|
||||||||
|
April 4, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The following sport fields are closed from Monday, April 4 to Sunday, April 10, 2016. List of Parks and Facilities affected: City View F1 
April 4, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON At a time of year when we have begun to think about what will get done with the garden, we are reading snow reports and happy that we didn’t put away the winter clothing. How long is this kind of weather going to last? City advises that:
April 4, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON April may turn out to be a very good month for the city of Burlington.  Will a Judge order the Air Park corporation to remove the tonnes of illegal land fill from the land and file a site plan with the city – before the end of the month? We are advised that the Justices that hear court cases are close to releasing a decision on the application the city made for a Judge to compel the Burlington Air Park to comply with the city bylaw requiring the submission of a site plan for the air park property and also remove the tonnes of illegal land fill on the 200 acre piece of property. The court case was held last November, in one of the smallest t court rooms in the Milton court house where some 20 people crammed into space that might have held 10 comfortably. The Gazette is advised that a member of the city’s legal staff advised council that a Judge at the Court House advised the city that Justice Gibson anticipates he will be in a position to release his decision by April 30th. This will be a ground breaking decision which, given the way the Air Park corporation has handled precious decision that went against them in the past, will file an appeal. Because of the significance of this case to the municipal community across Canada – this case could make it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
April 3, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON A year later, a crowd of about 65 – maybe 75 people gathered at the Central library on Satuday morning to review what, if any changes, there had been in the transit service.
F – Lack of Convenience: Long headways (up to one hour), poor or no holiday evening or service, long distances to nearest bus stop, lack of service to many areas, – came up over and over again.
 What does Burlington spend on transit compared to other municipalities. All the shortcomings of Burlington transit system mentioned above result from a common cause: serious underfunding of transit by the City Council. It seems that the guiding principle when making decisions about transit is to save money, not to provide a good service. There is more to it than that; the decision makers in this city just do not see a significant place for transit – this is a car city, everything about the way Burlington streets and neighbourhoods are laid out calls for the use of a car.
Burlington is a city that has thousands of homes with garages – that are used as workshops or storage. The cars, as many as three for some families, sit on the drive way or on the street. Much mention is made of walking – fine when you are out for a stroll – another thing when your arm are laden with those plastic shopping bags. Cycling is the answer – try balancing all those plastic bags on the handle bars of a bike. It is only the exceptionally fit that will be on their bikes in the winter weather.  Robert Lovell, on the left, represented the Burlington Seniors’ Advisory committee at a city council meeting. James Young, on the right tried to explain to council that the object of their endeavors was not the cost but the services that were being delivered. There is something unreal about the talk of ordinary people using bicycles. Sure students can and should be riding their bikes to school when they can. But for Dad to ride the bike to Hamilton or Oakville is unrealistic. Moderately priced, well managed transit that designs routes and schedules that meet real needs has been proven to work in city’s that see transit as a public service and not a cost. Swimming pools and hockey arenas are seen as services the public is prepared to pay for – so Burlington gets ice pads. The city is not yet at the point where is can see transit as a public service – all they can see are busses that are close to empty at times.
 Director of Transit Mike Spicer chats with City Manager James Ridge during the Bfast Forum on transit. The report cards make that quite clear. What isn’t clear is how the city is going to tackle this problem. There was an additional positive at the Bfast Forum – the room full of people were very clear in not just what they wanted – but what they needed.
April 4, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Mother’s Day – May 7th this year. The florists will pick up on that one. All the pushy advertising aside – it is a special day. For many – their parents live in Burlington and their adult children live elsewhere. With the warmer weather coming (it is coming isn’t it?) there are opportunities to get out. The restaurants will be packed that Sunday and besides – you get out to restaurants often enough.
They will be serving: tea/coffee, scones with cream, and a variety of sweet treats. Cost: $30.00 per person.
