By Staff
May 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board will be recognizing Children’s Mental Health Week, May 2-8, 2016 with a range of activities offered at schools throughout Halton. These events will focus on mental health promotion and promote an awareness and understanding of the importance of wellbeing and practical mental health coping strategies.
Activities include:
• Munn’s Public School in Oakville will focus on the positive effects of being physically active. The school will host a Yoga day on May 3 and a Jump Rope for Heart event on May 6.
• Burlington Central School will host ‘Compliment Days’ and hand out apples to students as they enter the school in the morning to encourage healthy eating.
• Bruce Trail Public School in Milton students will post positive sticky notes or ‘thought bubbles’ throughout the school to encourage each other.
• Forest Trail Public School in Oakville will be hosting a ‘We Care Wednesday Appreciation Day’ in which students and staff members will express appreciation to one another.
• Stewarttown Public School in Acton will be incorporating a ‘May the Force Be with You’ theme including ‘Yoda Yoga’ and a ‘Jolly Jabba Walk’.
Clara Hughes – Olympic medal winner and spokesperson for mental health.
The week will culminate with the 3rd annual Halton Run for Youth Mental Health on May 7. It’s a collaborative effort between Halton District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board and CameronHelps. More than 400 people have registered to participate. The event aims to unite students, families and staff to show their support for youth mental health and break the stigma.
“We are pleased to recognize Children’s Mental Health Week as part of our continued commitment to promoting the positive mental health and well-being of our students,” said Mark Zonneveld, Board Superintendent of Education (Student Services). “This is an important initiative as schools have a significant role to play in building skills and sharing knowledge to help promote wellness.”
By Staff
May 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Summer Live & Play Guide is one line and available in print now.
Registration for the recreation, fitness, sports and culture programs listed in the guide opens on Saturday, May 14 for adults 19+. Registration for all other programs is open now.
“We wait all year long for our great summer weather and now is the time to get out and play,” said Chris Glenn, director of parks and recreation. “The city and its partners have something for everyone with programs and events ranging from swimming lessons and splash pads to camps, concerts in the park, bocce ball and so much more, all offered at multiple locations around Burlington.”
Mountainside Recreation Centre is featured on the cover of the summer guide. Recently renovated, this facility features a 50-meter outdoor pool with a one metre diving board, a double loop waterslide, shade structures, and a splash park, set to open on June 18. The park area of Mountainside features two playgrounds, a skateboard park, a basketball court and nature trails. A virtual tour of Mountainside Recreation Centre and park is available online.
The Summer Live & Play Guide is the City of Burlington’s guide to recreation, sport and culture programs and events offered throughout the city. The online Live & Play Guide allows residents to view available activities and register for programs directly. The online guide is mobile-friendly and allows pages to be easily searched and shared through email and social media. To receive future copies of the online guide by email, subscribe to the Live & Play e-newsletter at www.burlington.ca/enews.
Hard copies of the guide, printed on recyclable paper identified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, are available at City Hall, 426 Brant St., Burlington Public Library branches or any city recreation centre.
For details on how to register for summer programs and events, see page three in the guide or visit www.burlington.ca/play.
The Nelson pool will not be among the locations available for the summer program.
Nelson pool status.
By Staff
May 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board announces a new award program launched this week by Trustees to recognize and honour “unsung heros”.
The Inspire Awards are designed to acknowledge the contributions and effort of ‘unsung heroes’ including staff, students, school volunteers, parents and community members. Anyone can be nominated for an Inspire Award and nominations can be made by anyone from any organization. The Inspire Awards launch today (May 2, 2016), as part of Education Week in Ontario, held May 2-6.
Through the Inspire Awards, Trustees aim to recognize all voices as a way to celebrate recipients who support staff and students through caring and innovative ways. Nominees can be honoured for their work in a number of areas including achieving diversity and equity, promoting 21st Century learning, encouraging environmental protection action, and supporting student achievement, among other themes. Specifically, this award will be given to an individual or group, formally or informally associated with the Halton District School Board, who has through their actions fulfilled the following criteria in an exemplary way:
• demonstrated caring, initiative, innovation, creativity;
• inspired others; and
• supported students and contributed to their achievement.
Board Chair Kelly Amos.
“We are thrilled to introduce the Inspire Awards to recognize those who go above and beyond to support our students,” says Board Chair Kelly Amos. “The definition of inspire is to excite, encourage or fill someone with the urge or ability to do something positive. In keeping with the Board’s multi-year plan, Trustees felt it was important to encourage and recognize the many unsung heroes who either work or volunteer in many capacities to support student achievement and learning in the Halton District School Board.”
Inspire Award nominations will be reviewed by a committee of Trustees. Each nomination will be evaluated on its own merit. The award recipient can choose to accept the honour during a Board of Trustees meeting or by any other way of their choosing.
Nomination forms, general information and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Halton District School Board website, www.hdsb.ca, under the ‘Boardroom and Trustees’ tab on the homepage.
By Staff
May 2nd, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an opportunity for you to travel to Paris – basically free.
Yes there is a catch – you have to attend the one night only Hayley Marie Remple performance at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and buy at least one of the $2 raffle tickets.
The Eiffel Tower
Should your ticket be drawn – and you must be in the theatre when it is drawn at the end of the performance – you will have won a trip to Paris put together by DH Tours.
Hayley Marie Remple will be at the Performing Arts Centre May 12th
The idea came out of one of those late in the day conversations – Mary Mazur, Executive Assistant to the AGB CEO Robert Steven were going over details of the Evening in Paris event that is scheduled for mid May when Robert asked: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could raffle off a trip to Paris the night of the concert.”
They approached DH Tour who said they would be happy to support the AGB with a trip. And what a trip it is going to be.
Return flights from Toronto to Paris
Return transfers from Charles de Gaulle airport to/from hotel
6 nights, central, 3 star hotel in Paris with daily continental breakfasts
Hop-on/Hop-off city sightseeing tour, 48 hour pass
3 day Metro Pass
2 day Musee Pass
All hotel taxes and service charges
All Air taxes
Paris maps and information package.
