By Pepper Parr
September 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
City council will return to meeting in the council camber – and in the very near future – they will begin to look at the budgets they have to put in place for the 2016/17 fiscal year.
The numbers available at this point in time don’t look very encouraging.
Human Resources costs are up 2.8% primarily due to increases to union and non‐union compensation.
Operating/Minor Capital Equip. The 0.6% increase is primarily due to higher electricity rates and increased costs for parts and equipment. These increases are partially offset by lower expenses on general office equipment.
Purchased Services Decrease of 0.9% is attributable to lower external service requirements. These savings are partially offset by higher computer, software and vendor hosted solutions as well as increased snow removal expenses.
Corp. Expenditures/Provisions Increase of 6.7% is mostly due to the infrastructure renewal levy and debt charges incurred for the accelerated renewal program. Additionally debt charges for the Joseph Brant Hospital are offset from the reserve fund (offset by recovery in General Revenues & Recoveries).
Controllable Revenues are down 0.6% due to realignment of Transit Fare revenue to be in line with actual receipts, which is is partially offset by improved revenues in other services.
General Revenues & Recoveries The increase of 4.2% in General Revenues & Recoveries is mostly due to increase in Hydro dividend and Federal Grants, in addition to a recovery for debt charges from Joseph Brant Hospital reserve fund.
Business Cases The 2016 Proposed Budget includes 16 City business cases totaling $438K. They include proposals to address climate change (stormwater water drainage), enhanced bylaw enforcement, community investment and reduced seniors’ transit fare.
Additionally there are two business cases proposed by the Burlington Performing Arts Centre totaling $188K for community engagement and enhanced customer service.
A graphic of the spending shows where the city feels they need to spend your dollars.
Infrastructure, salaries & wages and tucking money into the reserve funds are where additional funds are needed.
Increases in the 4% plus range are hard to swallow when inflation is running at less than 2%
There are going to be some interesting discussions around the council table in the months ahead.
The steps staff and council will take to get a budget passed is as follows:
- Capital Budget Overview November 21, 2016
- Capital Council Information Session November 24, 2016
- Public Engagement July – November 2016
- Capital Budget Review December 8, 2016
- Operating Budget Overview December 8, 2016
- Operating Council Information Session December 15, 2016
- Council Capital Budget Approval December 19, 2016
- Operating Budget Review January 19, 2017
- Council Operating Budget Approval January 23, 2017
By Pepper Parr
September 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It has taken a while and it isn’t perfect but it is better.
However, it does take a couple of minutes to figure out just how you get information on city council meetings.
The new Council agenda and minutes software is out there for you to play with.
The public now has better access to the staff reports and the web casts of council meetings – it would be really nice if they improved the production values of the web broadcasts – better camera are needed.
“The new online software will make it easier for people to access and share Council information,” said Danielle Pitoscia, manager of committee and election services. “This is important for residents as it is vital we provide Council and Committee documents through an open, accessible and transparent process.”
New or improved features for residents include:
• Shareable links to documents
• Improved search function
• Improved video streaming
• Videos time stamped and linked directly to agenda item
• Complements efforts toward paper reduction
• Compatible with Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer
You might find it useful to print this out – you will need to refer to it until you get the hang of just how the new software works.
This is what the computer monitor should look like if you want to see what is taking place at a city Standing Committee on September 12th. It takes a little getting used to – it is an improvement over what there was before.
The Gazette hasn’t had a chance to experience the web broadcasts of the different council meetings. They meet next week for the first time since July – maybe the cameras they are using have been improved as well
Agendas, minutes and videos from January 2009 to June 2016 can be found on www.Burlington.ca/agendasandminutes.
Agendas, minutes and videos from July 2016 onward can be found on the City Meeting Calendar at www.burlington.ca/calendar.
To access agendas, minutes and videos on the City Meeting Calendar:
1. Visit burlington.ca/calendar
2. Filter your search by selecting “City Meetings” from the calendar dropdown menu
3. Select either “Council” or “Council Standing Committee” from the category dropdown menu. You may choose to refine your search further using the date and keyword(s) features
4. Click “Search” to display your selections
5. Click on the title of a particular meeting to view details of that meeting
If you wish to request documents in alternative format or with communication supports, contact the Clerks Department at 905-335-7600, ext. 7698.
