part of the party. The other important feature of this home is the completely renovated master suite that has been added over the garage. This space will give the parents a beautiful place to relax and escape to at the end of the day.
Putting together this annual Junior League event calls for a level of organization that is handled by co-chairs Diane Brown and Iris Hughes. Each house is assigned a team of “reps” that makes sure everything comes together; that the home owner is fully involved and that the different decorators are coordinated so that everything is the way they all wanted it to look like when the doors are opened to the public.
 From the left: Fonda Loft, Anne-Louise Watts and Emily Stewart. The reps for the Roseland Home are Fonda Loft, Anne-Louise Watts and Emily Stewart.
Tickets are available online for $25 each. CLICK HERE to get to the ticket ordering location.
There are opportunities to help out. If you think the Junior League is something that might interest you – tip your toe in the water and give Diane Brown a call at- divinepresents@gmail.com – – she would love to talk to you.
By Staff
October 24, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is that time of year again – needle in the arm. The province is reminding people to protect themselves and get their flu shot.
The free flu vaccine will be available in Ontario starting this week, so that people can better protect themselves against the flu virus and stay healthy.
 Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon, and now Minister of Tourism, Sport and Culture getting her flu shot last year. The vaccine will be available at doctor’s offices, local public health units and community immunization clinics. Anyone five years of age and older can also be vaccinated for free by trained pharmacists at approximately 2,600 pharmacies across the province.
Influenza is a serious respiratory infection that can lead to hospitalization and even death. It’s important to get the flu shot every year to protect yourself, and those around you. Children under five, pregnant women and seniors are especially at risk of getting seriously ill from the flu. The vaccine is very safe and helps to protect against the most common strains of the virus.
People are also reminded to take everyday measures to protect themselves from the flu:
• Clean your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve, not your hand
• Clean and disinfect surfaces often, such as countertops, telephones and keyboards; flu viruses can live on surfaces for up to eight hours
In 2015-16, approximately 2,500 participating pharmacies administered more than 869,000 doses of publicly funded influenza vaccine.
The flu vaccine is offered free of charge to anyone over the age of six months who either lives, works, or goes to school in Ontario.
Children and youth between the ages of five and 17 years can get the flu vaccine as an injection or nasal spray at a health care provider’s office, local public health unit or at a participating pharmacy.
Kids under five years of age must get the flu vaccine at a health care provider’s office or participating public health unit.
 Former Burlington MPP Jane McKenna got her annual flu shot from Anita Sahu at the Rexall Pharmacy on Guelph Line. A number of years ago when this program was introduced the Gazette went along to one of the pharmacies giving the free flu shots. Jane McKenna was the MPP at the time. when she arrived at the pharmacy she said hello and asked why I was there and I said I was going to take a picture of her getting her flue shot. “You know they put the needle into your bum – don’t you – and that’s the picture I want. McKenna’s jaw dropped but her daughter, who was with her took the fun out of the comment when she said: “Mom – he’s pulling your leg.”
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