The concert is part of a month long five province tour Hayley Marie is doing. She has performed in southern California, Germany and France
Hayley Marie Remple scheduled at Performing Arts Centre.
By Staff
May 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Dan Noonan of Argosy Securities took a bold step to strengthen and support a healthy community through a $100,000 contribution to the Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) that has established a new Mental Wellness Endowment Fund.
Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Community Foundation said: “As part of our mental wellness leadership work, we are thrilled to establish this new fund so we can focus on mental wellness through our granting program, now and in the future”. She added that Dan has demonstrated his commitment to the health of our community in numerous ways and this latest gift will provide an on-going legacy for many years to come.”
Dan Noonan,third from the left, an Investment Advisor, Argosy Securities is joined by Burlington Community Foundation board members Catherine Brady, Phil Reddon; President and CEO Colleen Mulholland; Leighan Basadur, John Rockx.
BCF is committed to supporting the community and focusing efforts on areas that are most in need. Data from BCF’s Vital Signs Reports over the last few years confirm that mental health issues are growing. And to add to BCF’s findings, recent research by CivicAction estimates that over 1.5 million people in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area’s (GTHA) labour force have experienced a mental health issue. That’s 1 in 2 people. Further, over the next 10 years, current mental health issues in the GTHA labour force could result in almost $17 billion in lost productivity.
Noonan said: “I believe that by supporting the strategic mental wellness efforts of BCF, our community will be strengthened for many years to come.” He added that the team at BCF is doing important work and hope this gift inspires others to get involved.”
The purpose of the Mental Wellness Endowment Fund is to improve mental health and wellness in our communities by supporting valuable mental health programs and services. With only 1 in 3 Ontario adults getting access to much needed programs and services, and sadly, only 1 in 6 of our children and youth getting access, BCF believes this fund will enable vitally needed support at the local level.
“We know that access to much needed mental health services can be a life-threatening issue facing many family members, children, neighbours and colleagues,” says Mulholland. “This generous gift to start a legacy of supporting mental wellness in our community is much needed and appreciated.”
The Burlington Community Foundation was established in 1999 as a centre for philanthropy. The Community Foundation collaborates with donors to build endowments, give grants and connect leadership to address our community’s most pressing needs. The Foundation is a 360 degree grantor, with over 78 endowment funds and $10 million in endowed assets. It has distributed $3.2 million in grants since its inception.
What does it mean to be “sustainable” – why does it matter and if it matters that much – why isn’t every one doing it?
This was a question the Gazette put to Jim Feilders, a committed environmentalist and an engineer with a private practice. Here is what Feilders had to say:
By Jim Feilders
May 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A general definition of sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. This can apply to everything from keeping your body alive to the survival of the universe. But most of us think about it in terms of maintaining our lifestyles in the environment in which we live.
The three most common aspects of sustainability are environmental, economic and social. Some like to include culture as a separate item but it generally is included under the social umbrella.
There was a point when the cod fishery in Newfoundland was a massive industry until the Grand Banks were fished out – it took years to get back the balance that was once in place.
For the environment to be sustainable, the planet has to be able to respond to the human use of resources and pollution created. An example of this gone wrong is over-fishing of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland that resulted in depletion of cod. Wildlife species are becoming extinct by direct killing of animals and destruction of habitat. When the balance of nature is upset, significant changes occur.
We want to know that the planet will be around for future generations. If we don’t maintain a balance between what we do to harm the planet and the capacity of the earth to recover from it, we will find ourselves living on a dying planet. Evidence exists that we are on that path and a global initiative is underway to try to do something about it. Sending too much carbon into the air and oceans is causing global climate change with disastrous impacts. Information is available on the major countries of the world in terms of their biocapacity versus their environmental footprint. It’s just a fancy way of describing whether the environment can absorb all the pollution being produced. Not surprisingly, the US and China are in the red while Canada still has room left over after sucking up all we spew out.
Each of us has an ecological footprint – how big might yours be?
Economic sustainability deals with the ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely. The most common expression of this is balanced budgets where countries do not spend more than they bring in. As we are all aware, balanced budgets are not common and the devastating effects on the human population are obvious.
Socially, we can be sustainable when the country functions at a defined level of social well being indefinitely. This includes health care, recreational amenities, schools, good transportation, religious buildings and other institutions in a manner that creates a sense of community.
Most of us agree something should be done to keep us sustainable but how we can contribute on an individual basis is perplexing. Governments, particularly local municipal ones, have the greatest role to play through passing legislation to control services, development and pollution. This makes it easier for people to do their part as they are forced into it. Garbage recycling is a good example. Providing a balanced transportation system is another. But government can only push so hard. We live in a free country and have to let our citizens decide on what kind of place in which to live.
Why we don’t do more as individuals has been a topic of discussion for decades. Recently, a Canadian entrepreneur and author, Tom Rand, with degrees in both engineering and philosophy, discusses environmental sustainability in his book “Waking the Frog”. In essence, we are reluctant to change. With our busy lifestyles, we give little thought to what we can do. It is probably not a mass conspiracy of the oil companies. The affluent especially, see no benefit because maintaining their lifestyle is usually just a matter of spending more money when pollution penalties arise.
The earth needs green fields like this – we need them if we are to survive as human beings on this planet. At this point in time we are losing this battle.
To make our planet sustainable, we can start right within our own communities. We can become involved by exercising age old philosophies of democratic voting, donating financially to worthy causes and directly helping others. When we work together and support each other, the job goes faster and easier. Many forums exist that offer something for everyone to use their specific talents. When stories are heard about dramatic changes such as housing of homeless people in Medicine Hat, Alberta, we are spurred on to do our bit. Burlington is at the tipping point of real change in terms of a sustainable community with the completion of its strategic Plan.
With climate change being such a pressing issue, there are two simple things that we can do right now. Many of us think saving the planet means sacrifices such as taking the bus, turning down the heat and wearing sweaters or yelling at the kids to turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms. But modern technologies for electric and hybrid vehicles and electric heat pumps for heating and cooling our homes are available now that do not require sacrifices.