On a related matter – city council is going to debate the use of software that would automatically record votes taken by council – THAT is a much needed improvement. Transparency and public accountability are finding a place at city hall.
By Staff
September 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Twiss Road will be closed for traffic between Derry Road and Kilbride Street from Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 at 7 a.m. to Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 at 7 p.m. for Union Gas construction activities.
Union Gas is laying down a pipeline across the top of the city.
Please follow the detour route:
1. From the north, traffic will be directed east on Derry Road to Guelph Line, then south to the No. 8 Side Road and west to Twiss Road.
2. From the south, traffic will be directed east on No. 8 Side Road to Guelph Line, then north to Derry Road and west to Twiss Road.
For more information, please contact:
Susan Cudahy
Community Liaison
Union Gas Limited
Phone: 289-237-0068
scudahy@uniongas.com
By Staff
September 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Transit has issued an update on the routes 1 and 101 – they are dealing with Hamilton’s Supercrawl.
During Hamilton’s Supercrawl event, Routes 1 and 101 will be detoured from September 9 (from 10 a.m.) through to September 11, 2016. York Blvd from Bay to Hughson Streets and James Street from King to Strachan will be closed.
During Hamilton’s Supercrawl event, Routes 1 and 101 will be detoured from September 9 (from 10 a.m.) through to September 11, 2016. York Blvd from Bay to Hughson Streets and James Street from King to Strachan will be closed.
Bus stops within the road closure area will be bagged. For service, please proceed to bus stops on King Street or Bay Street at Vine.
By Pepper Parr
September 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A number of years ago there was an award given for the nicest garden in the city – at one point it was known as the Mayor’s Rose Award or something to that effect.
At the time the Mayor wasn’t comfortable with the gardening award having his office attached to it.
The City of Burlington was one of these sponsors, contributing the prestigious “Mayor’s Cup” and providing the committee with a city facility (for some years now the Tansley Woods Center’s large room) for its awards evening, which draws some two hundred attendees.
This award used to be called the Mayor’ Cup.
The name of the award was changed to Burlington Civic Rose Award. An award that had a history and a tradition got away on the Mayor – or rather he didn’t understand the social value of these things. He does now – thus the two new awards.
Maybe the Mayor will develop a green thumb and do kissy kissy make up with the gardener’s?
After a term and a half in office the Mayor has figured it out – people want this kind of expression of approval coming from the Office of the Mayor.
He now has two awards that are given in his name:
Mayor’s Community Service Awards and the Mayor’s Sustainable Green Business Award.
The Mayor’s Community Service Awards recognize social responsibility demonstrated by for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
The Mayor’s Sustainable Green Business Award honours sustainable business practices.
“These awards provide a meaningful opportunity to recognize outstanding organizations and businesses that make our city a great place to live and work,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring.
Nominations for both are now open.
Submit your nomination and help us celebrate the people who go above and beyond every day in our community.”
Brandon Wagner – a formidable wheelchair basket ball player being recognized by Mayor Goldring and Councillor Paul Sharman
Last year’s Mayor’s Community Service Award recipient was Special Olympics Burlington. The Mayor’s Sustainable Green Business Award was presented to Mountain Equipment Co-op – Burlington. Both safe awards – who can raise an eyebrow over either of these?
The nomination deadline is Oct. 3, 2016. The awards will be presented on April 6, 2017 at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Gala.
For a full list of criteria or to submit a nomination, visit the Burlington Chamber of Commerce website at: https://www.burlingtonchamber.com/events/business-awards-gala.
Related news story:
By Pepper Parr
September 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
That nice weather; that couple of days that were livable – they were just a week ago weren’t they?
The blistering heat on Wednesday was unrelenting – late in the afternoon there were some magnificent cloud formations which foretold of a weather system developing.
This is where the weather comes from.
Then sure as Thursday follows Wednesday Conservation Halton tells us that the Environmental people tell them that we are in for some heavy rain.
Here’s the word from Conservation Halton:
Environment Canada has issued a thunderstorm watch for areas including Halton Hills, Milton, Burlington and Oakville. Local forecasts are predicting additional rainfall overnight and throughout Thursday morning. The additional rainfall combined with previous amounts totaling up to 35 mm in some areas may result in higher than normal water levels and flows in local streams and flooding of low lying areas.
Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to stay away from watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary.
This is when there is too much rain
Conservation Halton will issue an update to this Watershed Condition Statement – Water Safety Statement only if significant changes in the forecasts occur. This Watershed Condition Statement will be in effect through Thursday September 8, 2016.
There you have it – wet on Thursday. Careful in the traffic for those of you who are driving.
By Ray Rivers
September 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario’s Auditor (AG) had stated that electricity costs in Ontario exceeded the ‘market price’ by $37 billion, almost $4 billion a year. What on earth can that mean? Is this evidence that the provincial government is wasting our money?
Turns out the so-called ‘market price’ is a pretty imperfect instrument, an artificial value, given that the big sellers, OPG and Hydro One still dominate Ontario’s energy scene. And since the hydro and nuclear installations have already been paid-for or are part of the massive historical debt, these fixed cost assets don’t even figure into this market price.
Think of Ford Motors selling its cars for only the cost of the steel and labour that goes into making them because somebody else has paid for building and running its car plants. If the value of the fixed costs and the contracts securing long term energy supply were included in Ontario’s energy system, it would look more like a real market, the bids making up the ‘market price” would be higher, and the $37 billion residual would be much less.
That $37 billion comes with an unfortunate name, Global Adjustment fee – a catch-all phrase, a residual that covers the difference between those imperfect market prices and all the other payments the power companies need in order to stay in business and keep the electrons flowing and the lights on. Many of these costs are based on contracts, some of which go back in time to the break-up of Ontario Hydro back in the late nineties.
The most problematic of the contracts for the Auditor General were the open-ended ones, where the generator can sell all the power produced, even if there is a glut in the system – thus the criticism about paying energy companies to dump their power and selling at a loss. These contracts were either written in the days when energy shortages seemed more inevitable than gluts, or were designed for smaller generators who, for simplicity, are constrained by the capacity of their technology – rather than by market demand.
Ontario’s electric transmission system, along with railway lines cut right through the city.
But even with the global adjustment added in, Ontario’s energy situation is hardly a calamity. In fact the overall price of electricity in Ontario, including global adjustment, is not out of whack with that south of the border after exchange rates, where even more competitive electricity markets do exist and the fixed costs are included. And despite the steady rise in Ontario’s electricity bills, Los Angeles, Boston and New York residents pay more.
Coal mine – Ontario has at least stopped generating turbines that produce electricity through the burning of coal.
And the kicker – the Auditor almost ignored that Ontario has stopped burning cheap coal, unlike those operators in some other parts of Canada and stateside. Closing down the single largest source of greenhouse gases in the entire country should be worth at least a positive footnote. And in that vein it was unfair of her (the AG) to blame Hydro One for its faltering five year transmission system reliability, given that huge 2013 ice storm, the biggest in history which shut off power for over a week in some cases, was itself a consequence of our changing climate.
The right-wing media, and their stable of anti-renewable energy neocons, had been grumbling about energy management long before the AG gave her report, but she has emboldened them with her misleading and lopsided reporting. Most recently there was another letter in the National Post from a one of the solar power, advocates, lambasting the very program that butters his bread. He thinks there is too much money going into building renewable energy capacity, except for the solar producers he represents, that is.
So is the Province acquiring too much electricity generating capacity and is that why energy rates keep rising? It’s more complicated than that. But having slain the coal dragon, if the province wants to avoid simply substituting gas emissions for coal emissions it needs to strengthen its renewable component. That is at least until it has found some way to store the excess energy which gets produced on a sunny and windy day, such as converting that energy to hydrogen gas, to be used in stand-by hydrogen electric fuel cells.
Burlington Hydro leased an electric car for city Councillors to use – they provided the electricity as well. The data collected was needed to get some sense as to what average usage would be.
And if electric vehicles (EV) really capture the imagination of the motoring public, the demand for electrical vehicle plug-ins could be exploding in the near future – so better to plan for an excess rather than a shortage of power. By the way, higher energy prices haven’t been all bad. They have provided a huge incentive to develop and implement more energy-saving technology, e.g. LED bulbs – which in turn help to lower our bills.
It’s true that there have been mistakes that have helped push our rates up. Of course there are the billion dollar gas plant cancellations.