April 2, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It really is all about the artist – but getting that exhibit set up is as exacting in its own way as the creative work that artist does. Sunday afternoon Teresa Seaton will feature some of the work of Michelle van Maurik at the Seaton Gallery on Spring Garden Road out by the Royal Botanical gardens. The work is exquisite.  Deciding which painting should go where – not as simple as one might imagine. Most people know of as the Maurik Canadian who was invited to show her work at the Louvre, which makes her an internationally recognized artist who isn’t seen often enough in Burlington. Seaton, whose discipline is stained glass, has opened her gallery up to artists with different disciplines in the past. We at first thought that getting Maurik into the Seaton Gallery was a coup – turns out the two women go back a number of years. The crossed paths when both were exhibiting their work at the McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg. “She took me under her wing at that event” said Michelle van Maurik and Seaton was taking her under her wing again as the two artists worked at figuring out which pictures should go where on the limited wall space. Maurik is often working on several pieces of art at the same time. It is a mood thing for her – a day in the studio starts at around 10 am and ends at around 4 pm. “At times I have to leave a painting and come back to it with fresh eyes” on other occasions a change in the light will draw me back to a painting. There was a time when Maurik did paintings of old trucks – she saw life in a rusting hulk of metal abandoned in a field. Those paintings are long gone – flowers, peonies in particular attracted Maurik and that work caught the eye of someone putting together a delegation of artists that were chosen by the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts to be part of the Canadian delegation in one of the most prestigious and oldest shows in Paris, France. She got a message from an art dealer who had seen her work online and “ asked if I would like to be part of the show and told me to send some images.” Her Sunflower painting was chosen. The SNBA was created 153 years ago to exhibit artists who were refused by the Academy of Fine Arts, including Rodin and Messonier. SNBA representative Bénédicte Lecat says she received Maurik’s images and sent it to the jury.  Maurik work waiting to find its place on the gallery walls “The president of the jury said he chose Sunflower to enlighten the winter in Paris and the wall of the delegation. While Maurik’s career blossomed after the show in Paris what she will tell you about that city is it’s light. “There is something golden in the late afternoon sunlight in Paris” and the French do like her peonies. The SNBA exhibits at the Carrousel du Louvre Salle Le Nôtre every December with approximately 10 foreign delegations with works in oils, mixed techniques, works on paper, engraving, tapestry or sculpture. The Canadian delegation includes 20 artists from Alberta, Ontario and Québec.  Maurik saw life in a rusting hulk of metal abandoned in a field. Maurik, whose father was a billboard painter began to paint when she was six years old. She painted advertising murals on the sides of buildings across Canada. Mostly self-taught, Maurik studied in New York under Daniel Greene, a renowned artist regarded as one of the top portrait painters in the U.S. Maurik now concentrates on oils and pastels, her bold and at the same time delicate peonies are doing very well. One of her favourites will be done in a limited edition print run. After she returned from Paris, Maurik kept on painting. Her work has appeared in many exhibitions, including the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery and the Hittite Gallery in Toronto. It is not surprising to see Maurik painting outside the Sea and Craft gallery on Kerr Street in Oakville.  Pink peonies. “I wanted to do something different and be home with my daughter,” she said. In the last four years, things have taken off for Maurik. There is a risk in taking the route she has decided upon – a painting can take years to find a home but at some point someone will fall in love with a painting. Maurik has found that people see her work on her Facebook and decide they just have to have it.
While you’re there – save some time for Gallery 2, right next door to the Seaton Gallery – Cheryl Goldring and Anne More have set up shop there. Well worth the time – on a good day Don Graves is at his easel adding to the experience.
April 2, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It was the second annual Transit Forum and was as well attended as the first last year. Of significance was that the Director of Transit, Mike Spicer was on hand as was city manager James Ridge. Were they in real listening mode? Hard to tell – the voices setting out the needs and the problems were pretty clear.  Bfast, Burlington for Accessible Affordable Transit, chose not to issue an overall grade for the city’s transit service. It isn’t a pretty picture. Bfast, the organization that put on the event, issued a report card – it wasn’t all bad – the parts that mattered however were still terrible.  What is the problem with transit in Burlington – Bfast argues that it is funding – thy might be right. The Gazette will report in more detail in the next few days. The Gazette is the only media in the room – Cogeco had a camera in the room and the Mayor got his couple of minutes. There was a photographer from Metroland in the room as well.
April 1, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON If the laws of supply and demand have any impact on the drug trade – expect to pay a little more to your preferred dealer – things have tightened up on the supply side. On March 30th 2016, members of the Halton Regional Police, Oakville Street Crime Unit and Integrated Drug Gun and Gang Unit concluded an ongoing drug investigation Marihuana – $11,640.00,  Police took possession of a decent amount o cash and a load of drugs. The following individuals were charged with various drug related offences and held Douglas BROWNE, 43 years of Burlington. Francisco ROSA, 45 years of Burlington. Police remind members of the public to report any illegal drug activity and utilize Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at
April 1, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It’s a great idea but the take up within the community hasn’t been as strong as the Parks and Recreation people would like it to have been. Perhaps people don’t fully understand the process? Maybe it’s too bureaucratic? Whatever – the city is going to put some of their troops into the community and help people complete their applications before the April 29th deadline. What is your idea for the community? The city wants to help groups that have a great idea for the community get up to $5,000 in funding to make those ideas happen. The city is hosting five workshops to help groups complete their Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund applications before the April 29, 2016, deadline. The fund will provide up to $5,000 to support projects led by neighbourhood and community groups. Approved projects will get up to 50 per cent of the funding for Workshops to offer both information and hands-on help will take place:  Mountainside Recreation Centre Monday, April 4, 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, 7 to 9 p.m.  Burlington Seniors’ Centre Wednesday, April 13, 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 14, 7 to 9 p.m. Participants are asked to RSVP to Those who can’t attend can visit Next week the Gazette will be running a series of articles on the Love my Hood program the city is also offering. One way or another – the parks and recreation people are going to get you to do something to make this city a nicer, better place to live in.
March 31, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON They decided to call it a party rather than a meeting and made a good effort to give the Parks and Recreation Event Strategy workshop a different tone and feel.