Despite the apparent higher cost of electricity compared to natural gas and gasoline, these more efficient solutions are actually cheaper on a monthly basis to own and operate.
So get involved where your talents are best put to use and encourage others to do the same. To coin the phrase of BurlingtonGreen: “Together we can make a difference.”
By Staff
May 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a number of events planned by various organizations for Mother’s Day.
Teresa Seaton is currently hosting an exhibit of Michelle Van Maurik’s work at the Gallery until the end of May.
While the original of her “White Peonies” is not part of the exhibit there are now copies of a limited edition print available at Teresa Seaton Studio and Gallery on May 7th.
White Peonies was exhibited by invitation at the SNBA Canadian Delegation, Louvre, Paris.
Sizes will include:
Giclee Canvas Print
Size: 24″ X 30″ (same size as the original painting) Limited edition size 100
Size: 16″ X 20″ Limited edition of 200
Giclee Museum grade watercolour paper
Size: 16″ X 20″ Limited edition size: 200
Size: 11″ X 14″ Limited edition size: 200
Michele will be at the Gallery on Saturday May7th from 2 pm – 4pm for signing.
Related links:
Setting up an exhibit.
Teresa Seaton Studio & Gallery
654 Spring Gardens Rd. Burlington ON L7T 1J1
Thurs – Sun, 11am-5pm
Mon – Wed, by chance or appointment
Cell (905) 510 5030
By Staff
April 30th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Some days it feels like there might be some snow coming our way. It is certainly confusing – is it spring or isn’t it. This confusion isn’t something that just happened – it is something we have let happen with the way we have treated this planet.
Our behaviour is changing – slowly.
The Regional government has set up programs that allow us to change the way we handle waste. They are committed to diverting waste from the landfill sites and working towards becoming more sustainable than we have been.
Composting – best way to get a garden to really produce – and it is free.
As part of this commitment the Region will once again offer its popular spring waste events. The Region offers these services to help divert waste from Halton’s landfill by making it easy for residents to properly dispose of waste, helping Halton become a more sustainable place to live.
“Regional Council is committed to protecting and enhancing our rich, natural environment by continuing to work with residents to increase the Region’s waste diversion rate,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Our spring events not only provide residents with an opportunity to properly dispose of waste, but gives residents an opportunity to give back to the community.”
This year’s spring waste events include:
Spring Compost Giveaway
Residents can stop by the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS), located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton, to pick up high-quality compost free of charge. Residents are reminded to bring their own bags or containers (maximum seven garbage bags or equivalent per household) and a shovel in order to bag their compost.
If you ever wondered how that compost is prepared – take a peek at the short video – the Region has done some useful educational work. Click here for that video.
Hours of operation are:
Monday, May 9 – Saturday, May 14; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 15, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Last year’s Compost Giveaway events, 4,400 residents picked up approximately 2,000 tonnes of compost. Residents also donated $9,784 and close to 4,500 kilograms of food to local food banks as part of the event.
Special Waste Drop-off
To make the recycling of household hazardous waste and electronic waste more convenient for residents, Halton Region hosts several Special Waste Drop-off Days through the year, free of charge. The first event for 2016 will take place on Saturday, April 30 at Robert C. Austin Operations Centre in Georgetown from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents are invited to drop off acceptable items, including pesticides, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, computers, stereos, TVs and DVD players. This event is for Halton residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. For more information and a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable hazardous items, visit halton.ca/dropoff.
If you need more information visit halton.ca/waste or dial 311.
By Staff
April 29, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
One of our intrepid readers pointed us to the fact sheet on the ADI web site where they state occupancy will be in November, 2018 – but just 170 suites.
And had they said subject to approval from the OMB the statements would have been completely correct.
The Adi Development Group appears to be doing everything they can to get another construction crane into the Burlington sky line. This one, one of the smartest looking construction cranes we have seen in some time is up at the Linx project in north Burlington.
The Adi development Group appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board to have their application to build a 26 storey condominium on the property at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Martha.
Susan Schiller, the OMB member hearing the arguments has given both ADI and Burlington planners some time to look at the ideas Adi had when they added a significant chunk to the size of the land assembly.
One would think Adi would make this information public so that buyers could make an informed decision.
The piece we published yesterday where Adi announces their aggressive pricing schedule leaves the sense of a bit of a hustle here.
An architectural rendering of the early 26 storey plans for Martha and Lakeshore Road.
Adi had originally said there would be 226 suites; that got reduced to 192 suites for the OMB hearing. That number is now at 170. It isn’t fully clear yet how they managed to do this – we will dig a bit more.
It was suggested that reduced parking and a larger lot with more setbacks may have brought the planners around. We will have to wait until they are all back before the OMB in June for a full reveal.
By Ray Rivers
April 29, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
I recall a doctor once complaining to me that his father, also a doctor, used to make ten times the average worker’s salary while he only made five. We all know that doctors generally make good money, which is why we were instructed by our parents to become doctors and why we’ve told our children to do the same.
The medical association will point out that American doctors are even better rewarded in that wasteful multiple-payer system south of the border. Of course some sports athletes, pop musicians, film actors and even senior bankers now make more. Except we don’t pay any of those people out of a public purse. And public financing is the issue behind the Ontario Government’s efforts to trim back potentially out-of-date medical billings.
Most of Ontario’s doctors work on a piece-work basis, charging OHIP for every patient who goes through their turnstile. And how they get remunerated depends on a highly complicated fee schedule, which gets negotiated between the doctors’ union, their medical association and your government, the health insurer. So how did one eye doctor bill $6.6 million in one year, when the average billing is more like three or four hundred thousand dollars?
In the absence of more detailed information one can only speculate – but it might be that the procedures that doctor used can now be performed more rapidly and efficiently than when the billing rate was set. That would allow more patients through the turnstile and into the cash register. And in that case the Minister has a valid point that the rates need to be revised downwards to better reflect the real cost of that medical service.