Then, as can be found in the AG’s report, the multi-million dollar energy conservation program is almost redundant now. And the number of agencies and all those bureaucrats with their fingers in the pie are still too many. The feed-in-tariffs for renewables are still too high and the open-ended contracts need to be curbed. And off-shore wind power, the most efficient way to make electricity without killing birds, is not even allowed.
Quebec is blessed with rivers that can be dammed up and used to generate electricity – much of which they sell into the United States.
Quebec has the lowest energy rates in Canada, since its source is virtually all hydro (water) power and it is managed by a government monopoly, Quebec Hydro, the way Ontario used to be. Mike Harris broke Ontario Hydro forever and we have been paying the cost of that mistake since. The Premier says she believes that electric cars must replace todays many gas-guzzlers, yet relatively high electricity prices mitigate against that. Perhaps that is the reason Ontario lags its neighbour Quebec in EV sales. What else would account for EV sales in that province being double those in Ontario on a per-capita basis?
Finally, the Auditor General. $37 billion is a mischievous red herring and she should have known better. It could be reduced but it is the cost of doing business in Ontario’s imperfectly decentralized market for electricity. Her report reads more like a series of sound bites and gripes intended to feed the opposition parties, rather than to constructively assist the energy sector to do a better job.
From her report it is not clear that she even understands Ontario’s energy system, let alone how it came to be this way or where it is going. I am not doubting her competence to perform a financial audit, but an operational or program audit requires more research and analysis and a lot more insight. Frankly I think we deserve better.
Ray Rivers
Ray Rivers is an economist and author who writes weekly on federal and provincial issues, applying his 25 years of involvement with federal and provincial ministries. Rivers’ involvement in city matters led to his appointment as founding chair of Burlington’s Sustainable Development Committee. He was also a candidate in the 1995 provincial election
Background links:
Ice Storm – Solar Guy’s Gripe – Global Adjustment – More Global Adjustment –
Even More Global – Finally More Global – EV Sales – US Energy Prices – More US Electricity –
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
One of the two men who tried to rob the BMO bank located at 1505 Guelph Line has been arrested.
The robbery took place on August 4th, when two suspects entered the bank, approached the counter and passed a note to the teller demanding money.
The suspects were unsuccessful in obtaining money and fled on foot westbound through the plaza. There were customers and employees inside the bank at the time of the incident, no one was harmed.
Suspect 1 is described as: male, black, mid 20’s, 6′ feet tall, thin build. He was wearing a black baseball cap with white writing and a black jacket.
Suspect 2 is described as: male, black, mid 20’s, with braided hair. He was wearing a baseball hat and a long sleeve shirt.
Investigation quickly identified Mohamed Yusuf ABDULLAHI (25yrs) of Toronto as a suspect (suspect 1) and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
On September 6th, 2016 ABDULLAHI was arrested in Toronto by members of the Provincial Rope Squad on an unrelated matter. He is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing on unrelated robbery charges on September 7th, 2016 in Toronto.
ABDULLAHI is being charged with 1 count of robbery for this incident and will appear before a Halton court to answer to the charge at a later date.
Investigative leads are being followed up with regarding the identity of the second suspect.
This investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of the 3 District Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2343 or D/Cst. Al MacEwan at Ext. 2349 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario and the federal government are investing over $88 million in 35 municipal projects to build and repair critical infrastructure, help create jobs, and spur economic growth across the province through the Small Communities Fund.
Burlington will see dollars spent on parking expansion at the:
Aldershot GO Station
Alton Village Public School
Joseph Brant Hospital Phase 1 Redevelopment
Pauline Johnson Elementary School Expansion
Funds to upgrade the Aldershot parking lot – with 700+ new homes planned for the area – this would seem to be a wise expenditure.
Not a dime this time this time around on infrastructure upgrades.
Planning for the growth that is going to take place – despite the desires of many who chose to live in Burlington is the justification for much of the spending. To drive that point home the province in its media release said:
“Many Ontarians already feel the effects of unplanned growth every day during their commute. The average commute for a Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) resident is 82 minutes per day from home to work. That’s more than many major international cities, including Los Angeles.
How many people would agree with that 82 minute count?