The purpose was to get ideas and feed back on what the city’s event Strategy should be – what worked and what doesn’t work asked the facilitator and what would you like to see, what would your vision be even if the idea was not feasible or practical. This was an occasion for some blue sky thinking – they didn’t quite rise up to the challenge.  Manager of Community Development Services, Denise Beard A year and a half or so ago Manager of Community Development Services, Denise Beard got to listen to James Dier at a conference – she was mesmerized. Within months Beard got Diers to an event in Burlington where he blew the socks off a lot of people and showed an approach to building community that had a lot of people excited and wanting more. Those who worked closely with communities understood immediately what Diers was saying – it took others a little longer to “get it”. When Diers made a presentation to a Committee of the Whole at Geraldo’s it was priceless to see the expressions on the faces of the buttoned down consultants. Diers is a very “in your face” advocate for what he calls “Neighbourhood Power”. He changed the way Seattle involved its neighbourhoods in figuring out what was needed at the street level. Much of what we now see coming out of the Parks and Recreation department now is the result of the Dier’s approach.  Staff tried to create a sense of a play party with gimmicks that could be used illustrate some of the creative ideas. He isn’t for everyone. He is loud, forthright and gets excited. He once threw a live chicken into the office of the Mayor of Seattle to make a point. Watching the look on Councillor Craven’s face as Diers got himself wound up while explaining a point set out the stark contract between the two men – and contrasted the difference between the way the ward 1 Councillor works with his constituents and how others involve their citizens. It’s pretty clear that the Parks and Recreation people are going to follow as much of the Diers philosophy as they can. The Gazette will report in more detail the approaches Diers created and what Burlington can expect to see in the months ahead. The Tuesday evening “party” was the first time Parks and Recreation staff had an opportunity to field test some of their ideas. A Workbook was given to all the participants who gathered in groups of six to eight around tables that had all kinds of play toys – plasticine, coloured paper and markers and large sheets of butcher paper to draw plans on. The questions put to the groups were focused on the current experience people had had on an event that took place:  What did they think about the current experience ? What is your experience with events held on City property now? Each group of people beavered away at the questions and then reported back.  This is what the facilitator gathered from the participants – the future of festivals and events as they saw them. Next up was Future Experiences: Again the different groups worked through their ideas and reported back and the results were put up on a huge banner. The last session was Advice to the city: The workbook set out criteria the City could use to help them select appropriate festivals and events to host on City property. Those taking part, there were about 75 people taking part – they were asked to: 1. Take a look at the criteria and choose the ones that you feel the City should use. Why should they choose these ones?  This is what the facilitator heard the 75 + participant say – it wasn’t as imaginative as some had expected. What advice do you have on criteria for the downtown festivals/events? What advice do you have on criteria for the neighborhood festivals/events? What did you clearly agree on at your table? What did you have difficulty agreeing on? The criteria put before the participants for selecting events: Type of Sports Events One time event attracting out of town athletes Healthy and greener City by ensuring healthy food and activity options, environmentally friendly practices, encourages modal split Focus on local talent, food, businesses and organizations Who and what type of events should we give preference to when we’re deciding on applications for festivals and events on City property? Choose your preference to the following: For Profit Preference for Hosts of Events from Burlington Purpose of events Community Development – build sense of community The community level work being done was part of a larger exercise. The people at city hall had begun to rethink the city and it brand. The two biggest festival events the city holds – Sound of Music and Rib Fest have both taken place in the city for more than 20 years. Are they getting stale? Did they really portray what Burlington is in the minds of its citizens? Have times changed and is it perhaps time to look at what the city permits on the waterfront space?  The sand castle competition is no longer a summer event in Burlington. While there hasn’t been a big announcement – the sandcastle competition held in the Beachway part of the waterfront will not take place in 2016. The debate over what should be done with the 25+ homes in the Beachway clouded the discussion over the several different parks that are going to be created on that stretch of land from the Joseph Brant Museum and the canal.  Discussion at all of the tables was wide open and wide ranging – there were some that felt there should be stronger security and that the festivals intruded on life for those who lived downtown. Unfortunately the public is not all that involved in the design of that park – planners at the Regional level are putting together the ideas. It will be a couple of decades before anything significant appears. The intellectual guru behind the thinking taking place within the Parks and recreation department – and make no mistake about this – the city has swallowed the Kool Aid – they are all in at this point on the Diers philosophy. The challenge now is to get the citizens to the point where they begin to understand that Neighbourhood Power is the direction staff is going – the biggest part of their job is to get citizens to buy in and begin thinking aloud what they want their city to look like; what kind of events do they want to see in the public places? The facilitator, who brought a different visual approach to the documenting of the data and the comments made, asked the audience to do some ”blue sky” thinking – to talk about their vision which may not be feasible, probably no very practical either – she just wanted them think bigger than they normally do  Chris Glenn,Director of Parks and Recreation. There wasn’t all that much in the way of responses. One table thought more use should be made of the water – and hold water based events.  They decided to go for the big photo op – just the one city Councillor attended – the Mayor popped in to make the opening remarks. Another comment was to have more focus on the city’s history and tell more about the veterans. The biggest concern was traffic – getting out of an event when everyone was heading for the same exists at the same time. There were suggestions about using shuttle buses and holding alternative events that would be part of the larger festivals. No mention was made of the hydro towers and the thought that is being given to burying them. There was a member of Rotary in attendance and the Sound of Music had several of their big guns at several tables. They, along with Brian Dean, General manager of the Burlington Downtown Business Association chose to be in a listening mode for the most part. The task now for the parks and recreation people is to pull together all the data and comments they have collected from the various stakeholders and community groups and prepare a recommendations report for city council. Festivals and events are one part of the mix that get reflected in the Strategic Plan – document the city will make official later this month. Then what?