In the absence of a competitive market for medical services, value is determined by how long it takes, what kind of hardware is needed and how much skill is required. But even in the US, with a more competitive insurance model, services are priced in a similar fashion. So that is what Ontario’s Minister of Health, Eric Hoskins, who is a doctor himself, is trying to do – ensure that we get value for our medical buck by updating the fee schedule.
Of course that doesn’t resolve the issue of how much doctors should be making. My accountant keeps telling me to look at the net, after tax income, not the gross. So if society feels anyone, be they doctors, bankers or sports celebrities, are bring home too much dough, there is a solution. Just tax it back as we used to do in the 50’s and 60’s. And doing that within reasonable limits will also reduce the growing gap between the rich and poor, which everyone claims to deplore.
Trickle-down economics, as ridiculous a term as that sounds, was the rationale that allowed conservative-minded governments to redistribute income from the poor to the rich. Ronald Reagan was the perfect anti-Robin Hood. Canada’s income gap got a new life following the tax reforms brought in by former PM Brian Mulroney and his Bill C-139, which he ironically termed tax simplification.
Ontario’s Minister of Health Erik Hoskins, also a doctor, puts the province’s argument forward – the doctor’s lobby has always been effective.
Mulroney virtually dismantled our progressive taxation system, reducing rate classes to only three from the previous ten. He raised the tax rate for the lowest class from 6 to 17 percent and lowered the highest to 29 percent from 34. This placed more of the tax burden on the middle and lower classes. This huge shift in the tax burden also underlay the poor economic performance that plagued his government and the enormous structural deficit that Mulroney created and ran in every single year of his administration.
Our new PM’s first budget has attempted to address that inequality by lowering taxes for middle and lower incomes, and shifting more of the burden back to the wealthy through a new higher tax bracket. And that has brought out the trickle-down crowd once again. Stomping their feet as they hit the pavement in places like the National Post, warning of imminent doom unless the rich, once again, get more money. It’s as if ignorance, greed and stupidity have no bounds.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party. You can tweet him at @rayzrivers
Background links:
Health Minister’s Announcement – Doctor’s Salaries – Pay Cuts – Physician Remuneration – CD Howe Perspective –
US Doctor Income – $6.6 Million Doctor – Historical Taxation Policies – Harper’s Taxes – Trudeau’s Taxes –
How Much is Too Much – The Trickle-Down Crowd –
By Pepper Parr
April 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s bold – its brassy and all part of the sales pitch.
Developers like to be able to say – xx% sold – and the closer that xx is to 70 – the better.
$310,000 + will get you a splendid view of the Escarpment.
Development projects have to be sold – and this latest move by Adi Development Group is certainly a sales pitch that catches the eye.
Days before their application to the Ontario Municipal Board AdI Development announced that they had acquired the lot shown as 380 Martha – which changed significantly the size of the property they wanted to build on. Adi is currently in talks with the city’s planning department.
In Burlington the objective is to get in on a property as early as you can – and this pitch makes it a little easier. They are offering units on the north side of their proposed 26 storey tower at the corner of Martha and Lakeshore Road.
The following is an electronic message forwarded to us by a regular reader:
New prices just announced for escarpment facing suites at Nautique Lakefront Residences Downtown Burlington!
Prices start as low as $309,990 (1 parking space included).
The suites at Nautique Lakefront Residences have been designed by award-winning Cecconi Simone and feature open-concept layouts to maximize living space. Contemporary European custom-designed kitchen featuring corian countertop and backsplash with five-piece euro-style appliance package along with in-suite white stacked washer and dryer. Spacious lakeview terraces & balconies.
The building features two floors of amenities space with a 6th floor outdoor terrace and 18th floor sky lounge overlooking the lake. Outdoor swimming pool, whirlpool, bbq’s, party room, dining room, library, private lounge, fitness centre, indoor/outdoor yoga studio & more.
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to invest! Inventory won’t last long!
SPECIAL EXTENDED DEPOSIT STRUCTURE
$5,000 on Signing
Balance of 5% in 30 Days
5% in 120 Days
5% in 370 Days
5% in 540 Days
PARKING: 1 Parking Spot Included In The Purchase Price
OCCUPANCY: November 2018
Give Noman Khan, Broker, Loyalty Real Estate, Brokerage
905.330.4077 – vipcondosales@gmail.com
Some questions arise out of this announcement. Does the 18th floor sky lounge overlooking the lake suggest that the building will top off at 18 stories?
Adi is aggressively marketing the condominiums on the north (Escarpment side) of the building.
Adi is currently in talks with the Burlington Planning department to see if they can come to terms on a site configuration that will get them past one of the tougher OMB Board members who has given then some time to see what the city thinks of the addition of an additional piece of land that adds significantly to the size of the footprint they have to work with.
The city’s planners never say a word about how development talks are going – it will be Adi that does all the talking – and this most recent release, which they sent out to selected people, suggests they have run something by the planners and think they might have some buy in.
A portion of the property that Adi Development group wants to put a 26 storey condominium on – he size of the foot print they want to build on has been revised
After the decision the OMB handed down on the appeal Councillor Jack Dennison made to the Board to reverse the decision made by the Burlington Committee of Adjustment that opposed his request to sever his Lakeshore Road property. Many in Burlington shuddered at that decision and wonder what the city’s chances are going to be with the Adi situation is that before them.
We know nothing about the OMB member who heard the Dennison appeal – but we can tell you that Susan Schiller who is hearing the Adi application is not going to be an easy one for anyone.
Susan Schiller heard the application Nelson Quarry made for a permit to expand the quarry they were mining in rural Burlington. The application was denied.
Watch this one carefully. Asking for a different OMB member to hear the ADI application is something that can be expected: such an application would be about a “perceived bias” on the part of the member.
Business is business and you do what you have to do.
By Pepper Parr
April 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The moment I walked onto the Paradigm construction site – it was evident that things were moving forward the way they were expected to.