“The time and gas we waste during our commutes costs us money, and limits the time we have to spend with families and loved ones. When you take into account other social factors, such as how we adapt and restructure our lives to account for traffic, the estimated cost of congestion in the GTHA balloons to $11 billion per year.
“These costs are expected to grow unless significant investments are made in our infrastructure.”
By Pepper Parr
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They have been a long time coming. And not everyone wanted the studies in the first place but the Planning department worked their way through public meetings that were at times fascinating at other occasion almost a total waste of time.
Character studies for Roseland, Shoreacres and Indian Point have been pulled together into one omnibus report to council which, if approved, will become the zoning for properties in each neighbourhood. These zoning changes will get put into the Official Plan review that is currently underway.
Communities – perhaps better referred to as neighbourhoods wanted more control over the kind of development that took place – the residents didn’t want to lose the feel of what they had.
Anne McIlroy on the left, who often served cookies to people attending meetings, talks with with Andrea Smith
And while that “feel” was not always easy to define Anne McIlroy, the consultant brought in to handle the character study was particularly good at settling an audience and finding a way to determine just what the community wanted – not always an easy task.
Three neighbourhoods got one of those up close and very personal treatments. Roseland, Indian Point, and Shoreacres were each facing challenges of their own with small developers doing infills and on other occasions tearing down a smaller house for something bigger. Monster homes were appearing, much to the chagrin of those living in the neighbourhood
Roseland has a number of stately dwellings that reflect the period during which it was built – many wanted to keep that look and feel.
Residents of Roseland and Shoreacres communities have for the most part reacted positively to the findings of the character studies, while some from the Indian Point community have expressed concerns (which is putting it mildly) with any proposed changes to the regulatory framework applicable to their community.
Indian Point, a small neighbourhood tucked away on the west side of the city had a character of its own that was quite mixed. There were the old-timers and the nouveaus – that didn’t speak the same language.
Indian Point is a very small neighbourhood and there were people who had bought properties and didn’t care all that much about what their neighbours thought – they knew what they wanted to do and they didn’t see the need for any meddling by the planners. At least one of the meetings got downright nasty.
City council looked at the highlights of the proposed amendments on February 17, 2016. The next step was to consolidate the proposed zoning, official plan, and site plan by-law amendments that had been proposed and make it all legal.
The development industry has reacted positively to the notion of eliminating the site plan process for low density residential areas in exchange for additional zoning regulations.
The detail is complex and at this point all we have is a draft that will be debated at the September 12, 2016 Community and Corporate Services Standing Committee meeting.
The Gazette will report in detail on the final decision.
Set out below are the proposed zoning regulations in a graphic format.
Balcony Regulations
Balconies located above the first storey in the side and rear yard of detached dwellings are not permitted.
Front Yard Setbacks.
Properties located on the west side of Indian Road as identified in Part 2 – Residential Zones, Section 4.10 Character Area Maps shall have a front yard of 4 m.
Properties located within the Shoreacres Character Area as identified in Part 2 – Residential Zones, Section 4.10 Character Area Mapswith an R2.1 zone shall have a front yard of 9m
Lot Coverage
Floor Area Ratio
The maximum floor area ratio is 0.45:1.
Properties with a front or street side yard abutting Lakeshore Road and North Shore Boulevard and all properties south of Lakeshore Road and North Shore Boulevard (excluding Indian Point Character Area as identified in Part 2 – Residential Zones, Section 4.10 Character Area Maps) shall be exempt from this floor area ratio regulation. For through lots, the front building elevation shall determine the front of the lot for the purposes of this regulation.
Garage Widths and Projections
The width of a front loading attached garage shall not exceed 50% of the width of its building elevation.
An attached garage with a garage door facing the street is not permitted to project beyond the front wall on the first storey of a dwelling.
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge will be closed in the overnight hours between Sept. 7 to 9, 2016 for construction to replace key components of the bridge’s lift system.
The bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrians as follows:
• Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. to Sept. 8 at 5 a.m.
• Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. to Sept. 9 at 5 a.m.
• Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. to Sept. 10 at 5 a.m.
For more information, please contact Public Services and Procurement Canada:
Karen Durnford-McIntosh
Tel. 613-453-3246
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Epic Tour Halton – Lane Restrictions Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016
The 4th annual Epic Tour Halton cycling event is travelling through north Burlington on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016.