April 1st, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The question no one seems to be asking is whether Burlington really needs another waterfront pier. Sources distant from both the PM’s people and those of the Premier have indicated some kind of an announcement is forthcoming in the near future.  Upon completion of pier number two will reach well into the lake The potential cost of this project could total close to four billion big ones and would be funded through a new infrastructure fund. “What better way to use our federal and provincial deficit money than to create new jobs, right here in Burlington,” one source was overheard mumbling. The mayor has been very closed-lipped about this initiative. That may be because a former Burlington mayor had been thought to be working hard between the sheets to create this baby. And some baby it will be. A mega-motel, to be named after former city and regional counsellor Robert Bates, will anchor the attractions on this artificial piece of land reaching out into the middle of Lake Ontario.  The ferris wheel on pier number 2 will be visible from Toronto. The project will also feature the largest ferris wheel in North America named in honour of the former Toronto mayor, whose brother Doug, had been promoting a similar icon to dot the Toronto skyline. Doug Ford, who always wanted to be known for, and as, a big wheel himself, couldn’t be reached for comment. However, somebody on somebody’s staff noted that the Fords had always supported using somebody else’s money to move people around, so long as it didn’t get in the way of Toronto’s grid lock. In fact the former Toronto Councillor had hoped that the ferris-wheel could be directly connected to Toronto’s expanding subway system. Stretching out two and a half kilometres into Lake Ontario the centrepiece of the structure will be a huge ferry docking station with access to planned ferry ports as distant as Oakville and Hamilton and the existing Burlington pier. There will be a 30-hectare amusement park on the water, which will include the ferris wheel and thirty-seven Tim Horton outlets. In addition plans may include a waterfront zoo featuring elephants, lions, penguins and other native Canadian wildlife. Already, ribbon cutting is being projected to coincide with the 2018 Sound of Music festival which would see a switch in content to such classical pieces as Handel’s Water Music, rather than the heavy rock known to incite wave action. However, given the size of this project, the grand opening may have to be postponed once or twice – or several times.  Land fill at the Burlington air park being trucked to the pier number two construction site. Land-fill for this massive project is expected to come from the levelling of Halton Conservation Area’s Rattle Snake Point. Rock climbing activity has severely eroded the rock face and Milton has been reported petitioning the provincial government and Green Belt commission to make way for even more residential housing in Canada’s fastest growing city. And besides the rattle snakes are all gone, the last one seen on March 17th. Lawyers from around the problem are looking for a way to legally move the land fill on the air park property to the lakefront. Not everyone will be pleased with this new development and you can be sure that the Burlington Gazette will be sued and have to shut down at least five or six times in the course of this project. But the proponents are keen to see the pier built and even keener to give its ferris wheel a spin. They have been heard to say that they personally anticipate this to be a very rewarding venture. Rumours abound about the siting of multi-unit condos as well, adding as many as fifty thousand new residents to the man-made peninsula. And as is always the case with innovative ventures, even at this early stage, there are the critics.  Steel for pier number two was imported from Mexico – the city took this retaliatory action when Hamilton refused to sell the Lasalle Park water lots at a reasonable price. Some folks can’t help but compare this initiative to what they saw as wasteful spending by the federal Conservatives in the wake of the 2009/10 recession and in preparation for the G20 summit. They cite the expensive network of sidewalks Tony Clement built in his rural northern riding which no one actually uses. And then there is the massive effort that went into constructing Canada’s sixth great lake – right there on the shores of Lake Ontario. In the words of Burlington Gazette publisher, Pepper Parr, who is believed to be a strong proponent himself, despite his denials, “they pissed away all that money back then and got re-elected, so why not this, now? Besides how better to employ all our adopted Syrian refugees looking for work, and where better to offer them a place to live?”
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Something special happens to Rivers on the first day of April each year. Our apologies for his excesses. Tweet @rayzrivers
March 31, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON How does that phrase go? In like a lion out like a lamb? We seem to have a pretty wet lamb this last day of the month of March which produced a warning form Conservation Halton advising that natural watercourses are at or near bankfull conditions. An additional 25 mm of rain is forecast and there is potential for greater rainfall depths associated with thunderstorms this evening.  Saturated ground and consistent rain the past few days has Burlington’s 17 creeks running close to their high point – not the safest place for the kids to play This precipitation, in conjunction with saturated ground conditions will result in higher than normal water levels and flows in local streams. Widespread flooding is not currently anticipated however flooding of low lying areas and natural floodplains may be expected. Keep the children 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 flow and weather conditions and will issue further messages as necessary. This Watershed Conditions Statement will be in effect through Friday April 1, 2016.