It was now a much tidier looking construction site. Previously there was a lot of steel stored on the property – but with the crash wall at the rear of the site basically completed there is a lot more room for equipment to get around. There is a sense of openness to the place
Rodger Park, a construction site boss with the title of project manager juggles a cell phone that he would really prefer not to have to use and a keyboard that is now his main working tool. “I never thought: he said “that this thing would be where I spent most of my time on.”
The western part of the site has the two levels of parking completed, the ground floor and the second floor poured with forms being put in place to support the third floor. The Burlington GO station can be seen in the background.
Rodger is a construction worker – who now pushes paper and ensures that jobs get done when they are supposed to be done and that the construction site is a safe place.
“I’ve never had a serious accident on any site I’ve been responsible for”, a comment he makes on the day Toronto is holding a ceremony to remember the close to 1000 Italians who lost their lives working construction.
There are a lot more rules and the focus is on making sure people don’t get hurt – it wasn’t always like that he commented.
The crash wall on the north side of the site – next to the GO railway lines is there to protect the building should something go wrong on the railway side of things. It is more than five feet think with steel rods throughout to give it strength. Nothing is coming through that wall.
The Paradigm project will, when completed, consist of five towers. The first three are on the north side and are attached to each other up until the 9th floor.
The swimming pool is at that level explains Rodger – people will be able to walk from whichever building they live in to easily get to the pool.
From the 9th floor up to the 19 floors the towers become individual units.
Rodger knows them as Tower A, Tower B and Tower C – the marketing people will eventually give then fancier names.
A form into which concrete will be poured is moved into position with a construction worker making sure it is exactly where it is supposed to be.
Tower A on the west side has the two parking levels completed plus the ground floor and the second floor with forms going in place for the third floor. Park expect to be at the 9th floor level late summer – assuming the weather cooperates.
Concrete gets poured, forms get put in place while an excavator prepares for the next task on a different part of the site.
On the east side of the site there is still some work to be done on the parking levels.
With two cranes moving material around the site and carrying concrete from the cement mixers into the buckets and up into the air the two riggers on the site are kept busy.
There is a rigger on the ground who is in constant communication with the crane operator who has a clear view of the site but doesn’t rely on hand signals. It is all voice.
Tonnes of concrete delivered to the site and hoisted into position. A site supervisor is in constant contact letting the concrete mixing pant know when to send the next truck – there is never a break in the flow of concrete.
There are four and sometimes up to six cement trucks on the site – moving in, positioning themselves, offloading the concrete and pulling out to make room for the next truck.
There is never an open spot – the crews putting up the forms and readying them for the concrete are never kept waiting.
The weather on this Thursday morning was close to perfect. A little on the brisk side which is fine because these men are moving every minute – it was surprising to see a rigger dashing across the construction site to bull a piece of equipment into place.
Construction site supervisors will pop into the construction office with plans in their hands to ask Rodger a question – while it is very much a full team effort – each supervisor knows what he is expected to accomplish and gets it done.
At times it looks like half a dozen teams working individually on a task and then, like ants, moving along to the next task.
Site supervisors check in with Project manager Rodger Park – getting clarification on what the plans call for – this question was about where the electrical chargers are going to be place – the Paradigm residents are expected to be big users of electrically powered cars.
There isn’t a lot of noise – the consistent sound of those backing up beepers on the trucks is something that is always present.
The sales and presentation centre isn’t opened this early in the day – hey are afternoon, evening and weekend people.
Five towers will make up the Molinaro Paradigm project on Fairview south of the GO Station. The first three are now under construction.
Tower A is sold out, there was no one around to tell us where sales were with Towers B and C. The project is decently priced, in a great location for people who want to be close to the GO station. Having a Walmart the length of a football field away makes it a compelling location. A mall a couple of blocks to the east and a decent stroll to the waterfront explain much of the attraction.
When all five units are completed and housing people there will be a community of 2000 – sitting at the top of Brant street.
It will have a huge impact on the way the downtown core works – expect to experience a different Burlington when the project is completed in 2018.
By Staff
April 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There are parents that believe bribing your child to do something is easier than direction and discipline.
The city may be listening to these people.
Burlington and Healthy Kids Community Challenge have partnered with Metrolinx to encourage local teachers and students to register their schools for Bike to School Week, taking place from May 30 to June 6.
There wasn’t enough room for all the bikes at this school.
“We know from Halton Region’s Active Transportation and Health report that close to 40 per cent of Halton residents aged 12 and older were largely inactive during their leisure time over a one-year period between 2013 and 2014,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “We want to help change that figure, and cycling is a great way to get active and improve our health while seeing Burlington from a different perspective on two wheels.”
The province came to the realization that there were too many kids focused on either their cell phone or their tablet and the waist measurement were beginning to climb.
They came up with a program that funnelled money into communities to get kids off their duffs and get more exercise
Burlington is a city that has traffic jams in front of some schools and reported fisticuffs at others over the stopping of cars that were dropping kids of at schools.
In Burlington the delivery of the Healthy Kids program got passed along to Community Development Halton which has done a remarkable job of getting into communities, especially those with a lot of financially disadvantaged children, and creating after school and evening events.
Brant Street where the Regional Police use bicycles on a regular basis as part of the way they do their work. Are there any other civic employees using bicycles?
The model has been taken up by a number of other communications – even though city council had some difficulty fully buying into it.
The Healthy Kids Challenge is tying into the Bike to School Week event. Schools that register for Bike to School Week by May 6 will be entered into a draw for a chance to win one of 20 bike racks, provided by Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington and the city, for their school.
In addition, schools that sign up to participate before the close of registration on June 1 will be entered into a draw to win a Can-Bike rodeo for their school in the 2016-17 school year.
By Pepper Parr
April 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They are taking the show on the road – now that they are the proud owners of a Ford van. The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) can expand its reach into the Halton community thanks to a three-year, $225,200 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The grant has provided the capital to purchase a van for community outreach and other projects.
The van will let the AGB staff take pieces from the various collections into the community; especially schools and seniors homes.
The AGB van was unveiled on Wednesday at a media event with local MPP Eleanor McMahon, who has been an advocate for arts and culture in our community, and Bill Allison, an OTF volunteer. Also in attendance were Robert Steven, President and CEO, and Anne Swarbrick, Foundation Chair.