PwC Epic Tour is neither a pledge ride nor a race; it is a lifestyle event on the bike as well as a great post ride off-the-bike experience. The host venue is at Kelso Quarry Park.
The event is described as Canada‘s largest GranFondo 2 years running. In 2015, registration edged close to 4,000 riders.
The following traffic restrictions will be in place:
Lane Closure
Appleby Line, southbound, between No. 1 Side Road and No. 2 Side Road will be closed with access for local residents only.
Traffic Lane Restrictions
Cyclists will travel the route in a dedicated lane. Vehicle traffic will be allowed one-way in the opposite direction.
Burlington Springs Golf Course Access Provisions
Detour signs will direct golfers northbound on Cedar Springs Road to travel east on No. 1 Side Road, north on Guelph Line, west on Colling Road and south on Cedar
Springs Road to the golf course entrance. An event attendant will be at the driveway to help.
Resident Access
Residents living along the route can exit their driveway during the gaps between riders. If you require help to get in or out of a driveway on event days, call 1-416-206-0041 and an event vehicle will be sent to escort you. NOTE: Travel will only be allowed in the opposite direction of the cyclists; one way traffic only.
All routes start and finish at Kelso Quarry Park, Milton, Ontario.
Emergency access will be maintained at all times.
The tour has a number of routes – this is the detail for the longest ride. It all starts in Burlington.
For more information about road closures or traffic control, please call the event liaison at the City of Burlington at 905-335-7600, ext. 7704.
By Pepper Parr
September 7th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
MoonGlade, that No Vacancy event that will take place Friday September 16th at the Art Gallery of Burlington, has attracted artists from across the country.
Denis Longchamps, Artistic Director & Chief Curator at the AGB explains that the event was curated by his office. Curating is a process whereby artists were selected and invited to submit a project. Longchamps adds that is why “you are noticing the focus on social responsibility”
Kelly Bruton – one of 17 installation artists participating in the MoonGlade event at the Art Gallery of Burlington on September 16th – 7 to midnight.
Kelly Bruton will be doing an installation she calls The Mending Factory. “It is a participatory performance work designed to engage in dialogue with the public about our over-consumption of clothing and its impact on our environment.
“Through the generosity of people’s individual labour they will to be part of a simple assembly line process that deconstructs t-shirts by cutting, and then reconstructing the strips into a hand woven rug. The actions are a metaphor for examining and taking apart systems (deconstructing) to fixing and changing supply chains (reconstructing).
“I am using this performance based work to communicate and share my concern about environmental disasters with others while sharing useful textile knowledge and skills.
“I see these factories like social structures, spaces for direct “hands on” experiences, dialogue and learning. The mending factory is suitable for all ages.”
Kelly makes her home in St. John’s Newfoundland, an island rich with natural spaces for inspiration and artistic challenge. Living in this cultural community has resulted in the blending of disciplines within an individual practice. Kelly’s interdisciplinary practice ranges from Set Design for Film and Television, Costume Design for the stage to exhibiting her Fine Art Textiles internationally.
The textile piece, Gondawana, by Kelly Bruton was part of the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador gallery presentation Migrations. Photos by Eric Walsh
She studied Fine Art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, where she graduated with degrees in Fine Art and Art Education. Her Art and life is enriched by the travel that she has done over the past twenty years. She has trekked into mountain ranges Rockies (Canada), Simien (Ethiopia), Himalayas, (India and Nepal), has reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, traveled by water into the Okavango Delta (Botswana), Lake Malawi and Lake Tana (Ethiopia).
Kelly also uses her skills as an Artist for social change in her local community and abroad. She served on the Board of Directors for Oxfam Canada for nine years and a three-year term as a Board Trustee for Oxfam International. This voluntary work in International Development is inspired by her own experience living and working in Botswana in southern Africa in the mid 1990s and her travels. She is a founder and Executive Board member of the Social Justice Cooperative of Newfoundland and Labrador.
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Green Environmental Association sent us the following:
As the world directs its attention to the challenges of climate change, BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association has developed a user-friendly on-line quiz to help Burlington citizens, including youth, discover their environmental footprint and how they can take action locally.