March 31, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON How do you build community? Doesn’t it just happen naturally? Apparently not – the city has adopted a policy that is intended to help people organize events that will pull people together for a common cause. A house fire will always get everyone out on the street to watch the fire fighters – figuring out how to come up with something less extreme has resulted in what Burlington is calling a Community Investment Policy that provides funding for the holding of events. In language that only a bureaucrat could write – here is that policy. Purpose Establish the principles and practices around how the City of Burlington will invest in our community. Statement The City of Burlington, (“City,”) believes that residents want to contribute to the quality of life in Burlington. Residents have great ideas about how to create both vibrant neighbourhoods and/or communities and may require support from the City for implementation of initiatives. The City provides support for these initiatives with one-time funding for events, programs or projects that build community capacity: • To a registered not-for-profit corporation or a group of neighbours
This policy applies to not-for-profit groups or a group of neighbours that use City owned and managed property for the benefit of residents of the City and happens within the geographic boundaries of the City. This policy does not include boards and agencies of the City, school board property, Halton Conversation lands or lands of the Region of Halton or organizations that currently receive funding from the City of Burlington. Definitions Corporation Refers to the Corporation of the City of Burlington. Principles The following principles are taken into consideration when investing in the community: 1. Community members want to contribute to their quality of life.
• Properties governed under another body, agency or business (e.g. school board, board or agency) Annual fundraising events/projects Policy Guidelines Community Capacity Building Projects* Criteria for Review • Completeness of the application including organization/event budget Implementation Project must be completed within one year. Project must be completed within one year of the contract In the setting of the 2016 budget city council did approve funding for the project. There have been about 15 – maybe 20 projects. Next week we will write about several of those projects and get some sense of what works and what doesn’t work from a citizen’s point of view. The funding allocation for neighbourhood projects is set at $300 which some people feel isn’t quite enough. Denise Beard, Manager, Community Development Services, has a target of having 150 projects on the go in the city during 2017 – the year that Canada celebrates its sesquicentennial – this country came into being 150 years ago. It is a brave target – let’s see how it works!
March 31, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON This article isn’t for everyone – it gives you a look at the way city council and its citizens used to go at each other. When writer Bob Wood completes the telling of this tale we will pass it along to you. Citizens, developers and many municipalities have called for it to be dismantled. The Ontario government has given a big “No” to that notion. Ted McMeekin, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, told CBC last week that “we need a body like the OMB because sometimes people break the rules.” So, McMeekin’s Ministry is going to review the OMB with an eye to reform it by foiling those rule breakers. McMeekin is looking for ideas. He’ll get no help from me. I ought to have an opinion but my views are a bit muddled. That’s likely because I’ve become far too familiar with a long ago OMB hearing. That hearing dealt with an attempt by a developer to put a McDonald’s restaurant in Parkwood Plaza at the corner of Kenwood and Lakeshore in south east Burlington. There were three OMB hearings for that event.  Would the community fight the location of a fast food outlet today? The residents spent more than $350,000 in legal fees and those were 1980 dollars At the end of the third hearing a resident’s group was successful in blocking this inappropriate use of a small plaza. Their success came thirty-six years ago this Friday (April 1, 1980). Burlingtonians are patiently awaiting a decision on the Councillor Dennison appeal of a Burlington Committee of Adjustment decision to not allow a property severance he was seeking. The hearing took place more than nine months ago. There is a second OMB appeal that has many in Burlington interested – that being the appeal the ADI Development Group took to what they called a refusal on the part of the city to make a decision on their development application to put up a 26 storey tower on the corner of Martha and Lakeshore Road. After giving the city a bit of a bum’s rush on their original application – Adi then asks the OMB officer hearing their appeal to postpone the actual hearing while they talk to the city about how an additional piece of property they recently purchased is going to fit into their development. This stuff does get complex. The seven year battle details some of the barriers residents faced in trying to cover the costs of an OMB appeal. Some of the Cast of Characters Jim Ryan – east end resident and frequent spokesperson for residents. Later elected as City Alderman for Ward 8. For many years the City of Burlington’s Community Services Committee had convened a January meeting to consider funding requests. Typically, the requests came from recreational, sports or cultural groups. Three sessions of the committee would be held in 1979 to look at 35 requests totalling $386,164. The January’s meeting of that committee was to consider a request from a resident’s group. The Committee Against The Establishment of a Restaurant in Parkwood Plaza (CAERPP): they wanted help to foot a portion of their legal bills. After an in camera meeting the Committee determined in a 3-2 vote that CAERPP should receive $7,500 for their legal costs. This was a first – a request from a citizen’s group fighting a development proposal. Mayor Roly Bird, who had been recently elected, defended the decision