We wondered if AGB president Robert Steven or Foundation president Anne Swarbrick would be given the keys and be tooting about town – nope – the insurance contract allows just six drivers – and the top dogs don’t count.
“The Art Gallery of Burlington is an absolute gem in our city, and one of my favourite attractions in Burlington,” said Eleanor McMahon, MPP for Burlington who tried her hand on one of the looms the weavers guild has some time ago – McMahon won’t be giving classes – not for a while.
Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon did most of the talking at the van presentation. She almost suggested she would be quite happy taking art lessons at the AGB – on a full time basis Ms McMahon?
She is a fan of the AGB though and was able to help them stick handle their funding application. “This Ontario Trillium Foundation grant will provide people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to visit a chance to connect with the AGB and our city’s vibrant arts community, as well as support aspiring artists and museum workers beginning their careers.”
Along with the van, the grant is also helping with two special projects focused on different areas of outreach within the community, including Art-On-the-Go, an initiative to bring arts education directly to schools, seniors’ homes, and community festivals.
Bill Allison, an Ontario Trillium Foundation volunteer with more than nine years of service presented a plaque – the check arrived several months ago..
Funds are also being used for the Artistic and Gallery Experience Mentoring Program, which provides opportunities for high school students interested in a career in the arts to be mentored directly by artist educators and other art specialists.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is the leading grant making foundation in Canada. Most of their funding comes from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. You may not win with you Loto 6/49 – but the community does well with the Trillium Grants.
By Staff
April 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Less than two weeks to use these guys. You might want to do a selfie with on of them
There will be 77 of them on the streets and another 25 located in city parking lots – they are there to collect parking money from you.
There will be two at Spencer’s waterfront (one for the east lot and one for the west lot) and another at the municipal garage located on Locust St.
Here is a map of the parking lots throughout the city.
The meters will be spaced out on the streets – requiring a short short walk to the meter.
They are being installed around the city now and will be operational on May 12th, when the city is going to do a formal launch.
This is the face of the machine that will collect your parking fee. It doesn’t talk to you – but it does tell the enforcement officers that you are in a parking spot. Powered by a solar cell on the top.
The parking meters, manufactured in France are part of a contract the city has with Precise ParkLink, a leader in the Canadian parking industry; they’ve been around for twenty-five years.
Burlington will be working with Precise ParkLink in updating the city’s parking system to include Pay by License Plate and Cell Phone Parking technology.
There are four rate zones throughout the city. You will use the zone number clearly marked on the meter when you use your cell phone to pay for parking.
Here is how the two technologies involved work:
Instructions to register are printed on the front of the machine – probably better to register on-line. You can to that today.
Pay by Cell is a convenient way to pay for parking but a person has to sign up and create an account using a valid credit card
Precise ParkLink is a PCI Level One credit card processor (means they can be trusted) so your credit card and license plate information is secure. Here is a link to understand how secure payments work.
The contract with Precise ParkLink is for five years – to date the city has invested approximately $500,000 in new pay stations.
It’s really easy to register for Pay by Cell.
People can go on line and register their license plate and provide their credit card data at www.telepark.ca today if they want. You won’t be able to actually pay for parking until the launch on May 12th.
The best part of Pay by Cell is that once the account is set up a parker starts their parking session by entering the zone they are parking in – in order to stop the charges to your credit card you have to use your cell phone to tell the service that you are no longer in the parking spot – you can’t just drive away.
To register your TelePark cell phone parking account please visit (www.telepark.ca/en/).
To pay by license plate all you do is walk up to the parking meter, enter the license plate and pay. The digital screen on the parking meter will prompt the parker through the process.
Pretty simple. That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be any complaints.
There are also written instructions on the parking meter. Helpful hint: Remember your license plate – you need it to use the service. – WE SUGGEST YOU USE YOUR CELL & TAKE & STORE A PICTURE OF THE LICENSE PLATES REGISTERED!
The City’s Parking Enforcement unit will receive REAL TIME information about your parking session. They will see that you have paid for your parking and they will know that parking for the vehicle with the license plate keyed in has paid for the parking. They will also know when the parking is going to expire.
They aren’t quite as tall as they appear – and it will take a little bit to get used to them. 77 of them are going up – replacing 300 of the older meters.
Enforcement officers will still patrol – all they have to do is enter the licence plate number into their hand held unit which gives instant responses to validate parking payment and/or permit.
The city has a three hour maximum parking by law on city streets with parking meters, so you will have to move you Garage, surface lots, On Street spaces, and Waterfront (Spencer Smith) lots vehicle to another zone after three hours.
The four zones are the garage on Locust, surface lots, On Street spaces, and the Waterfront (Spencer Smith) lots. Each parking meter has its zone clearly marked. It is going to take a little getting used to – wait for the complaints to come in.
By Staff
April 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Rob Missen is inviting people to an afternoon of music from the land of purple heather. It will be a pleasant afternoon of time well spent – but more importantly – the event I being held to raise funds for the second annual Lowville Festival that will take place in the summer. And that is significant. What Missen and his team are doing is creating events that are out of the downtown core – in countryside. Check the link at the bottom of this piece – to see what you missed last year.
Come ye from the hills, from the mills, from the glens, and from the fens! The Lowville Festival – “a festival of all the arts for the artist in all of us”- and Lowville United Church are presenting a special benefit concert at Lowville United Church on Sunday May 1st at 3:00 pm.
THE HEATHER IN THE HILLS is a salute to the words and music of Scotland. The concert will feature the songs and poems of the immortal Robbie Burns, as well as selections from the musical Brigadoon and other popular Scots songs.
The featured performers include Festival Co-Director Robert Missen; Carol Ann Thomson, the new Music Director at Lowville United; Wayne Strongman, former Conductor of Hamilton’s Bach-Elgar Choir and Conductor of the new Lowville Festival Choir; Stuart Laughton, Founding Member of the Canadian Brass and leader of the new band Radio Dial; Peter Skoggard, notable Burns scholar and reciter; Michael Mulrooney, Music Director of Tansley United Church and well-known musical theatre conductor and pianist; and three recent graduates of the Sheridan College Musical Theatre Program, Kate Madden, Andrew MacNaughton and Gregory Solomon.