Sponsored by Burlington Hydro, the “What’s Your Eco-Score?” quiz consists of a series of questions about transportation, home energy use, food choices, waste reduction, and water use. No utility bills are required to complete the quiz! Users receive an ‘eco-score’, along with helpful locally focused green living tips along the way.
BurlingtonGreen suggests that transportation, home energy use, and food choices are ‘the big 3’ that people need to pay extra attention to, in terms of lowering their carbon footprint. Driving less, switching to an electric vehicle and ‘thinking outside the car’ by walking, cycling and using public transit will all help. Conserving energy at home, avoiding ON-peak hours electricity use, and installing a heat pump and solar panels provide additional opportunities to reduce one’s footprint as will consuming less meat and eating local and organic food whenever possible.
After spending some time taking action to reduce their impact, quiz participants are encouraged to take the quiz again to see their score improve. Fantastic prizes are available to be won just for participating ( Halton residents only) including a bike courtesy of MEC, Presto passes from Burlington Transit, a gift card from Whole Foods Market and more!
All levels of government are taking action to address climate change. Canada will release its climate change action plan in the fall of 2016. However, government action alone isn’t going to solve this tremendous challenge. It’s up to all citizens to do their part.
The Eco-Score quiz is right HERE
By Staff
September 7, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Hamilton’s Supercrawl runs from the 8th to the 11th of September will mean a detour for the Burlington Transit Routes 1 and 101
The detours begin on the 8th
In Hamilton the world stops for Supercrawl – transit routes get detours.
York Blvd from Bay to Hughson Streets and James Street from King to Strachan will be closed and routes 1 and 101 will be detoured.
Bus stops within the road closure area will be bagged. For service, please proceed to bus stops on King Street or Bay Street at Vine.
By Staff
September 6th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Less than ten days and the crowds will descend on Brock Park – just behind the Art Gallery of Burlington and take in the fourth edition of No Vacancy which this year is branded with the title – MoonGlade.
There will be 17 installations both inside and outside the Art Gallery.
One of the 2014 No Vacancy installations.
Live music and Food Trucks parked along Nelson Street.
Jim Riley, a Video Artist and Sound Sculptor Aaron Hutchinson will be setting up their installation in the Rotary Room of the AGB. They are calling it “Inside his mind 2”
The genesis for “inside his mind2” was the artist’s reflections after a day of bicycling with his fourteen-year-old nephew. Ten years later Riley has revisited the concept of “transitioning” in this video installation. Riley blends documentary evidence and social commentary to depict the transformation for boy to young adult man, as seen in our contemporary culture.
Inside his mind
There is a two channel video projection using a left and right eye to show the past and present activity of the young man. Riley incorporates the blood moon in to this installation both within the space as well as video projections. The moon is often used to symbolize mystery such as transitions.
Aaron Hutchinson has collaborated with Riley to create the sound sculpture for “inside his mind2”.
Sound Sculpture is an intermedia and time based art form. It is an expansion of an art installation in the sense that it includes the sound element and therefore the time element.
Jim Riley, video artist
Jim Riley is a Burlington, ON, based artist and independent curator who is deeply involved in the organizational side of the arts collective that has upgraded itself to an Arts Council. His art practice is a blend of documentary evidence, personal ideology, social commentary and artistic investigations. Riley’s present aesthetic investigations explore time and perceptual memory. His recent art practice has involved public art and gallery video installations. He has a BA from Brock University. Riley has exhibited his art in Canada and the US. Some of Riley’s video art is represented by V tape Distributions, Toronto. www.jimriley.ca
Aaron Hutchinson
Aaron Hutchinson is a new media artist and musician from Hamilton (MA in Communication and New Media, McMaster University). He currently makes music in a variety of ensembles that have taken him around Canada, the United States and Germany. Aaron won the 2012 Hamilton Arts Award for emerging artist in New Media. He is a founding member of the Hamilton Audio Visual Node (HAVN) and the music director of HAVN records. (aaronhutchinson.ca)
By Staff
September 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The gas leak at Appleby Line and Corporate Dr has been resolved and all residents permitted back into their residence.
The area was blocked off for approximately 3 hours. The cause of the rupture was a pierced gas line.
There were no injuries as a result.
By Staff
September 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a breakfast meeting at which an exchange of views on intensification and what it means for business in the city. Intensification Matters – How Will Intensification Impact Business?