to fund the citizen’s group saying: “We have been given to understand that the city’s case will be greatly enhanced by their continued participation.” Bird proposed a $7,500 grant as a compromise after an earlier motion for more money by Alderman Linda Pugsley had failed, receiving support of only one other member of the committee, Walter Mulkewich of Ward One. Mayor Bird was known as a man of strong opinions. So there must have been many surprised citizens when six days later he had a different one. Bird told Council that “a number of advisers” he had in the in the city told him they did not support paying the residents’ lawyer. A strange statement indeed. Bird continued: “We have to ask is this the City’s fight.” With that Council rejected the position of its Administration Committee. Ward 8 City Alderman Bill O’Connell called Council’s position “pitiful.” Other Council members claimed that if the City joined with CAERPP they could expose the city to legal action. “The City could have been liable for many thousands of dollars for last revenues by Dalewest and McDonald’s,” Jim Grieve claimed. Others, like Joan Allingham and Rob Forbes disagreed that such an opinion had been offered. On becoming aware of the City’s rejection of financial support for his group, Jim Ryan had sharp words. “The mayor indicated that the city is well qualified to handle the situation. Maybe we’ll just let them handle it.”  City Council chamber decor hasn’t changed all that much. The picture of the Queen has been replaced by the city crest. And there are a lot more council members at that table Ryan went on: “I wish I had as much confidence in them. They blew it last time and they’ll blow it again. They don’t have the specialized expertise McDonald’s and Dalewest have.” What now? Alderman O’Connell thought that the residents would end their fight. The residents convened the night after Council’s decision. “It was a hell of a blow,” Ryan told the Spectator. The committee had already accumulated $13,000 in legal bills and the meter was still running. What fundraising opportunities were still open to them? More garage sales, dances? “That’s a hell of a lot of dancing and garage sales,” said Ryan to the idea of raising $8,000 more. The group decided that a lottery could bring in money and be an indication of broader community support. CAERPP members began to sell tickets for a Valentine’s Day draw. First prize would be $500. The Committee knows they need lawyer Herman Turkstra, who they had engaged a year earlier. While the City’s position was similar to the residents, the city’s lawyer can’t really represent the residents’ interests. “We need our own solicitor. To be successful, the city needs our lawyer,” Ryan asserted. It wasn’t just Ryan who felt this way. Alderman O’Connell talked to city solicitor Doug Brown and came away feeling the City has little hope. “If the residents pull out we might as well forget it.” As lottery tickets were being sold speculation continued as to what the City should do. The Burlington Post editorialized that if sufficient funds were not raised in the lottery the city had to make a choice. Would they mount an effective opposition to McDonald’s/Dalewest and could it present the necessary arguments “without leaving itself open to future confrontation?” But the residents had no intention of giving up. Perhaps other Burlington observers thought as much. “There was no intimation we’d drop out, even if we had to go without our solicitor,” said Ryan. Advertisements for the continuation of the hearing ran in the Post on the same day that another story broke. Now the province was going to review the legality of CAERPP’s lottery. Lawyers for Dalewest Construction had written the Ontario Lottery Corporation (OLC) claiming that the lottery had contravened Ontario’s regulations. Don Speight, assistant to the director of the OLC, said that a lottery must be for charitable purposes. It must go for relief of the poor, the advancement of education or religion or “any purpose that is of benefit to the community.” While the OLC’s investigation was going on, lottery organizers were told not to spend any of the lottery’s proceeds. CAERPP had put down $14 for the licence in November although there were some questions about it at the time.  Doug Brown was the city solicitor during the seven year citizen’s battle to prevent a McDonalds from being located in the east end plaza. “When they first came to me I was not prepared to issue a licence,” claimed City Clerk Don Briault. But City Solicitor Doug Brown said it was legal. Three thousand, two hundred and thirty-two (3,232) one dollar tickets had been sold to people who, Ryan said, bought the tickets to help with the legal bills. From Ryan’s perspective the draw was legal because the city had licensed it, Dalewest’s complaint could result in the money being handed over to a charity. People would be angry. With the OLC studying the matter one might have expected silence from government officials. Not so. A spokesman for the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Relations told the Burlington Post that the lottery was probably illegal. “Let’s face it. I’ve never heard of a lottery licence being issued to a group espousing a political viewpoint,” said Ed Ciemigap whose department was apparently exploring legal precedents. Turkstra was incredulous that none of the parties involved in the determination of the lottery issue had contacted the residents. Soon (March 21st) the Attorney General’s office told the Post that the chances of CAERPP being charged were fairly remote. “Presumably Turkstra and his clients have nothing to worry about,” Julian Polika ventured. And that is as far as Bob Wood, who grew up not far from the Parkwood Plaza. He hopes to have the whole story complete later in the spring. Editor’s note: Bob Wood is working on the completion of this story. Things don’t change all that much in local politics – do they? Developers still do whatever they think they can do to get their projects completed. And where is city council when it comes to supporting the citizens; there are a few in North Burlington that would like to see the city being proactive on their side over the dumping of land fill on the air park property.