Special Guests for the afternoon are the 78th Fraser Highland Pipe and Drum Corps, which has recently taken up residence at Lowville United.
All of the artists are donating their services. There will be reception following the concert which will feature tea and Eileen Missen’s legendary shortbread. All proceeds will go towards helping to defray the costs of the 2017 Festival and the outreach programmes of Lowville United Church.
On May 1st, the Lowville Festival will announce its programme for the 2016 festival, to be held between July 22-24 in various locations in and around the historic hamlet of Lowville in beautiful North Burlington.
“The mists of May are in the gloamin’ and all the clouds are holding still”. Come celebrate spring in the majestic highlands of north Burlington!
Related article:
The Lowville Festival
THE HEATHER IN THE HILLS: THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF SCOTLAND
SUNDAY MAY 1ST AT 3:00 PM
LOWVILLE UNITED CHURCH
GUELPH LINE AND BRITANNIA ROAD
TICKETS $25
AVAILABLE AT THE CHURCH (905-335-0911), DIFFERENT DRUMMER BOOKS & AT THE DOOR
By Staff
April 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Reproduced from, CATCH (Citizens at City Hall), a Hamilton based group that uses transcripts and/or public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media. Detailed reports of City Hall meetings can be reviewed at hamiltoncatch.org.
In the wake of more record-smashing global temperatures, the mayors of Burlington and Hamilton got an opportunity to speak last week at a McMaster-organized conference on climate change. The two cities that straddle the western end of the lake appear to have quite different approaches to what is increasingly being described as a planetary emergency.
Last month was by far the hottest March in global records. It was the eleventh consecutive month to break records and was the ninth consecutive one to break them by record amounts, almost guaranteeing that 2016 will be the hottest year yet despite the records set in both 2015 and 2014. This year has already seen the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in both the northern and southern hemisphere, the earliest melting of Greenland’s ice sheet, and is a “reminder of how perilously close we are now to a permanent crossing into the global-warming danger zone” says famed climate researcher Michael Mann.
Visible local impacts include produce prices affected by California’s severe drought and severe rain storms that have flooded hundreds of homes in both Hamilton and Burlington. Both were referenced by Mayor Rick Goldring at the April 19 symposium on Low Carbon Climate Resilient Cities, but neither topic was included in the remarks delivered by Councillor Jason Farr on behalf of Mayor Eisenberger (who skipped the conference to receive a bike lane cheque from the provincial transportation minister).
Farr mentioned Hamilton’s use of natural gas buses but not the LRT. Improving transit was referenced by Goldring a half dozen times who highlighted “the need to invest in city building in order to create a more sustainable transit system as well as support cycling and walkability.” HSR ridership per capita far exceeds Burlington’s but neither city has achieved anything like the growth seen in other Ontario municipalities.
On the protection of foodlands, Goldring noted that his city has run out of room for more residential sprawl development because “fifty percent of our land in Burlington is Greenbelt and we want to keep it that way.” He said he had “not met anybody in recent years that suggests we do anything different than preserve” those lands. Farr didn’t mention Hamilton’s current efforts to convince the province to unprotect some Greenbelt lands to accommodate developer pressures even though unlike its cross-bay neighbour Hamilton still has thousands of acres of so-called white-belt rural lands that are neither urbanized nor protected by current Greenbelt legislation.
Most of the roads Burlington wants to develop its intensification on lead to Hamilton.
In the same direction, Goldring’s talk centred on Burlington’s plans for intensification, another topic not addressed by Farr. After starting with the declaration that “Hamilton takes the threat of global warming and climate change very seriously,” the councillor primarily listed actions already taken such as greening the city’s fleet, introducing SoBi bikes, capturing landfill and sewage methane and endorsing a climate change action charter.
“We are a poster child for David Crombie’s recent report on how municipalities in southern Ontario should be evolving and we’re embracing that opportunity,” declared Goldring, pointing to praise for Burlington’s new strategic plan from renowned urban planner Brent Toderian who recently visited the city.
“It’s not a tweak of the way the city’s built; it’s a rethink,” said Toderian about the city’s intensification plans. “It changes not only the direction of the city, the vision of the city, but also the makeup and attitudes and culture of city hall.”
Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie attend a Waterfront Advisory committee meeting with Mayor Goldring during his first term.
Crombie chaired the advisory panel on the review of provincial land use plans now underway including the Greenbelt rules and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Its executive summary argued that cities “must curb sprawl and build more compact communities in order to support transit, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect valuable farmland.” It also called for “applying more aggressive intensification and density targets” and “accelerating progress to improve and extend transit and active transportation infrastructure.”
Farr explained he had to rush off for planning committee deliberations on building a parking garage right across the street from the new McMaster health centre at the corner of Bay and Main. “We’re going to solve that issue for not only the doctors, the patients and those who wish to drive, but also make better use of this parkade than surface parking lots,” he promised.
Goldring ended his presentation with the declaration that “we’re very proud to be building a great city and not a sprawling suburb and right now is a game changing moment in our history and we want to do it right.”
By Pepper Parr
April 26th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Our waterfront is used by thousands of people – on really nice weather days there are close to people traffic jams.
The city makes great use of the space for festivals – these are organized events that are for the most part free but they don’t reflect much of the colour or culture of the city.
Great audience – but a passive audience.
The Sound of Music draws thousand who are passive attendees – they listen to the music. Those on the stage are, for the most part people from out of town who are here to advance their music profile and provide what is basically free entertainment.
Rib Fest draws thousands who sit and eat and listen some music.
The sand castle competition was popular but the city cut the program – it won’t be held this year.
The Children’s Festival has events that children take part in but there isn’t any animating of the space by the children.
Surely there is room for events that are small in nature that give groups or collectives an opportunity to express their creativity.