Has the potential to let the business community see how different developing philosophies impact the kind of communities that cater to the growing demand for residential space in the city.
Vince Molinaro, president of the Molinaro Group.
It should be an interesting discussion with a cast of characters that reveal a lot about where Burlington is with its growth plans and how those plans will be carried forward by the development community and the city’s planning department that is now under significantly different leadership.
Mary Lou Tanner, Director of Planning for the city of Burlington.
Mary Lou Tanner, Burlington’s Director of Planning, Vince Molinaro, president of the company that is building a five structure development on Fairview right beside the GO station that will, when completed, will be home to something in the order of 2,000 people.
Lyn Townsend, Partner at WeirFoulds LLP,
They will be joined by Lyn Townsend, Lyn Townsend, Partner at WeirFoulds LLP, the law firm that is representing the ADI Development Group that is before the Ontario Municipal Board for hearings related to the controversial 26 storey, Nautique development proposed for the intersection of Martha and Lakeshore Road.
Townsend ran a leading planning law firm that was located in Oakville; that firm was either acquired or absorbed in 2013 into WeirFoulds, one of the premier law firms in the country with a pedigree that goes back more than 150 years.
The panel discussion is a Chamber of Commerce event taking place at the Holiday Inn at 7:30 am on September 15, 2016
By Pepper Parr
September 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
What are the rules that a developer has to follow when they decide they want to put up a tall building? And do they have to follow those rules?
The Planning department commissioned a document, at a cost of $20,000, and have come out with a decent document (we aren’t qualified to say if it is a good document or an excellent document) that is well illustrated.
The placement of a tall building and its relationship to the street scape is set out in the Guidelines. Many will wonder if the ADI Development Group’s Nautique at Martha and Lakeshore Road meet these guidelines.
The document is described as Tall Building Guidelines – prepared by the Brook/McIlroy organization that has done a lot of work for the city during the past two – maybe three decades.
They are the group that did much, if not most, of the early design work for the Beachway Park that is in the detailed planning stage.
The development pressures of intensification and tall buildings are becoming increasingly evident. When carefully designed and located, tall buildings become a distinct and defining component of a city’s character, forging a memorable skyline and establishing city landmarks.
Tall buildings are defined as anything over 11 storeys.
Tall building guidelines play an important part in how the City grows. They will help build communities with quality of life and quality of place, and fulfill part of the new Grow Bold strategy by building up, building smart and building beautiful.
Should council endorse these tall building guidelines, they will be implemented immediately and used to evaluate all proposed tall buildings in the city. The guidelines will also be used to influence future tall building policy through the official plan review process. The planners expect these guidelines to become a living document that is updated and amended from time to time to reflect future trends in tall building design.
Design considerations will become an explicit part of all development applications.
Due to the immediacy of preparing these tall building design guidelines, staff were unable to present them at a formal meeting with the the Burlington Housing and Development Liaison Committee (HDLC). The immediacy of preparing the document as the reason given. Immediacy and planning are not normally words that appear in the same sentence.
The Tall Building design guidelines serve as an excellent introduction on what the city planners would like to see.
The Planning department has met individually with some tall building developers to discuss in advance of presenting the guidelines to the Development and Infrastructure Committee.
This is a document that deserves public attention – it will be referred to frequently as council discusses development applications.
The complete document is available HERE
It is on the Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee agenda for Tuesday of next week, the 13th – at 1:00 pm. This should have been a matter discussed and debated in the evening to ensure better public participation.
By Staff
September 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATE: 1:00 PM HRPS have been advised by the gas provider that it will be at least three hours before the leak is contained. In the meantime, residents from the area can utilize Mainway Arena and Tansley Woods Rec Centre. There are buses available for transportation on Ironstone east of Appleby Line.
The Halton Regional Police Service has closed roads due to a gas line rupture in the area of Appleby Line and Corporate Drive in east Burlington. Roads will also be closed to traffic in both directions from Ironstone to Mainway.
As a precaution, residences in the area have been evacuated until the utility provider can evaluate the situation and deem it safe.
The source of the gas line rupture is not known at this time.
A subsequent press release will be issued when there is an update on the status of the road closure/evacuation.
|
|