March 30th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON City of Burlington building staff will be at local home improvement stores for three Saturdays in April to answer questions and provide information about building permits.  City building permit staff will set up shop at different building supply stores during the month of April to help out with the paper work. “With the mild weather we’ve had the last few weeks, many residents will be getting a start on spring renovation projects around the house,” said Mary Lou Tanner, the city’s director of planning and building. “We hope that by having staff where people shop, available to answer any permit questions, people will get the information they need to know about permits and home projects.” City staff will be available between 8 a.m. and noon on the following dates at these locations:
March 30, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Bfast – (Burlington for Accessible Affordable Transit) will be holding its second annual Forum on the state of transit in the city – and issuing report cards on the quality of the service. We are told that while overall the service hasn’t improved enough – they will be issuing at least one A in that report card.  Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. The biggest problem, according the Doug Brown, is the transit service is very under-funded – and until the service is given the resources it needs it will always be sub-standard. Brown who knows more about the history of service in Burlington than anyone alive seldom gets the hearing he deserves from the transit people. The 2015 Forum attracted about 90 people with much to say about their experiences using the Burlington’s buses. There in the role of listeners were four of the seven members of Burlington City Council, including Mayor Rick Goldring, as well as Burlington’s MPP, Eleanor McMahon. Not present, unfortunately, was anyone responsible for designing and operating the transit system—Burlington Transit. Positive messages from the participants can be quickly told: everyone praised the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the bus drivers, who often help passengers in unusual circumstances. Because of cuts to service and frequent route changes during the last three years, Burlington Transit’s system is no longer convenient, resulting in a considerable drop in ridership. And two fare increases during that time have made it unaffordable for many potential users. The Presto card service is not as simple as saying “Hey, presto!” One attendee last year said that Presto ought to be as convenient as cash in order for it to replace cash fares.  Short term notices work well – its the signage throughout the transit system that is less than satisfactory. Signage at bus stops throughout Burlington presents a problem for many, especially occasional transit users. Ideally, every bus stop should display the route numbers of the buses stopping there and the scheduled times of arrival. The reality is rather different: bus route numbers and arrival times are nonexistent. Burlington Transit has been touting a new electronic system that will do everything but place your coffee order hasn’t seen the light of day yet. Maybe there will be an announcement at the Forum this Saturday at the Central Library – where there is a complimentary breakfast for those who arrive early. Burlington Transit’s Handi-Vans provide an essential service for people with disabilities unable to use the regular bus service. Unfortunately, as BT’s nine Handi-Vans cannot handle the current demand, users must book at least a week in advance. To deal with requests at short notice, such as necessary medical appointments, taxis should be used to supplement the Handi-Van fleet when required. All the shortcomings of Burlington transit system that came out of the 2015 Forum are the result of a common cause: serious underfunding of transit by the City Council. It seems that the guiding principle when making decisions about transit is to save money, not to provide a good service. The key message from the Forum last year was: “People don’t use the system because it’s cheap, they use it because it’s convenient. So, when it’s not convenient to navigate, they won’t use it.” Links to previous transit news stories: Details on the April 2nd Forum Seniors advocate for Free Monday bus service
March 30, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON CogecoTV has announced they will be broadcasting the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) South-West Conference Final live in its entirety from Georgetown and Burlington The Georgetown Raiders and Burlington Cougars will be facing off against each other in the South-West Conference Final for the Buckland Cup. The Raiders knocked off the North York Rangers in the semi-finals. The Burlington Cougars who finished last year 2nd last in the league won in a deciding game 7 last night against the Oakville Blades.
March 30, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Drinking Water Systems Flow Summary Report for 2015 that Regional Council was given earlier this month said that all 11 of Halton’s water systems achieved scores of 100 per cent on inspections conducted by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in 2015.  The water from your tap is just as safe as bottled water. “Regular monitoring of our drinking water protects public health and ensures public This summary report on Halton’s municipal drinking water systems is prepared and Halton’s highly-qualified and licensed employees perform regular testing to make sure the Region’s water supply consistently meets or exceeds provincial However, residents should be confident that their drinking water is of the highest quality and no additional
March 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The difference this year is that the transit people will be at the Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST) second annual Transit Users’ Forum, which gets underway this Saturday, April 2, from 9:30AM to 12:00 noon at the Central Library. Last year they were missing in action.  Seniors discussing what the transit system does for them – has anything changed since this event last year? Eight community organizations have combined efforts to sponsor the Forum that has announced it will be issuing a report card on Burlington Transit’s performance based on areas identified as priorities by last year’s gathering. Nearly 100 people attended in 2015. A free continental breakfast will be provided between 9:30 and 10:00 AM. “The objective of this forum is to provide an opportunity for Burlington Transit users to describe their riding experience and to provide their views on how the system should be improved,” says Doug Brown, chair of Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit. .”It will be an opportunity for transit users and transit advocates to meet and discuss potential strategies for improving transit and special transit.”  Mayor Goldring, checking the bus schedule on his Smart phone while Joey Edwardh looks on – not certain the Mayor knows what he is doing. Due to construction on New Street, Burlington Transit is providing special shuttle buses between the Central Library and the Downtown Bus Terminal both before and after the meeting. Consult bfastransit.ca or the Burlington Transit website at burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/Burlington-Transit.asp for more details. The co-sponsoring organizations are as follows: Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit (BFAST) Why is transit always seen as something for poor people? Those with income limitations don’t own a vehicle and they depend on public transit – but ta the same event last year there were a number of people with good jobs in Toronto who depended on transit to get them to the GO station and they talked candidly and appreciatively about the quality of the transit service and how it had been able to make those small changes at work for them.  A “selfie” the Mayor published on an occasion when he created a photo op by taking the bus to work. Where was his communications adviser when this was released? Modern buses with schedules that meet the needs of as many people as possible and don’t undergo changes all the time will draw a clientele that becomes loyal. We could stop framing transit as something people with limited means need – and position it as something that meets the transportation needs of a bigger cohort. And if the politicians can stop using the occasions when they do take a bus as more than a photo op and become regular users – we will have come some distance. You weren’t holding your breath were you?