A pop up play, a scavenger hunt for kids; wouldn’t it be something to see the gymnasts doing their routines in Spencer Smith Park?
There was a time when the eastern end of the Beachway was home to Joseph Brant – what must that part of the city been like in Brant’s time?
How would one express that dramatically? Great opportunity for the Museum people to do something at Brant’s house; they already do wonderful work at Ireland House where some of the most creative small community events take place.
Something to think about.
Toronto has created an Animating Our Waterfront, which is a pilot program that will provide funding to individuals, organizations, collectives and groups to support free arts and cultural programming in selected parks and public spaces developed by Waterfront Toronto over the last decade.
The Cirque – one of the No Vacancy programs that took place in the Village square knew how to animate their event. All it takes is some imagination and and a little Chutzpah
The objective of this program is to host arts and cultural programming that celebrate these new public spaces and invite Torontonians and visitors to enjoy them. For the purposes of this program, “arts and cultural programming” includes the presentation of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, performance, literary and media arts, community- engaged artwork, cultural celebration, and any combination of the above. They are looking for projects that include themes like place-making, civic engagement, education, health and wellness, and environmental issues are encouraged.
Why couldn’t Burlington do something like this?
The Love My Hood funding might be one of the ways to help pay for things like this.
By Pepper Parr
April 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The city’s Sustainable Development Advisory committee is getting out into the community and showing citizens what sustainability is like at the ground level.
The advisory committee often gets bogged down in writing reports and commenting on projects the city has sent them for review.
They produce an impressive annual report which unfortunately didn’t get much attention after it was submitted – copies are sent to the library and that’s about all the coverage the document gets.
The SDC, acronym for the Sustainable Development Committee are getting out into the community and sponsoring a Jane’s Walk through Spencer Smith park and the Beachway early in May – the 8th
The Spencer Smith Park we know today – pictures of what it used to look like are in the background articles.
The story of how the city recovered land along the edge of the lake and created one of the more impressive parks in the province – giving people wonderful access to the lake is one of Burlington’s crown jewels.
Spencer Smith
Few know who Spencer Smith was and what he means to the city. Mark Gillies, one of the Gazette’s from time to time contributors, did an excellent profile of Spencer Smith – there is a link to that profile below.
It will be interesting to hear what the Jane’s Walk guide has to say about the way the waterfront was developed to what it is today.
The walk will move into the Beachway – a part of the city with a rich, colourful and controversial history. It was never a “tony” part of town – it had a railway line running through it and at one point it had its own small newspaper.
It was once a robust community with hundreds of homes that were on leased land that the city eventually took ownership of – the leases were brought to an end and the homes got to meet a wrecking ball.
Beachway homes – they never want to leave – will they eventually be forced out?
There are still some 25+ homes in the Beachway – occupied by people who have been there for generations and want to remain in the community. Other residents are hanging in looking for a better offer from the Region which has a mandate to buy every property on what they call a willing buyer – willing seller basis.
While this war of attrition goes on between the region and the residents the Region’s planners are working up plans for a massive series of parks that will – if it ever comes to pass – will be the envy of communities across the province.
The remake of the Beachway community is massive in both concept and scale – it will be decades in the making and what the planners are thinking today might be quite different than the end result. The pier is a pimple when compared to the park plans.
Most people in Burlington have no idea what the Region has planned for them – after the first announcement when the early thinking was made public, the Region went to ground – not a word from them in the recent past.
Will the Jane’s Walk shed any light on what is being done? Not likely.
Jane’s Walks were created to remember Jane Jacobs, an American who moved to Toronto in the xxx and became part of a group of activists who wanted to see better development in that city with more citizen input.
Hopefully the SDC will be true to her principles.
Jacob’s, who would have turned 100 years old this year, upended the fields of city planning and architecture with her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. She was described as the most influential urban thinker of all time. Jacobs once said: “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody”?
The walk will begin at 1 pm – gather at the Compass in the park.
Background:
Spencer Smith – Part 1 by Mark Gillies
Spencer Smith – Part 2 by Mark Gillies
The struggle over the Beachway homes
The plans to turn the Beachway into a park.
By Pepper Parr
April 26, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The man in the green T shirt on the left is a member of the provincial government who was in town a few wars ago to announce funding for BG to plant tree seedlings in the Beachway.
The announcement was made a number of years ago – the province created a Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund that funnelled money into the city via BurlingtonGreen to plant seedlings in the Beachway area where the environmentally sensitive sand dunes need plants and tress to anchor the sand.
The BG people were given $12,960 by the province for the planning, creation of three new signs, supplies, plant and tree stock
After a very successful Clean Up event last weekend – 11,000 plus people took part – Burlington Green is holding a Green Up event – collaborating with Halton Region, Conservation Halton and the city.
Seedlings planted in 2015 in the Beachway – what will they look like in 20 years?
Hundreds of seedlings will be planted and invasive species of flora will be pulled out and trashed. The Region, Conservation and city work with Burlington Green to determine the location of all the plantings and interpretive signs.
The Clean Up involved thousands – the Green Up is limited to just 100 volunteers. The planting of the seedlings is city building at its most fundamental level – the plants that are pushed into the ground are going to be there hundreds of years from now. It will be a warm, welcome experience for the 100 volunteers to walk through the Beachway in 20 years and see their trees growing.
The Region is beavering away on a plan to totally revise the Beachway from the community it now is to a rather spectacular park. The planting of trees now is all part of the evolution of that community.
The Green Up event takes place on Saturday May 28 – runs from 8:45 to 12:45 with refreshments being served.
The sands on Beachway do shift.
Much of the Beachway is a dune, the only one in the Region and very environmentally sensitive. The sands in th area actually shift over time.
BurlingtonGreen members water plants and shrubs they planted along the Beachway Park two years ago. Volunteers will be in the area late in May to continue this work
If you want to be part of this event – go on line and register – there is room for just 100 people – they will be city building for that half day.
BG volunteers have been doing this work since 2013. This year they will be planting native trees and plants.
Register HERE.
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