March 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON We goofed. A number of people wrote to tell us that both Test Kitchen locations have been closed for a number of months: Clearly we don’t get out as much as we’d like. We apologize for the incorrect information – which doesn’t take away from the fact that it was the place to be. Something was seriously wrong with the business model – but the mood and the food were both great. Let’s give them credit for giving it at go.  Were things on Brant Street ever really vibrant? One reader commented: “That you used Test Kitchen as an example of success for the downtown is telling: Test Kitchen is out of business for both its Burlington locations. There does not seem to be a comprehensive plan to qualify, attract, and retain businesses that build an “environment” that makes downtown Burlington distinctive. At times, it seems that the city and major event planners are actively hostile towards the downtown business community. A recent example was the Chilly Half Marathon where a McDonald’s truck was sampling free coffee in the downtown core. I am sure that Coffee Culture, The Village Perk (now out of business) Lakeshore Coffee House, and Tamp Coffee were happy that a corporate behemoth was given the exposure. Maybe it is foreshadowing who is taking over the Second Cup location? Perhaps Burlington can take a lesson from the BIA of Corning, NY. Not a Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds within the boundary of the core. While the rest of the town is struggling the downtown is truly “vibrant.” An inverse of what is seems to be happening here. And just what is happening here? We will see what we can learn.
|
||||||||
|
Copyright © 2024 Burlington Gazette – Local News, Politics, Community - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
||||||||
Some – but not enough – and the biggest concern – the funding of the transit service – isn’t going to change within the foreseeable future. The best transit users are going to get is platitudes – the budget for 2016 has been set and unless the federal government decides to send some coin to the municipalities with a transit string attached to it – the money is going to go into that “infrastructure deficit” council seems to rely upon to keep money from working its way into transit.
Bfast, Burlington for Accessible Affordable Transit, prepared a report card on a number of metrics they selected. Here they are along with the grade each metric was given.
Helpfulness of Drivers: At the 2015 forum, participants broke into applause when the helpfulness of our BT drivers was mentioned. Everyone praised the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the bus drivers, who often help passengers in unusual circumstances. Even visitors to Burlington praise our drivers as evidence by this recent article in the Hamilton Spectator1.
Installation of ITS System: Although not an issue at the 2015 Transit Users Forum, over the past few months most buses have been automatically announcing audibly, and visually, stop announcements. This is a big help to all passengers, but is particularly needed by passengers with a visual or hearing impairment.
Fares: Recent fare increases have made Burlington fares among the highest in the GTA. Even higher than Toronto! This combined with the extensive route and schedule changes of November 2013 have resulted in a 15% loss of ridership.
Signage and Route and Schedule Information: The new bus stop signs now list the bus route numbers that serve each stop. We understand that BT is going to discontinue the Ride Guide and put in its place internet access to schedules and separate individual route maps. We think such a move will make it even harder for users without hand-held devices to access route and schedule information and urge Burlington Transit to have consultations with its users before any changes are made.
Handi-Vans provide an essential service for people with disabilities unable to use the regular bus service. Unfortunately, as BT’s nine Handi-Vans cannot handle the current demand, users must book at least a week in advance. To deal with requests at short notice, such as necessary medical appointments, taxis should be used to supplement the Handi-Van fleet when required, as is the case in Oakville. (This provision would be better than the discontinued Taxi Scrip program, which many would like to see reinstated.) It should be added that several people questioned why blind people are excluded from using the Handi-Van service.
Unrealistically Tight Schedules: Many riders pointed out that the bus schedules are too “tight”, making it very difficult for the drivers to stay on schedule. When a driver attempts to catch up after falling behind schedule, there may be a loss of safety – or drivers may be reluctant to help passengers enter and exit by lowering the bus and lowering the ramp.
Bfast has argued for some time that the city does not spend what it should be spending on transit. While speaking to the Youth table at the Forum Mayor Goldring said that while Oakville spends more than Burlington their ridership numbers are not that much higher based on what they are spending.
Cheryl Golding and her colleagues at the Gallery 2 on Spring Garden Road are hosting a Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday, May 7, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
It worked – sort of. There was half an hour at the front end of the meeting (oops, party) for socializing that included an open cash bar (two bottles of beer and one soft drink were sold) and then into the Workshop.
Scope:
EXCLUSIONS
Long-time CogecoTV sports producer Brad Scott stated “We are very excited to bring our viewers and fans of the OJHL this Conference Championship. We cover our Halton teams on a regular basis with our game coverage on the OJHL Tonight as well as our weekly program OJHL Rinkside. This Conference Championship will be action packed and the Halton rival will add fuel to our broadcasts.”
By Staff
